Podcasts about Achor

NOTAS DE ELENAMaterial complementario de la escuela Sabática para adultosNarrado por: Patty CuyanDesde: California, USAUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchMARTES, 15 DE ABRILLA ESPOSA PROSTITUTA DE OSEASEn un lenguaje simbólico Oseas presentó a las diez tribus el plan que Dios tenía para volver a otorgar a toda alma penitente que se uniese con su iglesia en la tierra las bendiciones concedidas a Israel en los tiempos cuando este le era leal en la tierra prometida. Refiriéndose a Israel como a quien deseaba manifestar misericordia, el Señor declaró: "Empero he aquí, yo la induciré, y la llevaré al desierto, y hablaré a su corazón. Y daréle sus viñas desde allí, y el valle de Achor por puerta de esperanza; y allí cantará como en los tiempos de su juventud, y como en el día de su subida de la tierra de Egipto. Y será que en aquel tiempo, dice Jehová, me llamarás Marido mío, y nunca más me llamarás Baali [Margen: Mi señor]. Porque quitaré de su boca los nombres de los Baales, y nunca más serán mentados por sus nombres". Oseas 2:14-17. En los últimos días de la historia de esta tierra, debe renovarse el pacto de Dios con su pueblo que guarda sus mandamientos. "En aquel día yo haré por ellos un pacto con las fieras del campo, y con las aves del cielo, y con los reptiles del suelo; y quebraré el arco y la espada, y quitaré la guerra de en medio de la tierra; y haré que duerman ellos seguros. Y te desposaré conmigo para siempre: sí, te desposaré conmigo en justicia, y en rectitud, y en misericordia y en compasiones; también te desposaré conmigo en fidelidad, y tú conocerás a Jehová. "Sucederá también que en aquel día yo responderé, dice Jehová; yo responderé a los cielos, y ellos responderán a la tierra; y la tierra responderá al trigo y al vino y al aceite; y ellos responderán a Jezreel. Y te sembraré para mí mismo en la tierra; y me compadeceré de la no compadecida, y al que dije que no era mi pueblo, le diré: ¡Pueblo mío eres! y él me dirá a mí: ¡Tú ere mi Dios!" Vers. 18-23 (Profetas y reyes, pp. 223, 224). Esta es una prueba de que Dios se resiste a abandonar a su pueblo. Y para que Israel no descuidara tanto sus reprobaciones y sus advertencias, hasta el punto de olvidarse de ellas, demoró el juicio sobre su pueblo y le dio un registro completo de su desobediencia y graves peca-dos, así como de los juicios que había declarado como consecuencia de sus transgresiones, desde los días de Josías hasta aquel tiempo. De ese modo, los israelitas tendrían una nueva oportunidad para ver su maldad y arrepentirse. Esto nos demuestra que Dios no se complace en afligir a su pueblo; sino que, con un cuidado que sobrepasa el de un padre que se apiada de su hijo descarriado, ruega a su pueblo errante que regrese a la lealtad (Testimonios para la Iglesia, t. 4, p. 176). 

Fr. Mike explains the meaning of circumcision for Israel's relationship with God. He also underscore the gravity of Achan's sin, and how the Valley of Achor symbolizes shame that is painful but not hopeless. Today we read Joshua 5-7 and Psalm 125. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Can happiness be the key to success? In this episode of the Moonshots Podcast, Mike and Mark explore Shawn Achor's The Happiness Advantage. This groundbreaking book reveals how cultivating happiness first leads to tremendous work, life, and leadership success.Drawing from Achor's extensive research in positive psychology, this episode unpacks the science behind why a positive mindset boosts productivity, resilience, and overall performance. Instead of chasing success in the hope of finding happiness, Achor argues that happiness itself is the fuel for achieving our goals.

Note: There is a time of prophetic ministry at the end of this message during the audio version of the podcast.   Please Take A Moment to Listen So That The Holy Spirit Might Speak Over Your Life!     "Choosing The Desert Of Trouble  Or The Door Of Hope"   Prophetic Insights and Encouragement By Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit    TODAY'S PODCAST MESSAGE IS GOING TO ADDRESS  ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MOST CHRISTIANS  ARE A LITTLE EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT.  THEY DOUBT!   Sometimes it comes from being so absolutely crushed that you are afraid to trust or believe in anything. Or, we create our own false narratives and wonder WHY things don't happen, and then we doubt that God can get us out of our messes.   WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT “DOUBT THING” THAT KEEPS BEATING AGAINST THE THIN MEMBRANE OF HOPE IN YOUR THINKING?   WE CAN CERTAINLY SEE TODAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE PUT THEIR HOPE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED, looking for a way out of confusion, wanting to know themselves better or to find someone to love or to validate them. There's Enneagrams, horoscopes, overloads of self-help books/blogs, medications, politicians, gurus and more, and most all of these have failed those hope seekers, or maybe have caused them to flail even further.   BUT HONESTLY... ...MOST PEOPLE ARE SIMPLY SEARCHING FOR THE "REAL DEAL". They want to see genuine people expressing living and radiant hope. They want an anchor in Achor (troubled times). They are attracted to that and yet, the soul does love intellectual reasoning more than humility and yielding to God, the Supreme Guide.   HOPE.  It's what nourishes life. It's the motivator to move us into action. It's the promise of tomorrow. What each one of us needs more of is hope. What our country and world needs is hope.   Discouragement.  It's what siphons the joy right out of you! Discouragement leads to desperation, which leads to feelings of anxiety, dread and hopelessness, which can move people into depression and suicidal thoughts, and those thoughts lead down a path of complete and utter darkness. Trouble looms large in every face, every place and every happy space.   SO… DEFINE… HOPE!  We often use the word hope as a kind of wish. “I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.” “I hope the Broncos win their next game.” But friends, hope in the Bible, has quite a different meaning.   RAW AND BIBLICAL HOPE IS A CONFIDENCE AND EXPECTATION THAT GOD HAS PROVIDED A WAY FOR A GOOD FUTURE FOR YOU.  God wants to fill every person reading  or listening this with hope, that He has a wonderful future planned for you! Ah…. Ummm......  Really? Does He?  Can God REALLY create “good” out of the trouble you are passing through or that you got yourself "IN" to?   THE WORD ACHOR MEANS TROUBLE.  So very aptly named, the valley spoken about here (Achor- from Hosea 2: 1-8) is the place where a man named Achan, brought trouble on Israel, by willfully going the opposite way and blew off the Lord's plan. So, God sees the sin, and brings it to them through Hosea's warning.   THE SIN OF THEIR IDOLATRY, their mixtures of spiritual practices and beliefs and forgetting God and their sincere dedication to him, and his ways of doing things. (Read Hosea 2: 1-8 to fully see the raw details.)   YIKES!  These folks were exploring and trusting in things much like many who are probing and immersing themselves into questionable spiritual practices and who distance themselves from the warnings of God today!   God in His grace, in the New Testament freedom of Christ, will put sin to death in your life and my life and also the trouble brought against us from the results of the sin of others. He prepares the Valley of trouble - Achor, to become a door of hope.   God wants to show you the door… ...Right there, in the midst of this grief or very hard trouble that you are parched and exhausted by.   A door where you see HOPE written on it…. …And you move towards it. Crawling is absolutely permitted!  Just get moving, and get THERE!   JESUS SPOKE IT CLEARLY TO US WHEN HE SAID, "I AM THE DOOR.  "To enter through me is to experience life, freedom, and satisfaction.  A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy.  But I have come to give you everything in abundance,  more than you expect life in its fullness until you overflow!" -John 10:9-10   THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION, OF TROUBLE AND DEFEAT WILL BECOME THE FIRST POINT OF YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE DOOR OF HOPE. You let go of the dragging baggage of woes and stop chewing on the dust. You admit your secret idolatry of pessimism and stubborn defiance to yield to the probing of your heart, admitting that you account to no one but yourself. You put down the whip of control and anger and take up the walking stick to lean upon while you humbly limp towards the door of Hope. That's a valley of trouble my friend. But, listen closely!   THIS DOOR OF HOPE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED THERE STRATEGICALLY PLACED IN THE MESS, DOES NOT DISAPPOINT.  WHY? Because it's appointed by God Himself. It opens up new opportunities for you; even those that were lost will be restored to you. It will cause a new song to rise again in your heart.   SO, YOU WEARY, RED -EYED AND CRIED OUT ONES,  PREPARE TO LEAVE THE VALLEY OF TROUBLE (ACHOR) BEHIND,   AND PASS THROUGH THE DOOR OF HOPE.   We Have To Wait With Hope For God! “Wait with hope for the LORD.  Be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Yes, wait with hope for the LORD.” -Psalm 27:14   WE HAVE TO BE COURAGEOUS AND STRONG IN OUR WAITING  FOR THAT DOOR TO BE SHOWN TO US.  The word “wait” is a very upsetting word for many! We don't like waiting! We want things fixed. NOW! PRONTO! Waiting can make us feel like we are doing something wrong, hesitating, lagging behind. This isn't why we have to wait sometimes.   WAITING HELPS US TO MATURE IN CHRIST.  Waiting burns out impatience and defensiveness and impulsive reactions that decide to not deal with our deeply entrenched ruts! Waiting is better then rushing into something without God's wisdom and direction. This door of Hope when there has been trouble, sin, loss pain, cycles of grief, is a sign of God's tender mercy towards you. “I will give back her vineyards to her and transform her Valley of Troubles (Achor) into a Door of Hope. "She will respond to me there, singing with joy as in days long ago in her youth after I had freed her from captivity in Egypt.” -Hosea 2:15   LET THIS PROMISE BRING REASSURANCE TO YOUR HEART.  Let the past with all its sin and defeat be locked behind you, never to be reopened again. Leave the Valley of Achor behind. Let your eyes look ahead. Walk through the door of hope that God has opened for you!   Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information  for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright © 2025 - "THE MESSENGER " ~Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com   If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist and bless Mary to minister, helping her to meet needs such as web site and podcast and video teaching costs, or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:   Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks  To: His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver  Colorado 80614 USA Or feel free to use our send a tax deductible gift with  Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc. ALL gifts are tax deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable  and have been in full compliance since 1985    THANK YOU! To Learn More About Steve and Mary Lindow Click Picture  Do you or a loved one need prayer? There are faithful intercessors around the world who are ready and who are prepared to pray for you.  Please Click Picture To Send Prayer Requests  

The consequences of Achor's sin show us the reality of God's judgement, but also evidences the immense grace offered through the Gospel.

Ho 2:1–15.1 “Say to your brother, My People, and to your sister, Shown Mercy, 2  ‘Contend against your mother, contend! Because she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. And I will remove her fornication from my face, and her adultery from the middle of her breasts, 3  in order that I might strip her naked and restore her just as on the day of her birth. And I will make her a wilderness, and I will appoint her like dry land, and I will kill her with thirst. 4  And I will not show mercy to her children, because they are children of fornication. 5  Because their mother committed fornication; she who bore them was disgracing herself. Because she said, “I will go after my lovers, who are giving me my bread and my water and my clothes and my linens and my olive oil and all things, as many as belong to me.” 6  On account of this, look, I will hedge her way with thorns, and I will wall up roads, and she will not find her path. 7  And she will closely pursue her lovers and not take hold of them. And she will seek them and not find them. And she will say, “I will go and return to my former husband, because it was well with me then rather than now.” 8  And she did not know that I gave her the grain and the wine and the olive oil, and I multiplied money for her, but she made silver and gold for Baal. 9  Because of this, I will return and gather in my grain at its time and my wine in its season, and I will remove my clothes and my linens, so that she might not cover her shame. 10  And now, I will uncover her impurity before her lovers, and no one will ever deliver her from out of my hand. 11  And I will turn away all her festivities, her holidays and her new moons and her Sabbaths and all her holy days. 12  And I will destroy her vineyard and her fig trees, about which she said, “These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.” And I will make them into a witness, and the wild beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens and the reptiles of the earth will devour them. 13  And I will take vengeance upon her for the days of the Baals, on which she used to sacrifice to them, and put on her earrings and her necklaces, and go after her lovers, but forgot me,' says the Lord. 14  ‘Because of this, behold, I will mislead her, and I will make her like a wilderness, and I will speak to her heart. 15  And I will give her her plots of land from that place and the valley of Achor, to open her understanding. And she will be made low there like in the days of her childhood, and like in the days of her ascent out of the land of Egypt.' ” Rick Brannan, Ken M. Penner et al., The Lexham English Septuagint, Second Edition (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Ho 2:1–15.

Text: Prov 20:17 ESV17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel..-Prov 20:17 ESVCRIME DOES NOT PAYThere is a temporary pleasure involved in sin (Prov 9:17). It may give fleeting pleasures.[Heb 11`:25] But the consequences of that sin will come, eventually. Those results can be intensely bitter. The metaphor is about one eating something sweet but later he finds he's mouth is bleeding. Yet this is what sin does. It promises freedom and pleasure (Gen 3:4–5) But, unbeknownst to the person it leads to misery and slavery (Gen 3:16–19; Rom 6:17–18; Jas 1:13–18). This is the same as the phrase "crime doesn't pay." That is, the eventual consequences greatly outweigh the short-term benefits. There is more trouble than benefit in committing a crime.One sad example is Achan. he ignored God's warning. He hid the forbidden items and suffered. Joshua and the people of Israel took Achan and confiscated the illicit goods. Achan's sons and daughters and all accomplices in the theft were brought to the Valley of Achor, where they were stoned to death.[Joshua 7:21–25], The warning today is “Be sure your sin will find you out.”[Num 32:23] Regret in life is always the result of presumptuousness. That, one can continue sinning without dire consequences.-------------------------Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

Stress ist immer schlecht, davon sind einige von uns möglicherweise überzeugt. Aber tatsächlich kann eine bestimmte Art von Stress auch das Gegenteil bewirken, uns munter machen und guttun.**********Quellen aus der Folge:Rethinking Stress Toolkit | Stanford University**********Dianes und Main Huongs Empfehlungen:Brand, S., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., Naranjo, J. R., & Schmidt, S. (2012). Influence of mindfulness practice on cortisol and sleep in long-term and short-term meditators. Neuropsychobiology, 65(3), 109-118.Crum, A. J., Salovey, P., & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 716–733.Crum, A. J., Santoro, E., Handley-Miner, I., Smith, E. N., Evans, K., Moraveji, N., ... & Salovey, P. (2023). Evaluation of the “rethink stress” mindset intervention: A metacognitive approach to changing mindsets. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(9), 2603. **********Mehr zum Thema bei Deutschlandfunk Nova:Stress: Erschöpfung macht Menschen aggressiver**********Den Artikel zum Stück findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok auf&ab , TikTok wie_geht und Instagram .**********Ihr habt Anregungen, Ideen, Themenwünsche? Dann schreibt uns gern unter achtsam@deutschlandfunknova.de

Sermon notes

Listen as Pastor Ray lays out the door of Achor that will become a door of hope, if we're willing to be honest about who we are before God and meet His conditions. This work of redemption is an awesome work that only God can do in us.

REV. TETTEH DJANGMAH IS THE SENIOR PASTOR OF TRUE VINE CHARISMATIC CHURCH INTERNATIONAL

Monday, 13 January 2025   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21   “For where your treasure, it is, there also your heart, it will be” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of amassing treasures in heaven, noting that earthly treasures can be stolen or eaten up. With that remembered, He next says, “For where your treasure, it is, there also your heart, it will be.”   This is a link right back to the book of Joshua and the story Achan. He was fixated on earthly treasure, and that is where his heart was. It cost him everything –   “And Achan answered Joshua and said, ‘Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.' 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, ‘Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.' So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.” Joshua 7: 20-26   On the other hand David had great wealth, but it did not possess him. Instead, he was a man of faith, and his heart was set on the Lord. The few times he is noted as having failed the Lord, it also notes that his heart was contrite, and he mourned over his blunders. David's treasure, above all else, was the Lord, and that is where his heart also was –   “Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: ‘My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. 3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: 4 three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses; 5 the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?'” 1 Chronicles 29:1-5   Life application: There is nothing wrong with possessing wealth or protecting that wealth for the future. In fact, Proverbs says –   “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Proverbs 13:22   One cannot save up for his children's children if he doesn't possess wealth to some degree. The point of the Bible's words concerning this matter is essentially, “Are you master over wealth, or is your wealth master over you.”   Be wise concerning earning and saving, but also let your heart be directed to the Lord above all else.   Heavenly Father, help us to be responsible with the blessings You have bestowed upon us. If we squander what we have, it shows that our priorities were not directed toward You in the first place. Instead, we carelessly handled Your blessing upon us. At the same time, may we never let our possessions possess us. May You always be our hearts' desire. Amen.  

Phaedra Achor Flora Luna Apothecary founder Phaedra Achor is back on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras today. Phaedra was also on Brew Ha Ha almost exactly two years ago on this episode on Dec. 22, 2022. There is big news in the beer world. Herlinda reports that RateBeer dot com is closing. Our friend and former co-host Joe Tucker sold it to a big brewing company several years ago. Buying a big beer ratings company, only to shut it down, looks like a corporate power play. There may be buyers who wish to purchase its assets. A lot of site users have postings there that date back many years. There are a lot of stakeholders who have questions. Herlinda will try to get Joe Tucker to come on the show soon to tell us more about it. Flora Luna Apothecary is Phaedra's company that produces botanical bitters, syrups and infusions, for creating uniquely flavorful cocktails and other beverages. Phaedra has a lot to say about holiday cocktails. The first one she is making in the studio today, named Festival of Lights, is a celebration of Hanukkah. It is a gin fizz made with olive oil which gives it a unique flavor and texture. Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap. What Bitters Are Bitters are botanical extracts, made from three components, a bark, a root and an aromatic botanical. Then, when you macerate them in an alcohol base, you extract the bitter compounds. Traditionally they were a medicinal, used to soothe the gut. Angostura bitters are the most famous example. Syrups are similar to bitters but they are more an infusion, with the ingredient cooked in the syrup. Phaedra formulates all the recipes and makes everything herself. Her website has all of her products. Her quarterly subscription box contains seasonal concoctions four times a year. The recipes that come with it can be made with or without alcohol. Flora Luna began in 2015 when Phaedra threw a cocktail party and made five different kinds of bitters for the occasion. They were a hit and some guests were really impressed. This encouraged Phaedra, then she realized that there was interest in cocktails and a lack of great bitters on the market. For the rest of the show they continue tasting and discussing some beautiful craft cocktails.

The guys talk about the struggling Arizona basketball team, rehash the Achor drama and give some updates on who the dogs signed in the portal this week.

For the second straight season, K-State has had to kick a member of their basketball squad off the team. Plus insight into more transfer portal names to know on Day 3 of portal season.

Procrastination isn't just a thief of time—it's a thief of life. In this episode, we dive deep into the Procrastination Cycle (Detect, Detest, and Dodge) and flip the script with the Doing Cycle (Accept, Adapt, and Advance). Drawing from practical strategies, cognitive techniques, and time-tested productivity tools, you'll learn how to tackle procrastination head-on and finally get the important things done.Whether you're stuck on a report, a presentation, or even starting your fitness journey, this episode will guide you to move from procrastination to productivity.The TVF Timestamps:Episode Highlights:[0:00] Procrastination: The thief of time and life.[0:47] Introduction to the 3 Ds (Procrastination Cycle).[1:41] Understanding discomfort as the foundation of procrastination.[5:00] Detect, Detest, and Dodge: Breaking down procrastination.[9:40] Switching gears: Introducing the Doing Cycle (3 As).[12:14] Accepting discomfort with cognitive defusion.[15:00] Adapting to discomfort with reframing and small steps.[19:00] Advancing through discomfort using action-based tools.[24:28] Practical time-based strategies[26:00] Closing insights: Moving from knowledge to action.Notes and Referenceshttps://anthonysanni.com/podcast/ep-023-using-the-procrastination-equation-to-find-and-fix-your-procrastination-how-to This is the episode on the procrastination equation and here is the other one: Ep-021: You Are NOT Lazy! 5 Unexpected Reasons You Procrastinate, and How to Stop My blog on the Pomodoro Technique: https://anthonysanni.com/blog/how-a-tomato-changed-my-life Procrastination: The Vicious Cycle of Procrastination. Centre for Clinical Interventions. Link to source.Achor, S. (2010). The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life. Crown Business.Ferrari, J. R. (2010). Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done. John Wiley & Sons.Steel, P. (2007). The Nature of Procrastination: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review of Quintessential Self-Regulatory Failure. Psychological Bulletin.Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change. Penguin Group.Cirillo, F. (2018). The Pomodoro Technique: The Life-Changing Time-Management System. Crown Publishing Group.Tracy, B. (2001). Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.

Date: SUN 11:30 AM 17th November 2024Preacher: Rev. David McLaughlinBible Reference: Hosea 2:15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence,and the valley of Achor for a door of hope:and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth,and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

Our study brings us to the Valley of Achor and the sin if Achan in Joshua 7.

Ist Stress eigentlich schlechter für uns, wenn wir glauben, dass er schlecht ist? Wir alle kennen das Gefühl gestresst zu sein und welche negativen Folgen Stress mit sich ziehen kann. Doch inwieweit spielt unsere Sichtweise auf den Stress eine Rolle in der Stresswahrnehmung? Diesen Fragen gehen Sinja und Boris in dieser Folge auf den Grund. Wie gefällt dir Verstehen, fühlen, glücklich sein? Erzähle es uns hier.Hintergründe und Studien:Keller, A., Litzelman, K., Wisk, L., Maddox, T., Cheng, E., Creswell, P., & Witt, W. (2012). Does the perception that stress affects health matter? The association with health and mortality.. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 31 5, 677-84 Link zur Studie Nabi, H., Kivimäki, M., Batty, G., Shipley, M., Britton, A., Brunner, E., Vahtera, J., Lemogne, C., Elbaz, A., & Singh‐Manoux, A. (2013). Increased risk of coronary heart disease among individuals reporting adverse impact of stress on their health: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study.. European heart journal, 34 34, 2697-705 Link zur Studie Dhabhar FS, Malarkey WB, Neri E, McEwen BS. Stress-induced redistribution of immune cells--from barracks to boulevards to battlefields: a tale of three hormones--Curt Richter Award winner. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 Sep;37(9):1345-68. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.05.008. Epub 2012 Jun 22. PMID: 22727761; PMCID: PMC3412918. Link zur Studie Kirby, E., Muroy, S., Sun, W., Covarrubias, D., Leong, M., Barchas, L., & Kaufer, D. (2013). Acute stress enhances adult rat hippocampal neurogenesis and activation of newborn neurons via secreted astrocytic FGF2. eLife, 2 Link zur Studie Ell, S.W., Cosley, B. & McCoy, S.K. When bad stress goes good: increased threat reactivity predicts improved category learning performance. Psychon Bull Rev 18, 96–102 (2011). Link zur Studie Crum, A., Salovey, P., & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: the role of mindsets in determining the stress response.. Journal of personality and social psychology, 104 4, 716-33 . Link zur Studie Crum, A., Santoro, E., Handley-Miner, I., Smith, E., Evans, K., Moraveji, N., Achor, S., & Salovey, P. (2023). Evaluation of the "rethink stress" mindset intervention: A metacognitive approach to changing mindsets.. Journal of experimental psychology. General. Link zur Studie Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://art19.com/privacy. Die Datenschutzrichtlinien für Kalifornien sind unter https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info abrufbar.

Tap here to send us a message!09/29/2024 - Sunday MorningScriptures Used (In Order of Occurrence):Deuteronomy 5:6-10James 5:16Joshua 6:18-19Joshua 7:11-12, 19-24

église AB Lausanne ; KJV Joshua 15 This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast. And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward: And it went out to the south side to Maaleh-acrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadesh-barnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa: From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast. And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan: And the border went up to Beth-hogla, and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben: And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of En-shemesh, and the goings out thereof were at En-rogel: And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward: And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjath-jearim: And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed on to Timnah: ...

Welcome back to if you knew... Join us-Cathy, Cailee, and our new co-host, Emma-as we kick off season 2 of the podcast! In this first episode, we reflect on the countless ways the Bridegroom has sought to reveal Himself and His desires to us in our daily lives. Hosea 2:14-20 14“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,    and bring her into the wilderness,    and speak tenderly to her.15 And there I will give her her vineyards,    and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 16 “And in that day, says the Lord, you will call me, ‘My husband,' and no longer will you call me, ‘My Ba′al.' 17 For I will remove the names of the Ba′als from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more. 18 And I will make for you a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me for ever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.

What if stress wasn't your enemy, but your secret weapon? In this enlightening episode, Steph Johnson reveals how school counselors can transform stress from a debilitating burden into a powerful strength. We tackle the overwhelming caseloads, emotional toll, and resource scarcity head-on, offering a fresh perspective supported by robust, peer-reviewed research. Discover how your mindset about stress can radically alter your health outcomes, boost resilience, and promote professional growth. Sound too good to be true? The research says otherwise.00:00 Understanding School Counseling Stressors00:39 Introduction and Podcast Welcome01:01 Exploring Stress Solutions02:35 Challenging Traditional Views on Stress03:05 Listener Reviews and Feedback04:44 Rethinking Stress in School Counseling07:31 Harnessing Stress for Positive Outcomes11:59 Practical Strategies for Stress Management14:40 Research Insights on Stress Mindsets25:54 Final Thoughts *******References/Resources:Crum, A. J., Akinola, M., Martin, A., & Fath, S. (2017). The role of stress mindset in shaping cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses to challenging and threatening stress. Anxiety, stress, & coping, 30(4), 379-395.Crum, A.J., Jamieson, J.P., & Akinola, M. (2020). Optimizing stress: An integrated intervention for regulating stress responses. Emotion, 20(1), 120-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000670Crum, A. J., Salovey, P., & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 716–733. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031201Jamieson, J.P., Crum, A.J., Goyer, J.P., Marotta, M.E. & Akinola, M. (2018). Optimizing stress responses with reappraisal and mindset interventions: an integrated model, Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 31(3), 245-261. DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2018.1442615Jamieson, J. P., Mendes, W. B., & Nock, M. K. (2013). Improving acute stress responses: The power of reappraisal. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(1), 51-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412461500Keller, A., Litzelman, K., Wisk, L. E., Maddox, T., Cheng, E. R., Creswell, P. D., & Witt, W. P. (2012). Does the perception that stress affects health matter? The association with health and mortality. Health Psychology, 31(5), 677–684. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026743Liu JJW, Ein N, Gervasio J, Vickers K (2019) The efficacy of stress reappraisal interventions on stress responsivity: A meta-analysis and systematic review of existing evidence. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0212854. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212854Mind & Body Lab. (n.d.). Stress and performance. Stanford University. https://mbl.stanford.edu/stress*******Hang out in our Facebook groupJump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)Join the School for School Counselors MastermindThe Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!

What if a single act of disobedience could impact an entire community? Our latest episode dives into Joshua 7, drawing an eye-opening parallel between the hidden costs of home projects and the unforeseen consequences of sin. Join us as we uncover the story of Achan, whose seemingly small act of disobedience led to widespread defeat and loss for Israel. We dissect how personal compromise evolves into community-wide repercussions, illustrating the profound need for collective faithfulness and accountability. This episode offers a deep, reflective journey on how individual actions are never isolated, urging you to contemplate your role within the broader fabric of your community.Continuing from the initial shockwave of Israel's defeat at Ai, we explore the critical lessons on repentance. Learn how pride and underestimation were mere symptoms, with Achan's sin being the root cause of Israel's downfall. We emphasize that repentance is far more than seeking forgiveness—it's a transformative turning away from sin towards a renewed life in Christ. Our conversation wraps with an empowering message on the struggle with sin and the redemptive power of confession and prayer. Discover the promise of turning the Valley of Achor into a door of hope, encouraging you to seek grace and support in your faith journey. We close with a heartfelt prayer for grace and freedom from sin, a beacon of hope whether you're seeking renewal or embarking on your faith for the first time.

In today's episode, we dive into Shawn Achor's TED Talk, “The Happy Secret to Better Work.” Achor reveals how flipping the traditional success-happiness formula can supercharge productivity and well-being. Learn practical strategies to rewire your brain for positivity and unlock your full potential. Key Takeaways: ✅ Happiness precedes success, reversing traditional thinking.✅ Positive thinking boosts productivity by 31%.✅ Simple practices like gratitude journaling and meditation can rewire your brain for happiness.

Endure to Manifest Salvation (6)  (audio)  David Eells (7/14/24)  I'm going to pick up where we left off in our last teaching about how our faith transforms us. I mentioned just briefly about the rewards. There's a difference of reward concerning sonship. Many have been taught that everybody gets the same reward, but that's contrary to the Scriptures. There's a difference of reward because every servant will not become a son. They may have been called, but they will not be chosen. Let's start in (Eze.46:16) Thus saith the Lord God: If the prince.... The “prince” was the High Priest in the Old Testament and it says in (Heb.4:14) Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. (Eze.46:16) Thus saith the Lord God: If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. (17) But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty.... The “year of liberty” is the Marriage Feast. The “year of liberty” to the Jews was when the land went back to the original owner and when the servants were set free.   As it says in (Lev.27:21) But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the Lord, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's. (25:54) And if he be not redeemed by these [means,] then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, he, and his children with him. Those who were in bondage were set free and we have come to a debt jubilee in NESARA/GESARA. All of this earth is going back to its original owner and those servants who are manifesting sonship are going to be set free and be joint heirs with Jesus. (Eze.46:17) But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty (So if God gives this gift to an unprofitable servant, he's going to keep it only until the year of liberty.); then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons.  See, He's going to take the talent away from the unprofitable servant who has the one talent and He's going to give it to His sons! His sons get the inheritance of all those other servants because the other servants didn't walk in faith and they didn't manifest Christ. The sons get the whole inheritance. We see this in (Eze.46:18) Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession. We are joint-heirs with Christ! We receive the same inheritance He receives!   God does what He says He's going to do. And a person who doesn't manifest fruit from the gift given to them by the Lord will have their gift taken away and given to those who have chosen sonship and are bearing fruit. There's a difference of reward for what we have loosely called “Christians.” First of all, there was the servant with the two talents and the servant with the five talents. That's a difference right there, but both of those people brought forth everything that they could bring forth and that's what God put in.   God has given you knowledge and understanding, and He's going to hold you responsible to do something with it. (Luk.12:48) ... And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more. God expects you to do something with what He gives you. It's not a heavy burden that He puts upon you. (Mat.11:28) Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. He said, “my burden is light,” because knowledge is the way to fruit. If you don't know what His promises are, then you can't set your faith on them and you certainly can't have them.   It says in (2Pe.1:3) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; (4) whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. We see here the profitable servants become sons having been set free by the divine nature. See, you have to know what to reach out for. Some people are going to use the excuse, “Well, the preachers didn't teach me!” Or, “The preachers lied to me!” But Jesus said, (Joh.7:17) If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself. In other words, “If you do the will of the Father, you're going to know the teaching.” No one can stop you from getting the truth, if you really want to know God, because He will make sure that it gets through to you.   Those who stay in apostate religion, don't really seek for truth, and risk being cast out and losing their inheritance. (Pro.2:16) To deliver thee from the strange woman (This is the Harlot, Babylon.), Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words; (17) That forsaketh the friend of her youth (Jesus Christ), And forgetteth the covenant of her God: (18) For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead. And then He goes on to warn these people in (21) For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it. (22) But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it. Remember the wedding guest who didn't have the wedding garment on? He came to the marriage feast but then he didn't get to stay. It's important to understand this because it really motivates you.   The Lord says in (Isa.65:8) Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sake, that I may not destroy them all. He is talking about the apostate people of God. He's saying that there's a remnant of something good in their midst and that's why He's not going to destroy them all. (Isa.65:9) And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.  (Notice the servant doesn't inherit the land but dwells there for a while.) (10) And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor (This represents tribulation. The root word for “Achor” means “to afflict” or “trouble.”) a place for herds to lie down in for my people that have sought me. (11) But ye that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain (speaking of His Kingdom), that prepare a table for Fortune (These people are lusting after, and paying attention to the things of the world, prosperity.), and that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny; (12) I will destine you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not. A brother, who is a friend of mine, asked, “Lord, what is going to happen to the carnal Christian?” And these were the Scriptures God gave him.   Another warning follows just a few verses later in (Isa.65:17) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. So after God has created a new heaven and a new earth, (20) There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed. We saw previously that a “child” and “servant” are the same. (Pro 29:21)  He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child Shall have him become a son at the last.  Here we saw that the “bondservant of sin” and the “child” are the same. The servant is someone who hasn't entered into sonship, either through faith or through manifestation. And Isaiah says, “the sinner being a hundred years old.” Well, 100 is a tenth of the millennium, a tenth of 1000, and a lot of people under the Law are just doing business with God. They say, “I give God my 10 percent,” like the Israelites did in the Old Testament. But Jesus said we must renounce ownership of 100% to be a disciple.  But Paul said in (Gal.5:4) Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. We are free from the Law, we are free to follow the Spirit and, if we follow the Spirit, we will surpass anything that the Law says. Again, remember that the guest without the wedding garment was in the wedding feast and he did get to stay for a little while, but then he was cast out. I believe that's what this is talking about: (Isa.65:17) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. (18) But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem (the Bride) a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (19) And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.   (20) There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed. These bondservants of sin, who chose to remain children instead of believing and entering into sonship, will not be able to enter into the New Jerusalem Bride as it says in (Rev.21:27) And there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life. and (22:15) Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. These people will be cast forth from the city. There's a big difference of reward between those who do serve God and those who profess God but don't serve God. Everyone who has not believed on the only begotten Son of God is already judged, but the judgment is going to be in the “separating.” We see this in (Mat.13:24) Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field: (25) but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (which has small useless fruit) also among the wheat, and went away. (26) But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. (27) And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?   (28) And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? (29) But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. We're entering into the Kingdom right now and the separating the sheep from the goats is happening.   We know that we are sons of God through faith, but the Bible also teaches, (1Jn.3:2) Beloved, now are we children of God (The Greek word there is teknon or “child” and not huios, which is the word for “son.”) and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. (3) And every one that hath this hope [set] on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Wow! That's a promise, isn't it? The Lord commanded us that, (Mat.5:48) Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. You know, it would have been ludicrous for Him to make a command like that, if He hadn't given us the power to bring it to pass!  Now see what Jesus said in (Joh.19:30) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. And in (16:33) These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. “Be of good cheer ... it is finished ... I've overcome the world.” We are privileged to enter in by faith to what Jesus has already done. (Heb.4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest; even as he hath said, As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.   The only thing that remains is for us to put our trust in God and enter into those works by faith. (Joh.6:28) They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? (29) Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. We must do the works of God, which is made possible when we, “believe on him whom he hath sent.” That's the Gospel! We just have to believe that what Jesus accomplished on the cross is ours! It's our gift and it covers it all!   What Jesus bought and paid for is that we would be sons of God, not just sons by faith, but sons by manifestation. (1Pe.1:15) But like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; (16) because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. (22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: (23) having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. You are progressively being saved in your soul through your obedience to the truth.   You can read this message of progressive salvation over and over in the Scriptures, but as the Bible also says, you have to be able to see your goal before you can reach it. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. We see the goal by faith! If you can see in the Scriptures what it is that God has provided for you, then you can reach out your faith to it and you will manifest the sonship that Jesus paid for you to have. Jesus is the progenitor of the new creation man. He's the Father of the sons of God. (This is not to be confused with the erroneous and dangerous Manifestation of the Sons of God or Joel's Army movements, which arose from the Latter Rain movement of the late 1940s and are still being promoted today by apostate leaders.)   Throughout the Scriptures, we see a parallel with the adoption traditions of the Hebrews, Greeks and Romans. As it says in (Pro.29:21) He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child Shall have him become a son at the last. They all had a tradition of adopting their servants and making them sons. A fictional example is the story of Ben Hur by Lew Wallace. Briefly, Ben Hur is sentenced to be a galley slave, but after he saves the life of the warship's commander, Arrius, he adopts Ben Hur and makes him a free citizen. Ben Hur becomes the heir of Arrius, who is a leader in the Roman government and, through his inheritance, Ben Hur gains the power and authority that he wants. Can you see that this is what God is doing with us?   God used the traditions of those cultures, or else He created the traditions of those cultures, so that we would understand what He was saying when He said He adopted servants and made them sons. Paul says this in (Rom.8:16) The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: (17) and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified with [him]. We can see where we are, but we also have to see where we are going. (Psa.119:105) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. Without the Word to show you where you are going, you have nothing to exercise faith in. God is showing us in the Scriptures that we are going toward sonship, which is why the Bible commands us to see Jesus in the mirror.   Most of the church says, “No, that's not possible!” But that's what the Bible commands us to do, whether they like it or believe it, or not! It's the Good News; it's the Gospel that we are to accept from the first moment of our salvation. From the very beginning, by faith we receive everything that God has provided for us, even before we see it manifested. That's why we say, “We are saved.” People don't realize what they are saying when they say, “I'm saved.” They don't understand that the Greek word soteria, which is the word translated as “saved,” incorporates total deliverance from the curse of sin and of death. Total deliverance! When people say, “I'm saved,” they're saying a word by faith. It's a deception to believe that you are saved by manifestation because then you have no reason to walk it out. We're told in (Php.2:12) So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. We are progressively saved by working out our salvation.   We were baptized and then, as we let the water of the Word put to death the old man, that baptism is increasingly manifested in our life as we walk on with God. Baptism is an act of faith. God has given us the goal of sonship through faith in Jesus Christ. We accept it as a free gift and, as we keep on confessing sonship in the face of trials, troubles and tribulations, we will see the manifestation of sonship in us. It will be just as automatic as planting a natural seed in the ground. That seed comes up, it produces a plant and the plant bears fruit, according to the type of plant it is. God's seeds are just like that, too. You plant them in good soil hearts and they're going to come up, and they are going to bear the fruit of God.   Now it says in (Rom.8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. What is it that keeps us from being led by the Spirit? Staying a child is to remain a servant and that will keep you from being led by the Spirit. (Gal.4:1) But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all; (2) but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father. The manifestation of sonship is coming in the lives of those people who will give up being children or servants.   Children or servants are in bondage as it says in (Gal.4:3) So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world. What is it that causes us to stay in bondage to the rudiments or principles of the world and not bear fruit? Walking by the carnal senses will keep us in bondage to the flesh, to the devil and to the world. Our biggest problem is walking by sight, by hearing, and by feeling. (1Co.13:11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. A son of God must give up walking by what is seen in the natural and start walking by the eyes of the Spirit.   And it says in (Heb.5:11) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing. (12) For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. Notice that we're looking at two different sets of rudiments. We have the rudiments or first principles of the world and the rudiments of the first principles of God, but you can't stay in either one, if you're going to mature to bear fruit. “Babes” are in these rudiments.   (Heb.5:13) For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. (14) But solid food is for fullgrown men (or “perfect men”), [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. “Babes” are not experienced in the “word of righteousness” because they don't have their “senses exercised” to discern good from evil. “Babes” in the Lord walk according to the first principles of the Lord and they speak what comes to their mind through their natural senses. They can't experience the “word of righteousness” because they walk after their carnal mind. Their knowledge is not a knowledge of what Jesus meant when He said, (Mat.13:9) He that hath ears, let him hear, and (16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.   The people He was talking to all had physical eyes and ears, but Jesus was saying that the people who received His Word would be those who had spiritual eyes and ears. Your carnal mind is influenced by your natural senses and it assimilates the influences of your natural senses. That's why people who walk after their natural senses can't walk by faith. They can't see the wonderful works of God! And they will never see the manifestation of Jesus, if they don't walk by faith, because it's just not possible. Often, people will have faith in one area, yet not in other areas. All of God's promises are manifested through faith and that means faith must be in every area of our lives. We read in (1Jn.5:4) For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. Faith “is the victory” that overcomes the world. However, even babes can be justified by receiving sonship through faith. This means they are accounted righteous through faith, believing they have received.  “Babes” who walk by their natural senses, many times, do warfare that's carnal, but (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. This warfare must be accomplished, but it cannot be accomplished with your carnal senses! You are fighting an enemy that's unseen and you have to fight him with the unseen. We have to “call the things that are not, as though they were.” (Rom.4:17) ... even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. Did you know that the things that are made are not made out of things that appear? We read this in (Heb.11:1) Now faith is assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. (2) For therein the elders had witness borne to them. (3) By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.   The things that are seen are made out of faith! Sonship is made out of faith. So you can't war in the flesh; you can't war with the natural senses. We're taught in (2Co.10:4) For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), (5) casting down imaginations (or “reasonings”), and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Where do “reasonings” come from? Reasonings, or imaginations, come from what your carnal mind has assimilated through your natural senses or dead religion. But we're told in, (Rom.12:2) And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We're commanded to repent!   Again, “repent” is the Greek word metanoeo and it means “change your mind.” We must change our mind! We must not receive into our mind what is put there by the carnal senses. We have to receive what is put there by the spiritual senses, by the hearing of God, by the seeing of God. You have to change your mind to have any hope of Christ manifesting Christ in you. I don't say this to make anyone fear because sons of God are, first of all, sons of God through faith. You have to receive sonship through faith before you have it by manifestation and faith is accounted as righteousness. (Rom.4:5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.   There are people who preach the manifestation of sonship, but they leave out the Grace of God. See, until righteousness is manifested in you, faith stands in its place. By faith, we are sons of God now! And we're studying to know what a son of God looks like, so that when we look in the mirror, we can be transformed into the same image. Be careful that the Jesus in your mirror is the Jesus of the Bible. Paul warned us about those who received another Gospel, another spirit and another Jesus! (Gal.1:6) I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; (7) which is not another [gospel] only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. (9) As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.   Our Jesus has to look just like this Jesus! If not, you'll be transformed into a “Jesus” that is not the Jesus of the Bible and that's not the sonship of the Bible, either. I see it happen all the time! The fault here is people are somewhere in between assimilating through their natural senses and assimilating through their spiritual senses. We have to learn to see the way God teaches us to see and Jesus came to be our example of that. Now I'm sure a lot of people will say, “Well, yeah, that was just Jesus.” No, the Bible called Jesus a “sign.” (Isa.7:14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Luk.11:30) For even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. Jesus came to be our example, our pattern, in everything He did. Paul said, (1Co.11:1) Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.   When Jesus was baptized, it was “to fulfil all righteousness.” (Mat.3:13) Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. (14) But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (15) But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. In other words, “Here is what you need to do for the sake of righteousness.” He taught His disciples to do what He did. (1Jn.2:6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked, so obviously, it must be possible for us to do that. And what we have to learn from Jesus is the way He wants us to walk. (Joh.5:19) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself.... This is the Sabbath rest of God!   There is a Sabbath! It says in (Heb.4:9) There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. The sabbath rest for the people of God is to cease from your works. (Heb.4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest.... If you believe the Word of God, it's going to cause you to cease from your own struggling, cease from your own works, cease from trying to be a son of God and, instead, to accept “sonship” as your gift! The Word of God is designed so that when we believe it, if we really do believe it, we have to stop trying to deliver ourselves. (1Pe.2:24) ... by whose stripes ye were healed, and, if you believe that, then you have to stop trying to heal yourself. If you believe that, then you are healed.   All the rest of the Bible is designed the same way; it's designed in the past tense. We have been made free from sin. (Rom.8:2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. See, you should never be anxious about your sin because the Bible says you've been made free from sin. (Col.1:13) Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. You have been made free from the power of darkness. Why is it always past tense? It's past tense so that when you believe it, you can enter into the rest. You automatically have to cease from all of your self-works. It's a privilege to do that; it's not a law. This is our opportunity to keep a New Testament “Sabbath unto the Lord” by ceasing from our own works.   Jesus kept a New Testament sabbath! (Joh.5:19) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself.... That seems strange, doesn't it? He said, “The Son,” and do you know why He said that? It was because He wasn't talking about just Himself. (Joh.5:19) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. Do you think He saw a vision of everything He was about to do? I don't think so, but He did have a vision of what the Father was doing.  One of the places He got it from was in Isaiah's prophecy about the anointing. (Isa.61:1) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound; (2) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (3) to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Jesus had a “vision”; He knew, He saw what the Father's attitude was toward those who accepted His Word. He knew His responsibility and He knew His ability!   And what we have to do is get a “vision” of, “Where does my responsibility start and where does my ability start?” You know, folks, it's big! It's real big! (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. That's what Jesus said and He meant it! We are the ones who are loosing what's coming into our lives. We sow a seed that brings forth a harvest in our lives. (Gal.6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (8) For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.   We're creating our tomorrow right now! The Bible says, “What you bind on earth is bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth is loosed in heaven.” And did you know that we can bind the devil and we can bind God? That's because God will not change His Word. (Mat.24:35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Psa.119:89) Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. He will not go beyond the boundaries He has set. A good example of that is what Jesus experienced in His own hometown. In (Mat.13:54) And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?   (55) Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? (56) And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? (57) And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. (58) And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Jesus Himself couldn't do many mighty works because of their unbelief! They had bound God! By our faith we loose God and we bind the devil. And by our unbelief we loose the devil and we bind God.   Jesus did those things that He saw of His Father and He said, (Joh.14:9) ... he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.... Not because they were one and the same, but because He was the express image of the Father as it says in (Heb.1:3) Who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. What Jesus believed, the Father believed; what Jesus said, the Father said.   You know it says in, (1Pe.4:11) if any man speaketh, [speaking] as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Col.3:17) And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. That means everything that we do, we do to represent Him. We can't do anything to represent ourselves. In word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. That is ceasing from your works. That is accepting a death-to-self, so that, (Gal.2:20) …it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.   This is what we must accept! It's a radical, death-to-self walk. I've heard some groups preach, “You must die to self. You must crucify yourself.” But you have been crucified with Christ! We are privileged to have been crucified with Christ. (Rom.6:11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. If you don't reckon yourself to be dead unto sin, then you will never become dead unto sin. If you don't believe that He bore all your sins, past, present and future, at the cross, then they'll never go away!   Jesus said that He only did those things that He saw of His Father. And we have to learn to do the things that we see of our Father, too, because He put these in the Bible for an example to us. If you see it in the world, that's not a good enough reason to copy it. If you see it in religion, that's certainly not a good enough reason to copy it. But He will honor His Word, if we do the things we see our Father doing! (Joh.5:19) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. (20) For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth (And you know, the same is still true for us.): and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel.   He also said in, (Joh.14:12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. So we know that Jesus is still talking to us. (Joh.5:21) For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will. (22) For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son. By the way, it says in (Joh.20:23) Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained. “David, do you mean, God gave that authority to men?” Yes! The Pharisees rebuked Jesus because He had that authority and Jesus passed it on to His disciples, the sons of men.   (Joh.5:22) For neither doth the Father judge any man, but He hath given all judgment unto the Son; (23) that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him. (24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. We pass out of death and into life by hearing the Word! We have to hear the Word in the midst of the circumstances and situations that come against us! We have to hear the Word because, if you hear the Word, you won't hear the flesh and you won't hear the devil.   When you hear the Word, you experience a spiritual resurrection from the dead and you pass out of death and into life. As it says in (Eph.2:1) And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins. And (Col.2:13) And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, [I say,] did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. We were dead and all around us are people who are dead! (Joh.5:25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. Notice: “and now is”. Jesus is not just talking about a physical resurrection of the dead but a spiritual one. He's talking about passing out of death and into life because you hear the Word!   When we hear the voice of the Son of God, we come up out of our graves; we come into resurrection life. The Word is the seed that's being sown by Him and that seed brings forth the fruit. The seed has all the power it needs to bring forth the fruit. All it needs is good earth for God to sow His Seed in and that's about all the natural man is good for; he's the dirt.   Next Jesus goes on to talk about the physical resurrection of the dead. He says in, (Joh.5:26) For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself: (27) and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Notice, Jesus had to be a son of man in order to have the authority to execute judgment. Adam was given authority over the creation and now the “last Adam” has it. The Father gave this authority to the Son because the Son came down here in “the likeness of sinful flesh” and overcame, conquered and condemned sin in the flesh. We read this in (Rom.8:3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   (5) For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Jesus had the authority to judge because He overcame His flesh. (Rom.4:15) For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Do you know why the “old man” can't judge? It's because the old man is the one who's done all the sinning in the first place! He's guilty! (Rom.2:1) Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself.... If you judge others, you judge yourself. Our old man has no authority to judge, but the spiritual man in us has every authority to judge.   And in (1Co.2:14) Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. (15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. The spiritual man judges all things and he's judged of no man because he has the mind of God. When the natural man is subject to the spiritual man there is no sin or its curse. Back to (Joh.5:28) Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, (29) and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. Do you know who's going to be resurrected to life? Only those who have been resurrected spiritually in this life are going to have the resurrection of life. You have to wonder about all those people who say that the whole Church is going to be raptured out. Wait a minute! Look what it says in (Eze.18:4) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. “The soul that sins, it shall die”; that's the Word and the Word cannot ever be broken (John 7:23).  And as we have seen those who attain to life will have star, moon and sun glory, bodies. Therefore, if anybody's going to fly away without dying, it's going to be those who have overcome because the soul that sins must die. So what they're talking about is not scripturally possible. We're here to go through trials, troubles and tribulations, in order to receive resurrection life, which is His life. We must lose our life to gain our life as Jesus said. We are constantly faced with making decisions. “Am I going to accept the Word?” Or “Am I going to do things my way? If we choose our way, if we choose to do things the way of the world, we separate ourselves from God. If we choose to accept the Word and do things according to the Word, we manifest more and more sonship. It's ludicrous to think that God would plant us here and pluck us up before we bear fruit! Nobody who wants a harvest picks the plant before it bears the fruit and nobody who wants a harvest pulls the seed out of the ground before it bears the plant. God doesn't do that, either, because He wants a harvest.  The reason we study the Scriptures is so that we will have spiritual eyes and spiritual ears. Jesus said, (Joh.5:30) I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. The Lord only did those things that He heard and saw of the Father. We want spiritual eyes and spiritual ears so that we'll no longer be “babes,” but we'll be able to experience the “word of righteousness.” (Heb.5:13) For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. The Scriptures are called the “word of righteousness” because justification is through faith in the Word.   “Justification” means “accounted righteous,” so when you speak faith and you walk by faith, God will count you as righteous, just as He did Abraham in (Gen.15:6) And he believed in the Lord; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. He counted Abraham as righteous and it didn't have anything to do with salvation. It had to do with the fact that Abraham believed what God said. That covers everything, not just what we normally think of as salvation. God said Abraham was righteous; He called Abraham His friend because he believed what He said. (Jas.2:23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.   God reckons righteousness the same way today. There are a lot of God's people who have no eyes or ears because they are not hearing what God says. (Joh.8:47) He that is of God heareth the words of God: for this cause ye hear them not, because ye are not of God. The righteous are those who hear what He says. Jesus was talking to religious people, those Jews who had believed Him (John 8:31), and He told them that! If we are, ultimately, the elect of God, we will find out. Do you know why? It's because we are going to hear God's Word! People who won't listen to you when you try to gracefully give them the Word of God either aren't being drawn by God at that time or they're not children of God.  “He that is of God hears the words of God.” Jesus gave us this example. He didn't do anything but what He heard and saw, and that's what babes do, too. The problem is that sometimes babes are using the wrong eyes and ears, and so they are without experience of the Word of righteousness. Speaking faith, which is “calling those things that are not, as though they were” (Romans 4:17), is a Word of righteousness. God has done everything from the beginning this way. He didn't create the world in any other way, but this way. It says in (Isa.46:9) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me; (10) declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. God speaks the end from the beginning and it comes to pass. We are in training to be sons who do this.  Now He's teaching us, as sons and daughters, to do the same thing, but you won't be able to do that, if you're paying attention to your natural eyes and your natural ears. You will always be inexperienced in the Word of righteousness. You will always be a babe, unless you begin to say the things the Bible says you should say. You will always be a babe, unless you begin to see the way the Bible commands you to see. And we need to be reminded of how the Scriptures tell us to see because it's so easy to slip back to seeing in the natural. Do you know what happens when you walk in the natural? You become worried and anxious, you become troubled because you're not seeing come to pass what's in the Scriptures. You start thinking, “It will never come to pass.” Well, it will never come to pass, unless you have spiritual eyes.   You have to see the way God tells you to see. And He tells us, (2Pe.1:2) Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (So, the more you know about God, the more grace and peace you're going to have, but then he goes on.); (3) seeing.... You're not going to have grace and peace without being able to see this! (2Pe.1:3) Seeing that his divine power hath granted (Notice this is past tense; it's already done.) unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue. If you can see that His divine power has already granted us everything that pertains to life and godliness, you can have it! If you can't see that, then you can't have it! Grace comes from being able to see this way.   Jesus was always bold to speak things before they came to pass, and you've probably never seen a miracle that you didn't speak first, before it came to pass. The biggest miracles that I've ever seen were bold statements of faith right out in front of everybody! Look at this in (Jos.10:12) Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. (13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.   (14) And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. Joshua stopped the whole solar system! He spoke it right out in front of everybody. That sounds like something a fool would do, doesn't it? But the Bible says that no one who puts their trust in Him will ever be put to shame. (Rom.10:11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. If you're going to see miracles, you may have to step out there and look like a fool.   I'm not talking about saying things that you don't see; I'm talking about things that you do see. That “seeing” could be something that you see in the Word of God or it could be something that you've received in a dream or a vision from the Lord, or it could be a Word of knowledge or a Word of wisdom from the Lord. “Seeing” can come many ways and one foundational “seeing” is that God has already given you everything that pertains to life and godliness! He's telling you this is what you must see, if you're going to have it. You can't be what Peter describes as near-sighted. First he lists all the Christ-like virtues: (2Pe.1:5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence in your faith, supply virtue; and in [your] virtue knowledge;   (6) and in [your] knowledge self-control; and in [your] self-control patience; and in [your] patience godliness; (7) and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love. (8) For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then he tells you, (9) For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. So a near-sighted person is someone who sees with their natural eyes, not their spiritual eyes; and you can't have these gifts, these virtues of Jesus Christ, if you're near-sighted. (Jas.1:23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. Someone who sees their natural face in the mirror becomes a hearer of the Word, but not a doer of the Word.   This is how we're told to see, in (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. We have to see Jesus in the mirror by faith! We have to see Him with spiritual eyes and call the things that are not as though they were because the way that God does His work is through our faith. (1Co.1:26) For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called:] Notice that God is speaking of people here not “things”, which is not numeric in the following text.) (27) but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; (28) and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: (29) that no flesh should glory before God.  God chose the things that “are not” to bring to nothing the “things that are.” What are “the things that are”? It's the curse! What are “the things that are not”? It's what Jesus accomplished on the cross! He gave us sonship at the cross, but it is not yet manifested! (1Jn.3:2) Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. If you don't see Him as He is, you can't be like Him. We study the Scriptures so that we get a vision of Christ and we see Him as He is. He had a vision of His Father; that's why He did what He did. We study the Scriptures to get a vision of Christ so that we can do what He did, live what He lived, be what He was!   Of course, most of the Church says, “No! It's not possible!” But those people say that because they are only counting upon their own strength and they don't count upon the promise of the Word of God, which is backed up by God's strength. If God says, (Mat.5:48) Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, you can have faith in Him and He will do it in you. Now, I agree that “perfect” is different for every one of us. The Greek word here for “perfect” is teleios, which is the same word for “mature.” God is maturing each one of us to do a different job in His Kingdom, so we are not going to look alike. The Bible clearly states that we're supposed to be growing into the fullness of Christ. In (Eph.4:13) Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That's what we are supposed to reach; that's God's promise to us.   Now the bad report preachers are like the spies who went into the Promised Land and said, “Nope! We can't take it! We just have to settle for where we are! We can't overcome sin. We are always going to be sinners!” (Num.13:31) But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. (32) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. (33) And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.   They, and everyone who believed them, died of the plague in the wilderness. They didn't go into the Promised Land because they brought a bad report! (Num.14:28) Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord, surely as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: (29) your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, that have murmured against me, (30) surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.   That's because Joshua and Caleb said, (Num.14:9) Only rebel not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is removed from over them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. They told the people, “Those giants are bread for us!” If they're “bread” for you, that must mean you're supposed to eat them and they'll cause you to grow, right? Yes! That's what it's all about! In type, those “giants” are the natural man who dwells in the Land of Promise. The spiritual man has to go in there to kill that giant and take his house, which is this body of our flesh.   God bless you Saints! I suggest that you meditate on this teaching to give roots to it. It is very important.

DATE:  Sunday, July 7, 2024 TEXT:  Joshua 7:24-26; Hosea 2:15 SPEAKER:  Pastor Craig Jennings

Saturday, 6 July 2024   The Book of Matthew; an Introduction – Part IId   The list of books of the Bible that match the corresponding chapters of the Book of Matthew continues here:   --------------------- *Jeremiah (book 24) speaks more of false prophets than any other book in the Bible. Entire sections are dedicated to false prophets and false prophecies. False prophets are even singled out by name several times.     Here is a Matthew 24 connection –   “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people” Matthew 24:10, 11.    *Another fantastic parallel is in Jeremiah 31. Here's the book/chapter (24)31 –   “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.'” Jeremiah 31:10 (NIV)   Now Matthew 24:31 –   “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”   Notice the numbers again (24)31 and 24:31   --------------------- *Lamentations (25th book) says –   “The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.” Lamentations 4:4   Matthew 25:44 says –   “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'”   Notice again, the immensely accurate verse distinction – (25)4:4 and 25:44!   -------------------------- *Ezekiel (26th book) 5:2 reads –   “When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair with fire inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword.”   Now Matthew 26:52 –   “‘Put your sword back in its place, Jesus said to him, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.'”   Astonishingly enough is that fact that both books read about the “drawn sword” at the numbers (26)5:2 and 26:52, but also worthy of note is that the term “drawn sword” is mentioned more times in Ezekiel than any other book of the Bible, confirming that this is a valid link.   ----------------------- *Daniel (27th book)  –   “A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed” Daniel 6:17.   Now read Matthew 27:66 –    “So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”   Glorious!   *Again in Daniel, the 9th chapter –   “...in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”   Now read Matthew 27:9 –   “Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled.”   Notice the intricacy: Jeremiah is quoted in Daniel (27)9 and Matthew 27:9.   ----------------------- *Hosea (28th book) 2:15 reads –   “There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.” (Achor means trouble.)   Matthew 28:2 says –   “And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.”   If you look at the comparison, it fits very well. God said in Hosea that He would make the valley of trouble a door of hope, and the ending of all our trouble (in and from death) came as the stone was rolled away from the door of the tomb! As usual, notice the numbers (28)2 and 28:2!   *A second marvelous parallel is Hosea 6:3 –   “Let us acknowledge the Lord;     let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises,     he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains,     like the spring rains that water the earth” (NIV).   Now read Matthew 28:6 –   “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”   The parallel cannot be mistaken! Just as we were in search of God, He came to us, proving it when He arose and appeared in the morning. And once again, we have the astonishing numerical parallel: (28)6:3 and 28:6!   ----------------------- If you have enjoyed these patterns, we will provide one more fantastic numerical pattern that runs outside of the 28 chapters of Matthew but instead links to the 40th chapter of Isaiah and corresponds to Matthew, the 40th book of the Bible –   Isaiah 40:3 says –   “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.'”   Now Matthew 3:3 –   “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.”'”   The interesting thing about this is that Matthew is the 40th book of the Bible. The parallel then is Isaiah 40:3. Matthew (40)3:3.    Life application: The issue concerning the matter that the book, chapter, and verse divisions did not exist at the time Matthew penned his gospel was discussed in a previous introductory commentary.   It was then discussed that just because dispensationalism was not properly understood or taught until much later in the church age, it does not mean that it is not a valid teaching. The fallacy of Chronological Snobbery was then discussed, showing that it is not proper to assume something is incorrect simply because it is new.   But why would God allow the church to go through 1800 years of incorrect thinking if dispensationalism is correct? The answer is obvious when thought through. If the church knew that the return of Jesus for His church and the establishment of His earthly millennial kingdom was based on the return of the Jewish people to the land, it would have become the main passion and mission of the church to make that happen.   However, Israel had a time of punishment preset by God in order to fulfill their promised punishments according to the Law of Moses. That needed to be fulfilled. Also, the church's main mission was specifically given by Jesus in Matthew 28 –   “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen.”   These words were the Lord's post-resurrection command to the church. Those so directed didn't quite get it the first time, and so they asked Him about future matters before He ascended. When they did, He reiterated His directive to them one final time –   “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' 7 And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'” Acts 1:6-8   The disciples were looking forward to the kingdom age. The church, if it realized all that God was doing, would have been looking for the resurrection of the dead and the rapture so that they could be with the Lord. If it was understood that Jesus would return when Israel was in the land once again, that is all people in the church would be working towards. An entire planet of people needs to hear the gospel, but the church would be working on reestablishing one little people group into a teeny slice of land in the Middle East. Things would not have worked out well. If you want proof that this would be the case, look at today's modern rapture-seeking crowd. They literally spend all of their time reading about the rapture, watching videos about the rapture, calculating the timing of the rapture, scolding others about their mistaken priorities, and never spending a moment of the day doing what they should be doing – as commanded by the Lord Himself.   Don't be like these people. Read the word! Study the word! Tell people the gospel! And then baptize and disciple those you tell. If you don't do these things, you are being disobedient to the very words Jesus instructed you to do in the word that you fail to pick up and read!   Lord God, help people (including us!) to have properly directed priorities concerning our duties as instructed by You in Your word. May we be faithful and obedient followers and doers concerning what we have been instructed. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. The book of Joshua is teaching us that we overcome the obstacles in our Christian walk by faith and obedience. We learn that there will be victories but there will also be defeats and failures. I have often thought that whenever I felt like I took three steps forward, that next I seemed to fall back five steps. Joshua 3-4 are chapters of victory as Israel miraculously crossed the Jordan River. Joshua 5-6 are chapters of conquest as the people go through the painful suffering of preparation before the walls of Jericho fall down in front of them. Joshua 7, is a chapter of defeat at Ai because of “sin in the camp”. But now again in Joshua 8, the people experience victory as they by faith obey the instructions of the LORD.   These chapters remind me of Romans 6, 7, 8, and 12. In Romans 6, after our wonderful experience of salvation, we find our position of being baptized into Jesus Christ. Like crossing the Jordan River and conquering Jericho! In Romans 7, we find we still have to deal with the “old man”, our old nature of sin. Pride sneaks in and we experience failure because of “I”. But then in Romans 8, we find the Spirit filled life and become more than conquerors through Christ and His love! In Romans 12, we come by faith to the altar of the mercy of God at Calvary and present the sacrifice of our lives to the Lord and renew our minds daily with God's Word. This sounds familiar as we study these last verses of Joshua 8.   Joshua not only built an altar (Joshua 8:30-31), but he also wrote the Law on stones (vv. 32-33). This act was in obedience to the command of Moses we find in Deuteronomy 27:1-8). In the Near East of that day, it was customary for kings to celebrate their greatness by writing records of their military exploits on huge stones covered with plaster. But the secret of Israel's victory was not their leader or their army; it was their obedience to God's Law (Joshua 1:7-8). In later years, whenever Israel turned away from God's Law, they got into trouble and had to be disciplined. Remember what Moses asked in Deuteronomy 4:8, "And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this Law which I set before you this day?"   Believers today have the Word of God written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit of God (Rom. 8:1-4; 2 Cor. 3). The Law written on stones was external, not internal, and could instruct the people but could never change them. Paul makes it clear in the Epistle to the Galatians that while the Law can convict sinners and bring them to Christ (Gal. 3:19-25), it can never convert sinners and make them like Christ. Only the Spirit of God can do that.   This is now the fourth public monument of stones that has been erected. The first was at Gilgal Josh. 4:20), commemorating Israel's passage across the Jordan. The second was in the Valley of Achor, a monument to Achan's sin and God's judgment (7:26). The third was at the entrance to Ai, a reminder of God's faithfulness to help His people (8:29). These stones on Mt. Ebal reminded Israel that their success lay only in their obedience to God's Law (1:7-8).   We need daily to remember God's Word that we have written in our minds and hearts and by faith obey it if we are to live victorious lives over the devil, sin, and the world!   God Bless!

We live in a day and in a culture that appears to think, “Good God, good devil, good everybody”. Everyone is a victim and deserves a pass. There is no accountability or consequences for our selfish and criminal behavior. We have forgotten that God is not only a God of mercy and grace, but that He is also a Holy God of justice and must execute punishment on sin. These last few verses of Joshua 7 are a good reminder that one day it will be too late!   Achan had violated God's instructions concerning all the treasure of Jericho that was to be given to the Lord, and he secretly had taken some for himself. After the humiliating defeat at Ai, where 36 soldiers were killed and God revealed to Joshua that a sin had been committed that needed to be dealt with, Achan had ample time to run to his tent, take the goods and bring them to Joshua and repent and confess his sin. But he didn't! And when he finally confessed, it was too late. He was one day too late.   Joshua 7:22-26 reveals God's judgment on Achan's sin. Since a law in Israel prohibited innocent family members from being punished for the sins of their relatives (Deut. 24:16), Achan's family must have been guilty of assisting him in his sin. His household was judged the same way Israel would deal with a Jewish city that had turned to idols (Josh. 13:12-18). Achan and his family had turned from the true and living God and had given their hearts to that which God had said was accursed—silver, gold, and an expensive garment. It wasn't worth it!   At the beginning of a new period in Bible history, God sometimes revealed His wrath against sin in some dramatic way. After the tabernacle had been set up, Nadab and Abihu invaded its holy precincts contrary to God's law; and God killed them. This was a warning to the priests not to treat God's sanctuary carelessly (Lev. 10). When David sought to restore the Ark to its place of honor, and Uzzah touched the Ark to steady it, God killed Uzzah (2 Sam. 6:1-11); another warning from God not to treat sacred things carelessly. At the beginning of the Church Age, when Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and God's people, the Lord killed them (Acts 5:1-11).   The death of Achan and his family was certainly a dramatic warning to the nation not to take the Word of God lightly. The people and the animals were stoned, and their bodies burned along with all that the family possessed. The troubler of Israel was completely removed from the scene, the people were sanctified, and now God could march with His people and give them victory. The name Achor means "trouble." The Valley of Achor is mentioned in Isaiah 65:10 and Hosea 2:15 as a place where the Jews will one day have a new beginning and no longer be associated with shame and defeat. The Valley of Achor will become for them "a door of hope" when they return to their land and share in the blessings of the messianic kingdom. How wonderful the Lord is to take Achor, a place of sorrow and defeat, and make it into a place of hope and joy.   The heap of stones in the valley would be a reminder that God expects His people to obey His Word, and if they don't, He must judge them. The heap of stones at Gilgal (Josh. 4:1-8) reminded them that God keeps His Word and leads His obedient people to the place of blessing. Both memorials are needed in the walk of faith. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and longs to bless His people; but God is also light (1 John 1:5) and must judge His people's sins.   It had been a trying two days for Joshua and his leaders, but the situation was about to change. God would take charge of the army and lead His people to victory. When you surrender to the Lord, no defeat is permanent, and no mistake is beyond remedy. Even the "Valley of Trouble" can become a "door of hope."   Don't wait till it is too late to repent! One day it will be too late! (Revelation 20:11-15)   God bless!

Voiko stressin kääntää voimavaraksi?Kun meitä kehotetaan välttämään stressiä, alamme usein sinnitellä. Se voi itse asiassa ylläpitää stressiä ja pahentaa tilannetta. Toisaalta ponnistelemme meille tärkeiden asioiden eteen. Stressi ei ole pelkästään kielteinen ilmiö. Koemme sitä asioista, jotka ovat meille tärkeitä. Tapamme suhtautua stressiin vaikuttaa merkittävästi siihen, miten stressi meihin vaikuttaa.Jakson aiheena on stressi ja se, miten stressin voi kääntää itselleen voimavaraksi. Psykologi Nina Lyytisen asiantuntijavieraana on psykologian tohtori, neuropsykologian erikoispsykologi, yrittäjä Laura Sokka. Hän teki väitöskirjansa työuupumuksen vaikutuksista aivojen toimintaan, keskittymiseen ja tiedonkäsittelyyn. Lauralla on yli 20 vuoden kokemus neuropsykologin työstä. Hän työskentelee sekä yritysten että yksilöiden kanssa. Laura käy puhumassa yrityksissä kestävästä työkyvystä ja uupumusriskin pienentämisestä. Lisäksi hän pitää neuropsykologin vastaanottoa.Nina ja Laura käsittelevät mm. seuraavia kysymyksiä:- Mitä stressi on?- Mitä kielteisiä ja haitallisia ja toisaalta myönteisiä puolia stressillä on?- Miten oma suhtautumisemme stressiin määrittää sen kielteisiä ja myönteisiä vaikutuksia?- Miten omaa tapaa suhtautua stressiin voi muuttaa?Lisätietoja:Jos jakson aihepiiri kiinnostaa, niin suosittelemme mm. jaksoja:- 32. Stressin ja ahdistuksen säätely. Vieraana Hanna Markuksela.- 15. Työuupumus. Vieraana Susanna Paarlahti.- 51. Työuupumus, siviiliuupumus vai vain uupumus. Vieraana Jari Hakanen.Laura Sokan verkkosivut, LinkedIn ja Instagram.Laura Sokan kirjoituksia stressistä:- Katso stressiä uusin silmin ja saavuta etulyöntiasema epävarmoina aikoina (Tresentio.fi 11.12.2023)- Kun sinulla on stressiä, käytä se hyödyksesi (WGH.fi 25.1.2022)- Ymmärrä stressiä, vahvista henkilöstön pysyvyyttä (WGH.fi 20.10.2022)Tutkimusartikkeleita suhtautumistavan merkityksestä stressin vaikutuksiin:- Crum, A. J., Santoro, E., Handley-Miner, I., Smith, E. N., Evans, K., Moraveji, N., Achor, S. & Salovey, P. (2023). Evaluation of the “rethink stress” mindset intervention: A metacognitive approach to changing mindsets. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(9), 2603. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001396- Yeager, D. S., Bryan, C. J., Gross, J. J., Murray, J. S., Krettek Cobb, D., HF Santos, P., Gravelding, H., Johnson, M. & Jamieson, J. P. (2022). A synergistic mindsets intervention protects adolescents from stress. Nature, 607(7919), 512-520. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04907-7- Crum, A. J., Jamieson, J. P., & Akinola, M. (2020). Optimizing stress: An integrated intervention for regulating stress responses. Emotion, 20(1), 120–125. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000670 - Lisää Alia Crumin tutkimuksia löydät mm. Standford Mind & Bodt Labin sivuilta: https://mbl.stanford.edu/-----Haluatko antaa palautetta? Vinkata aiheita tai vieraita? Tee se täällä: psykopodiaa.fi/palaute tai suoraan Spotify-sovelluksessa, jos tätä sitä kautta kuuntelet.Jos pidit tästä jaksosta olisin kiitollinen, jos jaat sen somessa kavereillesi ja jos jätät arvion siinä palvelussa missä tätä kuunteletkin! Muista myös tilata Psykopodiaa, niin et missaa uusia jaksoja!Seuraa Psykopodiaa myös somessa:Facebookissa @PsykopodiaaInstragramissa @PsykopodiaaNina Lyytinen Twitterissa: @LyytinenNinaNina Lyytinen LinkedIn:ssa: @LyytinenNinaPsykopodiaa-podcastin verkkosivut: http://psykopodiaa.fiPsykodiaa-podcastin emännän, psykologi Nina Lyytisen verkkosivut: https://ninalyytinen.fi

Hosea 2:10-17 When people stubbornly pursue satisfaction in their sinful choices, trite temptations, and empty idols, God uses various means to get their attention. At times, he removes physical blessings. Other times, he takes the joy of sinful pleasure away. At the extreme, He allows a place of utter emptiness and desertion. But it's in that place that His presence, His love, and His offer of hope greatly abound.

And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. —Joshua 7:26, ESV

The guys have a lot to talk about this week- Achor hit the portal, softball heads to the SoCon tournament, baseball takes on UNCG and Samford has a new Hall of Fame class. 0:00 Achor 13:50 Portal Additions 24:42 Jaden Campebell going to Canada 27:13 The People's Questions 46:22 Samford Hall of Fame 52:47 State of the Bulldogs

North Carolina is still in search of the guys it wants to fill the frontcourt vacancies left by Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram. One possibility to fill Ingram's shoes is FSU transfer Jamir Watkins, who the Tar Heels got familiar with this year up close and personal. How would Watkins' all-around game bring a unique dynamic to the Tar Heels? Another potential target could be Samford transfer Achor Achor, who went toe to toe with Kansas and Hunter Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament, nearly taking down the mighty Jayhawks. Regardless what happens with these two potential targets and Carolina choosing to pursue them, there are other frontcourt players out there for the Tar Heels to go after.Locked On Tar Heels Discord: https://discord.gg/DGhGSEPP2d Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…  

Fr. Mike explains the meaning of circumcision for Israel's relationship with God. He also underscore the gravity of Achan's sin, and how the Valley of Achor symbolizes shame that is painful but not hopeless. Today we read Joshua 5-7 and Psalm 125. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Grant is live from Edgewood at the Samford watch party, joined by Achor Achor and Coach Bucky the guys talk about their initial reaction to the matchup. The Dogs are going dancing, how far can they go?

7:25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. 8:28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.  And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.Sermon Questions1. What failure, mis-step, or sin do you have a hard time letting go of?2. When have you struggled to receive forgiveness?3. What quality, action, or habit are you most proud of?4. What have you enshrined in your heart?5. When have you most felt God's presence?6. What does it look like for you to 'come to Jesus' today?

Joshua 7:1,6,10-12, 15, 19-21, 24-26But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.  Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.'” Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.Sermon Questions1. What carries the most weight in your heart?1b. What have you given to get that thing?3. When have you seen your pursuit of something bring trouble to your life?4. What leads you away from God most often?5. Have you ever experienced God bring hope from trouble (new life from destruction)?6. Pray that the Spirit would convict you of sin, and lead you to repent and confess to someone who can walk with you through any trouble it brings.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________ChristmastideAnd the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.Luke 2:10-11 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. O Gracious Light Phos hilaronO gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life,and to be glorified through all the worlds. Psalm 34 Benedicam Dominum1I will bless the Lord at all times; *his praise shall ever be in my mouth.2I will glory in the Lord; *let the humble hear and rejoice.3Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *let us exalt his Name together.4I sought the Lord, and he answered me *and delivered me out of all my terror.5Look upon him and be radiant, *and let not your faces be ashamed.6I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *and saved me from all my troubles.7The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *and he will deliver them.8Taste and see that the Lord is good; *happy are they who trust in him!9Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, *for those who fear him lack nothing.10The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.11Come, children, and listen to me; *I will teach you the fear of the Lord.12Who among you loves life *and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?13Keep your tongue from evil-speaking *and your lips from lying words.14Turn from evil and do good; *seek peace and pursue it.15The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, *and his ears are open to their cry.16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, *to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.17The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them *and delivers them from all their troubles.18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted *and will save those whose spirits are crushed.19Many are the troubles of the righteous, *but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.20He will keep safe all his bones; *not one of them shall be broken.21Evil shall slay the wicked, *and those who hate the righteous will be punished.22The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, *and none will be punished who trust in him. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsIsaiah 65:8-16 English Standard Version8 Thus says the Lord:“As the new wine is found in the cluster,    and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,    for there is a blessing in it,'so I will do for my servants' sake,    and not destroy them all.9 I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,    and from Judah possessors of my mountains;my chosen shall possess it,    and my servants shall dwell there.10 Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,    and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,    for my people who have sought me.11 But you who forsake the Lord,    who forget my holy mountain,who set a table for Fortune    and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,12 I will destine you to the sword,    and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,because, when I called, you did not answer;    when I spoke, you did not listen,but you did what was evil in my eyes    and chose what I did not delight in.”13 Therefore thus says the Lord God:“Behold, my servants shall eat,    but you shall be hungry;behold, my servants shall drink,    but you shall be thirsty;behold, my servants shall rejoice,    but you shall be put to shame;14 behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,    but you shall cry out for pain of heart    and shall wail for breaking of spirit.15 You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,    and the Lord God will put you to death,    but his servants he will call by another name,16 so that he who blesses himself in the land    shall bless himself by the God of truth,and he who takes an oath in the land    shall swear by the God of truth;because the former troubles are forgotten    and are hidden from my eyes.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Mary - MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Hebrews 4:14-5:14 English Standard Version14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.5 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,“You are my Son,    today I have begotten you”;6 as he says also in another place,“You are a priest forever,    after the order of Melchizedek.”7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Simeon - Nunc dimittisLord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people Israel.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesThat this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, We entreat you, O Lord.That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, We entreat you, O Lord.That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. ChristmastideAlmighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceMost holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.A Collect for Aid against PerilsBe our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.For MissionKeep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionMay the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Romans 15:13

Message from Pastor Kelly Larson on December 31, 2023

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 150 Psalm 150 (Listen) Let Everything Praise the Lord 150   Praise the LORD!  Praise God in his sanctuary;    praise him in his mighty heavens!12   Praise him for his mighty deeds;    praise him according to his excellent greatness! 3   Praise him with trumpet sound;    praise him with lute and harp!4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;    praise him with strings and pipe!5   Praise him with sounding cymbals;    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!6   Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8) (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Job 40:6–42:6 Job 40:6–42:6 (Listen) The Lord Challenges Job 6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 7   “Dress for action1 like a man;    I will question you, and you make it known to me.8   Will you even put me in the wrong?    Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?9   Have you an arm like God,    and can you thunder with a voice like his? 10   “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;    clothe yourself with glory and splendor.11   Pour out the overflowings of your anger,    and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.12   Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low    and tread down the wicked where they stand.13   Hide them all in the dust together;    bind their faces in the world below.214   Then will I also acknowledge to you    that your own right hand can save you. 15   “Behold, Behemoth,3    which I made as I made you;    he eats grass like an ox.16   Behold, his strength in his loins,    and his power in the muscles of his belly.17   He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;    the sinews of his thighs are knit together.18   His bones are tubes of bronze,    his limbs like bars of iron. 19   “He is the first of the works4 of God;    let him who made him bring near his sword!20   For the mountains yield food for him    where all the wild beasts play.21   Under the lotus plants he lies,    in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.22   For his shade the lotus trees cover him;    the willows of the brook surround him.23   Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;    he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.24   Can one take him by his eyes,5    or pierce his nose with a snare? 41   6 “Can you draw out Leviathan7 with a fishhook    or press down his tongue with a cord?2   Can you put a rope in his nose    or pierce his jaw with a hook?3   Will he make many pleas to you?    Will he speak to you soft words?4   Will he make a covenant with you    to take him for your servant forever?5   Will you play with him as with a bird,    or will you put him on a leash for your girls?6   Will traders bargain over him?    Will they divide him up among the merchants?7   Can you fill his skin with harpoons    or his head with fishing spears?8   Lay your hands on him;    remember the battle—you will not do it again!9   8 Behold, the hope of a man is false;    he is laid low even at the sight of him.10   No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.    Who then is he who can stand before me?11   Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?    Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. 12   “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,    or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.13   Who can strip off his outer garment?    Who would come near him with a bridle?14   Who can open the doors of his face?    Around his teeth is terror.15   His back is made of9 rows of shields,    shut up closely as with a seal.16   One is so near to another    that no air can come between them.17   They are joined one to another;    they clasp each other and cannot be separated.18   His sneezings flash forth light,    and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.19   Out of his mouth go flaming torches;    sparks of fire leap forth.20   Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,    as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.21   His breath kindles coals,    and a flame comes forth from his mouth.22   In his neck abides strength,    and terror dances before him.23   The folds of his flesh stick together,    firmly cast on him and immovable.24   His heart is hard as a stone,    hard as the lower millstone.25   When he raises himself up, the mighty10 are afraid;    at the crashing they are beside themselves.26   Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,    nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.27   He counts iron as straw,    and bronze as rotten wood.28   The arrow cannot make him flee;    for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.29   Clubs are counted as stubble;    he laughs at the rattle of javelins.30   His underparts are like sharp potsherds;    he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire.31   He makes the deep boil like a pot;    he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.32   Behind him he leaves a shining wake;    one would think the deep to be white-haired.33   On earth there is not his like,    a creature without fear.34   He sees everything that is high;    he is king over all the sons of pride.” Job's Confession and Repentance 42 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2   “I know that you can do all things,    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.3   ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'  Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,    things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.4   ‘Hear, and I will speak;    I will question you, and you make it known to me.'5   I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,    but now my eye sees you;6   therefore I despise myself,    and repent11 in dust and ashes.” Footnotes [1] 40:7 Hebrew Gird up your loins [2] 40:13 Hebrew in the hidden place [3] 40:15 A large animal, exact identity unknown [4] 40:19 Hebrew ways [5] 40:24 Or in his sight [6] 41:1 Ch 40:25 in Hebrew [7] 41:1 A large sea animal, exact identity unknown [8] 41:9 Ch 41:1 in Hebrew [9] 41:15 Or His pride is in his [10] 41:25 Or gods [11] 42:6 Or and am comforted (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 65 Isaiah 65 (Listen) Judgment and Salvation 65   I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;    I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, “Here I am, here I am,”    to a nation that was not called by1 my name.2   I spread out my hands all the day    to a rebellious people,  who walk in a way that is not good,    following their own devices;3   a people who provoke me    to my face continually,  sacrificing in gardens    and making offerings on bricks;4   who sit in tombs,    and spend the night in secret places;  who eat pig's flesh,    and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;5   who say, “Keep to yourself,    do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”  These are a smoke in my nostrils,    a fire that burns all the day.6   Behold, it is written before me:    “I will not keep silent, but I will repay;  I will indeed repay into their lap7     both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,      says the LORD;  because they made offerings on the mountains    and insulted me on the hills,  I will measure into their lap    payment for their former deeds.”2 8   Thus says the LORD:  “As the new wine is found in the cluster,    and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,    for there is a blessing in it,'  so I will do for my servants' sake,    and not destroy them all.9   I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,    and from Judah possessors of my mountains;  my chosen shall possess it,    and my servants shall dwell there.10   Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,    and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,    for my people who have sought me.11   But you who forsake the LORD,    who forget my holy mountain,  who set a table for Fortune    and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,12   I will destine you to the sword,    and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,  because, when I called, you did not answer;    when I spoke, you did not listen,  but you did what was evil in my eyes    and chose what I did not delight in.” 13   Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:  “Behold, my servants shall eat,    but you shall be hungry;  behold, my servants shall drink,    but you shall be thirsty;  behold, my servants shall rejoice,    but you shall be put to shame;14   behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,    but you shall cry out for pain of heart    and shall wail for breaking of spirit.15   You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,    and the Lord GOD will put you to death,    but his servants he will call by another name,16   so that he who blesses himself in the land    shall bless himself by the God of truth,  and he who takes an oath in the land    shall swear by the God of truth;  because the former troubles are forgotten    and are hidden from my eyes. New Heavens and a New Earth 17   “For behold, I create new heavens    and a new earth,  and the former things shall not be remembered    or come into mind.18   But be glad and rejoice forever    in that which I create;  for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,    and her people to be a gladness.19   I will rejoice in Jerusalem    and be glad in my people;  no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping    and the cry of distress.20   No more shall there be in it    an infant who lives but a few days,    or an old man who does not fill out his days,  for the young man shall die a hundred years old,    and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.21   They shall build houses and inhabit them;    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.22   They shall not build and another inhabit;    they shall not plant and another eat;  for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,    and my chosen shall long enjoy3 the work of their hands.23   They shall not labor in vain    or bear children for calamity,4  for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,    and their descendants with them.24   Before they call I will answer;    while they are yet speaking I will hear.25   The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,    and dust shall be the serpent's food.  They shall not hurt or destroy    in all my holy mountain,”

Old Testament: Hosea 2–5 Hosea 2–5 (Listen) Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished 2 1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,”2 and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”3 2   “Plead with your mother, plead—    for she is not my wife,    and I am not her husband—  that she put away her whoring from her face,    and her adultery from between her breasts;3   lest I strip her naked    and make her as in the day she was born,  and make her like a wilderness,    and make her like a parched land,    and kill her with thirst.4   Upon her children also I will have no mercy,    because they are children of whoredom.5   For their mother has played the whore;    she who conceived them has acted shamefully.  For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,    who give me my bread and my water,    my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'6   Therefore I will hedge up her4 way with thorns,    and I will build a wall against her,    so that she cannot find her paths.7   She shall pursue her lovers    but not overtake them,  and she shall seek them    but shall not find them.  Then she shall say,    ‘I will go and return to my first husband,    for it was better for me then than now.'8   And she did not know    that it was I who gave her    the grain, the wine, and the oil,  and who lavished on her silver and gold,    which they used for Baal.9   Therefore I will take back    my grain in its time,    and my wine in its season,  and I will take away my wool and my flax,    which were to cover her nakedness.10   Now I will uncover her lewdness    in the sight of her lovers,    and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.11   And I will put an end to all her mirth,    her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,    and all her appointed feasts.12   And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,    of which she said,  ‘These are my wages,    which my lovers have given me.'  I will make them a forest,    and the beasts of the field shall devour them.13   And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals    when she burned offerings to them  and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,    and went after her lovers    and forgot me, declares the LORD. The Lord's Mercy on Israel 14   “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,    and bring her into the wilderness,    and speak tenderly to her.15   And there I will give her her vineyards    and make the Valley of Achor5 a door of hope.  And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 16 “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,' and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.' 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish6 the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. 21   “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,    I will answer the heavens,    and they shall answer the earth,22   and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,    and they shall answer Jezreel,723     and I will sow her for myself in the land.  And I will have mercy on No Mercy,8    and I will say to Not My People,9 ‘You are my people';    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.'” Hosea Redeems His Wife 3 And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech10 of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days. The Lord Accuses Israel 4   Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,    for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.  There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,    and no knowledge of God in the land;2   there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;    they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.3   Therefore the land mourns,    and all who dwell in it languish,  and also the beasts of the field    and the birds of the heavens,    and even the fish of the sea are taken away. 4   Yet let no one contend,    and let none accuse,    for with you is my contention, O priest.115   You shall stumble by day;    the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;    and I will destroy your mother.6   My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;    because you have rejected knowledge,    I reject you from being a priest to me.  And since you have forgotten the law of your God,    I also will forget your children. 7   The more they increased,    the more they sinned against me;    I will change their glory into shame.8   They feed on the sin12 of my people;    they are greedy for their iniquity.9   And it shall be like people, like priest;    I will punish them for their ways    and repay them for their deeds.10   They shall eat, but not be satisfied;    they shall play the whore, but not multiply,  because they have forsaken the LORD    to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,    which take away the understanding.12   My people inquire of a piece of wood,    and their walking staff gives them oracles.  For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,    and they have left their God to play the whore.13   They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains    and burn offerings on the hills,  under oak, poplar, and terebinth,    because their shade is good.  Therefore your daughters play the whore,    and your brides commit adultery.14   I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,    nor your brides when they commit adultery;  for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes    and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,  and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. 15   Though you play the whore, O Israel,    let not Judah become guilty.  Enter not into Gilgal,    nor go up to Beth-aven,    and swear not, “As the LORD lives.”16   Like a stubborn heifer,    Israel is stubborn;  can the LORD now feed them    like a lamb in a broad pasture? 17   Ephraim is joined to idols;    leave him alone.18   When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;    their rulers13 dearly love shame.19   A wind has wrapped them14 in its wings,    and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah 5   Hear this, O priests!    Pay attention, O house of Israel!  Give ear, O house of the king!    For the judgment is for you;  for you have been a snare at Mizpah    and a net spread upon Tabor.2   And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter,    but I will discipline all of them. 3   I know Ephraim,    and Israel is not hidden from me;  for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;    Israel is defiled.4   Their deeds do not permit them    to return to their God.  For the spirit of whoredom is within them,    and they know not the LORD. 5   The pride of Israel testifies to his face;15    Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;    Judah also shall stumble with them.6   With their flocks and herds they shall go    to seek the LORD,  but they will not find him;    he has withdrawn from them.7   They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD;    for they have borne alien children.    Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields. 8   Blow the horn in Gibeah,    the trumpet in Ramah.  Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;    we follow you,16 O Benjamin!9   Ephraim shall become a desolation    in the day of punishment;  among the tribes of Israel    I make known what is sure.10   The princes of Judah have become    like those who move the landmark;  upon them I will pour out    my wrath like water.11   Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,    because he was determined to go after filth.1712   But I am like a moth to Ephraim,    and like dry rot to the house of Judah. 13   When Ephraim saw his sickness,    and Judah his wound,  then Ephraim went to Assyria,    and sent to the great king.18  But he is not able to cure you    or heal your wound.14   For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,    and like a young lion to the house of Judah.  I, even I, will tear and go away;    I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. 15   I will return again to my place,    until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,    and in their distress earnestly seek me. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Hebrew [2] 2:1 Hebrew ammi, which means my people [3] 2:1 Hebrew ruhama, which means she has received mercy [4] 2:6 Hebrew your [5] 2:15 Achor means trouble; compare Joshua 7:26 [6] 2:18 Hebrew break [7] 2:22 Jezreel means God will sow [8] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ruhama [9] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ammi [10] 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters [11] 4:4 Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest [12] 4:8 Or sin offering [13] 4:18 Hebrew shields [14] 4:19 Hebrew her [15] 5:5 Or in his presence [16] 5:8 Or after you [17] 5:11 Or to follow human precepts [18] 5:13 Or to King Jareb (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 136 Psalm 136 (Listen) His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 136   Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever.2   Give thanks to the God of gods,    for his steadfast love endures forever.3   Give thanks to the Lord of lords,    for his steadfast love endures forever; 4   to him who alone does great wonders,    for his steadfast love endures forever;5   to him who by understanding made the heavens,    for his steadfast love endures forever;6   to him who spread out the earth above the waters,    for his steadfast love endures forever;7   to him who made the great lights,    for his steadfast love endures forever;8   the sun to rule over the day,    for his steadfast love endures forever;9   the moon and stars to rule over the night,    for his steadfast love endures forever; 10   to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,    for his steadfast love endures forever;11   and brought Israel out from among them,    for his steadfast love endures forever;12   with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,    for his steadfast love endures forever;13   to him who divided the Red Sea in two,

Old Testament: Hosea 2–5 Hosea 2–5 (Listen) Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished 2 1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,”2 and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”3 2   “Plead with your mother, plead—    for she is not my wife,    and I am not her husband—  that she put away her whoring from her face,    and her adultery from between her breasts;3   lest I strip her naked    and make her as in the day she was born,  and make her like a wilderness,    and make her like a parched land,    and kill her with thirst.4   Upon her children also I will have no mercy,    because they are children of whoredom.5   For their mother has played the whore;    she who conceived them has acted shamefully.  For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,    who give me my bread and my water,    my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'6   Therefore I will hedge up her4 way with thorns,    and I will build a wall against her,    so that she cannot find her paths.7   She shall pursue her lovers    but not overtake them,  and she shall seek them    but shall not find them.  Then she shall say,    ‘I will go and return to my first husband,    for it was better for me then than now.'8   And she did not know    that it was I who gave her    the grain, the wine, and the oil,  and who lavished on her silver and gold,    which they used for Baal.9   Therefore I will take back    my grain in its time,    and my wine in its season,  and I will take away my wool and my flax,    which were to cover her nakedness.10   Now I will uncover her lewdness    in the sight of her lovers,    and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.11   And I will put an end to all her mirth,    her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,    and all her appointed feasts.12   And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,    of which she said,  ‘These are my wages,    which my lovers have given me.'  I will make them a forest,    and the beasts of the field shall devour them.13   And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals    when she burned offerings to them  and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,    and went after her lovers    and forgot me, declares the LORD. The Lord's Mercy on Israel 14   “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,    and bring her into the wilderness,    and speak tenderly to her.15   And there I will give her her vineyards    and make the Valley of Achor5 a door of hope.  And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 16 “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,' and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.' 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish6 the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. 21   “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,    I will answer the heavens,    and they shall answer the earth,22   and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,    and they shall answer Jezreel,723     and I will sow her for myself in the land.  And I will have mercy on No Mercy,8    and I will say to Not My People,9 ‘You are my people';    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.'” Hosea Redeems His Wife 3 And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech10 of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days. The Lord Accuses Israel 4   Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,    for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.  There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,    and no knowledge of God in the land;2   there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;    they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.3   Therefore the land mourns,    and all who dwell in it languish,  and also the beasts of the field    and the birds of the heavens,    and even the fish of the sea are taken away. 4   Yet let no one contend,    and let none accuse,    for with you is my contention, O priest.115   You shall stumble by day;    the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;    and I will destroy your mother.6   My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;    because you have rejected knowledge,    I reject you from being a priest to me.  And since you have forgotten the law of your God,    I also will forget your children. 7   The more they increased,    the more they sinned against me;    I will change their glory into shame.8   They feed on the sin12 of my people;    they are greedy for their iniquity.9   And it shall be like people, like priest;    I will punish them for their ways    and repay them for their deeds.10   They shall eat, but not be satisfied;    they shall play the whore, but not multiply,  because they have forsaken the LORD    to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,    which take away the understanding.12   My people inquire of a piece of wood,    and their walking staff gives them oracles.  For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,    and they have left their God to play the whore.13   They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains    and burn offerings on the hills,  under oak, poplar, and terebinth,    because their shade is good.  Therefore your daughters play the whore,    and your brides commit adultery.14   I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,    nor your brides when they commit adultery;  for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes    and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,  and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. 15   Though you play the whore, O Israel,    let not Judah become guilty.  Enter not into Gilgal,    nor go up to Beth-aven,    and swear not, “As the LORD lives.”16   Like a stubborn heifer,    Israel is stubborn;  can the LORD now feed them    like a lamb in a broad pasture? 17   Ephraim is joined to idols;    leave him alone.18   When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;    their rulers13 dearly love shame.19   A wind has wrapped them14 in its wings,    and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah 5   Hear this, O priests!    Pay attention, O house of Israel!  Give ear, O house of the king!    For the judgment is for you;  for you have been a snare at Mizpah    and a net spread upon Tabor.2   And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter,    but I will discipline all of them. 3   I know Ephraim,    and Israel is not hidden from me;  for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;    Israel is defiled.4   Their deeds do not permit them    to return to their God.  For the spirit of whoredom is within them,    and they know not the LORD. 5   The pride of Israel testifies to his face;15    Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;    Judah also shall stumble with them.6   With their flocks and herds they shall go    to seek the LORD,  but they will not find him;    he has withdrawn from them.7   They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD;    for they have borne alien children.    Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields. 8   Blow the horn in Gibeah,    the trumpet in Ramah.  Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;    we follow you,16 O Benjamin!9   Ephraim shall become a desolation    in the day of punishment;  among the tribes of Israel    I make known what is sure.10   The princes of Judah have become    like those who move the landmark;  upon them I will pour out    my wrath like water.11   Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,    because he was determined to go after filth.1712   But I am like a moth to Ephraim,    and like dry rot to the house of Judah. 13   When Ephraim saw his sickness,    and Judah his wound,  then Ephraim went to Assyria,    and sent to the great king.18  But he is not able to cure you    or heal your wound.14   For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,    and like a young lion to the house of Judah.  I, even I, will tear and go away;    I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. 15   I will return again to my place,    until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,    and in their distress earnestly seek me. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Hebrew [2] 2:1 Hebrew ammi, which means my people [3] 2:1 Hebrew ruhama, which means she has received mercy [4] 2:6 Hebrew your [5] 2:15 Achor means trouble; compare Joshua 7:26 [6] 2:18 Hebrew break [7] 2:22 Jezreel means God will sow [8] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ruhama [9] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ammi [10] 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters [11] 4:4 Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest [12] 4:8 Or sin offering [13] 4:18 Hebrew shields [14] 4:19 Hebrew her [15] 5:5 Or in his presence [16] 5:8 Or after you [17] 5:11 Or to follow human precepts [18] 5:13 Or to King Jareb (ESV) New Testament: John 10:19–42 John 10:19–42 (Listen) 19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” I and the Father Are One 22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,1 is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods'? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,' because I said, ‘I am the Son of God'? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

Morning: Hosea 1–4 Hosea 1–4 (Listen) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. Hosea's Wife and Children 2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy,1 for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.” 8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People,2 for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”3 10 4 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children5 of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel. Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished 2 6 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,”7 and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”8 2   “Plead with your mother, plead—    for she is not my wife,    and I am not her husband—  that she put away her whoring from her face,    and her adultery from between her breasts;3   lest I strip her naked    and make her as in the day she was born,  and make her like a wilderness,    and make her like a parched land,    and kill her with thirst.4   Upon her children also I will have no mercy,    because they are children of whoredom.5   For their mother has played the whore;    she who conceived them has acted shamefully.  For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,    who give me my bread and my water,    my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'6   Therefore I will hedge up her9 way with thorns,    and I will build a wall against her,    so that she cannot find her paths.7   She shall pursue her lovers    but not overtake them,  and she shall seek them    but shall not find them.  Then she shall say,    ‘I will go and return to my first husband,    for it was better for me then than now.'8   And she did not know    that it was I who gave her    the grain, the wine, and the oil,  and who lavished on her silver and gold,    which they used for Baal.9   Therefore I will take back    my grain in its time,    and my wine in its season,  and I will take away my wool and my flax,    which were to cover her nakedness.10   Now I will uncover her lewdness    in the sight of her lovers,    and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.11   And I will put an end to all her mirth,    her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,    and all her appointed feasts.12   And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,    of which she said,  ‘These are my wages,    which my lovers have given me.'  I will make them a forest,    and the beasts of the field shall devour them.13   And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals    when she burned offerings to them  and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,    and went after her lovers    and forgot me, declares the LORD. The Lord's Mercy on Israel 14   “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,    and bring her into the wilderness,    and speak tenderly to her.15   And there I will give her her vineyards    and make the Valley of Achor10 a door of hope.  And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 16 “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,' and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.' 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish11 the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. 21   “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,    I will answer the heavens,    and they shall answer the earth,22   and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,    and they shall answer Jezreel,1223     and I will sow her for myself in the land.  And I will have mercy on No Mercy,13    and I will say to Not My People,14 ‘You are my people';    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.'” Hosea Redeems His Wife 3 And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech15 of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days. The Lord Accuses Israel 4   Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,    for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.  There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,    and no knowledge of God in the land;2   there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;    they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.3   Therefore the land mourns,    and all who dwell in it languish,  and also the beasts of the field    and the birds of the heavens,    and even the fish of the sea are taken away. 4   Yet let no one contend,    and let none accuse,    for with you is my contention, O priest.165   You shall stumble by day;    the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;    and I will destroy your mother.6   My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;    because you have rejected knowledge,    I reject you from being a priest to me.  And since you have forgotten the law of your God,    I also will forget your children. 7   The more they increased,    the more they sinned against me;    I will change their glory into shame.8   They feed on the sin17 of my people;    they are greedy for their iniquity.9   And it shall be like people, like priest;    I will punish them for their ways    and repay them for their deeds.10   They shall eat, but not be satisfied;    they shall play the whore, but not multiply,  because they have forsaken the LORD    to cherish 11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,    which take away the understanding.12   My people inquire of a piece of wood,    and their walking staff gives them oracles.  For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,    and they have left their God to play the whore.13   They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains    and burn offerings on the hills,  under oak, poplar, and terebinth,    because their shade is good.  Therefore your daughters play the whore,    and your brides commit adultery.14   I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,    nor your brides when they commit adultery;  for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes    and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,  and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. 15   Though you play the whore, O Israel,    let not Judah become guilty.  Enter not into Gilgal,    nor go up to Beth-aven,    and swear not, “As the LORD lives.”16   Like a stubborn heifer,    Israel is stubborn;  can the LORD now feed them    like a lamb in a broad pasture? 17   Ephraim is joined to idols;    leave him alone.18   When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;    their rulers18 dearly love shame.19   A wind has wrapped them19 in its wings,    and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Footnotes [1] 1:6 Hebrew Lo-ruhama, which means she has not received mercy [2] 1:9 Hebrew Lo-ammi, which means not my people [3] 1:9 Hebrew I am not yours [4] 1:10 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew [5] 1:10 Or Sons [6] 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Hebrew [7] 2:1 Hebrew ammi, which means my people [8] 2:1 Hebrew ruhama, which means she has received mercy [9] 2:6 Hebrew your [10] 2:15 Achor means trouble; compare Joshua 7:26 [11] 2:18 Hebrew break [12] 2:22 Jezreel means God will sow [13] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ruhama [14] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ammi [15] 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters [16] 4:4 Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest [17] 4:8 Or sin offering [18] 4:18 Hebrew shields [19] 4:19 Hebrew her (ESV) Evening: Jude Jude (Listen) Greeting 1 Jude, a servant1 of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for2 Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Judgment on False Teachers 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved3 a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire,4 serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs5 at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. A Call to Persevere 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They6 said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment7 stained by the flesh. Doxology 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time8 and now and forever. Amen. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:1 Or by [3] 1:5 Some manuscripts although you fully knew it, that the Lord who once saved [4] 1:7 Greek different flesh [5] 1:12 Or are blemishes [6] 1:18 Or Christ, because they [7] 1:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin [8] 1:25 Or before any age (ESV)

With family: 2 Kings 10; 2 Timothy 1 2 Kings 10 (Listen) Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants 10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city,1 to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons2 of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3 select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.” 4 But they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” 6 Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. 7 And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9 Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10 Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 12 Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them. 15 And when he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said,3 “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16 And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So he4 had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke to Elijah. Jehu Strikes Down the Prophets of Baal 18 Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. 23 Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they5 went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.” 25 So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, 26 and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. 27 And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. Jehu Reigns in Israel 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 And the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin. 32 In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. Footnotes [1] 10:1 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew rulers of Jezreel [2] 10:1 Hebrew lacks of the sons [3] 10:15 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Jehu said [4] 10:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew they [5] 10:24 Septuagint he (compare verse 25) (ESV) 2 Timothy 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to1 a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,2 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.3 13 Follow the pattern of the sound4 words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me—18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. Footnotes [1] 1:9 Or with [2] 1:9 Greek before times eternal [3] 1:12 Or what I have entrusted to him; Greek my deposit [4] 1:13 Or healthy (ESV) In private: Psalm 119:97–120; Hosea 2 Psalm 119:97–120 (Listen) Mem 97   Oh how I love your law!    It is my meditation all the day.98   Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,    for it is ever with me.99   I have more understanding than all my teachers,    for your testimonies are my meditation.100   I understand more than the aged,1    for I keep your precepts.101   I hold back my feet from every evil way,    in order to keep your word.102   I do not turn aside from your rules,    for you have taught me.103   How sweet are your words to my taste,    sweeter than honey to my mouth!104   Through your precepts I get understanding;    therefore I hate every false way. Nun 105   Your word is a lamp to my feet    and a light to my path.106   I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,    to keep your righteous rules.107   I am severely afflicted;    give me life, O LORD, according to your word!108   Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD,    and teach me your rules.109   I hold my life in my hand continually,    but I do not forget your law.110   The wicked have laid a snare for me,    but I do not stray from your precepts.111   Your testimonies are my heritage forever,    for they are the joy of my heart.112   I incline my heart to perform your statutes    forever, to the end.2 Samekh 113   I hate the double-minded,    but I love your law.114   You are my hiding place and my shield;    I hope in your word.115   Depart from me, you evildoers,    that I may keep the commandments of my God.116   Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,    and let me not be put to shame in my hope!117   Hold me up, that I may be safe    and have regard for your statutes continually!118   You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,    for their cunning is in vain.119   All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,    therefore I love your testimonies.120   My flesh trembles for fear of you,    and I am afraid of your judgments. Footnotes [1] 119:100 Or the elders [2] 119:112 Or statutes; the reward is eternal (ESV) Hosea 2 (Listen) Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished 2 1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,”2 and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”3 2   “Plead with your mother, plead—    for she is not my wife,    and I am not her husband—  that she put away her whoring from her face,    and her adultery from between her breasts;3   lest I strip her naked    and make her as in the day she was born,  and make her like a wilderness,    and make her like a parched land,    and kill her with thirst.4   Upon her children also I will have no mercy,    because they are children of whoredom.5   For their mother has played the whore;    she who conceived them has acted shamefully.  For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,    who give me my bread and my water,    my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'6   Therefore I will hedge up her4 way with thorns,    and I will build a wall against her,    so that she cannot find her paths.7   She shall pursue her lovers    but not overtake them,  and she shall seek them    but shall not find them.  Then she shall say,    ‘I will go and return to my first husband,    for it was better for me then than now.'8   And she did not know    that it was I who gave her    the grain, the wine, and the oil,  and who lavished on her silver and gold,    which they used for Baal.9   Therefore I will take back    my grain in its time,    and my wine in its season,  and I will take away my wool and my flax,    which were to cover her nakedness.10   Now I will uncover her lewdness    in the sight of her lovers,    and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.11   And I will put an end to all her mirth,    her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,    and all her appointed feasts.12   And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,    of which she said,  ‘These are my wages,    which my lovers have given me.'  I will make them a forest,    and the beasts of the field shall devour them.13   And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals    when she burned offerings to them  and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,    and went after her lovers    and forgot me, declares the LORD. The Lord's Mercy on Israel 14   “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,    and bring her into the wilderness,    and speak tenderly to her.15   And there I will give her her vineyards    and make the Valley of Achor5 a door of hope.  And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 16 “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,' and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.' 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish6 the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. 21   “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,    I will answer the heavens,    and they shall answer the earth,22   and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,    and they shall answer Jezreel,723     and I will sow her for myself in the land.  And I will have mercy on No Mercy,8    and I will say to Not My People,9 ‘You are my people';    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.'” Footnotes [1] 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Hebrew [2] 2:1 Hebrew ammi, which means my people [3] 2:1 Hebrew ruhama, which means she has received mercy [4] 2:6 Hebrew your [5] 2:15 Achor means trouble; compare Joshua 7:26 [6] 2:18 Hebrew break [7] 2:22 Jezreel means God will sow [8] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ruhama [9] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ammi (ESV)

Old Testament: Isaiah 63–66 Isaiah 63–66 (Listen) The Lord's Day of Vengeance 63   Who is this who comes from Edom,    in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,  he who is splendid in his apparel,    marching in the greatness of his strength?  “It is I, speaking in righteousness,    mighty to save.” 2   Why is your apparel red,    and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? 3   “I have trodden the winepress alone,    and from the peoples no one was with me;  I trod them in my anger    and trampled them in my wrath;  their lifeblood1 spattered on my garments,    and stained all my apparel.4   For the day of vengeance was in my heart,    and my year of redemption2 had come.5   I looked, but there was no one to help;    I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;  so my own arm brought me salvation,    and my wrath upheld me.6   I trampled down the peoples in my anger;    I made them drunk in my wrath,    and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” The Lord's Mercy Remembered 7   I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD,    the praises of the LORD,  according to all that the LORD has granted us,    and the great goodness to the house of Israel  that he has granted them according to his compassion,    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.8   For he said, “Surely they are my people,    children who will not deal falsely.”    And he became their Savior.9   In all their affliction he was afflicted,3    and the angel of his presence saved them;  in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10   But they rebelled    and grieved his Holy Spirit;  therefore he turned to be their enemy,    and himself fought against them.11   Then he remembered the days of old,    of Moses and his people.4  Where is he who brought them up out of the sea    with the shepherds of his flock?  Where is he who put in the midst of them    his Holy Spirit,12   who caused his glorious arm    to go at the right hand of Moses,  who divided the waters before them    to make for himself an everlasting name,13     who led them through the depths?  Like a horse in the desert,    they did not stumble.14   Like livestock that go down into the valley,    the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.  So you led your people,    to make for yourself a glorious name. Prayer for Mercy 15   Look down from heaven and see,    from your holy and beautiful5 habitation.  Where are your zeal and your might?    The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion    are held back from me.16   For you are our Father,    though Abraham does not know us,    and Israel does not acknowledge us;  you, O LORD, are our Father,    our Redeemer from of old is your name.17   O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways    and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?  Return for the sake of your servants,    the tribes of your heritage.18   Your holy people held possession for a little while;6    our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.19   We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,    like those who are not called by your name. 64   Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,    that the mountains might quake at your presence—2   7 as when fire kindles brushwood    and the fire causes water to boil—  to make your name known to your adversaries,    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!3   When you did awesome things that we did not look for,    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.4   From of old no one has heard    or perceived by the ear,  no eye has seen a God besides you,    who acts for those who wait for him.5   You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,    those who remember you in your ways.  Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?86   We have all become like one who is unclean,    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf,    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.7   There is no one who calls upon your name,    who rouses himself to take hold of you;  for you have hidden your face from us,    and have made us melt in9 the hand of our iniquities. 8   But now, O LORD, you are our Father;    we are the clay, and you are our potter;    we are all the work of your hand.9   Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,    and remember not iniquity forever.    Behold, please look, we are all your people.10   Your holy cities have become a wilderness;    Zion has become a wilderness,    Jerusalem a desolation.11   Our holy and beautiful10 house,    where our fathers praised you,  has been burned by fire,    and all our pleasant places have become ruins.12   Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD?    Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly? Judgment and Salvation 65   I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;    I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, “Here I am, here I am,”    to a nation that was not called by11 my name.2   I spread out my hands all the day    to a rebellious people,  who walk in a way that is not good,    following their own devices;3   a people who provoke me    to my face continually,  sacrificing in gardens    and making offerings on bricks;4   who sit in tombs,    and spend the night in secret places;  who eat pig's flesh,    and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;5   who say, “Keep to yourself,    do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”  These are a smoke in my nostrils,    a fire that burns all the day.6   Behold, it is written before me:    “I will not keep silent, but I will repay;  I will indeed repay into their lap7     both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,      says the LORD;  because they made offerings on the mountains    and insulted me on the hills,  I will measure into their lap    payment for their former deeds.”12 8   Thus says the LORD:  “As the new wine is found in the cluster,    and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,    for there is a blessing in it,'  so I will do for my servants' sake,    and not destroy them all.9   I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,    and from Judah possessors of my mountains;  my chosen shall possess it,    and my servants shall dwell there.10   Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,    and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,    for my people who have sought me.11   But you who forsake the LORD,    who forget my holy mountain,  who set a table for Fortune    and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,12   I will destine you to the sword,    and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,  because, when I called, you did not answer;    when I spoke, you did not listen,  but you did what was evil in my eyes    and chose what I did not delight in.” 13   Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:  “Behold, my servants shall eat,    but you shall be hungry;  behold, my servants shall drink,    but you shall be thirsty;  behold, my servants shall rejoice,    but you shall be put to shame;14   behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,    but you shall cry out for pain of heart    and shall wail for breaking of spirit.15   You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,    and the Lord GOD will put you to death,    but his servants he will call by another name,16   so that he who blesses himself in the land    shall bless himself by the God of truth,  and he who takes an oath in the land    shall swear by the God of truth;  because the former troubles are forgotten    and are hidden from my eyes. New Heavens and a New Earth 17   “For behold, I create new heavens    and a new earth,  and the former things shall not be remembered    or come into mind.18   But be glad and rejoice forever    in that which I create;  for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,    and her people to be a gladness.19   I will rejoice in Jerusalem    and be glad in my people;  no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping    and the cry of distress.20   No more shall there be in it    an infant who lives but a few days,    or an old man who does not fill out his days,  for the young man shall die a hundred years old,    and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.21   They shall build houses and inhabit them;    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.22   They shall not build and another inhabit;    they shall not plant and another eat;  for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,    and my chosen shall long enjoy13 the work of their hands.23   They shall not labor in vain    or bear children for calamity,14  for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,    and their descendants with them.24   Before they call I will answer;    while they are yet speaking I will hear.25   The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,    and dust shall be the serpent's food.  They shall not hurt or destroy    in all my holy mountain,”      says the LORD. The Humble and Contrite in Spirit 66   Thus says the LORD:  “Heaven is my throne,    and the earth is my footstool;  what is the house that you would build for me,    and what is the place of my rest?2   All these things my hand has made,    and so all these things came to be,      declares the LORD.  But this is the one to whom I will look:    he who is humble and contrite in spirit    and trembles at my word. 3   “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;    he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck;  he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood;    he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.  These have chosen their own ways,    and their soul delights in their abominations;4   I also will choose harsh treatment for them    and bring their fears upon them,  because when I called, no one answered,    when I spoke, they did not listen;  but they did what was evil in my eyes    and chose that in which I did not delight.” 5   Hear the word of the LORD,    you who tremble at his word:  “Your brothers who hate you    and cast you out for my name's sake  have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified,    that we may see your joy';    but it is they who shall be put to shame. 6   “The sound of an uproar from the city!    A sound from the temple!  The sound of the LORD,    rendering recompense to his enemies! Rejoice with Jerusalem 7   “Before she was in labor    she gave birth;  before her pain came upon her    she delivered a son.8   Who has heard such a thing?    Who has seen such things?  Shall a land be born in one day?    Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?  For as soon as Zion was in labor    she brought forth her children.9   Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”

Morning: Isaiah 65–66 Isaiah 65–66 (Listen) Judgment and Salvation 65   I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;    I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, “Here I am, here I am,”    to a nation that was not called by1 my name.2   I spread out my hands all the day    to a rebellious people,  who walk in a way that is not good,    following their own devices;3   a people who provoke me    to my face continually,  sacrificing in gardens    and making offerings on bricks;4   who sit in tombs,    and spend the night in secret places;  who eat pig's flesh,    and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;5   who say, “Keep to yourself,    do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”  These are a smoke in my nostrils,    a fire that burns all the day.6   Behold, it is written before me:    “I will not keep silent, but I will repay;  I will indeed repay into their lap7     both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,      says the LORD;  because they made offerings on the mountains    and insulted me on the hills,  I will measure into their lap    payment for their former deeds.”2 8   Thus says the LORD:  “As the new wine is found in the cluster,    and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,    for there is a blessing in it,'  so I will do for my servants' sake,    and not destroy them all.9   I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,    and from Judah possessors of my mountains;  my chosen shall possess it,    and my servants shall dwell there.10   Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,    and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,    for my people who have sought me.11   But you who forsake the LORD,    who forget my holy mountain,  who set a table for Fortune    and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,12   I will destine you to the sword,    and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,  because, when I called, you did not answer;    when I spoke, you did not listen,  but you did what was evil in my eyes    and chose what I did not delight in.” 13   Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:  “Behold, my servants shall eat,    but you shall be hungry;  behold, my servants shall drink,    but you shall be thirsty;  behold, my servants shall rejoice,    but you shall be put to shame;14   behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,    but you shall cry out for pain of heart    and shall wail for breaking of spirit.15   You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,    and the Lord GOD will put you to death,    but his servants he will call by another name,16   so that he who blesses himself in the land    shall bless himself by the God of truth,  and he who takes an oath in the land    shall swear by the God of truth;  because the former troubles are forgotten    and are hidden from my eyes. New Heavens and a New Earth 17   “For behold, I create new heavens    and a new earth,  and the former things shall not be remembered    or come into mind.18   But be glad and rejoice forever    in that which I create;  for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,    and her people to be a gladness.19   I will rejoice in Jerusalem    and be glad in my people;  no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping    and the cry of distress.20   No more shall there be in it    an infant who lives but a few days,    or an old man who does not fill out his days,  for the young man shall die a hundred years old,    and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.21   They shall build houses and inhabit them;    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.22   They shall not build and another inhabit;    they shall not plant and another eat;  for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,    and my chosen shall long enjoy3 the work of their hands.23   They shall not labor in vain    or bear children for calamity,4  for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,    and their descendants with them.24   Before they call I will answer;    while they are yet speaking I will hear.25   The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,    and dust shall be the serpent's food.  They shall not hurt or destroy    in all my holy mountain,”      says the LORD. The Humble and Contrite in Spirit 66   Thus says the LORD:  “Heaven is my throne,    and the earth is my footstool;  what is the house that you would build for me,    and what is the place of my rest?2   All these things my hand has made,    and so all these things came to be,      declares the LORD.  But this is the one to whom I will look:    he who is humble and contrite in spirit    and trembles at my word. 3   “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;    he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck;  he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood;    he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.  These have chosen their own ways,    and their soul delights in their abominations;4   I also will choose harsh treatment for them    and bring their fears upon them,  because when I called, no one answered,    when I spoke, they did not listen;  but they did what was evil in my eyes    and chose that in which I did not delight.” 5   Hear the word of the LORD,    you who tremble at his word:  “Your brothers who hate you    and cast you out for my name's sake  have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified,    that we may see your joy';    but it is they who shall be put to shame. 6   “The sound of an uproar from the city!    A sound from the temple!  The sound of the LORD,    rendering recompense to his enemies! Rejoice with Jerusalem 7   “Before she was in labor    she gave birth;  before her pain came upon her    she delivered a son.8   Who has heard such a thing?    Who has seen such things?  Shall a land be born in one day?    Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?  For as soon as Zion was in labor    she brought forth her children.9   Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”    says the LORD;  “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”    says your God. 10   “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,    all you who love her;  rejoice with her in joy,    all you who mourn over her;11   that you may nurse and be satisfied    from her consoling breast;  that you may drink deeply with delight    from her glorious abundance.”5 12   For thus says the LORD:  “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,    and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;  and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,    and bounced upon her knees.13   As one whom his mother comforts,    so I will comfort you;    you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.14   You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;    your bones shall flourish like the grass;  and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants,    and he shall show his indignation against his enemies. Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord 15   “For behold, the LORD will come in fire,    and his chariots like the whirlwind,  to render his anger in fury,    and his rebuke with flames of fire.16   For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment,    and by his sword, with all flesh;    and those slain by the LORD shall be many. 17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD. 18 “For I know6 their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming7 to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21 And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. 22   “For as the new heavens and the new earth    that I make  shall remain before me, says the LORD,    so shall your offspring and your name remain.23   From new moon to new moon,    and from Sabbath to Sabbath,  all flesh shall come to worship before me,  declares the LORD. 24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” Footnotes [1] 65:1 Or that did not call upon [2] 65:7 Or I will first measure their payment into their lap [3] 65:22 Hebrew shall wear out [4] 65:23 Or for sudden terror [5] 66:11 Or breast [6] 66:18 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew lacks know [7] 66:18 Hebrew and it is coming (ESV) Evening: 2 Thessalonians 1 2 Thessalonians 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,1 as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. The Judgment at Christ's Coming 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from2 the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Footnotes [1] 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [2] 1:9 Or destruction that comes from (ESV)

Fr. Mike explains the meaning of circumcision for Israel's relationship with God. He also underscore the gravity of Achan's sin, and how the Valley of Achor symbolizes shame that is painful but not hopeless. Today we read Joshua 5-7 and Psalm 125. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.