Podcasts about Almighty

If God is sovereign, then isn't He also responsible? If the Almighty "elects" some people and hardens the hearts of others, aren't we off the hook? We can't sin if we can't really choose. Paul, playing devil's advocate in Romans 9, puts it this way: “Why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist His will?” He answers with an earthy illustration. We're not puppets; we're more like pottery. Here's Part 1 of Jim's sermon, Potter's Right Over His Clay. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10272021_0.mp3Scripture References: Romans 9:14-33

Children are often devalued in modern society. It is a surprise for many to see how the Almighty refers to children! Recorded October 19, 2021

On this episode B-Eazy gets to chat with rapper, chef, and all around dope artist Feva. They discuss the release of her new EP "Almighty Rouge". They get into a little bit of her background, what motivates her, and how is she so damn good at plating her food. All that and more on this special interview episode. Be sure to stream "Almighty Rouge" on all streaming platforms. Email: djblazeshow@gmail.com Call us up and let us know what you think 404-436-2370 Follow Feva on social media: IG: @fefetaughtme @danluxeart @fefefeedme This episode is brought to you by Southern Elegance Candle Company where modern values meet southern charm. Make sure to visit SECandleCo.com and use our promo code CRUX for 15% off of all regularly priced items.

Proper 25 First Psalm: Psalm 41; Psalm 52 Psalm 41 (Listen) O Lord, Be Gracious to Me To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 41   Blessed is the one who considers the poor!1    In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;2   the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;    he is called blessed in the land;    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.3   The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;    in his illness you restore him to full health.2 4   As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;    heal me,3 for I have sinned against you!”5   My enemies say of me in malice,    “When will he die, and his name perish?”6   And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,    while his heart gathers iniquity;    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.7   All who hate me whisper together about me;    they imagine the worst for me.4 8   They say, “A deadly thing is poured out5 on him;    he will not rise again from where he lies.”9   Even my close friend in whom I trusted,    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.10   But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,    and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11   By this I know that you delight in me:    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.12   But you have upheld me because of my integrity,    and set me in your presence forever. 13   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting!      Amen and Amen. Footnotes [1] 41:1 Or weak [2] 41:3 Hebrew you turn all his bed [3] 41:4 Hebrew my soul [4] 41:7 Or they devise evil against me [5] 41:8 Or has fastened (ESV) Psalm 52 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of God Endures To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 52   Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.2   Your tongue plots destruction,    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.3   You love evil more than good,    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah4   You love all words that devour,    O deceitful tongue. 5   But God will break you down forever;    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah6   The righteous shall see and fear,    and shall laugh at him, saying,7   “See the man who would not make    God his refuge,  but trusted in the abundance of his riches    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”2 8   But I am like a green olive tree    in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God    forever and ever.9   I will thank you forever,    because you have done it.  I will wait for your name, for it is good,    in the presence of the godly. Footnotes [1] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 44 Psalm 44 (Listen) Come to Our Help To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of the Sons of Korah. 44   O God, we have heard with our ears,    our fathers have told us,  what deeds you performed in their days,    in the days of old:2   you with your own hand drove out the nations,    but them you planted;  you afflicted the peoples,    but them you set free;3   for not by their own sword did they win the land,    nor did their own arm save them,  but your right hand and your arm,    and the light of your face,    for you delighted in them. 4   You are my King, O God;    ordain salvation for Jacob!5   Through you we push down our foes;    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.6   For not in my bow do I trust,    nor can my sword save me.7   But you have saved us from our foes    and have put to shame those who hate us.8   In God we have boasted continually,    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9   But you have rejected us and disgraced us    and have not gone out with our armies.10   You have made us turn back from the foe,    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.11   You have made us like sheep for slaughter    and have scattered us among the nations.12   You have sold your people for a trifle,    demanding no high price for them.13   You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,    the derision and scorn of those around us.14   You have made us a byword among the nations,    a laughingstock2 among the peoples.15   All day long my disgrace is before me,    and shame has covered my face16   at the sound of the taunter and reviler,    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17   All this has come upon us,    though we have not forgotten you,    and we have not been false to your covenant.18   Our heart has not turned back,    nor have our steps departed from your way;19   yet you have broken us in the place of jackals    and covered us with the shadow of death.20   If we had forgotten the name of our God    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,21   would not God discover this?    For he knows the secrets of the heart.22   Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23   Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!24   Why do you hide your face?    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?25   For our soul is bowed down to the dust;    our belly clings to the ground.26   Rise up; come to our help!    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! Footnotes [1] 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head (ESV) Old Testament: Zechariah 1:7–17 Zechariah 1:7–17 (Listen) A Vision of a Horseman 7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.' 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.' 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.' 12 Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?' 13 And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'” (ESV) New Testament: Revelation 1:4–20 Revelation 1:4–20 (Listen) Greeting to the Seven Churches 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail1 on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Vision of the Son of Man 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Footnotes [1] 1:7 Or mourn (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 12:43–50 Matthew 12:43–50 (Listen) Return of an Unclean Spirit 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” Jesus' Mother and Brothers 46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers1 stood outside, asking to speak to him.2 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Footnotes [1] 12:46 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 48, 49 [2] 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you” (ESV)

Scripture For Today:Job 21:15“Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?”Tune Into God pt 7Boy if that isn't a scripture that's applicable to society today. Amen! We have been talking these past few days about being “tuned into” God. Yesterday, I shared the example of you and your family being surrounded by a gang of thugs and your pray for immediate deliverance and help.  Earlier that day, you prayed for your light bill to be paid. God has not answered either prayer – yet. You truly believe you need a couple of thousand dollars of income – Immediately – or the lights are being turned off and you will not have any food to feed the family. That is not a NEED – it is an immediate WANT. You may think you NEED it (and you do). But in reality, it is your fault you are in that position, right?  We covered before that you were probably living outside your income, relying on credit cards to be paid with your income – but now that is lost. Right? Now, let's say you are out on a walk with your family and group of thugs surrounds you and is threatening to kill all of you.  They pull out their knives and they are getting ready to go to town on your family. You cry out to God… How would you like it if God answered, while you are about to be attacked, with, “Ok – I'm going to give you what you want. Once you get home, there is a $1000 check waiting for you in the mail box… It took me several weeks to get the right people to finally wake up and send it…but it's there.” That's what you WANTED right? That's what you begged God for during the past several days. The $1000?  That's what you've been praying for… it was a WANT, right? OR – would you be praying for God for an IMMEDIATE answer to a very REAL NEED that you have concerning the safety of your family?  Which one would you rather have God answer? THE NEED for immediate deliverance, right? You're crying out to God, “PLEASE GOD, HELP US!” And about 5 seconds later, a police car just happens to turn the corner.  The thugs see it and start running. Now, the police are in pursuit…and you and your family are safe. Would that be God answering an IMMEDIATE NEED that was totally out of your control - or your WANT which was based upon past mistakes you've made? Which one would you prefer God to answer? I think everyone would agree the immediate need would be priority. You still WANT the $1000 and it is needful…but as far as BELIEVING YOU RECEIVE WHEN YOU PRAY – are you seeing the difference as far as how quickly God can answer a NEED and how the WANTS will come… it will come… in due time. Again, God can answer immediately in all things. I'm not saying He will not answer. I have personally seem Him deliver me in a financial need. I don't have time to go into here, but – well…ok, let me share this because it will serve as an example. There was a time when we literally were living paycheck to paycheck. And the Veterans Administration was sending me a monthly check while I was taking college classes…and that was about our only income.  And this was a NEED and not a want. I had called the government agency, it was the Veterans Administration, and they said the check was being printed that day and would be put in the outgoing mail later that afternoon. It normally would take another two days for it to arrive. Sometimes three. But I needed it the next day. And it was a NEED. I prayed… My wife and I went to the store and when we came back, out of habit, I looked in the mailbox and there was the check. It had not even been two hours after I called and was told it was being printed “that afternoon.” But here was the check. And the amazing part - There was not even a postage cancellation stamp in the corner!  Then, about 30 minutes later, the mail truck went by putting our daily mail in the mailbox… I believe God sent an angel...

The book of Esther is one of only two books in the Bible- Old or New Testament- that never mentions God, the Lord, Yahweh, or any other of His Names. In fact one theologian said the writer of Esther seems to go out of his or her way, to not mention God. And yet, the Almighty and His Divine providence are present throughout the entire narrative of one young Jewish woman's act of incredible bravery. The subtext of the book of Esther is 'the silent sovereignty of God.' But the main point of the book is the fact that God's glory reigns, and that perhaps, "You Were Made for This Moment". That is the title of Pastor Max Lucado's new book. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Lucado talks about his exegesis of the book of Esther, how the events surrounding her situation are so parallel to our own today. Esther's story is about having faith in the face of incredible adversity. Like modern believers today, she had been acquiesced into a dominant culture that had watered down her faith and enjoyed many of the benefits it brought. But when the crisis came, her faith became fire, and she saved millions of her people from certain death. She was in fact, made for that moment. Pastor Lucado lets us see how Esther's story is our own. That in fact we were, Made for This Moment.

Check out this bonus episode of K100 featuring PCW Ultra's The Almighty Sheik! Sheik discusses his upcoming event this Friday in Wilmington, California! Talents scheduled to appear include Hammerstone, 5150, Ron Simmons, 2 Cold Scorpio, JTG, Ruby Raze, Warbeast, The Blood Hunter and more!Get Interactive on Twitter @Konnan5150 @TheRealDisco @MaskedRepublic @JFFeeney3rd @TheCCNetwork1 @K100Konnan Check out our Patreon site at Konnan.me and Patreon.com/Konnan for extra audio, FULL AD FREE episodes, exclusive video, listener roundtable discussion shows, weekly watch-a-longs, call in shows with Konnan and DI, plus so much more!

Download Hebrews 10-11 We are in the Church Stream reading from The Living Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis To God the Almighty we exclaim, "what a mighty God we serve!"  Amen. 10 - The Hebrews needed to stop clinging to the archaic system that God had Moses put in place  And that is why ch. 10 was written..  The rigors of the Law was a 1400 year long practice run for the perfect sacrifice; Jesus at Calvary.  The regular sacrifices had kept their minds on their sin instead of on forgiveness.  Christ's sacrifice, which was done willingly, was what was planned all along.  Rev. 13:8 states that the "Lamb of God"; Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world.  So the sacrifices were simply teaching a reverence for the blood of the sacrifices.  When Christ's sacrifice occurred, then the final deed had been done.  It also taught the relentless need for forgiveness and redemption.  And as time went on, there had to be a beleaguering dimension to the whole system - priests wondering if this was ever going to end, ever going to be enough.  And by default there would be the lingering thoughts as to if all this slaughter and blood pouring was accomplishing anything at all anyway.  (The Bible here says that the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins!)         So the Covenant has switched from being a priestly activity to the Holy Spirit moving and working in the hearts, minds, and souls of those who would commit to Christ; the risen sacrifice of the New Covenant.   Hence that same Sacrificed One is now our Great High Priest.  And because of this great salvation we have in God offering Himself for us, let's keep meeting together, serving one another, and let's have a holy reverence and gratitude for this sacrifice given for us.  It is an impetus for service, not a license to lapse into sin.  Deliberate lapsing eventually expels those thought to be saved from God's presence.  Scary stuff!    Because of our great salvation, let's stop all vengeance, endure, be joyful, and eagerly look for Christ's Return.  This is faith and faith is what we are called to. 11 - Look at all these wonderful souls who followed God wholeheartedly in faith.  From the beginning of the Scriptures to John finishing the Book of Revelation, all those who pleased God did so in faith.  Going through this whole list is inspiration of the highest sort in scripture.  Look at what they did for God and with God in faith!  Faith is how we please God.  In faith we press on when common sensibilities or discouragement would stop the next man in his tracks.  Faith formed the world, brought about our relationship with God, called us to Him, gave the Chosen a nation, a Covenant, brought victory after victory in routing enemies, expelled the wicked, rescued countless saints from peril, gave courage to press on.  And to those who seemingly did not make it or have good fortune, it is because the world was not worthy of them. God was there to swoop them up to another world.  God has done such marvels for He always wins.  And yet there is still more that God has for us.  We'll continue with that next week.  The Thread Through the Streams The theme through the week distills down to a question: "what is it that you want?" There may be a hundred things factoring in here, but God wants to know, what do you want? What is it that you desire? Numbers 31-33  At Moses command they attacked the Midianites who had led them into sin and caused the plague and all the trouble. But they left all the Midianite women alive; the ones who were more or less a squadron of prostitutes [31:16] Why do you leave the women alive that 24,000 of you had a romp with? Moses doesn't even wait for an answer. He just orders them to be disposed of.  Moses wants all distractions gone. The men who lingered wanted...just in case ... maybe.  We better not talk about what they wanted, huh.  Then two of the tribes wanted to stay east of the Jordan where the grasses were plentiful. Moses wants to make sure they don't simply want to dodge the battles. Lastly, they go over all the places they wandered to. In essence the situation asks, "did you want to walk all around and accomplish so little?" OK, don't do that again. Do what you're told from here on. That's what God wants. What do you want? II Chron. 10-16 - Rehoboam wants things to keep the way they are. The northern tribes want taxes lowered. Neither wanted to bend and God's glorious nation splits apart. Both wanted their own way more than God's.  No one wanted to ask God what to do from here! Abijah didn't want to walk with God and he didn't. He wanted God to help him win his battles - so He did, and he did. Asa wanted to clean up the country completely so he did. But at his end (last two years of life) he didn't want to go to God anymore. So he didn't ... and he suffered! Proverbs 9-12 God has it that wisdom invites us to be wise, gracious, righteous, diligent, productive, wealthy, discreet, thoughtful, blessed,  Do we want that?  All the opposite attributes call to us as well - as do people who lurk in the shadows that want us to join them on the road to outer darkness.  So what do we want?  What we want to be will determine where we will be. Ezekiel 18-20 retorts to all those who are blaming their fathers for their sin and their condition, "is that what you want to do? spend your lives looking in the rearview mirror cursing the departed? really?" If you want to be righteous, you will, and you will benefit from it. If you don't, you won't, and you will suffer for it

The Fall Feasts and Our Prophetic Moment 2021 Understanding the Kingdom Series | UTK94 Biblical Life TV   Understanding the Fall Feasts and their prophetic significance is essential in the days ahead.  There are three crucial aspects that are examined in this episode:  (1) The need for divine judgment in human history, (2) the importance of the fear of the LORD in the last days, and (3) our need to avoid a pseudo-repentance that is abhorrent to the Almighty.    Dr. Michael Lake is the Senior Pastor of Biblical Life Assembly, the Chancellor and Founder of Biblical Life College and Seminary. He is the author of the best-selling books, The Shinar Directive: Preparing the Way for the Son of Perdition, and The Sheeriyth Imperative: Empowering the Remnant to Overcome the Gates of Hell. Dr. Lake is a popular speaker at national Christian conferences and is a frequent guest on many Christian TV and radio/podcast programs in North America.

Has God painted Himself into a corner? If God's plan is to bring many people into His kingdom through the Messiah... Who comes through Israel... what happens when Israel de-certifies the Savior? "Nope, not this One!" It doesn't embarrass the Almighty, or even catch Him by surprise, but it does demand some explanation. We've come to that explanation in the book of Romans. First, Pastor Jim will give us some historical background, to start Part 2 of his message, Paul's Personal Heartache. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10192021_0.mp3Scripture References: Romans 9:1-3

There's a whisper within your soul. A whisper calling you on to discover more. More of who God is and more of all he created for you, and more of what he created you for. This whisper from the Almighty says “I have something to show you.” Have you heard it? God is trying to […]

The Tenth Principle of the Thirteen Principles of Faith states that God is aware of the actions of mankind and acts accordingly. This kickstarts the third section of the Principles which broadly deal with reward and punishment. Divine reward and punishment is only feasible if the Almighty has complete knowledge of all the behavior and […]

Cole and Tom dragged themselves out of bed for an early morning reflection session of yesterday's frustrating loss at Villa Park. You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?Our JustGiving page is now live! Donate today to support Acorns: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/villaA slow, sloppy, and disconnected performance; what's the cause of the recent slump?The Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings duo debate; time to play one up front?Tom and Cole discuss the class performance by John McGinn on Saturday and this season.What does this result say about Dean Smith and his future?How should Aston Villa approach the Arsenal game on Friday?All of this and so much more! Enjoy the podcast and Up The Villa!STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comTwitter: @7500ToHolteCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaTom Nightingale: @tdnightingaleEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children's Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/villaThank you to our FPL league sponsor, One2ElevenKits.Take advantage of their fantastic inventory of football apparel: https://twitter.com/one2elevenkits See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It is a horrifying thing to use your God-given life to commit adultery against the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1-2He who dwells in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;My God, in Him I will trust.”Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/my/profile)

As we get into part 2, we've got to get this issue settled in our thinking if we're ever going to be successful in our ambassadorship. The things of the Kingdom are spiritual in their reality.  Brought into this world through the born again yielding to the Kingdom that's already functioning in us. Remember what Jesus told us, “We're in this world but not of this world.” Paul adds to this revelation with this statement, He has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness and into His Kingdom. “LET THEM HAVE DOMINION” is one of the fundamental principles of the Kingdom of God into this visible world God gave His creation. Make no mistake, comprehending all that Christ has made available for His people demands a life of faith. A new way of living. 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We live by faith, not by sight.” NLT, we live by believing, not seeing.” But here's the deal, way too many of God's people are still governed more by the natural than the spiritual.  Truth is, it's not the powers of the kingdom of darkness that stop us, it's our refusal to embrace the world we're born of, embracing a way of living that is beyond humanity.  This is why we have to stop reading God's word as some religious, rule book. Look at it as his instruction manual for the Kingdom. Philippians 3:17-20, NLT- Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. Paul helps us see this clearer in 2 Corinthians 5, In Christ we have been given these new lives through Him and now since He's given us the ministry of reconciliation, He's calling others through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20, NKJV- We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. Ambassadors- A diplomat of highest rank, sent on behalf of their homeland, representing, and coordinating relations and events of the foreign land they've been assigned. In this passage in Corinthians, when he tells us we're new creations, what do you think new creations really means?  John 1:12, NIV- “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” Galatians 3:29, MSG- Since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.” Chapter 4, And because we are sons of God, His Spirit lives in us, making us heirs of God thorough Christ.Romans 8, We are joint heirs with Christ. Remember, CITIZENS OF HEAVEN God's original design was and is for His people to be the light of the world. In other words, we, His body the church are supposed to be the influence in business, education, government, in every aspect of society. Isaiah 48:17,NKJV- 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 by the way you should go.” According to Isaiah, God will lead us in success, but we've got to do it His way. The church His body, has been sent to inspire communities, impacting culture, being the driving force in society.  Remember, let them have dominion. Jesus restored what man lost. This is why He told us, “All authority was given to Me.” Then He sent His disciples out. And as we become successful in following the Lord, the more the Kingdom of Heaven is advanced. Check this out, Isaiah 11:9, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” As God's ambassadors, the church should be the driving force of influence. Now when I use the term church, I'm in no way referring to any one denomination or organization. I'm referring to the spiritual reality of the body of Christ in the earth functioning through those He has called.  Unfortunately, we have given place to the enemy in these areas of society. And because we have allowed the enemy to have too much liberty, he's turned things around to the point where now society is having to much of an influence in the church.  Causing great division in the church, diminishing our influence, and it's time for that to change. The prophet Ezekiel actually says, “This land that has become desolate, out of control and unrecognizable, is now becoming like the garden of Eden.” Jesus never intended for the gospel of the kingdom to be limited to just missing hell and making heaven. He's expecting the Kingdom of Heaven, His government, His ordained system, to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth.  This is why Jesus makes statements like He did in Matthew 6:33, AMP- “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” We literally are ambassadors for this kingdom we've been born into. But when the influence of God is removed from our culture, people are left to their own conclusions. Proverbs tells us, where there is no divine revelation from the Almighty, people make their own decisions. The thing is, without any revelation on how to live out of a world we can't see, the faith God has given us will be useless. Proverbs 14:12, NKJV- “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” The challenge for a lot of Christians is that we're so consumed with this world, (sleeping with Delilah)that believing in a way of living that we cannot access through our natural, human senses isn't something we honestly consider. This is why faith is an absolute in God's Kingdom. Anyone who comes to Him must believe… we have to embrace the reality that this world we represent is spiritual. And our God is supernatural! Remember, 2 Corinthians 5:7, We live by believing, not seeing. Stop letting this natural world dictate every decision we make. Let's stop looking at what we're not, the training and education you may or may not have. The titles and positions, who you may or may not know. And start expecting God to be the God of the Bible. The children of Israel repeatedly show us types of the Kingdom life. Understand, God doesn't change. He's still waiting on His people to go in and possess what He's already given. Numbers 13:1-2,30-32, NLT- “The Lord now said to Moses, “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let's go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So, they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.” Ten out of the twelve leaders God sent to bring back a report of the promised land, brought back nothing but unbelief. This prophetic picture lets us know that just because everybody's doing it doesn't make it right. The majority was wrong, led only by their senses, governed by unbelief. The Kingdom of Heaven is an already established government that cannot change, far superior to this fallen world. The question is, how long will we continue putting off possessing what God has given you? Ten unbelieving leaders led almost an entire nation away from God's promises, all because of where their focus was. So as ambassadors for Jesus, walking in the Kingdom of God, we are going to have to watch who we associate with. This is why Paul told us, don't kid yourself, evil company corrupts good habits, bad friends will destroy you. Remember Isaiah's words, “The Lord will lead you in the way you should go.”   

"ATFAT" is the abbreviation of "A turn for a turn". In other words, The Almighty treats us in the same fashion that we treat others. It's like a Divine mirror which we call, "The ATFAT principle." Like the other magnificent methods that The Almighty uses to run the world, this phenomenon is evident both in the laws of physics and in the laws of metaphysics. Simply stated, you'll find ATFAT both in the material world and in the spiritual world. This is the root of Newton's third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Applying this knowledge is the key practical key for staying out of trouble's way..

Mandisa is as genuine as it gets. She last appeared on Season 1 Episode 8 – Mrs. Almighty – and we're now catching up. The pandemic had just begun when last talked, so we chat about life since the pandemic changed the world and how she's dealt with this hard season.  We also talk about singleness and trusting God with the deepest desires of your heart. Can you relate? There's hope, and Mandisa knows it...and I hope you come away knowing it, too.   3:17- Finally being back on tour4:40- Kiya the pandemic puppy5:10- What Mandisa learned during that difficult season9:50- How Mandisa keeps her longings alive13:29- What Mandisa is looking for in a man14:20- The song Mandisa is looking forward to singing on the road

Octubre 12: Un clamor de confianza en tiempos de temor.Salmos 27:1‭-‬14 RVA2015:El SEÑOR es mi luz y mi salvación; ¿de quién temeré? El SEÑOR es la fortaleza de mi vida; ¿de quién me he de atemorizar? Cuando se acercaron a mí los malhechores, mis adversarios y mis enemigos para devorar mis carnes, tropezaron y cayeron. Aunque acampe un ejército contra mí, mi corazón no temerá. Aunque contra mí se levante guerra, aun así estaré confiado. Una cosa he pedido al SEÑOR; esta buscaré: que more yo en la casa del SEÑOR todos los días de mi vida, para contemplar la hermosura del SEÑOR y para inquirir en su templo. Porque en su enramada me esconderá en el día del mal; me ocultará en lo reservado de su tabernáculo; me pondrá en alto sobre una roca. Ahora levantará mi cabeza sobre mis enemigos que me rodean, y en su tabernáculo ofreceré sacrificios de júbilo. Cantaré y entonaré salmos al SEÑOR. Escucha, oh SEÑOR, mi voz con que clamo a ti. Ten misericordia de mí y respóndeme. Mi corazón ha dicho: “Busquen su rostro”. ¡Tu rostro buscaré, oh SEÑOR! No escondas de mí tu rostro; no apartes con ira a tu siervo. Tú has sido mi ayuda; no me dejes ni me desampares, oh Dios de mi salvación. Aunque mi padre y mi madre me dejen, con todo, el SEÑOR me recogerá. Enséñame, oh SEÑOR, tu camino; guíame por sendas de rectitud a causa de los que me son contrarios. No me entregues a la voluntad de mis adversarios, porque contra mí se han levantado testigos falsos que respiran violencia. ¡Oh, si yo no creyese que he de ver la bondad del SEÑOR en la tierra de los vivientes! Espera en el SEÑOR. Esfuérzate y aliéntese tu corazón. ¡Sí, espera en el SEÑOR!Cuando un ejército es derrotado y cuando una ciudad es invadida por los enemigos, los soldados y la población de esa ciudad van marchando con la cabeza mirando hacia abajo en señal de derrota y dolor. En este caso el salmista nos muestra un cuadro diferente. En el momento que se encontró rodeado por los enemigos que estuvieron a punto de derrotarlo e invadirlo, el Señor le dio una victoria milagrosa sobre sus enemigos, tornando la batalla a favor de David y él es el que marcha con la cabeza en alto en señal de conquista y victoria sobre sus enemigos. Si lees los libros de Samuel y Crónicas te vas a dar cuenta que el Señor hizo esto literalmente con David, permitiéndole ganar batallas que estaban casi perdidas pero David y sus soldados se encomendaban al Señor y peleaban en el nombre del Todopoderoso, derrotando ejércitos, especialmente cuando varios reyes se reunían para pelear contra David y el pueblo de Israel.Si alguien nos puede enseñar sobre confiar en Dios en tiempos de temor y confusión, es David. Cuando él era un fugitivo escondido en una cueva o cuando ya era rey de Israel, David se encontró en situaciones donde pensaba que todo estaba perdido pero mantenía su confianza en el Señor y el Señor le revelaba planes militares para contrarrestar las fuerzas del enemigo y así David ganó muchas batallas.Similar al verso 6, el Salmo 3 en el verso 3 hace referencia a la acción liberadora que el Señor hace a favor nuestro, levantando nuestra cabeza delante de todos los que nos han querido destruir. Pero, ¿cuál fue el secreto de David? David procuraba estar siempre cerca del tabernáculo de Dios, ofrecía continuamente ofrendas al Señor, y se deleitaba cuando la nube de Dios descendía sobre el tabernáculo y David experimentaba fuertemente la presencia de Dios en su vida. David buscó al Señor en todo momento y en todo lugar donde se encontraba; en el desierto, en las cuevas, y también cuando fue rey procuró estar cerca siempre de la presencia de Dios y le pedía a los sacerdotes que clamaran a Dios por dirección para que él pudiera ser un buen rey y dirigir al pueblo de Dios en justicia y rectitud. Te animo a que busques la presencia de Dios como nunca antes, que tengas nuevas experiencias en Su presencia; y que cuando estés pasando por momentos de aflicción y de temor, te refugies en el Señor para que Él te ponga sobre una roca y así tus problemas no te ahoguen ni tus enemigos te derroten.¡Así que ya no andes más cabizbajo! ¡Levanta tu cabeza en el nombre de Jesús!Considera:¿Andas siempre acorralado y cabizbajo por los momentos difíciles?A pesar de estar rodeado de circunstancias adversas, ¿mantienes una actitud optimista porque estás confiando en Dios?Soy tu amigo Eduardo Rodríguez. Que el Señor escuche tu oración y levante tu cabeza.Escucha la canción “No es confiar” de Nancy Amancio. Bendiciones de Dios para ti en este hermoso día.========

1PM - The Fastest 15 // Kathy Lambert apologizes, but why // Jayapal says people were trying to kill her and Pelosi on Jan 6 // Fauci the Almighty says Halloween is allowed // GUEST: Mike Solan, SPD Guild President, says vaccination mandate is another attempt at defunding police See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the twentieth episode in Eric Ludy's epic fall Daily Thunder series drawing on the boldness and bravery of the fearless missionary ventures to Irian Jaya (Papua New Guinea) during the twenty-five years from WW2 up until the massive harvest of souls in the 1960's. In this episode he shares the inspiring story of Stanley Dale's bewildering and courageous response to being shot through with five man-killing arrows in the heart of the jungle — and surviving. Everyday people absent of the power of Christ Jesus would fall to pieces in such circumstances, but the Christian, the one indwelled by the power of the Almighty, is able to work exploits even in their most weakened moments.  For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/. If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/ Support this podcast

The Almighty commands a special holy day, a special Shabbat to be observed following the 7 Days of Sukkot. On this day, we try to understand the fullness of the blessings that He promises us at the end of time. This is an October 5, 2021 translation of a podcast that was originally posted on September 30, 2021.    Sucot: Parte 9 Shemini Atzeret - Yo hago nuevas todas las cosas - Inglés y Español.  El Todopoderoso ordena un día sagrado especial, un Shabbat especial que se observa después de los 7 días de Sucot. En este día, tratamos de comprender la plenitud de las bendiciones que Él nos promete al final de los tiempos.  Esta es una traducción del 5 de octubre del 2021 de un podcast que se publicó originalmente el 30 de septiembre del 2021.

“A CEO trapped in a Rabbi's body.” In this frank, honest conversation, Aish HaTorah CEO Steven Burg shares the story of his career. Together, we explore his roots and track the realization of his potential while working for major global Jewish organizations. As the son of a Brooklyn Rabbi, he credits his father for firmly establishing in him a deep love and respect for Jewish life from a young age. He studied in Israel during the First Gulf War, and later attended Yeshiva University. “...then someone else goes, oh yeah, it's latte!” R' Burg then found a way to satisfy his desire for meaning and purpose by volunteering at the National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY). Nine years later, he was made a Regional Director for NCSY, eventually becoming its National Director and the Executive Director of the Orthodox Union (OU). He shares heartwarming vignettes from his days there. His next stop was at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a completely new challenge with very different objectives. “There was just this sense of responsibility for the Jewish people that really spoke to me. And they lived it. They didn't just talk about it. They lived it. That was number one. And number two was the relationship with The Almighty.” R' Burg discloses what drew him to Aish HaTorah: the values, the goals, and the mission that spoke to him enough to shift his niche. As Chief Executive Officer of Aish HaTorah International he has navigated through exceedingly complicated management and financial challenges. Yet he is committed to building the organization as a worldwide leader in Jewish education, helping steward it on a mission to reach 3 million unaffiliated Jews via social media by 2030. “God gave us the tool. He gave us Jewish wisdom to connect to him. So, we just have to make it available to folks out there. Albeit in the old days, discovery was three days and now I've got 15 seconds on a TikTok. So that's changed a little bit in terms of attention span, but we've got to be where the people are.” Connect with Rabbi Steven Burg: Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabbi-steven-burg-0b59a83 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/stevenjburg/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RabbiSteveBurg Connect with the host: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewsyoushouldknow Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewsUShouldKnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jewsyoushouldknow Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-koretzky-18b12217/

Opening Song:  Loving Kind by Antoine Bradford Lyrics: It's been awhile since I felt You near to me,  And all I hold is the vagueness of Your memory Why did I roam so far from You oh Lord,  I had You right inside the center of my heart, and I took it for granted but   You always stayed by my side, and You always answered my cry And when I fall You catch me Cause You are the Loving Kind   So take me into Your loving arms again,  Cause I'm so tired of dancin' with my sin Why did I roam so far from You oh Lord, I had You right inside the center of my heart and I took it for granted but   You always stayed by my side, and You always answered my cry And when I fall You catch me Cause You are the Loving Kind Passage:  1   Then Job answered and said:   2 “Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. 3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. 6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me. 7 There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.   8 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; 9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. 16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; 17 yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face.  (Job 23:1–9, 16–17) Musical Reflection: Jesus, Remember Me by Jacques Berthier  Reflection Notes:  “Jesus, Remember Me” is a tune from the French Taizé tradition; these simple songs are meant to be repeated indefinitely with added instrumentation or voice parts. They are meant to be meditative and allow for prayer.  Prayer: This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me Mara,[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Job 23:1-9, 16-17 ; Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 ; Hebrews 4:12-16 ; Mark 10:17-31 Job's Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz 23 Then Job spoke again: 2 “My complaint today is still a bitter one,     and I try hard not to groan aloud. 3 If only I knew where to find God,     I would go to his court. 4 I would lay out my case     and present my arguments. 5 Then I would listen to his reply     and understand what he says to me. 6 Would he use his great power to argue with me?     No, he would give me a fair hearing. 7 Honest people can reason with him,     so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. 8 I go east, but he is not there.     I go west, but I cannot find him. 9 I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.     I look to the south, but he is concealed. Read full chapter   Job 23:16-17   New Living Translation     16 God has made me sick at heart;     the Almighty has terrified me. 17 Darkness is all around me;     thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere. Read full chapter   Amos 5:6-7   New Living Translation     6 Come back to the Lord and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel[a] like a fire,     devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel     won't be able to quench the flames. 7 You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed.     You treat the righteous like dirt. Read full chapter Footnotes 5:6 Hebrew the house of Joseph.   Amos 5:10-15   New Living Translation     10 How you hate honest judges!     How you despise people who tell the truth! 11 You trample the poor,     stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses,     you will never live in them. Though you plant lush vineyards,     you will never drink wine from them. 12 For I know the vast number of your sins     and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes     and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. 13 So those who are smart keep their mouths shut,     for it is an evil time. 14 Do what is good and run from evil     so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven's Armies will be your helper,     just as you have claimed. 15 Hate evil and love what is good;     turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven's Armies     will have mercy on the remnant of his people.[a] Read full chapter Footnotes 5:15 Hebrew the remnant of Joseph.   Hebrews 4:12-16   New Living Translation     12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Christ Is Our High Priest 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Read full chapter   Mark 10:17-31   New Living Translation     The Rich Man 17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'[a]” 20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven't done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard[b] to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” 28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We've given up everything to follow you,” he said. 29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[c]”

Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2 Gird yourselves and weep, O priests! wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! The house of your God is deprived of offering and libation. Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the elders, all who dwell in the land, Into the house of the LORD, your God, and cry to the LORD! Alas, the day! for near is the day of the LORD, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and somberness! Like dawn spreading over the mountains, a people numerous and mighty! Their like has not been from of old, nor will it be after them, even to the years of distant generations. Responsorial Psalm 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9 R. (9) The Lord will judge the world with justice. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, Most High. R. The Lord will judge the world with justice. You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; their name you blotted out forever and ever. The nations are sunk in the pit they have made; in the snare they set, their foot is caught. R. The Lord will judge the world with justice. But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has set up his throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; he governs the peoples with equity. Lk 11:15-26 When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sofia-fonseca7/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sofia-fonseca7/support

In Acts 1:13-14 “certain women” are mentioned alongside the disciples. Who were they? Was it intentional that Mark has a stand-in appear inside Jesus's tomb instead of Jesus himself? Also, that Mark had the stand-in notify a group of women first about Jesus's resurrection? What is your understanding of Ezekiel's vision of the temple and the restoration of the pure worship? The Gabriel Revelation Stone, discovered at the Dead Sea in the early 2000, is said to depict the angel commanding the slain Messiah Simon of Peraea to rise on the 3rd day? Is that true? Is there a so-called musical source in the Tanakh? Is there an English translation of the old testament that uses the original names El, Elyon, Yahweh, and El Shaddai instead of substituting Lord, God, Almighty, or Adonai? In 1 Corinthians 11:25 Jesus says, “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”' What does 'this' refer to here? And when he says "as often as you drink it" What is “it' in this context?  Can you explain which components of Christianity originated from Judaism and which originated from Greek thinking?

Old Testament: Isaiah 31–33 Isaiah 31–33 (Listen) Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt 31   Woe1 to those who go down to Egypt for help    and rely on horses,  who trust in chariots because they are many    and in horsemen because they are very strong,  but do not look to the Holy One of Israel    or consult the LORD!2   And yet he is wise and brings disaster;    he does not call back his words,  but will arise against the house of the evildoers    and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.3   The Egyptians are man, and not God,    and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.  When the LORD stretches out his hand,    the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,    and they will all perish together. 4   For thus the LORD said to me,  “As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,    and when a band of shepherds is called out against him  he is not terrified by their shouting    or daunted at their noise,  so the LORD of hosts will come down    to fight2 on Mount Zion and on its hill.5   Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts    will protect Jerusalem;  he will protect and deliver it;    he will spare and rescue it.” 6 Turn to him from whom people3 have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. 8   “And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;    and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;  and he shall flee from the sword,    and his young men shall be put to forced labor.9   His rock shall pass away in terror,    and his officers desert the standard in panic,”  declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion,    and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. A King Will Reign in Righteousness 32   Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,    and princes will rule in justice.2   Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,    a shelter from the storm,  like streams of water in a dry place,    like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.3   Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,    and the ears of those who hear will give attention.4   The heart of the hasty will understand and know,    and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.5   The fool will no more be called noble,    nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.6   For the fool speaks folly,    and his heart is busy with iniquity,  to practice ungodliness,    to utter error concerning the LORD,  to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,    and to deprive the thirsty of drink.7   As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil;    he plans wicked schemes  to ruin the poor with lying words,    even when the plea of the needy is right.8   But he who is noble plans noble things,    and on noble things he stands. Complacent Women Warned of Disaster 9   Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;    you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.10   In little more than a year    you will shudder, you complacent women;  for the grape harvest fails,    the fruit harvest will not come.11   Tremble, you women who are at ease,    shudder, you complacent ones;  strip, and make yourselves bare,    and tie sackcloth around your waist.12   Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,    for the fruitful vine,13   for the soil of my people    growing up in thorns and briers,  yes, for all the joyous houses    in the exultant city.14   For the palace is forsaken,    the populous city deserted;  the hill and the watchtower    will become dens forever,  a joy of wild donkeys,    a pasture of flocks;15   until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,    and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,    and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.16   Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,    and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.17   And the effect of righteousness will be peace,    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust4 forever.18   My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,    in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.19   And it will hail when the forest falls down,    and the city will be utterly laid low.20   Happy are you who sow beside all waters,    who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free. O Lord, Be Gracious to Us 33   Ah, you destroyer,    who yourself have not been destroyed,  you traitor,    whom none has betrayed!  When you have ceased to destroy,    you will be destroyed;  and when you have finished betraying,    they will betray you. 2   O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.    Be our arm every morning,    our salvation in the time of trouble.3   At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;    when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,4   and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;    as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. 5   The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;    he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,6   and he will be the stability of your times,    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;    the fear of the LORD is Zion's5 treasure. 7   Behold, their heroes cry in the streets;    the envoys of peace weep bitterly.8   The highways lie waste;    the traveler ceases.  Covenants are broken;    cities6 are despised;    there is no regard for man.9   The land mourns and languishes;    Lebanon is confounded and withers away;  Sharon is like a desert,    and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves. 10   “Now I will arise,” says the LORD,    “now I will lift myself up;    now I will be exalted.11   You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble;    your breath is a fire that will consume you.12   And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,    like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.” 13   Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;    and you who are near, acknowledge my might.14   The sinners in Zion are afraid;    trembling has seized the godless:  “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?    Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”15   He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,    who despises the gain of oppressions,  who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,    who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed    and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,16   he will dwell on the heights;    his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;    his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. 17   Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;    they will see a land that stretches afar.18   Your heart will muse on the terror:    “Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute?    Where is he who counted the towers?”19   You will see no more the insolent people,    the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,    stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.20   Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!    Your eyes will see Jerusalem,    an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent,  whose stakes will never be plucked up,    nor will any of its cords be broken.21   But there the LORD in majesty will be for us    a place of broad rivers and streams,  where no galley with oars can go,    nor majestic ship can pass.22   For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver;    the LORD is our king; he will save us. 23   Your cords hang loose;    they cannot hold the mast firm in its place    or keep the sail spread out.  Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided;    even the lame will take the prey.24   And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”;    the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity. Footnotes [1] 31:1 Or Ah, [2] 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike [3] 31:6 Hebrew they [4] 32:17 Or security [5] 33:6 Hebrew his [6] 33:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll witnesses (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 91 Psalm 91 (Listen) My Refuge and My Fortress 91   He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2   I will say1 to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,    my God, in whom I trust.” 3   For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler    and from the deadly pestilence.4   He will cover you with his pinions,    and under his wings you will find refuge;    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5   You will not fear the terror of the night,    nor the arrow that flies by day,6   nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7   A thousand may fall at your side,    ten thousand at your right hand,    but it will not come near you.8   You will only look with your eyes    and see the recompense of the wicked. 9   Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—    the Most High, who is my refuge2—10   no evil shall be allowed to befall you,    no plague come near your tent. 11   For he will command his angels concerning you    to guard you in all your ways.12   On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.13   You will tread on the lion and the adder;    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14   “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;    I will protect him, because he knows my name.15   When he calls to me, I will answer him;    I will be with him in trouble;    I will rescue him and honor him.16   With long life I will satisfy him    and show him my salvation.” Footnotes [1] 91:2 Septuagint He will say [2] 91:9 Or For you, O Lord, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place (ESV) New Testament: Acts 15 Acts 15 (Listen) The Jerusalem Council 15 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.1 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16   “‘After this I will return,  and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;  I will rebuild its ruins,     and I will restore it,17   that the remnant2 of mankind may seek the Lord,    and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,    says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.' 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers 22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers3 who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you4 with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 68 Psalm 68 (Listen) God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;    and those who hate him shall flee before him!2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;    as wax melts before fire,    so the wicked shall perish before God!3   But the righteous shall be glad;    they shall exult before God;    they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;  his name is the LORD;    exult before him!5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation.6   God settles the solitary in a home;    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,    before God, the One of Sinai,    before God,1 the God of Israel.9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;    you restored your inheritance as it languished;10   your flock2 found a dwelling in it;    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11   The Lord gives the word;    the women who announce the news are a great host:12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”  The women at home divide the spoil—13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—  the wings of a dove covered with silver,    its pinions with shimmering gold.14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,    let snow fall on Zalmon. 15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;    O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,    at the mount that God desired for his abode,    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,    thousands upon thousands;    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.18   You ascended on high,    leading a host of captives in your train    and receiving gifts among men,  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is4 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you5 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,6    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.731   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his8 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Footnotes [1] 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God [2] 68:10 Or your congregation [3] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 [4] 68:24 Or has been [5] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [6] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [7] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [8] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 3 1 Kings 3 (Listen) Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom 3 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD. 3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. Solomon's Wisdom 16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. 19 And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king. 23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead'; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.'” 24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 29–30 Ezekiel 29–30 (Listen) Prophecy Against Egypt 29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:   “Behold, I am against you,    Pharaoh king of Egypt,  the great dragon that lies    in the midst of his streams,  that says, ‘My Nile is my own;    I made it for myself.'4   I will put hooks in your jaws,    and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales;  and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams,    with all the fish of your streams    that stick to your scales.5   And I will cast you out into the wilderness,    you and all the fish of your streams;  you shall fall on the open field,    and not be brought together or gathered.  To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens    I give you as food. 6 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD. “Because you1 have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel, 7 when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.2 8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, 9 and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. “Because you3 said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,' 10 therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries. 13 “For thus says the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, 14 and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. 16 And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.” 17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth4 and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord GOD. 21 “On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” A Lament for Egypt 30 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:   “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!'3     For the day is near,    the day of the LORD is near;  it will be a day of clouds,    a time of doom for5 the nations.4   A sword shall come upon Egypt,    and anguish shall be in Cush,  when the slain fall in Egypt,    and her wealth6 is carried away,    and her foundations are torn down. 5 Cush, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya,7 and the people of the land that is in league,8 shall fall with them by the sword. 6   “Thus says the LORD:  Those who support Egypt shall fall,    and her proud might shall come down;  from Migdol to Syene    they shall fall within her by the sword,  declares the Lord GOD.7   And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries,    and their cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste.8   Then they will know that I am the LORD,    when I have set fire to Egypt,    and all her helpers are broken. 9 “On that day messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting people of Cush, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom;9 for, behold, it comes! 10 “Thus says the Lord GOD:   “I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt,    by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.11   He and his people with him, the most ruthless of nations,    shall be brought in to destroy the land,  and they shall draw their swords against Egypt    and fill the land with the slain.12   And I will dry up the Nile    and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers;  I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it,    by the hand of foreigners;  I am the LORD; I have spoken. 13 “Thus says the Lord GOD:   “I will destroy the idols    and put an end to the images in Memphis;  there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt;    so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.14   I will make Pathros a desolation    and will set fire to Zoan    and will execute judgments on Thebes.15   And I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,    the stronghold of Egypt,    and cut off the multitude10 of Thebes.16   And I will set fire to Egypt;    Pelusium shall be in great agony;  Thebes shall be breached,    and Memphis shall face enemies11 by day.17   The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword,    and the women12 shall go into captivity.18   At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark,    when I break there the yoke bars of Egypt,  and her proud might shall come to an end in her;    she shall be covered by a cloud,    and her daughters shall go into captivity.19   Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt.    Then they will know that I am the LORD.” Egypt Shall Fall to Babylon 20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries. 24 And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded. 25 

Old Testament: Isaiah 31–33 Isaiah 31–33 (Listen) Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt 31   Woe1 to those who go down to Egypt for help    and rely on horses,  who trust in chariots because they are many    and in horsemen because they are very strong,  but do not look to the Holy One of Israel    or consult the LORD!2   And yet he is wise and brings disaster;    he does not call back his words,  but will arise against the house of the evildoers    and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.3   The Egyptians are man, and not God,    and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.  When the LORD stretches out his hand,    the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,    and they will all perish together. 4   For thus the LORD said to me,  “As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,    and when a band of shepherds is called out against him  he is not terrified by their shouting    or daunted at their noise,  so the LORD of hosts will come down    to fight2 on Mount Zion and on its hill.5   Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts    will protect Jerusalem;  he will protect and deliver it;    he will spare and rescue it.” 6 Turn to him from whom people3 have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. 8   “And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;    and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;  and he shall flee from the sword,    and his young men shall be put to forced labor.9   His rock shall pass away in terror,    and his officers desert the standard in panic,”  declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion,    and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. A King Will Reign in Righteousness 32   Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,    and princes will rule in justice.2   Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,    a shelter from the storm,  like streams of water in a dry place,    like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.3   Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,    and the ears of those who hear will give attention.4   The heart of the hasty will understand and know,    and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.5   The fool will no more be called noble,    nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.6   For the fool speaks folly,    and his heart is busy with iniquity,  to practice ungodliness,    to utter error concerning the LORD,  to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,    and to deprive the thirsty of drink.7   As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil;    he plans wicked schemes  to ruin the poor with lying words,    even when the plea of the needy is right.8   But he who is noble plans noble things,    and on noble things he stands. Complacent Women Warned of Disaster 9   Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;    you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.10   In little more than a year    you will shudder, you complacent women;  for the grape harvest fails,    the fruit harvest will not come.11   Tremble, you women who are at ease,    shudder, you complacent ones;  strip, and make yourselves bare,    and tie sackcloth around your waist.12   Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,    for the fruitful vine,13   for the soil of my people    growing up in thorns and briers,  yes, for all the joyous houses    in the exultant city.14   For the palace is forsaken,    the populous city deserted;  the hill and the watchtower    will become dens forever,  a joy of wild donkeys,    a pasture of flocks;15   until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,    and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,    and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.16   Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,    and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.17   And the effect of righteousness will be peace,    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust4 forever.18   My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,    in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.19   And it will hail when the forest falls down,    and the city will be utterly laid low.20   Happy are you who sow beside all waters,    who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free. O Lord, Be Gracious to Us 33   Ah, you destroyer,    who yourself have not been destroyed,  you traitor,    whom none has betrayed!  When you have ceased to destroy,    you will be destroyed;  and when you have finished betraying,    they will betray you. 2   O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.    Be our arm every morning,    our salvation in the time of trouble.3   At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;    when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,4   and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;    as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. 5   The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;    he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,6   and he will be the stability of your times,    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;    the fear of the LORD is Zion's5 treasure. 7   Behold, their heroes cry in the streets;    the envoys of peace weep bitterly.8   The highways lie waste;    the traveler ceases.  Covenants are broken;    cities6 are despised;    there is no regard for man.9   The land mourns and languishes;    Lebanon is confounded and withers away;  Sharon is like a desert,    and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves. 10   “Now I will arise,” says the LORD,    “now I will lift myself up;    now I will be exalted.11   You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble;    your breath is a fire that will consume you.12   And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,    like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.” 13   Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;    and you who are near, acknowledge my might.14   The sinners in Zion are afraid;    trembling has seized the godless:  “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?    Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”15   He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,    who despises the gain of oppressions,  who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,    who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed    and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,16   he will dwell on the heights;    his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;    his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. 17   Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;    they will see a land that stretches afar.18   Your heart will muse on the terror:    “Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute?    Where is he who counted the towers?”19   You will see no more the insolent people,    the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,    stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.20   Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!    Your eyes will see Jerusalem,    an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent,  whose stakes will never be plucked up,    nor will any of its cords be broken.21   But there the LORD in majesty will be for us    a place of broad rivers and streams,  where no galley with oars can go,    nor majestic ship can pass.22   For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver;    the LORD is our king; he will save us. 23   Your cords hang loose;    they cannot hold the mast firm in its place    or keep the sail spread out.  Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided;    even the lame will take the prey.24   And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”;    the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity. Footnotes [1] 31:1 Or Ah, [2] 31:4 The Hebrew words for hosts and to fight sound alike [3] 31:6 Hebrew they [4] 32:17 Or security [5] 33:6 Hebrew his [6] 33:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll witnesses (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 13:20–25 Hebrews 13:20–25 (Listen) Benediction 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us1 that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Final Greetings 22 I appeal to you, brothers,2 bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you. Footnotes [1] 13:21 Some manuscripts you [2] 13:22 Or brothers and sisters (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 91 Psalm 91 (Listen) My Refuge and My Fortress 91   He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2   I will say1 to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,    my God, in whom I trust.” 3   For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler    and from the deadly pestilence.4   He will cover you with his pinions,    and under his wings you will find refuge;    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5   You will not fear the terror of the night,    nor the arrow that flies by day,6   nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7   A thousand may fall at your side,    ten thousand at your right hand,    but it will not come near you.8   You will only look with your eyes    and see the recompense of the wicked. 9   Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—    the Most High, who is my refuge2—10   no evil shall be allowed to befall you,    no plague come near your tent. 11   For he will command his angels concerning you    to guard you in all your ways.12   On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.13   You will tread on the lion and the adder;    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14   “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;    I will protect him, because he knows my name.15   When he calls to me, I will answer him;    I will be with him in trouble;    I will rescue him and honor him.16   With long life I will satisfy him    and show him my salvation.” Footnotes [1] 91:2 Septuagint He will say [2] 91:9 Or For you, O Lord, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 25:11–14 Proverbs 25:11–14 (Listen) 11   A word fitly spoken    is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.12   Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold    is a wise reprover to a listening ear.13   Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest    is a faithful messenger to those who send him;    he refreshes the soul of his masters.14   Like clouds and wind without rain    is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. (ESV)

God is the Most High God, the Almighty God, the Lord God and the eternal God! Psalm 91:1-2 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will […]

With family: 1 Kings 10; Philippians 1 1 Kings 10 (Listen) The Queen of Sheba 10 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. 6 And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents1 of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 11 Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. 12 And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day. 13 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants. Solomon's Great Wealth 14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 15 besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels2 of gold went into each shield. 17 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas3 of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top,4 and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 20 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. 21 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.5 23 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 25 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh,6 spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from Kue at a price. 29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. Footnotes [1] 10:10 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [2] 10:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 10:17 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram [4] 10:19 Or and at the back of the throne was a calf's head [5] 10:22 Or baboons [6] 10:25 Or armor (ESV) Philippians 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul and Timothy, servants1 of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers2 and deacons:3 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving and Prayer 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,4 both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. The Advance of the Gospel 12 I want you to know, brothers,5 that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard6 and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word7 without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. To Live Is Christ Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy8 of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:1 Or bishops; Greek episkopoi [3] 1:1 Or servants, or ministers; Greek diakonoi [4] 1:7 Or you all have fellowship with me in grace [5] 1:12 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verse 14 [6] 1:13 Greek in the whole praetorium [7] 1:14 Some manuscripts add of God [8] 1:27 Greek Only behave as citizens worthy (ESV) In private: Psalm 91; Ezekiel 40 Psalm 91 (Listen) My Refuge and My Fortress 91   He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2   I will say1 to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,    my God, in whom I trust.” 3   For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler    and from the deadly pestilence.4   He will cover you with his pinions,    and under his wings you will find refuge;    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5   You will not fear the terror of the night,    nor the arrow that flies by day,6   nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7   A thousand may fall at your side,    ten thousand at your right hand,    but it will not come near you.8   You will only look with your eyes    and see the recompense of the wicked. 9   Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—    the Most High, who is my refuge2—10   no evil shall be allowed to befall you,    no plague come near your tent. 11   For he will command his angels concerning you    to guard you in all your ways.12   On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.13   You will tread on the lion and the adder;    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14   “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;    I will protect him, because he knows my name.15   When he calls to me, I will answer him;    I will be with him in trouble;    I will rescue him and honor him.16   With long life I will satisfy him    and show him my salvation.” Footnotes [1] 91:2 Septuagint He will say [2] 91:9 Or For you, O Lord, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place (ESV) Ezekiel 40 (Listen) Vision of the New Temple 40 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city.1 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” The East Gate to the Outer Court 5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth2 in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6 Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.3 7 And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. 8 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. 9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. 10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. 11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. 13 Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other. 14 He measured also the vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.4 15 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees. The Outer Court 17 Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court,5 a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.6 The North Gate 20 As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. 21 Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 22 And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. The South Gate 24 And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. 25 Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 26 And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. 27 And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. The Inner Court 28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others. 29 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 30 And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. 31 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps. 32 Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others. 33 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 34 Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. 35 Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others. 36 Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others,7 and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 37 Its vestibule8 faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps. 38 There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate,9 where the burnt offering was to be washed. 39 And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered. 40 And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. 41 Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter. 42 And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. 43 And hooks,10 a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid. Chambers for the Priests 44 On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers11 in the inner court, one12 at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south13 gate facing north. 45 And he said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, 46 and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone14 among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to him.” 47 And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple. The Vestibule of the Temple 48 Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate15 were three cubits on either side. 49 The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve16 cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps.17 And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side. Footnotes [1] 40:1 Hebrew brought me there [2] 40:5 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters; a handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters [3] 40:6 Hebrew deep, and one threshold, one reed deep [4] 40:14 Text uncertain; Hebrew And he made the jambs sixty cubits, and to the jamb of the court was the gateway all around [5] 40:19 Hebrew distance from before the low gate before the inner court to the outside [6] 40:19 Or cubits. So far the eastern gate; now to the northern gate [7] 40:36 One manuscript (compare verses 29 and 33); most manuscripts lack were of the same size as the others [8] 40:37 Septuagint, Vulgate (compare verses 26, 31, 34); Hebrew jambs [9] 40:38 Hebrew at the jambs, the gates [10] 40:43 Or shelves [11] 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew were chambers for singers [12] 40:44 Hebrew lacks one [13] 40:44 Septuagint; Hebrew east [14] 40:46 Hebrew lacks alone [15] 40:48 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate [16] 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew eleven [17] 40:49 Septuagint; Hebrew and by steps that would go up to it (ESV)

Salmos 21:1‭-‬13 RVA2015:¡Oh SEÑOR, el rey se alegra en tu poder! ¡Cuánto se goza en tu salvación! Le has concedido el deseo de su corazón y no le has negado la petición de sus labios. Selah Le has salido al encuentro con las mejores bendiciones; corona de oro fino has puesto sobre su cabeza. Te pidió vida, y se la concediste; vida extensa, eternamente y para siempre. Gloria grande halla en tu liberación; honra y esplendor has puesto sobre él. Porque le has dado bendiciones para siempre y le has colmado con la alegría de tu rostro. Por eso el rey confía en el SEÑOR; por la misericordia del Altísimo no será removido.Tu mano alcanzará a todos tus enemigos; tu diestra alcanzará a los que te aborrecen. Los pondrás como horno de fuego en el tiempo en que te presentes. El SEÑOR los destruirá en su furor, y el fuego los consumirá. Destruirás el fruto de ellos en la tierra; sus descendientes de entre los hijos del hombre. Porque se volvieron contra ti para hacerte daño; idearon maquinaciones pero no prevalecerán. En la cuerda de tu arco alistarás las flechas contra la cara de ellos; ciertamente les harás volver la espalda. ¡Enaltécete, oh SEÑOR, con tu poder! Cantaremos y alabaremos tu poderío.Pienso que todos tenemos una actitud de rey. Muchos consideran que son poderosos por su forma de adquirir riquezas, otros por su intelecto y conocimiento en alguna o varias ciencias. Muchos tienen un talento que los hace sobresalir y dominar sobre muchos en el área de experiencia en que se destacan. En la tierra existen muchos 'reyes' que han construido su 'imperio' en su casa, comunidad y ciudad, siendo de gran influencia y han creado cierta fama a su alrededor. Muchos reyes son actores, modelos, empresarios, diseñadores, artistas, inversores, profesores, deportistas, etc. Aun algunos líderes religiosos han hecho crecer sus ministerios alrededor de la persona y no del Dios al cual profesan.Este es un salmo de expresión de un rey que reconoció que todo su poderío, riquezas, y larga vida es concedido por el Señor y solamente por Su misericordia. Él estaba convencido de que había hallado la gracia divina porque era un gobernante exitoso.Aquí es donde aplicamos la reflexión del día de hoy. A diferencia de muchos reyes que en la antigüedad se hacían más arrogantes a medida que sus reinos crecían, al punto de crear una imagen divina alrededor de ellos, obligando a sus súbditos a que los admiraran como un semi-dios, David doblegaba su orgullo para reconocer humildemente que todo lo que ha tenido proviene de Dios.Reyes como Nabucodonosor y Dario tuvieron que aceptar que ellos no eran semi-dioses o seres divinos, pues los hijos De Dios como Daniel y sus amigos les dieron ejemplos claros de quién es el verdadero Dios, a quien ellos sirvieron y adoraron con todo su corazón, aun poniendo sus vidas en riesgo.Actualmente, muchos que se autodenominaban reyes en el gremio en que se destacaban murieron en su altivez miserables, pues su fama y poder no les llenaba el vacío de su alma. Otros fracasaron y recordaron que no eran inmortales, y en su fracaso y caída reconocieron lo arrogantes que eran y lo equivocados que estaban. Muchos decidieron vivir vidas más modestas o siguieron creciendo sus imperios pero con una perspectiva más humana.Espero que podamos hoy doblegar nuestras ínfulas de grandeza y crucificarlas para que el verdadero Rey reciba toda honra y alabanza; que cuando tengamos alguna victoria o logro a nivel personal o profesional, seamos lo suficientemente coherentes, maduros y humildes para atribuirle todo el honor y créditos a Aquel que te da las fuerzas, el conocimiento, la sabiduría, la prudencia y la destreza para que desarrolles esos dones, talentos y habilidades en el lugar de trabajo, estudio, tu empresa, profesión, etc. Cualquiera que sea el lugar donde te desempeñas, hazlo con integridad y con mucho esfuerzo como si todo dependiera de ti, pero confía que todo te saldrá bien porque el Todopoderoso está tomando control de tu mente y cuerpo para que seas una persona exitosa y así des ejemplo que los hijos de Dios son personas que pueden sobresalir como creyentes y cristianos en el mundo empresarial, académico, laboral o deportivo.Puedes construir un imperio pero con la excepción de que el rey sea nuestro Gran Rey Jesucristo. Nunca olvides quien está sobre ti, y quien es tu Señor y Rey. Déjalo reinar en el trono de tu corazón.Soy tu amigo Eduardo Rodriguez. Que el Señor Jesucristo escuche tu oración y te dé un corazón humilde y bondadoso.========

Our Parsha marks a nadir in the story of mankind. Humanity sunk to such spiritual lows that the Almighty decided to destroy the world and start over with just Noah and his family as humanity's progenitors going forward. What were the conditions of the Flood's survivors after spending a year in the Ark? In this […]

In today's haftarah portion, the prophet Isaiah describes The Servant of The Almighty as being blind. How can this possibly apply to Yeshua of Nazareth? The prophet provides an answer to the question and the Gospels bear this out! Recorded October 2, 2021

From the Arabic - 51 - O Son of Man! My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it. Bahá'u'lláh Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou beholdest how the tempestuous winds of tests have caused the steadfast in faith to tremble, and how the breath of trials hath stirred up those whose hearts had been firmly established, except such as have partaken of the Wine that is life indeed from the hands of the Manifestation of Thy name, the Most Merciful. These are the ones whom no word except Thy most exalted word can move, whom nothing whatever save the sweet smelling fragrance of the robe of Thy remembrance can enrapture, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names and the Maker of earth and heaven! I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the beloved Companion of Bahá, by Thy name, the All-Glorious, to keep safe these Thy servants under the shadow of the wings of Thine all-encompassing mercy, that the darts of the evil suggestions of the wicked doers among Thy creatures, who have disbelieved in Thy signs, may be kept back from them. No one on earth, O my Lord, can withstand Thy power, and none in all the kingdom of Thy names is able to frustrate Thy purpose. Show forth, then, the power of Thy sovereignty and of Thy dominion, and teach Thy loved ones what beseemeth them in Thy days. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Most Great. Bahá'u'lláh Prayers and Meditations, XIII Check out our new blog, Outdoor Oasis: https://bahaioasis.wixsite.com/outdooroasis Email: bahaioasis@gmail.com Instagram and Twitter: @bahaioasis Join our Amino group: http://aminoapps.com/c/Bahai --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bahaioasis/message

I had an awesome conversation with a good friend recently that I'll keep anonymous. He was struggling with anxiety around his lack of control. This is only a problem for him because he has the type of personality that thrives on being in control or at least the perception of it. This is what I mean when I use the word illusion. The conversation was deep and very therapeutic for both of us. We dove into so many topics including health, family, finances, and faith. As I took a giant step back from this conversation, I made 3 observations that I'd like to share.First, let me take you somewhere. I want you to think of a time in your life (and it may be right now) where you were up against it and literally could not get out on your own. Maybe it's a sick child or parent. Maybe you struggled severely with your health. Maybe it was such a lack of money that you saw no way out. Maybe it was a natural disaster like a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. In each of these scenarios, all illusion of control is tossed out the window and every man, woman, and child resorts to getting on their knees and praying to the Almighty or whoever might be up there. They may believe that God is punishing them and they need to be forgiven. They may believe God is absent and doesn't care. They may just not know. But they are so helpless, that they're willing to pray, willing to try anything. Have you ever been there? I have three examples that involve the closest people in my life. Last year, I was wrapped up in 3 long-term hospital stays where I felt no control. My mom was suffering from Covid as a Type 1 diabetic. She wouldn't give her children access to the medical records and no one could visit during the pandemic. We were so helpless to get updates on her as endured over 2 weeks of life & death. She survived. Praise God! My mom lived! Both my grandparents passed away in 2020. I've given full eulogies on this podcast. They were my second parents who had a considerable part in raising me, especially my Pop-Pop. He was the father in my life to affirm me. He was the man that I wanted to perform for. My Nana was in the hospital for 7 days and my Pop was there for 26 days. In both cases, it was a roller coaster of good and bad news. Just when you think they're improving, another setback happens to push them further away from coming out. I felt helpless both times and both times they went to be with Jesus. My dad is bipolar and had a severe onset of depression and mania after his parents passed away. 2021 has been a nightmare with him, never knowing where he'd end up and when I'd get a call from a hospital or a coroner. At one point, he went missing for over 48 hours with no phone or car. No control. The last scenario happened a few nights ago. There was a severe flash flood in our area as a result of Tropical Storm Ida. We live in a flood plane with a large creek 100 yards from our back door.  The street is the highest point and our yard has a downgrade toward the creek. The water was pouring into our yard and driveway from the street and raised the water level to over 5 feet in our backyard. This is the storm I mentioned in the funny papers with the mouse. Yes, it was fun swimming with boogie boards in our backyard river. But I will tell you this. The water level crept from the creek to our back fence. Then it covered our fence and reached within 20 feet of our back door. This is a storm that tore roofs off homes and had catastrophic loss of life. Cars were swept away in some cases on road by the high speed currents. 55,000 lost power. It was scary. We had no control whether the water would continue to rise and flood our home and trap us in our house.  Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website

God does not need us. Instead, his infinite self-sufficiency spills over in love to us who need him.

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3   Be gracious to me, O Lord,    for to you do I cry all the day.4   Gladden the soul of your servant,    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.5   For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6   Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;    listen to my plea for grace.7   In the day of my trouble I call upon you,    for you answer me. 8   There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,    nor are there any works like yours.9   All the nations you have made shall come    and worship before you, O Lord,    and shall glorify your name.10   For you are great and do wondrous things;    you alone are God.11   Teach me your way, O LORD,    that I may walk in your truth;    unite my heart to fear your name.12   I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,    and I will glorify your name forever.13   For great is your steadfast love toward me;    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14   O God, insolent men have risen up against me;    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,    and they do not set you before them.15   But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16   Turn to me and be gracious to me;    give your strength to your servant,    and save the son of your maidservant.17   Show me a sign of your favor,    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame    because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. (ESV) New Testament: Acts 9 Acts 9 (Listen) The Conversion of Saul 9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of thos

Old Testament: Isaiah 13–14 Isaiah 13–14 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 8–9:10 Hebrews 8–9:10 (Listen) Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant 8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent1 that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ2 has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:3   “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,    when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel    and with the house of Judah,9   not like the covenant that I made with their fathers    on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.  For they did not continue in my covenant,    and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel    after those days, declares the Lord:  I will put my laws into their minds,    and write them on their hearts,  and I will be their God,    and they shall be my people.11   And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor    and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,'  for they shall all know me,    from the least of them to the greatest.12   For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,    and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The Earthly Holy Place 9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent4 was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence.5 It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section6 called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).7 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. Footnotes [1] 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5 [2] 8:6 Greek he [3] 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them [4] 9:2 Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21 [5] 9:2 Greek the presentation of the loaves [6] 9:3 Greek tent; also verses 6, 8 [7] 9:9 Or which is symbolic for the age then present (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 86 Psalm 86 (Listen) Great Is Your Steadfast Love A Prayer of David. 86   Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,    for I am poor and needy.2   Preserve my life, for I am godly;    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3 

Salmos 17:1‭-‬15 RVA2015:Escucha, oh SEÑOR, una causa justa; atiende a mi clamor. Presta oído a mi oración que es de labios sin engaño. Proceda de tu presencia mi vindicación; vean tus ojos la rectitud. Tú has examinado mi corazón; me has visitado de noche. Me has probado y nada infame has hallado porque me he propuesto que mi boca no se exceda. En cuanto a las obras de los hombres, por la palabra de tus labios me he guardado de las sendas de los violentos. Mis pasos se han mantenido en tus caminos para que mis pies no resbalen. Yo te invoco, porque tú oirás, oh Dios. Inclina a mí tu oído; escucha mi palabra. Muestra tus maravillosos actos de misericordia, tú que, a los que confían, libras con tu diestra de los que se levantan contra ti. Guárdame como a la niña de tu ojo; escóndeme bajo la sombra de tus alas de la vista de los impíos que me oprimen, y de mis enemigos mortales que me rodean. Ellos están protegidos con su propio sebo; con su boca hablan con soberbia. Han rodeado nuestros pasos; sobre nosotros ponen sus ojos para echarnos por tierra. Se parecen al león que anhela la presa, o al cachorro de león que se agacha en secreto. ¡Levántate, oh SEÑOR! ¡Hazle frente! ¡Somételo! Con tu espada libra mi alma de los impíos. Oh SEÑOR, líbrame con tu mano de los hombres, de los hombres de este mundo cuya parte está en esta vida; cuyos vientres llenas con tus tesoros, cuyos hijos se sacian y aun dejan para sus pequeños. En cuanto a mí, en justicia veré tu rostro; quedaré satisfecho cuando despierte a tu semejanza.Quiero que el día de hoy examinemos diferentes versos de los que podemos aprender y aplicarlos a nuestras vidas. Aprendamos la forma en que el salmista se presentaba delante del Señor y así tendremos un modelo de oración, ya que a veces no tenemos palabras o no sabemos cómo entablar una charla con Dios. Recuerda que orar es hablar con Dios.Este salmo comienza con un clamor pidiendo al Señor que su oración sea escuchada, ya que David se presentó con una actitud de alguien que ha estado practicando una vida justa. Él estaba seguro que en ese momento en que elevaba la oración él no tenía nada de qué arrepentirse. Él estaba consciente de sus actos para hablar con Dios sin culpabilidades. Él mismo sabía que él ha guardado incluso las palabras que salen de su boca porque también fallamos cuando hablamos más de la cuenta. Ayer aprendimos cómo Dios nos habla en las noches, y aquí David también hizo referencia de ese tiempo en la noche donde Dios nos corrige, y que también Él analiza nuestro caminar y lo que hay en nuestro corazón. En el verso 5 David sabía que debemos estar concientes en caminar continuamente con el Señor porque si nos alejamos de Dios, la consecuencia es que resbalaremos. Si alguien que conoces tuvo un desliz espiritual y cayó en pecado, de seguro fue porque comenzó a desviarse de los principios bíblicos y los consejos basados en la Palabra de Dios. Nadie cae sin haber sido advertido con anticipación. También quiero que notemos el clamor tierno de David, como un niño a su padre, pidiendo a Dios que lo guarde de los malos. David no confiaba en sus propias fuerzas, él imploraba al Todopoderoso para que lo proteja; en este verso 8 él le pidió protección a Dios de dos formas: que lo cuide así como uno protege sus propios ojos, y que lo esconda bajo sus alas, similar como un ave esconde a sus polluelos para darles abrigo y protección. Por último, el salmista cerró este salmo con una palabra de esperanza diciéndole al Señor que su mayor anhelo es aquel día cuando esté ante su presencia. Ese debe ser nuestro anhelo continuo, siempre pensando en que tendremos la oportunidad de estar en la presencia de Dios y le veremos cara a cara porque seremos tal como Él es. La promesa de la resurrección y la vida eterna es algo grandioso, que nos ayuda a sobrepasar las pruebas del diario vivir. Soy tu amigo y hermano Eduardo Rodríguez. Que el Señor escuche tu oración y te dé protección y refugio. ========

The Almighty commands a special holy day, a special Sabbath to be observed following the 7 Days of Sukkot. On this day, we try to understand the fullness of the blessings that He promises us at the end of time. September 28, 2021

THE SAGA CONTINUES

Ephesians 4:26-27,NLT- Don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. The more traditional writing says, “be angry and don't sin.” The Lord made us. He knows we're emotional people. Some things should make you mad, but because we have His Spirit living in us, we have the ability to not let anger be what drives us. Paul reminds us that we're not ignorant of our enemy's tactics.And make no mistake, he's making a major push on society, more specifically, trying to divide the church. This passage in Ephesians in the more traditional writing actually says in v.27, give no place to the devil. The danger with giving into anger is not only habitual, but self-destructive. It opens the door for condemnation and rejection. James reminds us to be slow to get angry. Galatians 5, Walk in the Spirit, let the Holy Spirit guide your life and you won't give in to your sinful nature. After all, He is the Spirit of peace that passes understanding. Galatians 5:22-23,NLT- The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. So I guess we can control our anger if we choose to live out of the Kingdom rather than the ways of this world. Ultimately we have to stay aware of the fact that Jesus is counting on us to represent the Kingdom of God. Romans 14:17,NKJV- For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The things of the Kingdom, like Holy Spirt led living is 100% spiritual, never a bunch of natural, religious practices. What we've got to realize is that in this passage in Romans Paul is not only looking out for the ones that have just given their lives to Christ, he's also addressing the religious mindset of that current situation. Think about it, most of these people are still used to their ungodly ways they've lived with all their lives. We have to remember, just like in our own lives, the ways of the Kingdom come to each of us through revelation from the Holy Spirit. So lets stop getting mad at people that may not be where we sometime think we are. Let me say this, if anger is your first response to things not going your way, it simply means you've go some growing to do. According to the Holy Spirit in Corinthians, you're still carnal, babies in Christ. Here's some food or thought, Ecclesiastes says that anger labels you a fool. Not to mention, it'll keep you changed to whatever that offense was that made you mad. This is why Paul is addressing the church about this issue. Those of us that are spiritual are to help others get to the place where we're walking in more of His nature. Remember, the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. And the more we yield to His nature, the more His nature will be recognized in our lives. Ephesians 4:31-32,NLT- Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. This is where faith comes in, we've gotta actually believe this stuff, believe God will empower us to take on this new nature. Here's thing, it takes absolutely no faith to be negative, discouraged, unbelieving, critical and judgemental, but that's not who we are! Remember, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. A big part of our witness will be our peace and joy form the Lord. John14:27,NKJV- “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 15:11,NKJV- “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” Remember, the things of the Kingdom are spiritual in their reality. They come from the spirit into this world. Romans 15:13,AMP-May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing, through the experience of your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Let's help each to not underestimated the power of peace and joy. Help one another stir up a little confident anticipation that God is the Almighty. He is the God of the Bible. You see, the more we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire our thinking, the more fixed and confident our expectations will be. This is why God's word is so vital to the believer, it literally is the doorway into the world of the spirit, into God's Kingdom. Remember Proverbs, “As a man thinks, so is he.” Romans says, “Set you mind on heavenly things.” Check it out for yourself, you think about anything long enough and it absolutely effects your imagination. And never underestimate the imagination of the born again. It's our spiritual seeing. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye, and if the eye is single, the whole body will be full of light.” Our challenge today is that we're so double or triple, minded, bombarded with everything but Him.  Too often we're simply too influenced by the world. Maybe staying a little closer to the things of the world rather than the things of God. (Story of boy falling out of bed) This is why Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4, “Stop going along with this empty-headed, mindless crowd.” We are new creations in Christ, this is why the Holy Spirit repeatedly tells us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.God actually takes it a step further, telling us to walk in the Spirit and we wont fulfill our worldly nature. Let me remind you again, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Everything about a life of faith hinges on us making room for Him in our soul, our thinking. Galatians 5:22-23,NLT- The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Bible is full of inspiring stories of God's people practicing their faith in Him, right in the middle of very challenging circumstances. Acts 16:25-26,NIV- About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. This is why Paul instructed us to cast down every though that tries to exalt itself above who we are in Christ. And stir ourselves up in our faith. Think about it, it would've been very easy to get mad at what happened to them; seriously, they're doing what God told them to do. So make no mistake, the enemy doesn't just want you getting mad about certain situations, he wants to torment you to the point that anger becomes a stronghold in your thinking. Ephesians 4:26-27,NLT- Don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ~ Psalm 91:1 (NLT) A few years back, my extended family went on a vacation to a lake up in Idaho to do a few days of R&R (rest and relaxation) and get in some water skiing. One of the cool features at this lake was that it had giant floating docks out in the middle of the lake. These were spread out all over, so you could have your own island to dock your boat, swim from, and basically hang out on for the whole day. They were pretty awesome. The one issue, however, is that these docks didn't provide any shade. Because they were floating out in the middle of the lake, there were no trees to hide under to find relief from the 103-degree weather. Luckily, we had a pop-up canopy we could all gather under to grab some shade. It is pretty amazing how much being the shade can cool things down. Instead of being scorched by the sun, the temperature becomes manageable and the sunburns are kept at bay. But, there was one issue we kept facing in regards to the canopy – while it stood still, the sun kept moving. In other words, the shade that it provided would shift as the day wore on, and those of us who had been sitting in the shade would find ourselves sitting in the direct sunlight if we didn't keep shuffling our chairs to get back under the canopy. Life would be so much easier if the sun just stood still. Instead, shade is a moving target. Our relationship with God works similarly. As our verse today states, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Notice, it says that you will “find rest.” However, it doesn't say you will be planted in the same spot forever. In order to continue to enjoy the rest that God offers, you must continue to move with God in order to stay in His shadow. In other words, when you find Jesus, you can't stay put. The Son moves. With Jesus, it's a journey. As He moves, you must move. If you stay put, you will eventually find yourself out from under His shadow and you will get burned. So, today, and every day, follow God wherever He goes. Stay in His shadow. Give up complacency (wanting to stay put) and choose to join Jesus on His journey. Find the rest that He so graciously offers.

Morning: Isaiah 13–15 Isaiah 13–15 (Listen) The Judgment of Babylon 13 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2   On a bare hill raise a signal;    cry aloud to them;  wave the hand for them to enter    the gates of the nobles.3   I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,    my proudly exulting ones.1 4   The sound of a tumult is on the mountains    as of a great multitude!  The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,    of nations gathering together!  The LORD of hosts is mustering    a host for battle.5   They come from a distant land,    from the end of the heavens,  the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,    to destroy the whole land.2 6   Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;    as destruction from the Almighty3 it will come!7   Therefore all hands will be feeble,    and every human heart will melt.8   They will be dismayed:    pangs and agony will seize them;    they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at one another;    their faces will be aflame. 9   Behold, the day of the LORD comes,    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,  to make the land a desolation    and to destroy its sinners from it.10   For the stars of the heavens and their constellations    will not give their light;  the sun will be dark at its rising,    and the moon will not shed its light.11   I will punish the world for its evil,    and the wicked for their iniquity;  I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.12   I will make people more rare than fine gold,    and mankind than the gold of Ophir.13   Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,  at the wrath of the LORD of hosts    in the day of his fierce anger.14   And like a hunted gazelle,    or like sheep with none to gather them,  each will turn to his own people,    and each will flee to his own land.15   Whoever is found will be thrust through,    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16   Their infants will be dashed in pieces    before their eyes;  their houses will be plundered    and their wives ravished. 17   Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them,    who have no regard for silver    and do not delight in gold.18   Their bows will slaughter4 the young men;    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;    their eyes will not pity children.19   And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,  will be like Sodom and Gomorrah    when God overthrew them.20   It will never be inhabited    or lived in for all generations;  no Arab will pitch his tent there;    no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.21   But wild animals will lie down there,    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;  there ostriches5 will dwell,    and there wild goats will dance.22   Hyenas6 will cry in its towers,    and jackals in the pleasant palaces;  its time is close at hand    and its days will not be prolonged. The Restoration of Jacob 14 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves.7 They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon 3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:   “How the oppressor has ceased,    the insolent fury8 ceased!5   The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,    the scepter of rulers,6   that struck the peoples in wrath    with unceasing blows,  that ruled the nations in anger    with unrelenting persecution.7   The whole earth is at rest and quiet;    they break forth into singing.8   The cypresses rejoice at you,    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,  ‘Since you were laid low,    no woodcutter comes up against us.'9   Sheol beneath is stirred up    to meet you when you come;  it rouses the shades to greet you,    all who were leaders of the earth;  it raises from their thrones    all who were kings of the nations.10   All of them will answer    and say to you:  ‘You too have become as weak as we!    You have become like us!'11   Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,    the sound of your harps;  maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,    and worms are your covers. 12   “How you are fallen from heaven,    O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground,    you who laid the nations low!13   You said in your heart,    ‘I will ascend to heaven;  above the stars of God    I will set my throne on high;  I will sit on the mount of assembly    in the far reaches of the north;914   I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;    I will make myself like the Most High.'15   But you are brought down to Sheol,    to the far reaches of the pit.16   Those who see you will stare at you    and ponder over you:  ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,    who shook kingdoms,17   who made the world like a desert    and overthrew its cities,    who did not let his prisoners go home?'18   All the kings of the nations lie in glory,    each in his own tomb;1019   but you are cast out, away from your grave,    like a loathed branch,  clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,    who go down to the stones of the pit,    like a dead body trampled underfoot.20   You will not be joined with them in burial,    because you have destroyed your land,    you have slain your people.   “May the offspring of evildoers    nevermore be named!21   Prepare slaughter for his sons    because of the guilt of their fathers,  lest they rise and possess the earth,    and fill the face of the world with cities.” 22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog,11 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. An Oracle Concerning Assyria 24   The LORD of hosts has sworn:  “As I have planned,    so shall it be,  and as I have purposed,    so shall it stand,25   that I will break the Assyrian in my land,    and on my mountains trample him underfoot;  and his yoke shall depart from them,    and his burden from their shoulder.” 26   This is the purpose that is purposed    concerning the whole earth,  and this is the hand that is stretched out    over all the nations.27   For the LORD of hosts has purposed,    and who will annul it?  His hand is stretched out,    and who will turn it back? An Oracle Concerning Philistia 28 In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: 29   Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,    that the rod that struck you is broken,  for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.30   And the firstborn of the poor will graze,    and the needy lie down in safety;  but I will kill your root with famine,    and your remnant it will slay.31   Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!  For smoke comes out of the north,    and there is no straggler in his ranks. 32   What will one answer the messengers of the nation?  “The LORD has founded Zion,    and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” An Oracle Concerning Moab 15 An oracle concerning Moab.   Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone;  because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night,    Moab is undone.2   He has gone up to the temple,12 and to Dibon,    to the high places13 to weep;  over Nebo and over Medeba    Moab wails.  On every head is baldness;    every beard is shorn;3   in the streets they wear sackcloth;    on the housetops and in the squares    everyone wails and melts in tears.4   Heshbon and Elealeh cry out;    their voice is heard as far as Jahaz;  therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;    his soul trembles.5   My heart cries out for Moab;    her fugitives flee to Zoar,    to Eglath-shelishiyah.  For at the ascent of Luhith    they go up weeping;  on the road to Horonaim    they raise a cry of destruction;6   the waters of Nimrim    are a desolation;  the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,    the greenery is no more.7   Therefore the abundance they have gained    and what they have laid up  they carry away    over the Brook of the Willows.8   For a cry has gone    around the land of Moab;  her wailing reaches to Eglaim;    her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.9   For the waters of Dibon14 are full of blood;    for I will bring upon Dibon even more,  a lion for those of Moab who escape,    for the remnant of the land. Footnotes [1] 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty [2] 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9 [3] 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike [4] 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces [5] 13:21 Or owls [6] 13:22 Or foxes [7] 14:2 Or servants [8] 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain [9] 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon [10] 14:18 Hebrew house [11] 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl [12] 15:2 Hebrew the house [13] 15:2 Or temple, even Dibon to the high places [14] 15:9 Dead Sea Scroll, Vulgate (compare Syriac); Masoretic Text Dimon; twice in this verse (ESV) Evening: Galatians 6 Galatians 6 (Listen) Bear One Another's Burdens 6 Brothers,1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Final Warning and Benediction 11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which2 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. Footnotes [1]

https://us15.campaign-archive.com/?u=012a44d6e7986cf7f82de120f&id=28c812de24Novelist  Frank  Peretti  details  in  fictional  form  a  similar  case  and  its  results.8  Blood  rituals  are,  to  an increasing degree, coming to the attention of those who deal with crime. Those involved in these rituals, whether  criminals  or  not,  usually  are  severely  demonized.  Sadly,  the  police  are  often  more  aware  and better informed on these matters than pastors and church leaders. Many are convinced that some type of evil is behind much of the gang crimes and drug traffic. A certain number of Christian converts come out of  occult  backgrounds.  Marvelous  conversion  experiences  prompt  them  to  seek  church  membership. Unfortunately, we have lost the early Church tradition of cleansing new converts of demonic infestation before they  join, so they  usually  come  into  our churches  carrying  some  or  all of  the  demons  they  once served. Although the demons are weakened because they have lost the spiritual center of the person, they hang  on  in  mind,  body,  emotions  and  will  (see  chapter  3).  From  those  positions,  they  can  continue  to disrupt  both the  life of the convert and the  lives of those with whom the convert relates. Whether as a result  of  general  dysfunction  or  occult  involvement, the Lord's children are bleeding and broken. The enemy has attacked them throughout their painful lives, and many still carry demons. As Christians, we cannot turn these people away. We need to be as compassionate as Jesus, working in love and power to bring healing and deliverance. Today, possibly more than ever before, it  is critical that we learn how to bring the light of Jesus to those in pain and need.Kraft, Charles H.. Defeating Dark Angels: Breaking Demonic Oppression in the Believer's Life . Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.them. He warned them not to follow after others, not to become corrupted by them, not to worship their foreign gods and idols, but sin is a great weapon in spiritual warfare and Satan's attacks on God's chosen are well documented in the Old Testament. He succeeded in corrupting them; many followed after false gods and worshiped idols; they practiced perversion and some even committed human sacrifice. But he was  not  able  to  destroy  them  completely  for  the Lord  always  kept  a  remnant  for  Himself,  a  righteous branch who had not bent the knee or bowed down to false gods, who had not fallen into wickedness, who still  worshiped  the one,  true  God.  After  1000 years of  hardship  and  spiritual  warfare,  after  bringing His people out  of  exile  in  Babylon,  the  Lord  had  a  people  who were  ready  to  stand  for  righteousness, who would no longer follow after the foreign gods of other peoples, who would faithfully follow after the Lord God  Almighty  and  keep  His  laws  and  His statutes,  who would  await  His  savior.  The  prophets  of  the  Old Testament had written over 300 prophecies about the Savior that the Lord would send, who would bring salvation to mankind, who would restore him and finally reconcile him to God. He would be the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9: 6 KJV), the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. He would bring an end to evil; He would overcome Satan  and  his  demons.  He would  reign  in  righteousness  (Jeremiah  23:  5  KJV).  His  kingdom would  be  an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7: 27 KJV). On these promises they waited and they prayed.Rooks, C. D.. The Fall from Grace: Spiritual Warfare in the Old Testament (p. 180).  . Kindle Edition.PREEMPTORNEWSIntro on satanic/demonic/luciferic ritualsNOTEShttps://biblehub.com/2_kings/16-3.htm2 KINGS 3SEE HERE126From THE LIVE RAGGED EDGE RADIO BROADCAST/SHATTER LIVE TV WEBINAR RUSS DIZDAR ©.....the woman was screaming out and it was a demon I had never heard of.The  demon was similar in rank to Legion in the Bible and was said to be a Prince over many other demons. The demon was said to cause men to want women and can cause one to take off their clothing, coincidentally enough. I found it interesting  that  both  these  women  were  involved  as  prostitutes. 

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This name for God comes from the Hebrew word, “El” which means “God,” and the Hebrew word, “Shaddai” which means “Almighty.” To a Jew, El-Shaddai spoke of God's unlimited power. Consider a question: “How would your life change if you totally embraced God's almighty power in your life? In this message, we'll look at some reasonable answers to that question.