Podcasts about all powerful god

magine gripping an Olympic barbell, its cold steel pressing into your palms. Now, with every word you speak, imagine spotters steadily adding weight—one pound at a time. Each phrase makes the bar pounds heavier until it becomes unbearable. That's the kind of weight spiritual leadership carries. This devotional is about 1100 words long. Just imagine trying to deadlift that—not a chance, right? That would be an record, If I were able to lift it. And yet, that's the reality of teaching God's truth. In James 3:1-2, we're reminded that those who teach will be judged with greater strictness. So, how do we step up to the bar without being crushed? Let's dig into that together. Welcome to the Daily Devo. Our text today is James 3:1-2. Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. — James 3:1-2 James opens this chapter with a warning: not everyone should aspire to be a teacher. And what is his reason? Teaching God's Word comes with weightier spiritual responsibility and accountability because it carries the power to shape others' faith and lives. Misusing this gift can cause spiritual harm, so James emphasizes the weightier judgment for teachers. And honestly, these verses have always humbled and incited a holy fear in me—which is necessary for the spiritual teacher. Just so you know, I think about this every day as I approach God's Word—if I am rightly handling the weight of the Word. I do my very best to dig deep and let God's Word speak precisely as the original author intended so that I make applications to our lives that are as surgically correct as possible. But even though James warns spiritual teachers about the weight, he also acknowledges a universal truth: we all stumble or struggle to bear the burden of the weight, which reminds teachers and every one of us with a mouth about the weight of our words. For the Disperions of believers James addressed, this was a warning about the dangers of false teaching and spiritual pride. In a time of persecution and fragile church communities, their words mattered deeply. Teachers had to rely on God's truth, not their cleverness or ambition, to guide others rightly. Today, this truth is just as critical. God's Word reveals the way, the truth, and the life. Whether you are teaching it from a pulpit, leading from it in a small group, or mentoring someone one-on-one, the weight of your words about God's Word is real. Here's the key I always try to remember when communicating God's Word: it's not about my ability or strength to carry its weight. When I teach the Word, I rely on the All-Powerful God who spoke it. I let its weight rest on me and then share it with you. In the end, my prayer is that we both entrust our lives to the One who can truly bear that weight—Jesus Christ. Here's the good news: Jesus came to carry the burden we could never bear. He lived the perfect life we couldn't live—He never stumbled in word, action, or thought. And on the cross, He bore the crushing weight of sin for you and me, paying the price so we could be free from its burden. Today, you have the opportunity to let go of that unbearable weight. Jesus invites you with these words: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You can let go of the barbell. All you need to do is surrender to Him. Confess your need for His grace. Believe in Him as your Savior. And follow Him as your Lord. If you're ready to make that decision, pray this with me: “Jesus, I can't carry this weight anymore. I've stumbled in many ways and need your forgiveness. Thank you for living the perfect life and dying for my sins. I believe you rose again, conquering sin and death. Today, I surrender my life to you. Be my Savior and my Lord. Amen.” If you just prayed this prayer for the first time, welcome to God's family! If you prayed because you needed to let go of some burdens again, praise the Lord! I want to walk alongside you on your discipleship journey. Follow us here daily as we grow together in God's Word and learn to trust Him more deeply. #SpiritualLeadership, #JesusOurStrength, #WordOfGod ASK THIS: How can you better rely on God's strength when teaching or sharing His Word? What burdens do you need to surrender to Jesus today? How have your words impacted others spiritually this week? What steps can you take to ensure your teaching aligns with God's truth? DO THIS: Let Jesus take the weight of the burden. PRAY THIS: Lord, I surrender the weight of my words and my life to You. Help me trust Your strength and speak Your truth faithfully. Amen PLAY THIS: Burdens.

Genesis 1- Our Eternal and All-Powerful God...- Creates heaven & earth- Creates mankind in His image- Calls his creation goodGenesis 2- Creation of man and woman- Given a job to do- Given a corresponding companion- Given boundariesCREATION APPLICATIONS- Remember that life revolves around God- Marvel at the goodness of God's creation- Play your unique part in God's story

Are miracles, signs, and wonders still happening today? We serve an All-Powerful God who is faithful and good. When He calls us to take a step of faith, our obedience transforms our hearts and changes our lives. In this conversation, Sheila Walsh, Naomi Raine, Nicole Binion, Alexandra Hoover, and Blynda Lane share personal encounters with God, explore modern-day miracles, and discuss the purpose of signs and wonders. --------- Come back next week as we continue this conversation and discuss the importance of giving God reverence. In the meantime, catch up on last week's conversation, Hope for the Disappointed. --------- Do you want more Better Together? We have 900+ conversations available! Start watching now for free on TBN+ -------- Join our community on Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok  --------- Better Together is TBN's first daily original program made by women for women! We discuss faith, family, friends, and so much more—no topic is off-limits. Find out what happens when real friends get together for real conversations! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luke 11:1;  Matthew 6:9-13   How comfortable are you praying?  In private?  In public?   - Definition of Prayer:  Prayer is communication between God our heavenly Father with one or more of His children.   All communication involves both talking and listening.   - “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him,  Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught His disciples.  Luke 11:1   - Pray then in this way:  Matthew 6:9-13   - Our Heavenly Father is a Personal God.  “Our Father who is in heaven”   - Our Heavenly Father is a Praiseworthy God.  “Hallowed be Your name.”   - Our Heavenly Father is a Purposeful God.  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”   - Our Heavenly Father is a Providing God.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”   - Our Heavenly Father is a Pardoning God.  “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”   - Our Heavenly Father is a Protecting God.  “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”   - Our Heavenly Father is the ALL Powerful God.  “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.”     - I challenge you to join me in praying this prayer every day for the month of September.  30 day prayer challenge.

When we reason with God we reason on His terms. We reason where He tells us to go, His Throne-room. We reason with Him - the All-Powerful God of this universe. Are you ready and willing to reason with Him? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/encouragingchristians/support

The All-Powerful God is the Shepherd of believers in Christ. The Good Shepherd uses His immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing power for His sheep. Part 3 of this excellent teaching series aptly presents God as the All-Powerful Shepherd who uses His infinite power in the interests of His sheep. Listen and experience God's unlimited power!

Our God is all we need! By understanding Him as our Father, our Savior, and our Comforter, we can walk in the fullness of who He is.    Join Laurie Crouch, Victoria Osteen, Beth Redman, Brittney Borders, and Lindy Cofer as they discuss the significance of the Trinity and how to experience our All-Powerful God! Join our community on Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A testimony is a Great Thing to share with others of how Almighty God has been good. I know some he has healed, some he has made away for bills to be paid. Some have obtained a new house or car. Yet there are those of us who have overwhelming tetimonies of things others could nerver imagine he has done. He delivered addictions, brought families back togethers, gave jobs to those who were not qualified for the position.The list is endless.

Dagon is Going Down The presence of the Almighty God destroys, cuts off and dismembers the rebellion of all false deities! Dagon was no match for our All-Powerful, Mighty God! 1 Samuel 5 #AllpowerfulGod #SupremeAuthority #supremepower #dagonisgoingdown www.houseofglorychurch.org www.cathycoppola.org Date of service 1/27/24

Dagon is Going Down The presence of the Almighty God destroys, cuts off and dismembers the rebellion of all false deities! Dagon was no match for our All-Powerful, Mighty God! 1 Samuel 5 #AllpowerfulGod #SupremeAuthority #supremepower #dagonisgoingdown www.houseofglorychurch.org www.cathycoppola.org Date of service 1/27/24

A study about our All Powerful God and our infernal enemy through the ages.

The All-Powerful God is the Shepherd of believers in Christ. The Good Shepherd uses His immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing power for His sheep. Part 3 of this excellent teaching series aptly presents God as the All-Powerful Shepherd and examines how God uses His infinite power in the interests of His sheep. Listen and experience God's unlimited power!

Throughout history, a single question has plagued humanity; a question often asked about an issue that all Abrahamic religions face. If an All-Powerful God, who is All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing, Loving, Most-Merciful, and All-Just in control of All things and matters, exists, then why do people experience evil, pain, and suffering in this world? Why must we contend with sickness, natural disasters, starvation, war, calamities, corruption, and killings? If God is Most-Merciful, All-Loving, All-Good, and All-Just, why does He allow such atrocities to happen? The existence of evil ranks among the top reasons people reject the concept of religion or the belief in a Higher Power. This concept is known as the "problem of evil." Many have concluded that God could not exist because of the presence of evil; if He does exist, He is a cruel, unjust God who enjoys seeing people suffer and in pain. They summarize that such a God is not worth worshipping if He is unaware, uncaring, and incapable of removing and controlling evil elements.People who reject God because they cannot grapple with the problem of evil do not adequately understand the conditions of darkness and pain. They reject God because of their lack of understanding. The decision to disbelieve the existence of God only adds more confusion, leading to the emergence of questions as to why we were created, where we are destined to go, etc.  An atheist that rejects God removes God from the equation, but suffering still exists. Disbelieving only eliminates the quality and significance of the suffering and no longer gives it purpose or meaning. One could have suffered their whole life, only to end up in their grave eternally with no justice or recompense for what they had endured, and those who committed evil can get away with their misdeeds. However, with God in the equation, suffering has meaning, and the victims and the oppressed eventually receive justice in this world or the next. Without God in the picture, they may not. The fact that evil exists does not negate the existence of God.The Angels first asked the question of evil upon God, the Almighty's announcement that He was creating a new form of beings called humans."And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, Indeed, I will make upon the Earth a successive authority" (Quran 2:30)The Angels responded with a question:"…They said, 'Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and You?" (Quran 2:30) God answered: "…Indeed, I know that which you do not know" (Quran 2:20)Although God did not explain nor rationalize the answer to their question, the Angels were satisfied with this response; this is owing to their complete humility before, trust in, and faith in God's Wisdom and Knowledge while recognizing His Wisdom as Perfect and without flaws. The Angels did not assume God's Wisdom was incorrect simply because they could not understand nor comprehend that Wisdom. Humans never will understand the reason behind the world's pain and suffering, as our limited, finite minds cannot comprehend God's logic. However, the fact that our intellectual capacity cannot understand and evaluate the Wisdom behind pain and suffering does not nullify that Wisdom. How can we judge the situation or God without attaining the necessary information to do so? God states in the Quran:"…And mankind has not been given of knowledge except a little" (Quran 17:85)

Daniel 2:10-13 When you're asked to do the impossible, go to the one who makes all things possible.Music used by permission:The Plan from 2 For The Price of 1 by Holly Harris & Latresia Peakwww.ruthennaporterfield.comFollow on Instagram @raporterfieldMusic used by permission:The Plan from 2 For The Price of 1 by Holly Harris & Latresia Peak

Classical theology emphasizes God's omnipotence, or Power. As Jonathan Foster says in his book, “Theology of Consent” this makes God the “All-Powerful God of Power.” But is the idea that God is all-powerful helpful? Is it even true? Join Pastor Adam and Rev. Dr. Jonathan Foster as they discuss Jonathan's latest book, “Theology of Consent: Mimetic Theory in an Open and Relational Universe.”

Faith is an integral part of prayer, we have to believe that God hears our prayers and that He is able to do miracles. If we settle for a powerless religious prayer life, we deny ourselves the joy of engaging with an Almighty, All Powerful God who loves it when call out to Him!

PROVERB CONSIDERED: “Erín ńtú eruku; ẹfọ̀n ńtú eruku; títú eruku àjànàkú bo tẹfọ̀n mọ́lẹ̀.” INTERPRETATION: "The elephant raises a cloud of dust; the buffalo raises a cloud of dust; the elephant's ability to raise dust far surpasses the buffalo's." MEANING & BIBLICAL APPLICATION: This proverb speaks of the fact that some things (or people) are simply incomparable, no matter the similarities they share with others. They are simply beyond all competition! This is the context in which this proverb will be normally used. As we reflected on the proverb from a biblical point of view, a few thoughts emerged: 1. UNIQUENESS. The fact is that a buffalo will always be a buffalo and an elephant will always be an elephant. By virtue of their differing sizes, they can not raise dust to the same extent. There is no point in comparing their dust-raising capabilities. Likewise, as Apostle Paul admonishes (and as we have repeatedly shared on this podcast), "they that compare themselves with themselves are not wise." For those who follow this podcast regularly, you may notice that the subject of COMPARISON has been recurrent (especially in Season 3). This wasn't planned; it just happened! (Perhaps, God wants to keep saying the same message to us until we get it.) 2. INCOMPARABILITY. In other words, the fact that the buffalo can (seemingly) do the same thing an elephant can do (i.e. raise dust) doesn't mean that they are mates. In like manner, the fact that the devil can sometimes do certain things that are (seemingly) powerful does not mean it can be compared to God ALMIGHTY. We know that whatever powers the devil may or may not have are still within the control of the ALMIGHTY, ALL-POWERFUL God! And in human-to-human relationships, to give a biblical example, the fact that some self-acclaimed "super-Apostles" in Corinth can show certificates validating their 'apostolic authority' (in a manner of speaking) while Apostle Paul had no such certificates or 'letters of recommendations' does not mean that their ministerial worth can be compared to Apostle Paul's! (And Paul showed them their level in Chapters 10-13 of 2 Corinthians. Scripture Cited include: ✥ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV says "and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." ✥ Matthew 28:18 KJV says "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" ✥ 2 Corinthians 10:12 ERV says "We don't dare put ourselves in the same class with those who think they are so important. We don't compare ourselves to them. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing." LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/ ✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589 FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA https://linktr.ee/josephola https://josephola.disha.page/

A lot of thuings are going on in our world murder, war, pandemic, and so much more. Yet the Believer have All Power on their side today. No calamedy share come near their dwelling. All Powerful God is for the Believer and if he is for them he is more than the whole world against them. Faith, Trust, and obedience is what keeps God blessing his people daily. Never give up and let patirence have her perfect works.

When a Majestic, Holy, All Powerful God calls you it produces a different kind of outlook and attitude. You move from being a beggar just trying to get noticed to being someone with purpose and equipped to accomplish.

Does prayer ever make a difference?

The All-Powerful God is the Shepherd of believers in Christ. The Good Shepherd uses His immeasurable, unlimited, and surpassing power for His sheep. Part 3 of this great teaching series aptly presents God as the All-Powerful Shepherd and examines how God uses His infinite power in the interests of His sheep. Listen and experience God's unlimited power!

Isaiah 17:1-14 The Lord the All-Powerful God brought destruction to the land of Damascus and Israel for worshipping idols they have made with their own hands. Damascus current day is Syria were enemies of Israel. During their destruction, they could not rely on or steal from Israel for they were going through judgment too.

Why does Jesus make us wait? He is the All Powerful God. Why is it that when we get saved, when we get baptized, that our pain and struggles aren't removed? Let's find that out together in today's devotional. Find your freedom in Christ. We can't walk in the flesh, we need to walk in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 89 of the Quran is named Al-Fajr, The Dawn.  As with many chapters it takes its name from the first verse of the chapter.  It was revealed in Mecca at a time when the Muslims were being persecuted.  Al-Fajr has 30 verses.  It begins with God swearing an oath that the tyrants of Mecca will be dealt with like those of the past.  It then goes on to compare the destinies of the grateful and the ungrateful.Verses 1 - 5 An oathThe chapter begins, by the daybreak (also called the dawn), and by the ten nights, by the even and the odd and by the passing of the night.  God swears an oath and by swearing on these significant events in His well-ordered universe He asks us whether it is a strong enough oath for a rational person.  The disbelievers have been warned and reminded time and time again about the inevitability of the Day of Judgment yet they still refuse to acknowledge it.  If God swears by these important and well known events will you listen and understand?The dawn is the time when the first rays of light break through the darkness of night.  It is a miracle of sorts that when we wake up every morning it is a reminder of the Day of Judgement and our resurrection.  It is generally agreed that the ten nights refer to the first 10 days of the month Dhul-Hijjah.  These days and nights were sacred even before the time of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, thus the reference was well understood by the opponents of Islam who were refusing to admit the inevitability of a Reckoning.The odd and the even refer to the alternation of day and night and the precision of God's creation.   Day and night, male and female, earth and sky or Paradise and Hell cannot be appreciated or understood without the other.  Finally the oath concludes with the passing of the night.  This connects with the first verse, as the night departs the dawn breaks through.  All these things point to the reality of an All-Powerful God ruling over the universe.  The oath says you see these things yet you will not believe? Look at them closely, use your intellect.Verses 6 – 14  Consider the pastGod then addresses Prophet Muhammad asking him if he considered how He (God) dealt with the tyrants and unbelievers of the past.  Remember the people of ‘Aad in the city of Iram whose lofty pillars have never been made in any other land.  Consider also the people of Thamud who built their dwellings in the rocks of the valley; and the might and powerful Pharaoh.  All of them committed excesses and spread corruption in their lands.  But God is watchful, He sees, records, and holds to account, and a scourge of torment was unleashed upon them. Verses 15 - 20  Social welfare In the previous verses God was talking about whole nations, now He focuses on individuals.  The nature of humankind is such that when a person is tried or tested with honour and blessings he says, "My God has honoured me", but when a person is tried or tested with a restriction of his provisions he says, "My God has humiliated me".  God refutes the claim that if God has given abundance to someone then it is out of honor for him and likewise if He has given less to someone then He intends to humiliate him.   Rather both situations are a trial and a test to see who is thankful to Him when given wealth and who is patient when tested with less sustenance.  For indeed God gives wealth to those whom He loves as well as those whom He does not love and He withholds sustenance from those whom He loves and those whom He does not love.   You have such things as prosperity and respect yet you spend your wealth in vain and useless activities.  You don't take care of the orphans nor feed the needy; you devour the inheritance of those under your protection.  You have no regard for what is permissible and what is forbidden and your every thought is on how to accumulate more.  This powerful admonition carries with it a strong warning.   A great many people are wrong, they cannot do whatever they like and not be held to account for it.Verses 21 – 30 A powerful admonitionNo indeed (and you shall see) when the earth is pounded to dust, pounded and pounded.  When God comes with the angels, rank upon rank of angels.  This is the Day when Hell will be brought near.  This is the Day when humankind will take heed but by then it will be too late.  These words with their captivating rhythm create a scene that strikes fear into the heart of the believer.   On that Day, when the disbelievers see the sight of the earth being levelled to the ground and smashed and God arriving with ranks of angels that fill the horizon, they will sigh in horror as they become aware of their true situation.  Alas, they will say, if only I had sent forth some good deeds; would that I had left provision for this life to come.   The chapter then goes on to describe the fate of the disbelievers after this desperate sigh.  On that Day no one will punish as He punishes and no one will bind as He binds.  This verse calls to mind the excesses of the nations in the previous verses where torture was a common punishment.  None can punish as God can punish.  It is a strong warning and invokes fear of what is to come.However, amidst this unimaginable horror, the believers are addressed by God Himself.  O Soul, be at peace, return to God well pleased with Him and well pleasing to Him.  Join My servants and enter My Garden.  Unlike the earlier people described as being ungrateful and arrogant this person is pleased with God in all situations and is addressed with gentleness and compassion.  Join my people in my Garden, a fitting end to a life well lived._______________________________________By Aisha Stacey (© 2015 IslamReligion.com)Copyright © 2006 - 2021 IslamReligion.com. All rights reserved.Used with permission.The source of this article is: www.IslamReligion.com 

Lady V’s Devotional Episode  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)  Devotional  People long for peace. Yet, anxiety and stress can steal one’s peace of mind with overwhelming success. So how do we deal with troublesome times?  When we look to Jesus, THE WORD, we are reminded of how He always turned to Father God in prayer. His prayer life was constant, and His trust in God never wavered.   Even though, Jesus had a moment where the stress became so overwhelming that His sweat was like great drops of blood; His response to that troublesome time was—Father not my will, but YOUR will be done (see Luke 22:39-46). In other words—God have your way.  Thus, the Peace of God that surpasses explanation comes when we turn our focus to God.  In a like manner, the Apostle Paul redirected his focus in stressful situations. He knew the only way he could keep peace in his heart and praise in his mouth was by staying focused on Jesus.  The Peace of God came by believing in Jesus, and His bountiful grace. Paul had to remain planted in the truth of God’s Word. This is why Paul could be content when everything around him seemed in utter disarray.  Likewise, as believers, we are like trees planted in the richest soil of God’s Word. It is a never-ending supply of what we need. We don’t have to worry because our lives are in the hands of the Almighty and All Powerful God!  He’s the Greatest God of ALL Time and Eternity.   And—it’s in God’s Will that in stressful times we can have the Peace of God that comforts our hearts and minds.   So Beloved, keep your focus on the Prince of Peace. Take rest in Jesus and bathe in the PEACE of His presence. Pray and let the Holy Spirit guide your day as you watch God direct your time.   It’s a new day dawning! Glory to God!  Have faith in God!  JESUS IS LORD!  Grace and Peace to you!  Lady V  Listen to We R S.H.E.Talks Podcast  Use web player above blog post to listen or subscribe and listen via your favorite podcast platform.  More devotionals you may like     Set Free for a New Start     JESUS is the Faithful Love    Rest in the Secret Place of GOD  Check out these links    spreadinghopeeverywheretalks.com    Get Merch with Positive Messaging  Credits   Intro & Outro Music by Joakim Karud     Devotional Background Music by Bensound 

Today we look at the question:  What is prayer and why can it help us deal with this world of chaos?" This is probably one of the most important episodes to date.  I hope it will encourage listeners to connect with a very important event on September 26th - being held on the Washington Mall as well as in homes, churches, parks all over the Globe called the RETURN.  Christian leaders are calling for believers to come before a Holy and All Powerful God in repentance.  Next Week I will focus on a Scripture passage 2 Chronicles 7: 13-14 as inspiration and encouragement that God is indeed interested in our survival.SEE YOU THEN

  Daily Devotions With Steve Wimble   So often we associate gentleness with weakness. The Greek word for gentleness is also linked to the word for humility and the Bible is constantly telling us to be gentle. Gentleness is an inner spirit of control exhibited in calm assurance. Phil 4:5 You don't need to defend yourself and be aggressive. Rather let your gentleness be evident to all because the All-Powerful God is fighting on your behalf. #dailydevotional #cityhillchurch

After reading a powerful Devotion this morning by Dr. Charles F. Stanley out of the book, "Jesus Our Perfect Hope." It's time to stop all the worrying, doubting, being scared of what life holds. We serve an All-Powerful God! Tune in for more on this topic! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/overcomerslifegroup/message

“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  Matthew 10:29-31It’s comforting to know that the All-Powerful God of the Universe knows every detail about our lives and is deeply concerned about every single detail.  He knows us infinitely better than we know ourselves and He loves each one of us more deeply than we could ever love ourselves.  These facts should give us much peace.Imagine the truth contained in this Scripture above.  God even knows how many hairs we have on our head!  This is stated as a way of emphasizing the depth of intimacy by which God knows us.  When we can come to the realization of the Father’s perfect knowledge of us AND His perfect love of us, we will be in a position to put our complete trust in Him.  Trust in God is only possible when we understand who we are trusting.  And when we do begin to more completely understand who God is and how much He cares about every detail of our lives, we will more easily entrust to Him those details, allowing Him to take control of all.Reflect, today, upon these basic truths of God’s perfect knowledge of us and His perfect love.  Sit with those truths and ponder them.  As you do, allow them to become the basis of an invitation from God to let go of your own control of life in favor of His control.  Try to make an act of total surrender to Him and you will begin to discover the freedom that comes with this surrender.Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your perfect knowledge of every detail of my life.  I thank You, also, for Your perfect love.  Help me to trust in this love and to trust in Your daily invitation to surrender all.  I do surrender my life to You, dear Lord.  Help me to surrender more fully this day.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Name The Surah takes its name from the sentence Dhalika yaum-ut taghabun of verse 9, thereby implying that it is the Surah in which the word at taghabun has occurred. Period of Revelation Muqatil and Kalbi say that it was partly revealed at Makkah and partly at Madinah. Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas and Ata bin Yasar say that vv. 1-13 were revealed at Makkah and vv. 14-18 at Madinah. But the majority of commentators regard the whole of the surah as a Madinan Revelation. Although there is no internal evidence to help determine its exact period of revelation, yet a study of its subject matter shows that it might probably have been sent down at an early stage at Madinah. That is why it partly resembles the Makkah surahs and partly the Madinan Surahs. Theme and Subject Matter The theme of this surah is invitation to the Faith and obedience (to Allah) and the teaching of good morals. The sequence followed is that the first four verses are addressed to all men; verses 5-10 to those men, who do not believe in the invitation of the Qur'an; and verses 11-18 to those who accept and believe in this invitation. In the verses addressed to all men, they have been made aware in a few brief sentences of the four fundamental truths: First, that the universe in which they live is not Godless, but its Creator, Master and Ruler is an All Powerful God, and everything in it testifies to His being most Perfect and absolutely faultless. Second, that the universe is not without purpose and wisdom, but its Creator has created it with truth no one should be under the delusion that it is a mock show, which began without a purpose and will come to an end without a purpose. Third, that the excellent form that God has created you with and the choice that He has given you to choose between belief and unbelief is not a useless and meaningless activity so that it may be of no consequence whether you choose belief or unbelief. In fact, God is watching as to how you exercise your choice. Fourth, that you have not been created irresponsible and un-answerable. You have to return ultimately to your Creator, and have to meet the Being who is aware of everything in the universe, from Whom nothing is hidden, to Whom even the innermost thoughts of the minds are known. After stating these four fundamental truths about the Universe and Man, the address turns to the people who adopted the way of unbelief, and their attention is drawn to a phenomenon which has persisted throughout human history, namely that nation after nation has arisen and ultimately gone to its doom. Man by his intellect and reason has been explaining this phenomenon in a thousand ways, but Allah tells the real truth and declares that the fundamental causes of the destruction of the nations were only two: First, that they refused to believe in the Messengers whom He sent for their guidance, with the result that Allah too left them to themselves, and they invented their own philosophies of life and went on groping their way from one error to another. Second, that they also, rejected the doctrine of Hereafter, and thought this worldly life to be an end in itself, and that there was no life hereafter when they would have to render an account of their deeds before God. This corrupted their whole attitude towards life, and their impure morals and character so polluted the world that eventually the scourge of God itself had to descend and eliminate them from the scene. After stating these two instructive truths of human history, the deniers of the message of Truth have been admonished to wake up and believe in Allah, His Messenger and the Light of Guidance that Allah has sent in the form of the Qur'an if they want to avoid the fate met by the former peoples. Besides, they have been warned that the Day shall eventually come when all the former and the latter generations will be collected at one place and the fraud and embezzlement committed by each will be exposed before all mank...

Why did Christ pick a Samaritan as the Hero in this story?Homily on St. Luke 10:25-37  We know this lesson; we’ve heard it so many times! Perhaps you want to “test out of” this homily?  We know that the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that we need to have the courage and compassion to love all people that are in need; even those who are different than ourselves. We even get extra points for knowing the symbols in the story that point to the salvific power of the Church.  This lesson on compassion for all provides a necessary corrective! Our instincts betray us.  Our fallen post-Babel psychology is tribal, with many of our moral standards defined by differences between “us” and “them” rather than need. But if that was the main point, why not make the Samaritan the one on the roadside and an ordinary Jew the one that helps him? Then the Jews listening to him would have known that they should love and help Samaritans, not just other Jews.  Surely that would have been a more effective way to teach compassion towards the “other.”  But Christ is the Great Teacher and scripture is a reliable guide to His teaching.  Whenever we read something in the Bible that seems off, it is time for us to learn something new and unexpected.  After all, as St. Paul wrote to Timothy; All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So let’s look a little deeper and see if we can learn why it was that the Lord Jesus has a Samaritan saving a Jew, rather than the other way around. 1) First off, this parable continued a theme that Jesus returned to often. He had a lot of patience for everyone but the hypocritical leaders of the Jews, those who knew what the greatest commandments of the Law were (love God and love your neighbor), but refused to follow them. Contrasting the men that were held up as the “best of the best” with a lowly Samaritan showed that much of their behavior was was ungodly and to shame them towards repentance. 2) But wait, there’s more: the parable was designed to do more than shame the religious leaders, it was designed to shame all of the listeners; to point out that their own behavior would have been just as despicable as that of the priest and the Levite. Jesus was basically saying; “this is what your leaders would have done in this situation ... and you would have been tempted to do the same.” It wasn't necessary to put an ordinary Jew in the parable; two points make a line. They themselves were part of that line.  Jesus had already described the line by describing the usual behavior of the men who were supposed to be the “best of the best.” These are the two points that make that line. The Jews would have seen that they are part of that line. But Christ is not just bringing attention to the immorality of the Jews; He was describing the fallen psychology of all mankind (the “old man”, “Adam”) in general. Mankind (the “old man”, Adam) was caught in a rut – he was not virtuous. He was not courageous. He was too willing to define virtue based on what other people did or expected rather than on what virtue actually requires. It would take something jarring to get them to see this and to change. This parable is jarring. It goes against expectations. The Samaritan in the parable is virtuous not because of who he is (i.e. the box society put in) but because of what he does; just as the priest and the Levite are cowardly and mean not because of who they are (i.e. the box society has put them in) but because of their actions.  For a tribal people, this undermined the natural and expected order.  And that disruption was necessary because that natural and expected order was ungodly and wrong. 3) There is a more subtle theological point that the Church would have us remember. The Samaritan is an outsider. It is an outsider, one who is only half-Jew – or half-man, as it were – that heals the dying man. The Orthodox Church teaches that the Samaritan in the parable represents Christ. He is counter-posed to the Jewish priest and Levite in the parable not just because He is also different – He is both fully man and fully God – but because He is the only one who can bring healing to the brokenness of humanity. As a good and virtuous man, He – unlike the Jewish leaders of His time – had the will to save all mankind; and as the All-Powerful God, He also had the power to do it. The Jewish law and temple worship that the Priest and Levite offer and lead cannot heal the wounds of mankind the way that Christ can. He is more than our High Priest, He is Christ our God, the Savior of the world. [This theological point becomes even more powerful when we add in the fact that Christ is the New Adam, the new "mankind" if you will; and we are to climb out of our rut by joining Him as part of the new mankind, as part of the new Adam, the new mankind, the Church with Him as its head (for these are all the same thing) with all the grace, responsibility, and power that this represents]. In Conclusion, our psychology is the same as that of Christ's audience. We are called to be virtuous; to be courageous and caring, even when the world is not. But we have more than parables and Christ's example and teaching to help us. He is the source of all virtue and healing, and we are His body. If we accept Him as our God, then it is His virtue that defines us and His healing power that flows through our loving actions. But there is even more: we are still fallen and our psychology is still the same: for instance, we still look to others to see what the right behavior is. The parish, like the family, is called to be a community that is defined by its virtue and charity; the examples that we set for one another naturally create a community that is good. Moreover, our community then sets the example – becomes the leaven for – the entire nation and the world itself.  May God strengthen us as we live virtuous lives in Christ; for the good of our families, our parish, our nation, and the world.

"God is our loving, kind, gracious heavenly Father. He welcomes us to come boldly before His throne (Heb. 4:16). But let's never forget, He is Almighty, Awesome, Holy, All Powerful God! And He is jealous for you. He says, "Have no other gods or idols or priorities before Him" because life is in Him alone. Today, let's honor our Father and our Almighty God!

As we continue our new series on the Gospel of John and this salvation provided to us, we see who John starts with as the foundation of the Gospel message - God. Without the Holy, Righteous, and All-Powerful God there is no Gospel. God's existence and the revealing of Himself to us as The Logos are the pillars with which John's book, and the salvation of the world, rests. Join us in the Gospel of John chapter 1 verses 1 through 3 as we continue our series titled, 'In Order to Believe.'   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.facebook.com/FOTWChurch/ http://thewayfollowers.blogspot.com/    

Throughout history, a single question has plagued humanity since the beginning. An item that has been asked many times. An issue that all Abrahamic religions face. The question that if an All-Powerful God, who is All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing, All-Loving, All-Merciful, and All-Just, is in control of All things and matters, does exist, then why do people experience evil, pain, and suffering in this World? Why must we contend with sickness, natural disasters, starvation, war, calamities, corruption, and killings? If God is indeed All-Merciful, All-Loving, All-Good, and All-Just, why does He allow such things to happen? This very concept is known as the problem of evil. Many have come to the wrong conclusion that because of the existence of evil, God could not possibly exist--or that he is a cruel, unjust God who enjoys seeing people suffer and in pain. A God that is not worth worshipping, who is unaware, uncaring and incapable of removing and controlling elements of evil. The existence of evil ranks amongst the top reasons as to why people reject the concept of religion or the belief in a Higher Power. People that reject God because they cannot grapple with the problem of evil do not have nor claim to have an understanding of or a solution to the conditions of darkness and pain. The decision to disbelieve the existence of God only adds more confusion to the situation; leading to the emergence of questions as to why we were created, where we are destined to go, etc. They choose to reject God because of their lack of understanding. To understand the problem of evil and as well as many other life concepts, one must have faith—the very belief system which provides wisdom. The question of evil was asked by the Angels themselves when God the Almighty announced that He was creating a new form of beings called humans. "And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the Earth a successive authority" (Quran 2:30) The Angels responded with a question: "...They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and   You?" (Quran 2:30) God answered: "…Indeed, I know that which you do not know" (Quran 2:20) Although God did not explain nor rationalize the answer to their question, the Angels were completely satisfied with this response; this is owing to their complete humility before, trust in, and faith in God's Wisdom and Knowledge, recognizing His Wisdom as Perfect and without flaw. The Angels did not assume God's Wisdom was incorrect simply because they could not understand nor comprehend that Wisdom. We humans never will fully understand the reason behind the World's pain and suffering, as our limited, finite minds cannot comprehend the logic of God. However, the fact that our intellectual capacity cannot understand and evaluate the Wisdom behind pain and suffering in full does not nullify that Wisdom. How can we judge the situation or God Himself without all the information needed to do so? God states in the Quran: "...And mankind has not been given of knowledge except a little" (Quran 17:85) We as humans only can understand the Wisdom behind pain and suffering on a general level. We have no right to question our Creator—as everything belongs to Allah, the Glorious including us, and to Him we will return. Whereas hardship, pain, and suffering do exist in this World, these incidents are the exception and not the rule. Muslims disbelieve the concept of pure evil. All things that God has created are either purely good or possesses a balance of good and evil. Nothing is purely evil with no goodness inherent. Whereas evil can dominate more than the good in some instances, everything holds an element of some good. Every evil is good in at least some aspects; for instance, while sickness may harm the body temporally from one angle, that same sickness also strengthens the immune system and teaches one patience with the healing process. Similarly, whereas Volcanos can harm, they rejuvenate the ecosystem that facilitates life in the first place. Without Volcanos, we would not be able to grow food; this is because Volcanos spew out minerals resulting in rich fertile soil. Whatever God Wills, the good will always eventually outweigh the bad. Additionally, one person's calamity can be another person's blessing; for instance, when one person loses a job, another person finds a new occupation. Good and evil need each other to exist. How can a person be generous if no charitable beneficiaries are available? Poor and hungry people need to exist for charity and generosity to occur. How can forgiveness happen when there is no offense to forgive? How can one learn patience without the perception of evil and calamities? Similarly, following natural disasters, humanity tends to show generosity and support by sending medical assistance, food, donations, etc., to those affected. Consequently, a negative occurrence enables positive results to be manifested. God loves the good that is generated from the perception of evil. Pain and suffering are blessings in disguise. Also, we need the existence of evil to recognize and appreciate good. It's when we are deprived of something valuable that we feel the appreciation and blessings of God. One needs to experience hardship to value the better times. Sometimes one needs to experience illness to appreciate good health, or poverty to appreciate substance. It's only in the darkness that one recognizes and appreciates the light. The perception of evil, pain, and suffering is not a punishment. Allah states in the Quran: "What would Allah gain from your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing" (Quran 4:147) God does not love evil. Amongst the many pearls of Wisdom behind pain and suffering, and probably the most important, is the idea that trials and tribulations lead people back to God. Sometimes it's through tough times that people return and reconnect to their Lord in desperation, and with the utmost sincere prayers and supplications. Any calamity that brings one back to his Lord is not a true disaster; instead, a blessing in disguise. It is in times of tragedy that one increases his expressions of repentance, humility, and supplication, recognizing he needs the Almighty. "And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues [in disobedience] as if he had never called upon Us to [remove] an affliction that touched him. Thus, is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing"        (Quran 10:12) Amongst the essential reasons behind perceived evil is the idea that life is a test for humanity, filled with many trials and tribulations. "[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving" (Quran 67:2) Through these tests, a person's faith in and loyalty to God is revealed. God states: "Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars" (Quran 29:2-3) In another verse, God states: "Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger, and those who believed with him said, 'When is the help of Allah?' Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near" (Quran 2:214) In another Verse, God states:  "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient" (Quran 2:155) God can create any World He desires, including a World with no evil and suffering. However, God, the Glorious, chose to give humanity the freedom of choice and free will. If He did not allow harm to occur, He would be depriving mankind of freedom and free will. Since life is a test, this test would be meaningless without a degree of free will being given to humanity. Sometimes humanity chooses to act in evil ways. God is not the direct cause of these acts of evil. Instead, He is the One who Allows and Wills it to happen for the greater good--and for reasons we may or may not understand. According to the Holy Quran, evil deeds performed by mankind also result in punishments on this Earth. Every suffering in this World is a fraction of a bit of what mankind has afflicted on this Earth. "Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]" (Quran 30:41) God references the fact that many past nations have been destroyed due to their evil actions and disobedience. "So, We took retribution from them, and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them" (Quran 7:136) Amongst the many wisdoms inherent in the perception of evil is the fact, God loves to forgive--as He is the All-Merciful, the All-Forgiving. But for forgiveness to take place, there must exist sins and sinners to forgive. The protestation of human pain, suffering, misfortune, and hardship faced by innocent people, and the claim that 'life is unfair,' are legitimate complaints; but only if belief in the Hereafter is denied and neglected. Indeed, we all must face an afterlife; a Judgment day in which justice will be served and everyone will be compensated for their life actions. The evildoers will be punished for their sins, and the oppressed will be compensated and rewarded for their patience. "And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror]" (Quran 14:42) Indeed, with great trials and patience come great rewards. If one were to measure the suffering of this World against the blessings of the Hereafter, what is 20, 40, 60 years of suffering against an eternity of bliss? "And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew" (Quran 29:64) This World was never meant to be a perfect place devoid of hardship. Muslims believe that an ideal life without pain and suffering awaits them in the next World, not this World. This World is a stepping stone to the afterlife, that will lead you either to Paradise or the Hellfire. It's through the passing of test trials and tribulations that God raises one's rankings. It is for this very reason that God tests those He Loves. Additionally, when any calamity befalls a Muslim, God expiates some of his sins. When a patient person sees his misfortunes on the Day of Judgment and receives the reward he derived from his patience, he would wish that a more major calamity had struck him. The Holy Qur'an offers different remedies of coping with hardship, such as faith, prayer, patience, trust, and reliance, which God will give in the hopes of guaranteeing contentment and surety. It's essential that one recognizes that God will not place them in a situation where they cannot manage. "Allah does not burden a soul except [with that within] its capacity…" (Quran 2:286) Realize, in every hardship that one faces, God has given them the requirements to handle the situation and pass the test associated with it. He knows that one can cope with the situation, or he would not have placed that person in that difficulty in the first place. And realize that no harm can befall anyone except by the Permission and Will of the Almighty. God states: "Say, 'Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector’ And upon Allah let the believers rely upon" (Quran 9:51) A person of faith has a different attitude than others regarding calamities. He has surety and contentment in his or her heart, knowing that life is full of tests and trials; and that with time and patience, things will improve, and he will be rewarded. And remember my dear brother or sister, what your Lord has promised: "For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease" (Quran 94:5-6)  

Ray Amos shares from I Samuel about facing the giants in our lives and the All Powerful God who fights our battles for us.

Jesus - Humiliated Carpenter & All Powerful God

We receive strength by experiencing the love of Jesus and our All Powerful God. Ephesians 3:20 gives us insight into available help.

Name The Surah takes its name from the sentence Dhalika yaum-ut taghabun of verse 9, thereby implying that it is the Surah in which the word at taghabun has occurred. Period of Revelation Muqatil and Kalbi say that it was partly revealed at Makkah and partly at Madinah. Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas and Ata bin Yasar say that vv. 1-13 were revealed at Makkah and vv. 14-18 at Madinah. But the majority of commentators regard the whole of the surah as a Madinan Revelation. Although there is no internal evidence to help determine its exact period of revelation, yet a study of its subject matter shows that it might probably have been sent down at an early stage at Madinah. That is why it partly resembles the Makkah surahs and partly the Madinan Surahs. Theme and Subject Matter The theme of this surah is invitation to the Faith and obedience (to Allah) and the teaching of good morals. The sequence followed is that the first four verses are addressed to all men; verses 5-10 to those men, who do not believe in the invitation of the Qur'an; and verses 11-18 to those who accept and believe in this invitation. In the verses addressed to all men, they have been made aware in a few brief sentences of the four fundamental truths: First, that the universe in which they live is not Godless, but its Creator, Master and Ruler is an All Powerful God, and everything in it testifies to His being most Perfect and absolutely faultless. Second, that the universe is not without purpose and wisdom, but its Creator has created it with truth no one should be under the delusion that it is a mock show, which began without a purpose and will come to an end without a purpose. Third, that the excellent form that God has created you with and the choice that He has given you to choose between belief and unbelief is not a useless and meaningless activity so that it may be of no consequence whether you choose belief or unbelief. In fact, God is watching as to how you exercise your choice. Fourth, that you have not been created irresponsible and un-answerable. You have to return ultimately to your Creator, and have to meet the Being who is aware of everything in the universe, from Whom nothing is hidden, to Whom even the innermost thoughts of the minds are known. After stating these four fundamental truths about the Universe and Man, the address turns to the people who adopted the way of unbelief, and their attention is drawn to a phenomenon which has persisted throughout human history, namely that nation after nation has arisen and ultimately gone to its doom. Man by his intellect and reason has been explaining this phenomenon in a thousand ways, but Allah tells the real truth and declares that the fundamental causes of the destruction of the nations were only two: First, that they refused to believe in the Messengers whom He sent for their guidance, with the result that Allah too left them to themselves, and they invented their own philosophies of life and went on groping their way from one error to another. Second, that they also, rejected the doctrine of Hereafter, and thought this worldly life to be an end in itself, and that there was no life hereafter when they would have to render an account of their deeds before God. This corrupted their whole attitude towards life, and their impure morals and character so polluted the world that eventually the scourge of God itself had to descend and eliminate them from the scene. After stating these two instructive truths of human history, the deniers of the message of Truth have been admonished to wake up and believe in Allah, His Messenger and the Light of Guidance that Allah has sent in the form of the Qur'an if they want to avoid the fate met by the former peoples. Besides, they have been warned that the Day shall eventually come when all the former and the latter generations will be collected at one place and the fraud and embezzlement committed by each will be exposed before all mankind. Then the fate of each man will be decided finally on the basis as to who had adopted the path of the Faith and righteousness and who had followed the way of disbelief and denial of the Truth. The first group shalt deserve eternal Paradise and the second shall be doomed to everlasting Hell. Then, addressing those who adopt the way of the Faith, a few important instructions have been given: First, that whatever affliction befalls a person in the world, it befalls him by Allah's leave. Whoever in this state of affliction remains steadfast to the Faith, Allah blesses his heart with guidance; otherwise although the affliction of the one who in confusion or bewilderment turns away from the path of the Faith, cannot be averted except by Allah's leave, yet he becomes involved in another, the greatest affliction of all, namely that his heart is deprived of the guidance of Allah. Secondly, that the believer is not required to affirm the faith with the tongue only, but after the affirmation of the Faith he should practically obey Allah and His Messenger. If he turns away from obedience he would himself be responsible for his loss, for the Holy Messenger of Allah (upon whom be His peace) has become absolved from the responsibility after having delivered the message of Truth. Thirdly, that the believer should place his trust in Allah alone and not in his own power or some other power of the world. Fourthly, that the worldly goods and children are a great trial and temptation for the believer, for it is their love which generally distracts man from the path of faith and obedience. Therefore, the believers have to beware some of their children, and wives lest they become robbers for them on the Way of God directly or indirectly; and they should spend their wealth for the sake of God so that their self remains safe against the temptations of Satan. Fifthly, that every man is responsible only to the extent of his power and ability. Allah does not demand that man should exert himself beyond his power and ability. However, the believer should try his best to live in fear of God as far as possible, and should see that he does not transgress the bounds set by Allah in his speech, conduct and dealings through his own negligence. Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran

All Powerful God

YOU ARE LISTENING TO EPISODE 351 WIT' AUTHOR MARY BRYANT AND JERRY ROYCE LIVE ON PositivePower21.org.Author, Mary Bryant - www.doveministry378.orgPUBLISHED BY: Kingdom Builders Publications, LLCLouise Smith, Owner and PublisherPrayers, Poems and Precious Momentsis a collection of rich and vibrant personal prayers, heart touching poems and divine experience of precious moments through her relationship with Jesus Christ. The prayers are transparent and full of faith in an All-Powerful God. They are modern-day psalms of inspired moments that express the deepest inner emotion of the heart in relationship with God by the Holy Spirit. This collection is flowing with trust, love, adoration, thanksgiving, praise and a longing for a closer fellowship with Christ the Messiah. It also gives honest expressions of discouragement, distress, fear and anxiety.As you read this collection of Prayers, Poems & Precious Moments, you will be able to relate to the emotions of that inward place. So let yourself get to that place deep within, hidden and obscured from the human eyes and let the Spirit of the Living God touch you like never before. God has a blessing and destiny that is specific and unique just for you!

YOU ARE LISTENING TO EPISODE 351 WIT' AUTHOR MARY BRYANT AND JERRY ROYCE LIVE ON PositivePower21.org.Author, Mary Bryant - www.doveministry378.orgPUBLISHED BY: Kingdom Builders Publications, LLCLouise Smith, Owner and PublisherPrayers, Poems and Precious Momentsis a collection of rich and vibrant personal prayers, heart touching poems and divine experience of precious moments through her relationship with Jesus Christ. The prayers are transparent and full of faith in an All-Powerful God. They are modern-day psalms of inspired moments that express the deepest inner emotion of the heart in relationship with God by the Holy Spirit. This collection is flowing with trust, love, adoration, thanksgiving, praise and a longing for a closer fellowship with Christ the Messiah. It also gives honest expressions of discouragement, distress, fear and anxiety.As you read this collection of Prayers, Poems & Precious Moments, you will be able to relate to the emotions of that inward place. So let yourself get to that place deep within, hidden and obscured from the human eyes and let the Spirit of the Living God touch you like never before. God has a blessing and destiny that is specific and unique just for you!

Will we waste this day or will we LIVE this day? We have to make a choice. Will we choose to place our faith in the Loving, One True, Living, All-Powerful God. Or, Will we choose to run and hide out of fear.

Rev. Uki MacIsaac, MA, is an internationally acclaimed speaker, intuitive counselor and ordained minister. Through her unique gift of clairvoyance, she empowers her clients to integrate their spiritual purpose and live a fuller, more meaningful life. Having overcome life-threatening illness more than once, her mission is to teach, heal and inspire others to heal themselves by connecting to the power of Spirit within Uki MacIsaac at Youtube Rene Joergensen: You are invited to learn more about Rene, and the insights he has gained about life after death and the Light of our true being through his research of Near Death Experiences. Rose Foreman aka "Rose at the Barn" Rose continuously is helping people with horses as her associates, and explain how to connect with their true nature with the 'Spirit of the Divine' the ALL POWERFUL God! Her 'experiences' started at age 7, but She could tell noone! www.horseholiday.org www.softtouchhorsemanship.com blogtalkradio.com/caribbeanradioshow Call in at 8pm 1-661-467-2407

One of the most interesting moments in Church History comes in the conflict over the use of images in Worship. It's born of the reality that Christianity has its roots in Judaism but had vast appeal among pagan Gentiles.During the time of the Kings of Judah & Israel, Israel struggled with its call by God to abstain from idolatry. Indeed, a premier hallmark of religious revival under what are called the “Good Kings” was often marked by a systematic dismantling of idolatry across the land. King Josiah's campaign to eradicate idolatry and pagan high places after the reign of his grandfather Manasseh is a prime example. But ultimately, these revivals weren't able to stem the tide. Idols and high places went up as fast as they were torn down. So as warned by God, both Israel and Judah were carried away into captivity by foreign conquerors.Carted off to Babylon, Idolatry Central, the Jewish exiles came to loath idols as well as to lament the tendency of their souls to turn to them. Babylon seemed to be a kind of aversion therapy for the Jews. “You want idols? Okay, have them aplenty!” And there in Babylon Israel was seemingly cured of idolatry; they never struggled with it again. On the contrary, they returned from exile with an almost allergic reaction to anything that even hinted at idolatry. So much so, that Jews were regarded as strange by their pagan neighbors, not just that they believed in a single, All-Powerful God, but that they utterly refused to give Him any kind of imagery & physical representation. Some pagans wondered if in fact Jews were atheists, because of their fierce reduction of the gods & goddesses to a single deity Who refused to be represented by an image.And of course, the earliest Christians were Jews who understood their Faith, not as something new, but as something very old that had simply been moved along by God into the fulfillment He'd always pointed it toward. Jesus was THE fulfillment of what God had promised the First Jew = Abraham, all the way back at the beginning in Genesis 12. It was through Jesus all nations would be blessed. Fulfilling God's promise to Adam and Eve in Gen, 3, Jesus was the seed of the woman Who crushed satan's head and effected humanity's salvation.This Gospel quickly jumped the boundary between Jews & Gentiles. It turns out the Greco-Roman world of the 1st C was ripe for some much needed Good News. People were weary of the thread-bare of paganism with its pantheon of fickle gods and bitter goddesses. They were burned-out on the fatalism of Greek philosophy that locked them in a hopeless cage. The Gospel offered an entirely different way of looking at the world and life. It re-wrote peoples' idea of God and offered an intimate & eternal love relationship with Him that infused them with boundless hope and joy. It filled life with meaning and purpose.Once pagan Gentiles began coming to Faith in ever larger numbers, the Church had oit figure out what ot do with them. The NT book of Acts records an account of the Jewish leadership of the Church in Jerusalem wrestling with how to cope with all the Gentile converts. They didn't deal with the issue of images then, but they'd have to later. Because it was inevitable that image-hating Jews & image-loving Gentiles would come to a loggerheads over the role of images in the practice of the faith.Early on, Gentile converts to the Faith deferred to their elder Jewish brothers to define for them what to believe and how to conduct themselves. This included the use of images in worship. Pagans regarded opposition to the wor­ship of images as irreligious, and so the rumor began that Christians were atheists. But as more and more Gentiles came into the Faith and took on leadership of the Church, some of the old strictures fell by the wayside. From the 3rd to 7th Cs, a change in attitude toward imagery took place. In the 3rd C, the theologian Origen slammed the use of images worship. But by the 7th C images had become an indispensable part of religious life. The reasons and chronology for this sea change regarding images are obscured by a glaring lack of record. Like the transition form adult to infant baptism, it's something that took place without much controversy or debate, at least that we have record of.We don't became aware of the importance of images in worship until there was a major controversy over them. It's almost as though a significant portion of the Church woke up one day & said, “Wait. Where'd all these images come from and why are people worshipping them? This has to stop.” Now of course, that's way overstating it; but as far as the record in concerned, that's the way it appears. We don't really see much about the ubiquity of images in worship until there was a movement to banish them in the 8th & 9th Cs in what's called the Iconoclast Controversy. This controversy between image-haters and lovers stirred up fierce passion and is well documented. It concluded with the establishing of Eastern Orthodoxy as it's practiced today, where images in the form of icons play a central role in worship.With the arrival of Islam in the 7th C, the face of the Mediterranean World changed dramatically. In short order, vast regions that had looked to the Cross, now looked to the Crescent Moon. One time great centers of Christianity in Syria & Egypt became Muslim. But Islam's relentless march into Europe was stalled in 4 yr long siege of Constantinople and in Southern France by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732. Until the 8th C, though Rome was the sentimental capital of the Roman Empire, the Pope it's theological center, the far more populous East was the de-facto center of Christianity. With Islam's conquest of the Middle East and North Africa, Christianity's center shifted Westward into Europe, leaving Constantinople an increasingly isolated island in a Muslim Sea.Deprived of its once vaunted status and vast resources  supplied by the East, the Church in Constantinople went into decline. It was unable to answer the challenge of the now dominant Islam that proved to be an effective adversary to the moribund Faith the Church had fallen to. Islam was nothing like the mish-mash of frayed paganism Christianity had contended with in its early Cs. Islam regarded Christianity as degenerate and polytheistic in much the same way Chris­tians had considered paganism. Church leaders realized they needed to turn things around. A new generation of theologians and leaders emerged to take on the challenge.Leo III came to Constantinople's throne in 717 during the 2nd Muslim siege. He attributed the Arab presence and pressure on the City to Divine displeasure. The solution was a thorough round of repentance; a systematic purification of both Church & State.Leo established the Isaurian Dynasty after a 22 year period of near anarchy in Constantinople that saw 6 different emperors seize the throne. The Isurians ruled for the rest of the 8th C, repeatedly rescuing the Capital & what was left of the Christian East from the on-going menace of the Arabs and a new threat by pagan Bulgars. Even more thoroughly than Justinian the Great had, Leo reformed the Law Code, seeking to harmonize it with the Christian Faith.When Leo III came to the throne in 717, the Muslims launched a major campaign to take Constantinople. In Mid-Summer, an Arab army laid siege round the walls on the land side. An Arab fleet arrived a month later to seal off the flow of supplies by water.  But the Arab Navy was hammered by strong storms and Imperial cutters using a new weapon called Greek fire. Dysentery, the perennial enemy of siege-forces, as well as other sickness, forced the Arabs to withdraw the next Summer. While the army was able to march away, nearly the entire Arab fleet was sunk by a fierce storm. The Christians attributed all this to divine intervention. With the people of Constantinople thankful toward God, Leo thought it a good time to launch a reform of the Church; especially in regard to something he assumed was obvious to all godly folk; the use of images in worship. Well, Leo couldn't have misread the attitudes of his public more.As I mentioned, the early church theologian Origen was vehemently opposed to the use of images in worship based on the clear reading of the Second Commandment. The little we know about the eventual use of images began with the inclusion of relics. In Acts 19:12 we read an interesting little story about how some of the Apostle Paul's clothing was used to effect healing. Based on that, a theology was derived that used the remains and possessions of saints as touchpoints of devotion. And of course, a relic needed to be kept somewhere, so shrines were built to house them. Then churches were built to house the shrines. Both church and shrine were decorated with images pointing to the relic and the saint the relic came from.But of course, the use of symbols and a simple iconography started very early in the Christian tradition. Who doesn't know today that the fish became a secret symbol Christians used to identify themselves to one another in the midst of persecution? The catacombs of Rome are rich with imagery depicting the faith of those interred there. The anchor, ship and a shepherd are all early images Christians used to mark their faith.A lingering reluctance from Judaism to cast Jesus in the form of a man saw Him instead depicted as the Lamb of God. It wasn't till the very end of the 7th C  that a Council in Constantinople decreed Christ should be portrayed in His human form RATHER than as a lamb or some other symbol.While both Jews & Gentile converts agreed God in His essence as deity ought not be represented by an image, Jesus Christ was God become man. Some argued that just as God became man, taking on human flesh so that people could see, hear, and touch Him, so it wasn't just permissible to make images representing Him, it was necessary! Spurring the production of these images were the “discovery” of manuscripts that supposedly gave a description of Jesus, enabling artists to create a portrait. Wild reports of these portraits' miraculous completion at the hands of an angel while the artist slept were heard. Such “not made by hands” images were then given created for effecting healings and miracles. When Constantinople was attacked by the Avars in 626, Patriarch Ser­gius had icons of Mary painted on the City's gates & walls for protection.At the dawn of the 8th C images were in wide use in the worship of the Eastern Church. The West used them primarily as instructional aids, but their coin as aids in worship was growing. But that's not to say their use hadn't been a point of debate, minor as it may have been. Beginning in the 5th C, there are a handful of protests by church leaders in both the East and West. In 599 Bishop Serenus of Marseille was appalled by the cult that had sprung up around the images in his diocese. He ordered their destruction. Pope Gregory I at the turn of the 7th C told him he was right to resisr the adoration of images but instead of destroying them ought to use them as aids in instruction the illiterate.Our first record of a government action against images was a decree, not by a Christian ruler, but by a Muslim. In 723, Caliph Yazid II ordered the destruction of all images, not just in churches but in houses as well. This ban was secured by a Palestinian Jew's promise such a command would yield long life to the Caliph.  A hollow promise since Yazid died the next year. That becomes a frequent charge made by Christians at that time; that Jews urged Muslim rulers to interfere with their worship as get back for the Cs Christians had troubled Jews.The Quran doesn't pro­hibit images per se; only when they're turned into objects of worship; AKA idols. The first caliphs decorated their palaces with mosaics in the Byzantine style and used Roman coins that often bore the effigy of an Emperor or Christ. It was during this time Arabs began to reject all images, not merely those used in worship.As far as Christian rulers, it was Leo III, following the successful breaking of the 2nd Siege by the Arabs, who installed reforms that moved to eradicate the use of images in worship. The Patriarch of Constantinople at the time was Germanus. He pushed back on the initial order but only tepidly. He really didn't want to take on the Emperor. Besides many of the local bishops of Asia Minor were all for a suppression of images. In 720 Leo ordered that all coins be minted bearing the head of his son and co-emperor Constantine V, rather than the traditional bust of Jesus. Later, a simple cross was used. Leo's zeal increased dramatically when a volcano erupted. He took that as a sign of God's anger at the lingering presence of idolatry.  Leo personally took a hand in demolishing a bronze image of Christ tradition had assigned to the agency of no one less than Constantine the Great.In 730, Leo replaced Patriarch Germanus, who'd been less than enthusiastic about Leo's war on religious imagery.  The Imperial Chancellor Anastasius was made the new Patriarch. In the mean­time, John of Damascus, the most eminent Orthodox theologian since the Cappadocian Fathers, penned a defense of images from his refuge in Arab-ruled Palestine.At this point in our story, we'll switch from referring to religious imagery as images to their more accurate term – icons. Since we talked about what an icon was in Season 1 we'll summarize by simply saying that an icon isn't considered by those who make them as being painted; they are written. Artists who produce them attend extensive training and there are set rules for their production. They are deemed to be a means by which God's grace flows to those who use them in worship. They aren't worshipped, per se, they're venerated as aids IN worship or aids TO worship.Those opposed to the use of icons are called iconoclasts; icon-breakers. Supporters of icons were called iconodules; icon-servants.The afore-mentioned Constantine V was named co-emperor by his father in 720. He reigned as sole Emperor, 741-75. He was even more opposed to icons than his father. A number of theological arguments were developed by iconoclasts, mostly relating to portrayals of Christ. They said that since His human nature can't be separated from His divine nature, any attempt to portray Him was an at­tempt to portray God, which is forbidden by the 2nd Commandment. A similar line of reasoning was used with icons of saints who'd been raised into the heaven.  Icons were labelled by the boogeyman of being Nestorian. The only safe image iconoclasts allowed was the Cross. Emperor Constantine himself wrote an iconoclast treatise which is lost to us but which was cited by others. He ar­gued that while Christ's human nature may indeed be represented by an image, his divine nature can't. So, all portrayals separate the natures and are therefore heretical. Constantine V's position is called by some historians, Christian Primitivism. He would have caused no problems in his thinking among Christians prior to the con­version of his namesake, Constantine the Great. He rejected the interces­sion of the saints, a practice unknown among early Christians.In 754 Constantine V held what he numbered as the Seventh Ecumenical Coun­cil—a distinction denied by both Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Neither the pope nor the patriarchs of Alexandria, Anti­och, and Jerusalem, who by then were under Arab rule, attended. The patriarch­ate of Constantinople at the time was vacant. The Council lasted 7 months, and the record of its actions has been lost – all except its final decision regarding icons. The veneration of icons, that is, their use in worship was forbidden. So too was their destruction. A new iconoclast Patriarch was seated in Constantinople while the deposed Germanus, a Bishop of Cyprus, and John of Damascus were declared heretics.Constantine V didn't immediately treat iconodules as hated heretics. Threats from Islam obliged him to preserve internal peace for a time. But when the vast majority of monks became increasingly agitated iconodules, monasticism came under imperial scorn. In 761, 2 iconodule-monks were executed for speaking out against the Emperor. That action crossed a line in Constantine's mind that saw him then proceed to ramp up persecution of those calling for a reinstitution of icons.iThe Iconoclastic Controversy, as it is officially called, was the first period of persecution in Church history to be based on something other than a dispute concerning doctrinal fundamentals. Although to those caught up in it, it certainly seemed fundamental to them! Hey, when blood is being spilled, people tend to think it's pretty fundamental. Anything that trumps the urge to survival will do that. We're allowed the leisure of saying this was a controversy over non-essentials only because we're so far removed from its bite. For the first time, Christians executed Christians for religious reasons.When the main force of lingering iconodule support was found in monasteries and among monks, an Imperial military commander at Ephesus named Michael Lachanodracon decided to take matters into his own hands. He may have felt that he was only implementing what the Emperor wanted to but was restrained by politics from doing. In 770, he gathered all the monks and nuns he could find and ordered them to marry. Those who refused were blinded and exiled to Cyprus. He razed monasteries and those churches so filled with iconography it was easier to just level them. The military's participation in this may have been partly fueled by their frustration at being handed one defeat after another by the Muslims. But they  were also furious at the monasteries and monks  who drained much needed resources form the war effort and robbed the army of much needed man-power. As Lachanodracon assumed, Constantine V expressed his appreciation for his brutal and bloody campaign.When Constantine died in 775, the throne passed to his son Leo IV, The Khazar; so named because his mother was a Khazar princess named Irene. Which is a whole other fascinating tale. Influenced by his wife, also named Irene, who later played a gruesome role in Byzantine history, Leo abandoned the repressive iconoclast policies of his father. Leo named his 6 year old son Constantine VI co-emperor shortly after his own ascent. When he died only 5 yrs into his reign the 10 yr old became sole Emperor; except for that interesting mother of his who became the real power at court.Irene had already backed down the iconoclastic policy of the imperial gov­ernment during her husband's reign. With him out the way, she moved quickly to put an end to iconoclasm altogether. The iconoclastic patriarch Paul was forced to abdicate, allowing Irene's secretary, Tarasius to be elected to the post. A new Council was called in 786 to restore the veneration of images. It's called the 7th Ecumenical Council, even though that's what Constantine V had called his 32 yrs earlier. The new Council was opposed by large numbers of the military still beholden to Constantine V. Irene replaced iconoclast units with more loyal troops from Thrace and reconvened the council in Nicaea. The veneration of im­ages was declared orthodox; iconoclasts who recanted were forgiven & restored, despite the hostility of monks who wanted some serious pay-back. The Council managed to get around the charge of idolatry by saying the veneration shown images was to be understood as applying to the saint depicted, not to the image itself. Worship was reserved for God alone.When Constantine VI reached maturity, his power-hungry mom refused to step down. In the ensuing conflict, the ferocious icon­oclastic general Michael Lachanodracon took the son's part. Irene was able to resist at first, but when Asian troops threw in with Constantine he prevailed and was proclaimed sole ruler in 790.It seems Irene's apple didn't fall far from her tree in her son. He merged cowardice with cruelty, and lost the support of his followers. In  a shocking moment of scandal, he set aside his wife of 7 yrs to marry his mistress. That enflamed the hatred of the monks who went to Irene and gave her their support. So she was able to return and take the throne in August, 797. Constantine was blinded, a deformity that by Byzantine Law prohibited him from ever being ruler again.Talk about being a bad mom! Way to go Irene.Her cruelty may have done away with her son, but it provoked a coup that replaced her with Nicephorus I in 802. He died in battle 9 yrs later, to be succeeded by the inept Michael I Rangabe. Barely 2 yrs later Michael was deposed by another Leo, the V, who sought to restored the old Iconoclast policies of his namesake. He convened yet another council at Constantinople in 815, to once more do away with icons. But Leo V didn't have any popular support and was murdered by supporters of the next Emperor, Michael II. This guy was a moderate iconoclast,; that is, while advocating a theological position opposed to icons, he didn't use imperial force to make people stop their use. He hired an the out­standing iconoclastic scholar named John the Grammarian as tutor for his son and successor Theophilus, under whom iconoclasm enjoyed its last gasp. In 837, Tutor John was made Constantinople's Patriarch. An energetic repression of iconodules once again began, with a special focus on those pesky icon-loving monk.But by that time iconoclasm had lost its popular following and the movement ended with the death of Theophilus in 842. He was succeeded by his son Michael III under the regency of his widow, Theodora who immediately set about restoring the use of icons. John the Grammarian was deposed and in 843, a synod officially reinstalled the veneration of images.The brief revival of iconoclasm that ended with the so-called "triumph of orthodoxy" in March of 843 produced what we know today as Eastern Orthodoxy, the “Church of the Seven Councils.” From the perspective of Eastern churches, the Council of Nicaea in 787 was the 7th and last ecumenical council.  The councils Rome  convened and labeled as ecumenical the East regards only as regional synods. Later events would drive a wedge between the two churches, that up to this point had been one.

All Powerful God

Ray Amos shares from I Samuel about facing the giants in our lives and the All Powerful God who fights our battles for us.