Podcasts about Ananias

Can you be a Christian without the church? In this timely episode, Dr. Carmen Imes argues forcefully—and pastorally—that Christianity without community is a contradiction. Drawing from her new book Becoming God's Family, she and Dru Johnson explore why so many people are walking away from church and what it would take to draw them back. From church hurt to spiritual abuse to toxic celebrity culture, Carmen doesn't shy away from the reasons people leave. But she also offers theological and pastoral wisdom on why we can't give up on the church. They explore biblical stories of failed community, why Hagar's story matters, and what healthy faithfulness looks like in a flawed body. They also discuss when it's time to leave a church, how American and global cultures can distort biblical community, and why true belonging means discomfort, difference, and even lament. Drawing on stories from her life and ministry, Carmen makes the case that church isn't about getting what we want—it's about becoming who we're meant to be. For Carmen Imes' substack: https://substack.com/@carmenjoyimes We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more resources: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters: 00:00 The Importance of Community in Faith 01:37 Addressing Church Disconnection Post-Pandemic 04:22 The Role of Scripture in Community Dynamics 07:17 Navigating Church Hurt and Abuse 10:36 Finding Hope in Faithful Communities 13:46 The Broader Picture of Church Life 16:38 Understanding God's Family Beyond the Church 18:39 The Power of Community and Discipleship 20:03 Cultural Blind Spots and Family Loyalty 21:42 The Radical Nature of Church Family 25:24 The Ananias and Sapphira Lesson 27:59 The Role of Green Rooms in Church 31:10 Lamenting Together as a Family 32:45 The Messiness of Community 35:34 The Quest for Like-Mindedness 37:32 Diversity in Church and Community 41:58 Creative Solutions for Multicultural Worship  

Instead of asking, why did they experience the consequences of God so fast, maybe we should ask, why do we experience the consequences of God so slow? One of the greatest threats, if not the greatest threat to the Church in this generation is not open rebellion, It is quiet deception. As you study outsiders looking in on the movement of Jesus, you notice that one of the primary things that always rises to the surface for why new people don't want to join the community of faith is this word called hypocrisy. This incident isn't about financial discrepancy, it's about maintaining the integrity of the spirit-filled community at its very foundation.Do you know what acts chapter five is primarily about? It's about authenticity. It's about God's passion for a real, honest, generous Church. Ananias and Sapphira5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you[a] sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.Acts 4:32-5:11We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

One of the most common reasons people give for leaving or avoiding the church is simple: “It’s full of hypocrites.” In this honest and challenging message, Pastor JC Worley confronts the reality of hypocrisy in the church and its devastating impact. Drawing from the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, he shows how hypocrisy destroys trust, damages the witness of the church, and even separates us from God. But the good news is that what hypocrisy breaks, God’s truth and grace can heal.

One of the most common reasons people give for leaving or avoiding the church is simple: “It’s full of hypocrites.” In this honest and challenging message, Pastor JC Worley confronts the reality of hypocrisy in the church and its devastating impact. Drawing from the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, he shows how hypocrisy destroys trust, damages the witness of the church, and even separates us from God. But the good news is that what hypocrisy breaks, God’s truth and grace can heal.

The Third "Feast of the Savior" in August While the Lord was preaching in Palestine, his fame reached a king Avgar of Edessa, who suffered from leprosy. Avgar sent a messenger named Ananias to ask whether the Lord could heal his illness. The king also charged Ananias, if he was unable to bring back Jesus Himself, to bring back a likeness of Him. When Ananias found Jesus, the Lord told him that he could not come to Edessa since the time of His passion was at hand. But he took a cloth and washed His face, miraculously leaving a perfect image of His face on the cloth. Ananias brought the holy image back to the king, who reverently kissed it. Immediately his leprosy was healed, save for a small lesion that remained on his forehead. Later the Apostle Thaddeus came to Edessa, preaching the gospel, and Avgar and his household were baptized, at which time his remaining leprosy vanished. The king had the holy likeness mounted on wood and displayed above the city gate for all to revere. But Avgar's grandson returned to idolatry, and the Bishop of Edessa had the image hidden in the city wall to prevent it from being defiled. Many years later, when the Persian king Chosroes besieged Edessa, the Bishop Eulabius was told in a vision to find the sealed chamber, whose location had been forgotten. The holy icon was found, completely incorrupt, and by its power the Persian army was driven off. In the year 944 the image was brought to Constantinople and enshrined in the Church of the Theotokos called the Pharos. This is the event commemorated today.

Pastor Jeff Johnson is still in the early stages of a series through the book of Acts, and today we continue in chapter five. The sad tale of Ananias and Sapphira reminds us of how seriously God takes integrity. We may think we can fool those around us when it comes to our words matching our actions, but we cannot fool God. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29

Our Vision is: To see the fame and deeds of God in our time by developing followers of Jesus who are committed to practicing the way of Jesus. This vision is drawn from Habakkuk 3:2 and Matthew 28:18–19—a call to believe God can still act in powerful ways today and to commit to discipleship that actually practices His teachings. ⸻ Reason 1 – We must still believe God can and will act in power today     •    Habakkuk had only heard of God's miracles but prayed to see them in his time.     •    Scripture is filled with examples (Noah, Caleb, Joshua, David, the woman with the issue of blood, Bartimaeus) where belief in God's power preceded experiencing His power.     •    Many Christians stop expecting what they haven't experienced. Their experience becomes the authority rather than Scripture.     •    The more we believe God can work, the more we tend to experience from Him.     •    A.W. Tozer taught that we move toward our mental image of God—if we think He is small, we will live as if He is. ⸻ Reason 2 – God responds to hunger, not apathy     •    Tozer again: Complacency is the deadly foe of spiritual growth—“He waits to be wanted.”     •    Biblical examples (Israel in Egypt, Judges cycle, David's cries, 2 Chronicles 7:14, James 4:8, Matthew 5:6) show that God acts when His people cry out and earnestly seek Him.     •    Hunger means craving, longing for God's presence and work.     •    The lie that “God will do whatever He will do, no matter what” is unbiblical—Scripture calls us to seek Him if we want to experience Him. ⸻ How we pursue this vision – By developing followers of Jesus     •    In Scripture, it was always the committed followers—those who put Jesus' words into practice—who experienced His power.     •    Examples:     •    Peter obeying Jesus to cast nets and catching more fish than he could handle.     •    Lepers healed “as they went.”     •    The early church praying and seeing Peter freed from prison.     •    Stephen, Ananias, Peter—each obeying Jesus and seeing miraculous results.     •    Luke 6:47–49: Those who hear and obey are like houses on rock—secure, strong, and unshaken.     •    Many call themselves Christians without following Jesus, and thus miss experiencing God's power.     •    Jesus calls for disciples, not just “Christians.” Discipleship is not about morality for morality's sake, but about obedience that unlocks God's powerful work.     •    Commands are not rules for being “nice”—they are invitations to experience God's presence and power. ⸻ Call to Response Coleton invited the church to respond in specific ways:     1.    Pray for God's fame and deeds to be repeated today—in healings, conversions, reconciliations, miracles.     2.    Obey any specific word from God—don't delay obedience.     3.    Move from nominal Christianity to true discipleship—repent and follow Jesus fully.     4.    Cultivate hunger for God—because God responds to hunger. ⸻ Men's Discipleship Group Questions     1.    In what areas of your life have you stopped expecting God to move because you haven't experienced Him working there yet?     2.    How does your current “mental image” of God affect the way you pray, act, and take risks for Him?     3.    Men often value results—how can we grow in valuing hunger for God even when results aren't immediate?     4.    What is one concrete step of obedience you believe Jesus is calling you to take this week?     5.    How can we encourage each other to actually practice Jesus' words instead of just talking about them? ⸻ Women's Discipleship Group Questions     1.    Habakkuk prayed, “Repeat Your fame and deeds in our time.” If you prayed that today, what specific things would you ask God to do?     2.    Where in your life has your experience been louder than Scripture in defining what you believe is possible with God?     3.    What does “hungering for God” look like in your season of life right now?     4.    Think of a time you obeyed God despite uncertainty—how did you see Him move through that?     5.    What's one way our group can pray with you for God to “repeat His deeds” in your family, relationships, or community? ⸻ Author Quotes from the Sermon     1.    Abraham Heschel: “Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.”     2.    A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and what we, deep in our hearts, conceive God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.”     3.    A.W. Tozer: “I want to deliberately encourage a mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought the church to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our spiritual lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted.”

Jesus Delivers Us (9) (audio) David Eells -8/10/25 Saints, I'm going to continue our teaching on how Jesus delivered us and the authority and power we've been given over the kingdom of darkness. I have several revelations to share with you today to encourage you in your faith. I want to begin with this dream. First, I'm going to read the entire dream and then break it down with scripture and interpretations, so listen carefully.   Dream: Escaping the Darkness – LD (David's notes in red) I was in an empty parking lot with two young men who may have been angels. It was dark outside. I saw many people walking around talking to themselves. Many people had their heads down as if they were depressed or worried. Behind most, if not all of the people talking to themselves, I saw at least one or two demons standing. The demons were whispering in their ears the very words that they were speaking. The people were oblivious to the demons, thinking that what they were saying was their own thoughts. At some point, the demons realized that I was aware of them and that I knew what they were doing. At that point, all of the demons stopped at once and stared directly at me. Then they began to chase me to attack me. I and the two young men (angels) began running to the right side of the parking lot where there was a wooden fence. I was then helped over it to escape the demons. On the other side was a three-story apartment building, all one structure. On the top floor, a single light was on. I went to that room. I entered to see a man sitting down, smiling at me. I knew I was safe there.  As we look at the interpretation of this dream, I'd like to point out some underlying Scriptural principles. I was in an empty parking lot with two young men who may have been angels. (This is a revelation of mobile vessels, or people, finding no rest although they should be resting because this was a parking lot.) It was dark outside. (We know that darkness is closing in quickly.) I saw many people walking around talking to themselves. (This could be spiritual or physical. It could represent that they are talking to themselves in their minds or aloud, with their tongues. People who have demons often do talk to themselves.) Many people had their heads down as if they were depressed or worried. (They were being oppressed by the very demons that were using them.) Behind most, if not all of the people talking to themselves, I saw at least one or two demons standing. The demons were whispering in their ears the very words that the people were speaking. When demons attempt to seduce people who are loyal to the Lord and His Word, those people have authority over the demons to rebuke them, but when the demons have gotten this far, people, as represented here, are overcome. Even so, they still have this authority if they repent of the thing that caused them to be taken over by these spirits in the first place, and if they have faith to exercise their authority or go to someone who has authority, or both. Demons do speak directly to your mind. They're testing you; they're looking for a crack in your armor (Romans 13:12,14; Ephesians 6:10-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8). Anyone who listens to them speak through others or listens in their own mind will lose their freedom. If you listen to them, their demonic words have power. If you listen, they will take you where you don't want to go. It's a different situation for those who have authority. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. This includes all the demonic powers. But a person does not have authority over Satan when they've disobeyed God's Word and been turned over to Satan for a chastening (1 Corinthians 5:5). However, if a person repents, or if they haven't given in to Satan but are being tested by Satan, this person does have authority. They can “bind” and the devil has to obey. It's just like commanding a healing. You believe you have authority over that curse (Matthew 10:8; John 20:21). When your conscience is clean and you understand what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, you do have this authority. This is not because you are absolutely perfect; even the youngest child in the Lord has this authority to bind or loose. Now, this principle can go against you. People do loose Satan on themselves by their disagreement with God's Word instead of binding Satan by their agreement with God's Word. It's not about saying, “I bind” or “I loose”; it's about agreeing or disagreeing with God's Word. People do it all the time, whether they know it or not. (Luk.9:1) And he called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. We know that the disciples weren't perfected at that time. They still had quite a way to go in walking with Jesus, but they had been given authority. Jesus told us in (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… And in (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. We have that authority. You have that authority if you have faith to agree with the Word. The devil tries to bluff people. He tries to tell them he has authority or that he's going to take them out. If your conscience is not clean, you need to do something about that quickly! If you have confessed your sins (1Jn 1:7-9) and your conscience is clean, you can turn on the demons and tell them they don't have any authority over you because of what Jesus said. You have authority over them. Demons can't take you without your permission, but you can permit them in one or more ways. You give them permission when you sin or when you are determined to walk in sin. You give them permission when you choose to walk after idols because they are more important to you than obeying God. You give them permission when you give in to deception or seduction by evil spirits, and so on. So, if you give them authority, they will take it. What you bind on earth is bound in heaven. You have the authority on the earth, but you also have the authority to give it to Satan just as Adam did. God's Word says, (Rom.6:16) Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Adam obeyed Satan and lost his authority. The same thing happens today. People get demon-possessed because they obey Satan. Let's return to the dream. Oblivious to the demons, the people were thinking that what they were saying was their own thoughts. (You can't tell them, “Hey! That's demons talking through you.” It's a waste of breath. When the demons have already taken over, they are not going to let the person even think they've got demons. This is a common symptom of possession.) At some point, the demons realized that I was aware of them (Now this is important.) and that I knew what they were doing. At that point, all of the demons stopped at once and stared directly at me. Then they began to chase me to attack me. This is also common in demon possession. They know their advantage is to stay hidden. Demons make their victims believe that the demonic thoughts and words are the victims' own, or that the thoughts are from God. They can be peaceable until they know that you are aware of them, then they fight against you because they are not worried so much about hiding themselves anymore. I've had the gift of discerning of spirits since I was about a year old in the Lord, but it doesn't happen all the time. It happens when God wants it to happen. On one occasion, I saw demons in a woman looking at me, and by the spirit I heard the demons saying to one another, “Do you think he sees us? Do you think he knows we are in here?” Well, yes! I did know because I had seen them long before they spoke, but I had not said anything. I was waiting on the Lord. Once I acknowledged their presence, they would completely turn her against me. I knew this from experience, and so during this time of waiting, I was praying for this person to repent. Not repenting is most often why people are turned over to demons. (Mat.18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. The Lord Himself turns people over to demons because they don't repent. Some of the biggest reasons for needing to repent are holding on to unforgiveness, being bitter, and habitually criticizing people, which can be a type of judging others. These wrongs are always cause for a person to be turned over to demons for the purpose of bringing them to repentance. An example is the man who had his father's wife. Apostle Paul was led by the Spirit (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In the case of the woman in whom the demons were questioning if I could see them, the time came to reveal the problem to her husband for his sake, but he chose fellowship with the demons and his wife over the Lord. Then he became infected, too. I've seen this disloyalty to God cause possession many times. I pray for these folks who are in that kind of situation. More than ever, God is turning people over to Satan for chastening to humble them and bring them to repentance. (Mat.10:32) Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. One way this happens is by choosing demons, relatives, or friends over the Lord and His Word or representatives. This happened all through the Scriptures. God's representatives spoke for Him, but the demons in people railed. Those who felt it more important or more advantageous to listen to demons got demon-possessed. “Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.” In other words, they have no right to grace or the benefits of the Kingdom. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1). If we don't confess Him before men, we don't have any offering before the Father. (Rom.10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Salvation comes from our confession. And so, once again, I saw a seducing Jezebel spirit in a wife give a husband no peace until he knuckled under for the sake of advantage, and from then on, they both served this false god. This happens a lot, and that's how we end up with so many Ahab spirits out there. The Scripture is clear in (Luk.14:26) If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (“Life” here is the Greek word psuche and it means “the soul, life, self.”). What is Jesus talking about hating here? It's the carnal soulish life that we should hate in ourselves and our relatives. Some people give in to that soulish life and the opinions of relatives, but we should never do that, because it's denying the Lord. It's following a false god for the sake of advantage. People do this for the sake of peace in their family. A husband or wife sways a person because of their idols or fear of someone else's opinions. For the sake of their ego or whatever, they give in and deny the Lord, and then demons come in and oppress or torment. They are the ones who administer the curse. The curse is wherever grace is not. When God takes away grace, that's the curse. (Luk.14:26) If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not … his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. If you don't love God above everyone else, you can't be His disciple. And if you don't hate that carnal life in your relatives and turn against it for the sake of the Lord, you cannot be God's disciple. (Luk.18:29) And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, (30) who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life. There are some men who do end up leaving their wives for the Kingdom's sake, but no one can do this of themselves, and wives and children must be cared for. (1Ti.5:8) But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. In some cases, wives refuse to follow husbands into the harvest work. If God ordains a man to a five-fold office (Ephesians 4:11) they must go, but they are responsible to care for their families through faith or by actions. No one can take an office unto themselves or ordain themselves. Some men stay home and don't work, putting their wives to work instead. If a man doesn't work at a secular job, he must be ordained to a ministry office, but either way, he must work to eat. (2Th.3:10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat. (11) For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies. (12) Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. You will notice in the last two Scripture texts that the man is responsible to work or provide, if able. If the above responsibilities are met, a wife should not be able to hold a man back from work. Remember that Lot's wife looked back to sin and destruction (Genesis 19:26), but Lot kept going to the refuge (Genesis 19:19:22- 23). Men, do not appease a Jezebel spirit; it's going to seduce you and lead you astray. We have our command from God. (Eph.5:22) Wives, [be in subjection] unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (The Lord, not I, said this, but those who have a Jezebel spirit will still get angry, although this is the truth. We have to obey God's Word, otherwise we can't call ourselves “disciples”.) (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, (Just as much as Jesus is Head of the Church, the husband is the head of the wife.), [being] himself the saviour of the body. (If a wife does not obey her husband, she is not going to get saved.) (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (To make this possible for the wife, we are then told,) (25) Husbands, love your wives (Feeling unloved isn't an excuse for a wife to disobey her husband, but love makes it easier for the wife to obey her husband.), even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it. Loving your wife does not include giving in to a Jezebel spirit. Giving in means you are putting yourself under a demon spirit, and taking yourself and your family out from under God. If you do that, you will pay the price for it. On the other hand, do not judge the lost wife. God insists on Christ the Word being your Head. Don't judge her, but don't allow her to be your Head. If Jesus is not your Head, then you are following a false god. It's very plain. (Mat.12:30) He that is not with me is against me… If, because of your stand for Christ, your wife leaves you, then suffer for Christ's sake. We all have to suffer in one way or another, but do not follow a false god. The Bible says, (1Co.7:15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases:] but God hath called us in peace. If your mate leaves because you follow Jesus, then so be it. You are not bound in such a case; God never really wants you to be married to an unbeliever anyway. He says to stay married to them only if they are content to dwell with you, because they can be saved through your witness. Amen! The wife who has an unbelieving husband should obey him up to, but not including, moral sin. (1Pe.3:1) In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives. [Read our book on our site, The Word, Women and Authority https://www.ubm1.org/books/pdf/wwaa.pdf] If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you have to follow the Word. If you want to be a “Christian” and not be a disciple of Jesus, you are not going to be saved. It's that simple. The word “Christian” is a very loose term in our day, meaning almost nothing. In the early days, people were called “Christians” because they followed Christ Jesus and they did His works. Today, the word “Christian” should mean more, but sad to say, it doesn't mean much to people. Jesus told us, (Mat.10:34) Think not that I came to send peace on the earth (You might think, “Peace between me and my wife is the most important. I have to do whatever I have to do.” No, you don't. Jesus did not come to send peace on the earth.): I came not to send peace, but a sword. (And that “sword” is to divide those who are loyal to God's Word from those who are not.) (35) For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law (Of course, there are many more relationships. He's just making a point.): (36) and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. When you come to God and they have not, you have no communion there. The Bible says, (2Co.6:14) Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? If you follow the Lord, they can be converted by your witness. If you don't follow the Lord, you have no favor from God, and in that event, don't expect your family to be saved. To get your family saved, the most important thing for you to do is follow the Lord as a disciple of Jesus Christ and have favor from God. He will save your family if you believe Him for it. (Mat.10:37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. You can love people more than you love the Word. The Lord and Word are the same. If you love someone or something more than the Word, you are going to be deceived. It's possible to pity demon-possessed people and then, through demons manipulating that pity, to get deceived and fall right into their situation. Don't believe that all those who call themselves “Christian” are going to be saved, because (Mat.10:38) And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. (We are to die on our “cross” in order to gain our higher life, the life of the born-again man.) (39) He that findeth his life (This is the old psuche life.) shall lose it; (39) and he that loseth his life (Again, this is the old psuche life, the carnal self.) for my sake shall find it. (40) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Those who favor God in His representatives will have His favor. Those who don't receive His representatives, God will not receive. Those who do not receive His representatives due to selfish purposes will be rejected as unworthy. (Mat.10:41) He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet (“Name” means “nature, character and authority.” In other words, a prophet or other office should be respected in the Name that they fill.) shall receive a prophet's reward: and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. If you don't do these things, you will not receive that reward. “Filthy lucre” preachers have selfish ambition. (1Pe.5:2) Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to [the will of] God; nor yet for filthy lucre…When tested of the Lord, they fail. I have seen ministers tested by demons who told them how good the ministers were and how bad I was, until finally the ministers promoted themselves and sought to overthrow me with slander. They were taken captive. Now we can finish interpreting the dream. I and the two young men (angels) began running to the right side of the parking lot (This represents the sheep being on the right, as opposed to the wrong side, or the left, which is where the goats go.) where there was a wooden fence. I was then helped over it to escape the demons. (The Lord will make a way of escape for those who are on the right, but not for those who are on the left. The Bible says they will be held under punishment until the Day of the Lord (2 Peter 2:9). Those faithful who overcome with the help of God's ministering spirits will escape the demons. They will not be separated from the body, as will be the unfaithful.) On the other side of the fence was a three-story apartment building, all one structure. (This represents those who go over the fence are being joined with the other true overcomers in God, becoming the temple of God. (Eph.2:21) In whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; (22) in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. God does not want to share His building with demons. A person needs deliverance if they have demons because the demons are keeping them from serving God. Demons are idols and they take advantage of people to prey upon their flesh as a judgment on the wicked. If a person wants deliverance from these tormentors, they must forgive everybody from their heart; otherwise, Jesus said the Father would put those tormentors on them. On the top floor a single light shone. I went to that room. The top floor represents the spirit of the body. The one light is Jesus, our Light in darkness. I entered in to see a man sitting down, smiling at me. I knew I was safe there. Amen! This is a very interesting revelation that opens up a lot of good points from the Lord. Now, I have another dream by Sister A. to share with you.    Satan Is Under Jesus' Feet - Sister A. I was standing before a door in the attic of a house with a group of white women. They were unknown to me. I had a golden key. We all knew that a demon would be behind that door. I unlocked that door with my key and entered that attic with these women following behind me. As I stood inside, a huge, beast-like creature with a face like a bear and long hands like a monkey, full of hair, stood suspended in the air before me. (The house can be our individual house or the corporate house.) I started singing “Satan is Under Jesus' Feet.” I was the only one singing this song, though there were a few women with me. They were like unwilling witnesses to the hideous demon. Also, I did not rebuke or bind the demon at all. (Nobody particularly likes to look at demons. They are ugly.) As I was singing this song, the demon started getting smaller and smaller until it vanished. I continued to sing and left that room with the others. I locked that door behind me. You don't have to speak to a demon. Your attitude and actions will do that for you. If you do not accept that they have authority over you, then you have authority over them. If you preach to them that they are under Jesus' feet, they don't like to hear it. They do not like to hear about the Blood of Jesus. They don't like to hear about this great sacrifice that Jesus made to deliver us out of the power of darkness. So, as she was singing this song, the demon got smaller and smaller until it was gone. Sister “A” asked, “Does the attic have significance? Does it speak about the mind? Why was the demon locked up, and why did I lock the door after me?” The answers to all those questions are found in the interpretation of the dream. This is the “golden key” to the Kingdom that will loose people from bondage, which is in the mind. The golden key is the revelation that in the “attic” of the mind, all evil hidden there has been put under Jesus' feet. This means it is under the Body of Christ. The Bible says God made Christ to sit (Eph.1:21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Yes, Jesus has that absolute dominion over them, so how do people get demons if Jesus doesn't agree? Well, He does turn people over to demons for chastening, like the Apostle Paul did in (1 Corinthians 5:1-5), and He knows when people are putting themselves under the curse because they don't walk in repentance and faith toward God. (Eph.1:22) And he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. He put all things under His feet. He is the Head over His corporate body upon the earth, but notice that He put all of these demon powers under the feet, under the very lowest members of His corporate body upon the earth. He's saying that He's put all these powers and dominions and rulers under the very lowest members of the Church. If we look at the image of the beast in Daniel with its ten “toes” being the end-time revelation in (Daniel 2:31-45), and we stand up the Body of Christ next to that over history, the “toes” there are also at the end of history. It's in these days that Christians are going to bring Satan's kingdom under their feet and plunder it. Note that this promise was spoken first to Adam and his seed, and then to Christ and His seed. (Heb.2:6) But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? (7) Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands: (8) Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet… There it is, but people like to say this is just about Jesus. No, it was spoken first to Adam and his seed, and then to the Last Adam, Christ and His seed. We have a confirmation here that it's talking about the seed of Christ having all things in subjection, just as in Ephesians 1:21-23. (8) Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. When those words were spoken by Paul, he did not yet see all the manifestation of that dominion, but in the end-time we are going to see it. The battleground between us and Satan is the mind. The battleground is in that “attic.” (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (4) (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds). We are talking about “strongholds” where Satan, through his demons, has gained dominion in a person's mind. Demon spirits, through those strongholds, are even passed on from parents from generation to generation through the blood (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; Numbers 14:18). God has given us authority to cast this down, but the devil works hard to convince you that you do not have this authority. If you want to have dominion over those strongholds that have been built up in your mind over the years of your lost life, you must take your authority in Christ. (2Co.10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. How do you win this battle? Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The rules Jesus laid down regarding judging and forgiving must be followed, especially in personal relationships. If you ignore these regulations, you will lose this battle. Even while you are puffed up by demons who want you to exercise your authority among men, you will have lost the battle. That will be proven after the Lord has used you as a vessel of dishonor. The “white women” in the dream represent those corporate bodies who are justified by grace to “walk in white,” but they need this revelation to be free, and of course, Sister “A” was demonstrating this revelation to them. There are people out there who do walk in white to the very best of their ability. They walk with the Lord. They walk under His cleansing power. We need to know that we have authority over Satan's minions and that we have authority over their strongholds in our minds. When we repent and stop agreeing with him, his influence in our mind shrinks until it's gone, just like the demon vanishing in the dream. Believe the Lord when He says, (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Believe the Lord when He says, (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (What does “all” mean? What does it leave out? “All” leaves out nothing.) (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Can you imagine what will happen when saints believe that Jesus in them has total authority? Can you imagine what will happen when the Word in them takes total authority over the kingdom of darkness? (Col.1:13) Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. That's awesome! We need to exercise our authority, saints! Our battle does not depend on whether the enemy can read our minds; it depends on what he can do about what we know. Satan admitted he didn't have the power to get at Job because of God's “hedge.” (Job.1:9) Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? (10) Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. The same is true of us. It's not important for our thoughts to be hidden from the enemy when he can do nothing about them, and he can do nothing about our thoughts unless by our thoughts, we give him permission. This is because we have authority over him. Remember Jesus said, (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. It doesn't matter what the demons know. It matters what we know as sons of God. We are their lords, just as it was with Jesus. (Joh.20:21) Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (The Greek word deo here means “forbid” or “prohibit.”) on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (The Greek word luo here means “release” or “permit.”) on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Faith permits the sovereignty of God to be manifest through the Body of Christ. Faith forbids Satan, no matter what he knows of our thoughts. Jesus' condition for receiving His benefits is plain. (Mat.8:13) … As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee… (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you. And (Luk.17:19) … Thy faith hath made thee whole. He said such things as these, giving us authority. Praise be to God! As we believe, God's benefits will be given. Unbelieving thoughts and actions forbid God's benefits to us because He has made a condition, and He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Hebrews 6:18). Unbelief permits Satan to continue administering the curse. We come out from under the curse through faith. We are counted righteous through our faith. We have to use our faith, but we can't exercise complete authority over other people. They have to use their faith, too. (Mar.6:5) And he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Even Jesus was forbidden to do mighty works for those who would not believe. It's a condition, but whether we know it or not, we are constantly forbidding or permitting by our thoughts, words, and actions. All authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus. He, in turn, delegated it to His disciples; so where does Satan get his authority? He gets it from our unbelief, words, and disobedience. Adding to or taking from God's Word, whether in thought or deed, permits the curse to be administered by Satan and forbids God's blessings for us or through us. This is by God's design to motivate us to come into agreement with Him. (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book (How do we add to or take away from them? We do it with our thoughts. We do it with our words and actions. We deny the Lord when we deny His Word.): (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. To win this battle, we have to cast down the thoughts of Satan. They are sent to deceive us so that we might give him permission to destroy us. Now, another thing. Many people think the reason God gives the gift of tongues is so that Satan cannot understand what we say to God, so that his purposes will be thwarted. This is false. Satan and his fallen angels have tempted mankind since shortly after the beginning, so they know some tricks. And they are angels, whether people believe it or not (Revelation 12:9). They certainly know the “tongues of men and angels”; otherwise they couldn't communicate with one another, or put thoughts in our heads. We read in (1Co.13:1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. When prophecy is uttered in one's own language, one's mind, doctrine, and desires are permitted to be involved in what is said. The Word is polluted. (1Co.13:9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part… To put it another way, the prophecy can be part God and part man. That's why the prophecy, not the person, needs to be judged in (1 Corinthians 14:29). The true reason we speak in tongues is so that we will not know what we are saying, and therefore we will have no carnal reason to change the word. If our mind gets involved, then we can be tempted because of selfish ambition or our own doctrines to change it. So when you speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit is praying through you to God in a language that can be purely the Holy Spirit's request to God. (Rom.8:26) And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groanings which cannot be uttered (That is, which cannot be uttered by man.); (27) and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will] of God. It's important to pray in this way because … For the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. (1Ch.28:9) In the spirit realm, thoughts are audible to the mind of God, angels, and to demons. God and demons can, in turn, impart the gift to read minds. A man once asked me if I knew what he was thinking. At that moment the Holy Spirit gave it to me, and the man was just awed at the power of God. When I first went to a full-gospel church, I witnessed Christians exorcising a demon-possessed man who thought he was a woman, and that man also showed his ability to read minds. Why those unbelieving Christians asked for a demonstration is beyond me, because magicians, wizards, and mediums with familiar spirits or spirits of divination have demonstrated the power to read minds in front of audiences of people. I don't know why people think that demons can't read minds, especially since we wrestle with principalities and powers in the mind. We are commanded to (Eph.6:11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With the renewed mind of the Word (Romans 12:2), our thoughts can be guarded as with a helmet. We are then able to take back our thoughts and cast the enemy's thoughts down. (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (4) (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds) (The principalities and the powers possess strongholds in the thoughts of the mind.), (5) casting down imaginations (our thoughts), and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, (Cast down anything that opposes God. You will have victory over Satan in this way. Any other way you go is opening yourself up to him.), and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Be sure you do this when the demons in people are trying to deceive you. They are fighting to win the battle against you, so bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of the Word of God. Study the Word. We have studied and talked about the verses that most often trip people up, because they disobey them. When they do that, they get captured by Satan. We win the battle by rejecting the enemies' thoughts and replacing them with God's thoughts. We win the battle by holding on to God's thoughts. We are at peace with God when we are full of His thoughts, since then our minds are guarded from demonic attacks that cause outward actions of sin. The Bible says, (Php.4:6) In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. We should be aware that Satan can insert thoughts within our thoughts. (Act.5:3) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Also, we see another example here. (1Ch.21:1) And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. We can use a little Holy Spirit reasoning by asking, “How can Satan insert thoughts unless he knows the content of thoughts?” If you went into your computer to edit a text, how could you insert changes unless you could read the text? If you just inserted a word change at random without knowing the text, you would make a nonsensical document, and anyone would know that someone inserted something. It's the same with us. If Satan or demons inserted something nonsensical, it would be obvious that demons were at work, but they know they do their best work undercover. How would Satan be able to tempt us if he were so dysfunctional? We would know immediately that he was up to something. Now, let me share the following testimony of faith by A. T.   Poor Blood Circulation Healed given to A. T. I went to help my mom volunteer over at this place where she gets her food. I didn't have time to grab a coat, but I knew the Lord would keep me warm within the warehouse. It turned out I was working in the freezer the entire time. Within that freezer, the Lord did keep my body warm through my faith. My hands were the only thing that were suffering from the cold. I have always had problems with poor blood circulation in my hands. I felt intense pain in my hands. My fingers were freezing up, making my task harder to perform. As pain was an attribute of the curse, I kept in prayer and continued to thank Him for healing my hands on the Cross. (Php.4:6) In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. A couple of times I had to leave the cold because my hands hurt too much. But every time I would leave, I felt as if my faith was wavering and I wasn't holding fast to my confession. The spirit of doubt was trying to come in to hinder my faith. Then I began to deal with condemnation. It was demonic activity holding me back. I was acting in double-mindedness, and such did not please the Father. (Jas.1:6) But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; (8) a doubleminded man unstable, in all his ways. The Lord wanted my actions to be according to my confession, for (Jas.2:17) faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. The Lord could not manifest my healing without His works being involved. He told me to bind and loose and to cast down any vain imaginations of the flesh. This is as Paul speaks about in (2Co.10:5) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, for Christ bestowed upon us authority over all the power of the enemy. The third time I got back into the freezer, I was convinced not to leave the freezer for the purpose of warming my hands. When I thanked the Lord, I felt confession pouring from my heart, rather than just my lips. I completely ignored the pain and began to rest on what the Lord had accomplished on the cross. Behold, the Lord faithfully answered! The pain was leaving my hands all at once, and a great comfort was coming over my affliction (The pain had not left due to numbness. I could feel everything I was touching.) I felt supernatural warmth cover over my hands. I regained mobility in my fingertips, as well as overall strength. Praise the Lord and His Sovereignty! Praise the Son of the Most High and His Love! Even after the healing manifested itself, my flesh was trying to scare me out of the healing by attempting to suggest that it was only a temporary healing. Eventually, Satan gave up trying to steal my gift, for I continued to cast down more doubt that was exalting itself against the Lord. (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I kept working. The Lord put me into an environment with an exaggerated degree of cold—where the cold was so strong against my flesh that I was in utter weakness—in order that Jesus could show His might. In such a cold environment, heat could not have been in the air. Only the Lord could have heated my hands. He engineered this circumstance so that it was impossible for my flesh to reason and prevail against my spirit. There have been more trials with my blood circulation, but the Lord has healed my hands. (1Pe.2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed. (And He continues to conquer this old flesh.) He is our only resistance to Satan and the mind of the flesh. He is our only salvation. Without His grace and love, we are nothing. Now, I'm going to talk to you about the faction war and how we win this battle. Let me begin by sharing this dream.   Getting Ready for the Storm by S.G. A few of us were outside a big house that was more than one-story high. We were trying to get a platform or something apart before the storm was to come. We needed to unscrew some bolts or something like that. We started to see wolves and dogs trying to come against us. It was dark outside. There was thunder, lightning, and blowing wind. We went inside the house. Many others from local UBM were in different rooms praying. Some were kneeling down, while some were standing and commanding the wolves and the dogs to go! It was all happening so fast. It was as if we were in the midst of a storm on a ship out to sea. Things were coming from all directions. We were just commanding those things to cease and go. At one point it settled down a little. But then I was going outside and touching a gate that was opened. It seemed like it shocked me. Then I couldn't speak, as if the enemy were trying to silence me. I was able to say, “No! In the Name of Jesus!” I said this as loudly as I could, and started to fight in the spirit. It started to get windy and rough again. I saw David and Michael and other brothers and sisters praying and taking care of the little ones. It was so chaotic and noisy! But everyone was doing their part in the warfare. A few of us would go up and down stairs, helping each other to fight. We were strong and didn't give up. No one was frightened. But we were more determined when we saw the enemy come against us. As far as I could tell, there were no casualties. And before I woke up, I heard myself say two or three times, “I have to wake up and write this down.” And then I woke up. S.G.'s Notes: I sensed we had the victory, even though I had left the whole scene (without seeing the end) when I woke up. I felt good about the dream, sensing that we were all working together. Even though the enemy was trying to bring chaos, the fight was done with order. We all knew what we were to do, and we did it. I asked the Lord for a Word to correspond to this dream. My finger went down on “our captain.” (2Ch.13:12 KJV) And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. Then, the Lord gave me the word “tumult” from H1993 “Strong's Concordance,” which means “to make a loud sound, to be in great commotion, roar, be in an uproar, to rage, war, clamor.” I looked up a few verses with the word tumult in them. One of the scriptures, Psalm 83:2, I received this twice in twenty-four hours. (Psa.83:2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: And they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Amen! When the enemy plans an attack, God warns us in advance. We received the next several Words at random from the Lord, by faith, in one day. To begin with, I received words from the Lord in Job about a coming faction attack. (Job.16:9) He hath torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me; He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth: Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me. (10) They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully: They gather themselves together against me. (11) God delivereth me to the ungodly, And casteth me into the hands of the wicked. The “me” in this case represents the David Man-childs who have been going through a persecution. However, the Lord may have said, “Enough!” The faction that was planned was confirmed to me by another verse I received. (Isa.1:2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (3) The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (4) Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged [and gone] backward. (5) Why will ye be still stricken, that ye revolt more and more? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. (6) From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil. (8) And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. The last verse describes faction situations very accurately. That same day, I was directed to a Judas passage. (Joh.13:27) And after the sop, then entered Satan into him (Judas, the betrayer). Jesus therefore saith unto him, What thou doest, do quickly. At that same time, praying brethren received warnings, too. E.B. received this Judas verse: (Mat.26:50) And Jesus said unto him, Friend, [do] that for which thou art come. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. D.L. got (Lam.1:9) Her filthiness was in her skirts (This represents “harlot” religion, those who have turned away from their “husband” Christ, having received the seed of the world.); she remembered not her latter end (It's a demonic problem when people don't count the cost of low living. They don't understand that all of this is going to catch up to them.); Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: Behold, O Lord, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself. Isn't it interesting how all of these verses line up? We have received wonderful training for several years now on spiritual warfare and gained a lot of understanding and wisdom from the Lord. What the Man-child corporate body is going through right now is what the Woman corporate body will go through in the “wilderness.” Everybody has to go to their “cross,” and so all this training is necessary, or else the Lord would not be speaking to us in this way. What is the enemy's sin? (Jer.34:8) The word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; (9) that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, [to wit,] of a Jew his brother. (10) And all the princes and all the people obeyed, that had entered into the covenant, that every one should let his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, that none should make bondmen of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go: (11) but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids. What will happen to the enemy? Well, I received the answer to those questions. (Jer.34:17) Therefore thus saith the Lord: ye have not hearkened unto me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim unto you a liberty, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth. The wicked were to forgive debts owed to them and to let their servants go free from their servitude. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus taught that these “debts” were the debts of forgiveness for their sin that the wicked owed to others who had sinned against them (Matthew 18:23-34). Failure to do this would bring the judgment of the Shemittah. Everybody thinks the Shemittah is all over, but no, Jesus said that the Father would turn those guilty of unforgiveness over to tormenting demons. This has already happened. [Note: Shemittah is the Hebrew word “to release.” (Deu.15:1) At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. (2) And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he hath lent unto his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because the Lord's release hath been proclaimed. In other words, “the Shemittah waives all outstanding debts” (see chabad.org).] Saints, a tremendous Passover, along with much death and destruction, is coming, and we need to get ready for it, but the Passover is only good if you have a sacrifice. If you walk in willful disobedience, we are told in (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. There is no sacrifice for you if you walk in willful disobedience and, therefore, the Blood is not on the doorpost. There needs to be repentance, or many are going to be taken away. And then E.B. got, (SoS.1:5) I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. (6) Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons (“Mother” represents the church.) were incensed against me… This is all part of crucifixion. God has vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor to do His work (2 Timothy 2:20-21). We need somebody to bring us to our cross, and God will use whom He can use. If anybody is fitted to be used as a vessel of dishonor, God will use them for that purpose. So when I opened my Bible to nowhere in particular because I was getting ready to study, as I looked at the page, I was asking, “Lord, can this usurpation attempt be cast down?” It wasn't as if we hadn't gone through enough of it, but we know that's up to God, and my eyes fell on, (Mar.11:23) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. That's certainly kind of a “blank check” but then, of course, His Word says, (Mat.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. He certainly answered my question there without any doubt. Then, in the same meeting, M.L. got the same Word from Matthew 17:18. What are the chances of that in this great big Bible! (Mat.17:18) And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? (20) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Another sister received this word about Joseph's persecution and later promotion. (Psa.105:19) Until the time that his word came to pass (Joseph was persecuted because of the things that he prophesied about his brethren, but there came a time, which they thought would never come, when his word came to pass.), The word of the Lord tried him. (20) The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free. (21) He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his substance; (22) To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom. His factious brothers came to find out that Joseph had been promoted over them, just as he had said in (Genesis 40:38-45). Their faction against him, in delivering him into bondage, was found out and those brethren were humbled (Genesis 45:1-15). M.L.'s word spoke about the enemy who was evil to Joseph. (Amo.6:6) … But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. (7) Therefore shall they now go captive with the first that go captive; and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away. All their rejoicing in their evil comes to nothing because the factious enemy today is also going into captivity as a chastening. They were not grieved for the affliction of the Joseph Man-child of our day, who was going through a crucifixion. E.B. asked for a confirmation and got another faction verse. (Psa.60:4) Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah (5) That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us. (6) God hath spoken in his holiness: I will exult; I will divide Shechem (Shechem were those who factioned against the house of Gideon. In that time, Abimelech was the beast, and Shechem was the harlot. God said, “I'm going to divide Shechem,” the harlot that had come against His people.), and mete out the valley of Succoth. There is faction planned by Satan, and we are warned so that we may cast it down and divide the enemy. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The Lord wants to teach us that this is true. In the coming tribulation, we will need to know this is true because the enemy is everywhere. The corporate body of the beast is very large, and the people of God are comparatively small. Because of the demons that are in them, this great big beast is set on making war against the saints. We have authority, but not in wrestling with flesh and blood. (Eph.6:12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Wrestling with flesh and blood will just get you killed. Jesus said, (Rev.13:10) If any man [is] for captivity, into captivity he goeth; if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and faith of the saints. Anybody who doesn't know anything about spiritual warfare and hasn't put the Word of God in their heart is going into captivity. Those people who don't take the authority and the dominion that Jesus gave them over the evil, including the evil in themselves, are going into captivity. When Jehoshaphat in Zion was faced by three enemy armies in (2 Chronicles 20:1), he sent out the praisers first in (2 Chronicles 20:20-21). Those armies were divided and killed one another off in (2 Chronicles 20:22-24). Then Zion celebrated and spent three days gathering up the loot in (2 Chronicles 20:25). Our battle with the spirits of faction is not something that's over in a moment, but His Word encourages us with awesome verses. His Word helps us to believe we have received and to cast down faction. Through His Word, we have authority to cast down faction and every evil work. You come into more and more rest in the battle after you have gone through it for a while. It's like anything else that you face that comes against your faith; the more experience you gain with spiritual warfare, the more solid your faith becomes and the more you enter into the rest. Praise be to God!

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1-11 True Love leaves no room for exceptions. To be a people who love without exception. Who give without condition. Who lay down their lives, because we know that in Christ, anything less than everything is nothing, and better than the best love song, whatever is sacrificed in love is gain.

He was numbered among the Seventy. Then, when Judas who betrayed Christ had taken his own life, the disciples (120 men and women) convened to choose one who would take his place among the Twelve. They nominated two, Joseph (called Barsabas or Justus) and Matthias, then cast lots. The lot fell to Matthais, who henceforth was numbered among the Twelve (See Acts ch. 1). Accounts of his Apostolate after this vary. According to some, he preached the Gospel in Ethiopia and met his martyrdom there. According to others, after visiting Ethiopia he returned to Judea, where he was tried and condemned by Ananias the High Priest, and stoned to death, then beheaded.

Today on Sound Doctrine we begin a study in Acts five. The account of Ananias and Sapphira is well known, and it behooves s to understand the important lesson we learn by looking at what happened to this couple. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29

Ananias said, “Here I am, Lord.” And everything changed.

As open the letter to the Ephesians, we can jump right into it without much introduction and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we we will be so blessed by the power and beauty of this letter. But we would probably prefer at least some background information to use as on ramp tonight to the book of Ephesians.Paul is and in the early church fathers is recognized as the author of Ephesians. Practically speaking is one of the Epistles, a letter to the church similar to Galatians, Philippians and Colossians. It most similar to Colossians and some modern scholars have used those similarities to question whether or not Paul is actually the author of Ephesians. For full disclosure, the debate of Paul's authorship rises over a few issues that some scholars have made a big deal over.Some of the early copies of Ephesians that we have do not have the name “Ephesians” in the title.It was likely an encyclical letter - sent to all the churches.We know Paul used an amanuensis and copies of the letter were made at the time of writing the original.Many of the copies we have do include the title Ephesians. The letter seems to read more generically to the church and does not focus on some specific controversy or rebuke such as in Galatians or the Corinthian letters.It seems like a fake argument to me. Paul wrote letters to the churches based of the needs of those churches. His emphasis on the unity between Jews and Gentiles through the cross of Christ would have been specific to Ephesus but was probably a very common theme in many of the Greek and Roman communities where Paul preached the Gospel.Colossians has similarities to Ephesians in a way that some insist the author of Ephesians leaned on Colossians to write Ephesians.While I know that smarter men than me have studied these ideas in greater detail, I agree with the commentaries that take on these questions and recognize that there is no evidence, even with the shared similarities, that indicates which epistle was written first or why similar language between the letters would cause us to question Pauline authorship. Some of the language the author uses, vocabulary and phrases, is unique to the letter to the Ephesians.Once again, the uniqueness of some of the phrases or theological points made in Ephesians does not require a different author. We would recognize that Paul explains the gospel from different angles and does so based on his audience which would require using different words, phrases, or even different concepts that work to explain God's mystery of the Cross to us.Apostleship: An Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. Paul has the title of Apostle. An apostle by definition is “a sent one”. And this would make Paul An Apostle of Jesus Christ because Paul encounters Christ on the road to Damascus and Jesus saves him and through Ananias, gives the call on Paul's life “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” Acts 9:15.There were three qualifications to be considered an apostle in the early church. A disciple of Jesus.An eye witness to the resurrection.Called and commissioned directly by Christ.We will discuss Paul's calling and ministry more when we get to chapter 3.Audience: The Church in Ephesus In modern day Turkey, ancient Ephesus was ruled first by the Greeks and then by the Romans. Paul would have been in Ephesus under Roman rule. It was a relatively large city with all of the Greek and Roman traits; wealth, multicultural community, amphitheater, temples, idolatry, immorality, etc.The Big Picture Paul's letter has been divided up into 6 chapters and there are a few different ways we can outline his letter and the main ideas that Paul was teaching.From the Bible Project: Two Main sections C. 1-3 and then C. 4-6. Chapter 1-3 are much more theological, describing how we are saved or laying out for us SOTERIOLOGY. And Paul explains our unity in Christ between Jews and Gentiles. Chapters 4-6 Paul teaches us about the church Chapter 4-6 are explaining how our salvation should then change our lives, how God calls us to serve him, treat one another in the home and our community, and the spiritual resources we have in Jesus to stand firm on our faith.One way to see how this unfolds in the book is by seeing how some of the terms Paul uses changes through the latter.The opening of Paul's song emphasizes the worship of God and reminds of the position of God the Father and Jesus the Son as well as the Lordship of Jesus and his office of Messiah. Paul is praising God in this Jewish way similar to the Schema - “Hear O Israel The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Through this prayer he has reminded us of the trinity with the role of the Holy Spirit coming just a few verses later.Spiritual Blessing in the Heavenly Places - What are the spiritual blessings we are given for which Paul is giving thanks? We were chosen in Jesus before the world was created. PLEASE DON'T PANIC OVER THE WORD CHOSEN. 2. We were chosen by his grace and not based on our own good works. It is obvious in the text that God chose us knowing that we need a Savior and subsequently with the plan to send the Savior all along. He did not pick us because of something we would do or because of our class or our potential. In fact it reads to me that He chose us because we are sinners and we would need a savior.3. We are adopted to part of God's family through Jesus. IN LOVE - The placement of this phrase could point back to “chosen” or it could point forward to predestined - either way these action are done as a result of God's love.4. We are blessed by this Salvation according to God's will, by his glorious grace, and through the Beloved - Jesus Christ.Let's pause here for just a minute - two tracks in scripture. Chosen and whosoever will. Ephesians 1:3 and John 3:16. There is no contradiction.We are called to witness, be missionaries - which is what Paul was doing - and while I am doing that work I know it is only Jesus that saves.Our salvation only comes through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus went to the cross and shed his blood for us. Let's remember our Hebrews study - Jesus is the final sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God who tales away the sins of the world. But all the animals and the blood that was spilled for atonement were a shadow - an imperfect offering looking to the things ahead - until Jesus could offer the perfect, fulfilling sacrifice.It's out of the riches of his Grace! The imagery here is of wealth and opulence. But God does not here offer something that will rust be lavishes on us his Grace.  The idea of the mystery of God's plan or his will has finally been revealed through Jesus Christ. Where we can understand in part through reading the prophecies of the Old Testament, we are now on the other side of the cross and see more fully - certainly not all - but the mystery of God's plan.We have an inheritance that comes to us through Jesus Christ. In Him! Spiritual Blessing. We are heaven bound. Do you remember when you were saved? Not a date or moment. Do you remember when you heard the truth? Do you remember when you believed? It is then that you were sealed.

In this powerful and sobering episode, Jaime Luce takes us deep into the Word, examining the story of Jephthah in Judges 11 and the seriousness of making vows to God. From Old Testament covenant culture to personal testimony, Jaime emphasizes the weight of our words, the spiritual consequences of broken promises, and the blessing of obedience. This isn't milk... it's meat. It's a spiritual workout designed to grow your faith, sharpen your awareness, and deepen your reverence for the God who hears every word you speak. Key Scriptures: Judges 11:1–40 (The story of Jephthah and his vow)Ecclesiastes 5:4–8Deuteronomy 23:23Matthew 5:33–37Numbers 30:2Acts 5:1–10 (Ananias and Sapphira)Proverbs 18:21 Main Takeaways: Your words have power. Life and death are in the power of the tongue.God takes vows seriously. A careless promise can bring unintended consequences—even when made in desperation.Even believers in moral decline understood the seriousness of vows. The closing chapters of Judges reveal that even wayward Israelites wouldn't break an oath.Personal testimony affirms biblical truth. Jaime shares a powerful story of how her husband made a vow to God—and what happened when they delayed fulfilling it. Words shape your future. Whether spoken to God or over your own life, words matter. Jaime shares the inspirational story of marathoner Jesse Itzler and Navy SEAL Chad Wright to illustrate how declaration fuels endurance.

Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he answered, “Here I am, Lord.” - Acts 9:10 AMPA visual learner? Watch the Sunday Stream back now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus. Acts 9:1-2 CSB I admit that I didn't always hold to this position, for a while I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers, I had no idea they were God's people!, into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem. Acts 26:9-11 MSGBeing passionately determined doesn't make you wrong, but doesn't make you right either! As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. Acts 9:3-5 CSBReal repentance leads to incredible redemption and starts with the recognition that Jesus is Lord. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next. His companions stood there dumbstruck, they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone, while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing. Acts 9:6-9 MSGYou may manage to minimize or even dismiss the evidentiary truth of God's word, but you will find difficult to quantify and impossible to dismiss the impact of a Divine encounter. “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. Acts 26:19 MSG Obedient surrender is the second step on our repentant journey to restoration and one that can't be overlooked! There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Street. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.” Acts 9:10-12 MSGYou do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 NLTYou can't earn, but you must turn, if you want to follow your way back to God's great plan for your life!So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”Acts 9:17-20 NLTGod has the miraculous ability to restore our sight and redeem and redirect our destiny and determination. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name. After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. Acts 9:27-30 MSGFor I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 CSBThe redemptive impact God's love has on a truly repentant heart is the greatest of all life's miraculous wonders! -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus. Acts 9:1-2 CSB I admit that I didn't always hold to this position, for a while I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers, I had no idea they were God's people!, into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem. Acts 26:9-11 MSGBeing passionately determined doesn't make you wrong, but doesn't make you right either! As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. Acts 9:3-5 CSBReal repentance leads to incredible redemption and starts with the recognition that Jesus is Lord. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next. His companions stood there dumbstruck, they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone, while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing. Acts 9:6-9 MSGYou may manage to minimize or even dismiss the evidentiary truth of God's word, but you will find difficult to quantify and impossible to dismiss the impact of a Divine encounter. “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. Acts 26:19 MSG Obedient surrender is the second step on our repentant journey to restoration and one that can't be overlooked! There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “Get up and go over to Straight Street. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.” Acts 9:10-12 MSGYou do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 NLTYou can't earn, but you must turn, if you want to follow your way back to God's great plan for your life!So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”Acts 9:17-20 NLTGod has the miraculous ability to restore our sight and redeem and redirect our destiny and determination. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name. After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. Acts 9:27-30 MSGFor I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 CSBThe redemptive impact God's love has on a truly repentant heart is the greatest of all life's miraculous wonders! -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

Pastor Cana's summer sermon series continues with Acts 9:10-19, which sees Ananias be called by God to go to Saul, zealot enemy of Christians, and heal his vision. Saul then is baptized. Loving our neighbors like God looks like caring for our enemies.

"Standing Firm Under Pressure"Acts 26:4-8Live from Cloverhill ChurchPastor Nate ClarkeJuly 27, 2025Have you heard the NEWS about the future of Oasis Church?https://www.oasischurch.online/futureKIDS SPACE with EXPANDED MOTHER'S ROOM!Along with over 2000 sq ft of dedicated play and classroom spaces for babies, kids, and youth, we just expanded our Mother's Room — a quiet, private space for Mother's to care for their babies and still be able to watch the worship and sermon on Sunday mornings. https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/reel/C8FqHIipr3u/WHY DID WE CHANGE OUR VISION STATEMENT? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0WFhtL7h3IHow should Christians think about voting and politics? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak82aD16r04SERMON NOTES:- Acts 26:4-8 (NLT translation)- Standing Firm Under Pressure - Where Paul faced pressure from in Acts 23-26:    - Ananias the high priest    - Pharisees & Sadducees     - Crowds of people    - Jews    - Laywer Tertullus    - Governor Felix    - Festus    - King Agrippa- Pressure = the external conflict you face because the message of the cross runs contrary to the message of the world.- John 15:20- Matthew 5:10-11- 2 Corinthians 12:10- 2 Timothy 3:12- You should not look to be in conflict, but you must be willing to be in conflict- If you're facing conflict, make sure it's from faithfulness, not your foolishness.- 1 Corinthians 1:18- When facing pressure, stand firm on your story (Acts 26:9-18)- Acts 4:20- When facing pressure, stand firm on God's story (Acts 26:8)- Acts 26:8- “Does not our preaching contain too much of our own opinions and convictions and too little of Jesus Christ?” Dietrich Bonhoeffer- When facing pressure, stand firm on God's words (Acts 26:22)- Acts 26:22- “Scripture is like a lion. Who ever heard of defending a lion? Just turn it loose; it will defend itself.” Charles SpurgeonOasis Church exists to Worship God, Equip the believers, and Reach the lost.We are led by Pastor Nate Clarke and are located in Richmond, VA.Stay Connected:Website: https://oasischurch.online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisChurchRVA/

Frank Lindley | July 30, 2025 Wednesday Bible Study hillschurcharcadia.org

Introduction Pastor Tommy reflects on Jonah's story, particularly the contrast between his initial disobedience and the second chance he received. Pastor Tommy expresses concern over Jonah's attitude in chapter 4, even after experiencing God's grace and witnessing the revival in Nineveh. Pastor Tommy warns against letting the devil take one back to a despondent, backslidden condition. Chastening is meant to grow and help individuals become better servants of God. The Second Chance The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time (Jonah 3:1-3). God's intent was for Jonah to preach to Nineveh, demonstrated by the miracles to ensure Jonah reached the city. While humans have free will, God ultimately controls their destiny. Many figures in the Bible received second chances after messing up, but some, like Ananias and Sapphira, did not. Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost and died the same day. The God of Second Chances If one receives a second chance, it is by God's grace. David's sin with Bathsheba was forgiven after repentance, but consequences remained. The child born of Bathsheba died. The sword never departed from David's house. Grace makes second chances possible, as seen when God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and bring him back to Nineveh. Grace and Reconciliation Jonah likely reconciled with God in the belly of the fish. Jonah realized he would not die in the fish and chose to align with God's will. It is better to willingly follow God's will than to resist and face chastening. The Goal of a Second Chance When God gives a second chance, one should seize it and fulfill God's purpose. There is a goal in second chances. Some individuals hold back from God, attempting to negotiate their obedience. God is interested in His will being done, not in negotiations. Jonah arose and went to Nineveh without delay, demonstrating obedience. He didn't wait to clean himself up after being spit out by the whale. Disqualifying oneself through continued resistance can lead to being taken home early. Jeremiah could not resist God's call, experiencing it as a fire shut up in his bones. Paul's conversion demonstrated the futility of resisting God's will. The Gift of a Second Chance Jonah preached an eight-word message: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4). The people of Nineveh believed God, despite the message lacking hope or promise. The Ninevites proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The king urged everyone to cry mightily unto God, in the hope that He might turn from His fierce anger. God heard them from heaven and saved the whole city. Jonah, however, did not care that they received the gift of salvation. Jonah camped on a hill to watch and see if God would actually save the people. The revival in Nineveh was extraordinary, achieved through a simple message and a reluctant preacher. One should learn from past mistakes and recognize the gift God offers in a second chance. Jonah's Unresolved Ending Jonah's heart reverted to its original state, as seen in chapter 4. Twice in chapter 4, Jonah expresses a desire to die. The book ends with God questioning Jonah's compassion for a gourd versus His compassion for Nineveh (Jonah 4:10-11). Jonah never answered God's question, leaving the story unresolved. Pastor Tommy emphasizes the importance of minding God and recognizing His sovereignty. Conclusion The story of Jonah serves as a warning. Second chances come with grace, a required response of obedience, and the potential for reward. There is a blessing from obeying God, even on the second attempt. Jonah missed the opportunity to witness and rejoice in the salvation of thousands. Pastor Tommy urges listeners to heed the warning in the book of Jonah and ensure their lives do not end with a question mark.

In this stream I host an open panel and joined by Fr. Dcn. Dr. Ananias and others to discuss the rise and popularity of gnosticism and ancient heresies in modern Christianity and culture. Make sure to check it out and let me know what you think. God bless Join the Stream: https://streamyard.com/cj2aa2ubqz

After the Reports  Acts 9:1-31 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.  He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. Belong to the Way. 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.  14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Obedience opens doors.  Identify as an instrument.   Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.  21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”  22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.  25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.  27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.  Make room for redemption. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.  29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. Have reverence for God, and renewal from God.

The early church learned a valuable lesson in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Simply put: do not lie to God. We can learn many more lessons from this true story in Acts 5. Dr. Phil Huebner is here to help us learn. 

Send us a textAs followers of Jesus we are called to show love to all those around us even when it's inconvenient or they aren't our favorite people. This week we are going to a study the story of the disciple, Ananias, and how his availability to God was used to radical change the life of someone who was far from God. When we say “Here I am, God” amazing things can happen!Scripture:Ephesians 6:121 John 4:20Acts 9:1-191 Corinthians 13:4-7

Church Matures G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 28 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days - from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! We saw last time that the church has experienced some crises but overcame them with guidance from the Holy Spirit, prayer and wisdom. They would need that again, in another 2 events we look at tonight! King Jesus Makes An Appearance to Saul! Reading from Acts 9 ‘But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He said, "Who are you, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do."' Paul's conversion is perhaps the most famous throughout the history of the Church. Known as Saul, he had led systematic persecution of Christians, including the death of Stephen we looked at last time.. The only possible cause for his conversion is the beautiful sovereign grace of God. Why did Paul hate the believers so much? Because, To his mind at the time, to him a dead Messiah was no Messiah at all and how could the Saviour of the Jews, the Messiah, die on a cross and be cursed by God. No, no. Paul considered it his duty as a man zealous for the law, to eradicate all those who were followers of this man. Carrying letters from the High Priest in Jerusalem, he set out for Damascus in a bid to stop these Christians. He would arrive in Damascus, a proud and pompous man, bent on ridding the city of its followers of Jesus. But Jesus appears suddenly to Paul and speaks to him! God arrested Paul, shone his light upon him, the mercy of God overflowed upon him and the grace of God through Jesus overwhelmed him! Leading to his conversion, Paul had his sub-conscious doubts about Jesus amidst the stories of Jesus being raised from the dead! The witness of Stephen as Paul watched him die and pray to Jesus asking the Lord to forgive his enemies - for as the church father, Augustine comments "If Stephen had not prayed, the Church would not have had Paul!" The inadequacy of the Old Covenant and Law to save! He knew that his thoughts & attitudes were not clean for example his sin of covetousness. Therefore he had no inner power or peace! But what were the consequences of this conversion? His name was changed from Saul to Paul (Acts 13)! His attitudes, character & relationships with God, fellow believers and the unbelieving world were utterly transformed with the Holy Spirit now living inside him. Instead of arriving in Damascus full of pride & bravery, as a self confident enemy of Jesus, Paul entered Damascus as a prisoner of Jesus, humbled and blinded. But his conversion was initially met with doubt! The first person to minister to him was Ananias who was hesitant to do so but was persuaded by the Lord to do so! Other believers in Damascus also doubted Paul's conversion, but they were won over by the Holy Spirit and Paul's transformation. Paul Sent Jesus appointed Paul to be 3 things: a servant of God; a witness for God to the world, and also an apostle engaged in pioneer work to the Gentiles. Jesus confirmed this to Ananias that Paul was a 'chosen instrument', and Ananias passed this onto Paul (v15). Four things Paul would do: His witness was centred on Jesus Christ.. His witness was powered by the Holy Spirit His witness was courageous in Damascus, the synagogues and in Jerusalem where the Sanhedrin met. He also debated with the Hellenists His witness was costly. His life was often threatened and throughout his life he was persecuted against. Paul's experience of rejection in Damascus repeated itself in Jerusalem. When he tried to join the Apostles and Christian believers, they were afraid and doubted he really was a believer. But this time Barnabas to the others about him and his changed life. Paul was eventually accepted by them into the community of believers. We see the maturing church has now five characteristics - peace - free from outside interference strength - confirming its position encouragement - comforted by the Holy Spirit growth - multiplying numerically godliness - living in the fear of the Lord. However soon after this, another problem - a matter concern doctrine! Doctrinal Issues Arise In Acts 15v1 we read "Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can't be saved." At its beginning, the apostolic church was one church under the unitary leadership of the apostles. However a new problem arose! This problem arose because some men from Judea came to Antioch and promoted the view that circumcision was necessary for salvation and that certain regulations of the Old Testament law be required of non-Jewish converts as prerequisites for their recognition as members of the church of Jesus Christ. They were opposed by Paul and Barnabas, and as there was no final resolution, help was sought from the church in Jerusalem, still at this point the heartland of the Christian church. On arriving at Jerusalem, the delegates from Antioch were welcomed by 'the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them', This gathering evidently consisted of the leadership (apostles and elders) and many of the membership, including those convened were putting forward the requirement that Gentiles 'must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses' (Acts 15v5-6). This was the context for discussion of the issue. There was free debate and no papering over differences. The apostles let the elders speak before they joined in and it is clear that their goal was to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in the matter (Acts 15v28). The Apostle Peter rose after much discussion, and proceeded to demolish the Judaist viewpoint with arguments drawn from his own experience of ministry to Gentiles. He first described the conversion of the Gentiles as the work of God (Acts 15v 7-9) as they were filled with the Holy Spirit just as Jewish believers in Jesus were! This was proved by the Gentile Christians' faith, which was no different from their own (Acts 15v9)! Rising to a glorious crescendo, the Apostle Peter declared emphatically the very heart of the gospel: that salvation is by grace alone, both for Jews and Gentiles (Acts 15v11). Now doubt he reflected on the words of Jesus who said 'my yoke is easy and my burden is light' (Matthew 11v30). James, the brother of Jesus delivered the coup-de-grace to the Judaism argument with a direct appeal to the Word of God. God had already spoken on the matter! Quoting Amos 9v11-12, James reminded them that the prophet had declared that 'David's fallen tent' was be restored and that this would involve the in gathering of all the Gentiles who bear the Lord's name' (Acts 15v16-18). This is fulfilled, James says, in all that Peter had described (Acts 15:14). The church of Jesus Christ was all along intended to encompass both Jew and Gentile and, one by one without discrimination, they are brought to the same faith by the same Lord. This, James showed, was 'the mind of God", in the Scripture'. A proposal There was a definitive doctrinal proposal: 'We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God' (Acts 15v19). It told the Judaizing party in the gentlest possible way that what they were asking for was not the Lord's will for the church, and contrary to the gospel of God's free grace in Christ by faith alone. Then in Acts 15v20 there was a practical 4 point proposal to foster church unity by asking the Gentile Christians to take particular care to distance themselves from their former manner of life. Leave Alone: Gentiles were to examine critically their old habits and give no cause to anyone to accuse them of their old sins. They were also encouraged to be graciously accommodating to Jewish dietary sensitivities. For their part, Jewish believers needed to understand that Gentiles were not to be required to observe the Mosaic ceremonial law. Grace Alone: The apostles clearly taught that salvation was by the free and sovereign grace of God through faith in Christ alone. Council of Jerusalem held that line and closed the door on further discussion. Spirit Alone: They emphasised that the decision 'seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to the church' (Acts 15v28). Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth (John 14v26; 16v13). Standing Alone: The council's four 'requirements', highlight the necessity and the blessing of the separated life for Christians and to "stand alone" from the world, whilst living in the world. 'You will do well to avoid these things' (Acts 15v29). The conversion of Paul and the Council of Jerusalem, led to the church maturing, going forward in unity and returning to the expansion of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Tap or click here to download as a MP3 audio file

By Andrew C Lee - At the start of the Church, God used a jarring event — the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira — to teach a timeless lesson that His Holiness must be honored. Though this is the only recorded instance of such an event in the New Testament, it brings to mind similar ones in ancient Israel's history

Church Birthday G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 26 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days - from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! Jesus has died, rose again from the dead, ascended back to the right hand of the Father - all just as he said he would. The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ was the catalyst for the beginning of the church but the empowerment was to come, as promised by Jesus! Since his resurrection he has given his disciples instructions, including the command to go make disciples of all nations with the message he gave them! Then he told them to wait in Jerusalem! But for who? Remember they were still hopeful of Jesus returning to defeat the Roman Empire and install a political kingdom of God! But they were wrong and soon found out they were wrong! So they waited, but for what, or rather, who? Waiting! Acts1:12-14 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 2:1-2 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. As we saw last time, Jesus has ascended back to the right hand of the Father. The 12 apostles are now back in Jerusalem and waiting for the Holy Spirit to come as promised by Jesus. More about Him later in this podcast! It was now the time of the Shavuot in the Jewish calendar - 50 days after Passover (remember that from Jesus' last night!) Pentecost derives itself from the Old Testament festival known as the Jewish Feast of Weeks or Shavuot. This feast consisted of the first-fruits of the wheat harvest and selected animals were sacrificed, all as an act of thanksgiving to God, according to the Law given to Moses (Leviticus 23:15-20). But it was soon to change its meaning under the New Covenant. It became Pentecost, the Greek word for ‘50 days', and marks the birthday of the church! What is the birthday of the church? That is the day when the Holy Spirit came down and empowered the disciples for service! The day now known as Pentecost celebrates the day when, as promised by Jesus, as part of the New Covenant (remember that), the Holy Spirit came down to live inside the disciples of Jesus Christ, and empower and transform them! Empowered! Take Peter for an example! Just a few days earlier he had rejected Jesus Christ and openly defied Him by trying to stop Jesus going to the cross. This Peter, who was dejected and defeated because he had put everything into following this Jesus. In the early chapters of the bible Book of Acts, we see all disciples being transformed. Some were affected in amazingly spectacular ways and others in more placid ways. Let us concentrate on Peter for a good example of this. This is now a new Peter, transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who speaks with the authority Jesus gave the disciples. Peter, given impetus by the Holy Spirit, preaches a sermon and 3000 people are added to the church in one day (Acts 2v41). This Peter, who when passing by a man who couldn't walk, told him to get up and walk - and he did (Acts 3v1-11)! A WOW moment for sure! Peter was allowing himself to be controlled by the Holy Spirit and doing some of the things that were synonymous with Jesus' earthly ministry. Transformed! What is the difference between this Peter and the Peter before Jesus' resurrection? It was only the Holy Spirit, the empowerment and the difference He made to Peter. Peter, by submitting himself to the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, was allowing the Holy Spirit to control him and guide him. This Peter, who we know from the Gospel accounts, had no self-control, yet now had self-control because he submitted to the Holy Spirit. The greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit living inside of humans, is the transformation of the individual into the image of Jesus - as demonstrated by our example, Peter. This Peter who allowed the Holy Spirit's power to heal people also administered church discipline as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5v10). But it wasn't just Peter who was empowered. As Acts 5v12-16 shows us, all the followers of Jesus, not just the twelve apostles, filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, were able to do healings and other miracles. Not just those more spectacular gifts of healing, miracles etc but also gifts such as mercy, generosity, helps and service. The Holy Spirit, living inside and empowering all believers, for service of Jesus Christ, not just the original 12 apostles or disciples. That is one of the reasons the early church grew phenomenally and more about that growth later on in this series! Who is the Holy Spirit? But who is the Holy Spirit? Good question! In the Old Testament the Spirit makes appearances but only comes on one person at a time during that time. David is a good example of that! There was to be a time when He would live inside all believers in God through the Messiah! That's under the terms of the New Covenant as This is part of the fulfilment of the New Covenant, where the Almighty and All-powerful God would indwell those who follow him. Throughout his ministry Jesus had often talked about how after he departed back to the Father, that the Holy Spirit would come. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as God (1 Corinthians 3v16). The attributes of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit - life (Romans 8v2), truth (John 16v13) and love (Romans 15v30). The Holy Spirit is also a Person and is always referred to as ‘He' in the New Testament (John 16v14). He relates to humanity as a person for he lives inside the believer as comforter, guide and teacher (John 14). He can be blasphemed against and be grieved (Ephesians 4v30). Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Father and Son are also present. (John 14v18-23). Throughout the Book of Acts and in the other New Testament writings we discover more about the Holy Spirit. We see His prime role to glorify Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 16v13-14), to testify for Jesus Christ (John 15v26) and witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1v8) to humans. The Holy Spirit is involved with ministering to members of the church, as Jesus would be if He were there physically. There is more about the Holy Spirit if you search on this website! With all this, the Holy Spirit also equipped all the followers of Jesus for service, to will and to act accordingly to those purposes. We see in the rest of the Book of Acts, how the Holy Spirit empowered the early church and gave them impetus. Transformation and service are the key working practises of the Holy Spirit and we will His handiwork in our next episode as we see the Church begin! The Pharisees and Sadducees are long gone. The Roman Empire collapsed. But... But... But... Jesus' church still stands, is still growing, and will one day be joined with Jesus in eternity, to the praise, honour and glory of Him who will return in majesty, just as He promised! More about that later on in this series! So that's the birthday of the church! What happened next is what we talk about tomorrow! Thank you! Tap or click here to download as a MP3 audio file

Feeling overlooked, unqualified, or unsure of what God's calling you to? Looking at the story of Saul and Ananias (a man mentioned in only a few verses who changed the course of history by his obedience) in Acts 9, Tim Ross shows us three life-altering truths: God sees what people skip, obedience doesn't require agreement, and you're not the star (and that's actually a relief!). Learn why embracing "side character energy" frees you to be powerfully used by God without the pressure of being the main character.NEXT STEPS:Ask for prayer or connect with a pastor: https://freshlife.church/contactRegister your decision to follow Jesus and receive free resources: https://freshlife.church/know-godGive a financial gift to support what God is doing as we take steps forward to see the Gospel reach far and wide: https://freshlife.church/giveSUBSCRIBE:Sign up to receive encouragement straight to your inbox, and to stay up to date with announcements, events, and more: https://church.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6ea4d82b2567db3e86b7767cd&id=451f2fe63eDon't miss a video! Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/freshlifechurch?sub_confirmation=1CONNECT ON SOCIALS:Website: https://freshlife.churchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshlifeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshlifechurchTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/freshlifeYoutube: https://youtube.com/c/freshlifechurch/Fresh Life Church was pioneered by Pastors Levi and Jennie Lusko in 2007. We exist to see those stranded in sin find life and liberty in Jesus Christ. Today Fresh Life's ministry impacts people with the radical, life-changing message of Jesus' grace, spilling across Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho… and beyond.

Acts 9:10-19 Steve Kiesel shares about the how Ananias and Paul were chosen vessels for ministry and for the gospel of Christ. 

Pastor Mike answers questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. Questions in this episode: 0:55 - What will happen in the end times to those who reject Christ? 8:50 - Church buildings in the past were very beautiful, why aren't our church buildings beautiful like they used to be? 15:04 - Does the Bema Seat judgment only judge a Christian's deeds after they become a Christian? 17:59 - Is the video “23 Minutes in Hell” okay to watch regarding near death experiences? 19:37 - Why does the Bible say that Jesus prays for us and that he has the same power as God? 21:52 - If Jesus already has the power, why doesn't he just do what we ask if it's already God's will? 25:04 - What is the sin that leads to death in 1 John 5:16 and can a Christian be separate from Christ until they repent of all sins? 29:29 - What should we know about the Millennial Kingdom that should influence our evangelism today? 36:33 - How do we reconcile man's free will with God's sovereignty? 41:46 - What heaven and earth will pass away when the New Jerusalem comes down? 45:51 - Can you explain your statement that if you are at odds with your church you are probably at odds with God? 53:50 - Can we get along with other Christians even though we don't all believe the same on secondary or tertiary issues? 1:03:40 - Why did Ananias & Saphira receive such a harsh judgement?

Jesus Delivered Us (6) (audio) David Eells – 7/20/25 We don't want to look too far down the road or worry about the “giants” that are in our Promised Land, because the Bible says, (Mat.6:34) Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Just take the steps that are in front of you to come against the flesh and come against the spirits. Do the spiritual warfare that you can. He says, “Oh that my people would hearken unto me … I would soon subdue their enemies.” If you just walk in the right direction and swing your Sword, you are going to win the battle. (Jos.10:8) And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. If you repent of what you know is wrong and hold fast to faith, you cannot help but win the battle. (Psa.81:14) I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries. (15) The haters of the Lord should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever. (16) He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat; And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee. These are God's promises to us, but in your Promised Land, it is up to you, not the Lord, to give no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). Nowhere in Scripture are we to pray for the Lord to conquer our Promised Land. He gave us that authority, and He told us to take up our Sword and put the original inhabitants of the land to death. (Exo.23:32) Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. These are the lusts of the flesh and demon spirits. Make no covenant, no treaty, with them, although it's very easy to do because your flesh is always trying to bribe you or buy you out. Your flesh is always trying to get you to justify your position so that you can feel good while you live in the lusts of the flesh, but God says, “Make no covenant with them.” Have no affinity, no accord, with them. Do not humble yourself to them; instead, be merciless. God told them when they went into the Promised Land to have no mercy. (Deu.7:2) And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them. He wanted them to kill their enemies who controlled their land. There was one tribe, the Gibeonites, who deceived the Israelites into making a covenant with them (Joshua 9), and God was angry about that. Those Gibeonites ended up being a real thorn in their side (Joshua 10:1-28; 2 Samuel 21:1-14). (Num.33:55) But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. God said, “Have no mercy; slaughter them.” This is a type of us coming against our old lusts. He warned, (Exo.23:33) They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me; for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee. This is the truth, and so He said, “They shall not dwell in your land.” Remember that God does not order us to do anything that we cannot do through His power. (Php.4:13) I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. People love to use this verse for material things but think about the spiritual things for which you can use this verse. You can overcome any lust of the flesh. Pray and examine your life and see what lust it is that has been taking advantage of you. Write it down and give some thought to it. Exercise faith against it because you have authority over that lust, and you will win when you swing your sword. That is God's promise. The best defense is a good offense, and when you go against the devil, being on the offense is the thing that brings him confusion. If you do not act to swing your sword, he is going to conquer you. That means we don't have any other choice but to take up our Sword and go into our Promised Land and win this battle. I know there are a lot of groups out there promoting instant sanctification through deliverance. People say, “Make it easy on me! Just cast all the demons out of me!” Well, we're wrestling with principalities, powers and rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) and there are no shortcuts; there are some things we have to do. You have to obey the Word of God, understand your authority, and exercise your authority over these demons. If you do that, the results can be dramatic; however, there is no way to get around repentance. You cannot cast demons out of people who will not repent; you will just waste your time and the demons will run you in circles. The Bible says, (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Unrighteousness not only includes the demons, but also the lusts of the flesh. Demons come and prey upon the lusts of the flesh. The Lord Jesus said, (Joh.14:30) … for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me. There was no “place,” no foothold, no ground in Him. (Eph.4:27) Neither give place (That's the Greek word topon meaning “place” or “region.”) to the devil. If you are “giving ground” to the devil, he will be there, and if you try to cast him out, he is still going to be there. If you are giving ground to him, he has a legal right to be there and he knows it. The devil knows his rights. The devil is a really good lawyer and he knows this Word better than you. There are no shortcuts, Saints. If you want deliverance from a demon that has been giving you trouble, maybe all of your life, you first have to confess your sins. The demon may have been passed on to you through your parents or come through your giving in to sin; if there is no confession, you will not prosper against that demon. (Pro.28:13) He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper (He is not going to conquer his Promised Land, but it goes on to say,): Whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy. There's the condition, and here it is again. (Pro.28:18) Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered; But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once There is no shortcut in deliverance. If you don't confess but still somehow manage to get the demon out, he will come right back. He will just laugh at you or feign obedience and hide himself. You will not have accomplished a thing. You'll soon find out that you have the same problem and you'll wonder why it did not work. The reason it didn't work is because you did not obey. Do you want deliverance that gives you power and authority over the devil? Repentance with confession is the only way. It is the Blood that causes the death angel to pass over, and how is the Blood “applied”? (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. It takes repentance to walk in the light, but a lot of people don't want to hear about the repentance part. They say, “Just come and cast these demons out of me.” This is why I say to examine yourself and find out if there is something you need to confess, and not just confess it to the Lord. The Bible says, (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another… Find somebody who is trustworthy and confess your sin to them; you don't need to confess your sin in front of everybody unless you have offended everybody. You see, God wants to humble you; that's why He says to confess your sins one to another. God does not want us to cover up our sin. It's easy to confess your sin to God and then just go on covering it up. There's a great motivation to turn from sin when you know that God expects you to confess your sin to someone. It has to be true repentance when confession is made. Don't be fooled by self-pity, because that can look a lot like repentance, but it might just be self-pity, which is what Esau had, and he lost his inheritance. (Heb.12:17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind (That's what “repentance” is, it's a “change of mind.”) [in his father, (Not in the Greek)] though he sought it diligently with tears. He could not change HIS mind. You may have seen people cry, with tears running freely, yet they never change their ways. “Repentance” is not crying; “repentance” is “changing your mind.” There are many people full of self-pity because of the curse upon them. They want the curse off of them, but they're not willing to pay the price to get it. (Heb.12:14) Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord (This doesn't sound as if sanctification is an instantaneous process here, if He said to “follow after” it.): looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled (Yes, bitterness can defile a lot of people, and this is why it needs to be dealt with immediately.); (16) lest there be any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat (He was following after the flesh.) sold his own birthright. (17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected (He was “reprobated.”); for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears. You may wonder, “Well, what was wrong with his repentance?” It looks as if it was just self-pity. Godly sorrow brings repentance that does not let you turn and go back. (2Co.7:9) I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance (The Greek word there is metanoia and it means “a change of mind, change in the inner man.”); for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing. (10) For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret (You will not fall back into the sin.): but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Do you know why “the sorrow of the world worketh death”? It's because when people are “sorry” in the way that the world understands “sorry,” they think that's all they need for God to forgive them, but then they fall right back into the sin. Seeing no power of God, they become discouraged and just go back into the world. We are responsible to repent, not just to be sorry. We must have sorrow unto repentance. The Bible says you have to change your mind and changing your mind may not even involve tears. I've seen people who blame all their problems on demons. These people run around looking for somebody to get the demons out of them, and if you try to help such people but fail, they'll blame you. In their eyes, it's your fault. It's always everybody's fault, except theirs. Getting demons out of people who sincerely repent and believe is not a problem, but the shallower a person's depth of commitment and repentance, the harder it is to get the demons out. If commitment to discipleship and repentance is deep, it's very easy to get demons out because God is always on your side. He is always there with discernment and direction. He is always there to force the demons to the surface. It's easy to get demons out of a repentant person. It's very hard to get them out of a person whose “repentance” is very shallow. Now, when we talk about the warfare of our mind, the Bible says we are to be (2Co.10:5) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. This is our spiritual warfare, because the primary way that the devil gets a foothold is when you don't cast down thinking that is not of God. Most demons come because you have given in to sin, and demon spirits are also passed on to us genetically through the blood. You can do something about that, too, but before or even after you came to the Lord, in some way, you gave in to sin. If you ask, “David, do you mean that before I came to the Lord, I had demons, and I still have them now that I've come to the Lord?” Yes, you need to remember that the Lord said He would not drive them all out at one time, and He meant that. Now it's possible that when people come to the Lord, some may receive total deliverance over areas of their lives that you're still wrestling with. You are wrestling with something; they are wrestling with something else. Some parts of their lives have been cleansed, and some parts of your life have been cleansed. God has left you some enemies to fight, and He has left them some enemies to fight. There are things in your former life that were dealt with by the Blood of Jesus, and now they are gone, and their gods are gone, too. They have been conquered. I am not talking about going back and dealing with sins that are covered by and washed in the Blood or things from which you are already delivered, but there are some things that we had in our former life that we carried over into this life. The temptation, the struggle, and the demon are still there. Those things that may still be troubling you were there in your former life. Before you were born again, that demon entered in and that's why you're having to deal with those temptations right now. Maybe it's a temptation that you've had all of your life, and demons are still taking advantage of you because that sin has not been washed in the Blood. Otherwise, you would have been cleansed of all unrighteousness. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. This is the cleansing, washing away, of the nature of sin. Of course, our whole life is under the Blood by faith, but when God pulls back that Covering, letting you see a particular sin, then it's time for you to take the Sword and come against it. But when you're in a trial of your faith, don't go back and dredge up those things that are gone, because that's just the devil trying to condemn you for things done in your past. The apostle Paul tells us how to deal with that problem. (Php.3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. God led His people through the Promised Land to be faced with enemies one at a time, and that's the way for us every day. Little by little, we are faced with our enemies, our temptations, and that's when the old flesh rises up and gives you the chance to swing your Sword. You might never have seen that particular enemy without a trial that caused the temptation to come to the surface. People like to pray away trials, but you see, God brings us through trials to show us the enemy. You cannot pray away trials because (Act.14:22) … through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. It is tribulation itself that causes you to enter into the Kingdom. You are faced with something that causes the lusts of the flesh to surface, so that you get to see them and fight them and get free of them. This reminds me of Peter speaking to Ananias. (Act.5:3) Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …? Ananias was responsible for that sin. Peter was not blaming the sin on the demon; he was blaming the sin on the person. (1Co.5:7) Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump… In this chapter, Paul speaks of fornicators, liars, drunkards, and so forth, telling them to (1Co.5:13) … Put away the wicked man from among yourselves. You may protest, “Wait a minute, David! They just have demons! They need deliverance!” No, the Bible says those people are responsible for giving in to that demon, so that means the demon is not responsible. If people are believers, then they have the power to repent and conquer that demon. When we understand that we are responsible for sin, then we understand that we have to repent. There is only one instance in the Scriptures where it teaches that the person to be delivered does not have to repent. (Mar.5:1) And they (the apostles) came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. (2) And when he (Jesus) was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. You find in Scripture that these spirits are called “unclean spirits.” “Spirits of infirmity” are also called “unclean spirits.” (Mark 1:23,9:25; Luke 9:42; etc.) Well, an “unclean spirit” is just a demon, and all demons are unclean. (2) …, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain; (4) because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him. Christians have physically wrestled and fought with those who have demons, but you should never do that. Your authority only stands as Jesus' authority. He gave you the authority to cast out demons. If you get out from under your God-given authority and into the flesh, the demons can hurt you. Just exercise your authority and command them to “Sit down and be quiet in the Name of Jesus.” Believe and they will obey you. (Mar.5:5) And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. (Every last one of these demons causes one to be self-destructive, and they are out to destroy you, too.) (6) And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him; (7) and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? (When they become excited or are faced with authority, many times, they cry out with a loud voice.) I adjure thee by God, torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man. The Bible says, (Mat.8:16) … and he cast out the spirits with a word. With the man in the tombs, He commanded it, upsetting the demon, and the demon began speaking. Sometimes when you command them to come out, they will start speaking. They will sit and talk with you all day long if you encourage dialogue, because they would like to deceive you with all kinds of information. This is not what you want. Our example is (Luk.4:35) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no hurt. Just tell them, “Shut up and come out.” Do not seek knowledge from a demon by speaking with them. This is an abomination in the sight of the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:10; Exodus 22:18; 1 Chronicles 10:13; etc.) People like to use this next verse to say that we should ask demons questions, but as we can see, this is not the norm. (Mar.5:9) And he asked him, What is thy name? (This is the only example in Scripture where Jesus asked a demon, “What is your name?”) And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many. There is generally a “captain,” a lead spirit in the bunch, who speaks for all, and many people in deliverance ministry have gotten this revelation by talking with demons. Here, it is very clear. (Mar.5:9) … My name is Legion; for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. In another account, the demons asked not to be sent to the pit. (Luk.8:31) And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. Commanding demons to go to the pit seems to be common among deliverance ministries. Well, we do not have that example, not one, in Scripture. Jesus did not command that here, and if there had been a reason to put those demons out of commission, don't you think that Jesus would have sent them to the pit? Demons have a good purpose on this earth, and that is to torment those who love sin, as we learned earlier. Remember the example of Paul turning Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan (1Ti.1:20) … that they might be taught not to blaspheme. It was to teach them a lesson. Another example from Paul was the man in fornication with his father's wife in (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. When a person has repented, Jesus wants them to be delivered, but the job of demons is to make life miserable until you decide to repent. Even if all the demons you ever cast out were sent to the pit, there still would be more than enough left to handle the job. Let me share a testimony with you:   Sins of Flesh Fell Off Me by M. G. I was living and working in Japan when I first heard David speaking the real gospel of Jesus. I was always looking into eschatology and prophecy because I reckon the Lord was softening me up to hear the truth. I was a bit afraid of the end, as I was not a very godly person…. I'm not really sure how I found the teachings. I was at “The Edge Radio Show” on the internet and decided to listen to David in the archives. I had never heard of him. To my knowledge, I wasn't looking for anything he had to say, but the Lord led me to listen. I was raised Baptist and heard all that “fire and brimstone” from shouting, gasping old-time Baptist preachers. It never did that much for me. I've heard what the Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, and even some Pentecostals had to say. But I never heard anyone speak with true power, authority and anointing, till I heard him speak that day on the computer. It knocked my socks off! I had never heard anything like it! And it was shot through completely with the glow of TRUTH. It spoke to my heart. I listened to all that he had to say and put it in my heart. It didn't lead me down the road right away to the crucified life and/or even a much closer walk with the Lord, but the seed had been planted. I was covered up with the cares of this wretched world. It probably took me another year before I started going to the UBM website, listening to the audios and coming to the Paltalk meetings. [Paltalk was an interactive chat we had during the live broadcast; we now have online teachings and the Outreach conferences twice weekly.] I started praying and seeking the Lord. I was devouring the teachings online with every free moment, learning a great deal. I received the baptism of water and the Holy Spirit. A lot, but not all, of the sin of my past life just fell away. I sought prayer in faith and agreement from UBM to quit smoking and drinking to excess, and it happened. My deliverance was not overnight, but all that stuff just withered on the vine over a period of weeks. I never even had any withdrawal symptoms. I just never smoked, or wanted to smoke, another cigarette ever again. All these things happened by the power of the risen Christ. I would never have been able to do it on my own. I had been a big smoker and drinker for almost thirty years. Try as I might, I had never been able to give up those bad habits.  I praise God for His love and mercy on me. I've never been tempted to smoke another cigarette, ever. I never get the feeling, “Oh, boy, do I need a drink!” It just doesn't happen. Praise His Name! Whenever I feel weak in my faith, I always hang on to the knowledge of the deliverance given to me by my loving Father through His Son, Our Lord Jesus. Now, demons are going to seek a body to live in because that is where they have what they call “rest.” The demon addressing Jesus said in (Mar.5:7) … What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not. They know that they are supposed to have rest until the “time” (Matthew 8:29). Jesus said (Mat.12:43) But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. He returns to the house out of which he came. They do not find rest in “waterless places.” It would be like you having to go through a desert; it's not where you want to go, is it? You would like to go where things are comfortable and cool, where there is plenty of water. It is torment to a demon to be outside of a body because in the pit, the abyss, there is no flesh for them through which they can fulfill their lusts. That's the problem for them, so on earth, they always want a body to inhabit, even if that body is an animal. (Mar.5:11) Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And they besought him (Jesus), saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, [in number] about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. They really want to fulfill their lusts through people, but if they cannot have people, they will use pigs, etc.. I have talked to demons and there is a chain of command with them, a hierarchy. A lot of lower demons are extremely stupid; the lusts consuming them trip them up. For instance, they may be so prideful and so arrogant, wanting to show themselves, that they'll tip their hand. You will know what they are doing. And you'll find that the further down the line you go, the more stupid they are. Didn't the demons know that pigs cannot swim? How long are demons going to last in a herd of pigs that have been run off into a lake? The Bible tells us that Satan's wisdom was corrupted because of his beauty. (Eze.28:17) Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee. If he had wisdom, he would have stayed where he was in heaven, but instead, his wisdom became corrupted. Demons cause destruction, as with the demoniac and the pigs. They cause whatever flesh they are in to be self-destructive. (I'm going to share some testimonies showing demons' destructive tendencies.) Notice that at the beginning of the story of the demoniac, it's just the leader, Legion, who is speaking (Luke 8:26), but as soon as Jesus commands them to come out, all of them start speaking (Luke 8:31-32). Many times when you are dealing with demons, more of them will manifest, and after you cast one out, sometimes another one will manifest. The Holy Spirit is causing them to manifest themselves as the Lord is driving them out before you. If you suspect something else is there, you have the authority to command a demon to manifest. You should be aware, also, that demons love to distract people and they'll put on a show for you, but don't get caught up in their theatrics. (Mar.9:25) And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together (He did not want a spectacle.), he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. Some people will help the demons put on a show, but we should avoid that at all costs. Our example is Jesus, and nowhere did Jesus let them put on a show. Actually, it's best to avoid having conversations with them. I have read quite a few books by deliverance ministers who got into trouble because they talked to demons that lied to them. There was one man who had a good understanding of deliverance, but this man was casting “tongue demons” out of everybody. He didn't know that all demons can talk in tongues. The Bible says, (1Co.13:1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels… There is no “tongues” demon since all demons talk in tongues because they are fallen angels. These demons were obliging to this man's false doctrine by playing along with it to keep him in bondage. They will deceive you any way they can! This deliverance minister needed tongues, more than anything else, in order to cast out demons. Demons hate tongues. People report that demons actually spoke to them, saying, “Don't speak in tongues! That is a perfect prayer! Don't do that! We hate that!” I have had them scream out because they hated the Gospel being preached, and they do not like the Blood of Jesus. If you cannot do anything else, pray in tongues. Well, because this man had let the demons talk, they had deceived him into thinking that tongues were no good. Because he had let the demons talk, they had deceived him into believing that this was a “tongues” demon, a deceiving spirit. Now, remember that speaking in tongues doesn't make you holy. Many people who speak in tongues are in sin. Do you recall the people about whom the apostle Paul was writing that they should be thrown out of the church? (1Co.5:11) But as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. These people spoke in tongues, but that does not mean you are holy; following and obeying the Holy Spirit makes you holy. The Bible says in (Rom.11:29) For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. God will give you a gift that will stay with you to the grave, even if you are going to hell. Paul said, (1Co.9:27) but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected. And this man said in 1Co 14:18  I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all:  A lot of deliverance ministries believe in casting demons into the pit, but that's not what Jesus did. Jesus never sent them to the pit. Let's read the rest of this story. (Mar.5:12) And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And he gave them leave. Why did Jesus permit the demons their request? Most people, according to reasoning, would have said, “Send them out of the country. That way, they won't be able to bother anybody else.” I personally have had demons ask me whether they could enter into a dog, and I told them, “No, but you can find the nearest cockroach and enter into it!” Usually, I say, “No, you just come out!” You do not have to permit them to enter into anything. Demons are going to search until they find a vessel that they can enter because that's how they fulfill their lusts, and there's a demon for anybody who wants to sin. It makes no difference where you send them. You are not going to get rid of them. (Rev.9:2) And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke (smoke represents demons.) out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. There are millions of them, enough to darken the sun, so sending them to the pit does not make sense. If God wanted them out of the country or in the pit, that is where they would be, but He does not want that. They are here to torment mankind until men and women repent and come under the Blood of Jesus. Jesus did not send them out of the country because He understood the sovereignty of God. (Mar.5:13) And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, [in number] about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. Obviously, Jesus thought that this one man was worth more than two thousand pigs, which Jews were not supposed to have anyway. (Mar.5:14) And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass. (15) And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid. Unclean spirits like people to take off their clothes. And you know, there's certainly a lot of half-naked people walking around these days, and they all probably have unclean spirits. I want to emphasize one particular point about “the man with the unclean spirits.” Think about what that last verse says, “clothed and in his right mind.” When this man first saw Jesus, he was not in his right mind and so there was no way he could have repented. You cannot demand repentance from a person who is this demon-possessed. Some people say, “Well, a Christian cannot be demon-possessed because they are possessed by the Lord,” but Scriptures use the term “possessed” (Matthew 8:16,9:32,12:22; Mark 1:32,9:17; Luke 8:27; etc.) To be considered “demon-possessed,” a person could have a demon in possession of only one particular part of their Promised Land. It might possess them as an infirmity or in an area of their lusts. A possession of part of your nature has nothing to do with possessing your whole character, and very seldom does it go that far, however, “Legion” was possessing this man's whole mind. This man could not use his mind rationally at all, and since Jesus said, (Mat.15:24) … I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, I suggest to you that this man was a Jew, and as a “child of God,” he had a Covenant right to deliverance. Otherwise, Jesus would not have done it. There are certain conditions under which we can cast demons out of a person without the person's permission. Jesus did not get permission from this man, but Jesus knew that He had a legal right to deliver this person. Just keep in mind that repentance is demanded in almost every place where a person has the mental capacity to repent. We do not generally have a right to go to demon-possessed people who are in the world. An exception would be where we consider that the faith of their family is involved; they are exercising faith for this person. Another exception would be that they are Christian, overcome by lusts of the flesh, and by the devil. Another would be by God's direction. Here's another testimony:   Healed of Epilepsy by the Lounsbury Brothers Email #1 (From Guatemalan missionary Wes to his brother Walt): The Lord has put someone in our path that needs HIS healing. She's around seventeen years old with epilepsy. Six years ago she had a seizure and fell into a fire. She must have been there for quite some time because her feet almost got cooked off. She went to a clinic. They carved out some of the burned flesh, leaving her feet resembling stubs. Besides the massive amounts of scar tissue, she has an external ulcer that has not healed from the accident. Yesterday she came to the orphanage with her mother and sister. We prayed over some hot water and had her soak her foot with the ulcer in it. The raw flesh on the ulcer was yellow, like dried pus. After about forty-five minutes of soaking, we took out the foot, cleaned it and wrapped it with a gauze bandage. They came back today for us to change the bandage again. We soaked the foot again to loosen the gauze, which was saturated with some type of dried, oozing substance. Getting that last part off, which was directly in contact with the ulcer was difficult because it had adhered quite strongly. As we pulled it off, we noticed that the once yellow tissue had turned a very healthy pink! The capillaries were so close to the surface that there was a small amount of bleeding. Trevor and I BELIEVE that God is healing this girl. Think of Joshua circling Jericho for seven days before it fell. He would have felt pretty stupid walking around with a trumpet if the Lord hadn't PROMISED him beforehand. The same thing applies here. Please spend time in prayer for her and give David a call, asking him to pray, also. When Trevor blessed her today, he asked the Lord to make her healing a witness for all those who know of her. Truly, this is our hope. I've been wondering if she wasn't demonically possessed with epilepsy—she was thrown into the fire, much like the mad man cutting himself with rocks and the epileptic that Jesus healed by casting out the demon. I never like thinking someone has an evil spirit inside of them. Could you ask David if he knows how to determine such a thing? He said in “Sovereign God” that he has the gift of discernment of spirits. As much as you can help would be greatly appreciated. Email #2 (From Walt to David Eells): Please pray with me and ask the Lord for a miracle to heal this young girl down in Guatemala. Emails #3 & 4 (From David Eells to Walt): We will pray and agree with you. Epilepsy is a demon spirit. (Mat.17:15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. (16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. (17) And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. (18) And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? (20) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Is the girl a Christian? If so, she has a Covenant right to deliverance because it is the children's bread. If not, only God can give permission to cast out. Otherwise, the demons will just come back worse. Ask her to confess her sins. My suggestion is to ask those involved to pray for discernment of spirits. Demons rarely act alone. Gather several people with faith, preferably filled with the Holy Spirit, and command the demons to come out in Jesus' Name. Then believe that they have to obey because Jesus gave us total authority over the demons. (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… Don't believe whatever they say because they often lie. Ask them to believe to heal and restore her body. Jesus paid for that too: (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (1Pe.2:24) Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. (Psa.103:1) Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. (2) Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: (3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; (4) Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. (Mat.8:16) And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. (Act.3:12) And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk? (13) The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. (14) But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you, (15) and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (16) And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (Act.5:16) And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Emails #5 & 6 (Between Wes and David in a Q & A format) Wes: Hi! Walt forwarded your email about the girl with epilepsy to me. She, her mother and sister are staying with us now. The open ulcer on her foot is getting better every day. David: Praise God! Let's continue to believe for a total restoration of the foot! God is big. We shouldn't underestimate Him. Wes: Two nights ago I couldn't go to sleep, although it was 1:00 a.m. and I was exhausted. I decided to go downstairs and work on a paper I was writing. I was using a computer program to search for texts. I can't remember which words I was searching, but I came upon the story in Matthew about the epileptic. Now this might sound very strange to you, but I'm almost certain that I read the word “epileptic” from the “King James Version.” It wasn't until the next day, when I read it again, I realized they had actually translated the word as “lunatic” in the KJV. Could it be that the Lord actually had me read “epileptic” instead, because of this girl? David: Absolutely, Wes. God has done such things as that to me, also. I have heard people tell me things that I needed to hear. Later, I questioned them as to why they said it. I would then be told by the person and everyone around them that they had actually said something totally unrelated. Wes: What struck me most about the story was when the father said to Jesus, “Have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire.” That's EXACTLY what happened to this girl! Six years ago her mother left the house and went to town to get something from the store. (They live in complete poverty in a village a few miles from here.) The girl usually woke up later in the morning, so her mother felt it was safe to leave early. When she came back, she found her daughter lying in the fire, the flesh completely cooked on one foot and third-degree burns on the other. After I read those verses, I wondered if this girl had an evil spirit. Their stories are so similar. David: She has an epileptic spirit and possibly more. Wes: I don't know exactly what I should be looking for. I feel uneasy about making a judgment as to whether someone DOES have a demon. Anyway, the next morning, my wife went to use the internet. She printed out your email that Walt forwarded to me. She didn't mention it; she just left it folded on the desk. I opened it up and read it. I knew immediately that God had given me a second witness, so that I could be SURE. I still have a lot of questions about what to do. I've never been in a position like this. I prayed last night that God would give me the discernment of spirits, but I don't really know what it means. I know that God has brought this girl to us, not only because of her foot, but because of this spirit afflicting her. I have a good friend down here with me who is strong in the faith; he could stand with me. This is strange territory for me. Is all I need to do is command the spirit of epilepsy to leave in the Name of Jesus? David: You need to know that you have authority to do this. Demons know when you have faith. That is the only condition on your part. (Mar.16:15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. (17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. It would be good to make sure she is a Christian and get her to confess her sins. (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Wes: Should I expect the demon to say something before it leaves? David: Not necessarily. But if the Holy Spirit moves you to command them to give their name, do it. Wes: What if she just sits there silently? Does it mean my faith isn't great enough? David: They don't always come out immediately. But you don't have to hang around till you see something. Walk by faith. Just know that they have to obey you. Wes: Should I ask how many spirits are in her? David: If you feel so to ask, yes. Wes: How can I believe them if they did tell me? I wouldn't want to leave one in there. David: They will obey you if you command them to tell their name, unless this is a mute spirit. Email #7 (From Wes to David): The spirit of epilepsy has left the girl! A pastor, his church, and I prayed over her. The spirit never responded. But the girl began to thank the Lord and cry. She finally fell down after about five minutes. She was “as dead” like the scripture speaks about the epileptic boy. In the midst of this “sleep,” she started to praise God very loudly and then went back under. It was very strange to me, nothing like I expected. She went to bed shortly after she woke. The next morning she and her mother were talking about the medicine she takes to fight off the epilepsy. Her mother told her, “The devil is tempting us not to believe!” Then they threw the medicine away. She is perfectly fine now. Her face looks different. Her eyes are more alert. These people are such awesome witnesses of faith to me. They cannot even read the Bible. But they understand the Gospel more than educated Christian Americans. Thank you very much for replying to my other email. All the information was very useful. Email #8 (From David to Wes): Praise the Lord! See how simple it is. That poor girl would have suffered the rest of her life if she had not run into someone like you who was willing to stand in faith. Sometimes the demon will try to come back by temporarily putting a symptom on you. When you accept it, he has permission to re-invade. Tell the girl and her mom to never accept it back. They have authority over the demons. Now, just pray and believe for the restoration of her foot. Jesus paid for a complete healing. Awesome! Praise God!! Christians who know their authority can, and should, cast out demons. I was doing it as a baby Christian, and although I didn't know a lot about it, I got some people delivered. (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… The only condition was to believe. Let me give you an example. Jesus was casting out an unclean spirit from a deaf and dumb man. (Mar.9:17) And one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit; (18) and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away (This sounds like an epileptic dumb spirit.): and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able. Why were they “not able”? (Mar.9:19) And he answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me. His rebuke was for their lack of faith. The only condition in the scriptures for casting out demons is faith on the part of the person who is doing the casting out. (Mar.9:20) And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. (21) And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. (22) And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him (There is that destruction again.): but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. (23) And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. (Again, the condition is belief.) (24) Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mar.9:25) And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. In the case of a child, Jesus said basically, “Come out of him, and do not go back!” You don't see Him doing this with adults. This is because they have their own choices to make, and if they choose to go back into the world, then the demons are going to return. If they fall back into temptation, the demon will come back, but children are not as responsible. The child's father said that the demon entered “from a child,” and so we see that Jesus gave us an example here, saying, “Enter no more into him.” You do not do that with adults. Also, the father wanted help from his unbelief: I.e. “I believe with the faith I have. Deliver me from my unbelief.” (Mar.9:26) And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and [the boy] became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. (27) But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. Here's another testimony from C.C.   Jesus Delivered Me from Familiar Spirits by C. C. In 2003, I was not a Christian. I was just a man living for himself. I had been a banker in Seattle when I began to hear faint voices in my head as I went to sleep. The voices grew stronger as time went by. There were many of them, different each night. I thought they were the voices of the dead speaking from beyond the grave. After several months, one of these “dead spirits” became more vocal with me. He called himself “David,” saying he was the soul of the brother of one of my best friends, who had died in a car wreck three years previous. This spirit's voice became so clear as to seem present in the room with me. [Note: C.C. had unknowingly become a “medium,” which is someone who is possessed with a spirit guide, a familiar spirit who mimics the dead.] He began telling astral and worldly “secrets” that I found fantastical at the time. He explained many things about the “after-life,” including how I had lived many lives myself and had been reincarnated several times. This spirit explained that he was my “guide,” sent by the “White Lodge” to help me achieve my “final potential.” He explained that he had to help guide my “last life” so I could go to heaven through gates guarded by a group of angels called the “Brethren.” He showed me many images and pictures of these gates. Souls would be permitted to pass through them when they had learned enough compassion through their many lives. He also turned me on to many New Age beliefs. In addition to him, I would speak to other spirits at night while in my bed. They would ask me to do things for them. One such example came from a spirit called “Misty” who wanted me to deliver some flowers to her dying grandmother. The spirit gave me the name and address of the hospital where this elderly lady was located. I went and delivered the roses anonymously to her. I thought I had some special gift to talk with the dead, as I experienced incidents of communication, and received “confirmation” and “insight” from the things these spirits revealed. The voice of the “spirit guide” began to become stronger as time went on. It got to where it was all I could hear. He always seemed to be as close as my throat, speaking from behind my head. It was a very unsettling feeling at the time. This went on for some time, with me learning and trusting all that this spirit “David” revealed to me. There came a night when I awoke in my bed to see a specter cloaked in darkness, black as pitch. He even seemed to suck the darkness into himself. I was terrified! Frozen in my bed as I stared at it, I noticed that my breath was visible in front of me, as if it were a winter night. The specter seemed to want to kill me. When I thought it would move to harm me, the presence of my “spirit guide” entered the room and scared it away. I could sense that it was afraid of him. He explained to me that it was a lost soul who sought me because of my gifts. He said that I was like a “light in the darkness” that all such spirits could see and would gravitate towards. The same thing happened the following night and onward for six nights. Each night, one more spirit came until, by the sixth evening, there were six of them at the foot of my bed. I could not have been more terrified, as they would all point at me with horrible, black, lifeless faces, seeming to want my death. By morning I was exhausted from the fear, hyper-vigilance, and lack of sleep for six full days. Upon waking, I heard the spirit “David's” voice, rushed and louder than ever. He said, “Hurry up and get dressed. You have to get downtown toward your work now, as fast as possible. Hurry up! Do it now!” I asked, “Is someone in danger?” He replied, “Yes. Hurry now!” Startled, I got dressed and drove downtown to see what was happening. While I was driving he kept saying, “Hurry, hurry!” When I got there, nothing was happening; it was just a normal day. Surprised to see nothing wrong, I asked him why he told me to rush. He replied, “I just wanted to see if you would obey me. I was testing you.” All day, I ignored him while I worked, as I was very angry. I was continually disturbed by his words, “obey me.” When the day was done, I went home, ignoring “David” the whole way, and wanting very much to understand. A friend once had told me the Bible discussed spirits and the dead; I decided to look it up on my computer. As I sat down to search the internet, I looked out over Puget Sound from my windows and could see nothing but blackness. The clouds had covered everything in such a dark, ominous way. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, especially so early in the evening. As I started to find Bible passages, the spirit's voice said accusingly, “What are you doing?” Agitated, I replied, “Nothing. Don't worry about it.” I came upon (Deu.18:10-13) There shall not be found in you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, one that uses divination, an observer of clouds, or one divining, or a whisperer of spells, or a magic charmer, or one consulting mediums [Hebrew for “consulter with a familiar spirit.”], or a spirit-knower, or one inquiring of the dead. For all doing these things are an abomination to the Lord. And because of these filthy acts the Lord your God is dispossessing these nations before you. You shall be perfect with the Lord your God. As I finished reading the words, I heard “David,” with a tone of deep aggression, say, “Don't read that!” Startled, I turned to see that he was now visible on my right. He looked just like one of the dark specters that had previously gathered around my bed. The room instantly grew cold. I was terrified, but replied, “I can read it if I want to!” He lunged for my throat with his dark, outstretched hand, taking a swipe at me. I fell sideways out of my chair and thought I was going to die, right there, in that dark room as he came upon me! I was on my knees. I called, “Lord, please save me!” A hole to the heavens opened up through my roof. I saw a flaming Sword coming down from heaven at me like lightning. It flew straight down and entered through the top of my head and traveled through my body, and pierced into the ground through me. A blast wave that was like a spiritual nuclear bomb went off from the fiery Sword within me, traveling like light through my entire place, destroying the spirit “David” as it flashed out from me. I sat there on my knees as the light went out from within me and the Sword left me. I then immediately saw a large bright light outside on my patio. As I squinted at it, I realized what I was seeing. In my mind, I heard the name “Michael.” He was holding the sword that had just been in my body. I was amazed and afraid! He was huge, bearing armor as bright as the sun, with many colors coming through it, shining brightly. He was looking at me through the large windows. I jumped up to my feet to run outside and see him. But as I opened the door, the light was gone. No one was there. I went to the spot where I had seen him standing, half expecting to see the ground melted away. I dropped to my knees to feel the ground as I thought it would be hot for some reason. When I looked up, the blackness of the clouds had given way to the setting sun. It seemed to not only pierce through the clouds, but to push them out of the way, making what seemed night turn into day! I stood there, utterly emotionally exhausted and physically tired from not sleeping for a week. I awoke the next morning on the seventh day of the ordeal. I had slept as soundly as a baby, without a single interruption or dark visit. I felt so good that morning. I can still remember how good it was—I felt like a million bucks! I got dressed and was thinking about everything that had happened to me and what it all meant. I no longer heard any voices. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was in my “right” mind. I got into my truck and headed to work, feeling wonderful. As I came to the apex of a large bridge, I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, I was no longer in my truck! [Note: There was something spiritually that kept his truck humming along during this experience.] To my utter confusion, I was standing on a dirt road. My first reaction was to put my hands on myself to see if I was okay. As I looked down, I had all of my clothes on and was still wearing my boots. Bewildered, I saw a dirt road stretched out for as far as the eye could see. To the right and left, fields of golden wheat, ready for harvest, were moving back and forth as a warm wind blew over them. The sun was setting. It was casting the most beautiful rays of light through the waving grains of wheat. The soft color was unlike anything I had ever seen on earth. It was beautiful. My thoughts went back to myself. Where in the heck was I? I turned around to look behind me. I saw darkness. As I was trying to look into where the road behind me went, I felt a presence… I cannot even begin to explain in words … I turned around to see a man standing in the road before me. He was dressed in white. His clothes were of olden times and spotless. He had long, golden brown hair and a beard. As I looked at him, I realized Who He was. I could tell that He could see all of the things I had ever done wrong in my life—everything… As He looked at me, He put before me images of all of the wrongs I had done. Seeing them, I felt so heavy that I fell to the ground, my face falling into the dirt. I began to beg aloud, “Lord, please do not let me be before you. Please let me go. I am not worthy. Please let me go from before you, Lord.” It was so painful that He could see all of my sins. Feeling crushed onto the ground, my breath and tears mixed with the dirt of the road. As I tried to push away from Him, I looked up through my tears to see His perfect sandal in front of my face. I reached out and placed my hand upon His foot and said, “Lord, please forgive me. I am so sorry for what I have done against you…” Then I felt His hand on my shoulder, lifting me up off the ground and setting me onto my feet. He took His hand and reached before me, touching my chest, seeming to reach inside of me! He pulled out a black shining orb, which was spinning within His hand. I looked up from the orb into His face. He smiled at me and looked back down at the thing spinning in His hand. He then closed his hand around it and crushed it. When He opened His hand again, the orb had become like dirt that was on the road. He turned His hand, and the dirt fell back onto the road. At that moment, I felt SO FREE! All that had crushed me and held me down in life had been taken away forever! I looked into His eyes and saw them clearly for the first time. Amazingly beautiful, they were the same color as the light that I had seen shining through the shafts of wheat. As I looked, I felt (words could never portray): the love of my friends, the love of my brothers, the love of my mother, the love of God! I was so overcome with thanksgiving, I threw my arms around Him. His frame was as powerful as a rock, but gentle as a lamb. Then I held myself apart from Him. Looking into His smiling face, I said the most embarrassing thing that I have ever said in all my life! Looking at the long road, I said, “Lord, do you think we could stay here and play soccer together?” He laughed and, as I looked up from the road, turned and walked a few paces from me; I could see His perfect footprints in the dirt. I felt frozen, not knowing what to do. As if sensing that I felt paralyzed, He looked back, smiled and extended His hand, and motioned for me to follow Him. Even though He did not say the words, I could clearly hear the words “Follow me” in my mind. Looking down, I took my first foot and put it perfectly into His footprint. As I was about to take the next step, I closed my eyes for a second before trying to look back up at Him. And poof! Just like that—I was back in my truck, driving on my way to work. As I sat there, I cried, heaving deeply for the gift that He had just given me. I was so entirely undone. There was no greater happiness that I had ever known in my entire life. Then, the radio played a song called “Dead Man's Rope,” sung by Sting, recorded on the album called “Sacred Love.” I shall never forget listening to this song through my tears, barely being able to drive. The song speaks of how we try to walk away from our trials, not understanding that our trials will lead us to walk toward Jesus and His forgiveness. After this song ended, it began to rain heavily upon my truck just as the song describes… My life has never been the same since. Wow! Praise the Lord!

Today we will look at the story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts chapter 2 and learn how important our integrity is to God.

Acts 5:1-11 After witnessing the exemplary response of the new church members to the external persecution faced by Peter and John, they encountered a new challenge: internal persecution. Pastor Rod Bunton recounts the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who sought recognition for their own financial contributions. The post Ananias and Sapphira appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.

Subscribe for more Videos: http://www.youtube.com/c/PlantationSDAChurchTV Deeper Dive Theme: Pastor Kevin explains why mean people LOVE politeness Episode Title: The Jerusalem Scheme Host: JWald Guest: Pastor Kevin Acosta Date: July 16, 2025 Tags: #psdatv #authentic #integrity #honesty #peter #ananias #sapphira #peter #truth #lie #deceive #deception #repent #sorry #HolySpirit For more life lessons and inspirational content, please visit us at http://www.plantationsda.tv. Church Copyright License (CCLI): 1659090 CCLI Streaming Plus License: 21338439Support the show: https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANTBMV/envelope/startSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subscribe for more Videos: http://www.youtube.com/c/PlantationSDAChurchTV Deeper Dive Theme: Pastor Kevin explains why mean people LOVE politeness Episode Title: The Jerusalem Scheme Host: JWald Guest: Pastor Kevin Acosta Date: July 16, 2025 Tags: #psdatv #authentic #integrity #honesty #peter #ananias #sapphira #peter #truth #lie #deceive #deception #repent #sorry #HolySpirit For more life lessons and inspirational content, please visit us at http://www.plantationsda.tv. Church Copyright License (CCLI): 1659090 CCLI Streaming Plus License: 21338439Support the show: https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANTBMV/envelope/startSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus Delivered Us (5) (audio) David Eells – 7/16/25 Saints, I want to point out to you that if you want deliverance from any demon, do not put the responsibility for the sin upon the demon. What did Peter say to Ananias and Sapphira? (Act.5:3) … Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …? Was Peter blaming the lying spirit, or was he blaming Ananias? Some people have demons they inherited through the bloodline (Exodus 20:5, 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9), but we are born in sin. Psa 51:5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.  If you have a demon because of what you have done, guess what? You are still guilty. The Bible does not let you get off without being guilty. So the solution is 1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins (not the demons sins), he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (Pro.26:2) As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not. See, there are people who just run from ministry to ministry looking for somebody to give them deliverance, but they will not first repent. They think all they need is deliverance, but God says they need to repent, because you can get delivered of anything and everything if you repent and believe. So there may be things you have never been delivered of yet, but God's plan is to deliver you from lusts of the flesh and demon spirits that take advantage of them. Let's look at some Old Testament types and shadows about delivering the Promised Land that show us the way God leads us from the time we come to know Him. This “house,” your body, is supposed to be ruled over by the spiritual man, and for that to happen, the carnal man who lives in your house has to be driven out and killed. This is a type of taking the Promised Land. Those Israelites represent the spiritual man, and those Canaanites represent the carnal man. God told them the Canaanites had to be driven out and killed, and the Israelites had to live in their houses. God said in (Deu.7:2) And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them. And He also commanded, (Exo.23:33) They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me; for if thou serve their gods (demons), it will surely be a snare unto thee. You see, if you leave one of the lusts of the flesh in your land, it is going to cause you to sin, so don't leave them and don't bow down to their gods. (Exo.23:20) Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. By the way, you have an angel, too, as the Bible says in (Heb.1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation? These spirits are with us to bring us into this salvation that Jesus provided. Exodus 23 is an exact parallel. (Exo.23:21) Take ye heed before him, and hearken unto his voice; provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgression: for my name is in him. God's Name, which is His Nature, Character, and Authority, is in those angels. His Nature is so strong in them that they are perfect prophets for the Lord, and when an angel speaks to you, he speaks to you with the Voice of God. In the Book of Acts, Stephen said it was an angel who spoke out of the burning bush to Moses. (Acts 7:30) And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. An angel spoke to Moses with the Voice of God. (Exo.23:22) But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; (We see the Lord is speaking, but it is the angel's voice.) then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies. If you obey His Voice, He will be an enemy to your enemies. If you do not obey His Voice, He is not going to be an enemy to your enemies. You may run around everywhere looking for your deliverance from flesh and spirit, but you will fail when you are not obeying His Voice. (Exo.23:23) For mine angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: and I will cut them off. These are the original inhabitants of the land. They represent the lusts of the flesh that live in our Promised Land right here, and the Lord is going to lead us to sanctification from every one of these lusts. Each group of these original inhabitants represents the old man ruled over by demon gods with matching specialties and each of their names has a meaning. “Canaanite” means “to bend the knee, to humiliate, to subdue.” “Amorite” means “prominent,” and of course, one of the evils of the flesh is pride. “Hittite” means “terror, fear.” There are many different kinds of demons of fear, and God wants to deliver us from all kinds of fear. Your flesh fears many things; you could have a fear of rejection or a fear of heights and so on. “Perizzite” means “to separate.” Think about it; religions separate from religions and nations separate from nations. Factions separate. When religions separate from each other, it's “sectarianism,” which Paul listed among works of the flesh. (Gal.5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these:] fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, (21) envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like… Paul called them “lusts of the flesh”; we call them “denominations.” And countries naturally have a bias toward the people who live in their nation, but we are not supposed to be divided from Christians anywhere in the world. We are a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). We are “one man in Christ Jesus.” (Gal.3:28) There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one [man] in Christ Jesus. That means a Christian over in Russia is my brother; I am not going to fight for America to kill a Christian over in Russia, or anywhere else. It is wrong! This is worldly thinking and we need to understand that Jesus said, (Joh.18:36) My kingdom is not of this world… We are one holy nation, so no matter where on earth we are living, we are supposed to be a part of (Heb.12:22) … the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. “Jebus” was the old name for Jerusalem, and it's interesting that “Jebusite” means “trodden down.” The Bible says that Jerusalem will be “trodden down.” (Luk.21:24) Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Revelation 11 talks about the outer court being trodden down. (Rev.11:2) And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. Jesus told us in (Mat.5:13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. It's the old Jerusalem, not the New Jerusalem, who is going to be trodden down. Old, unregenerate Jerusalem was Jebus. They were trodden down that New Jerusalem could take their place. Going on in (Exo.23:24) Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works… Notice two things in this verse: “their gods” and “their works.” If you live after the lusts of your flesh, that is your works, and if you “bow down to their gods,” then you're being ruled by demons. It says in (1Co.10:20) But [I say,] that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. You see, every one of the lusts of the flesh has a demon spirit that rules over it. Jesus Christ sowed a Seed in us to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, but the demons have sown other seeds in mankind. They have sown seeds of anger, seeds of lust, and seeds of rebellion, and the flesh has been bringing forth what is called the “lusts” of the flesh, which is another way of saying “fruit” of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 2:10-19). Demons are the ones who sowed the seeds that have brought this forth. They are the gods of the lusts of the flesh and God commanded us to kill them and not to serve their gods. (Exo.23:33) They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me; for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee. He is talking about marching through this Promised Land, and putting to death, one by one, the lusts of the flesh. And He is talking about not submitting, not bowing down, to their gods. If you are throwing out their “flesh,” you are throwing out the demon gods' power. If you simply throw out the demon gods and hold on to the flesh, they will be back. We are this Promised Land that has to be sanctified. The word “sanctified” means “separated from sin, separated from the curse, and separated unto God.” As God led the Israelites through their Promised Land and they put to death the original inhabitants with a physical sword, so we are led of the Holy Spirit through our promised land to put to death the lusts of the flesh with the “sword” of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Heb.4:12) For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And it is two-edged because one edge is for you. We are commanded to Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col.3:5) The devil fears you if you know your authority and you are walking with God. Now, what about casting out demons from the lost? Are we authorized to do that? One time, I had been asking God about casting demons out of my mother. She had come to live with us in our house, but she didn't know the Lord. Most people do not know you need permission from God to cast demons out of a lost person, but it's biblical. (Luk.11:24) The unclean spirit when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and finding none, he saith, I will turn back unto my house whence I came out. (25) And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. (26) Then goeth he, and taketh [to him] seven other spirits more evil than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. You see, the lost person will get them seven times worse if you cast the demons out without the person turning to God. There are “loopholes” in the Bible, and so I asked God for permission to cast the demons out of my mother on the basis that my house is not cursed, but she was in my house and bringing me under a curse. I asked, “God, I am not under the curse. Can I cast the demons out of her because she is bringing a curse upon me?” God gave my daughter Jennifer a dream that night. She saw my mother's house in the middle of my house, except it was three stories tall, sticking out of the top of my house. Out of the second floor, representing the soul, there was a plank leading out to the street. Five chickens, representing unclean spirits, were on it and they were walking the plank to the street. Well, I knew exactly what the Lord was saying. That night, Mama, full of demons, came to our bedroom door and her demons threatened us, “I am going to keep you awake all night!” I said, “Oh no you're not!” My wife and I jumped up and went into her room, and as we stood there, God gave us five spirits to cast out. We didn't even wait to see them come out. We just commanded, “Come out in the Name of Jesus!” as fast as we could name them. Then we marched out, went back to bed, and slept peacefully all night. The next day, we noticed that it was awfully quiet in that room. Not knowing what was going on, we opened the door and peeked in to see that her room was a total mess. And there was my mother, crawling out from under the bed! She had been wrestling in there with something all night long, but when she came out, she was humble, meek, and submissive. I never knew my mother to be that kind of person. She had been demon-possessed all of her life; she had been taking medication all of her life to keep those demons in subjection. Her “religion” had kept her from turning to God when she had the opportunity, but as long as she was in my house, we had peace. When the demons started drifting back, the Lord took her out of my house. As she was dying she returned to peace. There are several reasons why God will give deliverance to the lost, and we should read the Bible like a lawyer because God put loopholes in there so you can step through them sometimes. Another great loophole that the Lord showed me is that if somebody is a blessing to you, you can be a blessing to them. It does not matter if they are lost. We have the example of when Paul was shipwrecked on Melita and the natives of the island came to the rescue. They were very kind to Paul and the others who were cold and wet. The natives dried their clothes and got them out of the rain (Acts 28:1-2). (Act.28:7) Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and entertained us three days courteously. (8) And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on him healed him. He never preached the Gospel to him; he just healed him. Then they brought all the sick people on the island to Paul. He prayed for them and God healed them. (Act.28:9) And when this was done, the rest also that had diseases in the island came, and were cured. You do not see this elsewhere in the Bible because “healing is the children's bread” (Matthew 15:26), so I asked, “Why is this, Lord?” The Lord answered, “They were kind to them.” God will let you pray for somebody and heal them because they were good to you. He said, (Gen.12:3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. This is talking about us; we are the “Israelites.” There's one loophole, too, that's the mercy of God. The demoniac described in the Gospels was so far gone that you could not expect the man to have faith or make a rational decision, and Jesus cast the demons out of him, knowing what kind of decision he was going to make afterward (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). Sometimes God does this, but He does not have to do it. Now let me share with you the following testimony: Delivered from Scoliosis by D. M. My brother-in-law once bought me a book by Henry W. Wright entitled “A More Excellent Way: A Teaching on the Spiritual Roots of Disease.” I found the book to be fascinating and, as the British say, “spot-on” in many ways. (There is definitely a connection between a sin and its curse. Quite often, a sickness can identify the sin.) I have a good friend named “A” whom I've known since I was saved. We have conversed via phone for years, since we live in different states. A couple of years ago, he mentioned that he'd had scoliosis since childhood. I didn't say anything to him, but I went to Henry Wright's book and looked up what he had to say about scoliosis. I kept this to myself because I didn't feel right bringing it up to “A.” I knew the time would come as the Lord gave me freedom to do so. Today, I received an email from “A” asking me to pray for him for deliverance from a particular sin. He did not go into detail but gave me a hint. I replied that I would pray for him in a moment. But first I wanted to know when his scoliosis had begun, and if, in fact, it had begun about the time of his traumatic incident. He replied back that it did begin right afterwards. I decided to give him a call. We talked. He made a full confession of the incident. I quoted (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. And I told him that there was now nothing in the way of his deliverance. I prayed over the phone with him in agreement. Glory be to God, a hundred-pound weight came off my friend and he was delivered from the evil spirit of scoliosis and was healed! Awesome! Praise the Lord! Saints, we need to be led of the Spirit and wait for the Lord's leading so He can open the way for us to minister to others. Here's another testimony I'd like to share with you. Delivered from Lung Cancer by Linda L. (This lady was healed of a spirit of cancer when I for the brethren in our meeting rebuked it, although she was not present at that meeting. She related to us how, later that same night, what looked like smoke came out of her nose and she knew she was healed. Please note that she had faith to be healed.) My doctor's office called to tell me I had an inconsistency on my chest x-ray. I needed to go to the hospital for another x-ray. The second x-ray was not any better than the first. A CT scan was ordered. The suspicious spot was a ten-centimeter (approximately two inches) sized nodule in the upper right lobe. That night after numerous internet searches, I was devastated to learn that most nodules are malignant. My father had died of lung cancer in 1998. I am very familiar with the disease. At this point I started to do a lot of praying. Even though I knew Jesus heard my prayer, I did not have peace yet. My doctor sent me to a pulmonary specialist. The first thing Dr. Wagner told me was that I was not to worry. The surgeon would remove my lobe. I would not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. He started to ask questions about health, lifestyle, etc., and we talked more. He decided to wait and repeat the CT scan in two months. At this point, I told Dr. Wagner that God would heal me. He did not say anything, but I am sure he thought I was deluded. I am a very reserved person. I usually do not share information of this nature with many people. However, the Holy Spirit prompted me to tell Dr. Wagner how Jesus would heal my lung. When I saw Bob, a UBM elder, I told him my predicament. And as we talked, I asked his group to pray for my healing. Jesus would heal me. This was a Tuesday. I did not see Bob during the week, but I KNOW his prayer group prayed for me. A peace beyond all understanding came over me Saturday night. During the middle of the night, I saw an evil spirit leave my lungs! I KNEW I was healed. The next month arrived. It was time to repeat the CT scan. The doctor at the Imaging Center observed the entire scan. He reported the nodule was starting to calcify. In his opinion the nodule was now benign. Tears and praise flowed, as Jesus had healed me. Dr. Wagner told me I was one lucky lady. I reminded him that Jesus would heal me. The doctor did not acknowledge anything yet, but he knows that this healing from a deadly lung nodule was a miracle. Jesus hears our prayers and heals those who ask and have faith. He knows our pain. He honors His commitment to us when we believe Him and the works of His hands. Amen! That's so true! Praise You, Lord! Let's look at this parable in the Old Testament, how God delivers us. The Lord says in (Exo.23:27) I will send my terror before thee, and will discomfit all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. (28) And I will send the hornet before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. You know, it's easy to win a battle when your enemy is afraid, and making your enemy fearful is a proven strategy of warfare. There have been great battles won by very small armies against very large armies, all because fear was in the larger army. This happened to Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War when Arabs attacked them from all sides. Israel won overwhelming victories against all odds because God put fear in the hearts of their enemies. It's a quick battle when the enemy is fearful. Only God is able to do this! He did this in many places in the Scriptures, giving the Israelites tremendous victories. We have a good example where they sent spies into the Promised Land to understand their enemies' thinking. (Jos.2:1) And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there… (8) And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; (9) and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. (10) For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt… Going through the Red Sea was their salvation experience. Guess who knows immediately about our salvation experience? Demon spirits. They know who we are, but the problem is not that they know; the problem is, do we know? This is why we need to study the Scriptures; it's important that we find out who we are. Unless we know who we are, demon spirits can, and do, take advantage of us, but when you know who you are according to Scripture, the demons are fearful. In the dream that the Lord gave my daughter, the Lord had a sense of humor because He pictured the five demons as five chickens. Our enemies know that they cannot keep us from taking our land. (Jos.2:10) For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. (11) And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath. All of these verses are types and shadows of our enemies being fearful of us. (Jos.1:5) There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (6) Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. (7) Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest have good success whithersoever thou goest. (8) This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Spiritually speaking, the Lord is talking about taking this “land” in which we live, taking this land of the soul, which is our mind, our will, and our emotions. God says, (Exo.23:29) I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee. From this example, we see that it is not God's plan to purify us instantly, but almost every Christian religion teaches some form of “instantaneous sanctification.” They say all you need to do is get saved and you're sanctified. A number of them also believe that you're automatically filled with the Holy Spirit. In other words, there's a line you just step over and that's all there is to it; then you can sit down and take it easy. No, we can never sit down and take it easy because we have a land to conquer. God goes on to say, (Exo.23:30) By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. “Little by little” is God's plan. People who have their “instantaneous sanctification” theology do not understand that sanctification is when you are delivered of all the lusts of the flesh to the point where you're not even going to be tempted anymore. The ultimate end of sanctification is when the flesh is dead. We can all think of things in our lives from which God delivered us. They do not even tempt us anymore because that flesh is dead, but God wants to continue that process until He goes through all of our “Promised Land.” God wants to lead you to your enemy, give you the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), and put the fear of God in you (Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; etc.) He wants to give you understanding to know that you have victory through the Gospel and through the Blood of Jesus. So the Lord said, (Exo.23:22) But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. But He also says, (Exo.23:29) I will not drive them out from before thee in one year… and (Exo.23:30) By little and little I will drive them out from before thee… Well, the people of Israel did not “hearken unto his voice” to do all that the Lord spoke. We read in (Jdg.21:25) In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Jdg.2:20) And the anger of The Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; (21) I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died; (22) that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of The Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. (23) So the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. If you break God's Covenant, He is not going to do a quick work of delivering your enemies into your hand. The Blood is our weapon to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The New Testament says, (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The Blood cleanses as we walk in the light and as we obey what we know to obey. We cannot do anything about what we do not know, but as we do what we know to obey, the Blood cleanses. These “lusts of the flesh” and their “gods,” which have the same names, have to be driven out. Every lust of the flesh has a “god.” It's the demon spirit, having the same name, that rules over that particular lust. God said He is not going to be in a hurry to drive out your enemies if you are going to rebel. The Bible says in (Luk.12:48) And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. If you do something with what God gives you, He will give you more, but if you do not do something with what He has already given you, He is not going to give you anymore. You're going to stop right in your tracks because God is a merciful God. Otherwise, you would be condemned for not doing even more, and so when you stop doing something with your Sword against your enemy, God is going to stop. God does not flood us with knowledge of our every evil. He leads us to each individual evil, step-by-step, and He expects us, at that point and time, to do something about it. If He were to just flood our minds with the knowledge of all of the evil in us, we would be overwhelmed and probably lose faith. And if we didn't do something with all that knowledge, we would be condemned. When you have a lot of knowledge, Scripture warns us, (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. When you have a lot of knowledge, yet do nothing, you have a lot of sin. God brings these enemies up, one at a time, in front of our face. This usually occurs through temptation, through something happening around us. When He brings these enemies up in front of our face, we have an opportunity to use the Sword to come against that enemy. We can reject that lust of the flesh and command it to go in the Name of Jesus. If there is any demon spirit in our flesh, or if there is any demon spirit using that lust of the flesh to exercise authority in our soul, we can come against it, and we can win right there. We do not have to live with these demons all of our lives or go searching for some deliverance ministry, because we have authority over demon spirits and the flesh (Matthew 28:18-19; Luke 10:19; etc.) We're told, (Rom.6:11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. This is what we have to believe. We are dead unto sin, but alive unto God. We have total authority over the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Canaanites, and so forth. We have total authority over them and their gods. Every one of us can learn to exercise our Sword, the Word, against the lusts of the flesh and those spirits. We don't have to live with them anymore, but God is only going to continue this process as long as we cooperate. We are here to conquer our Promised Land, and there's no time for us to rest in the flesh. Our rest is in the Spirit. Our rest is in the promises of God. We can safely rest in His Word. The quicker we submit to him and resist the devil, the quicker we win. It says in (Psa.81:10) I am the Lord thy God, Who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt (He delivered you from the power of the old man at the Red Sea baptism.): Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. That is, “Say what I say,” speak as an oracle of God (1 Peter 4:11). And (11) But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me. (12) So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. (13) Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! (14) I would soon subdue their enemies (If we obey and fight the enemy, we will “soon” win.), And turn my hand against their adversaries. And they will be conquered. (15) The haters of the Lord should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever. (16) He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat; And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee. It's our obedience that brings the blessings. Remember, we are to be vigilant when we are in a trial because it's our opportunity to come against that particular enemy in our Promised Land and win. God brought us to this enemy for us to conquer it, and to do it now. This is why we are here. He has given us total authority over that enemy. There is no such thing as a “giant” in our Promised Land since even the least of us has total authority over the mightiest demon that comes into contact with us. God is walking with you. You need to realize that He wants your enemies to be conquered here and now, day by day, little by little. (Psa.81:11) But my people hearkened not to my voice; And Israel would none of me. (12) So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. You see, if you're resting in the flesh, rather than resting in the Spirit, then you are not doing anything. We are here to redeem the time and to win a battle. (Eph.5:15) Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. What is His Will for us if we walk in His ways? (Psa.81:13) Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! (14) I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries. You may say, “Well, David, that's exactly my problem, walking in His ways,” but there is always a step you can take, however small it may be. If He makes us responsible to walk in His ways, then we can walk in the light. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. We can take those steps. (Pro.4:18) But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day. You can take one step at a time, and God will be with you each step.

How wondrous is God's patience with the world today. On every side people are sinning with a high hand. The divine Law is trampled under foot and God Himself openly despised. It is truly amazing that He does not instantly strike dead those who so brazenly defy Him. Why does He not suddenly cut off the haughty infidel and blatant blasphemer, as He did Ananias and Sapphira? Why does He not cause the earth to open its mouth and devour the persecutors of His people, so that, like Dathan and Abiram, they shall go down alive into the Pit?

Text: Acts 4:32–5:11; Exodus 36; Leviticus 25; Isaiah 55; John 17Title: “What Can Stop a Move of God?”When revival moves, it's not just the world that notices—hell notices too. In this message, we explore how Spirit-filled community can be corrupted from within through pride, hypocrisy, and false appearances. We look at the radical generosity of the early church and contrast it with the deception of Ananias and Sapphira. Along the way, we trace God's vision for generosity from Eden to the cross and ask hard questions about financial idolatry, spiritual performance, and carrying God's name in vain. If you've ever wondered what can stop a move of God—this message shows you how it starts…and how to stop it from happening in you.

Scripture: Acts 9:1–19Main Idea: Saul's transformation into Paul shows us that real change is possible—and that love, not shame or hate, is what brings lasting transformation.Key Points:Like Mark Twain, Saul had a troubling past, but he didn't stay there. God used even his worst moments to tell a new story.Saul was literally “blinded by the light” of Christ—and came out seeing everything, and everyone, differently.Ananias had to change too. Forgiving Saul meant letting go of fear, anger, and judgment.The early church made space for Saul to become Paul. That forgiveness made room for one of the greatest voices in Christian history.Real change doesn't come through shame. It comes through love—bold, courageous, Christ-like love.We must ask ourselves: Are we like Jonah, clinging to resentment? Or like Ananias, ready to welcome transformed lives?Reflect:Who have I written off as beyond redemption or change?Where might God be asking me to lay down resentment or fear?Am I loving people into belief—or arguing them away from it?Quote of the Week:“In the end, we love people into belief. We do not argue them into belief.” – Tim KellerNext Step:Pray this week for the eyes to see others—especially those who have hurt or opposed you—as Jesus sees them: full of possibility and beloved by God.

Leadership rises and falls on integrity. When leaders live authentically—when their walk matches their talk—people follow with trust. But when leaders wear masks and say one thing while doing another, the damage can be catastrophic. In this episode, we explore the sobering truth about hypocrisy in leadership and why authenticity must be non-negotiable for Christian leaders. Using the powerful contrast between Barnabas and Ananias & Sapphira from Acts 4–5, we unpack what it means to lead with sincerity, how hypocrisy erodes credibility, and why your private life must align with your public message. You'll learn: Why God honored Barnabas's quiet, sincere generosity How the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira brought devastating consequences What it means to lead authentically in today's performance-driven world Five practical steps for cultivating trustworthy, Christ-centered leadership If you're leading at work, in ministry, or in your community, this episode will help you stay true to your calling and avoid the hidden trap of performative faith.

Catalyst Church NWA July 13, 2025 Lead Pastor Nate Sweeney

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-32 NLTIt is Holy Spirit who empowers our believing, obeying, and proclaiming the truth of Jesus! The whole congregation of believers was united as one, one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That's mine; you can't have it.” They shared everything. Acts 4:32 MSG They began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.' But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:24-27 NLTThe apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of Jesus, and grace was on all of them. Acts 4:33 MSGFor he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NLT Anytime someone really chooses the light and life God calls them to the world around them will be changed! For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. Acts 4:36-37 NLTA characteristic we are meant to model from the life of Christ is His submission to the will of God.  But a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him, sold a piece of land, secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it. Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn't lie to men but to God.” Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him. Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for your field?” “Yes,” she said, “that price.” Peter responded, “What's going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you're next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Acts 5:1-10 MSGDeception is always wrong, and motive always matters to God and will be rightly rewarded by Him.By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with. Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. Acts 5:11-14 MSGOne last takeaway and a poem will go here…

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-32 NLTIt is Holy Spirit who empowers our believing, obeying, and proclaiming the truth of Jesus! The whole congregation of believers was united as one, one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That's mine; you can't have it.” They shared everything. Acts 4:32 MSG They began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.' But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:24-27 NLTThe apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of Jesus, and grace was on all of them. Acts 4:33 MSGFor he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NLT Anytime someone really chooses the light and life God calls them to the world around them will be changed! For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. Acts 4:36-37 NLTA characteristic we are meant to model from the life of Christ is His submission to the will of God.  But a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him, sold a piece of land, secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it. Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn't lie to men but to God.” Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him. Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for your field?” “Yes,” she said, “that price.” Peter responded, “What's going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you're next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Acts 5:1-10 MSGDeception is always wrong, and motive always matters to God and will be rightly rewarded by Him.By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with. Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. Acts 5:11-14 MSGOne last takeaway and a poem will go here…

Blessings of the Fear of God (1) (audio) David Eells 7/9/25 Psa 111:10 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do his commandments: His praise endureth forever. The fear of the Lord is a teaching that is all over the Bible. We all need a proper reverence and awe of God, which is the beginning of true knowledge and wisdom. Without a proper respect for God's Word, we won't gain true knowledge or wisdom. When we have a holy fear of God, we get understanding, contentment, confidence, blessings, and a desire to walk in obedience to Him. It causes us to desire a right relationship with God. The fear of the Lord is not about being paralyzed by terror, but about a deep respect and submission to the Almighty God, Who is holy, righteous, merciful, but is also the author of all chastening for His children. We also need to know that the wrath of God comes to those who continue in sin and rebellion against Him. The prophets of old show us to have a deep, humble respect for God and His Words. His judgment upon willful sin and His wrath on the wicked in this world should humble us to His will. Knowing of His sovereignty in all things helps us to read the signs of His opinion of man's works. Having a holy fear of the Lord will cause us to stay within His boundaries and make good choices. Let's look at some scriptures today to help us all get a better understanding of the fear of the Lord and what it means. When I began my study of the sovereignty of God, I gained an understanding and then experience of His sovereignty, which has borne much fruit in my life in the area of rest, peace, faith, and respect for Him. It has sharpened my fear of God and removed my fear of man's conspiracies by the devil. It has given me a strong sense of the awesomeness of God. Others have shared similar stories with me. It says in (Dan.4:35) And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Nobody can push God's hand away and say, “What are you doing?” Nobody can stop Him from doing what He wants to do. This should give us faith, rest, and the fear of God. It is important to God that we know He is sovereign. Without this knowledge, we will not have the peace, rest, and the fear of God that we need in the midst of trials. We will always be wrestling with people and circumstances and trusting in our own strength, instead of seeing God's hand in it and trusting in His strength. Isa 43:13 Yea, since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it? Many have deceptive doctrines that appease their selfish desires such as doctrines of materialistic prosperity rather than bearing our cross, unconditional eternal security so that they may live after the flesh without fear of God's warnings, rapture without sanctification through trial, eternal life without discipleship and holiness, etc. God's people have justified just about anything to appease their flesh such as unscriptural divorces, abortion, drunkenness, drugs, lying, stealing, etc. Peace for the flesh is deception. Satan and his ministers are anxious to tell us what our flesh wants to hear. We are told in 2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. God would not tell us to do something that we cannot do by faith in Him. He wants us to be sanctified in truth. Let me share a testimony with you.   The Fear of The Lord Anonymous A few months ago, I was looking around online for some books by Watchman Nee and I ran across your website. Being brought up by what I now know to be the apostate church, when I saw “America's Last Days”, that's something you don't want to hear about because it is never taught. I entered the site (sovereignly) and began looking at the Sovereign God book. I read one line that changed my life, doctrine, and everything I had been taught – ‘that God is in control of the evil, as well as the good.' I thought some things just happened and the devil did some things. Right then the fear of God came on me and has not left. Although I have been saved for several years, I never knew what the fear of God was until I experienced it that day. Once saved, always saved, right? Wrong. I knew then that if God had not intervened, I might be in for a surprise, should I have died in that state. God had something better for me. I walk more cautiously before the Lord and want to obey Him; I've seen what He can do. Fear of man and fear of Satan are out of the question compared to what God can do. Thanks for submitting to God and allowing the word of knowledge and wisdom to flow through you. Revelations are keys and He's given us the "Keys of David" (Eells) to unlock the treasures of God. The Name of the Lord is to be feared. When Moses asked God to see His glory Exo 33:18-23 And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live. 21 and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock: 22 and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by: 23 and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. Exo 34:5-7 And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. 6 And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; 7 keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. Meaning the sins of the fathers are inherited through the blood and association by the children. Deu 10:17 For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward. Psa 47:2 For Jehovah Most High is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth. Psa 99:3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name: Holy is he. Psa 66:3-5 Say unto God, How terrible are thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, And shall sing unto thee; They shall sing to thy name. Selah. 5 Come, and see the works of God; He is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. Psa 86:11 Teach me thy way, O Jehovah; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name. Psa 102:15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory. They saw what God did for Israel at the Red Sea and feared them. Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth. 1Ki 8:41-43 Moreover concerning the foreigner, that is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake 42 (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thine outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the foreigner calleth to thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name. Luk 1:49-50 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is unto generations and generations On them that fear him. Deu 7:21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a great God and a terrible. We need to learn the fear of God so we do not sin. It says in Exo 20:19-20 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not. God gave His people the Commandments and the Law and showed the curse of breaking the law so that they would fear Him. In Deu 31:11 when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law; 13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear Jehovah your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it. Deu 6:1-2 Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it; 2 that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. (The fear of the Lord's commandments prolongs life and prosperity.) Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; and him shalt thou serve, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you; 15 for Jehovah thy God in the midst of thee is a jealous God; lest the anger of Jehovah thy God be kindled against thee, and he destroy thee from off the face of the earth. (The “other gods” we are told are demons and they rule over the lusts of the flesh. Those who fear God will not follow their lusts.) Psa 119:9-11 BETH. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee. Pro 2:1-8 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee; 2 So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures: 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God. 6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding: 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to them that walk in integrity; 8 That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints. (Seeking wisdom and understanding brings the fear of the Lord.) Pro 1:7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction. Psa 2:11 Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear Jehovah: Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Psa 34:11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of Jehovah. Psa 66:16 Come, and hear, all ye that fear God, And I will declare what he hath done for my soul. Psa 19:9 The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring forever: The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether Psa 96:9 Oh worship Jehovah in holy array: Tremble before him, all the earth. Psa 99:1 Jehovah reigneth; let the peoples tremble: He sitteth above the cherubim; let the earth be moved. Pro 8:13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate. Pro 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for; And by the fear of Jehovah men depart from evil. Pro 1:24-30 Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah: 30 They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof. Pro 23:17 Let not thy heart envy sinners; But be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long: Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil. 8-9 And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. 9 Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Scriptural humility is to humble ourselves to the Word and will of God. Do you want to be honored of the Lord, the angels, and man? Humility needs to come first before we can receive the blessings of God, all those great promises we are believing Him for. Pro 15:33 The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom; And before honor goeth humility. And Pro 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah Is riches, and honor, and life. How many people have lost their lives, spiritual or physical or both, because they didn't humble themselves to God's Word? Isa 66:2 For all these things hath my hand made, and so all these things came to be, saith Jehovah: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word. Eph 5:15 Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (We are told His will is to walk in sanctification) 18 And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ. (I.e., Humility to one another.) Blessings come with the fear of God. Isa 33:6 And there shall be stability in thy times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of Jehovah is thy treasure. Psa 25:12 What man is he that feareth Jehovah? Him shall he instruct in the way that he shall choose. Psa 31:19-20 Oh how great is thy goodness, Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee, Before the sons of men! 20 In the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings of man: Thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Psa 34:9 Oh fear Jehovah, ye his saints; For there is no want to them that fear him. Psa 85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, That glory may dwell in our land. Psa 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him. 17 But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them. Psa 112:1-3 Praise ye Jehovah. Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, That delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house; And his righteousness endureth forever. Psa 115:9-13 O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield. 11 Ye that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield. 12 Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless them that fear Jehovah, Both small and great. Psa 128:1-6 Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah, That walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labor of thy hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, In the innermost parts of thy house; Thy children like olive plants, Round about thy table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed That feareth Jehovah. 5 Jehovah bless thee out of Zion: And see thou the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, see thou thy children's children. Peace be upon Israel. Psa 145:18-20 Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth. 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. 20 Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy. Psa 147:11 Jehovah taketh pleasure in them that fear him, In those that hope in his lovingkindness. Pro 10:27 The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Pro 19:23 The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life, And he that hath it shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil. Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil: 8 It will be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones. Pro 14:26-27 In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence; And his children shall have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, That one may depart from the snares of death. (You can escape death.) Mal 3:16-18 Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Ecc 8:12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him: 13 This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Judgment/Wrath of God Throughout the Scriptures, God gathered the nations against His people when they were in apostasy, and it was for the purpose of bringing a crucifixion and death to the old man. God is in absolute control; there's nothing left to chance down here concerning His children. We know the judgments that are coming upon the world will restore the fear of the Lord, and many will depart from evil. They will run to Zion, which is a place of safety, but Zion is a place of holiness, too, a place of separation from the world. When the Man-child comes as the white horse rider in Revelation 6, he will come with the latter rain anointing and the judgments of God. We see Jesus in the Man-child in Isa 11:2-3 And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; Isa 50:10 Who is among you that feareth Jehovah, that obeyeth the voice of his servant? he that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of Jehovah, and rely upon his God. Hag 1:12-13 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Jehovah. 13 Then spake Haggai Jehovah's messenger in Jehovah's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith Jehovah. Isa 8:13 Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. Jer 5:21-26 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and see not; that have ears, and hear not: 22 Fear ye not me? saith Jehovah: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it. 23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good from you. 26 For among my people are found wicked men: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men. Psa 119:120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; And I am afraid of thy judgments. Jer 10:10 But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation. Mic 7:17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto Jehovah our God, and shall be afraid because of thee. Mal 1:6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 6 For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. Psa 76:6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep. 7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared; And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? 8 Thou didst cause sentence to be heard from heaven; The earth feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, To save all the meek of the earth. Selah. 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: The residue of wrath shalt thou gird upon thee. 11 Vow, and pay unto Jehovah your God: Let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. 12 He will cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth. Mat 10:28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Heb 10:30 For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Dan 6:26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and stedfast forever, And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even unto the end. Heb 12:28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire. Paul's instruction to Timothy in 1Ti 5:20 Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear. And our example of how fear came on everyone in Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 But Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out. 10 And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things. Rom 13:1-4 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: 4 for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. 1Pe 2:17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; Rom 12:19 Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. Rev 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? Rev 14:6-7 And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he saith with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters. Rev 14:10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God. Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth. Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.   Truth Poured Forth from My Anointed Is Bringing the Dead to Life Debbie Fenske 6/29/23 I want to share a word Jesus shared with me early this morning as I was sitting before Him, praying, and just waiting on Him. I heard Him speak a couple of thoughts to me. After writing down the second thought, Jesus just kept speaking this encouraging word. “Many, so many who have, in the past, been a part of UBM, are beginning now to understand the evil, and the dangers of faction. The truth that they are receiving from Me is instilling a holy fear within them. This is why I rise up in David, My servant, moving within him to keep talking and warning about this. It has been imperative for him to do so, for faction is a disease killing many. So many who have not understood this are now finally listening, and repenting, and many will return to My ministry of UBM to receive truth once again. For they are aware of the great deadness of their spiritual womb. My truth, and a holy fear of Me will produce life in them once again.” “My servant, David, must not stop speaking about these things, for I will have My way, which is revealing to all I have chosen, the true condition of their hearts. My truth will break out again like a wildfire through the mouth of My servant, for My anointing will not leave him. And My anointed chosen will soon be revealed, and many, many blind eyes will be opened, and the deaf ears will hear. Hearts will be healed, and they will rush under the presence of My anointing, and will grow, and will with much Joy, and spiritual vigor, produce much fruit which will come forth from My life within them.” “My provision, in every way, will flow once again. Press in, and I will give abundant blessings. Receive them now, as you press into Me, that I may make them manifest to you. For My Spirit is moving, stirring hearts to come back to Me, and My anointing. They are coming back to the truth. Trust Me, and wait on Me, and you will see, soon, the outpouring of My Spirit, and My great supply of provision for my people, as the unleavened bread continues to go forth from My anointed, and spoken forth from all who have received, and believe, and are walking the unleavened walk.” “The time is set for My Life received to pour forth from you, a flowing stream of Life. Remain faithful, humble, and pure. I have not, and will not fail of any of My good promises to My unleavened bread ministry.” Before I got on the Zoom meeting this morning, I prayed that God would somehow, someway, confirm this word. And I believe that He did that through some verses that were shared this morning. Deb Horton's scripture she shared was Jeremiah 32:6-15. The confirming verse is the second part of verse 8. “Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.” I also felt confirmation was received in verse 15 of her scripture verses. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. Houses, and fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.” Shay shared Philippians 4:19-23. Verses 19-20: “And my God will supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God, and Father glory forever and ever. Amen.” Amen! Yes, Lord. All glory belongs to You! Thank You, faithful Father, for delivering and rescuing those who You will from the evil faction, and opening the eyes of those who just could not see to receive the awful truth about faction, and so gave up and set aside Your truth. Thank You for Your blessings now, and those You are about to abundantly bestow upon UBM, and for Your faithfulness to all, all over the world, who are faithful to You in giving out the unleavened truth of Your Word. Amen!

Istrouma Baptist Church (ASC) Jul 6, 2025 ========== July 6 - These Words Changed My Life Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo The Church As Family Mark 3:31-35 (CSB) Mark 3:31-35 (CSB) 31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” 33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers? ” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said,“Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” I. We Are Members of God's Family Through His Obedient Son Ephesians 1:3-6 (CSB) Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. Dietrich Bonhoeffer — “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community or more or less than this…Without Christ we should not know God, we could not call upon him, nor come to him. But without Christ we also would not know our brother, nor could we come to him. The way is blocked by our own ego.” II. As Members of God's Family We Have a New Father and Belong to a New Household A New Family Salvation is a community creating event Matthew 13:54-55 (CSB) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 Isn't this the carpenter's son? A New Father Displays the Authority of God has over His Church Matthew 23:8-9 (CSB) “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,' because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.” A New Father Displays the Care of God for his People Matthew 7:10-11 (CSB) “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” III. This Family Language Establishes How We Should Relate to One Another in the Church Acts 9:13-17 (CSB) 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him,“Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” How We Relate as Family 1. Commitment 2. Conflict 3. Care 4. Cost IV. The Church is a Real Family Not a Perfect One Trevin Wax — “It's paradoxical but true. You can only truly benefit from the community of faith in its healthiest expressions when you don't expect something from the church that God alone can give. The church doesn't solve loneliness. Only God does that. Yes, often he does that through his people. But the way he accomplishes this work is by putting you through the difficult, sanctifying process of loving people who don't seem to love you back and remaining fiercely committed to people who may be a source of heartbreak in your life. This is the hard part of seeing the church as family: bearing with your siblings through thick and thin, recognizing Jesus in them but also realizing they're not Jesus. That's the only way we can live and love as the family of God, without idealistic expectations crushing our spirits.”

In part three of our series “Becoming His Church,” we explore what it means to be a selfless church. The early church in Acts gives us a blueprint for how to steward a move of God through unity, boldness, generosity, and reverence. After praying for boldness, the Holy Spirit moved again in power, and the church responded with selfless love and radical community. This message walks through Acts 4:32 to 5:11, highlighting that a selfless church is unified in heart and mission, empowered by the Spirit, generous with one another, and deeply reverent before the Lord. We'll look at how the Holy Spirit transforms hearts to say, “If I have it, we have it,” and why true generosity must be Spirit-led, not pressure driven. We'll also learn from the sobering example of Ananias and Sapphira that honesty, accountability, and the fear of the Lord are essential in becoming the kind of church Jesus desires. If we're going to be His church, we must be a selfless church.

Flowing with God or Fighting against God?   Scale of 1-10 If flowing with God is a 10—and fighting against God is a 1—where are you on that scale? Acts 4:36-37 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. Acts 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.  2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?  4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.  6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.  11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.   Beware of hypocrisy.   12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade.  13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.  14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.  15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.  16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.   17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.  18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.    Beware of jealousy.   19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.  20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles.  22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”  24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. 25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.”  26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.” 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!  30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.  31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.  32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.  34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Beware of neutrality. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Ever wonder what true faith really looks like?Kyle Norman explores how faith isn’t just something we hold—it’s something we do. Meeting the risen Jesus transforms lives radically, like it did for Saul, Ananias, and Peter. Through their stories, we see Jesus calling each of us to a new way of living marked by grace, change, and bold love.