Podcasts about 9when

THE PURPOSE OF STORMSYOUR STORM HAS A PURPOSEActs 23:11 But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” In The Storm... Acts 27:20-26 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.  21After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” 27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. I. To Take You Where God Wants You To Go Acts 28:1, 2  Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?  PURPOSE  Until The Entire Of Your Life Purpose Is About Jesus, None Of Your Storms Will Make Sense.   It Matters What You Call It! II. To Give You Favor You Don't Deserve —  “Favor ... Isn't ... Fair”    Acts 28:5,6,7  But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. Secret of God's Favor… Remember:  W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G. Favor is Experiencing An Event Through God's Eyes! HOW? 1. Obedience Through The Storm   +++     2. God's Kingdom Purpose = DIVINE FAVOR   III. To Show You What God Can Do Acts 28:8,9,10 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.            Acts 28:28, 30, 31 "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"  30For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.  - TIMING  -  All you have to do is….. Wait Your Turn!    - YOUR STORM IS YOUR KEY…  IT HAS A PURPOSE!!! KINGDOM!!     - BUT, GOD's PURPOSE… SALVATION REDEMPTION…!   

                   Hebrews – A Call to Commitment:                                        The Overview     I.          Why is the letter of Hebrews Neglected?      1)      Its form seems unusual. Hebrews is grouped with the NT letters but it does not resemble a letter: 1 Cor 1:1-3Instead the document begins with a majestic sentence celebrating the dignity of the Son of God through whom God has spoken his final word: Heb 1:1-3     2)      Its setting in life seems uncertain.          a.       Who is the Author?          b.      Who are the recipients?           c.       What was the situation?    3)      Its Argument seems unfamiliar.        a.       It talks about Jesus in contrast to angels        b.      It focus on the sacrificial law – The Torah (OT).        c.       It mentions Melchizedek        d.      It seems way too long—13 chapters.II.        How can we get a handle on it?   1)      Hebrews is not a letter; it is a sermon!         a.       Heb 13:22 “Word of exhortation.”Technical term for sermon: Acts 13:15         b.      He wants his audience to listen to the voice of God in the present (tense):  Heb 12:25;        c.       The Author identifies himself with the Audience: Heb 2:1   2)      The context is about the Cost of Discipleship        a.       Their world is falling apart 10:32-34        b.      In Rome in AD 49, the Jews were expelled from Rome, under Claudius: Acts 18:1-2   3)      Hebrews addressed human frailty.The location may be Rome: Heb 13:24Fear of death is real: Heb 2:14-15   4)      Hebrews Expresses the Concern of a Friend.He recalled the requirement for discipleship: Mk 8:34-38So, he reminds them that they are not alone!Peter also remind his readers: 1 Pet 5:9When confronted by opposition look to Christ: Heb. 12:2ff  Support the show (https://paypal.me/pwp398?locale.x=en_US)

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

John 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.

In this episode we will be looking at the traditional texts that have been used for Palm Sunday, especially prior to the 3-year lectionary. The Gospel reading here is the text most often read prior to processing into the sanctuary with palms. It is good to understand Zechariah as it explains the symbolism of the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem.Zechariah 9:9-12Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!    Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!Lo, your king comes to you;    triumphant and victorious is he,humble and riding on a donkey,    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim    and the war-horse from Jerusalem;and the battle bow shall be cut off,    and he shall command peace to the nations;his dominion shall be from sea to sea,    and from the River to the ends of the earth.As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;    today I declare that I will restore to you double.Matthew 21:1-9When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,“Tell the daughter of Zion,Look, your king is coming to you,    humble, and mounted on a donkey,        and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,“Hosanna to the Son of David!    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

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

God has called us to live holy lives. Grace makes it possible. Table Talk Holiness and GraceScripture: “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time...” - 2 Timothy 1:9When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”“Tell me, teacher,” he said.“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” - Luke 7:36-50Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. - Hebrews 4:16 Questions for Discussion: “I am as clean as Jesus.” - What are your reservations, if any, about that statement? Is the truth of who you are dependent upon your behavior or what God says about you? “God calls us to live holy lives. Grace makes it possible.” - Have you seen evidence of this in your own life? Explain. Take some time in your community today to pray together.

Speaker or Performer: Pastor Grover Cleveland Scripture Passage(s): Psalm 95:1-11 Date of Delivery: November 26, 2020 Worship and GratitudePsalm 95:1-111 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.2Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.3For the Lord is the great God,And the great King above all gods.4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;The heights of the hills are His also.5The sea is His, for He made it;And His hands formed the dry land.6Oh come, let us worship and bow down;Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.7For He is our God,And we are the people of His pasture,And the sheep of His hand.Today, if you will hear His voice:8“Do not harden your hearts, as in the]rebellion,As in the day of trial in the wilderness,9When your fathers tested Me;They tried Me, though they saw My work.10For forty years I was]grieved with that generation,And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,And they do not know My ways.’11So I swore in My wrath,‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Jonah 2:7-9When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

Day of the DeadThere's really no way to describe it. One minute you have it all. The next all is gone. Its hard to describe the feeling of death. Unless someone near you has died.Then you experience that sting that you cannot put into words. Death reminds us about love because we were created to love. And when someone dies, we find it strange, not showing and sharing that love. This past summer I had to bury one of our alpacas. Our furry friends can become our family and its like losing someone that you came to love. Sweet little alpaca would no longer greet me. What is it about death That is so hard to understand? if you've ever lost someone, you know, that feeling that you would do anything to see them again, anything to talk to them again, anything to hug them again.Death is perhaps the only thing humans have found no cure for. If you’ve ever lost a friend or family member, you know the pain of this. But this morning I want to talk to you about the idea of talking to our dead relatives. If a visitor from another world were to sit down on a couch with us and turn on Hulu or Netflix or Disney – ok especially Disney – there is something – a theme – an idea they would start to pick up. Once I tell you you will say ‘oh yea, that’s true’. It's the idea that somehow, there is life beyond. Somehow death is not the end. Somehow, in ways we don’t fully understand…yet – death is still a mystery but that contacting our loved ones --- or them contacting us is such a beautiful thought. Here in America, we are pretty obsessed with this idea of death being nothing more than a gateway to the next life. Whether it’s zombies, the undead, ghosts, conjuring spirits or anything we celebrate on Halloween these days – death has become big business – especially the scary side of it. But then there’s the other side – the beautiful side – the idea of reconnecting with our loved ones. I lost my dad in a car accident a few years back. There really isn’t much you can say other than ‘man I would trade the whole world – just to talk to that person one more time’ and usually our desire to talk to them is to tell them how much we love them. That’s why in most films – Love and Death are so interconnected. Now if you’ve ever heard of the story of scripture – the real meta narrative you would know that this war between good and evil – love and selfishness – life and death started before humans arose on the scene. With this war, a large segment of the citizens of another realm were kicked out of the capital of the galactic realms. And the bible basically tells us the inner workings of this war and it really comes down to who has the power over life…and death. The bible describes a day in our future when it will seem as though the dead – from our time and centuries in the past will appear to us . Now the question we should be asking if this is a battle for our souls and our destiny – could it be possible that this banished legion race of beings could personify our loved ones with the hope and attempt to deceive us? If your loved one walked up behind you right now and sounded, smelled and seemed the same as they did while alive – is there anything you know or believe that would help you determine if this was them or not? And on that note, if death is just a portal to the next life then why do we fight so hard to stay alive? We love the idea of talking to the dead, celebrating life after death and who can blame us ? The Sumerians did, the Egyptians did,  the Persians, the Greeks, the idea of talking to the dead is found in Homer's Odyssey..and  the Romans And now the Christians.  Ok you get it, its chronic, and its basically everyone. So here's a few stats about this phenomenon, Pew research, estimated that nearly 1.4 million people – that’s more people than there are members of my denomination – that 1.4 million people in the United States identify as practicing Witches.  There are more witches in North America than there are mainline Presbyterians author. Julie Royce is quoted as saying that Wicca is A form of paganism that is effectively repackaged witchcraft for the millennial consumption. No longer are witchcraft and paganism, satanic and demonic. It's a pre-Christian tradition that promotes free thought and understanding of earth and nature. I’m really fascinated right now with the gorwing discussion or tension I should say of people who worship the creator vs. those who worship the creation. I think this is the great issue of worship in the world today – it was the same in history – whether they were called gentiles or heathen or pagans vs those who were monotheistic. The American religious identification survey gives Wicca an average annual growth of 143%. And latest estimates say that the movement is doubling in size every 30 months. According to the journal, the statesman and Elizabeth wind claims the two most recent American religious identification surveys, declare WCA one form of paganism as the fastest growing spiritual identification in America. The high holiday of wicca and paganism is Halloween. It finds its origin over 2000 years ago, with the Druids when it was believed that the boundary between this world and the underworld was thinner than usual, where the spirits could come into the world more easily, but not just any spirits. a supernatural race of spirits generally described as stunningly beautiful. But if they want They can also be terrible and hideous. According to Patricia Monahan, most scholars believed they were a degraded version of ancient gods. Also on this night, the souls of dead relatives were thought to visit the homes of all who celebrated The Holiday, The Holiday involved people going house to house in costume or in disguise, usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated the the souls of the dead and received offerings on their behalf. People Would set out soul cakes full of sweet fruit on out all hallows' Eve as an offering for the dead. This is where most believe we find the origin of trick or treat for all those good yummy candies. Americans, mostly Protestants did not celebrate this holiday for reasons of conviction, but as the cultural makeup changed. So did the celebration in the late 1800s and into the 19th and the 20th century,Halloween is branded as scary and spooky in the United States. but Let's contrast that with the day of the dead or DIA de Los Muertos festivities that take place over two days in an explosion of color and life affirming joy in Mexico and central and South America and growing around the world.This idea of engaging with the dead is not isolated to a few holidays. We see it in our literature, in our television shows and in our movies and kids are not excluded from this phenomenon. First, there was Casper. Now there's Coco. ThePixar film that was the number one film of all time in Mexico. It is one of the top 100 grossing films of all time. So what does the Bible say about this? Perhaps you care, perhaps you don't, but I at least think you, owe it to yourself to know what the Bible says about this idea of talking to the dead. Here’s one reason – nearly 2 billion people call themselves Christians in the world. Most of them believe the dead can make contact with us. Yet the bible says those who die, never return to the land of the living – but guess who it says do ? The fallen angels of heaven – to deceive. The gospel of Jesus is sin leads to death but I have died for you so that you can live forever. The gospel of Lucifer says sin is not that bad, live as you wish, death is the just the beginning. One we find in John 3:16 – the latter in Genesis 3:4. We are going to put a link to some more details on this idea in the comments below this video. Ok so Here’s another reason -  it's not the dead you're talking to. That's the most startling thing the Bible has to say about this topic. You are not talking to your dead relatives. According to the Bible, the dead sleep and await a resurrection. They don't have thoughts or feelings and they don't come back to talk to the living. If we go back to the beginning of the story, the first message shared by the fallen angel Lucifer was to Eve in a garden. And this was it. Eve, regardless of your actions, you'll never die. No matter what you do, you're going to live forever. This is where we get the idea that death is just a doorway into the next state of consciousness. But if this is true, this is a question we should ask ourselves, are we all saved? How does that make you feel? Everyone ends up being saved. Maybe that makes you feel good. Maybe that makes you wonder about that person that abused you. When you were a kid about Hitler, about people in the world that do what we call evil things. You mean they're going to be my neighbor in paradise without a standard by which people are determined to live in paradise or not. We have to ask ourselves, what is that standard?I don't like the idea of living next to Hitler in paradise. The reason this idea is so important is because it has so many ramifications. Are we judged ? If so by whom? are we all saved? Why would someone not be saved? If we die and pass on to the next life or paradise, then why not expedite the process? Why do we fight off death so much in this world? Why not let the sick die faster? Why don't we stop looking for cures to all these diseases? Why don't we get rid of things like life support.It's easy to play with this idea until you come face to face with it. 1st Samuel chapter 28. This is the story of a man who was King. he's in despair. There is an army gathering against his country against his kingdom. And in verse three, we read now Samuel had died. Everything changes when someone close to you dies and nothing can prepare you for it. All Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah in his own city and saul, had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. These are key details. He had put them out and there's a reason for that.Saul Had followed God. And while he did, he had success. But the land was filled with the Philistines and their religion, like most heathen or pagan religions, like most all religions in the world today were built on the belief that the dead can come back and talk to the living that they can help foretell future events. If you had someone that could tell you what tomorrow may bring, you would absolutely want to know. Even if it meant they were coming back from the dead.. The gods of the old Testament were not just imaginary. Talking about these ‘gods’ David tells us the history of his people and the great sin of King Saul- They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood (Psalm 106:34-38).the demons, the fallen angels, legion race were the gods of the old Testament and all these different gods were demons that somehow in some way had personified themselves. And then the people had made an idol after this demon. And if the angels are in the proportions that we read and legend says, they're extremely tall, 12, 16, 18 foot tall beings, and very Beautiful. (Deut 32:16-17). They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never knownDeuteronomy 18 also tells us that they were sacrificing their children, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God.This was profound. When I learned this concept that these weren't just ignorant people. They were worshiping beings with a ton of talent and skill and wisdom.Early Church leaders such as Justin Martyr and Tertullian held similar views (that the gods were actually demons).Why would ancient civilizations talk to these beings? We learn in 2 Kings 19:35 that one angel – one of these type of beings killed 185,000 soldiers in one night. You hear talk of generals from wars in our recent history who were communing with these same beings. Saul had followed God's word in the beginning and gotten rid of the mediums. The spiritists, the fortune tellers, the necromancers anyone that claimed to get truth from the deadSaul’s army – Israel is surrounded, death seems imminent – He’s terrified. And when Saul prayed, we are told the Lord did not answer him either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. Saul is looking for answers, what are we supposed to do. And sadly we learn that he had rejected God earlier in the story. Samuel's dead. He was the voice of God to Saul. When you lose someone close to you in your life, you instantly start looking for someone to talk to, especially if this person was close to you. When I lost my dad, I remember thinking, I would do anything to talk to him. I knew the biblical teaching of the dead. But for months and months after, I would have dreams about my dad. And it began to mess with my mind because I would see my dad in my dreams. I would talk to him. It's not until you lose someone that you realize this power of love,This idea of loss.It helps you really  Begin to understand the power of this doctrine of Lucifer. A Friend of mine shared a story with me about a young boy in Africa. He loved to spend time with his grandmother. She would read stories to him. She would play with him and he just loved his grandma. He would sit by her while she read these stories in her rocking chair. Sadly, she got sick and she died. And the mom knew that the boy took this very hard. He loved his grandmother, but for weeks after she noticed him coming into the house with a smile on his face and heading straight to his room.She couldn't put the pieces together. So finally, she asked him, why are you going straight into your room? And he said because grandma rubs my head and read stories to me. Life is made up of these concepts and ideas, which equate to emotions and actions. You have a choice. No one else has this choice to determine what you believe and how it affects your behavior. What we believe about this topic may have greater consequences than many give it credit for.So we pick up our story in 1 Samuel 28. Saul asks for a medium, his men know exactly where to find one. But in the end it spelled disaster. See our notes for a deeper study on this topic. More Detailed Referenced Notes Below: Question: There is no way to describe the sting of death until you experience it for yourself. Death reminds us about love because we were created to love and when someone dies we find it strange not showing and sharing that love anymore. A few weeks back I found one of our alpacas that had died in the night and I was devastated. I loved her so much. What is it about death that is so hard to understand? If you have ever lost someone you know the feeling that you’d do anything to see them again, to talk to them again. Death is perhaps the only thing humans have not found the cure for. I want to tell you the story of a king who lost his closest confidant. That person he could share his heart with. He was in despair not knowing where to turn for hope and in that moment he did something he condemned others for doing and began looking for a medium - someone who could conjure up the dead. Preview: If the Bible is true, the countless experiences of the living talking to dead loved ones may not be as they seem. If 1/3 of the angels were cast out of heaven, and are in a war against us, what do you think would be the best way to get into your life?  By what means? If by chance it was through someone you loved, how would you know the difference between talking to a dead relative or a demon impersonating your loved one? And if the dead are permitted in to paradise, why would they not in love come back and minister to us in the land of the living? Data/Facts: We love the idea of communicating with the dead, and celebrating life after death. And hey who can blame us? The Sumerians did, the Egyptians did, the Persians, the Greeks, The Romans, and now the Christians… The oldest account of necromancy -talking to the dead- outside of Scripture is found in Homer’s Odyssey.Pew Research in 2014 estimated that with numbers at nearly 1.4 million - There may now be more Americans who identify as practicing witches/wiccans… than there are Seventh-day Adventists in North America. More than there are members of mainline Presbyterianism.” -…(https://qz.com/quartzy/1411909/the-explosive-growth-of-witches-wiccans-and-pagans-in-the-us/)Author Julie Roys says - “Wicca (which is a form of paganism) has effectively repackaged witchcraft for Millennial consumption. No longer are witchcraft and paganism satanic and demonic… it’s a ‘pre-Christian tradition’ that promotes ‘free thought’ and ‘understanding of earth and nature.’ - says. Yet such repackaging is deceptive, Roys added, "but one that a generation with little or no biblical understanding is prone to accept."It's tragic, and a reminder of how badly we need spiritual revival in this country, and also that 'our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world,'" she said, referencing Ephesians 6, which explains spiritual warfare.The American Religious Identification Survey gives Wicca an average annual growth of 143% and latest estimates say that the movement is doubling in size every 30 months [179][269] According to The Statesman - Anne Elizabeth Wynn claims "The two most recent American Religious Identification Surveys declare Wicca, one form of paganism, as the fastest growing spiritual identification in America”.[270]From the Witch School in Salem, Massachusettes, yea its a real thing and really in Salem. “ Wicca is America's Fastest Growing religion, and it is anticipated by some Christian religious experts that it will become the third largest religion in the United States early in the 21st century, behind only Christianity and Islam. Editor Thomas Horn states - “In the United States alone, … [there are] as many as 8 million unregistered practitioners of ‘the craft’.”This leads us to the second biggest holiday in America - Halloween.  Halloween has become big business in the United States.  2nd highest spending after Christmas. $9.0 Billion this year - 2 billion dollars more than all that was spent on the 2016 elections. We will spend more money escaping reality for a day than we did electing the leaders of the free world. There is a reason flu season coincides with Halloween with the amount of candy eaten in the next week. Halloween finds it origin over 2000 years ago with the Celts/Druids who called it Samhain, when it was believed that the boundary between this world and the underworld was thinner than usual. Where the spirits could come into the world more easily. But not just any spirits - the Eeesheee - a supernatural race of spirits. The aos sí are generally described as stunningly beautiful, though they can also be terrible and hideous. According to Patricia Monaghan, most scholars believed they were a degraded versions of ancient gods.  Monaghan, Patricia (2014). The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. Infobase publishing. p. 167.)Also on this night, the souls of dead relatives were thought to visit the homes of all who celebrated. The holiday involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated the Aos Sí, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf, similar to the custom of souling. Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them. It was a holiday of impersonation. Impersonation - Someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. People would set out ‘soul cakes’ full of sweet fruit - on All Hallows' Eve as an offering for the dead. This is where most believe we find the origin of trick or treating for sweets. ( Kullstroem, Chris (27 May 2009). Making a Monstrous Halloween: Themed Parties, Activities and Events. McFarland. p. 85. ISBN9780786444380. “The Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating started as a European Christian custom called souling.”) For a long time Americans, mostly protestants, did not celebrate this holiday for religious reasons. As the cultural makeup changed so did the celebration. In the late 1800s and into the 20th century it became a community holiday and did not include the spook and dark side that we see coming back today. Perhaps where there is no light, darkness reigns.  This idea of conjuring the dead is said to be one of the most common themes in most video games today - usually by raising up warriors as zombies to fight in battle.Halloween is branded as scary and spooky in the United States. It is celebrated over the course of a day. Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos festivities however, unfold over two or more days in an explosion of color and life-affirming joy in Mexico, in central and south America and growing around the world.The Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For these pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth.Then there is the altar. Where families put the favorite food of the family member and even toys the children because of their long journey. Often they will put marigolds leading the way back to the grave. This idea is not isolated to a few holidays. We see it in literature, in our television shows and in our movies and kids are not excluded.For Example - the Pixar film - Coco - the #1 film of all time in Mexico and one of the highest grossing films of all time is all about making the idea of talking to our dead loved ones as fun as the day of the dead portrays. What once was condemned we now pay to enjoy. So what does the Bible say about this idea of communicating with the dead? First off, it’s not the dead we are communicating with. According to the Bible the dead sleep and await a resurrection. They don’t have thoughts or feelings and don’t come back to talk to the living. So then who is it so many are talking to? The first message shared by the fallen angel Lucifer to Eve was “regardless of your actions, you won’t die” This is where we get the idea that death is just a doorway to the next state of consciousness. But if this is true, then are we all saved? Without a standard by which people are determined to live in paradise or not, are all saved? Do I have the joy of looking forward to living next to Hitler and other evil men in paradise? I don’t like that idea. The reason this idea is so important is because it has so many ramifications. Are we judged? By whom? Based on what? Are we all saved? Why would someone not be saved? If we die and pass on to the next life or paradise, then why not expedite that process? Why do we fight off death so much in the world, why not let the sick die faster, stop looking for cures to diseases, get rid of things like life support. It’s easy to play with this idea until you come face to face with it. BIBLE/STORY - Setting - 1 Samuel 28:3(Endor) - Saul had followed God and while he did he had success. The land was filled with the Phillistines and their religion which was built on the belief that the dead can come back and talk to the living…and that they can help foretell future events. Not many know that the great gods of the old testament were not just neat ideas, they were based on something. (https://www.thoughtco.com/false-gods-of-the-old-testament-700162)—-Talking about these ‘gods’ David tells us the history of his people and the great sin of King Saul- They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood (Psalm 106:34-38).We learn here that the gods of the old testament were actually demons.(Deut 32:16-17). They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never knownDeut 18:9-12 - 9When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations. 10There shall not be found among you any one who maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or who useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12For all who do these things are an abomination unto the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee (KJV).Though Mosaic Law prescribed the death penalty to practitioners of necromancy (Leviticus 20:27What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Cor 10:20-22)Early Church Fathers such as Justin Martyr and Tertullian held similar views (that the gods were actually demons).——So just to be clear, the fallen angels are also known as demons. And the demons were what the majority of nations worshipped in the old world. Psalm 8:5 tells us man was made with lesser powers than the angelsHow powerful is one angel - we know from 2 Kings 19:35 - one angel killed 185,000 soldiers in one night. The Good news is that each of us has a guardian angel commissioned to be with us through our lives. Now if you have a full time bodyguard with superpowers, could it be that your life is threatened by an enemy? So Saul had gotten rid of Mediums, Spiritists,, fortunetellers - Necromancers as Deuteronomy commanded. 1 Samuel 28:3-6Saul is longing for answers. Notice verse 3 - Samuel has died. He was the voice of God to Saul. Have you ever lost someone close to you? You know this feeling of love being cut off suddenly. I have. A few years back I got a call that my dad had died in a car accident. Sudden. You think of the your last conversation. You think of the good times. You would do ANYTHING to talk to them again. Let me repeat that - You would do ANYTHING to talk to them again. I know the Bible teaching on the dead, yet for months and even years I would have dreams where I would see my dad, talk to him, even know he was dead yet everything in my being - in my dream - wanted to hug him, talk to him. Not until you lose someone and realize the power of love and loss do you begin to really understand the power of this doctrine of the devil - that death is a doorway to the next life. Did I think it was a good thought if my dad was looking down from heaven or up from hell at his family so sad without him? When we really think of death and the heresies that have come even into the church we have to realize why so many want nothing to do with God. Saul was desperate and he called for a medium. He knew better but he was would do ANYTHING to find answers.1 Samuel 28:7- 25——-Why address this today? Because if the Bible is true, then something is coming, a deception thousands of years in the making onto our planet. The most powerful medium - friends and family, who seem to come to us, look the same, sound the same, smell the same, and are here to comfort us and ‘warn us’ of coming danger. I can tell you everything in your soul will WANT TO BELIEVE these beings impersonating your loved ones. This is where faith and feeling will fight their greatest battle. The only thing telling you this is not real is Scripture and the truth that the dead know nothing (Eccl 9:5) and Job 7:9-10 - As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so one who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.1 Timothy 4:1 - The Spirit clearly says that in the last days some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.1 Timothy 4:3 - For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.as we learn this story of the battle between good and evil we learn that there are other worlds out there (Hebrews 11) we learn that 1/3 of the angels and their general are confined to this earth now.(Revelation 12) We learn that those beings from other worlds are not coming here to be contaminated by sin. Therefore we are under quarantine. Which means any discussion of aliens is a discussion of fallen angels visiting this planet. I know Hollywood has painted a picture that together if we unite we can fight the coming invaders, but the only invaders coming from outside of this planet are Christ and the unfallen angels at the second coming, because the fallen ones are already here. Demons - fallen angels - are organized, have special skills like filling someone with pride, anger, lust, rage, depression, despair, gluttony, resentment and the list goes on…The new testament is filled with examples of demon possession especially as Jesus walked the earth. In Mark 5:9 we learn of a man suffering possession and it is declared to be “Legion” when Jesus asked the name - the roman term for at least 5000 in a division of the army. We also learn in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Lucifer - the fallen archangel of heaven is planning to personate christ before the true second coming. We also learn that the fallen angels are going to impersonate loved ones who have gone to sleep i.e. died. Why? Because this is the most powerful MEDIUM to sway someones belief system. I had a friend in elementary school who’s family had spoken to their dead daughter- his sister. There is NO. LET ME REPEAT. NO WAY to reason with someones apparent reality. They saw her, they spoke to her, and I was not going to convince them otherwise. The dead can appear to talk to the living, it’s just not the dead but demons masquerading as loved ones with the sole desire to deceive us. A friend recently shared a story about a boy in Africa. He loved to spend time with his grandmother and sit by her while she read stories to him in her rocking chair. Sadly she got sick and died. The mom knew the boy took this very hard. For weeks after, she noticed he kept heading to his room more often than usual and with a look of happiness. Finally she asked him why. He said because grandma rubs my head and reads stories to me still.Life is made up of concepts and ideas which equate to emotions and actions. You have a choice on what you believe and how it effects your behavior. This topic and a complete understanding of it impacts so many other beliefs and ideas. It has influenced this planet since the first day and will be an issue until the last day. The reason it is all so important is because it is about love. God loves us and does not want to see us deceived and lost. We have to decide if that love is worth it…For why should we seek the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5)

Hebs 4 14Well, then, since we have a great high priest who has gone right through the heavens, Jesus, God's son, let us hold on firmly to our confession of faith. 15For we don't have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us at the moment when we need it. 7During the time of Jesus' earthly life, he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud shouts and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his devotion. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9When he had been made complete and perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10since he has been designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation . SPCK. Kindle Edition. Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen St Ignatius

HAVE WE HAD ENOUGH YET? Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Jesus Matthew 5:9 www.theraggededgeradio.com LIVE NOTES by Russ Dizdar © 2020 2 ‘Not with a peaceful intent’: Boston police commissioner says some were ‘hellbent’ on destruction after protests “It was rough for a while out there last night.” Asheville protests: Second day started peacefully, ended with more destruction and gun shots Holcomb blasts destruction as 'domestic terrorism,' affirms right to peaceful protests Economic destruction from riots and looting will hit minorities hardest Brooklyn protests mostly peaceful, but marchers to Manhattan on path of destruction Cleveland responds to damage, destruction caused by Saturday’s protests D.C. Police Chief: Destruction that coincided with protests 'appeared to be' organized After a night of rage and destruction in Philly, religious leaders pray for peaceful protest Providence Mayor on Overnight Protests: “Violence is Not the Answer 7 NIGHTS OF FIRE IN THE USA The devils in the details ….to steal, kill and destroy “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when this is about to happen?” 8He said, “Beware lest you be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. 9When you hear of wars and commotions, do not be afraid. For these things must first take place, but the end will not be at hand.” www.theraggededgeradio.com LIVE NOTES by Russ Dizdar © 2020 3 10Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11Great earthquakes will occur in various places, and there will be famines and pestilence. And there will be terrors

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

Palm SundayApril 5, 2020The Triumphal Entry - Matthew 21:1-9When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,‘Behold your King is coming to you,Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,“Hosanna to the Son of David;Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;Hosanna in the highest!”

Text: Leviticus 2 / Romans 12:1-9When we see who God is and what He has done, our only reasonable response is worship. For the Israelites, the grain offering as seen in chapter 2 of Leviticus was the way they responded to God in Worship. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul outlines what this means for us today as Jesus followers. In this message, pastor Blake outlines some of the characteristics of true worship for followers of Jesus.Support the show (http://myascent.churchcenter.com)

Sermon Notes ABSENT, YET AT HOME 2 Corinthians 5:6-9When doing a Bible study you look for key words or phrases that are repeated. In our passage before us you find two phrases used twice. In verse 6 and 8 we are to be of good courage or confident. In those verses also notice that in verse 6 we are at home in the body and absent from the lord and in verse 8 we are absent from the body and at home with the Lord. The passage concludes Therefore we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. I. Confidence in the present: Paul was confident that this present existence involves separation from GodII. Confidence in Plan: Paul explained further by characterizing the Christian life as living by faith, not by sightIII. Confident in Potential: Paul was confident and would have preferred to leave his present body behind in order to be at home with the Lord.IV. Because Paul was confident in the potential, he was Confident in Purpose: In light of this confidence Paul had a goalA. To be well pleasing to Him1. Euarestos – eu well arestos pleasing This word is used several other places in the New Testament. Each of these references helps us better understand what it is that pleases the Lord.a. It is well pleasing to Him when we present our bodies to Him as living sacrifices Rom 12:1b. It is well pleasing to Him when we live so as to help others and avoid causing them to stumble Rom 14:18c. God is well pleased when His children separate themselves from the evil around them Eph 5:10d. God is well pleased when they bring their offerings to Him Phil 4:18e. He is pleased with saints who permit Jesus Christ to work out His perfect will in their lives Heb 13:20-21B. Whether at home or absent1. The people of God can be found in one of two places: either in heaven or on earth (Eph 3;15). None of them is in any intermediate place between earth and heaven. Believers on earth are at home in the body while believers who have died are absent from the body. Believers on earth are absent from the Lord while believers in heaven are present with the Lord. Either way they are at home, with their people. Here are the lessons we can learn from this passage. We can be confident in the present. Be at home in your present existence even though it involves separation from God. We are to be confident in the plan. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident in the Potential. It is real as we have the earnest of the Holy Spirit. We are confident in the purpose. Our ambition, our aim is to be well pleasing to Christ.

Sermon on Luke 15:1-10Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable: 4“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

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.

Sermon delivered Sunday, 04/09/2019, Lent 5CText: John 12:1-11 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

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

Worship audio from Transfiguration Sunday worship. Bulletin & PDF available below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the daily podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV. Bulletin PDF here. Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns.Lord Jesus, you alone sought us out, forgave us, bought us, made us your own. Lead us to see your glory on the mountain, that we may be prepared for life in this world of sin & death & pain; AMEN.The True Worship of God: So the worship and divine service of the Gospel is to receive gifts from God. On the contrary, the worship of the Law is to offer and present our gifts to God. However, we can offer nothing to God unless we have first been reconciled and born again. This passage, too, brings the greatest comfort, as the chief worship of the Gospel is to desire to receive the forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness. Christ says of this worship, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). And the Father says, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). 190 [311] The adversaries speak of obedience to the Law, but they do not speak of obedience to the Gospel. We cannot obey the Law, unless we have been born again through the Gospel. We cannot love God, unless we have received the forgiveness of sins.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 5 (Concordia p. 130)Joining Jesus:During the season of Epiphany, we join Jesus as he reveals his glory. Today, the final Sunday in Epiphany, we join Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration where he reveals his glory in fullest measure. How does this revealing of the glory of God comfort & guide us today?OPENING HYMN: 95 – How Good, Lord, to Be HereLITURGY: CW p. 38 Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Lord God, before the suffering and death of your one and only Son, you revealed his glory on the holy mountain. Grant that we who bear his cross on earth may behold by faith the light of his heavenly glory and so be changed into his likeness; 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: 2 Kings 1-12aElijah is taken to heaven:When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah was traveling with Elisha from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD is taking your master away from you?” Then he said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” 4Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here because the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. 5Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD is taking your master away from you?” He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” . . . continued . . . 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here because the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Then fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood and watched them from a distance, while the two of them were standing at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak, folded it together, and struck the water. The water divided to the right and to the left. Then the two of them crossed on dry land. 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me for whatever I can do for you before I am taken from you.” Then Elisha said, “Let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing. If you see me being taken from you, it will surely be yours. But if not, then it will not.” 11While they were walking and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire, and horses of fire came and separated them. So Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha was watching and crying out, “My father! My father! Israel’s chariot and its charioteers!” Then he did not see him anymore. PSALM OF THE DAY: 148, CW p. 121SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6The gospel proclaims forgiveness – yet this gospel is veiled in weakness:3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing. 4In the case of those people, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from clearly seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image. 5Indeed, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” is the same one who made light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. THEME VERSE: Mark 9:87Alleluia. A voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.” 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: Mark 9:2-9The Transfiguration:2After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain where they were alone by themselves. There he was transfigured in front of them. 3His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say because they were terrified. 7A cloud appeared and overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 97 – Down From the Mount of GlorySERMONCONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed, CW p. 41OFFERING PRAYER OF THE CHURCH: CW p. 42Please rise.              FAREWELL TO ALLELUIABrothers and sisters in Christ, when we next gather for worship, it will be Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. On that day we will begin our solemn journey to the Savior’s cross. While the joy of faith remains undiminished throughout the year, our rejoicing during Lent is muted and quiet. For centuries, therefore, the Christian church has omitted its most jubilant songs during this season, including the word alleluia, which means, “praise the Lord.” You will notice that during this time of Lent, our worship will omit its normal Alleluia. We do this to prepare ourselves for the quieter days of Lent. The alleluias will return on Easter dawn as we gather to shout our praise to the risen Lord.CLOSING PRAYER: CW p. 43CLOSING HYMN: 709 – Christ, Your Footprints Through the Desert (bulletin insert) NOTESWednesday, Ash Wednesday worship. Meal at 6 PM, worship at 7 PM. Wednesday evening meal & worship continues through March 21.Check out www.shepherdofthelakes.net/worship to help prepare your heart for Lent with an overview of our worship themes.           Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Lent 1 – Because He KnewColor PurpleLiturgy Word & Sacrament, CW p. 26Hymns 224, 201, 714, 752; CWS Psalm 3Readings from Mark 1, Genesis 22, Romans 8Verse of the Day Matthew 4:10   THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 12 9:30 AM - Epiphany Last: Transfiguration Sunday 10:45 AM – Sunday School. Bible Class: The FloodMonday 1 Samuel 13Tuesday 1 Samuel 14 7 PM - CouncilWednesday 1 Samuel 15 5-6 PM – Small Catechism Class 6 PM - Lenten Supper 7 PM - Ash Wednesday WorshipThursday 1 Samuel 16Friday 1 Samuel 17Saturday 1 Samuel 18Sunday 1 Samuel 19 9:30 AM - Lent 1 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 AM – Bible class & Sunday School   

1Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3So He told them this parable, saying, 4"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Marriages that Influence Future Generations - March 26, 2017 - Steve MillerStory: "Why the Old Man Planted Trees" by Dan MurdochOf all the things that we appreciate from those who have gone before us, and that we hope to give to those who come after us, what is the most important? Jesus expressed what really concerned Him:Luke 18:8 - However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? What is God's purpose for marriage? There are multiple good purposes for godly marriage, but perhaps the most important one in God's eyes is that through godly marriage we pass on the faith to future generations.In Genesis 1-2, God created man and woman to be one flesh. This union is imperative to God's purpose to fill the earth with godly offspring and rule it in righteousness, not only for biological reasons, but for spiritual ones as well.After Adam and Eve fell into sin, Genesis 4 and 5 show two genealogies: one for Cain's line and one for Seth's line. Between the two lists, it states that "At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord."According to Genesis 6, after the offspring who kept the knowledge of the Lord intermarried with the unbelievers, the whole human race became unbelieving, violent, and wicked to the point where God regretted making mankind and determined to destroy all but Noah's family.Genesis 6:1-8After the Great Flood, God chose Abraham's family to be His vehicle to preserve and spread the knowledge of Him and His ways to the future generations of the world.Genesis 18:18-19 - 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” God has always been concerned about passing on faith and knowledge of Him to the next generation. This was His main concern with Israel, and much of the responsibility of this he put on families.Deuteronomy 6:4-9When the Lord brought His people into the Promised Land, He commanded and warned them to constantly teach their children His laws and His ways, to rid the land of idols, and to not intermarry with unbelievers.Deuteronomy 7:1-6What are you, whether single or married, doing to pass on the faith to future generations?After Israel had occupied much of the Promised Land, Joshua again challenged the people and reminded them to serve God and keep His covenant.Joshua 24:14-15 - "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” In our western culture, we Christians sometimes underestimate the command for parents to disciple our own children. They are meant to have a spiritual advantage, a head start.Mark 10:14-15If we do not teach our children to know and love the Lord from a young age, the world will surely step in and lead them the other way.Judges 2:6-13Chip Ingram, in Effective Parenting in a Defective World: Children will learn most by seeing what we do and how we live. Our marriages will teach and influence our children's faith even more than our words.Malachi 2:10-16 - 15Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.We live in a society full of temptation and examples of selfishness. We are not immune to temptation. But as Christians, with the grace of the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, the thought that our response to temptation will influence the lives and eternal destiny of our children and grandchildren is a very sobering stop sign.Not only that, but our marriages present a picture of the relationship between Christ and His Church to our children. Husbands demonstrate who Christ is, and wives demonstrate how we respond to Him.Ephesians 5:21-27If we consider this message honestly, we will all find some point or another where we have failed. But there is good news. Godly marriage and parenting is another part of our lives that we must bring to the cross in repentance to seek forgiveness and grace from Jesus. It's not too late. If we humble ourselves before the Lord, and our spouses, and also before our children, He will lift us up and pour His grace upon us. Do not be afraid to repent to your family members; it's one of the most necessary and powerful things we can do.Finally, if you are a parent who is divorced or married to an unbelieving spouse, don't feel discouraged or condemned about your situation. For Paul writes that a believing parent brings a sanctifying influence over his/her children.1 Corinthians 7:12-14Just how great of an influence does God want to exert on future generations through your life, your marriage?

Matthew 2:1-12 Introduction to Scripture: Today we are celebrating Epiphany, a day when something new was revealed. As we read this familiar text today, let us look for something to be revealed that we had not seen before. There is a rabbinical story that can help us in this task. “It is the story of the burning bush in the Hebrew Scriptures in which Moses sees a bush on fire, but the bush is not consumed. The rabbis say that the important thing about this story is not that the bush is burning but that Moses notices, because every bush is burning, every bush is on fire with the divine presence, everything in the universe shines because God is at the heart of it. So it is in our epiphany story. It is a story that invites us to open our eyes to the light that is everywhere.” 1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. For a number of years now, my bucket list of places to visit is Yosemite National Park. 2017 looks to be that year. My son, Stephen, heard of our plans and gifted me with a book of John Muir’s wilderness essays. Muir was a 19th century naturalist, His activism not only helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley but played a part in it becoming a national park. Among the essays in the book is one titled, “A Near View of the High Sierra.” There was something about the Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra that fed his soul. It just so happened that it was Epiphany day as I was reading about his travels in the High Sierras. Epiphany day is the day we as Christians celebrate the travels of the Magi to Bethlehem to pay homage to the new born king. As I enjoyed Muir’s gift for prose, I wondered if one of the magi had had the same gift for prose as Muir did and had recorded his or her travels, what a gift that would be to those of us who also in a vicarious way long to have the same experience as those magi did almost 2,000 years ago. What story would the Magi have told? How would they have described their journey? How did they explain to skeptics their willingness to invest more than two years of their lives and a significant amount of money to follow a star that supposedly might lead to a new king. To invest this amount of time and capital, there had to be something special about that star that they were following. As I was thinking about Muir’s devotion to the wilderness that gave him a focus for his life, and as I was contemplating what it might have been like for the Magi to devote several years of their lives to follow a star, I came across a poem by William Stafford that I believe gives voice to what it means to devote one’s life to a specific purpose. Stafford’s poem “The Way It Is’ takes a poetic image that William Blake used, that of a golden string, and builds upon it. Blake said this of the golden string, "I give you the end of a golden string, Only wind it into a ball, It will lead in at Heaven's gate Built in Jerusalem's wall." Stafford takers that thought and writes, “There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding. You don’t ever let go of the thread.” For Muir, something in the wilds of the High Sierra’s contained that golden thread. Clearly when one read his writings, one can tell that Muir is never lost for he is always holding on to that thread that binds him to heaven’s gate. For the magi, there was something about that star that became for them the golden thread. I am sure that the Magi had a difficult time trying to make people understand what it was that they were pursuing. Just like we wonder what they were pursuing, surely people then wondered just as well. Why would the Magi give up so much of their life to follow this star? In many ways, many of us here in this room are on a similar journey as that of the Magi. We caught a glimpse of that vision of what could be when the Christ truly enters our world and we became intrigued enough to follow that vision to see where it would take us. As we journeyed, as we followed that star, the vision unfolded before us was one that declared that all people, regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual identity, etc..etc., that all people are children of God. The golden thread revealed to us that all creation is a gift to be cherished. Sadly as the biblical story suggests, not all people catch this vision, not all people grab hold of that golden thread. In the gospel story, we read of two groups of people that missed out of heaven for lack of eyes to see what was right before them. One group, those with power, this group was embodied by that of King Herod. Herod had no interest in any new King to come. He was all about holding onto the power that he held. Power had become his god. He could not imagine giving up any of his power or riches to consider joining the magi on their quest, even if, as Blake writes, it would lead him to heaven’s gate. The other group was the wise people of that day. The magi inquired of them as to where they might find the Christ, the light of the world. The wise people of that day, the chief priests and scribes, knew scripture and were able to tell the magi where to find the Christ. It is interesting to note that the magi went where the wise ones had told them, but not a single learned person went with them. It makes me wonder why not. What about their wisdom kept them from seeing the Christ in their midst? What about our wisdom keeps us from seeing the Christ that is in our midst? What is it about our understanding of faith that keeps us from grasping hold of that golden thread that will lead us to Heaven’s gate? Just as Muir saw in the wilds of the High Sierras something magical that fed his soul, and just as the Magi caught a glimpse of a star that not only held their gaze but beckoned them to leave the comfort of home and venture into the unknown, as we enter this season of Epiphany, we too are being called to grab hold of that golden thread that will lead us to Heaven’s gate. Granted, that thread may take us places that are out of our comfort zone. That thread may very well challenge us to love those whom others say not to love, or it may challenge us welcome those whom others exclude. That thread may very well pull us to give more of ourselves, our time, and our treasures than we had earlier planned. Despite the challenges that thread will lead us to Heaven’ gate if we are willing to follow it. The question is now before us. Will we be like Herod, and miss out on what could be because we are afraid to give up our power? Or, will we be like the learned ones of that day, full of knowledge but unwilling to step out in faith to truly place our trust in the truth. If we follow in the way of Herod and the learned ones of that day, we may very well miss out on what God is doing in our midst. But if we are willing to let go of those things and to grab hold of that “golden thread” that is before us, Heaven’s gate is waiting. The choice is ours to make. Will we hold on to it or not. ___________________________________________________________ 1From Day1.org, “The Light Within All Life,” by The Rev. Dr. John Philip Newell, January 06, 2013

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

http://versebyversebibleteaching.com/wp-content/uploads/Hebrews%203_7_12.mp3 [audio: http://versebyversebibleteaching.com/wp-content/uploads/Hebrews%203_7_12.mp3] 7Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, […]

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