Podcasts about almighty one

We all need to let the Father get us RAPTURE READY! right now! Study this series! In this PART 1 of this series we talk about the Father being the ONE, by going back to each book of the word and see the Father in action. We can then apply what He did in the Word and believe that He can do the same in our lives. He is not one out of three-one third but the Almighty ONE . Is it possible to go in the RAPTURE if one believes that the the Father is one out of three , instead of three manifestations of Him as the Father, in His Son and the spirit inside of us? Eph 4 v. 4 - one spirit! We go from Genesis to Judges in this Part 1 of the series.

Message for 04/20/2025 "Easter Sunday (Jesus Is and Still Is)" by Justin McTeer. *All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted* Matthew 28:1-10 - Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don't be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. Jesus is and still is, so he's not done doing the things he does John 20:14-18 -.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don't cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. John 20:19-21 - That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:24-29 - One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” 26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Luke 24:31-33 - Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 32 They said to each other, “Didn't our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem John 21:3-9 - Simon Peter said, “I'm going fishing.” “We'll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. 6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!” So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. 7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It's the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. John 21:15-17 - After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. Revelation 1:8b - “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”

Praying together is putting our arms around each other and coming to the presence of the Almighty One who loves us. The most powerful questions you can ask another person: "Can I pray for you?" and, "Can you pray for me?"We are called to live out our ‘priestly-ministry' of prayer with and for each other.

Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent - Genesis 15:5-12; 17-18 Luke 9:28b-36Most of the time, we go through life asleep. This is not a put down, it's simply the truth. We sleep walk through our days, our months, our years, our lives. But there are those days when the scales fall from our eyes, when we have the wherewithal or the ability to break through the cloud and we awaken. The veil parts and we see. They are mountaintop experiences and we realize the imminence and greatness of our God. And as long as we are able to remember, our lives are no longer the same. Until we get drowsy again. This weekend, our readings invite us to waken to the glory and humility of the Almighty One.Special thanks to Bridget, Shamus and Mandy, without whom this podcast would be a thing. But most of all, thanks to all of you. Because of your listening, your rating, your sharing, people all over the world have joined in. I'm so humbled and grateful. Have a question or comment? I can be reached at pdjoezenk@gmail.com

When Hurricane Katrina rolled through, the spinning white satellite image on TV screens actually looked evil. For residents of New Orleans waiting for that hurricane, that's exactly what it felt like. Thousands of people were affected by the brutal storm that poured in from the Gulf. In many ways, the city still hasn't recovered. But in the chaos, God was there. For more than 20 years, water pump operator Rufus Burkhalter and Bobby Brown had worked at pumping station number 6 along the 17th Street Canal. When they realized how bad it was going to be, the pair did an amazing thing. They stayed at their posts. They kept working even after the levees broke. One of the world's largest pumping stations was still being operated by two good men who risked their lives for others. When it was all said and done, both lost their homes due to storm damage. The seawater and raging winds devastated their lives and yet they chose to help others. That kind of love for one's fellow man is rooted in the love of Christ.Psalm 93:4 says “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea. The Lord on high is mighty.”God is infinitely stronger than the storms in your life. He's there guiding you and He is there caring for you through it all, all the time. In the horrifying days of Katrina and through the aftermath, many people displayed a reliance on the Lord who stood up to the evil that invaded their community. When we lean on God in every situation, especially during the storms in our lives, it builds our faith and places us on solid ground.Let's pray.Father, Almighty One, nothing is scarier than the dark deep waters that overwhelm us sometimes. We know though that your word is our anchor established and true. We can rely on it every single time. Thank you for guiding, protecting, and loving us always, in all of your ways in Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Bible Reading: Psalm 102:25-28; Revelation 1:8Holden climbed into the back seat of the car, eager to talk about what he'd learned in math class that day. "Mom, did you know that a number line doesn't have a beginning or an end? It's a line with every number on it, both positive and negative. Mr. Starke told us that number lines go on forever and ever in both directions, but that's kind of hard for me to understand.""One, two, three," Millie counted out. Holden giggled. "That's right, Millie, good counting. But when you get as big as me, you'll learn about negative numbers too.""Are you understanding negative numbers?" Mom asked. "Well, it's kind of confusing, but Mr. Starke said that by the end of this chapter we'll all have a better understanding of them. He sent home a practice worksheet." "After dinner I'll look over it with you," Mom said. Holden's little sister continued to count for the rest of the ride home.After dinner, Dad helped Mom clean up the kitchen while Holden took Millie to her room to play. Then Dad took Millie to the living room so Mom could help Holden with his math."Did you finish?" Dad asked when Holden and Mom came in a little later.Holden nodded. "All done, and I think I understand my math a little better now. Number lines don't have a beginning or end because you can always count higher in either direction from zero, with positive numbers going forward and negative numbers going back."Dad nodded. "Did you know that God doesn't have a beginning or an end? Your number line made me think about that this evening." Dad took out his phone and looked up a verse. "In Revelation 1:8 God says, 'I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One.'" "I think I get it," said Holden. "Since we were created by God, we have a beginning, but God doesn't have a starting point because He always existed." "That's right," said Mom. "And the story doesn't stop there. God promises us eternal life if we accept His free gift of salvation, which means we will live forever with Him.""That's so cool!" Holden exclaimed."One, two, three!" Millie shouted out. "Good counting, Millie," Holden said, and everyone laughed. –Lisa FullerHow About You?Did you know that God has no beginning and no end? That can be hard for us to understand because we were all created by God and have a starting point, but God wasn't created. He always was and always will be, and He offers us eternal life with Him. If we put our trust in Jesus, we will live with Him forever, and our joy will never end! (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)Today's Key Verse:"I am…the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One." (NLT) (Revelation 1:8)Today's Key Thought:God has no beginning or end

Your Nightly Prayer

Still Waters Psalm 23 (Part 2)Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”I only really talked about the first few lines of this Psalm in my last episode and there are some other powerful parts to this Psalm. I want to make sure I go through the whole thing so when you are using it against your anxiety you can understand all the various aspects of it. Today I want to look at the very next line. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”I was attending a conference once, and the speaker mentioned this verse.  It was not a spiritual conference, so when I heard it, I figured it was a sign that I should talk about it.  The verse says though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  This is hard.  It seems like there is so much to fear these days. There is fear surrounding these elections. There is fear surrounding the future of our country. There is fear surrounding so many things.When we read this scripture we wonder how it is possible to fear no evil.  How is it possible to fear no evil when you are surrounded by death, or the possibility of death?  If you read on it says “for thou are with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  God is with us, we all know this, we repeat this and tell others this, but do we really believe this?  Do you believe that God is right there with you when you are in the valleys?  We all know how all-powerful God is, so if we believe that He is there with us, it makes sense that we wouldn't be afraid.  How could we be afraid when He is there?  He is the Almighty One.  So, why do we have so much fear?  Are we afraid that He won't help us?  Are we afraid He won't show up?  Are we afraid to die?  What is it that we have been so afraid of?  Maybe you find yourself worried about a lot of things.  Maybe you worry every time there is a storm coming.  Maybe you worry about your finances.  Maybe you worry about your children, parents, siblings, or spouse.  Worry may be a part of your everyday life.  I am hoping to change that.  It probably won't change overnight, and it may not be easy, but it is possible.  The bible mentions “fear not” 365 times.  This is definitely something that God wants us to get.  I will be honest, I didn't get the last part of this verse.  “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  I looked up the meaning of this because I wondered if there was something that I was missing.  I am glad I did because there is a great article called “Understanding Psalm 23: What Does the Staff and Rod Actually Mean?(Click Here for article)    I highly suggest it as it is good.  I will not retell the article, I will just touch upon the few descriptions of the rod and the staff.  First, the author says that the staff symbolizes rest, as shepherds used to lean on their staff for rest.  Next, the staff can symbolize rescue because shepherds used to use their staff to rescue sheep from the thick brush.  Third, the staff can symbolize a guide as the shepherd used it to guide sheep across open fields.  This all seems to make a lot of sense to me. It seems like we are much happier and less afraid when we are able to just rest in the Lord.  To just sit with Him and turn over all of our worries and fears to Him.  Also, God rescues us from difficult situations when we need Him.  He doesn't abandon us.  He is always there for us in good times and in bad.  Lastly, He is definitely our Guide.  How many times have we needed God to guide us through the rough parts of our lives?  We need Him as a guide for the easy parts as well.The article goes on to say that Rod is Our Protection.  When shepherds were herding sheep they used their rods to defend against anything that wanted to attack the sheep.  This is what God does for us.  He protects us from our enemies.  The Rod is also a symbol of Love.  The shepherds used to use their rods to count the sheep.  You might be wondering how this is a symbol of Love.  This is an act of love because the shepherd is making sure that all of his sheep are present and accounted for.  God is doing the same thing for us.  He does not want a single one of His sheep to get lost.  He loves us too much.  Now that I understand what the words rod and staff mean in the context of this verse and in the time that it was written, I feel as though I understand the verse as a whole better now.  I can't believe how much the Lord is saying to us with just a short sentence or two.  I am also in awe sometimes thinking about how much God loves us.  It amazes me how He can be all these things for us, for each and every one of us.  Understanding that His staff is our guide, rescue, and rest; and that his rod is our protection and love helps me understand why we should have no fear.  We don't need fear when we realize all that He has already done for us.  We don't need fear when he is there to protect us, guide us, and rescue us.  He has got us. We can rest in the knowledge that His staff and His rod are enough for us.  They are more than enough for us.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  Is it any different hearing that verse again after hearing the description of the rod and the staff?  Does it make you want to trust in the Lord more?  Does it help you fear a little less?  I hope that it has helped.  I hope that we can all get to a place where we don't have so much fear.  It is so freeing when you can let go of your fears and learn to lean into and trust God.  You won't regret it.  I will leave you with Matthew 6:27 to think about.  “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we ask that you help us to have no fear in times of trouble.  We ask that you help us to feel loved.  Lord, I ask that you help all those who are feeling anxious or worried today and every day.  Help them to hand their worry over to you and not take it back again.  We thank you, Lord, for guiding us through our lives.  We thank you for protecting us and for being our place of rest.  Lord, we thank you for rescuing us every single time we need you to.  You are the best!  We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you wish to sign up for the retreat, you are running out of time. I have to let the retreat house know my numbers on Oct. 4th. That means you have just under two weeks to register. It is going to be an amazing time; I hope you will join us! Mentoring is tomorrow night as well if you want to join in, there is a link below with all the information. You could also email me, and I can send you a link if you want to check it out before joining. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day, and may the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you!Today's Word from the Lord was received in April 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Trust me. I am worthy of your trust. I gave all for you because I loved you. I do not abandon my children. Whatever comes your way, remember I'm there.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE FOR RETREAT INFOCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord God. I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One." - Revelations 1:8    Check out this week's episode.  Sign up for a session. http://seriouslyfocusedjohnnie.com/ ✓Get a copy of my download, Your Money Matters!  https://seriouslyfocusedjohnnie.com/dowloads-%26-products/ols/products/your-money-matters ✓Store: https://teespring.com/stores/seriously-focused-johnnie ✓Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.f.johnnie/ ✓YouTube  Seriously Focused Johnnie   ✓For suggested topics, put in the subject box “Topic…,” and the email address is  sfj.peace@gmail.com   ✓My intended goal is to educate and bring people closer to God. With that said, please support by donating. PayPal info. : paypal.me/sfj523  PayPal Link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sfj523  

A new MP3 sermon from Heritage Reformed Congregation is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Almighty One Subtitle: Belgic Confession Speaker: Pastor David Lipsy Broadcaster: Heritage Reformed Congregation Event: Sunday - PM Date: 8/11/2024 Bible: Matthew 26:38-39 Length: 50 min.

Throughout all of the storms in our lives, the Lord, the Almighty One, is right there in the boat with you. When we cry out "do you not care that we are perishing?” He responds, showing us that He has been right their with us through it all.    Check Us Out Online: Website: www.basilthegreat.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stbasilthegr8/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stbasilthegr8 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stbasilthegr8 Spotify Music: https://bit.ly/StBasilSpotify

Episode 265 – The Truth in Genesis Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: (Bible quotes from the New Living Translation) Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” … Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: “Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them! Job, Chapter 40, verses 1 and 2 and verses 6 and 7, New Living Translation I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One”… Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation, Chapter 1, verse 8 and verses 17 and 18, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hi! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m here today with RD Fierro, author, founder of Crystal Sea Books, and part-time mechanical engineer. He changes the air filter in the air conditioner. And speaking of changing things, today we are closing out the series that we’ve been presenting for several episodes that we’ve been calling The Truth in Genesis? So today we’re going to be doing a bit of a recap of all the subjects that we’ve covered and hit the highlights of some of the major things that we’ve learned. RD, would you like to say a brief word of introduction about today’s show? RD: I would. Our “The Truth in Genesis” series was designed to allow listeners to hear a sample of the scientific evidence that is relevant to two of the most important topics that affect Biblical inspiration and infallibility: the age of the earth and universe and the origin and diversity of life. One of the biggest challenges facing most Christians is right at the beginning of the Bible in Chapter 1 where the Bible tells us that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything that exists on the earth including all living creatures and most especially, us. Supposedly, that claim is at odds with what contemporary science tells us about the universe and life. So, for a Christian to maintain their faith in the Bible today culture they must immediately confront the cultural challenge to the Bible’s proclamation about creation. In effect, our culture demands that we either surrender our faith in the Bible or our acceptance of science as a source of truth. I believe that we’ve shown through the episodes in this series that conscientious Christians don’t need to make that kind of a false choice. VK: Your contention is that we have illustrated through the episodes in The Truth in Genesis series there is substantial scientific evidence that absolutely supports, the belief that the plain language of Genesis may be accepted as literal, historical fact. And today we want to review and summarize just a few snippets of what we’ve learned. But before we get too far into our discussion about the serious stuff, we’d like to start by just listening to a poetic summary of the state of this debate. To do that we want to play a portion of Crystal Seas’ upcoming poetic series called the Genesis Saga. For today, let’s listen to Part 5 of the Genesis Saga which – aptly enough - we call The Truth in Genesis. ---- TRUTH IN GENESIS VK: That is a pretty amazing summary - and it rhymes. So let’s go back and cover briefly some of the main points of evidence that we’ve learned about from Truth in Genesis that support the fact that the universe and earth aren’t nearly as old as is commonly believed. Let’s also talk about how it would be impossible for the random, chaotic action of inanimate atoms and molecules to spontaneously give rise to life. RD: Well, to start let’s be clear about the competing truth claims that we are examining. The Bible clearly claims that God created the heavens and earth and all the life that exists on the earth, whether plant or animal. And, according to most traditional interpretations, God performed His creative activity on the order of several thousands of years ago. Also, when it comes to animal life the Bible created all the “kinds” of animals that exist today. Contrary to the strawman version of Biblical creation that critics like to shoot at, “kinds” does not refer to the species that are extant today. Nor does the Biblical term “kind” refer to any particular taxonomic level such as an order or genus. It primarily refers to the ability of any two animals to reproduce regardless of how those animals might be classified according to current taxonomy. By contrast the dominant view among most scientists today is that the universe is 14 billion, or so, years old and that the earth is 4.5 billion years old. Also, most conventional biologists believe that life on earth evolved from primitive forms to more complex forms, likely starting with some sort of a self-replicating molecule that over time spontaneously aggregated into a single cell, and that from that cell all the amazing biodiversity we see around the globe today emerged – without direction or instruction from any intelligent source. As our guest for most of our shows, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, puts it – a “goo to you” form of evolution. VK: Those are two very clearly contrasting views. But isn’t there sort of a middle ground that some have termed “theistic evolution?” This is the view that God created everything but then used evolution as a sort of intermediate mechanism to allow life to progress from simple forms to more complex ones and that over time many different forms of plants and animals emerged from the process that God originated. RD: You are absolutely correct that there have been various attempts to bridge the gaps between Biblical creationism and a materialist, secularist form of evolution. The problem is that most of these “middle ground” approaches suffer from the same faults as the ones that afflict a purely materialistic evolution plus they create additional theological or Christological problems for Christians who hold them. For instance, any approach that presumes that God used evolution to produce man from some lower form of pre-human hominid requires that death preceded Adam and Eve’s fall – and that’s if they accept the fall as being a historical event. Yet various scriptures, such as Romans 5:17, tie death directly to Adam’s sin. Further, if Adam’s fall wasn’t a literal event that introduced death into a creation that God had deemed “very good,” then why was it necessary for Christ to die on the cross to undo the effects of sin. VK: So, you’re saying the middle ground approaches really don’t bridge the gap and allow both sides to be right. But are you also saying that the middle grounds are subject to the same criticisms scientifically as a purely secularistic evolutionism. RD: Yes. For instance, one of the problems we learned about insofar as evolution is concerned is the absence of transitional forms in the fossil record, a fact that even Charles Darwin noted and lamented. When you study the fossil record species appear suddenly and fully formed with very few specimens that can even be offered up as being transitional. Despite the fact over 90% of the fossils that have been discovered were discovered after Darwin wrote the Origin of Species there aren’t any more convincing transitional examples known to today than when Darwin lamented their absence. This absence of transitional fossils would be a problem for any form of evolutionary hypothesis whether theistic or not. VK: What are a couple of other examples of problems that cast doubt on evolution regardless of which form is being discussed? RD: Well, there’s what’s been called by one writer “the failure of homology.” Homology is the idea that certain structures present in different species have a structural or other biological resemblance to each other. The classic example is the pattern in the bones of vertebrate limbs. In a wide variety of mammal species, example, from bats to whales to horses to people, there’s a consistent pattern of having one bone in the upper part of the limb (our arms or legs), connected to two bones, that are then connected to a series of five bones that have 2 segments in the large bone (thumb, big toe) and 3 segments in the other four. Such so-called “homologous” structures are thought to be evidence of “common descent.” In other words some ancient ancestor of all mammals had this pattern of bones so all the mammals in the world today that are descended from the ancestor inherited this pattern. VK: Certainly, at least on the surface, that makes sense. So what’s the problem? RD: The problem is that when Darwin wrote about the support that homology provided for his theory science knew very little about embryology – the study of how life develops following conception. Today, we know a lot more and we now know that the seeming homologous structures in adult animals don’t arise from similar embryological processes or from identical or similar genes. In other words while the adult features seem to be similar they come about from significantly varying developmental processes. This directly conflicts with the notion that the supposedly homologous structures came from a common ancestor because if all the common features were inherited from a common ancestor that ancestor would have passed along its embryological features not just the adult result. There’s a good discussion of this problem in Michael Denton’s book entitled Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. Chapter 7 for those who want to study further. VK: So just like with the fossil record, evidence that is often used to demonstrate the truth of evolution actually has significant scientific problems. Are there any other illustrations of scientific problems with the “particles to people” view of evolution? RD: There are actually lots of them and Dr. Sarfati discussed a number of them during his time in the Anchored by Truth studio. VK: For instance? RD: For instance, just about every proposed mechanism for how life could have arisen from non-living chemicals involves some variation on Darwin’s musings about a “warm little pond” – in other words the notion that the primordial oceans contained a nutrient rich broth that is sometimes termed “pre-biotic soup.” The chemicals necessary for life were supposed to have been present in this soup in such densities that random collision between the right molecules produced abiotic organic compounds that were then used to assemble the first cell or at least the cell’s precursor, whatever that would have been. The existence of these abiotically produced organic compounds is absolutely essential for the scheme to have worked. The problem is that rocks of purportedly great antiquity, by conventional dating, methods have extensively examined and none contain any evidence of these abiotically produced organic compound even the so-called “dawn rocks” of Western Greenland that were supposedly laid down within 3 or 4 hundred million years of the earth’s formation. The same thing is true of all the other rocks of similar antiquity. VK: So the rocks contain no evidence of this pre-biotic soup and without it the whole origin hypothesis falls apart. But some scientists now believe that the earliest life was formed underwater near these heating vents in the deep ocean. RD: Yes. That hypothesis is frequently mentioned in ocean exploration programs on one or another science channel. The problem with this theory is that all life depends on very lengthy chains of amino acids that are called polypeptides. Well, polypeptides won’t form in the presence of excess water. Even if the requisite amino acids were present they wouldn’t combine into the lengthy polypeptides so again there’s an absolute chemical barrier to life starting underwater hypothesis. VK: In other words the difficulties against life having arisen spontaneously from non-living chemicals are starting to stack up like a bricks in a brick wall. Are there any other bricks that are problematic? How about the famous experiments by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey? Didn’t they create the chemicals needed by life when they stimulated a chemical medium with methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water using electric discharges? RD: Urey and Miller were successful at creating organic compounds. That much is true. But the good news pretty much ends there. VK: How so? RD: First, there is no evidence that the conditions Urey and Miller used in their lab were present in the primordial earth. At a minimum, they used an oxygen free atmosphere because oxidation would quickly break down any organic chemicals that formed. Think rust. But there is evidence of oxidation in supposedly ancient rocks so it’s more likely that the early atmosphere contained oxygen than that it didn’t. Next, amino acids come in two varieties: levorotary and dextrorotary. The amino acids that support life are all levorotary. Dextrorotary forms are lethal. The combination of the two is called a racemate. Miller’s experiments and others since only produce racemates, never pure levorotary amino acids. Third, the amino acids they produced were captured in special traps. If those traps hadn’t been there the amino acids would have broken down before they could be determined to be present. Moreover, Urey and Miller’s experiment where they produced the amino acids wasn’t the first experiment they conducted. They had done others where they didn’t get anything. So, even when they got a result it involved the application of a considerable amount of intelligence. It was the exact opposite of the operation of blind chance. VK: Wow. That last thought really forces you to think doesn’t it? Even if a team of scientists today were successful at producing life in a test tube or laboratory beaker that wouldn’t demonstrate that life could have formed randomly or chaotically. Because - presumably - the scientists would have been applying intelligent guidance and decision making at every step within their process. And, of course, that’s assuming they had duplicated exactly the conditions on the earth at the time life is supposed to have formed and that is, and always will remain, unknowable. Well, this truly has been a remarkable series and yet we really have only skimmed the surface of all these topics. But the takeaway for the series and as well as from each episode is that faithful, committed Christians can believe in the truth of Genesis without having to give up their confidence in real science. As you would expect of an almighty and all-knowing Creator, He has provided His special revelation in a way that is entirely consistent with the way that He created and sustains the universe. Sounds like a great time to praise our Creator in prayer. ---- PRAYER OF ADORATION FOR THE CREATOR (radio version) VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the New Living Translation) The Book of Job, chapter 38, verses 4 through 7 The epistle to the Colossians, chapter 15 verses 1 through 17 https://creation.com/right-perspective-interpreting-data

Daily Dose of Hope May 14, 2024, Day 3 of Week 7 Scripture:  Exodus 38-40; Hebrews 1   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, New Hope Church's daily devotional that complements our Bible reading plan.  I hope your week is going well.  If you need prayer, don't hesitate to reach out to me!  Okay, let's get right into our Scripture.   We are finishing the book of Exodus today.  In chapter 38, they made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.  This chapter continues the instructions for building various elements of the tabernacle–the altar for burnt offerings, the wash basin, and the courtyard.  Again, there are many details included, down to the specific amount of gold, silver, and bronze, donated by the community.    There is one line in these instructions that I find really interesting, verse 8, which describes the making of the bronze wash basin. Ironically, it would be really easy to simply read it and not think too deeply about it, as it seems to get such a small mention among the more wordy descriptions of the burnt offering altar and the courtyard.  The wash basin needed to be made from a finer quality bronze since it was in a prominent location.  Where does one find fine quality, consistently even bronze in the middle of the desert?  Apparently from the mirrors of the women.  The mirrors would have required a higher  quality bronze that was polished very well, in order to produce a reflection.    Then, there is a mention that the mirrors were given by those women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Just this one little line but really important!  There were ladies who served God by standing by the tent of meeting and taking care of the needs of the priests.  They may have washed dishes and utensils, done laundry, or cleaned up the courtyard, but their quiet dedication and service was essential to the running of the tabernacle.  They are mentioned once again in I Samuel 2:22 (in reference to the evil committed by Samuel's sons).  This immediately makes me think of the countless women who have quietly served in churches for centuries, doing the mundane but necessary tasks of cleaning, sewing, washing, and cooking.  Like the women at the entrance to the tent of meeting, they go unnamed and probably many times unnoticed.  Yet, their dedication to God and service to Jesus' church is extraordinary.  Today, I thank God for all my sisters who have gone before me, serving God humbly and quietly, by doing the important but unglamorous tasks that keep the church running.   In the final chapter of Exodus, we find Moses and the Israelites setting up the tabernacle.  All they had constructed now needed to find its proper place.  Once all was in place, the Scripture says that “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”  The presence of the Lord was a cloud by day.  At night, there was fire in the cloud so it could easily be seen.  When the Israelites saw the cloud move, they knew it was time to pick up and move. When the cloud stayed in place, they knew to stay in place as well.  The cloud was visible manifestation of an invisible God. In a hot, sunny, arid climate, God's presence was a sign of both comforting shade and divine authority, right in their midst.  How do we see the presence of God in our midst today?  Think about the last week, how have you seen the living God at work in your daily experiences, in your interactions with others, in your prayer and study time, or in times of worship?  While God may not show up as a visible cloud, God is here with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I would love to hear about how you have experienced God's glory.   Our New Testament reading today comes from the book of Hebrews.  The author of Hebrews is speaking to a group of Christians, probably Jews who had become Christians, and they need encouragement.  They have grown tired, they are weary of the Christian life–they were dealing with significant challenges and hardships, facing external pressures & persecution.  As we read, we'll find that they have stopped meeting together, essentially they have stopped making attending worship services a priority.  Sound familiar?  Their faith was waning.  The author of Hebrews is presenting them with this letter/sermon to reawaken their faith.  He's like, “Hey guys, this is worth it!  Faith isn't flimsy dreaming, there is substance and reality to it.”  So he starts with a definition of faith and then brings to mind stories of real people that illustrate this kind of faith.  He presents a Hall of Fame of faith and over the next two weeks, we will be talking about those people in the Hall of Fame, their specific stories, and what we can learn from them.   Hebrews chapter one focuses on how God communicates.  He spoke through the prophets.  Now, he speaks through the embodied Word, Jesus Christ; the one who was present at creation, who radiates God's glory, who is an expression (an “imprint” in other translations) of God's character, who is full of God's power.  The one who was born as a human being and came to cleanse us from our sins is also the one who sits at God's right hand and is the name above all names.  Emmanuel, God with us, is also King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Almighty One, Lord of All (Phil 2:9-11, Rev. 1:8, Rev. 17:14).    Many of you are probably familiar with Ricky Bobby's prayer to “dear sweet babyJesus.”(Talledega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby). Despite protests that Jesus isn't a baby anymore, Ricky insists that he likes praying to “8 pound, 6 ounce, infant baby Jesus.”  While this is a silly example, I don't think it's that unusual for people to prefer the unassuming, nonthreatening Jesus in a manger to the all-powerful, supreme King of Kings who is GOD himself.  The reality is that the beauty and sweetness of Christmas baby Jesus can't be separated from the one to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).  He is the one who came to save us, to die for us, and who will ultimately judge us.  He isn't just a cute little baby but he is God himself who has chosen to dwell among his people.  I find this awe-inspiring.  The God who created all, the one who is above all things, the Redeemer, the Lord of All chose to be among his people and honestly, that has made all the difference.  John 1:14 (The Message), “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Title: Not to Us, LORD, Not to Us Text: Acts 10:23b-33 FCF: We often struggle giving reverence and honor to God's agents rather than God alone. Prop: Because God alone deserves praise for building His church, we must follow Christ alone. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we will be reading starting from verse 23 from the NIV but you can follow along in the pew bible starting on page 1242 or in whatever version you prefer. As we find our way back to Acts chapter 10, let us review again, just this episode and all that has transpired. Cornelius, a God-Fearer, not a proselyte, receives a vision from an angel informing him that his prayers and alms have been received as an offering to God. The angel also instructs him to send for Peter who is in Joppa so that Peter can bring a message to him. Less than a day later Peter receives a perplexing vision which challenges his understanding of the Ceremonial laws regarding clean and unclean animals. The men Cornelius sent arrive and Peter is informed by the Spirit to go with them and not to hesitate or to raise any objections out of his Jewish sensibilities. Peter hosts them in the home by the sea and intends to go out with them. In the episode so far, and in the book of Acts so far, we have seen the Lord superintend in the expansion, growth, preservation, and purity of His church. This theme will continue today. But perhaps we will see it from a slightly different angle. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: O Lord, the psalmist says, “when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)” As we approach the text of scripture you have for us today, let us remember that You have created us to glorify you and enjoy your presence. Be mindful of us now, O Lord, and be present with us, that we might lift up your name and your mighty works for your glory. “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1)” In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] In every single false faith and religion, whether they are heresies of Christianity or paganism and its relatives, the human agent is always seen as a near divine figure. To question the authority, the morality, or the veracity of Muhammed is to give a great insult upon the religion of Islam. Yet Muhammed never claims to be divine in any way. The Budda, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russel, from monks to shaman, priests to prophets, false faiths have at least one thing in common. They worship, honor, and venerate their human leaders to the point that to denigrate them, would be to commit a great sin. But is Christianity the same? Let's look. I.) God's messengers are not worthy of worship or reverence, so we must follow Christ alone. (23b-26) a. [Slide 3] 23b – The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. i. Here we see two things. ii. First, we see that Peter had absolutely no intention of allowing his prejudices and Jewish sensibilities to override the Spirit's clear instruction. iii. Although we might have been tempted to think that providing lodging for the men was to bide his time or to think it over more – we see that Peter did not hesitate. His hospitality was merely an act of kindness extended to weary travelers. iv. Second, we see that Peter did not go alone. While the Spirit did tell Peter to go without reservation, that would not prevent other men from going with Peter. v. Certainly, these were at least Samaritan Christians if not Jewish Christians. Perhaps they came with the hesitancy that Peter was told not to have. Perhaps they simply wanted to see what God would do at Cornelius' home. vi. We are told later in chapter 11 that there were 6 men who accompanied Peter. Peter making 7. An interesting number in scripture. b. [Slide 4] 24 – The following day he arrived in Caesarea. i. Again, Luke desires us to be aware of the chronology. ii. Cornelius had his vision on day 1, Peter his vision on day 2. They left for Cornelius' house on day 3. iii. On day 4 they arrive in Caesarea around 3pm. iv. Even though it was only 40 miles which could be done on foot in a day, the increased number of travelers would have made travel slower. c. [Slide 5] Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. i. For the first time since the beginning of the episode, we check in on what is happening with Cornelius. ii. What has he been doing? Waiting. Waiting and also gathering friends and relatives to hear the message that Peter was bringing to him. iii. What does the fact that Cornelius was waiting and inviting those he cared about to hear this message tell us about Cornelius? What might we call these actions? iv. We might call them faith. We can call them trust in what the angel had said, and thus trust in God. v. But as much faith as Cornelius had, it was not quite perfect… d. [Slide 6] 25 – As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. i. It is difficult to know exactly what Cornelius is doing here. ii. Many translations besides the NIV translate this word… Worship. iii. Scholars are divided on what exactly is going through Cornelius' mind. So, what are our options? 1. It is very unlikely that Cornelius is worshipping Peter outright as some Messianic figure. Virtually no scholar arrives at this conclusion. Given what we know of Cornelius that he was a God-Fearer and a devout man, it seems incompatible to assume he errored this far to worship Peter as God. 2. However, we might see Cornelius blending pagan and Judeo-Christian practices together as Cornelius makes Peter out to be some kind of man-god. a. We saw the Samaritans respond similarly to Simon the Sorcerer in chapter 8. Remember they called him the Great Power of God. b. And in Roman Paganism it would be appropriate to worship or venerate someone who is next to or a messenger of God. c. They have at least a partial divine status. 3. We might also see Cornelius merely expressing some measure of honor or respect to Peter as some sort of sage or seer that he must honor as if Peter represented God Himself. As if Peter spoke on God's behalf. To the extent that whatever Peter said or did… was infallible. 4. In either case Cornelius is treating Peter as a person who has ascended to a second tier or vaulted position above mere men. iv. To a certain degree it matters little whether Cornelius is making Peter to be a man-god or merely venerating him as God's representative… v. Peter's response repudiates them all. e. [Slide 7] 26 – But Peter made him get up, “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” i. Peter rejects the honor, whatever it may be, and confesses to Cornelius that he is the same as Cornelius. He is merely a man. ii. When we consider the fact that Peter was a Jewish Christian and Cornelius a gentile God-Fearer, Peter's rejection of veneration is all the more impactful. In Peter's estimation, the distance between God-Fearer and apostle is not a great enough distance for Cornelius to treat Peter with reverential awe. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: In this text, in exact contention with paganism and even Judaism to some degree, Luke makes it clear that the relationship between God and His messengers is not like the relationship between seers and rabbis of other faiths. The messengers of God's gospel do not take with them some kind of divine rights or special privileges because they are His messengers. Even the apostles of Christ are not due any kind of honor that approaches God Himself. In this the gospel shines brightly. God alone deserves worship and reverence. And Peter's message will be to worship and reverence Jesus of Nazareth, who is the true God-Man. He alone must be followed. He must alone be trusted and obeyed. And no created being, not even an apostle of Christ, is worthy of the same treatment. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] Peter's rejection of veneration sets the tone for the church of Jesus Christ. No honor or worship is due to Peter, even though He is an apostle of Christ, even though He bears the message of the gospel, He is not worthy of awe or praise. Why? Because God alone is worthy of awe and praise. But why else should we only follow Christ and not mere men? II.) God providentially leads His messengers to find the lost who will believe, so we must follow Christ alone. (27-29) a. [Slide 10] 27 – While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. i. I'm sure this tested Peter sensibilities even more. ii. To meet with one gentile in his home is bad enough, but to meet with a whole assembly… such a thing would have been quite a challenge. iii. I imagine that Peter was probably taken aback by the crowd that had gathered. Men and women, soldier and slaves. A whole house full of people. b. [Slide 11] 28 – He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. i. It is at this point that I need to clarify. I may have led you to believe that it was part of the Mosaic law that the Jews practiced a separation from going to Gentile homes. 1. This is not actually true. There is no law in the Mosaic law that forbids this. 2. Why then does Peter say it is against their law for this to be so? 3. Well, we must ask to what law is Peter referring? 4. Being unclean in general was not always because you had sinned against God. There were perfectly normal and natural things that occurred that would make someone ritualistically unclean. 5. But being unclean was not a desirable place for a Jew to be. 6. Since the Gentiles ate unclean food and practiced unclean ways, it became a law or a custom to avoid them completely. It became taboo. 7. Therefore, when Peter says it is unlawful or against our law – this indicates a law added to God's law. The law of social acceptability in Jewish life. ii. All this being said, they certainly would have known, Cornelius being a God-Fearer and living in Caesarea, that it was a taboo thing for Peter to be here. iii. But Peter says this not as an end of a statement but as a beginning. iv. Peter recognizes that them sending for him and him coming indicates something remarkable is happening in this entire situation. For they both knew the tradition and the practices of the Jews. c. [Slide 12] But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. i. Here Peter reveals that he indeed does understand more of the vision that he was given. ii. He did use the Spirit's further speaking to him as a template by which to interpret his dream. iii. What was Peter's interpretation? iv. Peter's interpretation so far is that God has made things that were ritualistically unclean to be clean. That, as he says here, extends beyond food to people. v. Gentiles in general are now no longer ritualistically unclean. vi. God making this plain to him is why he obeyed the Spirit to come without any objection. vii. Peter is mostly right in his interpretation of the vision. But as we'll see as the episode continues, there is more to this vision than simply the cleansing of the ritualistically unclean things. d. [Slide 13] May I ask why you sent for me.” i. This is further proof that Peter does not understand the full breadth of the vision. ii. He still doesn't quite understand why he is here. iii. He knows he has come to speak some sort of message to Cornelius… and to his surprise, his whole gathering of friends and relatives. iv. But Peter still has not drawn the correlation between the vision and his purpose here. v. Is it just to share a meal with them? vi. Is this just to give example to the church as a whole that gentiles are no longer unclean? vii. Is it to repudiate the custom of not going to their homes? viii. This is why Peter seeks clarification. e. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: In the first point we saw how Christ alone is worthy of worship and reverence. That Peter denied the reverence of Cornelius because only Christ deserved such treatment. Here we see a similar point about God's messengers. Not only are they not worthy of worship or reverential treatment… they are also under the direction and providential leading of God. Peter had to be coaxed to go to Cornelius' house. He had to be shown a vision and even told directly to go. And while Peter is continuing to try to figure out why he is here… God is leading Him to begin the Pentecost of the Gentiles. But Peter has no idea this is happening. Even now, he is still figuring it out. That isn't a slight to him so much is it a testament to the fact that our God goes before all of His witnesses when He sends them out. He providentially leads them to find those whom He has called out and to preach the gospel to them. God goes with His people to reach His people. So once again, the message for us is clear. No matter how enthusiastic or engaging, no matter how successful an evangelist or pastor may be… we must never be tempted to follow mere men. For Christ alone is worthy of worship and following. Men are merely tools in His hands to accomplish His purposes. And if many have come to faith because of the ministry of a man – that is not a testament to the man, but to the God he serves. Transition: [Slide 15(blank)] The gospel goes forward not because of great men, but because of a Great God. And from the lips of Cornelius, we have one more point that proves such a truth over again. What does this not yet believer say about God's work in this whole situation? III.) God presides over His messengers when they preach His gospel, so we must follow Christ alone. (30-33) a. [Slide 16] 30 – Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me, i. The wording of this is grammatically clunky in the Greek. It is because of this that the NIV determines that Cornelius is talking about 3 days ago. But it is literally the only version of the bible in English that translates the Greek word as three instead of 4. ii. Four is certainly correct. The NIV goes out on a limb here but unfortunately it falls from the tree. iii. But perhaps we can give it a pass since the Greek grammar does make this passage very difficult to know exactly what Cornelius is trying to say. iv. The favorite among scholars seems to be “Four days ago to the very minute, he was praying at 3pm which is when an angel appeared to him.” v. He tells Peter what he saw and now he will tell Peter what he was told. b. [Slide 17] 31 - And said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner who lives by the sea.” i. Again, Cornelius omits the detail that the angel told him that Peter was going to bring a message. ii. While it seems odd that Cornelius would omit this detail from his account, we will find out shortly that he certainly expected to receive teaching from Peter based on what the angel said to him. c. [Slide 18] 33 – So, I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. i. Cornelius obeyed the message of the angel but recognized the sacrifice Peter made in coming. ii. This is a Greek Idiom. iii. The NIV does well in its translation here. Other translations have “It was a great kindness of you to come.” Or something to that effect. d. [Slide 19] Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” i. Again, it is assumed that Peter will have a message to bring. ii. This is certainly what Cornelius understood from the angel's message. iii. He now eagerly desires to hear what Peter has been instructed to say from the Lord. iv. He and all those who are present. v. Notice… he says that they are all in the presence of God. vi. Cornelius assumes that since this is the culmination of all that the angel who was sent by God had commanded him to do, that God must be present for what is about to happen. vii. This heightens the importance of the event to be sure. e. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: In the first point we saw how Christ alone is worthy of worship and obedience and in the second point we saw how even great apostles like Peter needed the Lord's providential guidance to find those whom the Lord is calling to Himself. And now in this final point we see that Cornelius' inference is sound. If God has providentially led Peter to be here, then God must be presiding over the coming presentation of the gospel to him and his family and friends. And my friends it is no logical leap for us to assume a principle here, based on the providence and omnipresence of God. What is that principle? That God always presides over His witnesses as they share His gospel. So once again we draw the conclusion… if God presides over our witness, then He alone is worthy to be followed and obeyed. No mere man can inherit such loyalty. Any man who has any success in seeing souls saved, must admit the fact that were it not for the power, providence, love, presence, and faithfulness of God they would be fruitless in their harvest. He is, after all, the Lord of the harvest. He alone gets the increase. We are merely the workers. Conclusion: So CBC, how does this text apply to us today? What have we learned from all this? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 21] In other religions, cults, and heresies, the human elements of the religion are often granted equal or comparable honor, respect, and even worship as the god or gods they serve. All false faiths have this in common. Human agents within the faith are given varying degrees of heightened honor and prestige and usually there is one human at the top above all the rest. In this scene of this episode, we see that Christianity is not like any of these. Peter says, I am just a man. Stand up. Peter admits that he needed to be taught or re-taught something in order to ensure that he did what God wanted him to do. And Cornelius confesses that although Peter will give the message, it is ultimately being presided over by God Himself. All this comes together to prove to us beyond shadow of doubt that only God the triune is worthy of worship and reverence. His human agents do not inherit varying degrees of reverence or awe no matter how close they were to Him. And that He is the One shepherding the activity of His people no matter how “successful” it seems that His people are in their efforts. This whole passage is a HUGE pride shot to the church and its leaders. Christ is the head of His church and there is no other. There is no vice-head. There is no second in command. There is no viceroy, no vicar, no advisor, no confidant, no consort, no right hand. It is His church that He builds, preserves, expands, and achieves victory through. No mere man deserves honor, credit, respect, or any reverential awe for what they have accomplished for the church because ultimately, they would do nothing without Christ! They would be nothing without Christ. Let us then improve upon this point in some more practical ways. 1.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that God alone deserves worship and reverence. a. My friends if someone takes a bible and throws it in the garbage can, although that may grate on our sensibilities, it is no direct affront to God, for God's word stands forever regardless of what men may do to one specific copy of it. b. If someone spits on the image of Peter or Paul, burns an illustration of Jesus or throws out the crackers and grape juice after the Lord's Supper - no damage is done to the honor of God. No worship is denied Him. No blasphemy is committed. c. If someone criticizes me or another Elder in our church or says many choice things against us, there is no affront to the Holy character of God in this. d. As Spurgeon said, “Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be.” e. None of these amount to blasphemy. Why? Because none of these are an attack on the Holy character of God. f. By negative example I hope to prove to you that God alone is to be worshipped and revered in awe. g. God alone is to be honored. There shall be no other gods before Him. You shall make for yourself no graven images to represent Him nor shall you make any graven images to represent any created thing. h. My friends, though God is not blasphemed in the ill treatment of things that are His, God is blasphemed in the reverential awe and worship of things that are His. i. You cannot worship God and His people. You cannot worship God and Church Fathers. You cannot worship God and… anything. j. Anything that is not God must be treated as yet another created thing. k. And that leads us to a further point that develops out of this. 2.) [Slide 23] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that any created being should inherit any reverential awe or worship. a. My friends I am convinced that if Peter, Paul, John, Mary the mother of Jesus, or any other individual connected to Jesus Christ were to be among us again today and would see churches with their names on it, churches with their images in it, believers praying to them, or addressing them and venerating them in any way – they would say the exact same thing Peter said to Cornelius right here. b. Stand up! I am a human like you! c. The veneration of any created being is nothing short of a violation of the first and second command of the decalogue to not worship anything but God or to worship anything that has been created. d. The practice of worshipping icons, praying to saints, confessing sin to priests, is all repudiated in Peter's response right here! e. To refer to someone as the vicar of Christ, the representative of Christ on earth, is a blasphemy of the first order. For Christ has neither asked for nor does He need a representative for Himself on earth. He is the head of the church right now as He sits at the right hand of God. f. No man or woman deserves to be worshipped, honored, or venerated regardless of who they are or what they have done for the kingdom of God. g. Why? h. God alone is worthy of worship. He is a jealous God. He will not yield his glory to another or His praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8) 3.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be diligent to reflect and divert all praise and honor to God and God alone. a. I am reading George Whitefield's biography which has been absolutely excellent so far. b. George Whitefield was the founder of the Methodist movement in London and was God's chosen instrument to spear head the First Great Awakening in England and the USA. c. From early on in his ministry, through his journals, it became quite apparent that he dreaded the success of his ministry. d. He dreaded it because of the unique temptations that it brought to receive praise and honor for its success. e. My friends, if you are in a position of teaching, of authority, of ministry, of mentor and are training people in the truth of God and His ways – we must be so careful of accolades. f. Surely insults are detrimental, but accolades can send us to hell. g. I won't produce a list today, but an untold multitude of well-started men in ministry have succumbed to the honeyed words of well-meaning admirers. h. Before they are aware of it, it became a drug fueling their passions. They desired it like oxygen. They had to hear the approval of men. To the extent that they lived for it. They thrived on it. And thus, they were brought to heel by it. They were controlled. And many have fallen away and denied the faith. i. Watch and take a lesson from the angels of God. They come and when someone falls down before them, they tell them what? Don't be afraid… and then what? Arise. Do not worship me. I am not God. j. If the elect angels, these mighty spirit beings, refuse to receive worship and reverence from humans – why should we as humans think it right to receive reverence from humans? k. Be in the habit of reflecting, deflecting, deviating, disarming and controlling all misfired praise in your direction and turn it to God who alone is worthy of it. l. You teach so well! “Thank you! Praise the Lord He has used me to help you learn.” m. You are so kind and compassionate! “Thank you for such kind words and Praise the Lord that He has taught this to me by word and deed.” n. You are such a servant! “I am overjoyed to hear it. Praise the Lord who has given me strength enough to serve.” o. You are such a good Christian! “I am so glad you think so - I only hope to cast such crowns at His feet.” p. Not feigned humility but fearful deviation of praise. For you and I are unworthy of it. And to harbor it, even for a moment, is to handle something that could take our eternal lives. q. Our God is a jealous God. He will give His glory to no one. r. We must be in the habit of remembering that we are nothing without Him. Any talent, ability, or good deed we do is only because He was with us and enabled us to do it. s. In all we do we must continue to remind those who compliment us – that we are but men and women. We are mere humans. There is nothing worthy of gazing upon here. Gaze upon the Son. And Him Alone. 4.) [Slide 25] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop giving reverential awe to men for their achievements in Christ's church! a. Understand that by this I do not mean that the person on the other side of the compliment must cease their compliment. b. For it is not wrong to pay a compliment to a faithful worker in the Lord's Service. c. But my friends, we must be so very careful to not give special or preferential respect to mere men. d. If you find yourself quoting, listening to, or admiring one man's teaching or ministry to the extent that he far exceeds all others – be so very careful my friends. He is but a man. And no man is worthy of such devotion, loyalty or honor. e. If there is a man to whom you never disagree, such a man could be a stumbling block to your faithful worship of God alone. f. There is a reason that cults and false religions always have a human agent that they revere above all. It is because we sinners desire to worship something we can see. Something we can touch. Something we can perceive. g. The children of Israel not long after leaving Egypt and all their pagan gods, melted down gold and made a golden calf to worship. h. And lest we think those in Christ are beyond such idolatry… i. Paul said that the Corinthians were saying, “I am of Paul; I am of Apollos, or (the super spiritual) I am of Christ.” And all the while they divided themselves over their human allegiances. Who should they venerate most? j. My friends, worship God alone. No minister, no church leader, no movement maker, no church planter, no trend setter, no mover and shaker, no influencer, no apostle, no prophet, no pastor and no elder has ever done what they have done without God's power and passion infused into their lives. k. And although we can appreciate and thank the Lord for such men and women who give us encouragement and have blessed us immeasurably… we would do well to recognize that they too are nothing without Christ. That Christ has used them and that HE ALONE deserves honor and praise for what the human agent has done. l. That with or without them – God would have done the work. m. This brings us, to a lesser degree, to what the proper attitude toward spiritual leadership should be. n. How should you treat your Elders CBC? o. The bible says to submit to and pray for us. To honor us. p. But I remind you, we are mere men. Fellow sheep. q. We watch out for your souls but we are not perfect. We are not the vicar of Christ. No man can be. We are not Christ's representative, we are merely His stewards, slaves appointed to care for what is His until He returns. r. You should respect what your Elders say. It should weigh heavy on you. If it is from the scriptures, it should bind you. But we, each of us, sin every single day. s. Don't pray THROUGH us or TO us! Why? Because we need you to pray FOR us. t. We are servant leaders, not divine representatives. And there is a big difference. 5.) [Slide 26] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God does not leave the fate of something as precious as His church to mere men. a. Oh what glorious truth! b. For if it were left to us – we would have made mincemeat of His church long ago. c. Indeed, a cursory look at the history of the church would prove exactly that. We go back and see the battles against heresy, the dark ages, the corruptions, the abuses, the reformation, the subsequent splintering and dividing and we might be tempted in this to assume… ah see – men have run it into the ground. d. But do not believe it. God presides over His church my friends. e. God has not handed the fate of His church to mere men. He has given the headship of His church to The Son. And the Son has sent the Spirit into all true believers guiding them into all truth. f. He will build His church. g. He may have given us the ship's wheel, but He alone provides the wind. May we steer into His course for us. And find comfort and hope that He will not allow His church to fail. Let me close with a prayer from the Apostolic Constitutions, an 8-volume work written in the late 300s primarily for clergy which included many orders of worship including this prayer. You alone are the Almighty One. Your eternal power quenches flames, holds back lions, and tames whales. It raises up the sick and overrules the power of all things. It overturns every enemy and brings low the arrogant. You are the one who is present in heaven, on earth, in the sea, but you yourself are confined by nothing. Your majesty has no boundary. As your servant said, "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other" (Deuteronomy 4:39). For there is no God besides you alone, there is none holy besides you, the Lord, the God of knowledge, the God of the saints, holy above all holy beings, who are sanctified by your hands. You are glorious and highly exalted, invisible by nature, unsearchable in your judgments. Your life is without want, and your duration can never alter or fail. You do everything without toil. Your greatness is unlimited. Your excellency is perpetual. Your habitation is inaccessible and your dwelling unchangeable. Your knowledge is without beginning. Your truth cannot change and you require no help. Your dominion cannot be taken away and your monarchy will never have a successor: Your kingdom is without end, your strength is irresistible, and your army so numerous. You are the Father of wisdom, the creator of the creation by a mediator who is also the cause. The bestower of providence, the giver of laws, the supplier of want, the punisher of the ungodly, and the rewarder of the righteous. You are the God and Father of Christ, the Lord of those devoted to him. Your promise never fails, your judgments never take a bribe. Your attitude never changes, and your holiness never ceases. Our thanksgiving will never end. Let every creature adore you, for you [alone] are worthy. We pray this in Jesus name… Amen. Benediction: May you sing the glorious praises of your God through all your days; May you put no confidence in princes nor for help on man depend; That the Lord who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak, Make you run and not grow faint, make you to walk and not fall. Until we meet again… go in peace.

Title: Not to Us, LORD, Not to Us Text: Acts 10:23b-33 FCF: We often struggle giving reverence and honor to God's agents rather than God alone. Prop: Because God alone deserves praise for building His church, we must follow Christ alone. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we will be reading starting from verse 23 from the NIV but you can follow along in the pew bible starting on page 1242 or in whatever version you prefer. As we find our way back to Acts chapter 10, let us review again, just this episode and all that has transpired. Cornelius, a God-Fearer, not a proselyte, receives a vision from an angel informing him that his prayers and alms have been received as an offering to God. The angel also instructs him to send for Peter who is in Joppa so that Peter can bring a message to him. Less than a day later Peter receives a perplexing vision which challenges his understanding of the Ceremonial laws regarding clean and unclean animals. The men Cornelius sent arrive and Peter is informed by the Spirit to go with them and not to hesitate or to raise any objections out of his Jewish sensibilities. Peter hosts them in the home by the sea and intends to go out with them. In the episode so far, and in the book of Acts so far, we have seen the Lord superintend in the expansion, growth, preservation, and purity of His church. This theme will continue today. But perhaps we will see it from a slightly different angle. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: O Lord, the psalmist says, “when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)” As we approach the text of scripture you have for us today, let us remember that You have created us to glorify you and enjoy your presence. Be mindful of us now, O Lord, and be present with us, that we might lift up your name and your mighty works for your glory. “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1)” In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] In every single false faith and religion, whether they are heresies of Christianity or paganism and its relatives, the human agent is always seen as a near divine figure. To question the authority, the morality, or the veracity of Muhammed is to give a great insult upon the religion of Islam. Yet Muhammed never claims to be divine in any way. The Budda, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russel, from monks to shaman, priests to prophets, false faiths have at least one thing in common. They worship, honor, and venerate their human leaders to the point that to denigrate them, would be to commit a great sin. But is Christianity the same? Let's look. I.) God's messengers are not worthy of worship or reverence, so we must follow Christ alone. (23b-26) a. [Slide 3] 23b – The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. i. Here we see two things. ii. First, we see that Peter had absolutely no intention of allowing his prejudices and Jewish sensibilities to override the Spirit's clear instruction. iii. Although we might have been tempted to think that providing lodging for the men was to bide his time or to think it over more – we see that Peter did not hesitate. His hospitality was merely an act of kindness extended to weary travelers. iv. Second, we see that Peter did not go alone. While the Spirit did tell Peter to go without reservation, that would not prevent other men from going with Peter. v. Certainly, these were at least Samaritan Christians if not Jewish Christians. Perhaps they came with the hesitancy that Peter was told not to have. Perhaps they simply wanted to see what God would do at Cornelius' home. vi. We are told later in chapter 11 that there were 6 men who accompanied Peter. Peter making 7. An interesting number in scripture. b. [Slide 4] 24 – The following day he arrived in Caesarea. i. Again, Luke desires us to be aware of the chronology. ii. Cornelius had his vision on day 1, Peter his vision on day 2. They left for Cornelius' house on day 3. iii. On day 4 they arrive in Caesarea around 3pm. iv. Even though it was only 40 miles which could be done on foot in a day, the increased number of travelers would have made travel slower. c. [Slide 5] Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. i. For the first time since the beginning of the episode, we check in on what is happening with Cornelius. ii. What has he been doing? Waiting. Waiting and also gathering friends and relatives to hear the message that Peter was bringing to him. iii. What does the fact that Cornelius was waiting and inviting those he cared about to hear this message tell us about Cornelius? What might we call these actions? iv. We might call them faith. We can call them trust in what the angel had said, and thus trust in God. v. But as much faith as Cornelius had, it was not quite perfect… d. [Slide 6] 25 – As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. i. It is difficult to know exactly what Cornelius is doing here. ii. Many translations besides the NIV translate this word… Worship. iii. Scholars are divided on what exactly is going through Cornelius' mind. So, what are our options? 1. It is very unlikely that Cornelius is worshipping Peter outright as some Messianic figure. Virtually no scholar arrives at this conclusion. Given what we know of Cornelius that he was a God-Fearer and a devout man, it seems incompatible to assume he errored this far to worship Peter as God. 2. However, we might see Cornelius blending pagan and Judeo-Christian practices together as Cornelius makes Peter out to be some kind of man-god. a. We saw the Samaritans respond similarly to Simon the Sorcerer in chapter 8. Remember they called him the Great Power of God. b. And in Roman Paganism it would be appropriate to worship or venerate someone who is next to or a messenger of God. c. They have at least a partial divine status. 3. We might also see Cornelius merely expressing some measure of honor or respect to Peter as some sort of sage or seer that he must honor as if Peter represented God Himself. As if Peter spoke on God's behalf. To the extent that whatever Peter said or did… was infallible. 4. In either case Cornelius is treating Peter as a person who has ascended to a second tier or vaulted position above mere men. iv. To a certain degree it matters little whether Cornelius is making Peter to be a man-god or merely venerating him as God's representative… v. Peter's response repudiates them all. e. [Slide 7] 26 – But Peter made him get up, “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” i. Peter rejects the honor, whatever it may be, and confesses to Cornelius that he is the same as Cornelius. He is merely a man. ii. When we consider the fact that Peter was a Jewish Christian and Cornelius a gentile God-Fearer, Peter's rejection of veneration is all the more impactful. In Peter's estimation, the distance between God-Fearer and apostle is not a great enough distance for Cornelius to treat Peter with reverential awe. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: In this text, in exact contention with paganism and even Judaism to some degree, Luke makes it clear that the relationship between God and His messengers is not like the relationship between seers and rabbis of other faiths. The messengers of God's gospel do not take with them some kind of divine rights or special privileges because they are His messengers. Even the apostles of Christ are not due any kind of honor that approaches God Himself. In this the gospel shines brightly. God alone deserves worship and reverence. And Peter's message will be to worship and reverence Jesus of Nazareth, who is the true God-Man. He alone must be followed. He must alone be trusted and obeyed. And no created being, not even an apostle of Christ, is worthy of the same treatment. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] Peter's rejection of veneration sets the tone for the church of Jesus Christ. No honor or worship is due to Peter, even though He is an apostle of Christ, even though He bears the message of the gospel, He is not worthy of awe or praise. Why? Because God alone is worthy of awe and praise. But why else should we only follow Christ and not mere men? II.) God providentially leads His messengers to find the lost who will believe, so we must follow Christ alone. (27-29) a. [Slide 10] 27 – While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. i. I'm sure this tested Peter sensibilities even more. ii. To meet with one gentile in his home is bad enough, but to meet with a whole assembly… such a thing would have been quite a challenge. iii. I imagine that Peter was probably taken aback by the crowd that had gathered. Men and women, soldier and slaves. A whole house full of people. b. [Slide 11] 28 – He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. i. It is at this point that I need to clarify. I may have led you to believe that it was part of the Mosaic law that the Jews practiced a separation from going to Gentile homes. 1. This is not actually true. There is no law in the Mosaic law that forbids this. 2. Why then does Peter say it is against their law for this to be so? 3. Well, we must ask to what law is Peter referring? 4. Being unclean in general was not always because you had sinned against God. There were perfectly normal and natural things that occurred that would make someone ritualistically unclean. 5. But being unclean was not a desirable place for a Jew to be. 6. Since the Gentiles ate unclean food and practiced unclean ways, it became a law or a custom to avoid them completely. It became taboo. 7. Therefore, when Peter says it is unlawful or against our law – this indicates a law added to God's law. The law of social acceptability in Jewish life. ii. All this being said, they certainly would have known, Cornelius being a God-Fearer and living in Caesarea, that it was a taboo thing for Peter to be here. iii. But Peter says this not as an end of a statement but as a beginning. iv. Peter recognizes that them sending for him and him coming indicates something remarkable is happening in this entire situation. For they both knew the tradition and the practices of the Jews. c. [Slide 12] But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. i. Here Peter reveals that he indeed does understand more of the vision that he was given. ii. He did use the Spirit's further speaking to him as a template by which to interpret his dream. iii. What was Peter's interpretation? iv. Peter's interpretation so far is that God has made things that were ritualistically unclean to be clean. That, as he says here, extends beyond food to people. v. Gentiles in general are now no longer ritualistically unclean. vi. God making this plain to him is why he obeyed the Spirit to come without any objection. vii. Peter is mostly right in his interpretation of the vision. But as we'll see as the episode continues, there is more to this vision than simply the cleansing of the ritualistically unclean things. d. [Slide 13] May I ask why you sent for me.” i. This is further proof that Peter does not understand the full breadth of the vision. ii. He still doesn't quite understand why he is here. iii. He knows he has come to speak some sort of message to Cornelius… and to his surprise, his whole gathering of friends and relatives. iv. But Peter still has not drawn the correlation between the vision and his purpose here. v. Is it just to share a meal with them? vi. Is this just to give example to the church as a whole that gentiles are no longer unclean? vii. Is it to repudiate the custom of not going to their homes? viii. This is why Peter seeks clarification. e. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: In the first point we saw how Christ alone is worthy of worship and reverence. That Peter denied the reverence of Cornelius because only Christ deserved such treatment. Here we see a similar point about God's messengers. Not only are they not worthy of worship or reverential treatment… they are also under the direction and providential leading of God. Peter had to be coaxed to go to Cornelius' house. He had to be shown a vision and even told directly to go. And while Peter is continuing to try to figure out why he is here… God is leading Him to begin the Pentecost of the Gentiles. But Peter has no idea this is happening. Even now, he is still figuring it out. That isn't a slight to him so much is it a testament to the fact that our God goes before all of His witnesses when He sends them out. He providentially leads them to find those whom He has called out and to preach the gospel to them. God goes with His people to reach His people. So once again, the message for us is clear. No matter how enthusiastic or engaging, no matter how successful an evangelist or pastor may be… we must never be tempted to follow mere men. For Christ alone is worthy of worship and following. Men are merely tools in His hands to accomplish His purposes. And if many have come to faith because of the ministry of a man – that is not a testament to the man, but to the God he serves. Transition: [Slide 15(blank)] The gospel goes forward not because of great men, but because of a Great God. And from the lips of Cornelius, we have one more point that proves such a truth over again. What does this not yet believer say about God's work in this whole situation? III.) God presides over His messengers when they preach His gospel, so we must follow Christ alone. (30-33) a. [Slide 16] 30 – Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me, i. The wording of this is grammatically clunky in the Greek. It is because of this that the NIV determines that Cornelius is talking about 3 days ago. But it is literally the only version of the bible in English that translates the Greek word as three instead of 4. ii. Four is certainly correct. The NIV goes out on a limb here but unfortunately it falls from the tree. iii. But perhaps we can give it a pass since the Greek grammar does make this passage very difficult to know exactly what Cornelius is trying to say. iv. The favorite among scholars seems to be “Four days ago to the very minute, he was praying at 3pm which is when an angel appeared to him.” v. He tells Peter what he saw and now he will tell Peter what he was told. b. [Slide 17] 31 - And said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner who lives by the sea.” i. Again, Cornelius omits the detail that the angel told him that Peter was going to bring a message. ii. While it seems odd that Cornelius would omit this detail from his account, we will find out shortly that he certainly expected to receive teaching from Peter based on what the angel said to him. c. [Slide 18] 33 – So, I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. i. Cornelius obeyed the message of the angel but recognized the sacrifice Peter made in coming. ii. This is a Greek Idiom. iii. The NIV does well in its translation here. Other translations have “It was a great kindness of you to come.” Or something to that effect. d. [Slide 19] Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” i. Again, it is assumed that Peter will have a message to bring. ii. This is certainly what Cornelius understood from the angel's message. iii. He now eagerly desires to hear what Peter has been instructed to say from the Lord. iv. He and all those who are present. v. Notice… he says that they are all in the presence of God. vi. Cornelius assumes that since this is the culmination of all that the angel who was sent by God had commanded him to do, that God must be present for what is about to happen. vii. This heightens the importance of the event to be sure. e. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: In the first point we saw how Christ alone is worthy of worship and obedience and in the second point we saw how even great apostles like Peter needed the Lord's providential guidance to find those whom the Lord is calling to Himself. And now in this final point we see that Cornelius' inference is sound. If God has providentially led Peter to be here, then God must be presiding over the coming presentation of the gospel to him and his family and friends. And my friends it is no logical leap for us to assume a principle here, based on the providence and omnipresence of God. What is that principle? That God always presides over His witnesses as they share His gospel. So once again we draw the conclusion… if God presides over our witness, then He alone is worthy to be followed and obeyed. No mere man can inherit such loyalty. Any man who has any success in seeing souls saved, must admit the fact that were it not for the power, providence, love, presence, and faithfulness of God they would be fruitless in their harvest. He is, after all, the Lord of the harvest. He alone gets the increase. We are merely the workers. Conclusion: So CBC, how does this text apply to us today? What have we learned from all this? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 21] In other religions, cults, and heresies, the human elements of the religion are often granted equal or comparable honor, respect, and even worship as the god or gods they serve. All false faiths have this in common. Human agents within the faith are given varying degrees of heightened honor and prestige and usually there is one human at the top above all the rest. In this scene of this episode, we see that Christianity is not like any of these. Peter says, I am just a man. Stand up. Peter admits that he needed to be taught or re-taught something in order to ensure that he did what God wanted him to do. And Cornelius confesses that although Peter will give the message, it is ultimately being presided over by God Himself. All this comes together to prove to us beyond shadow of doubt that only God the triune is worthy of worship and reverence. His human agents do not inherit varying degrees of reverence or awe no matter how close they were to Him. And that He is the One shepherding the activity of His people no matter how “successful” it seems that His people are in their efforts. This whole passage is a HUGE pride shot to the church and its leaders. Christ is the head of His church and there is no other. There is no vice-head. There is no second in command. There is no viceroy, no vicar, no advisor, no confidant, no consort, no right hand. It is His church that He builds, preserves, expands, and achieves victory through. No mere man deserves honor, credit, respect, or any reverential awe for what they have accomplished for the church because ultimately, they would do nothing without Christ! They would be nothing without Christ. Let us then improve upon this point in some more practical ways. 1.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that God alone deserves worship and reverence. a. My friends if someone takes a bible and throws it in the garbage can, although that may grate on our sensibilities, it is no direct affront to God, for God's word stands forever regardless of what men may do to one specific copy of it. b. If someone spits on the image of Peter or Paul, burns an illustration of Jesus or throws out the crackers and grape juice after the Lord's Supper - no damage is done to the honor of God. No worship is denied Him. No blasphemy is committed. c. If someone criticizes me or another Elder in our church or says many choice things against us, there is no affront to the Holy character of God in this. d. As Spurgeon said, “Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be.” e. None of these amount to blasphemy. Why? Because none of these are an attack on the Holy character of God. f. By negative example I hope to prove to you that God alone is to be worshipped and revered in awe. g. God alone is to be honored. There shall be no other gods before Him. You shall make for yourself no graven images to represent Him nor shall you make any graven images to represent any created thing. h. My friends, though God is not blasphemed in the ill treatment of things that are His, God is blasphemed in the reverential awe and worship of things that are His. i. You cannot worship God and His people. You cannot worship God and Church Fathers. You cannot worship God and… anything. j. Anything that is not God must be treated as yet another created thing. k. And that leads us to a further point that develops out of this. 2.) [Slide 23] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that any created being should inherit any reverential awe or worship. a. My friends I am convinced that if Peter, Paul, John, Mary the mother of Jesus, or any other individual connected to Jesus Christ were to be among us again today and would see churches with their names on it, churches with their images in it, believers praying to them, or addressing them and venerating them in any way – they would say the exact same thing Peter said to Cornelius right here. b. Stand up! I am a human like you! c. The veneration of any created being is nothing short of a violation of the first and second command of the decalogue to not worship anything but God or to worship anything that has been created. d. The practice of worshipping icons, praying to saints, confessing sin to priests, is all repudiated in Peter's response right here! e. To refer to someone as the vicar of Christ, the representative of Christ on earth, is a blasphemy of the first order. For Christ has neither asked for nor does He need a representative for Himself on earth. He is the head of the church right now as He sits at the right hand of God. f. No man or woman deserves to be worshipped, honored, or venerated regardless of who they are or what they have done for the kingdom of God. g. Why? h. God alone is worthy of worship. He is a jealous God. He will not yield his glory to another or His praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8) 3.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be diligent to reflect and divert all praise and honor to God and God alone. a. I am reading George Whitefield's biography which has been absolutely excellent so far. b. George Whitefield was the founder of the Methodist movement in London and was God's chosen instrument to spear head the First Great Awakening in England and the USA. c. From early on in his ministry, through his journals, it became quite apparent that he dreaded the success of his ministry. d. He dreaded it because of the unique temptations that it brought to receive praise and honor for its success. e. My friends, if you are in a position of teaching, of authority, of ministry, of mentor and are training people in the truth of God and His ways – we must be so careful of accolades. f. Surely insults are detrimental, but accolades can send us to hell. g. I won't produce a list today, but an untold multitude of well-started men in ministry have succumbed to the honeyed words of well-meaning admirers. h. Before they are aware of it, it became a drug fueling their passions. They desired it like oxygen. They had to hear the approval of men. To the extent that they lived for it. They thrived on it. And thus, they were brought to heel by it. They were controlled. And many have fallen away and denied the faith. i. Watch and take a lesson from the angels of God. They come and when someone falls down before them, they tell them what? Don't be afraid… and then what? Arise. Do not worship me. I am not God. j. If the elect angels, these mighty spirit beings, refuse to receive worship and reverence from humans – why should we as humans think it right to receive reverence from humans? k. Be in the habit of reflecting, deflecting, deviating, disarming and controlling all misfired praise in your direction and turn it to God who alone is worthy of it. l. You teach so well! “Thank you! Praise the Lord He has used me to help you learn.” m. You are so kind and compassionate! “Thank you for such kind words and Praise the Lord that He has taught this to me by word and deed.” n. You are such a servant! “I am overjoyed to hear it. Praise the Lord who has given me strength enough to serve.” o. You are such a good Christian! “I am so glad you think so - I only hope to cast such crowns at His feet.” p. Not feigned humility but fearful deviation of praise. For you and I are unworthy of it. And to harbor it, even for a moment, is to handle something that could take our eternal lives. q. Our God is a jealous God. He will give His glory to no one. r. We must be in the habit of remembering that we are nothing without Him. Any talent, ability, or good deed we do is only because He was with us and enabled us to do it. s. In all we do we must continue to remind those who compliment us – that we are but men and women. We are mere humans. There is nothing worthy of gazing upon here. Gaze upon the Son. And Him Alone. 4.) [Slide 25] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop giving reverential awe to men for their achievements in Christ's church! a. Understand that by this I do not mean that the person on the other side of the compliment must cease their compliment. b. For it is not wrong to pay a compliment to a faithful worker in the Lord's Service. c. But my friends, we must be so very careful to not give special or preferential respect to mere men. d. If you find yourself quoting, listening to, or admiring one man's teaching or ministry to the extent that he far exceeds all others – be so very careful my friends. He is but a man. And no man is worthy of such devotion, loyalty or honor. e. If there is a man to whom you never disagree, such a man could be a stumbling block to your faithful worship of God alone. f. There is a reason that cults and false religions always have a human agent that they revere above all. It is because we sinners desire to worship something we can see. Something we can touch. Something we can perceive. g. The children of Israel not long after leaving Egypt and all their pagan gods, melted down gold and made a golden calf to worship. h. And lest we think those in Christ are beyond such idolatry… i. Paul said that the Corinthians were saying, “I am of Paul; I am of Apollos, or (the super spiritual) I am of Christ.” And all the while they divided themselves over their human allegiances. Who should they venerate most? j. My friends, worship God alone. No minister, no church leader, no movement maker, no church planter, no trend setter, no mover and shaker, no influencer, no apostle, no prophet, no pastor and no elder has ever done what they have done without God's power and passion infused into their lives. k. And although we can appreciate and thank the Lord for such men and women who give us encouragement and have blessed us immeasurably… we would do well to recognize that they too are nothing without Christ. That Christ has used them and that HE ALONE deserves honor and praise for what the human agent has done. l. That with or without them – God would have done the work. m. This brings us, to a lesser degree, to what the proper attitude toward spiritual leadership should be. n. How should you treat your Elders CBC? o. The bible says to submit to and pray for us. To honor us. p. But I remind you, we are mere men. Fellow sheep. q. We watch out for your souls but we are not perfect. We are not the vicar of Christ. No man can be. We are not Christ's representative, we are merely His stewards, slaves appointed to care for what is His until He returns. r. You should respect what your Elders say. It should weigh heavy on you. If it is from the scriptures, it should bind you. But we, each of us, sin every single day. s. Don't pray THROUGH us or TO us! Why? Because we need you to pray FOR us. t. We are servant leaders, not divine representatives. And there is a big difference. 5.) [Slide 26] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God does not leave the fate of something as precious as His church to mere men. a. Oh what glorious truth! b. For if it were left to us – we would have made mincemeat of His church long ago. c. Indeed, a cursory look at the history of the church would prove exactly that. We go back and see the battles against heresy, the dark ages, the corruptions, the abuses, the reformation, the subsequent splintering and dividing and we might be tempted in this to assume… ah see – men have run it into the ground. d. But do not believe it. God presides over His church my friends. e. God has not handed the fate of His church to mere men. He has given the headship of His church to The Son. And the Son has sent the Spirit into all true believers guiding them into all truth. f. He will build His church. g. He may have given us the ship's wheel, but He alone provides the wind. May we steer into His course for us. And find comfort and hope that He will not allow His church to fail. Let me close with a prayer from the Apostolic Constitutions, an 8-volume work written in the late 300s primarily for clergy which included many orders of worship including this prayer. You alone are the Almighty One. Your eternal power quenches flames, holds back lions, and tames whales. It raises up the sick and overrules the power of all things. It overturns every enemy and brings low the arrogant. You are the one who is present in heaven, on earth, in the sea, but you yourself are confined by nothing. Your majesty has no boundary. As your servant said, "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other" (Deuteronomy 4:39). For there is no God besides you alone, there is none holy besides you, the Lord, the God of knowledge, the God of the saints, holy above all holy beings, who are sanctified by your hands. You are glorious and highly exalted, invisible by nature, unsearchable in your judgments. Your life is without want, and your duration can never alter or fail. You do everything without toil. Your greatness is unlimited. Your excellency is perpetual. Your habitation is inaccessible and your dwelling unchangeable. Your knowledge is without beginning. Your truth cannot change and you require no help. Your dominion cannot be taken away and your monarchy will never have a successor: Your kingdom is without end, your strength is irresistible, and your army so numerous. You are the Father of wisdom, the creator of the creation by a mediator who is also the cause. The bestower of providence, the giver of laws, the supplier of want, the punisher of the ungodly, and the rewarder of the righteous. You are the God and Father of Christ, the Lord of those devoted to him. Your promise never fails, your judgments never take a bribe. Your attitude never changes, and your holiness never ceases. Our thanksgiving will never end. Let every creature adore you, for you [alone] are worthy. We pray this in Jesus name… Amen. Benediction: May you sing the glorious praises of your God through all your days; May you put no confidence in princes nor for help on man depend; That the Lord who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak, Make you run and not grow faint, make you to walk and not fall. Until we meet again… go in peace.

It's a blessing to know that we serve a God who is all powerful, the Almighty One, the Holy One! He is a God that is capable of all things, and in Him is no weakness. Knowing this, where does this leave us? What position do we have in this world? Follow along as we search the scriptures to find our rightful place in the world.  Focus: Isaiah 45:5  All Verses Covered: Isaiah 45:5-8, Psalms 8:1-4, Luke 7:37-47  Original Air Date: April 04, 2024  Watch the Facebook Live Video here: https://www.facebook.com/JMSBible/videos/423785110301328  We have bible studies via Zoom every Monday at 7 pm Central Standard Time. Here is the meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86546164133?pwd=R3IwVTdJN3E1Wm1kU2JNOU1ZZlVJdz09  Access all of our messages: https://www.jmsbible.com/messages  Got a topic you want us to cover in our Facebook live streams? Fill out our form here: https://www.jmsbible.com/requests. We go live every Thursday evening at 6:30 pm central time. Join us LIVE on our Facebook page to ask questions and get live answers! Even if you disagree with something we say, mention it to us so we can see what the scriptures say!  If you have any questions about a specific scripture or topic and would like for us to discuss it on our Facebook live streams, please contact us at https://www.jmsbible.com/contact. We are open to any and all questions or concerns.  If you would like to donate, our CashApp tag is $JoyStorm12. Thank you for all of your support!  Joy in the Midst of the Storm Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JMSBible/

March 23, 2024 Daily Devotion: "No Big Deal with Him" Luke 9:15-17 The Passion Translation After everyone was seated, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, and gazing into the heavenly realm he gave thanks for the food. Then, in the presence of his disciples, he broke off pieces of bread and fish, and kept giving more to each disciple to give to the crowd. It was multiplying before their eyes! 17 So everyone ate until they were filled, and afterward the disciples gathered up the leftovers—it came to exactly twelve baskets full! God can provide food for two people on a journey through ordinary means, or He can choose to feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Every answer to prayer, no matter how insignificant we feel it is, is still the God of heaven bending down to care for His people. We do not need to worry about whether it might be hard or easy for God to answer our prayers. What is extraordinary for us is no big deal for Him, the Almighty One. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gerzon-etino/message

By Mary Lindow This  podcast is going to be directed towards the question that many people are asking, (and of course a lot of times believers don't “ask the question” because they fear that they are going to be judged for asking such a question!)  But if we don't ask, we don't get answers, and so today's podcast is addressing “What is the Holy Spirit doing during this season”.   I have spent time praying and seeking the Lord well for a good month now  and it's been an interesting time since the last time we were together, and of course, the assignments God puts or put us into, IN different season of life, they never come without challenges and also without redemptive opportunities! And so, that's what I'm going to be addressing!    I've heard from the Spirit of God about what I'm to share.  I am cautious about giving a word for a specific year because it begins to be kind of a measuring stick for some people to then either compete with or, that's all they go by. “What the Lord said for 2024, 2023”, whatever, and they don't listen for themselves, because sometimes it's not about the year, it's about the season, and a season can be more than one year! It can be more than a week, it can be a month or two!   Wherever we are in the Presence of God in our lives, walking with Jesus, we are in a season, and that season that we're in right now is a very different time.  That's where we're heading today and I encourage you to share this word with those who are crying out to God for answers.   The things that are coming up in this next time and in life for all of us,  They're going to be challenging!    In order to have the times of refreshing we are crying out for and,  Are desperate for as believers, We must learn to rule and reign with grace.   Refreshing rains will not fall, and cannot fall in full glory, when we refuse to lay down judgments, manipulations, and self invented “spiritual rules” that do not run parallel with the King of grace who is the ULTIMATE Mercy bringer in this present season. The conviction of God will be strong to cleanse the heart of falsity, the  fear of man and the passivity of half repentance for works of the flesh.    We can get all the people that we know around the globe to pray for us and to pray over us, but we cannot force out the devil and the darkness of our own unforgiveness and intentional blame-shifting.    We give the enemy consistent access to our churches and our lives as long as we “lord it over others”, hiding our own sin, pretending that God does not see.   To operate or flow in Mercy means to perform out of a desire to relieve suffering, and is motivated by compassion. The action of forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within   one's power to punish or harm. Mercy shown, prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering.   IN THIS SEASON,  THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESIRES EVERY BELIEVER  TO DO THEMSELVES AN ETERNAL FAVOR.    TELL THE TRUTH.   God will protect you more for doing this than any self-invented cover-up ever could. And, you just might regain relationships with those you have used as stepping-stones to your own deviant self-empowerment.   THE HEAVENLY KING OF GLORY   IS ALWAYS AND FOREVER CREATING NEWNESS OF LIFE!   If we are indeed man or a woman of prayer, the test will come of that deep prayer life when your enemies surround you, accuse you, and often attempt to execute and silence you.    Some will manifest in this next year as false friends who use and abuse your friendships and contacts, in order to gain access to notoriety and power over all of the things you are supposed be preparing for yourself.    They will exhaust and weaken you until you once and for all put upon the altar of surrender, any need for someone else to carry you or promote you.     A man or a woman of prayer in these days, right now, will learn to sweep out iniquity, falseness, slander, and “hierarchical pecking orders” through goodness and humility.   This is a time to trust, to depend upon, to lean upon, the goodness of the Lord.  This is a time to trust in His sovereignty more than ever before. It is His right to define what grace is.  It is not man's right.    Prophetic Exhortation  “And so says the Lord, the Spirit of Grace, the Voice of Wisdom, and the only Almighty One.  As you cry out for times of refreshing, for a change in the hearts of men, for a move of my Spirit across the lands of Earth, my command to you is that you begin to create an atmosphere where I may speak My plans, according to My Word and according to My prerogatives.   I will lead you and guide you with enough light each day, as you come to that narrow place with me.    I will strengthen your weakened emotions and spiritual discernment as you dialogue in honesty with me.    Some of you must quickly repent of foolish choices and foolish actions that have caused many to be shattered and shamed because you spoke out of a title or calling, rather than out of following my voice.   Begin to dig wells in prayer.  Become entrenched and immersed in it, never ceasing.  Prepare places where my rain may fall and cause a fresh drinking place for those yet to taste of my goodness, as well as for those who are thirsty within my Body.   Begin to dig wells in prayer in dry places, with humility and goodness.  Lean upon me, trust in me, do not lean upon your own understanding, for you have well seen that having done this in the past you have missed many opportunities to prepare a way of salvation for others. “I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)   So comfort yourself, weary and tried believer with this thought. Does not the word come like a soft shower, quieting the fury of the flame? Is it not a fireproof armor against the heat, which will then have no power?    Whatever happens to you in this valley of weeping, know that I have chosen it for you. If you still require an even greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of man with you in the valley, in that “secret place” with you.  There He sits by your side, One whom you have not seen but whom you love and whether you know it or not, this is the true friend who sticks closely by you. I will never leave one whom I have chosen as my own.   Great grace. Great mercy. Great promise.  All these are yours, extended from my hand, and for you to extend, from your hand.    NOW IS THE SEASON… …To live out the heart and life of the servant as I lead you with the little light that you have at this time. It is all you need as long as it comes from me.  It is a time to learn to march forward, to dig wells, to prepare, so that others may also drink freely with no restraints. When I come and speak to you and move among you, I express everything that is pure and lovely and has a good report and sin and uncleanliness depart. Peace also rains when I move with humble power. Gentleness will be the result of my transforming power.  Harmlessness will follow, for hearts that are touched by me are never exhibiting any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness. My grace is sufficient for you, and you will find it if you will seek it, and above all if you will express it! “Be strong in the grace that is in me.” (2 Timothy 2:1) As a reservoir empties itself into pipes, so have I emptied out my grace for my people in this Next Wave of My Heart.  From my fullness you have received “Grace for Grace”. Grace is always available from me, without price. “Keep yourselves then, from overconfident, arrogant sins.” (Psalm 19:13)  You will certainly stumble if you look away from the One who is able to keep you from falling.    Be very cautious about pushing yourself into the forefront of public gatherings and among the more visible. If you are to be used in higher visibility, let it be Me who promotes you there.  Some who drive themselves to the forefront will also have greater scrutiny and unfortunate exposure of hidden agendas and unholy transactions in this season, and sadly will be brought low again because of their self presumption of importance.    If your love is fervent, your faith constant, and your hope bright, continue  nonetheless to be on your guard and cry out, “Keep us from temptation!”   The seasons revolve according to my Divine appointment and man cannot change their schedule.  In the spiritual as in the natural realm, man's power is limited. I alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or from a church. Let me hear you say, “Not my will, but as you will oh Lord!”  As you yield to me my people, I will yield in return and bring the sweetness of my Holy Presence into your very homes, your gatherings, whether modest or larger numbers are attending.  I look for honest, wisdom-filled, and humble people to move among and to move through.     Let it be, as I desire!  As I will!   Allow me to determine what is the best for you.  Be content to leave your prayer and your petitions in my hands. I know when to give, how to give, what to give, and what to withhold.   As you visit me in the secret place of repentance and brokenness, as the path becomes narrower, seeking me earnestly and often times pleading with humility and resignation, you shall surely prevail! I am the light on your pathway. And, I AM all you need.”    This Was A Strong Word From The Lord!  I encourage you to listen to it and read it and meditate over it, several times, allowing the Holy Spirit to do a deeper work in your heart.  When the Spirit of God speaks to us about a Season that we are in, or about things that are to come, we need to cleanse our hearts from being impatient, and allow Him to do that work that gets down deep inside and pushes out anything that we are running from, or, He begins to deal with the things that we have been asking questions about, and now he's bringing the answers.  I bless you today and encourage you to dedicate yourselves to rich and set apart time in prayer and fellowship with the King of heaven.  I encourage you to dig wells in prayer.  It's not glamorous!  But, I can tell you this we've been having prayer gatherings every Thursday evening now for well over two years now, actually, three now, and I can tell you that there have been nights where it seems like two hours went by and it felt like 15 minutes. The presence of the Holy Spirit is so sweet and thick, and you know the scripture talks about “the weight of his glory” (2 Corinthians 16-18) there is a presence of weight, a thickness of the presence of God, a rich atmosphere.   We have seen the impossible take place in prayer!  We have seen lives changed,  we have seen court cases reversed, we have seen sick bodies be recovered and restored and miracles take place in families.  We are grateful to the Lord that when we come together in his name, he is there with us, and that scripture that says whenever two or more gather in  my name there I am in the midst of them, (Matthew 18:20), that can correspond with the scripture verse that talks about a threefold cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), and that's like three strands of a braid.    When we are braided together, that's a strong bond with the Lord and He is like a cord that's bound to us whenever we gather and it's not easily broken and cannot be broken by any other force, We live in the presence of a Sovereign, Mighty Force,  and that is the Savior, Jesus Christ.      Duplication and sharing of this message is welcomed, provided that the complete message or article and website and podcast link information for Mary Lindow is included.    Thank You! Copyright © 2024 " THE MESSENGER "~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com   If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video teachings and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of: ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders  ► Cashiers Checks   To: His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA   Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc. ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage. THANK YOU!

We have sanitized the Christmas story and made it clean and cute but think for a moment of what the Christmas story includes. The Christmas story is not only the announcement to Mary and Joseph of Jesus miraculous conception in Marys womb while remaining a virgin, it is not only the pronouncement to lowly shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, nor is it simply the visit of the magi. The Christmas story is far more than a nativity scene! Think about Jesus resurrection and all the details that surround it. In a culture that did not have much regard for women, it was a woman who first witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. If the gospel writers made up the story of Jesus resurrection, they would not have chosen women to be the first to witness the greatest event in history. In Matthews gospel account, to whom Jews were the primary audience, it is the magi who are included at the beginning of his story in connection to proving the point that the infant Jesus was indeed qualified as the rightful heir of King David. The irony in this is that if you are going to tell a story about Jesus and the motive in doing so is to prove to every Jewish reader that He is the Messiah and greater than David, why in the world would you insert magi into your story?Who were the magi you ask? The magi were royal counselors who used astrology for guidance. Do you know what the Old Testament says about astrology? The Bible forbids the practice of astrology (Deut. 4:9) and uses strong language against it (Isa. 47:13-15). So, why would Matthew include the magi in his story about the life of Jesus? Because God summoned gentile pagans to the Savior of the nations by speaking a language that they could understand. Do you not find it to be both ironic and encouraging that the story of the pagan magi and a woman with a shady past serve as book ends of the four gospels included in the Bible to show us that Jesus is not just the King of the Jews, but also the Savior of the world. Jesus is Gods Yes! to all of His promises of which the one made to Abraham is no exception: And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3). Through Jesus, a son of Abraham and David, the nations are blessed the invitation of the magi and Mary Magdalene to witness the two most extraordinary events in human history is testament to Jesus as the hope of the nations. God Wields Time and Space for His Own Sovereign Designs We are not told how many magi saw the star and we are not given the exact longitude and latitude from where their journey began. All that we are told is that magi were from the East. Now, as I mentioned last week, there are two principals at work that made the first Christmas possible; those principles are: 1) the incarnational principle, and 2) the grace principle. The promise, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was never plan B but always plan A in the mind of God, because His intention was always to dwell with His people. The principle of the incarnation is seen in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eves sin, Israels experience with God in the wilderness, and in the promise of Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. Matthew is quick to point out that Immanuel means God with us. Connected to the incarnation principle is the principle of Gods unconditional grace in that when it came to the virgin birth, there was nothing anyone could have done to make it happen or to prevent it from happening; Christmas happened all because of Gods unconditional and unmerited grace. It was the apostle Paul who wrote: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters (Gal. 4:4-5). In Matthew and Luke we are provided two separate genealogies that demonstrate this. In Luke 3:23-38 we receive what many scholars believe to be Marys genealogy since the point of Lukes gospel is to show Jesus humanity. In Matthew 1:1-17, we are given Josephs genealogy showing Jesus legal standing as a member of the tribe of Judah as the rightful heir to Davids throne, but before we look at Josephs decision to follow through with his marriage to Mary, I want you to see why the magi are so important to Matthews gospel. For now, what you need to know is that God moved history, empires, and kings so that Joseph and Mary would meet, fall in love, and get engaged with a plan to start a family together. Sandwiched in between the time Mary and Josephs genealogies represent, is the 70 years much of the tribe of Judah was carried off into exile into Babylon (see Jer. 29:10). Babylons method of exile was to ingraft their culture into the culture of the Hebrews. What was threatened by the Babylonian exile was the preservation of the tribe of Judah. One of the Hebrews exiled into Babylon was a young man by the name of Daniel. God had gifted Daniel as a prophet and used him to speak into the life of one of the kings of Babylon known as Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel spent all of his long life as an exile, but for purposes related to this sermon, I want to turn your attention to the time Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a huge statue made of four distinct types of material with a head of gold, a chest and arms made of silver, a belly and thighs made of bronze, legs of iron, and feet made of both iron and clay. The Chaldeans were summoned by the king to interpret his dream without being told what dream Nebuchadnezzar had. The Chaldeans were also known as Babylons wise men, and because they told the king that to interpret a dream without being told about the dream was impossible, Nebuchadnezzar threatened death upon all the wise men who could not interpret his dream (Dan. 2:1-18). Because the God Daniel worshiped is the God who can do the impossible he revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel. Before Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzars dream, he praised God with these words: May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and periods; He removes king and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to people of understanding (Dan. 2:20-21). Daniel told the king what he dreamed and then interpreted it for him. The kingdoms represented in the different materials of the statute included Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. There was a fifth kingdom represented in Nebuchadnezzars dream that was separate from the statute which was in the form of a stone not cut out by human hands that struck the statues feet which resulted in the crushing of the entire statue. Here is Daniels interpretation of the stone that destroyed the earthly kingdoms: And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever (Dan. 2:44). Guess what the king did next after Daniel finished interpreting his dream? He promoted Daniel as ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief over, all the wise men of Babylon (vv. 46-49). I dont think the magi worshiped the same God of Daniel, but I do think they could trace their roots all the way back to Babylon, and I am convinced that their interest in finding the King of the Jews was related to the stone that was in Nebuchadnezzars dream. I think they included in their studies of the stars any sacred document related to Daniels people in an effort to find and discover the King of the Kingdom that Daniels God would set up that will have no end. If the magi were familiar with Micah 5:2 and its connection they made with Numbers 24:17, which states: A star shall appear from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel (see Matt. 2:1-6), dont you think they were also familiar with Isaiah 9:6-7? I think that the magi connected the dots in the Old Testament and believed that Micah 5:2; Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 were about the One a powerful pagan Babylonian king dreamed about 500 years before Jesus was born: For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. The way that God spoke to the magi was through a language they could understand as they looked to the stars the God of Daniel created. We are not told how God did it, but He was able to lead the magi with a star because He is the One, who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20)! God Shatters the Assumptions of Man Through His Redemptive Plans Now back to Joseph and Marys genealogies and personal lives. Following Gods promise to Abraham that He would bless him by making him a great nation and a blessing to the nations were 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile. There were some good years in-between those hard years of slavery, wilderness wandering, and exilic discipline, but during those seasons, I am pretty sure that it was difficult for the Hebrew people to see any silver lining or hope that God would, or could, turn the ugly around into something beautiful, but what Joseph and Marys genealogy shows us is that is exactly what God was doing with the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile! Gods plan for Israel and the nations always included a king, but not any old king. The king God intended was a King both human and divine. The plan was never for Israel only to have a human king just like David, nor was His plan of Israel to be only divine. Jesus was always plan A and never plan B. Let me briefly show what I mean by reminding you what we have looked at in the Bible during this series so far. In Exodus 19:6, God said of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt and as a people large enough to be their own nation: and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What would set Israel apart from all the other nations, is that Yahweh would be their King. In Isaiah 44:6 we are told what kind of King to Israel Yahweh is: This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. In other words, Yahweh is King, Redeemer, the Almighty One, eternal, and unlike any other god of the nations in that He is utterly unique! Just as we see in the first two chapters in Genesis before Adam and Eves fall, Yahweh would be King over His people. Yet, in Genesis 49:10, God spoke through Jacob to Judah long before Israel was ever a nation and promised: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Then when we come to 2 Samuel 7:13, we discover God planned for Israel that not only would the obedience of the nations belong to a human king from the tribe of Judah, but a King who, shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Furthermore, we are told in Psalm 2 that this King will rule the nations with a rod of iron but will also be One in Whom all who find refuge in Him will be blessed (vv. 8-12). In Psalm 110, David says of his descendant who will be King over the nations: Yahweh says to my Lord: Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet (v. 1). So, what kind of human King can be a physical descendant of David, have the obedience of the nations, and not be subject to the limitations of death because His reign will be eternal? The kind of King the magi sought, Mary would carry while a virgin, and Joseph would become the legal but nonbiological father of. Both Mary and Josephs bloodline could be traced back to David, Abraham, and Adam. The problem with sin is that it is passed down from the father to his child, for we are told in the Bible: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam (Rom. 5:12, 14). Sin is a genetically transmitted curse passed down from a mans sperm cell to a womans embryonic egg. For Jesus to be the rightful and legal heir of Davids throne, he needed to be a legal son of a man who was from the tribe of JudahJoseph qualified to be that man. For Jesus to be conceived without the curse and plague of sin being passed down to him while remaining a descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam, He had to be conceived and born of woman without biological requirement of a human sperm cell from Joseph. This is why the angel explained to Mary how she could be pregnant: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Conclusion The stakes for Joseph and Mary were very high. If Joseph followed through with ending his relationship with Mary because of a refusal to believe that her pregnancy was a miraculous act of Almighty God through His Holy Spirit, then Jesus would not have been qualified legally to be King of the Jews. Regarding Marys pregnancy, there was no turning back; she could not walk away from her pregnancy like Joseph could have. However, both Mary and Joseph chose to trust the God who sovereignly wields time and space for his redemptive plans even though it blew to ashes any assumptions they had for what was impossible or possible. Together, Mary and Joseph would raise the One the magi sought to find, the one read and studied about from the prophet Micah: But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. When the magi found Jesus, they appropriately worshiped Him and brought to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh fit for the kind of King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about 500 years earlier. The treasure for the magi, Joseph, and Mary was Jesus, and having Him in their lives was truly a source of great joy. There are two important lessons from Matthew 1:18-2:12 that I want to briefly mention and think more deeply upon next week: In the same way that God wielded time and space to make the virgin birth a reality and the visit of the magi a possibility, God has done, is doing, and will do to accomplish his redemptive purposes in and through your life. Your circumstances and sins are swallowed up by an infinitely greater God who bears the title: Redeemer. If God is able to move time and space to accomplish His redemptive purposes for mankind even in the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile, dont you think he can do the same in the midst of the circumstances of your life caused by your own sin? Do you really think that your problems are greater than Gods ability to turn your life around? In order to experience the great joy that Jesus brought to Mary, Joseph, and the magi they had to let go of their assumptions, dreams, future, and safety for the purpose of embracing Jesus as the One promised in Isaiah 9:6-7, For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. In order for you to embrace Jesus as Savior, it will require you to trust Him as Lord over and in your life. To find Jesus the Savior will require that you let go of your idols to experience Him as Redeemer. To say yes to Jesus will mean that you will have to say no to the idols of your heart. Christmas is about Jesus as the type of King we need!

We have sanitized the Christmas story and made it clean and cute but think for a moment of what the Christmas story includes. The Christmas story is not only the announcement to Mary and Joseph of Jesus miraculous conception in Marys womb while remaining a virgin, it is not only the pronouncement to lowly shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, nor is it simply the visit of the magi. The Christmas story is far more than a nativity scene! Think about Jesus resurrection and all the details that surround it. In a culture that did not have much regard for women, it was a woman who first witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. If the gospel writers made up the story of Jesus resurrection, they would not have chosen women to be the first to witness the greatest event in history. In Matthews gospel account, to whom Jews were the primary audience, it is the magi who are included at the beginning of his story in connection to proving the point that the infant Jesus was indeed qualified as the rightful heir of King David. The irony in this is that if you are going to tell a story about Jesus and the motive in doing so is to prove to every Jewish reader that He is the Messiah and greater than David, why in the world would you insert magi into your story?Who were the magi you ask? The magi were royal counselors who used astrology for guidance. Do you know what the Old Testament says about astrology? The Bible forbids the practice of astrology (Deut. 4:9) and uses strong language against it (Isa. 47:13-15). So, why would Matthew include the magi in his story about the life of Jesus? Because God summoned gentile pagans to the Savior of the nations by speaking a language that they could understand. Do you not find it to be both ironic and encouraging that the story of the pagan magi and a woman with a shady past serve as book ends of the four gospels included in the Bible to show us that Jesus is not just the King of the Jews, but also the Savior of the world. Jesus is Gods Yes! to all of His promises of which the one made to Abraham is no exception: And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3). Through Jesus, a son of Abraham and David, the nations are blessed the invitation of the magi and Mary Magdalene to witness the two most extraordinary events in human history is testament to Jesus as the hope of the nations. God Wields Time and Space for His Own Sovereign Designs We are not told how many magi saw the star and we are not given the exact longitude and latitude from where their journey began. All that we are told is that magi were from the East. Now, as I mentioned last week, there are two principals at work that made the first Christmas possible; those principles are: 1) the incarnational principle, and 2) the grace principle. The promise, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was never plan B but always plan A in the mind of God, because His intention was always to dwell with His people. The principle of the incarnation is seen in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eves sin, Israels experience with God in the wilderness, and in the promise of Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. Matthew is quick to point out that Immanuel means God with us. Connected to the incarnation principle is the principle of Gods unconditional grace in that when it came to the virgin birth, there was nothing anyone could have done to make it happen or to prevent it from happening; Christmas happened all because of Gods unconditional and unmerited grace. It was the apostle Paul who wrote: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters (Gal. 4:4-5). In Matthew and Luke we are provided two separate genealogies that demonstrate this. In Luke 3:23-38 we receive what many scholars believe to be Marys genealogy since the point of Lukes gospel is to show Jesus humanity. In Matthew 1:1-17, we are given Josephs genealogy showing Jesus legal standing as a member of the tribe of Judah as the rightful heir to Davids throne, but before we look at Josephs decision to follow through with his marriage to Mary, I want you to see why the magi are so important to Matthews gospel. For now, what you need to know is that God moved history, empires, and kings so that Joseph and Mary would meet, fall in love, and get engaged with a plan to start a family together. Sandwiched in between the time Mary and Josephs genealogies represent, is the 70 years much of the tribe of Judah was carried off into exile into Babylon (see Jer. 29:10). Babylons method of exile was to ingraft their culture into the culture of the Hebrews. What was threatened by the Babylonian exile was the preservation of the tribe of Judah. One of the Hebrews exiled into Babylon was a young man by the name of Daniel. God had gifted Daniel as a prophet and used him to speak into the life of one of the kings of Babylon known as Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel spent all of his long life as an exile, but for purposes related to this sermon, I want to turn your attention to the time Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a huge statue made of four distinct types of material with a head of gold, a chest and arms made of silver, a belly and thighs made of bronze, legs of iron, and feet made of both iron and clay. The Chaldeans were summoned by the king to interpret his dream without being told what dream Nebuchadnezzar had. The Chaldeans were also known as Babylons wise men, and because they told the king that to interpret a dream without being told about the dream was impossible, Nebuchadnezzar threatened death upon all the wise men who could not interpret his dream (Dan. 2:1-18). Because the God Daniel worshiped is the God who can do the impossible he revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel. Before Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzars dream, he praised God with these words: May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and periods; He removes king and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to people of understanding (Dan. 2:20-21). Daniel told the king what he dreamed and then interpreted it for him. The kingdoms represented in the different materials of the statute included Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. There was a fifth kingdom represented in Nebuchadnezzars dream that was separate from the statute which was in the form of a stone not cut out by human hands that struck the statues feet which resulted in the crushing of the entire statue. Here is Daniels interpretation of the stone that destroyed the earthly kingdoms: And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever (Dan. 2:44). Guess what the king did next after Daniel finished interpreting his dream? He promoted Daniel as ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief over, all the wise men of Babylon (vv. 46-49). I dont think the magi worshiped the same God of Daniel, but I do think they could trace their roots all the way back to Babylon, and I am convinced that their interest in finding the King of the Jews was related to the stone that was in Nebuchadnezzars dream. I think they included in their studies of the stars any sacred document related to Daniels people in an effort to find and discover the King of the Kingdom that Daniels God would set up that will have no end. If the magi were familiar with Micah 5:2 and its connection they made with Numbers 24:17, which states: A star shall appear from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel (see Matt. 2:1-6), dont you think they were also familiar with Isaiah 9:6-7? I think that the magi connected the dots in the Old Testament and believed that Micah 5:2; Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 were about the One a powerful pagan Babylonian king dreamed about 500 years before Jesus was born: For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. The way that God spoke to the magi was through a language they could understand as they looked to the stars the God of Daniel created. We are not told how God did it, but He was able to lead the magi with a star because He is the One, who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20)! God Shatters the Assumptions of Man Through His Redemptive Plans Now back to Joseph and Marys genealogies and personal lives. Following Gods promise to Abraham that He would bless him by making him a great nation and a blessing to the nations were 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile. There were some good years in-between those hard years of slavery, wilderness wandering, and exilic discipline, but during those seasons, I am pretty sure that it was difficult for the Hebrew people to see any silver lining or hope that God would, or could, turn the ugly around into something beautiful, but what Joseph and Marys genealogy shows us is that is exactly what God was doing with the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile! Gods plan for Israel and the nations always included a king, but not any old king. The king God intended was a King both human and divine. The plan was never for Israel only to have a human king just like David, nor was His plan of Israel to be only divine. Jesus was always plan A and never plan B. Let me briefly show what I mean by reminding you what we have looked at in the Bible during this series so far. In Exodus 19:6, God said of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt and as a people large enough to be their own nation: and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What would set Israel apart from all the other nations, is that Yahweh would be their King. In Isaiah 44:6 we are told what kind of King to Israel Yahweh is: This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. In other words, Yahweh is King, Redeemer, the Almighty One, eternal, and unlike any other god of the nations in that He is utterly unique! Just as we see in the first two chapters in Genesis before Adam and Eves fall, Yahweh would be King over His people. Yet, in Genesis 49:10, God spoke through Jacob to Judah long before Israel was ever a nation and promised: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Then when we come to 2 Samuel 7:13, we discover God planned for Israel that not only would the obedience of the nations belong to a human king from the tribe of Judah, but a King who, shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Furthermore, we are told in Psalm 2 that this King will rule the nations with a rod of iron but will also be One in Whom all who find refuge in Him will be blessed (vv. 8-12). In Psalm 110, David says of his descendant who will be King over the nations: Yahweh says to my Lord: Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet (v. 1). So, what kind of human King can be a physical descendant of David, have the obedience of the nations, and not be subject to the limitations of death because His reign will be eternal? The kind of King the magi sought, Mary would carry while a virgin, and Joseph would become the legal but nonbiological father of. Both Mary and Josephs bloodline could be traced back to David, Abraham, and Adam. The problem with sin is that it is passed down from the father to his child, for we are told in the Bible: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam (Rom. 5:12, 14). Sin is a genetically transmitted curse passed down from a mans sperm cell to a womans embryonic egg. For Jesus to be the rightful and legal heir of Davids throne, he needed to be a legal son of a man who was from the tribe of JudahJoseph qualified to be that man. For Jesus to be conceived without the curse and plague of sin being passed down to him while remaining a descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam, He had to be conceived and born of woman without biological requirement of a human sperm cell from Joseph. This is why the angel explained to Mary how she could be pregnant: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Conclusion The stakes for Joseph and Mary were very high. If Joseph followed through with ending his relationship with Mary because of a refusal to believe that her pregnancy was a miraculous act of Almighty God through His Holy Spirit, then Jesus would not have been qualified legally to be King of the Jews. Regarding Marys pregnancy, there was no turning back; she could not walk away from her pregnancy like Joseph could have. However, both Mary and Joseph chose to trust the God who sovereignly wields time and space for his redemptive plans even though it blew to ashes any assumptions they had for what was impossible or possible. Together, Mary and Joseph would raise the One the magi sought to find, the one read and studied about from the prophet Micah: But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. When the magi found Jesus, they appropriately worshiped Him and brought to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh fit for the kind of King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about 500 years earlier. The treasure for the magi, Joseph, and Mary was Jesus, and having Him in their lives was truly a source of great joy. There are two important lessons from Matthew 1:18-2:12 that I want to briefly mention and think more deeply upon next week: In the same way that God wielded time and space to make the virgin birth a reality and the visit of the magi a possibility, God has done, is doing, and will do to accomplish his redemptive purposes in and through your life. Your circumstances and sins are swallowed up by an infinitely greater God who bears the title: Redeemer. If God is able to move time and space to accomplish His redemptive purposes for mankind even in the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile, dont you think he can do the same in the midst of the circumstances of your life caused by your own sin? Do you really think that your problems are greater than Gods ability to turn your life around? In order to experience the great joy that Jesus brought to Mary, Joseph, and the magi they had to let go of their assumptions, dreams, future, and safety for the purpose of embracing Jesus as the One promised in Isaiah 9:6-7, For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. In order for you to embrace Jesus as Savior, it will require you to trust Him as Lord over and in your life. To find Jesus the Savior will require that you let go of your idols to experience Him as Redeemer. To say yes to Jesus will mean that you will have to say no to the idols of your heart. Christmas is about Jesus as the type of King we need!

In this series we're talking about the ancient Jewish prayer called the Shema, found in Deut 6. This has been prayed by Jewish believers for centuries every morning / evening. It demonstrates the character of God, and shows us how to respond to him.Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.Last week: talked about “Hear” or “Listen” - the Hebrew word Shema. The very next phrase talks about God, who he is and what he is like. The heart of this prayer is: “Love the Lord your God…” But to love him, to declare allegiance to him, we need to know who this God is. The God We Love Is Eternal“The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Those eight words in English (four in Hebrew) contain a wealth of truth. The word “Lord” there is “Yahweh”. It's related to the Hebrew word “to be”. It means that God is eternal and self-existent. He has always been God and always will be. This is revealed in Exod 3, where God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush. He told Moses that his job was to bring Israel out of Egypt, where they were slaves. Moses was thinking about how Israel would respond when he showed up with that message.Exodus 3:13-15 “They will ask me, ‘What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you.”God identifies himself a “I AM WHO I AM” or simply “I AM”. That name means “the one who is”. This is the name God uses to relate to his people. By the way, older Bible translations refer to God as “Jehovah.” The name Yahweh would never have been spoken by Jewish people, because it was considered too holy. Whenever the name occurred in the Old Testament, Jews would substitute the word “adonai”, which means “Lord”. So English Bible translators took the consonants from Yahweh and combined them with the vowels from adonai, to come up with “Jehovah”. The name communicates that God is ETERNAL. There was never a time when he did not exist. He is simply “I AM” - eternally in the present tense. To make it even more clear, there was never a time when he did not exist AS GOD. He has always been everything it means to be God, from eternity past. The New Testament reveals the same concept.Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega - the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come - the Almighty One.”The name Yahweh also communicates that God is SELF-EXISTENT. If God is simply “I AM”, then he's not dependent on any other being or force for his existence. We are not self-existent. We would have NO existence if God had not created. We require God to continually sustain us. Psalm 90:2,5,12 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God…. (5) You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered…. (12) Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.God's timeless nature makes us reflect on the limited span of human life. We're dry grass: here today, gone tomorrow. God is like the mountains: seemingly there forever.That's just the first word in this phrase: “Yahweh”. Let's look at two more words.The God We Love Is the Only God There IsIn Deuteronomy, Israel is about to enter Promised Land. The people of that land - and the land of...

In the book of Job, what's called the Book of Suffering in the Old Testament, the word El Shaddai is used 31 times—more than in any other book of the Bible. El Shaddai is the name for God that means God Almighty, not just a mighty God, but the Almighty God—stronger and more powerful than anything or anyone. Job faced unimaginable suffering, death and loss, yet he continues to refer to God as the Almighty One. In our suffering, we wrestle with God's power and might. If God is so powerful and mighty, how could this pain walk through my door? Are you wrestling today? Can I remind you that your suffering is no reflection on God's power? Take Job's posture. Continue to lean into the Almighty One, El Shaddai. Even right now. radio.hopewithgod.com

Romans 9:14-16 God – The Supreme and Almighty One. We agree with this term, but do we truly understand what it means to be God? To be God is to be just in all that He does. To be God is to enjoy every conceivable right to do all that He desires to do, without constraint. God is unrestrained. He has no…

The Names of GodAlpha & Omega - The Beginning and The EndGod is the beginning and the end, and everything between. Nothing can exist apart from Him.“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” - Revelation 1:8 NLTIn the beginning the Word already existed.    The Word was with God,    and the Word was God.He existed in the beginning with God.God created everything through him,    and nothing was created except through him.- John 1:1-3 NLTWe also read from John 1:14, John 14:8-9, Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 5:17, and Revelation 22:16.May the depth of your relationship with God continue to deepen as you view him as Alpha and Omega.Become a PatronCultivate Connection has reached listeners in 157 countries, averaging 1,100 downloads a week. Help us reach even more by sharing Cultivate Connection with others.If you are one of the many who have been blessed by Cultivate Connection, become a monthly patron. As a patron, your generosity helps us create, host, and promote experiences that help others grow their relationship with God. Learn more on our website at CultivateConnection.com

Revelation 1 NLT read aloud by Simon MacFarlane. 1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, 2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. 4 This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. 7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.    And everyone will see him—    even those who pierced him.And all the nations of the world    will mourn for him.Yes! Amen! 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” 9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God's Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” 12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. 19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

When Hurricane Katrina rolled through, the spinning white satellite image on TV screens actually looked evil. For residents of New Orleans waiting for that hurricane, that's exactly what it felt like. Thousands of people were affected by the brutal storm that poured in from the Gulf. In many ways, the city still hasn't recovered. But in the chaos, God was there.   For more than 20 years, water pump operator Rufus Burkhalter and Bobby Brown had worked at pumping station number 6 along the 17th Street Canal. When they realized how bad it was going to be, the pair did an amazing thing. They stayed at their posts. They kept working even after the levees broke. One of the world's largest pumping stations was still being operated by two good men who risked their lives for others. When it was all said and done both lost their homes due to storm damage. The seawater and raging winds devastated their lives and yet they chose to help others. That kind of love for one's fellow man is rooted in the love of Christ.   Psalm 93:4 says “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea. The Lord on high is mighty.”   God is infinitely stronger than the storms in your life. He's there guiding you and he is there caring for you through it all, all the time. In the horrifying days of Katrina and through the aftermath many people displayed a reliance on the Lord who stood up to the evil that invaded their community. When we lean on God in every situation, especially during the storms in our lives it builds our faith and places us on solid ground.   Let's pray.   Father, Almighty One, nothing is scarier than the dark deep waters that overwhelm us sometimes. We know though that your word is our anchor established and true. We can rely on it every single time. Thank you for guiding, protecting, and loving us always, in all of your ways in Jesus' name, amen.

In this Easter message, Pastor Chris preaches on Revelation 1:8;17-18 which says, 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One. 17 ...“Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave." Give⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website

This is part 7 of the Early Church History class. Philo of Alexandria was the most well-known representative of Hellenistic Judaism in the first century. His many books combine Platonism with scripture via allegory--a daring project that had a massive influence on Christian thinkers. Clement of Alexandria followed in Philo's footsteps a century later, doing for the Christian scriptures what Philo had done for the Jewish bible. In addition to covering these two we'll take a couple of detours to learn about the city of Alexandria as well as a few of Plato's important ideas. Although overlooked today in most discussions of the history of Christology, Philo and Clement lay the foundations upon which Origen, the Cappodocians, and Augustine would build generations later. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WijYP1cGJlI&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=7 —— Links —— More Restitutio resources on Christian history More classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Alexandria (founded 331BC) named after Alexander the Great capital of Egypt for a millennium (until the Muslims came in 641) still the largest city on the Mediterranean had the Pharos light house (one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world) had a massive world-famous library port city providing grain to Rome center of philosophical learning diverse and populous metropolis Philo of Alexandria (20 BC – AD 50) Jewish Platonist philosopher heavily influenced by Plato The true realm is the upper, spiritual, invisible world. (Allegory of the Cave) A craftsman created our world based on the pattern of the eternal realm. (Timaeus) Our souls are immortal and will escape our bodies at death, enabling us to perceive the eternal, unchanging realm. (Phaedo) applied allegorical interpretation method to the Old Testament (LXX) Logos God's organ to create and govern universe second place next to God God is the Father and wisdom [Sophia] is the mother of the Word [Logos] Clement of Alexandria (AD 150 – 215) grew up non-Christians traditional religion mystery religion schools of philosophy found Pantaenus to teach him books Protrepticus (Exhortation to Greeks) c. 195 Paedagogus (Tutor or Educator) c. 198 Stromata (Miscellanies) c. 203 Who Is the Rich Man Who Will Be Saved? beliefs heavily influenced by Plato and Philo Ideal Christian is “the gnostic”; try to “out gnostic” the Gnostics and take the label back. concerned about the whole Christian life, not just beliefs seeking pleasure is sin Wine is ok in strict moderation. Laughter should be controlled. esotericism (especially in the Stromata) Christology God is the unknowable, supreme, unbegotten one. The Son “is nearest to him who is alone the Almighty One”. The Logos is chief among God's saints who, like us, worships God. “Thus the idea of the Logos is the centre of Clement's theological system and of all his religious thinking. However, the supreme idea in Christian thought is not the idea of the Logos but the idea of God.”[1] legacy set the precedent for combining Platonism with the Bible through the use of allegory, a strategy that came to dominate for centuries became the teacher of Origen who, as we'll see in our next session, was the most influential Christian theologian of the third century was regarded as a saint by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, but then they changed their minds Review Alexandria, Egypt was a major metropolis from which not only grain but philosophical ideas spread to the Mediterranean world. Philo was a first-century Jew who applied Middle Platonism to the Old Testament via allegory. Influenced by Plato's Timaeus, Philo used the concept of Logos to separate the high God from creation. For Philo the Logos was God's organ to create and govern the world. Clement of Alexandria drew upon Philo's work and applied it to the New Testament. Clement wanted Christians to live in a proper and moderate manner. In an effort to show the supremacy of Christianity, Clement attempted to out-gnostic the Gnostics, labelling the enlightened Christian "the gnostic.“ For Clement, the Logos is subordinate to the Father, who alone is the true God. He might have believed that the Logos existed eternally as God's high priest. [1] Johannes Quasten, Patrology, vol 2 (Notre Dame, IN: Christian Classics, Ave Maria Press, 1983), 23.

The soul that is determined to escape from the ego's control must develop a number of virtues and powers in order to gain the freedom to ascend to God-consciousness. To live as a true spiritual warrior, one must use whatever is left of one's drive to know the Truth, and be willing to open one's heart and offer the soul's love to the Almighty One. There is good reason to call this the Hero's Journey!

The 7 Churches of Revelation! Part 1: Revelation 1:1-8; “The Eternal King is Coming Back. Are you ready?” 7 Reasons why you may have avoided Revelation in the past: #1-Because of crazy people who have used prophecy for their own personal agendas. #2-Because so many people have used prophecy as a scare tactic to get people saved. #3-Because many find Revelation simply hard to understand. #4-Because most people want practical teaching that applies to today and they are not so concerned about tomorrow. #5-Because many people have not heard much teaching on Revelation and end time prophecy. #6-Because many people fear what is going to happen in the end, so they tend to avoid reading about it. –Ignorance is bliss! #7-Because there are so many different views on how to interpret Revelation. “The Eternal King is Coming Back. Are you ready?” 1. We serve a God who reveals Himself to us to prepare us for what’s coming (v. 1-2). God can turn your prison into your purpose. He can transform your pain into your passion. Keep your head lifted towards Heaven, because God is not done with you yet! 2. You will receive a special blessing if you attentively listen and respond to God’s revelation (v. 3). This is the only book that contains a blessing in the reading, hearing, and putting into practice this book. Your Move: Over the next few weeks—Read and study the book of Revelation. And put into practice the things that God teaches you through your study of this book of prophecy. God wants you to know Him. God wants you to follow Him. As you follow His plan for you today, He begins to reveal His plan for tomorrow. 3. God the Father offers grace and peace to His Church (v. 4). • God is always relevant for all times: He is…He was…He is to come. God is not a one-hit wonder…He is the One who was the greatest in the past…He is the greatest in the present…and He will forever be the greatest in the future! 4. Jesus offers us His love, forgiveness, and an amazing position to His Church (v. 5-6). 5. Jesus is coming again quickly, so people get ready (v. 7)! 6. Everything in all of creation begins and ends God the Almighty One (v. 8). You can’t get away from God. He was there in the past, so you will discover Him throughout history. He is in the present, so you will sense His presence in the present. He is the future coming King, and He will reign forevermore. Review: 1. We serve a God who reveals Himself to us to prepare us for what’s coming (v. 1-2). 2. You will receive a special blessing if you attentively listen and respond to God’s revelation (v. 3). 3. God the Father offers grace and peace to His Church (v. 4). 4. Jesus offers us His love, forgiveness, and an amazing position to His Church (v. 5-6). 5. Jesus is coming again quickly, so people get ready (v. 7)! 6. Everything in all of creation begins and ends God the Almighty One (v. 8). Today’s Takeaway: Stay ready for the future by living for Jesus in the present. Action Steps: ⎫ Read Revelation out loud this week. ⎫ Live like Jesus could come back at any time. ⎫ Reach out to one person who would not be ready in the Rapture took place today.

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood…‭‭John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭MSG‬‬  “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬  He will always will be- Adonai-El Roy-He sees you!  “Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal. So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she's pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who's wrong—you or me!” Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away. The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears'), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.” Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:1-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ El-Shaddai-More than enough!  “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will ALWAYS be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” Genesis‬ ‭17:1-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬  Jehovah Shalom-Your Peace.  “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ ““It is all right,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT Immanuel-He's with you.  “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.” Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Passage: Luke 1:46-55 Theme:  Mary is thunderstruck with the announcement that God chose her to bear the holy offspring.  In her exuberance and by the Spirit, she gives us a unique insight into the work of God.  She understands what God is doing and she breaks out in praise (the Magnificat) to the Almighty One, […]

"In the book of 1 Samuel 8:7,8 Psalm 146:1 we read where the ALMIGHTY ONE GOD is discussing truth with HIS Prophet Samuel. How that what Samuel preceives as rejection on him is actually rejection towards GOD! Do we feel so connected with the ALMIGHTY ONE that we feel what HE would feel.? Have we truly aligned ourselves with the AFFECTIONATE side of GOD where our hearts aree in HIS Holy hands? My special guests is Gospel Artist WOG Daphney Hilton." Our 'Shine Artist Spotlight' will be on Gospel Artist WOG Kimberly Jackson. Call (646) 564-9839 to join us on Nov. 26, 2022 (Sat) @ 10am PST/ 12pm CST/ 1pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link. *Hosted and produced by Ron E. Jefferson (FB) ronaldjefferson1@aol.com *TWITTER - ronejefferson60 *Instagram - ronaldjefferson1 * I-Heart Radio * I-Tunes * Spotify *Cash App. ~ $RonEfire60 * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

"In the book of Micah 6:3 we read where The ALMIGHTY ONE has erected a semblance of a court room setting where the migthy montains and the very Earth's foundations are called to hear GOD'S case. HIS people whom HE has delivered from the hand of the enemy has forsaken their Holy Covenant. Now GOD Himself will take the stand to TESTIFY! What would GOD have to say about us modern-day believers if HE were to TESTIFY in our FAITHFULNESS to HIM? My special guests is Entrepreneur, Human Rights Consultant, Gospel Artist (Konai Aldephe) and Published Author WOG Cynthia Butler." Our 'Shine Artist Spotlight' will be on Gospel Artist WOG Jawana Connor.. Call (646) 564-9839 to join us on Nov.19, 2022 (Sat) @ 10am PST/ 12pm CST/ 1pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link. *Hosted and produced by Ron E. Jefferson (FB) ronaldjefferson1@aol.com *TWITTER - ronejefferson60 *Instagram - ronaldjefferson1 * I-Heart Radio * I-Tunes * Spotify *Cash App. ~ $RonEfire60 * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

While The H.O.C. is on an extended vacation and The Money Man is resting, The Almighty B. Live slides in as host of this week's episode. The Almighty One discusses The Week That Was In The NFL, The B. Live Top 5 and Not top 5, and whatever else is happening in the world of sports. Enjoy. #nfl #mlb #sportspodcast All Sports Bros All The TIme https://linktr.ee/SportsBros_PCast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thesportsbrospodcast/message

Matt Dirks - Revelation 4: John was given supernatural sight to see heaven and symbols that described the throne room of God, where John saw angels and God's people worshiping the Almighty One.

"In the book of Psalm 103:1-5 we read where the psalmist is speaking to his own soul. Making profound and profuse statements regarding his intent towards GOD! He declares and decrees certain shall do's and must do's purely for the honor, praise and acknowledgment how how a person should have the highest regard for GOD! These are the slef-induced commitments that will lead us when we may be tempted to wander, be weary or unenthusied regarding oour spiritial lives and connection with the ALMIGHTY ONE! My special guest is Co-Founder/CEO at BDM/UGROOVE MUSIC, Gospel Artist and Wife WOG Shelia Moore-Piper." Our 'Shine Artist Spotlight' will be on Gospel Artist MOG Tomar Jackson. Call (646) 564-839 to join us on Sept. 11, 2022 (Sun) @ 2pm PST/ 4pm CST/ 5pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link. *Hosted and produced by Ron E. Jefferson (FB) ronaldjefferson1@aol.com *TWITTER - ronejefferson60 *Instagram - ronaldjefferson1 * I-Heart Radio * I-Tunes * Spotify *Cash App. ~ $RonEfire60 * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

There is a right way and a wrong way.  Proverbs 16:25 “Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end it is the way to death.”Sometimes there is a way that seems right.  I think this hit me when I heard Father Mike talking about it because I can see us all doing it.  He said this verse is talking about sin.  We all know what is right and wrong.  We all know the various things God wants us to do and the things He doesn't want us to do.  And yet, we still don't always do what's right.  Living in the world we live in and the time we live in, it can be hard to do what is right.  It can be hard to know what is right these days.  Actually if you read the Bible, or you read stories of the Saints, I am not sure it was ever easy to live how God wants us to live.  I don't know if God intended for it to be easy.  What would be easy is if we had lived as He intended.  God intended His people to be set apart from everyone one else.  Come to think of it, I am not sure it would have been easy even then.  Look at the Israelites once they left Egypt.  They saw miracle after miracle.  And I am not talking about small miracles, if there is such a thing.  I am talking about parting the red sea and being inundated with quail because they were complaining and they were tired of the Manna that God was miraculously providing them each day.  The Israelites were living apart from everyone else.  They were living in the wilderness all together and set apart from all the foreigners.  However, they still struggled to follow God's ways.  They complained a lot and turned away from God a lot.  I guess no matter where you live, what time you live in, or who you live with it can be hard to do the right thing all the time.  What made this verse really stand out was how it was saying sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end its the way to death.  What that makes me wonder is about all the things that I do, even when I know I shouldn't, because I think God doesn't really mind.  It is not usually big things, although sometimes it might be.  Have you ever done something you know God doesn't really want you to do it, but you talk yourself into it anyway because of some logic that makes sense in your own head?  It made me smile when I wrote that because I instantly thought of my boys.  They are master negotiators.  I think most kids are, but since mine are the ones I deal with on a daily basis I am going to say they are extra good at it.  We will come up with a well thought out rule, that makes complete sense and we know has their best interest at heart.  We know the reason behind the rule, we know why it is a good rule.  We are completely confident this is a good rule.  We introduce it to the kids and 10 minutes later they have us questioning the rule, our parenting, the world.  It's so crazy how good kids are at coming up with excuses and reasons why what we know to be good for them, isn't actually good for them.  It made me smile because I can picture God shaking His head just like I do with the boys.  At least God isn't left questioning his decisions.  He knows He is right and is just shaking His head at our attempt to negotiate or prove wrong the Almighty One.If you have kids, or have ever worked with kids you might be thinking what we do is nothing like what they do.  However, think about the last time you did something you knew you weren't supposed to do.  It might have been something small or it might have been something big.  Think about all the justification you did to be ok with doing the thing.  For instance, in the Catholic Church, you are not supposed to eat an hour before you receive the host.  We believe the Eucharist is the Body of Christ and so we are supposed to have an empty stomach before going to Communion.  However, sometimes I don't do that.  Sometimes I tell myself God won't mind because I really need my cup of tea so I can stay awake in Mass, or I needed to eat this banana so I didn't feel hungry at Mass.  I can come up with a million reasons why God doesn't actually mind if I eat before receiving the Eucharist.  I do similar justifying when I have something else to do instead of going to Mass.  God won't mind, He knows how important soccer is, or He knows how important lunch with my friends is.  God knows I am traveling so He doesn't mind.  I think it is absolutely true that God is understanding.  I don't think it is the end of the world if you do some of these things occasionally.  And yet, I don't actually know if that's true.  I think if we do something long enough it is no longer an exception to the rule, it is a new habit.  Have you made a new habit out of doing things you know God wouldn't want you to do?  You were able to justify it so often to yourself, now it is the norm, it is a habit.  I think this can be a very slippery slope.  Yes, God is full of grace and He will forgive any sins for which we repent.  However, does that mean we count on God's grace and intentionally do something we know is wrong because we really want to do it and because it isn't “that” wrong.  Also, there is another way to look at each thing you are doing.  Maybe you are telling yourself, as I do often, God doesn't care if I eat this cookie.  Maybe that is true.  It is not a sin to eat that cookie.  However, what is behind our desire to eat that cookie.  Are we just eating one or are we being gluttonous and eating the whole pack?  Maybe God doesn't mind if you drinking a coffee or tea before you walk into church.  However, does He mind the fact you know you are doing something wrong and yet doing it anyway?  It might not be the action itself, but the motivation behind the action.  I am sure God does understand how important it is that you go out with your friends for lunch.  However, He may also wonder why you didn't look up other mass times that you could go to that didn't interfere with your lunch plans.  There are usually so many mass times at a Catholic Church.  You can even go Saturday or Sunday.  Yes, it takes more time and more planning but you can make it work.  God might not be upset if you miss service while on vacation, and yet think of how happy He would be if you did go out of your way to find a way to attend a service while on vacation.The ending of this verse is what really has my attention, “But in the end its the way to death.”  That doesn't sound pleasant.  What if we are justifying all the times we don't want to live like God wants us to live and then we end up ruining our chances to spend eternity with our Heavenly Father? I am certainly not saying that if you miss mass while on vacation or eat and drink before going to communion then you are not going to heaven.  All I am thinking is, if we break the little rules God gives us so easily, what is to stop us from breaking the bigger rules.  I can see how if we think about his too much we might get anxious.  I don't think this is what the verse intends for us.  I don't want to you to finish listening to this episode and be anxious about your actions leading to death.  I do, however, thing this verse is a great reminder to look at our actions and see if we are living according to how God is asking us to live?  Are there things we know God doesn't want us to do and yet we are doing them anyway?  Can we stop doing these things?  If no, can we pray for the strength and the proper situation so we can stop them.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we want to follow your ways, please help us.  Lord, if there are any places in our lives where we are doing things you don't approve of, please show us.  Please give us the strength and/or the plan we need to stop doing those things.  Lord, help us stop justifying our behaviors with excuses and help us to do what is right.  We love you Lord, you are truly amazing!!You are my Aide and my rescue from the enemy. You are our Everlasting Father.  You are the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace.  We love you and we adore you.  We are so very grateful for all you do.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  Tomorrow's guest speaker will be Amber J.  Amber and I are in Big Life mentoring together.  Amber was going through some pretty difficult things in life.  She really didn't like her job, it was making her miserable and her marriage was really struggling because they couldn't have children.  Amber did not really consider herself a believer, however, she was desperate and decided to say her first prayer in a very long time.  After seeing God answer prayer after prayer, she could no longer chalk it up to coincidence and she began her faith journey to grow closer to God.  I know you are going to really enjoy her witness.  I can't wait to share that with you tomorrow.  Remember Jesus loves you and so do I.  Have a blessed day!

"In the book of Deut. 30:6 we read where The ALMIGHTY ONE is speaking to the Children of Abraham. Telling them of how HE will one day reclaim them and retrieve them from the faraway places that they have been scattered. How that HE will remain true to the promises of all their descendants even unto the patriarch Abraham. but that they must qualify themselves to receive HIS great abundance. What is required from them the is the same requirements for us now! This is to our hearts circumcised as a sign of giving ourselves completely, wholly and entirely to HIM (GOD). My special guest is Gospel Artist and Author WOG Shunice Hill-Sullivan." Call (646) 564-839 to join us on Aug. 27, 2022 (Sat) @ 10am PST/ 12pm CST/ 1pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link. *Hosted and produced by Ron E. Jefferson (FB) ronaldjefferson1@aol.com *TWITTER - ronejefferson60 *Instagram - ronaldjefferson1 * I-Heart Radio * I-Tunes * Spotify *Cash App. ~ $RonEfire60 * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

When Hurricane Katrina rolled through, the spinning white satellite image on TV screens actually looked evil. For residents of New Orleans, waiting for that hurricane that's exactly what it felt like. Thousands of people were affected by the brutal storm that poured in from the Gulf. In many ways, the city still hasn't recovered. But in the chaos, God was there.   For more than 20 years, water pump operator Rufus Burkhalter and Bobby Brown had worked at pumping station number 6 along the 17th Street Canal. When they realized how bad it was going to be, the pair did an amazing thing. They stayed at their posts. They kept working even after the levees broke. One of the world's largest pumping stations was still being operated by two good men who risked their lives for others. When it was all said and done both lost their homes due to storm damage. The seawater and raging winds devastated their lives and yet they chose to help others. That kind of love for one's fellow man is rooted in the love of Christ.   Psalm 93:4 says "Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea. The Lord on high is mighty."   God is infinitely stronger than the storms in your life. He's there guiding you and he is there caring for you through it all, all the time. In the horrifying days of Katrina and through the aftermath many people displayed a reliance on the Lord who stood up to the evil that invaded their community. When we lean on God in every situation, especially during the storms in our lives it builds our faith and places us on solid ground.   Let's pray.   Father, Almighty One, nothing is scarier than the dark deep waters that overwhelm us sometimes. We know though that your word is our anchor established and true. We can rely on it every single time. Thank you for guiding, protecting, and loving us always, in all of your ways in Jesus' name. Amen.

Revelations 1:4-8

"In the book of Isaiah 22:23 we read where the Prophet Isaiah has been given a vision to share to the leaders in Judah. They have neglected to follow the ways and will of GOD and now judgment is cast against them. yet, GOD has a leader that will come and be honored and anchored by the ALMIGHTY ONE himself. When GOD appoints someone to an authorized position. They will be able to stand and stay no matter whatever may come against them. we too are blessed to have this same surety by faith in GOD to keep us when all may seem lost. GOD will be there as a STAKE is DRIVEN to hold, so shall be by GOD'S mighty hand! My special guest is Gospel artist WOG Anita Franklin." Our Shine Artist Spotlight' will be on Gospel Artist MOG James Cockerham. Call (646) 564-9839 to join us on April 10, 2022 (Sun) @ 2pm PST/ 4pm CST/ 5pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link. *Hosted and produced by Ron E. Jefferson (FB) ronaldjefferson1@aol.com *TWITTER - ronejefferson60 *Instagram - ronaldjefferson1 * I-Heart Radio * I-Tunes * Spotify *Cash App. ~ $RonEfire60 * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

"In the book of Job 42:12 we read the Bible story of a man named Job. This man is never mention in connection with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is never mentioned anywhere in the Bible except being a man from the land of Uz which was the land of Gentiles. Yet this man somehow came into the knowledge of the ALMIGHTY ONE and was had suffered from the devil like no man other than JESUS. And then GOD turned his life around and double  blessed his life. My special guest is Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, Personal Trainer and former Pine Bluff resident. Husband and Father MOG Tobias Rodgers," Our Shine Artist Spotlight' will be on Gospel Artist MOG James Cockerham. Call (646) 564-9839 to join us on April 3, 2022 (Sun) @ 2pm PST/ 4pm CST/ 5pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link. *Hosted and produced by Ron E. Jefferson (FB) ronaldjefferson1@aol.com *TWITTER - ronejefferson60 *Instagram - ronaldjefferson1 * I-Heart Radio * I-Tunes * Spotify *Cash App. ~ $RonEfire60 * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!  

"In the book of Deut. 19:21 we read where the ALMIGHTY ONE has marked a jurisdiction for equal and fair judgment for crimes committed. This is so important to prevent impartiality in the Israeli nations legal processes, as well as ours today as well.. Whatever was don to victimize someone would be the same punishment in measure to the offender. GOD says that when justice prevails then all will be well! My special guest is Coach, Innovator, Author and Inspirational Speaker WOG Monique E. Russell." Our 'Shine Artist Spotlight' will be on Gospel Artist WOG Mary Coston. Call (646) 564-9839 to join us on March 19, 2022 (Sat) @ 10am PST/ 12pm CST/ 1pm EST. Or go to my Ron E. Jefferson (FB) Page for the program link.   * NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! * ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE ARTIST'S RESPECTIVE LABEL! * FOR PROMOTIONAL and ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! * I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

What does the word "Almighty" mean and why does God use it to describe Himself?Revelation 1:8We are (LIVE) on the [Morning Devo] podcast on our website now!:::: https://live.soulwinnerz.org and we want to see who you are by simply clicking here https://chat.restream.io/fb :::::

Lyrics:Shirdi Sai Dwarakamayi Prasanthivasi SairamSairam Sairam Ek Nam Sundar NamShirdi Sai Dwarakamayi Prasanthivasi SairamAllah Eshwar Sai RamParthipuri Ke Hey BhagawanDayakaro Kripakaro Rakshakaro Hey Bhagawan Meaning:O Lord! You are the One who incarnated as Sai Baba of Shirdi and resided in the mosque which You called Dwarakamayi. You are the same One come again as Sathya Sai Baba who resided in Prasanthi Nilayam – the abode of supreme peace.O Lord! We adore You through Your beautiful name 'Sairam'!O Lord! You are the One whom some adore as Allah, some as Eshwar, and yet others as Sairam.O Lord! You are the Omnipotent and Omniscient One who incarnated in Puttaparthi!O Lord, the Almighty One! Please bless me with Thy grace, compassion and protection.

Well hey there, hello to you & welcome to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, part of the Spark Network, now playing on the edifi app - getting the promises of God into the people of God, one episode at a time. I'm your host, Jan L. Burt, and I'm so glad you're joining me today! This is episode 90.   In this episode let's take a look at a verse from the book of Psalms. There is always so much hope, honesty, and encouragement in the Psalms - it is a book we don't want to neglect. And the particular verse I am going to read to you in a moment is from Psalm 138, getting toward the end of the book of Psalms. Verse 8 of Psalm 138. I am reading today from the Amplified Bible.   Psalm 138:8 - The LORD will accomplish that which concerns me; Your (unwavering) lovingkindness, O LORD, endures forever --- Do not abandon the works of Your hands.  We find here both a personal declaration and then a sort of prayer for this truth to continue to prevail.   There are some strange and unbiblical teachings that have been floating around the interwebs - so when I use the word declaration here, please know I'm not using that word the same way as it's often being used wrongly. This isn't manifesting something or declaring something as a means to manipulate God or try and be the boss of Him, overriding His will. Those things are not Biblical. And this verse from Psalms isn't that kind of declaration, not in the least.   It is, however, a human being stating that God is going to accomplish the things He has planned. And there is nothing wrong with saying that out loud, for others to hear, for your own ears to hear, and for the devil to hear, too. Nothing at all wrong with declaring that.    So what is it that the author of this psalm said, again? The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me. And God's unwavering lovingkindness endures forever.  What God intends for you is for you and He does not want it prevented, stopped, delayed, deferred or deterred. God wills for His will to be the will that is accomplished. True for you and true for me.   If it is encouraging for you to remind yourself of that, then please do so!  And remind others, too!   When God begins to move, to act, to change things, I don't find much evidence in the Bible for slow movement. The Exodus took place quickly once God began moving. Joseph rose to power in Egypt overnight once God began to move. The church grew by the thousands once the Spirit of God began to move in the book of Acts. The promise may not happen on the same day that it is given, but it will come to pass and when it is time to get the ball rolling, when God says to move, that's the time for things to really start moving. So, beware when people tell you to slow down as it relates to something the Lord is saying to be busy about right now. We don't hold back from the Lord; we go all in with Him and we do exactly what He says, exactly when He says. Safe bets yield nothing in God's Kingdom.     The Lord wants to accomplish that which concerns you, my friend. So that implies that there is value in what concerns you - because if it's something God wants, which is what this verse says, then it is of value to Him.    Psalm 138:8 - The LORD will accomplish that which concerns me; Your (unwavering) lovingkindness, O LORD, endures forever --- Do not abandon the works of Your hands.    His unwavering lovingkindness is your promise as you keep on doing the things He has called you to do. The good works that He prepared in advance for you to do. Not you doing my good works, or me trying to work at what He wants you to be doing. Let His lovingkindness, which endures forever, be the promise you bear in mind as you follow Jesus and do what He asks of you. Let Him accomplish that which concerns you. And stay vigilant in prayer about the people or the circumstances that will try and slow down or hinder or hamper you from doing the good works He prepared in advance for you to do.    It's not our want-tos and hope-sos that accomplish the will of the Lord, it is us doing what James says to do - to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Some people in the church do a lot of hearing, but not much doing. Now, you will see this coming from a mile away outside of the church, outside the body of Christ. When it takes place within the church, that's when we stumble over it, ya know? We question if God really laid that certain thing upon our heart. If maybe we heard wrong. If we are on the wrong track. But there is a way to know what His will is. The Word of God, when we open it, and the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, and the time we spend in prayer are all ways to know for certain what God's good and pleasing and perfect will truly is. We can know the will of the Lord, but we get muddled up in our thinking sometimes and we start wondering if we can hear Him at all. But we can, according to the Bible! And that's such great news for us! If some folks within the church are regularly the ones who say, “Slow down. Not so fast. Might want to think about that. What are your priorities?” when it comes to doing what God is leading you to do, then maybe, just maybe, they are the ones who aren't hearing from the Lord? Perhaps they have some fear of stretching out their tent pegs and preparing room for the work God is going to do next? Where there is no vision, the people perish. Don't let someone else's lack of vision cloud your vision. Trust Your good God to guide and direct your steps, and He will. He is more than able to tell you this is the way, walk ye in it. Turn now to the right, now go to the left. That's not difficult for Him at all. And if you want to know His will day by day, moment by moment, in every relationship, in every endeavor, in every nook and cranny and aspect of your life, and you truly want to know His will in order that you might do His will, if you just don't want to miss it for the world, then you won't. He will make it clear. Just be prepared that sometimes people may be quote unquote encouraging you to be cautious, to be careful…and that quote unquote encouragement could really be discouragement. Your courage comes from the Lord God Most High, the Almighty One, the Great I AM. He has no lack of courage to give to you. Discouragement, literally a lacking of courage, that is not from God. I never in my bible see the Lord stripping away courage and encouragement from those who want to do His will. And there is no shadow of turning with Him, so He isn't going to suddenl;y begin to do a thing that contradicts His word.    Trust God enough to trust His word, because He is the Living Word.  And remember, He will never ever abandon the works of His hands. He holds you in the shallow of His hands, right there in His palm. You are safe, you are secure, and you are held by the One who is going to accomplish that which concerns you.   Naysayers don't hold a candle to that, ya know?   Lord bless you today as you continue to live in the light of the promises of God.   This is episode 90 of The Burt Not Ernie Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the edifi app.   I'd love it if you would subscribe via whatever platform you listen on and share the podcast with your friends and family.    Thanks for listening and I'll be back next time for episode 91!   God bless - bye bye!    Jan L. Burt is an author, speaker, podcaster, homeschooling veteran, mother to five, and has been happily married to Tony for thirty years. She served in youth ministry alongside her husband for twelve years & has led several Bible studies for women as well as hosting two online prayer retreats. Jan is the host of the podcast “The Burt (Not Ernie) Show” & author of the new book “A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents” & “The Power of God's Will – 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional” (available on Amazon) & “The Once-A-Year Homeschool Planner” (a multi-grade, multi-subject planning system) – which can be found at JanLBurt.com. She has also been a regular contributor to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Find Jan  Instagram: @JanLBurt or at her website JanLBurt.com or at her YouTube channel, “God's Promises for You with Jan L. Burt”. 

I Will Fear No EvilPsalm 23:4  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”I was attending a conference this weekend and the speaker mentioned this verse.  It was not a spiritual conference so when I heard it I figured it was a sign that I should talk about it today.  I talked yesterday about how being still is not easy.  Today God is talking about something else that's not easy.  I am sensing a theme here.  Life is not easy.  The verse says though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  This is hard.  It seems like there is so much to fear these days.  This last year and a half have been full of fear.  Many were afraid of getting sick and having to go to the hospital.  Others were afraid their loved ones would be sick.  There were also people afraid of the police and afraid to go outside.  There were people afraid to leave their houses because of their race or nationality.  There were people afraid that wrong person would win the presidential election.  We have people afraid to take the vaccine, we have people afraid not to take the vaccine.  You get the point.  It has been a rough year full of fear.Then we read this scripture and we wonder how it is possible to fear no evil.  How is it possible to fear no evil when you are surrounded by death, or the possibility of death?  If you read on it says “for thou are with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  God is with us, we all know this, we repeat this and tell others this, but do we really believe this?  Do you believe that God is right there with you when you are in the valleys?  We all know how all powerful God is, so if we believe that He is there with us, it makes sense that we wouldn't be afraid.  How could we be afraid when He is there?  He is the Almighty One.  So, why do we have so much fear?  Are we afraid that He won't help us?  Are we afraid He won't show up?  Are we afraid to die?  What is it that we have been so afraid of over these past 18 months.  Or maybe it is not just these past 18 months.  Maybe you find yourself worried about a lot of things.  Maybe you worry every time there is a storm coming.  Maybe you worry about your finances.  Maybe you worry about your children, parents, siblings, spouse.  Worry may be a part of your everyday life.  I am hoping to change that.  It probably won't change over night, and it may not be easy, but it is possible.  The bible mentions “fear not” 365 times.  This is definitely something that God wants us to get.  I will be honest, I didn't get the last part of this verse.  “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  I looked up the meaning of this because I wondered if there was something that I was missing.  I am glad I did because there is a great article called “Understanding Psalm 23: What Does the Staff and Rod Acually Mean?"  I put a link in the show notes so you can read the whole article.  (Click Here) I highly suggest it as it is good.  I will not retell the article, I will just touch upon the few descriptions of the rod and the staff.  First, the author says that the staff symbolizes rest, as shepherds used to lean on their staff for rest.  Next, the staff can symbolize rescue because shepherds used to use their staff to rescue sheep from the thick brush.  Third, the staff can symbolize a guide as the shepherd used it to guild sheep across open fields.  This all seems to make a lot of sense to me.  We just talked about yesterday how we need to rest in the Lord.  This is just another way the Lord is reminding us of that.  It seems like we are much happier and less afraid when we are able to just rest in the Lord.  To just sit with Him and turn over all of our worries and fears to Him.  Also, God rescues us from difficult situations when we need Him.  He doesn't abandon us.  He is always there for us in good times and in bad.  Lastly, He is definitely our Guide.  How many times have we needed God to guide us through the rough parts of our lives?  We need Him as a guide for the easy parts as well.The article goes on to say that Rod is Our Protection.  When shepherds were herding sheep they used their rod to defend against anything that wanted to attack the sheep.  This is what God does for us.  He protects us from our enemies.  The Rod is also a symbol of Love.  The shepherds used to use their rods to count the sheep.  You might be wondering how this is a symbol of Love.  This is act of love because the shepherd is making sure that all of his sheep are present and accounted for.  God is doing the same thing for us.  He does not want a single one of His sheep to get lost.  He loves us too much.  Now that I understand what the words rod and staff mean in the context of this verse and in the time that it was written, I feel as though I understand the verse as a whole better now.  I can't believe how much the Lord is saying to us with just a short sentence or two.  I am also in awe sometimes thinking about how much God loves us.  It amazes me how He can be all these things for us, for each and every one of us.  Understanding that His staff is our guide, rescue, and rest; and that his rod is our protection and love helps me understand why we should have no fear.  We don't need fear when we realize all that He has already doing for us.  We don't need fear when he is there to protect us, guide us, and rescue us.  He has got us. We can rest in the knowledge that His staff and His rod are enough for us.  They are more than enough for us.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  Is it any different hearing that verse again after hearing the description of the rod and the staff?  Does it make you want to trust in the Lord more?  Does it help you fear a little less?  I hope that it has helped.  I hope that we can all get to a place where we don't have so much fear.  It is so freeing when you can let go of some of your fears and learn to lean into and trust God.  You won't regret it.  I will leave you with Matthew 6:27 to think about.  “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we ask that you help us to have no fear in times of trouble.  We ask that you help us to feel loved.  Lord, I ask that you help all those that are feeling anxious or worried today and every day.  Help them to hand their worry over to you and not take it back again.  We thank you Lord for guiding us through our lives.  We thank for you for protecting us and for being our place of rest.  Lord, we thank you for rescuing us every single time we need you to.  You are the best!  We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.  

Exodus 6:1-9TONIGHT'S OBJECTIVES:● A greater grasp on the SIZE OF OUR GOD.● Clean out our ears so that we might LISTEN BETTER.“God Almighty” - El Shaddai - The Self-Sufficient and Almighty OneThe Lord = “I AM who I AM”Exodus 3:14● THEREFORE - because of who I AM:○ I will bring you out from under the YOKE OF SLAVERY.○ I will REDEEM YOU with mighty acts of judgement.○ I will take you as MY OWN PEOPLE.○ I will be YOUR GOD.○ Then you will KNOW○ I will bring you to the PROMISED LAND as your possession.● I AM THE LORD.“Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because oftheir discouragement and harsh labor.”Silence our discouragement.Pause from our harsh labor.Let's stare at the LORD - the Sovereign and Almighty One.● He will bring you out from under.● He will redeem you.● He will take you as His own.● He will be your God.● You will KNOW Him and His goodness.● He will bring you to the promised place of provision