Podcasts about acts

We have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved. But what does salvation really mean? What are we saved from? And what are we saved for?The Bible tells a story of salvation. Situations of injustice, brokenness, and sin cause God's people to cry out for relief. And God answers, from the Exodus to the judges and kings. But hope for fuller restoration and salvation leads us to Jesus Christ as savior. In this podcast episode, we consider the ways in which Jesus is the culmination of the salvation storyline. We also compare the language of salvation from sin, with the salvific language of healing in the Gospels and Acts. How is the wholeness and wellness that Jesus provides connected to salvation for the whole person? And how can we learn to see ourselves as the wounded, in need of God's salvation?For more about us, visit www.facebook.com/devotionaldoctors or www.devotionaldoctors.com. You can reach us by email at devotionaldoctors@gmail.com.Our theme music is "Honey Bee" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com).License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Old Testament: Isaiah 52–55 Isaiah 52–55 (Listen) The Lord's Coming Salvation 52   Awake, awake,    put on your strength, O Zion;  put on your beautiful garments,    O Jerusalem, the holy city;  for there shall no more come into you    the uncircumcised and the unclean.2   Shake yourself from the dust and arise;    be seated, O Jerusalem;  loose the bonds from your neck,    O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For thus says the LORD: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord GOD: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.1 5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the LORD, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the LORD, “and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.” 7   How beautiful upon the mountains    are the feet of him who brings good news,  who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,    who publishes salvation,    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”8   The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;    together they sing for joy;  for eye to eye they see    the return of the LORD to Zion.9   Break forth together into singing,    you waste places of Jerusalem,  for the LORD has comforted his people;    he has redeemed Jerusalem.10   The LORD has bared his holy arm    before the eyes of all the nations,  and all the ends of the earth shall see    the salvation of our God. 11   Depart, depart, go out from there;    touch no unclean thing;  go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves,    you who bear the vessels of the LORD.12   For you shall not go out in haste,    and you shall not go in flight,  for the LORD will go before you,    and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions 13   Behold, my servant shall act wisely;2    he shall be high and lifted up,    and shall be exalted.14   As many were astonished at you—    his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,    and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—15   so shall he sprinkle3 many nations.    Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,  for that which has not been told them they see,    and that which they have not heard they understand.53   Who has believed what he has heard from us?4    And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?2   For he grew up before him like a young plant,    and like a root out of dry ground;  he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,    and no beauty that we should desire him.3   He was despised and rejected5 by men,    a man of sorrows6 and acquainted with7 grief;8  and as one from whom men hide their faces9    he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4   Surely he has borne our griefs    and carried our sorrows;  yet we esteemed him stricken,    smitten by God, and afflicted.5   But he was pierced for our transgressions;    he was crushed for our iniquities;  upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,    and with his wounds we are healed.6   All we like sheep have gone astray;    we have turned—every one—to his own way;  and the LORD has laid on him    the iniquity of us all. 7   He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,    yet he opened not his mouth;  like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,    so he opened not his mouth.8   By oppression and judgment he was taken away;    and as for his generation, who considered  that he was cut off out of the land of the living,    stricken for the transgression of my people?9   And they made his grave with the wicked    and with a rich man in his death,  although he had done no violence,    and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10   Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;    he has put him to grief;10  when his soul makes11 an offering for guilt,    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;  the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.11   Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see12 and be satisfied;  by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,    make many to be accounted righteous,    and he shall bear their iniquities.12   Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,13    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,14  because he poured out his soul to death    and was numbered with the transgressors;  yet he bore the sin of many,    and makes intercession for the transgressors. The Eternal Covenant of Peace 54   “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;    break forth into singing and cry aloud,    you who have not been in labor!  For the children of the desolate one will be more    than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD.2   “Enlarge the place of your tent,    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;  do not hold back; lengthen your cords    and strengthen your stakes.3   For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,    and your offspring will possess the nations    and will people the desolate cities. 4   “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;    be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;  for you will forget the shame of your youth,    and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.5   For your Maker is your husband,    the LORD of hosts is his name;  and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,    the God of the whole earth he is called.6   For the LORD has called you    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,  like a wife of youth when she is cast off,    says your God.7   For a brief moment I deserted you,    but with great compassion I will gather you.8   In overflowing anger for a moment    I hid my face from you,  but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”    says the LORD, your Redeemer. 9   “This is like the days of Noah15 to me:    as I swore that the waters of Noah    should no more go over the earth,  so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,    and will not rebuke you.10   For the mountains may depart    and the hills be removed,  but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”    says the LORD, who has compassion on you. 11   “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,    behold, I will set your stones in antimony,    and lay your foundations with sapphires.1612   I will make your pinnacles of agate,17    your gates of carbuncles,18    and all your wall of precious stones.13   All your children shall be taught by the LORD,    and great shall be the peace of your children.14   In righteousness you shall be established;    you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;    and from terror, for it shall not come near you.15   If anyone stirs up strife,    it is not from me;  whoever stirs up strife with you    shall fall because of you.16   Behold, I have created the smith    who blows the fire of coals    and produces a weapon for its purpose.  I have also created the ravager to destroy;17     no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.  This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD    and their vindication19 from me, declares the LORD.” The Compassion of the Lord 55   “Come, everyone who thirsts,    come to the waters;  and he who has no money,    come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk    without money and without price.2   Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,    and delight yourselves in rich food.3   Incline your ear, and come to me;    hear, that your soul may live;  and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,    my steadfast, sure love for David.4   Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,    a leader and commander for the peoples.5   Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,    and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,  because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,    for he has glorified you. 6   “Seek the LORD while he may be found;    call upon him while he is near;7   let the wicked forsake his way,    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;  let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.8   For my thoughts are not your thoughts,    neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.9   For as the heavens are higher than the earth,    so are my ways higher than your ways    and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10   “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven    and do not return there but water the earth,  making it bring forth and sprout,    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,11   so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;    it shall not return to me empty,  but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12   “For you shall go out in joy    and be led forth in peace;  the mountains and the hills before you    shall break forth into singing,    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.13   Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;  and it shall make a name for the LORD,    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Footnotes [1] 52:4 Or the Assyrian has oppressed them of late [2] 52:13 Or shall prosper [3] 52:15 Or startle [4] 53:1 Or Who has believed what we have heard? [5] 53:3 Or forsaken [6] 53:3 Or pains; also verse 4 [7] 53:3 Or and knowing [8] 53:3 Or sickness; also verse 4 [9] 53:3 Or as one who hides his face from us [10] 53:10 Or he has made him sick [11] 53:10 Or when you make his soul [12] 53:11 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll he shall see light [13] 53:12 Or with the great [14] 53:12 Or with the numerous [15] 54:9 Some manuscripts For this is as the waters of Noah [16] 54:11 Or lapis lazuli [17] 54:12 Or jasper, or ruby [18] 54:12 Or crystal [19] 54:17 Or righteousness (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 99 Psalm 99 (Listen) The Lord Our God Is Holy 99   The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!2   The LORD is great in Zion;    he is exalted over all the peoples.3   Let them praise your great and awesome name!    Holy is he!4   The King in his might loves justice.1    You have established equity;  you have executed justice    and righteousness in Jacob.5   Exalt the LORD our God;    worship at his footstool!    Holy is he! 6   Moses and Aaron were among his priests,    Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.    They called to the LORD, and he answered them.7   In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;    they kept his testimonies&n

20 Proverbs 28-29; 2 Kings 7-10; 19 Psalms 139-144; 44 Acts 3-7

Jeremiah 15-16; Psalms 36-37; Acts 28

A new MP3 sermon from New Braunfels OPC is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Bible Reading- Acts 18 Subtitle: Bible Reading with Pastor Speaker: Carl Miller Broadcaster: New Braunfels OPC Event: Devotional Date: 10/15/2021 Bible: Acts 18 Length: 5 min.

The great creatives throughout history have been those who can ignite their own fire of innovation and ambition, but what is the flint that brings these sparks of creativity to life? And in a time of great uncertainty, why does creativity matter more than ever? As executive director of Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (commonly referred to as the d.school), Sarah Stein Greenberg is an accomplice to dazzling ingenuity. In her debut book, Creative Acts for Curious People, Stein Greenberg taps into her close ties with bold thinkers and confident doers, providing readers with the ultimate mechanisms to get creative juices flowing. Straight from the cognitive toolkits of Google's chief evangelist or renowned choreographers, Stein Greenberg lays out practices for mindful observation, intuitive connecting and much much more. The more than 80 exercises, while lighthearted, require a thoughtfulness and intentionality meant to give readers their very own eureka moment. At INFORUM, Sarah Stein Greenberg will piece together the puzzle that is design. She shares not only tools but anecdotes and personal experiences in which she illustrates the roadmap that shows how to revitalize curiosity and in turn putting that curiosity into action. This conversation will be moderated by Laura Holson of The New York Times. SPEAKERS Sarah Stein Greenberg Executive Director, Stanford d.school; Author, Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Way Laura Holson Writer, The New York Times In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Old Testament: Isaiah 49–51 Isaiah 49–51 (Listen) The Servant of the Lord 49   Listen to me, O coastlands,    and give attention, you peoples from afar.  The LORD called me from the womb,    from the body of my mother he named my name.2   He made my mouth like a sharp sword;    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;  he made me a polished arrow;    in his quiver he hid me away.3   And he said to me, “You are my servant,    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”14   But I said, “I have labored in vain;    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;  yet surely my right is with the LORD,    and my recompense with my God.” 5   And now the LORD says,    he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,  to bring Jacob back to him;    and that Israel might be gathered to him—  for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD,    and my God has become my strength—6   he says:  “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant    to raise up the tribes of Jacob    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;  I will make you as a light for the nations,    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” 7   Thus says the LORD,    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,  to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,    the servant of rulers:  “Kings shall see and arise;    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;  because of the LORD, who is faithful,    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” The Restoration of Israel 8   Thus says the LORD:  “In a time of favor I have answered you;    in a day of salvation I have helped you;  I will keep you and give you    as a covenant to the people,  to establish the land,    to apportion the desolate heritages,9   saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,'    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.'  They shall feed along the ways;    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;10   they shall not hunger or thirst,    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,  for he who has pity on them will lead them,    and by springs of water will guide them.11   And I will make all my mountains a road,    and my highways shall be raised up.12   Behold, these shall come from afar,    and behold, these from the north and from the west,2    and these from the land of Syene.”3 13   Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;    break forth, O mountains, into singing!  For the LORD has comforted his people    and will have compassion on his afflicted. 14   But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;    my Lord has forgotten me.” 15   “Can a woman forget her nursing child,    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?  Even these may forget,    yet I will not forget you.16   Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;    your walls are continually before me.17   Your builders make haste;4    your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.18   Lift up your eyes around and see;    they all gather, they come to you.  As I live, declares the LORD,    you shall put them all on as an ornament;    you shall bind them on as a bride does. 19   “Surely your waste and your desolate places    and your devastated land—  surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,    and those who swallowed you up will be far away.20   The children of your bereavement    will yet say in your ears:  ‘The place is too narrow for me;    make room for me to dwell in.'21   Then you will say in your heart:    ‘Who has borne me these?  I was bereaved and barren,    exiled and put away,    but who has brought up these?  Behold, I was left alone;    from where have these come?'” 22   Thus says the Lord GOD:  “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,    and raise my signal to the peoples;  and they shall bring your sons in their arms,5    and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.23   Kings shall be your foster fathers,    and their queens your nursing mothers.  With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,    and lick the dust of your feet.  Then you will know that I am the LORD;    those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.” 24   Can the prey be taken from the mighty,    or the captives of a tyrant6 be rescued?25   For thus says the LORD:  “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,    and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,  for I will contend with those who contend with you,    and I will save your children.26   I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,    and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.  Then all flesh shall know    that I am the LORD your Savior,    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience 50   Thus says the LORD:  “Where is your mother's certificate of divorce,    with which I sent her away?  Or which of my creditors is it    to whom I have sold you?  Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,    and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.2   Why, when I came, was there no man;    why, when I called, was there no one to answer?  Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?    Or have I no power to deliver?  Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,    I make the rivers a desert;  their fish stink for lack of water    and die of thirst.3   I clothe the heavens with blackness    and make sackcloth their covering.” 4   The Lord GOD has given me    the tongue of those who are taught,  that I may know how to sustain with a word    him who is weary.  Morning by morning he awakens;    he awakens my ear    to hear as those who are taught.5   The Lord GOD has opened my ear,    and I was not rebellious;    I turned not backward.6   I gave my back to those who strike,    and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;  I hid not my face    from disgrace and spitting. 7   But the Lord GOD helps me;    therefore I have not been disgraced;  therefore I have set my face like a flint,    and I know that I shall not be put to shame.8     He who vindicates me is near.  Who will contend with me?    Let us stand up together.  Who is my adversary?    Let him come near to me.9   Behold, the Lord GOD helps me;    who will declare me guilty?  Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;    the moth will eat them up. 10   Who among you fears the LORD    and obeys the voice of his servant?  Let him who walks in darkness    and has no light  trust in the name of the LORD    and rely on his God.11   Behold, all you who kindle a fire,    who equip yourselves with burning torches!  Walk by the light of your fire,    and by the torches that you have kindled!  This you have from my hand:    you shall lie down in torment. The Lord's Comfort for Zion 51   “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,    you who seek the LORD:  look to the rock from which you were hewn,    and to the quarry from which you were dug.2   Look to Abraham your father    and to Sarah who bore you;  for he was but one when I called him,    that I might bless him and multiply him.3   For the LORD comforts Zion;    he comforts all her waste places  and makes her wilderness like Eden,    her desert like the garden of the LORD;  joy and gladness will be found in her,    thanksgiving and the voice of song. 4   “Give attention to me, my people,    and give ear to me, my nation;  for a law7 will go out from me,    and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.5   My righteousness draws near,    my salvation has gone out,    and my arms will judge the peoples;  the coastlands hope for me,    and for my arm they wait.6   Lift up your eyes to the heavens,    and look at the earth beneath;  for the heavens vanish like smoke,    the earth will wear out like a garment,    and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;8  but my salvation will be forever,    and my righteousness will never be dismayed. 7   “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,    the people in whose heart is my law;  fear not the reproach of man,    nor be dismayed at their revilings.8   For the moth will eat them up like a garment,    and the worm will eat them like wool,  but my righteousness will be forever,    and my salvation to all generations.” 9   Awake, awake, put on strength,    O arm of the LORD;  awake, as in days of old,    the generations of long ago.  Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,    who pierced the dragon?10   Was it not you who dried up the sea,    the waters of the great deep,  who made the depths of the sea a way    for the redeemed to pass over?11   And the ransomed of the LORD shall return    and come to Zion with singing;  everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;    they shall obtain gladness and joy,    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12   “I, I am he who comforts you;    who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,    of the son of man who is made like grass,13   and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker,    who stretched out the heavens    and laid the foundations of the earth,  and you fear continually all the day    because of the wrath of the oppressor,  when he sets himself to destroy?    And where is the wrath of the oppressor?14   He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;    he shall not die and go down to the pit,    neither shall his bread be lacking.15   I am the LORD your God,    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—    the LORD of hosts is his name.16   And I have put my words in your mouth    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,  establishing9 the heavens    and laying the foundations of the earth,    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.'” 17   Wake yourself, wake yourself,    stand up, O Jerusalem,  you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD    the cup of his wrath,  who have drunk to the dregs    the bowl, the cup of staggering.18   There is none to guide her    among all the sons she has borne;  there is none to take her by the hand    among all the sons she has brought up.19   These two things have happened to you—    who will console you?—  devastation and destruction, famine and sword;    who will comfort you?1020   Your sons have fainted;    they lie at the head of every street    like an antelope in a net;  they are full of the wrath of the LORD,    the rebuke of your God. 21   Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,    who are drunk, but not with wine:22   Thus says your Lord, the LORD,    your God who pleads the cause of his people:  “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;  the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more;23   and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,    who have said to you,    ‘Bow down, that we may pass over';  and you have made your back like the ground    and like the street for them to pass over.” Footnotes [1] 49:3 Or I will display my beauty [2] 49:12 Hebrew from the sea [3] 49:12 Dead Sea Scroll; Masoretic Text Sinim

20 Proverbs 26-27; 2 Kings 2-6; 19 Psalms 133-138; 43 John 20-21; 44 Acts 1-2

Jeremiah 13-14; Psalms 35; Acts 27

One of the truly pivotal events of the New Testament church was a conference that took place some 18 years or so after the church began on the Day of Pentecost. It is often referred to as the Jerusalem Conference, and it seems odd in a way that it took this long for it to occur. By most accounts, the year was ad 49.What was at stake (and it is astonishing to say it) was whether the gospel could continue to go to the gentiles. Think about it. Jesus had said to Go and make disciples of all nations, and yet, for some reason, some people in the church didn't think that should happen. Paul defined the issue in his letter to the church in Galatia. He said that, some 14 years after his conversion, he went up to this conference, along with Barnabas and Titus. All this had to be done because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. Strong words, these, and Paul went on to say, To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.And that defines the issue: whether or not the gospel was intended for Gentiles at all. It seems incredible to us today to imagine that anyone could think that way, but indeed some did. The events that led up to this day started, actually, in the second chapter of Acts…

On Sunday, October 3, 2021 I had the opportunity to minister at my church. I ministered on Acts 16 where two men went through a situation that ended them up in jail. There was something that happened in that moment while they were in jail that speak to all of us now. Listen in. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/focusongreatness/support

In this week's episode we will be discussing “Sure of Salvation” according to God's Word. Scripture(s): Acts 16:30-31, 22:16, Revelation 3:20, Genesis, 2:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 5:19-21

When we talk about Kingdom, we need to have 5 ideas at play. All 5 are necessary ingredients to define the Kingdom of God King Rule or a reign A People A Law Land So, it's a king who rules by rescuing and saving people. A People who live the way of Jesus reflecting and imaging the king in sacred space… we are sacred space but our home and churches are also this space and we take this Kingdom with us and expand it as we live like the king and teach others to live under his Rule and his Law. The Gospel Both Jesus and Paul derived this important word (Gospel) from the prophetic poetry of Isaiah in the Old Testament (Isaiah 52:7-10) where the future arrival of God's Kingdom through the Messiah is called good news. The 4 Spiritual Laws and the Romans Road all contain “truths” but look a lot different than the way the apostles presented the Gospel in the Bible. The Gospel Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Tim 2:8 The Gospel is about Jesus and not us. We can't let the benefits of the gospel run the conversation of the gospel. Simple Gospel:Jesus is King We have a response to make when the gospel is presented... which kingdom will you be part of? Acts 17:5-7…no king but Christ. Are we being accused of turning the world upside-down by our gospel? And how we live it out? How do we live? Skinny Jeans All about social justice and humanitarian efforts Kingdom to them means: good deed done by good people in the public sector for the common good We often hear from these people that “I don't want to work in the church, I want to do Kingdom Work” Pleated Pants Usually means God's rule or reign but rarely means his realm. Concentration on souls… salvation… Savior vs. Lord….Kingdom is purely religious and about getting to heaven. Kingdom work as public activism… trying to get our states and government to be “moral” or transform the culture. 3rd Way John Nugent: “Our responsibility is not to make the world a better place, but to be the better place God has begun in this world through Christ. We are his kingdom work. We are ambassadors who proclaim what God has done, is doing, and will do. God's strategy is for his people not to fix this world but to plant a new world in the midst of the old one and to woo the old world to Himself through it. As followers of Jesus, the body of Christ, the new humanity and new creation is us. A new creation as begun in the midst of the old world that remains. It is the new world of God's Kingdom and its people. So God's people are not responsible for making the world a better place, but for being the better place that Christ has already made… the early believers were vocal in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and visible in living it out in community… the church's calling centers on being the better place God began in Jesus.” John 13:35 By our love for one another, the world will know you are my disciples. John 17:23 By being in unity, the world will know that the Father has sent Jesus. Phil 1:27; 1 Thes 4:10-12; Eph 3:10

Back in 2017, lots of Canadians were busy celebrating the150th anniversary of confederation. But to many, Canada 150 was rife with problems: Why was Ottawa spending half a billion dollars on a birthday party? Weren't there better uses for the money, and the spotlight? And doesn't celebrating confederation mean celebrating the systemic marginalization of the Indigenous peoples of this land? Instead of joining in the festivities, scholars Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky took action. On this episode of Everyday Reconciliation, host Elin Miller speaks to them about their project: the 150 Acts of Reconciliation.

Old Testament: Isaiah 46–48 Isaiah 46–48 (Listen) The Idols of Babylon and the One True God 46   Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;    their idols are on beasts and livestock;  these things you carry are borne    as burdens on weary beasts.2   They stoop; they bow down together;    they cannot save the burden,    but themselves go into captivity. 3   “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,    all the remnant of the house of Israel,  who have been borne by me from before your birth,    carried from the womb;4   even to your old age I am he,    and to gray hairs I will carry you.  I have made, and I will bear;    I will carry and will save. 5   “To whom will you liken me and make me equal,    and compare me, that we may be alike?6   Those who lavish gold from the purse,    and weigh out silver in the scales,  hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;    then they fall down and worship!7   They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,    they set it in its place, and it stands there;    it cannot move from its place.  If one cries to it, it does not answer    or save him from his trouble. 8   “Remember this and stand firm,    recall it to mind, you transgressors,9     remember the former things of old;  for I am God, and there is no other;    I am God, and there is none like me,10   declaring the end from the beginning    and from ancient times things not yet done,  saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,    and I will accomplish all my purpose,'11   calling a bird of prey from the east,    the man of my counsel from a far country.  I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;    I have purposed, and I will do it. 12   “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,    you who are far from righteousness:13   I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,    and my salvation will not delay;  I will put salvation in Zion,    for Israel my glory.” The Humiliation of Babylon 47   Come down and sit in the dust,    O virgin daughter of Babylon;  sit on the ground without a throne,    O daughter of the Chaldeans!  For you shall no more be called    tender and delicate.2   Take the millstones and grind flour,    put off your veil,  strip off your robe, uncover your legs,    pass through the rivers.3   Your nakedness shall be uncovered,    and your disgrace shall be seen.  I will take vengeance,    and I will spare no one.4   Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name—    is the Holy One of Israel. 5   Sit in silence, and go into darkness,    O daughter of the Chaldeans;  for you shall no more be called    the mistress of kingdoms.6   I was angry with my people;    I profaned my heritage;  I gave them into your hand;    you showed them no mercy;  on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.7   You said, “I shall be mistress forever,”    so that you did not lay these things to heart    or remember their end. 8   Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,    who sit securely,  who say in your heart,    “I am, and there is no one besides me;  I shall not sit as a widow    or know the loss of children”:9   These two things shall come to you    in a moment, in one day;  the loss of children and widowhood    shall come upon you in full measure,  in spite of your many sorceries    and the great power of your enchantments. 10   You felt secure in your wickedness;    you said, “No one sees me”;  your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,  and you said in your heart,    “I am, and there is no one besides me.”11   But evil shall come upon you,    which you will not know how to charm away;  disaster shall fall upon you,    for which you will not be able to atone;  and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,    of which you know nothing. 12   Stand fast in your enchantments    and your many sorceries,    with which you have labored from your youth;  perhaps you may be able to succeed;    perhaps you may inspire terror.13   You are wearied with your many counsels;    let them stand forth and save you,  those who divide the heavens,    who gaze at the stars,  who at the new moons make known    what shall come upon you. 14   Behold, they are like stubble;    the fire consumes them;  they cannot deliver themselves    from the power of the flame.  No coal for warming oneself is this,    no fire to sit before!15   Such to you are those with whom you have labored,    who have done business with you from your youth;  they wander about, each in his own direction;    there is no one to save you. Israel Refined for God's Glory 48   Hear this, O house of Jacob,    who are called by the name of Israel,    and who came from the waters of Judah,  who swear by the name of the LORD    and confess the God of Israel,    but not in truth or right.2   For they call themselves after the holy city,    and stay themselves on the God of Israel;    the LORD of hosts is his name. 3   “The former things I declared of old;    they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;    then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.4   Because I know that you are obstinate,    and your neck is an iron sinew    and your forehead brass,5   I declared them to you from of old,    before they came to pass I announced them to you,  lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,    my carved image and my metal image commanded them.' 6   “You have heard; now see all this;    and will you not declare it?  From this time forth I announce to you new things,    hidden things that you have not known.7   They are created now, not long ago;    before today you have never heard of them,    lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.'8   You have never heard, you have never known,    from of old your ear has not been opened.  For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,    and that from before birth you were called a rebel. 9   “For my name's sake I defer my anger;    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,    that I may not cut you off.10   Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;    I have tried1 you in the furnace of affliction.11   For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,    for how should my name2 be profaned?    My glory I will not give to another. The Lord's Call to Israel 12   “Listen to me, O Jacob,    and Israel, whom I called!  I am he; I am the first,    and I am the last.13   My hand laid the foundation of the earth,    and my right hand spread out the heavens;  when I call to them,    they stand forth together. 14   “Assemble, all of you, and listen!    Who among them has declared these things?  The LORD loves him;    he shall perform his purpose on Babylon,    and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.15   I, even I, have spoken and called him;    I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way.16   Draw near to me, hear this:    from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,    from the time it came to be I have been there.”  And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit. 17   Thus says the LORD,    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “I am the LORD your God,    who teaches you to profit,    who leads you in the way you should go.18   Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!    Then your peace would have been like a river,    and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;19   your offspring would have been like the sand,    and your descendants like its grains;  their name would never be cut off    or destroyed from before me.” 20   Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea,    declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it,  send it out to the end of the earth;    say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!”21   They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;    he made water flow for them from the rock;    he split the rock and the water gushed out. 22   “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” Footnotes [1] 48:10 Or I have chosen [2] 48:11 Hebrew lacks my name (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 97 Psalm 97 (Listen) The Lord Reigns 97   The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;    let the many coastlands be glad!2   Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.3   Fire goes before him    and burns up his adversaries all around.4   His lightnings light up the world;    the earth sees and trembles.5   The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,    before the Lord of all the earth. 6   The heavens proclaim his righteousness,    and all the peoples see his glory.7   All worshipers of images are put to shame,    who make their boast in worthless idols;    worship him, all you gods! 8   Zion hears and is glad,    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,    because of your judgments, O LORD.9   For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;    you are exalted far above all gods. 10   O you who love the LORD, hate evil!    He preserves the lives of his saints;    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.11   Light is sown1 for the righteous,    and joy for the upright in heart.12   Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,    and give thanks to his holy name! Footnotes [1] 97:11 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome Light dawns (ESV) New Testament: Acts 21 Acts 21 (Listen) Paul Goes to Jerusalem 21 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.1 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. 7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers2 and stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews3 at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” 15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge. Paul Visits James 17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,4 and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. Paul Arrested in the Temple 27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they

24 Jeremiah 11-13; 19 Psalms 34; 44 Acts 28

Jeremiah 11-12; Psalms 33-34; Acts 26

Today, Pastor Al Dagel reminds us of the importance of hearing, reading, respecting, and obeying the Word of God.

“10.13.21 – From the Beginning pt.3 (Acts of the Church) – Ronnie Wareham”.

Thursday, 14 October 2021   And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) Acts 1:19   In the previous verse, the final note concerning the gruesome disposition of Judas was noted. Of that explosive event, Luke next says, “And it became known.”   What happened to Judas was over the Passover. It was also over a Sabbath. It was also suicide. Such things as this would be long remembered by any who heard it. And the word would have gone out like wildfire for everyone to consider. If there were a town crier who called out the day's news, it would have been one of the main stories for all to hear as it was passed on.   In contrast to that, this is said of Jesus' resurrection –   “Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure.' 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” Matthew 28:11-15   Two deaths had occurred within the same circle. Jesus was openly crucified and then buried. Despite His resurrection, the leaders did what they could to hide this. Although not entirely successful, what was passed on was sufficient to convince many Jews, even to this day, that what happened was the true end of His story.   Judas' death was locally notable, being explained by Luke as going out “to all those dwelling in Jerusalem.” Unlike the story of the resurrection that was covered up by the leaders, this was openly passed on.   What is ironic is that the news about Judas filled the city, while the news about Jesus was secreted away as much as possible. And yet, in the larger picture, the knowledge of Jesus' death and resurrection has filled the entire world, but the death of Judas, along with its surrounding events, make a mere footnote in Scripture.   Despite being a footnote now, at the time it was such big news that the place where it occurred was actually given a name by the people as a memorial to the event. As Luke next says, “so that field is called.”   The naming of the field is memorialized by the event. Hence, anytime someone would pass by it, the event would be called to mind. Fathers would tell their children, friends would tell their visitors, maybe pilgrims and tourists would be taken by to remember the macabre event. To this day, it is still a known location where there is little doubt about its identity. Those who go there will take pictures and film videos, witnessing to the tragedy that occurred at that time.   Luke next makes a statement that should clear up the confusion that many have concerning the language of the time in Jerusalem, saying “in their own language.”   The word used is dialektos. This is the first of six times it will be seen in the New Testament. All six of them will be found in Acts. It means “dialect.” Luke explicitly tells us what the dialect of Jerusalem at that time was, confirming what can already be inferred from the gospels. He does this by saying that they named the field in their own (meaning Jerusalem's own) dialect. The name is “Akel Dama.”   A more literal transliteration from the Greek is “Hakeldamakh.” It is a compound Aramaic word corresponding to the cognate Hebrew words cheleq (portion, lot, tract, territory) and dam (blood). Thus, the meaning is then given by Luke, saying, “that is, Field of Blood.”   The name is given based on the event. But it is also based on what occurred in Matthew 27 where the field was named based on the blood money which the chief priests used to purchase the field. Thus, there is the irony of both events converging on this one spot of land. This is explained by The Expositor's Greek Testament –   “It is true that the two accounts in St. Matthew and St. Luke give two reasons for the name Field of Blood. But why should there not be two reasons? If the traitor in the agony of his remorse rushed from the Temple into the valley of Hinnom, and across the valley to “the potter's field” of Jeremiah, the old name of the potter's field might easily become changed in the popular language into that of “field of blood,” whilst the reason given by St. Matthew for the name might still hold good, since the blood-money, which by a fiction of law was still considered to belong to Judas, was employed for the purchase of the accursed spot as a burial ground for strangers. See Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, ii., 574, 575.”   If this is correct, and it appears likely based on the nature of the event, then the price of betraying the blood (meaning the life) of Christ Jesus is witness to the naming of the field just as the ghastly death of Judas is. The latter event cannot erase the magnitude of the former event. Rather, it highlights it.   Life application: There is often argument over what language the New Testament was originally written in. It is not a sound argument, but it is one that never seems to be settled as presuppositions, biases, and even pride step in.   The obvious main choices are Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Other ridiculous choices are Latin, King James English (yes, you read that right), and so on.   A secondary argument is, “What predominant language was spoken in Israel at the time of Jesus?” The main choices are Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.   The answer to the question concerning the original New Testament language is “Greek.” We can know this because the gospels, Acts, and even the epistles translate words from either Hebrew or Aramaic into Greek. A few of many such examples are –   “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, ‘God with us.'” Matthew 1:23   Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Mark 5:41   “Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, ‘What do you seek?' They said to Him, ‘Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), ‘where are You staying?'” John 1:38   “And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)” Acts 1:19   “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated ‘king of righteousness,' and then also king of Salem, meaning ‘king of peace.'” Hebrews 7:1, 2   If either Hebrew or Aramaic was the original language of the New Testament, the word “translated” would be superfluous. It is evident from the context that Greek was the original language in which the New Testament was penned.   As far as the language spoken at the time, it is evidently Aramaic. This can be discerned in the same way from the gospels and Acts. Matthew relies heavily on Hebrew words, which is not unsurprising as his gospel is directed to the Hebrew people with the idea that Jesus is the King of Israel. However, the other gospels pretty clearly indicate that the words conveyed by the people were generally Aramaic, even if many Hebrew words are either translated or transliterated into the Greek. The languages are cognate, but the use of Aramaic at the time of Jesus is quite evident. Further, it is explicitly noted by Luke in Acts 1:19.   These aren't points that need to be argued over, but it happens for various reasons. In the end, the use of a variety of languages in the Bible tells us that God's word does not need to be read in only one language to get a proper understanding of what is being conveyed. It is acceptable for the Bible to be translated into any and every language on the planet, and yet, it will also reward those who study what was penned in the original languages as well.   Be sure to read your Bible daily and be sure to cherish this marvelous gift of God that has gone forth, and continues to go forth, in languages throughout the world.   Lord God, it is so wonderful to know that Your word is available to people all around the world in their own languages. Today, we pray for those who are diligently translating the Bible into the remaining languages where it does not yet exist. Give these people wisdom in their efforts and the ability to overcome all obstacles so that Your word will be available to people everywhere. Amen.  

The 5 love languages are 5 different ways of expressing and receiving love: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Not everyone communicates love in the same way, and likewise, people have different ways they prefer to receive love. The concept of love languages was developed by Gary Chapman, Ph.D., in his book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, where he describes these 5 unique styles of communicating love, categories he distilled from his experience in marriage counseling and linguistics.  1. Words of affirmation People with words of affirmation as a love language value verbal acknowledgments of affection, including frequent "I love you's," compliments, words of appreciation, verbal encouragement, and often frequent digital communication like texting and social media engagement. 2. Quality time People whose love language is quality time feel the most adored when their partner actively wants to spend time with them and is always down to hang out. They particularly love when active listening, eye contact, and full presence are prioritized hallmarks in the relationship.  3. Acts of services If your love language is acts of service, you value when your partner goes out of their way to make your life easier. It's things like bringing you soup when you're sick, making your coffee for you in the morning, or picking up your dry cleaning for you when you've had a busy day at work. 4. Gifts Gifts is a pretty straightforward love language: You feel loved when people give you "visual symbols of love," as Chapman calls it. It's not about the monetary value but the symbolic thought behind the item. People with this style recognize and value the gift-giving process: the careful reflection, the deliberate choosing of the object to represent the relationship, and the emotional benefits from receiving the present.  5. Physical touch People with physical touch as their love language feel loved when they receive physical signs of affection, including kissing, holding hands, cuddling on the couch, and sex. Physical intimacy and touch can be incredibly affirming and serve as a powerful emotional connector for people with this love language. The roots go back to our childhood, Motamedi notes, some people only felt deep affection and love by their parents when they were held, kissed, or touched. Take the quiz to determine your love language: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language This week's podcast promo: Ring of Thunder, Vaccine PSA

Deuteronomy 19 ~ "Words that Touch Life" A teaching from The Bridge Christian Fellowship Whidbey Island through the book of Deuteronomy by Pastor Rick Crawford. • Matthew 22:37-40 • Numbers 35:6-34 • Hebrews 6:18 • Matthew 5:21-24 • Psalm 46:1 • Romans 10:6-13 • Genesis 4:10 • Hebrews 12:24 • Matthew 27:24-25 • James 4:1-2 • Deuteronomy 27:17 • Proverbs 22:28 • Proverbs 23:10 • Hosea 5:10 • 1 Kings 21:1-26 • Acts 17:26-27 • Joel 3:1-2 • Daniel 11:39 • Matthew 18:15-16 • John 8:17 • 2 Corinthians 13:1 • 1 Timothy 5:19 • Hebrews 10:28 • Genesis 4:23-24 • Matthew 5:38-44 • 1 John 1:1-3 • Mark 14:55-64 • 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Questions Covered: 03:59 – I'm a Protestant and I'm wondering about regenerative baptism and Acts 10. How does it fit in with the Holy Spirit being upon them before and them being baptized because of it?  11:38 – Last Sunday the gospel was “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a wealthy person to get to heaven”. What does Jesus truly mean by that?  21:52 – What is the true name of the Messiah? I've heard that it's Jesus but I've heard others as well.  28:49 – I read in the New Testament that Jesus had brothers. Is this true?  35:51 – Could you compare the passage Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” with Sirach 3:18-19 in terms of humility?  42:05 – In 1 Corinthians chapter 7 when St. Paul tells those who he's speaking to to be celibate like him, is he speaking to administrators or the congregation of laity?  49:20 – In the bible it says Adam and Eve made original sin, so why is Mary the only one in the entire universe born without original sin?  51:11 – We have a soul and pray, go to confession, etc. to improve it, but did Jesus have a soul like us? …

This week the Lord moved powerfully during worship, and we had an opportunity to respond by laying everything down before Jesus. Pastor Marcus encourages us with a teaching from Acts 2 about God pouring out His Spirit and our prophetic empowerment.

Our Redeemer Equips, Encourages and Sends with Power Exodus 4 - Our Excuses | His Encouragement & Power God is full of grace and power--and he calls imperfect, weak people to join him in his work Review: Excuses #1 & #2 in Exodus 3 Excuse #3 “The people won't believe or listen.” (1) Encouragement: 3 signs 1-staff (2-5) Gen 3:15; Col 2:15 2- hand in cloak (6-8) Is 35:5-6; Matt 9:35 3- water poured on ground became blood (9) IRONY blood  How does this point to Jesus? (Rom 5:8-9) Does God encourage us with his power? (Acts 1:8)   Excuse #4 (10) “I'm not a good speaker!” 2 Cor 10:10; 11:6; 2 Cor 2:1-5 Encouragement: (11-12)  How does this point to Jesus? (John 9:2-3) How does God encourage us? (2 Cor 12)   Excuse #5 (13)  “May I please be excused?”  Anger (14)   Encouragement: (14-16) How does God encourage us? (Matt 28:20; John 14:26)   Egypt bound: (17-21) Firstborn son (22-23) Exodus 11:5-6 ; Hosea 11:1-2; Galatians 4 Circumcision  (24-26) sign of the covenant, marking the sons of Israel Obedience & Belief (27-31) The impossible mission would NOT fail….but not because Moses was so great.  Yahweh equipped him, Yahweh encouraged him and Yahweh sent him with HIS almighty power.  God is full of grace and power--and he calls imperfect, weak people to join him in his work.  What is our calling as believers? He calls us to share the good news of redemption in Jesus.

In this episode of the Active Self Protection Podcast we sit down with retired soldier Marty Thompson as he tells us about how he was able to intervene in a violent domestic dispute and was forced to use his firearm to protect himself and his friend. He discusses his specialized U.S. Army training and experience and how that provided him with the attitude, skills and plan to protect an innocent woman. Active Self Protection exists to help good, sane, sober, moral, prudent people in all walks of life to more effectively protect themselves and their loved ones from criminal violence. On the ASP Podcast you will hear the true stories of life or death self defense encounters from the men and women that lived them. If you are interested in the Second Amendment, self defense and defensive firearms use, martial arts or the use of less lethal tools used in the real world to defend life and family, you will find this show riveting. Join host and career federal agent Mike Willever and the rest of the ASP staff as they talk to real life survivors and hear their stories in depth. You'll hear about these incidents and the self defenders from well before the encounter occurred on through the legal and emotional aftermath. Title music by Jorikbasov.

The wilderness is a season every human being will face at some point within their lives. It can be uncomfortable, it can be frustrating, it can be tiring, yet if we just focus on the hardship within our season in the wilderness. We can miss the opportunity of maturing and growing closer to God, which allows us to learn from our sins, by repenting and living faithful and standing firm in the faith. However, if we don't learn from the lessons the wilderness teaches us, we are only left to repeat the cycles of sin over and over again living in bondage. So in part one of the series entitled, “The Wilderness,” I'll discuss complaining and how practicing those habits can develop patterns within us, that are ungodly. Which can cause us to lose sight of Gods faithfulness and promises he's given us. Scriptures Within This Episode Listed Below: Exodus 15:22-26 Exodus 16:1-30 Proverbs 10:16-17 James 1:22-25 Hebrews 12:11 Matthew 16:25 Galatians 6:7-8 Acts 1:8 Colossians 4:2

HELLO EVERYONE, happy **Wednesday** We apologize, we are out of sync with our usual Tuesday episodes. We are truly side-hustling for the Lord (if you know, you know). Today, you'll hear from the President and VP of "People Pleasing Anonymous," Sarah and Liz, as we go to the Word about people pleasing vs. serving the Lord. So, what is the issue with people pleasing? How do we decipher people pleasing in our lives? What is the difference between people pleasing and having a servant heart? And most importantly, what do we do now if you've discovered you may be a people pleaser? If this hits home with you, or a friend, this episode is for you. You may want to reference the scriptures we used that you can find here: Galatians 1:10 Proverbs 29:25 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Colossians 3:23 Ephesians 6:7 Mark 15:11-15 Acts 4:19 If you live for peoples acceptance, you will die from their rejection. Lecrae Find, subscribe, listen, and rate our podcasts all here: Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts Click here to listen on Spotify Click here to listen on Anchor Click here to listen on Google Podcasts. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chosengirl/support

Old Testament: Isaiah 44–45 Isaiah 44–45 (Listen) Israel the Lord's Chosen 44   “But now hear, O Jacob my servant,    Israel whom I have chosen!2   Thus says the LORD who made you,    who formed you from the womb and will help you:  Fear not, O Jacob my servant,    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.3   For I will pour water on the thirsty land,    and streams on the dry ground;  I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,    and my blessing on your descendants.4   They shall spring up among the grass    like willows by flowing streams.5   This one will say, ‘I am the LORD's,'    another will call on the name of Jacob,  and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD's,'    and name himself by the name of Israel.” Besides Me There Is No God 6   Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel    and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:  “I am the first and I am the last;    besides me there is no god.7   Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.1    Let him declare and set it before me,  since I appointed an ancient people.    Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.8   Fear not, nor be afraid;    have I not told you from of old and declared it?    And you are my witnesses!  Is there a God besides me?    There is no Rock; I know not any.” The Folly of Idolatry 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. 12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil.2 He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” 18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” The Lord Redeems Israel 21   Remember these things, O Jacob,    and Israel, for you are my servant;  I formed you; you are my servant;    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.22   I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud    and your sins like mist;  return to me, for I have redeemed you. 23   Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it;    shout, O depths of the earth;  break forth into singing, O mountains,    O forest, and every tree in it!  For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,    and will be glorified3 in Israel. 24   Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,    who formed you from the womb:  “I am the LORD, who made all things,    who alone stretched out the heavens,    who spread out the earth by myself,25   who frustrates the signs of liars    and makes fools of diviners,  who turns wise men back    and makes their knowledge foolish,26   who confirms the word of his servant    and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,  who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,'    and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,    and I will raise up their ruins';27   who says to the deep, ‘Be dry;    I will dry up your rivers';28   who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,    and he shall fulfill all my purpose';  saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,'    and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.'” Cyrus, God's Instrument 45   Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,    whose right hand I have grasped,  to subdue nations before him    and to loose the belts of kings,  to open doors before him    that gates may not be closed:2   “I will go before you    and level the exalted places,4  I will break in pieces the doors of bronze    and cut through the bars of iron,3   I will give you the treasures of darkness    and the hoards in secret places,  that you may know that it is I, the LORD,    the God of Israel, who call you by your name.4   For the sake of my servant Jacob,    and Israel my chosen,  I call you by your name,    I name you, though you do not know me.5   I am the LORD, and there is no other,    besides me there is no God;    I equip you, though you do not know me,6   that people may know, from the rising of the sun    and from the west, that there is none besides me;    I am the LORD, and there is no other.7   I form light and create darkness;    I make well-being and create calamity;    I am the LORD, who does all these things. 8   “Shower, O heavens, from above,    and let the clouds rain down righteousness;  let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;    let the earth cause them both to sprout;    I the LORD have created it. 9   “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,    a pot among earthen pots!  Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?'    or ‘Your work has no handles'?10   Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?'    or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?'” 11   Thus says the LORD,    the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him:  “Ask me of things to come;    will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?512   I made the earth    and created man on it;  it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,    and I commanded all their host.13   I have stirred him up in righteousness,    and I will make all his ways level;  he shall build my city    and set my exiles free,  not for price or reward,”    says the LORD of hosts. The Lord, the Only Savior 14   Thus says the LORD:  “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,    and the Sabeans, men of stature,  shall come over to you and be yours;    they shall follow you;    they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.  They will plead with you, saying:    ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other,    no god besides him.'” 15   Truly, you are a God who hides himself,    O God of Israel, the Savior.16   All of them are put to shame and confounded;    the makers of idols go in confusion together.17   But Israel is saved by the LORD    with everlasting salvation;  you shall not be put to shame or confounded    to all eternity. 18   For thus says the LORD,  who created the heavens    (he is God!),  who formed the earth and made it    (he established it;  he did not create it empty,    he formed it to be inhabited!):  “I am the LORD, and there is no other.19   I did not speak in secret,    in a land of darkness;  I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,    ‘Seek me in vain.'6  I the LORD speak the truth;    I declare what is right. 20   “Assemble yourselves and come;    draw near together,    you survivors of the nations!  They have no knowledge    who carry about their wooden idols,  and keep on praying to a god    that cannot save.21   Declare and present your case;    let them take counsel together!  Who told this long ago?    Who declared it of old?  Was it not I, the LORD?    And there is no other god besides me,  a righteous God and a Savior;    there is none besides me. 22   “Turn to me and be saved,    all the ends of the earth!    For I am God, and there is no other.23   By myself I have sworn;    from my mouth has gone out in righteousness    a word that shall not return:  ‘To me every knee shall bow,    every tongue shall swear allegiance.'7 24   “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,    are righteousness and strength;  to him shall come and be ashamed    all who were incensed against him.25   In the LORD all the offspring of Israel    shall be justified and shall glory.” Footnotes [1] 44:7 Or Who like me can proclaim it? [2] 44:13 Hebrew stylus [3] 44:23 Or will display his beauty [4] 45:2 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint level the mountains [5] 45:11 A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands? [6] 45:19 Hebrew in emptiness [7] 45:23 Septuagint every tongue shall confess to God (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 96 Psalm 96 (Listen) Worship in the Splendor of Holiness 96   Oh sing to the LORD a new song;    sing to the LORD, all the earth!2   Sing to the LORD, bless his name;    tell of his salvation from day to day.3   Declare his glory among the nations,    his marvelous works among all the peoples!4   For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;    he is to be feared above all gods.5   For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,    but the LORD made the heavens.6   Splendor and majesty are before him;    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7   Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!8   Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;    bring an offering, and come into his courts!9   Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;1    tremble before him, all the earth! 10   Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;    he will judge the peoples with equity.” 11   Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;12     let the field exult, and everything in it!  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy13     before the LORD, for he comes,    for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness,    and the peoples in his faithfulness. Footnotes [1] 96:9 Or in holy attire (ESV) New Testament: Acts 20 Acts 20 (Listen) Paul in Macedonia and Greece 20 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews1 as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. Eutychus Raised from the Dead 7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. 13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and2 the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders 17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.3 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by

Abide Daily Podcast - Today, Victor leads us prayer, reflection and Acts 16-17.

Wednesday on Know The Truth, Philip De Courcy urges us to be on the lookout for warning signs in our local churches … stress fractures that signal a need for change. And he offers practical advice on how we can respond to these issues before they become critical! It's an important message from Acts chapter 6 …today on Know The Truth!

What was the doctrine of the Judaizers? Why did Paul oppose it so strongly? Can this doctrine threaten the church today? Find out in our study of Acts 15:1-5.

What have we been up to? Not much. Just moving across states, finding and adjusting to new schools, missing church, dealing with biblical plagues, and getting covid :-) Despite the setbacks, we go back to Scripture and pick up our study of Acts. If you want to understand a person, you need to know where they have come from and if you understand where they come from, their story goes from black and white into 4K-it's that way with Saul who later becomes Paul. In many ways, he becomes the template of life change, but that is for next week.  This week Travis constructs Paul's backstory, piecing together his early ministry of persecution, then takes our contemporary idea of what makes a good person and uses them to ask Paul that question, "Are you good?" Listen in as Paul makes his answer via the ancient Scriptures and turns our contemporary conversation of good people upside down. 

24 Jeremiah 9-10; 19 Psalms 32-33; 44 Acts 26-27

Jeremiah 9-10; Psalms 31-32; Acts 24-25

Today's guest is Dawn Gifford Engle. Dawn is a filmmaker, an activist, and Co-Founder of The PeaceJam Foundation. She has been recognized for excellence in filmmaking, a well-decorated director, Dawn is the recipient of 12 Best Director awards. She wrote and directed the award-winning documentary films, Rigoberta Menchu: Daughter of the Maya, Desmond Tutu: Children of the Light, Adolfo Perez Esquivel: Rivers of Hope, Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired, Betty Williams: Contagious Courage, The Dalai Lama -- Scientist, and Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free. In addition, she co-authored the book, "PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace", which was published by Penguin in 2008, and she has been nominated 17 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.The PeaceJam Foundation is creating the next generation of Nobel Peace Laureates, and in this episode, Dawn shares how the foundation came to be, the inspiring projects the youth have created, and what the most rewarding part of her work is. She also speaks about how she feels lucky to have reached her full potential, having started her career as an economist and has since added the titles - activist, author, filmmaker, mother and grandmother to her repertoire. She and Mungi discuss the Nobel laureates that have direct impacts on their lives and the promise of youth looking to bring about peace in our world.……..Visit mungingomane.coFollow Mungi on InstagramFollow The Brand is Female on Instagram

There's only one verse dedicated to the Daughters of Philip. Because of that, I've combined them with the Wives of Tyre  who are also mentioned in the 21st chapter of Acts. The stories, though, separate, tie together in a common thread of encouraging Paul and warning him of what was to come.All God's Women is a women's Bible study podcast  and internationally syndicated radio show where we journey through the Bible one woman at a time. If you enjoy learning about women of the Bible, tune in each week to learn about a different Bible woman.Want to dig deeper? Find the full transcript and free Bible study questions for each episode on the All God's Women website.Social Corner:All God's Women on FacebookAll God's Women Bible Study Group on FacebookHost Sharon Wilharm on FacebookHost Sharon Wilharm on LinkedInHost Sharon Wilharm on PinterestHost Sharon Wilharm is a Christian speaker, Bible teacher,  and award-winning filmmaker. Invite Sharon to come speak at your upcoming women's event. To learn more about Sharon and her movies, visit her website at sharonwilharm.com. 

Today's scripture is Acts 10:15, "What God has made clean, do not call common." Today's devotional was written by Amy Curran.

Today, Pastor Al Dagel reminds us of the vast mission in which we are all involved, and he points out how much we need each other.  Even more, however, he reminds us of our dependence on God!  

Welcome to season 4! In this episode we will be looking at Acts 1:8 and what it means to be a part of the Fire Filled Generation. You can reach us at vinvonaly@outlook.com and you can visit the shop at www.vinvonaly.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/healingthroughtheword/support

Wednesday, 13 October 2021   (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. Acts 1:18   Note: The explanation of this verse comes with a gross-out warning.   The words now continue to refer to Judas. The gospels record this concerning his death –   “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, ‘What is that to us? You see to it!' 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.' 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ‘And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.'” Matthew 27:3-10   Understanding the context, Luke now parenthetically records, “Now this man purchased a field.” Obviously, Judas was unable to actually purchase anything while dangling from a rope. Instead, the idea is that the money he earned through betraying Jesus was used in his name by the chief priests. As Vincent's Word Studies says, “The expression means merely that the field was purchased with the money of Judas.”   From there, Luke continues, “with the wages of iniquity.” This expression means that the silver he was paid was reckoned to him as wages. He earned the money through his actions, but they were actions of iniquity. Therefore, despite throwing the money down in the temple, his name remained attached to them.   This same concept is found throughout the world. When it is known where a sum of money comes from, the acknowledgment for that money is assigned to the one from whom it issued. For example, “This hall was built with the money provided by Glen Giver.”   With that understood, Luke continues with the unhappy details of the final state of Judas' earthy body, saying, “and falling headlong.” The Greek reads, genomenos elakēsen, “and becoming headlong.” The inference is that he hung himself (Matthew 27:5), and at some point, his rotting corpse fell. Hence, translators rightly say “having fallen.”   As far as the word “headlong,” it is prénés, an adjective found only here in the Bible. It signifies headlong, or prone. Hence, one can see him hanging and when his body finally fell from that position, he landed face-first on the ground. When he did, “he burst open in the middle.”   Again, a word found only here in the Bible is used, laskó, to burst asunder with a loud noise. With all of the detail given, a clear mental picture is made. In Israel, even at the time of year of the Passover, the sun is direct and would have quickly caused Judas' body to swell up from rapid decomposition. The gasses caused pressure from the inside, and when he came down, he fell flat, face first, and forcefully. As such the pressure of the gasses was great enough to cause him to burst open, “and all his entrails gushed out.”   The inclusion of the details, culminating with this note here, is given to explain the ignoble end of Judas. It is a note of disgrace in death. Such a death, and the surrounding circumstances concerning the body, are being given to highlight the despicable deeds of the man. An example of the disgrace recorded here is found in the death of Joram, a contemptible king of Judah. Because of his vile life and actions, the prophet Elijah said to him –   “Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father's household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.” 2 Chronicles 21:14, 15   Exactly as the prophet stated, so it occurred (see 2 Chronicles 21:18, 19).   The fact that no record of Judas' burial is given is also telling. To not be buried is an added note of disgrace, as is evidenced by the words of the Lord through Jeremiah –   “They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.” Jeremiah 16:4   Understanding these things, one might wonder how Luke would know the details. First, the reason for the gas buildup and resulting explosion is obvious. Judas hung himself at the Passover the next day was a Sabbath. Depending on where he hung himself, he might not have been discovered until that was over on Sunday morning. People would be home resting according to the commandment (see Luke 23:56).   This would allow plenty of time for him to swell up. Secondly, the recorded detail tells us that he was discovered, and someone saw the resulting explosion when he landed headlong. But a dead body in Israel was considered unclean. As such, whoever found him (or whoever was told about it), had no desire to even touch his rotting corpse. Instead, he probably would have taken a knife and cut the rope. Down Judas went, and apart he came. Hence, an eyewitness is not only possible, it is likely.   Finally, the death of Judas in this way has one more highly ignoble consequence laid upon him. As he was hanging there for some time, it means he was hanging overnight. But the law says this –   “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” Deuteronomy 21:22, 23   Anyone hanged is accursed of God. As such anyone who was hanged was to be taken down before evening (the start of the new day). Judas did not receive this treatment. The contrast is given –   Christ was nailed to a tree, but He was taken down and buried. Judas was hanged and his body remained up.   Christ rose on the third day, whole and complete, and having prevailed over death. Judas fell (probably on the third day, but that is speculation) and burst open; a most ignoble end for his corpse.   Christ was anointed with spices in His burial (see John 19:39). Judas bloated up while hanging in His exposed death.   Christ removed the curse of the law and the sting of death through His work. Judas was accursed of God in his hanging, and he never received the atoning work of the Lord for his iniquity.   Life application: The Bible doesn't hide gruesome facts or difficult to swallow details. But when they are given, it isn't just for a sensational story. Rather, they are provided for a specific reason, and they call out to us to consider them and contemplate why they are stated.   When we come across events such as these, let us consider them and try to learn from them. In the end, the glory of what Jesus did is usually not far away from the evaluation, being hinted at for us to see. Thank God for the Person of Jesus Christ who has done marvelous things for His people!   We thank You, O God, for the events recorded in Scripture that provide us with the detail we need to see the marvel of what You have done in Christ. Even some details that seem hard to swallow when we read them will often give us wonderful hints of the contrasting glory to be found in what Jesus did. Thank You for this precious word You have given us. Amen.        

Jocelynn realized something had to change when she saw herself on television in a "Most Wanted" report.  Sixteen felonies, a drug addiction, multiple crimes to sustain it, the lies, homeless and tired of fighting, she called the police department and turned herself in.  It was a process, but she submitted her life to Jesus and was delivered.  In the years to come God would call her to serve in so many ways, including the donation of her kidney to one of the officers who arrested her on 3 different occasions.   In this episode Jocelynn shares: -The heartache of those darker days, and her path to recovery. -How God told her she would have a facility for helping others get set free from addiction. -The day she clearly heard God tell her that she had the officer's kidney, how it was such a perfect match that the hospital assumed she was his daughter, that it was in excellent condition, and it set a record for most urine output after transplant! -The beautiful way God blessed her in how she would share the news of the kidney donation with her children (God is in the details). -The Place for Grace ministry and how God is opening doors and providing in miraculous ways. -Her encouraging message for those listening who are struggling with addiction. -A fundraiser ending 10/20/2021 where you can donate $100 and get a chance to win a car -I pray a blessing over our listeners and we give God the glory for who He is and how He loves us.   "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " - Acts 20:35 NIV   How to contact Joceylnn James Edmonds if you need help or want to donate, get involved at The Place of Grace:  https://placeofgracecenter.com/ cell (256) 668-5390   Link to NEW car raffle on Facebook (ends 10/20/2021):  https://www.facebook.com/donate/256557936281084/ Details about car raffle:  $100 each -We are only selling 500 tickets -BRAND NEW Grey Buick Encore GX SUV -Deadline: Oct 20th -Drawing: Oct 24th (7:00pm LIVE on Facebook) -1st Name Drawn-CAR WINNER! -2nd Name Drawn- $5000 CASH -3rd-12th Names Drawn- $100 Cash **Car winner has the choice to opt out of the car and take $15,000 instead!* **DO NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO WIN**   Jocelynn's story by Guideposts Magazine (May 2021 cover story) https://www.guideposts.org/better-living/health-and-wellness/addiction-and-recovery/she-donated-a-kidney-to-the-cop-who-arrested-her

Join us today on The Rest of the Sermon as we talk movie trailers about miracles. What is a miracle? What's the point of a Miracle? Turn to Acts 3 and learn about how the point of a miracle is to point to Jesus! Links for show notes: Theological Position Paper on Miracles: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/miracles-then-and-now/ C.S. Lewis "Miracles": https://www.amazon.com/Miracles-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060653019/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=miracles+lewis&qid=1633976661&sr=8-1

Saul confronts a false prophet. Teaching with authority. Parallels with the character of Bar-Jesus.

Scripture For Today: Acts 13:!3“So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”Prayer of Agreement, Binding and Loosing pt 3 We have been learning about the power in the Prayer of Agreement, especially where it concerns “binding evil spirits and loosing angelic spirits” to work in our lives. Amen! Yesterday, we left off with the subject of when believers come together – powerful things begin to happen! You can just look at the Book of Acts and read about what happens when believers unite in prayer! Amen!  The Book of Acts is the record of how the FIRST CHURCHES operated in this earth. I believe that every church should be doing and accomplishing the same things as the churches in the Book of Acts. If your church is not functioning on that level of Power and Authority, then you should be looking for another church. It's as simple as that. Amen!  I know that makes a lot of pastors mad. But, once again, I refer to the old saying that if you throw the rock of the Word into a group of pastors, the one that yelps is the one that got hit. Amen!  OK, OK…Let's move on… Think about this example.   You want to buy a house, for example.  You find the perfect house.  You decide you want to buy the house.  You talk to the owner and say, I will give you “X” amount of money on “this date” to buy this house.  The owner says, “yes, that sounds good.  We accept.”  He signs the contract….you sign the contract….what is that contract called….”an Agreement”  correct? Ok, so, now, after signing the agreement…the owners of the house say, “ok, so we will see you on “such and such a date and you will have the money for us, correct?”  And you respond with “I sure do hope so, brother…but you never know what God will do.”   What do you think the owners of the home will do with that contract – that agreement?  They will tear that thing up and throw it in the trash!  You were never committed to fulfilling buying the house or fulfilling that contract!  The first thing that comes adverse to you fulfilling your part of that contract – you would have been in the wind!    We see the same thing happening with Christians all of the time.  “Are you coming to the meeting tonight, brother?”  “I'm going to try…or I sure do hope so…”  You're not going.  I will not even be looking for you….you're not committed. If you want me to pray for your healing…I stand on the Word of God, lay hands on you, enact the law of binding and loosing, praise God for your healing…and you say, “I sure do hope it works, this time…”   You did not get it…. You might be dead before you get home, with Faith like that.  “Brother Bob, that seem kind of harsh.”  Folks, time is short.  We don't have time to waste like that…either get healed and get back in the battle – or die and go to Heaven and get out our way.  It's that simple! “Brother Bob, you should not say things like that!”  HEY – if you are born again – Heaven with a Glorified Body is a whole lot better than being on earth with a corrupt body…and if you – in your infinite stupidity – cannot fathom in your mind how God can ever heal you….stop being a witness for the devil – just DIE and go to Heaven…stop wasting my time…stop wasting your pastor's time…stop wasting God's time…we have more important things to do – like getting people healed, delivered and set free who actually believe GOD WILL do things like that…like His Word says He will.  I'm sorry if that offends you…but that is the way things are going to be in these last days….amen! When you do come into agreement with another believer, based on the Word of God…and the devil does show up and say something like “it didn't work…you are not...

Old Testament: Isaiah 42–43 Isaiah 42–43 (Listen) The Lord's Chosen Servant 42   Behold my servant, whom I uphold,    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;  I have put my Spirit upon him;    he will bring forth justice to the nations.2   He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,    or make it heard in the street;3   a bruised reed he will not break,    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;    he will faithfully bring forth justice.4   He will not grow faint or be discouraged1    till he has established justice in the earth;    and the coastlands wait for his law. 5   Thus says God, the LORD,    who created the heavens and stretched them out,    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,  who gives breath to the people on it    and spirit to those who walk in it:6   “I am the LORD; I have called you2 in righteousness;    I will take you by the hand and keep you;  I will give you as a covenant for the people,    a light for the nations,7     to open the eyes that are blind,  to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,    from the prison those who sit in darkness.8   I am the LORD; that is my name;    my glory I give to no other,    nor my praise to carved idols.9   Behold, the former things have come to pass,    and new things I now declare;  before they spring forth    I tell you of them.” Sing to the Lord a New Song 10   Sing to the LORD a new song,    his praise from the end of the earth,  you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,    the coastlands and their inhabitants.11   Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,    the villages that Kedar inhabits;  let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,    let them shout from the top of the mountains.12   Let them give glory to the LORD,    and declare his praise in the coastlands.13   The LORD goes out like a mighty man,    like a man of war he stirs up his zeal;  he cries out, he shouts aloud,    he shows himself mighty against his foes. 14   For a long time I have held my peace;    I have kept still and restrained myself;  now I will cry out like a woman in labor;    I will gasp and pant.15   I will lay waste mountains and hills,    and dry up all their vegetation;  I will turn the rivers into islands,3    and dry up the pools.16   And I will lead the blind    in a way that they do not know,  in paths that they have not known    I will guide them.  I will turn the darkness before them into light,    the rough places into level ground.  These are the things I do,    and I do not forsake them.17   They are turned back and utterly put to shame,    who trust in carved idols,  who say to metal images,    “You are our gods.” Israel's Failure to Hear and See 18   Hear, you deaf,    and look, you blind, that you may see!19   Who is blind but my servant,    or deaf as my messenger whom I send?  Who is blind as my dedicated one,4    or blind as the servant of the LORD?20   He sees many things, but does not observe them;    his ears are open, but he does not hear.21   The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness' sake,    to magnify his law and make it glorious.22   But this is a people plundered and looted;    they are all of them trapped in holes    and hidden in prisons;  they have become plunder with none to rescue,    spoil with none to say, “Restore!”23   Who among you will give ear to this,    will attend and listen for the time to come?24   Who gave up Jacob to the looter,    and Israel to the plunderers?  Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned,    in whose ways they would not walk,    and whose law they would not obey?25   So he poured on him the heat of his anger    and the might of battle;  it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;    it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart. Israel's Only Savior 43   But now thus says the LORD,  he who created you, O Jacob,    he who formed you, O Israel:  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;    I have called you by name, you are mine.2   When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;  when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,    and the flame shall not consume you.3   For I am the LORD your God,    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  I give Egypt as your ransom,    Cush and Seba in exchange for you.4   Because you are precious in my eyes,    and honored, and I love you,  I give men in return for you,    peoples in exchange for your life.5   Fear not, for I am with you;    I will bring your offspring from the east,    and from the west I will gather you.6   I will say to the north, Give up,    and to the south, Do not withhold;  bring my sons from afar    and my daughters from the end of the earth,7   everyone who is called by my name,    whom I created for my glory,    whom I formed and made.” 8   Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,    who are deaf, yet have ears!9   All the nations gather together,    and the peoples assemble.  Who among them can declare this,    and show us the former things?  Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,    and let them hear and say, It is true.10   “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,    “and my servant whom I have chosen,  that you may know and believe me    and understand that I am he.  Before me no god was formed,    nor shall there be any after me.11   I, I am the LORD,    and besides me there is no savior.12   I declared and saved and proclaimed,    when there was no strange god among you;    and you are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God.13   Also henceforth I am he;    there is none who can deliver from my hand;    I work, and who can turn it back?” 14   Thus says the LORD,    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “For your sake I send to Babylon    and bring them all down as fugitives,    even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.15   I am the LORD, your Holy One,    the Creator of Israel, your King.” 16   Thus says the LORD,    who makes a way in the sea,    a path in the mighty waters,17   who brings forth chariot and horse,    army and warrior;  they lie down, they cannot rise,    they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:18   “Remember not the former things,    nor consider the things of old.19   Behold, I am doing a new thing;    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness    and rivers in the desert.20   The wild beasts will honor me,    the jackals and the ostriches,  for I give water in the wilderness,    rivers in the desert,  to give drink to my chosen people,21     the people whom I formed for myself  that they might declare my praise. 22   “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;    but you have been weary of me, O Israel!23   You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,    or honored me with your sacrifices.  I have not burdened you with offerings,    or wearied you with frankincense.24   You have not bought me sweet cane with money,    or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.  But you have burdened me with your sins;    you have wearied me with your iniquities. 25   “I, I am he    who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,    and I will not remember your sins.26   Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;    set forth your case, that you may be proved right.27   Your first father sinned,    and your mediators transgressed against me.28   Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,    and deliver Jacob to utter destruction    and Israel to reviling. Footnotes [1] 42:4 Or bruised [2] 42:6 The Hebrew for you is singular; four times in this verse [3] 42:15 Or into coastlands [4] 42:19 Or as the one at peace with me (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 95 Psalm 95 (Listen) Let Us Sing Songs of Praise 95   Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!2   Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!3   For the LORD is a great God,    and a great King above all gods.4   In his hand are the depths of the earth;    the heights of the mountains are his also.5   The sea is his, for he made it,    and his hands formed the dry land. 6   Oh come, let us worship and bow down;    let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!7   For he is our God,    and we are the people of his pasture,    and the sheep of his hand.  Today, if you hear his voice,8     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,9   when your fathers put me to the test    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.10   For forty years I loathed that generation    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,    and they have not known my ways.”11   Therefore I swore in my wrath,    “They shall not enter my rest.” (ESV) New Testament: Acts 19 Acts 19 (Listen) Paul in Ephesus 19 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland1 country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in2 the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.3 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. The Sons of Sceva 11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all4 of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. A Riot at Ephesus 21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” 28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs,5 who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?6 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further

Is competency the same as calling? Today Amy looks at how as women we sometimes confuse competency and calling. What are we called to do? References Judges 4-5; I Timothy 2:12; I Timothy 3; I John 5:3; John 14:15; John 14:23; Acts 16:31; Rev. 4:11; Jude 24 Contact us: devotedpodcast@atheycreek.com women@atheycreek.com http://atheycreek.com/ministries/women Follow us on IG @atheywomen @ammcreynolds

Today's scripture is Acts 9:18, "Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized." Today's devotional was written by Amy Curran.

In the New Testament, Pneuma is the Greek word for the breath of God. It means Spirit and wind.    “And God breathed on me and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. God breathes out all Scripture.  He gives me life and breath and everything.” (John 20; 2 Tim 3; Acts 17)