Podcasts about Calvary

In this week's episode, Dr. Willy Rice teaches from John 8, John 1, and John 9, unpacking Jesus' profound declaration that He is the light of the world. Through these scriptures, we explore both who Jesus is and what He can do—not just as the eternal Word through whom all things were created, but as the true light who brings life to humanity. Jesus reminds us that following Him means we will never walk in darkness, because He has come to open blind eyes and deliver prisoners from spiritual dungeons.This message challenges us to step into the light of life, holding onto the truth that no matter how empty or dark the world may seem, the true light has come and the darkness will never overcome it. Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us

Share a commentA simple “No” can light up something in us that we didn't even know was there. Tell people not to feed the bears, and suddenly the bears look hungry. Put up a “stay off the grass” sign, and the lawn starts calling your name. We use that everyday tension to unpack Romans 7 and a hard truth: God's law doesn't create evil, but it does expose how deeply our hearts resist limits, and how quickly forbidden things can feel irresistible.We talk through Paul's own story of being confident, moral, and deeply religious, only to be brought to zero when the commandment truly lands and he meets the Lawgiver. That moment doesn't just reveal “mistakes,” it reveals a condition. From there we face the deception of sin head-on: the promises of satisfaction that never last, the illusion of safety, the myth of secrecy, the rewriting of shame, and the false security that says grace means nothing really matters. If you've ever thought, “It'll be different for me,” this will hit close to home.We also make the case that the law is holy, righteous, and good because it reveals God's character, but it cannot heal what it diagnoses. The law works like an X-ray, not a cure, pushing us away from self-righteousness and toward redemption at Calvary rather than confidence at Sinai. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest “forbidden fruit” temptation you've seen play out in real life.Explore all of our Biblically Faithful Resources at https://www.wisdomonline.org Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Share a commentA simple “No” can light up something in us that we didn't even know was there. Tell people not to feed the bears, and suddenly the bears look hungry. Put up a “stay off the grass” sign, and the lawn starts calling your name. We use that everyday tension to unpack Romans 7 and a hard truth: God's law doesn't create evil, but it does expose how deeply our hearts resist limits, and how quickly forbidden things can feel irresistible.We talk through Paul's own story of being confident, moral, and deeply religious, only to be brought to zero when the commandment truly lands and he meets the Lawgiver. That moment doesn't just reveal “mistakes,” it reveals a condition. From there we face the deception of sin head-on: the promises of satisfaction that never last, the illusion of safety, the myth of secrecy, the rewriting of shame, and the false security that says grace means nothing really matters. If you've ever thought, “It'll be different for me,” this will hit close to home.We also make the case that the law is holy, righteous, and good because it reveals God's character, but it cannot heal what it diagnoses. The law works like an X-ray, not a cure, pushing us away from self-righteousness and toward redemption at Calvary rather than confidence at Sinai. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest “forbidden fruit” temptation you've seen play out in real life.Explore all of our Biblically Faithful Resources at https://www.wisdomonline.org Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

The battle in Judges 4 and 5, explains the psalmist, is a prototype of the great battle at Calvary!

Welcome to the Calvary Church Podcast!  -- To support this ministry and help us continue to spread the Gospel around the world, click here: https://www.calvar

La vida cristiana no consiste en esforzarse por ganar la aprobación de Dios mediante nuestros propios esfuerzos. Como concluye Pablo al final de Gálatas 2, también debemos morir a la Ley para que sea posible vivir para Dios. Luego, en Gálatas 2:20, Pablo hace seis declaraciones sobre su independencia de la Ley. Pablo escribe: “Con… The post Declaraciones de Independencia appeared first on Calvary Chapel At The Cross.

Sunday Evening, June 21, 2026Given by Dr. Eric Russ | Pastor of Outreach and Evangelism, Christ Covenant ChurchThe Journey from Calvary to Your HeartHeidelberg Catechism—Lord's Day 25YouTube VideoDownload our mobile app

A wave has crashed over our city, a wave called the New York Knicks that drew everyone together, regardless of borough, background, or whether you even like basketball. This experience has been nothing short of a baptism—and it helps us make sense of what St. Paul means when he says we've been baptized, not into the Knicks, but into Jesus.

Andrew needs backup that the angsty chefs need to take it down a notch. Johnny needs backup that there needs to be more rules when it comes to the marketing of horror movies. Enjoy!Support the showRemember to sign up for the Patreon for Post-Show Banter! https://patreon.com/thecavalrypodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Pastor Jason Brouwer Genesis 32:22-24 Jason Brouwer

Heidelberg Catechism—Lord's Day 25

Attached to the House • Part of our weekly Sunday morning study through Exodus.

A message from Pastor Sof (A Study of the Book of Psamls)....Psalms Ch 103 v 18-14, The Heart of the Father! If you are interested in attending our LIVE teachings (Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm & Sundays @ 10:00 am), you are invited to visit us at 4218 Boston Ave. Lubbock, Texas. To connect with us, you can call us at (806) 799-2227, email us at calvarylubbock@hotmail.com, or checkout our website at CalvaryChapelLubbock.church. You can also watch us on Facebook and contact us through Facebook Messenger. Please feel free to let us know about your walk with Jesus, as we would love to hear it and pray with you. If you'd like to partner with us to help us take the Gospel to the world, just click on the DONATE button on our website, let us know through Facebook Messenger, or in person. We pray that the rest of your week be blessed and that you share the love of Jesus with everyone that you encounter.

The Christian life is not about striving to earn God's approval through your efforts. As Paul concludes at the end of Galatians 2, we must also die to the Law, so that it's possible to live for God. Then in Galatians 2:20, Paul makes 6 declarations of his independence from the Law. Paul writes, “I… The post Declarations of Independence appeared first on Calvary Chapel At The Cross.

Who Does the Lord Know? (1) (audio) David Eells, 6/21/26 We received a question regarding Matthew 7:23 and how these people could say they know the Lord, and yet the Lord says, “I never knew you”. Also, Some people think that they are lost people, or that they were never really saved. And so I thought we could look at that today and identify who the Lord knows and those whom the Lord said He never knew. Let's look first in Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. The Bible talks about false prophets quite a bit in both the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes they don't appear to have been apostate, but in some cases, they definitely are. This is true in 2 Peter chapter 2; and the Christians he's talking about there. I believe the whole chapter really is about false prophets. 2Pe 2:15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; Of course, the only one that can forsake the right way is somebody who's been there, and obviously, they are being an apostate or fallen away in this case. For instance in 2Pe 2:20-21 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. This and many other scriptures clearly refute the ”once saved always saved doctrine.  Another good example would be in Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; This includes those who fell into the error of trying to be “a profit” instead of a prophet. But I just wanted to make that point, because some people say that all false prophets are lost people, and that's just not the case. Of course, a lot of times, when we talk about Christians, we really should identify Christians the way the Bible identifies Christians, and not the way the worldly church identifies them. The way the worldly church identifies Christians now is those who have been born in spirit. Their spirit has been born from God, and they have a new spirit. But it is more than that. that's not the way the scriptures identify as Christians. Scriptures identify Christians as those who walk and talk the way Christ walked and talked. Also, there's a big difference between somebody who's just been born in spirit and those who walk the way Christ walked, because you can have Christ's spirit and not live His life as Paul exhorted Christians in Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. That's an exhortation given to those who have the spirit of Christ because he went on to exhort that those who have the spirit of Christ should go on to receive the Spirit of God. Everyone who is born of God receives the Spirit of Christ and today, that's called a born-again Christian. As we read the text, we'll see that “Christian” is identified scripturally as something completely different. So keep that in mind that I'm talking about Christians in the way that the church uses the term, those who have been born in spirit. Back to Mat 7:16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; (Again, now he's not just identifying prophets. Now he's broadening the scope. And in the next few verses, he uses the word “every” several times. So he's broadening the scope to talk about everybody, not just false prophets.) 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Now, this same verse is used in Matthew 3:10, where John the Baptist is rebuking the Covenant people of God; those religious leaders who made their stand on believing that Abraham was their father. Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  I want you to notice here that He's talking about the Covenant people, thinking that because they were children of Abraham, they were entitled to God's blessings. And John told them that that's not the truth. The truth is, only bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance brings you into God's blessings. I think this is a good exhortation for Christians today, because Christians think, “Well, I'm a Christian, God's my Father so I can just go and do what I want to do now.” But this is not so. It says every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit among us is hewn down and cast into the fire.  The scripture also says in Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away:… Notice: Every branch in me… Now that can be no other than God's people, right? We're all responsible to bring forth fruit. The fruit is what identifies us as Christians, and the fruit here, as we see in the text, is the actions of your life. The fruit is love, the joy, the peace, the righteousness; all those things that Christ was and is. The actions of our life are the fruit of the inner life, that's what He's talking about; the fruit. Along the same line in several of Jesus's parables, He came looking for fruit on the fig tree. He wasn't looking for fruit on a tree that wasn't supposed to bring forth fruit. He was looking for fruit on a tree that was created to bring forth fruit. It is the fig tree that identifies God's people. Luk 13:6-9 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.  Notice: The Lord is the one who's going to cut it down. The Lord is long-suffering with us to bear fruit, but be that as it may, we've been given a certain amount of time to bear that fruit, and I think that's what He's talking about in Matthew 7, because as He goes on in Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Now he's identifying fruit as doing the will of the Father. The fruit of the Spirit is doing the will of the Father. He goes on to say, 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Let me make a point here. Do you suppose that it's possible that an apostate Christian could prophesy? I mean, prophesy from the Lord? We have examples in the scriptures of false prophets who prophesied in the name of the Lord. A good example is in 1 Samuel 19. This is talking about Saul after he had fallen away from the Lord; in fact, he had been rejected by the Lord. It says 1Sa 19:23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? Now, some people say, well, because he stripped off all his clothes, that doesn't seem like a godly thing to do, but I think what the Holy Spirit was showing to people around him was that he was walking naked before the Lord. He wasn't dressed up with Christ. He didn't have on his wedding garment, so on and so forth. He had fallen away in his works, because remember when we studied the garment, it symbolized your works, right? In Revelation 19, the righteous acts of the saints were the garment that the bride is wearing.  Now, I want you to notice this too; this same man had a demon that was sent from God to him. 1Sa 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. Now this is the same Saul whom the Lord had departed from, who later prophesied in the name of the Lord, because the Spirit came upon him. Here, he prophesied in verse 10 by an evil spirit. He had obviously become a false prophet. Was it always that way? No, it wasn't always that way. He was the anointed of the Lord. But yet he became a false prophet. He became what we would know today as an apostate Christian. He was rejected in 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king. So he had been rejected by the Lord, received an evil spirit by which he prophesied, and later even prophesied in the name of the Lord when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Now, going back to what I consider to be probably apostate Christians in Mat 7: 22 …Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name,… And some people say, ‘Well, that wouldn't be possible if this person did not know the Lord at all to be able to prophesy by thy name.' And the point I want you to see here, too, is that it says by thy name and not in thy name; in the original, it says by thy name, meaning they could be prophesying true enough, but they weren't in the name. They weren't getting a reward because they weren't abiding in the name of the Lord. Another point, it says, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12, when they accused Him of casting out demons by the prince of demons, Beelzebub? Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. 25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. You know, I think you'll find that Satan doesn't cast out Satan; that even the most apostate Christians, because of their Covenant relationship with the Lord, still have authority to do that and can do it. I've seen people that the Lord identified to me as false prophets and actually did prophesy wrongly, and I've seen them cast out demons too. They had the Covenant relationship because of the Jews. The seven sons of Sceva were Jews. You see, the Jews were casting out demons. This wasn't new to the Jews to cast out demons. They had been doing that. And because of Covenant relationship, the Jews got healing, and they got deliverance. Even today, people, because of Covenant relationship, before being completely rejected by God, they can still cast out demons.  I know of a false prophet in particular who has identified too many people who cast out demons; in fact, he cast them out with me. Let me say this: a person who is lost, who does not know the Lord, how do they cast out demons? Those who have no Covenant relationship with the Lord; how do they cast out demons? Their father manifestly is Beelzebub, so how do they cast out demons? Well, what happened to the seven sons of Sceva when they tried to use “by Jesus whom Paul preacheth” to cast out demons in Acts 19:13 and then got whipped? They did not know the one who was creating the New Covenant. I think the point is that you have to be in some kind of a Covenant relationship in order to be casting demons out, because Satan doesn't cast out Satan.  The One who lives in you now casts out demons. 1Jn 4:4 … greater is he that's in you than he that is in the world. Who's in the world? Satan. Does Satan cast out his own kingdom? Jesus said, No, he doesn't do that. Well, here's the point. Were they casting the demons out by the Spirit of God or were they casting them out by Satan? Jesus said they couldn't cast them out by Satan. The lost people's authority is Satan. The one that lives in them is Satan. The point I'm making about these people here, these false prophets, is that many of them are apostate Christians. Remember, an apostate is one who is falling away from the truth and the grace of God. And it's somebody who is obviously saying, Lord, Lord, (so they obviously believed in their heart that Jesus was their Lord) Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy and by thy name cast out demons and by thy name do many mighty works? Notice they were not “in” thy name but God permitted this “by” thy name as a witness of Jesus. Who is it today that we know that is doing this in the name of the Lord, if it's not somebody who is abiding in His name, which is far more powerful?  I was in a situation where a preacher and his girl friend were trying to cast many demons out of a man who chased them out of the building. Previously the demon possessed man chased  the preachers deacon through a plate glass door, shattering it, and sending him to the hospital. So, they sent for me and told me their story. They watched from the doorway as I approached this man who thought to do the same to me. By the grace of God he cowered and was delivered. Many today are in “by” mode, meaning they are using the name of the Lord and not doing it in the name. I agree that some people profess the Lord and don't know the Lord or haven't been sent by Him. And all false prophets are not apostate Christians or just lost deceivers. ; not all of them. And I'm convinced that there is some chicanery going on even in Christian circles. I don't know if any of you are familiar with it, but I've been among some of them where they see a demon behind every bush. They cast demons out daily from everybody's flesh. But a lot of that's not demons, it's just run away flesh.  Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now here's the point: is there such a thing as a Christian who's been born in spirit that God spoke to and said, “I don't know you” or “I never knew you?” Yes, we have examples of that. But first, before we get away from this, I want to read on because He says, I never knew you depart from me you that work iniquity. What is it for the Lord to know you? I want to look at that and what that means. When he says depart from me ye that work iniquity verse 24 went right on Every one therefore; (Meaning: He's talking about the same thing as just before this verse.) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: Notice, He didn't say whether you had the spirit of Christ or not; it all has to do with obedience. The difference between a foolish man and a wise man is strictly just one word; obedience. The born again spirit filled with the Holy Spirit gives us power to obey through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Our text deals with the fruit, which has to do with whether you're obeying. So the main difference between the wise and the foolish is hearing the words and doing them. Notice that both men here in this text heard the words, but only one obeyed, and that was the wise man. 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. And this is the test that follows. I want to make that point before we go on because I want to look at the foolish virgins briefly, because God spoke to them, and He says, I don't know you. Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Again, what's the difference between the wise and the foolish? It's just one thing, being a hearer and a doer by the anointing of God. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. We know that in Pro 20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts. The spirit of man is the lamp of the oil. And the oil being the life of God or the Holy Spirit is to be in that lamp. And there's a vessel that the wise virgins took with them that was also full of oil; that obviously the foolish did not bring. What do you think the vessel is that also has the oil? We've talked about the difference between the born again spirit and the born again soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions. This is the fruit of the Spirit being born in the soul.  The person who had just a born-again spirit, but brought forth no fruit in the soul through obedience will be rejected. They were not bearing the fruit of obedience so they could be born again in the soul. The vessel that they brought with their lamp is the vessel of their physical life because that's where you bear the fruit of the oil. That's where you bear the fruit of Christ to be seen by the world. Now, even the foolish virgins here had oil in their lamp or spirit. So you can't classify them as non-Christians? Or, what we've been calling Christians. You understand? Verse 5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. This was another question someone had a while back about a word, so I went and looked it up. It's the Greek word, kosmeo. Kosmeo is the word we get cosmetics from. And it simply means ‘to arrange or to adorn'. It's not implying that their lamps were out and they lit them, you understand? It's just talking about adorning or arranging their lamps. They chose to translate it trim in this text; I don't think that's a very good word to use. To trim is to bring the wick up so the light shines best. Continuing in Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Notice that - the door was shut. That was ominous because that door being shut is mentioned in other places in the scripture, like in Luke 13:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. He said, I know you not. Now these virgins did have oil in their lamps. So obviously what the Lord means by knowing you is more than just receiving a new spirit, a born-again spirit. There must be fruit born of that spirit life in order for the Lord to know you. And I want to look at that too. Before we go there, let's look at Luke too, because it has a very close parallel to this door being closed. Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; … (Obviously the same text there.) and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; 26 then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; 27 and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. See, so many people are relying on their relationship with the Lord by what they know, by who they're connected with, by the fact that they're a Christian, that they've accepted Jesus as their Savior, but they're using none of the criteria of the scriptures. The only basis that God rebuked any of these people was for their disobedience. And we know that the only way we can obey is by having faith in the Lord and being filled with His Spirit. If we have faith, we'll obey. We'll overcome the sins that we struggle against because we fight the good fight of faith. It's not by works. I'm not trying to magnify our works; I'm trying to magnify the Lord's works through us. The criteria by which the Lord is going to judge any of us is going to be works. And he says to them, because of their evil works, not because they weren't Christians, because it's obvious to me from Matthew 25, and what we just read here, that He's talking to His children. But He says, I know not whence ye are… What causes the Lord to know us? First of all, many people are going to be found in this situation. In Matthew 25, there were 10 virgins. It was talking about the time of the coming of the Lord, how that five were ready, and five were not. That's only half of the people mentioned; half were not ready to meet the Lord, and half were. The very next parable is the parable of the talents, and again, there's no paragraph indentation, so He just goes on in Mat 25:14 For it is as when a man, going into another country, (In other words, he's telling you, watch, I'm going to show you the same thing in another way.) There were three groups at that time who had each been given talents. And one-third of them were rejected because they didn't bring forth the fruit that God put in, right? Doesn't the Bible say a third of the stars of heaven will be cast down to the earth? How come it was half of the virgins and yet a third of those with the talents? Because the virgins are those who are living on the earth when the Lord returns, and these men with the talents are standing before the judgment after death, after resurrection, you see? We're talking about those who are living at the time the Lord returns in order to be caught up to be with the Lord. What about the people who die? There are obviously three groups. A third of the stars of heaven were cast to the earth in the Book of Revelation. That's a third of the people. The scriptures say that Abraham's seed are as the stars; also, Jacob. The stars are likened to God's people. In Jacob's dream of the stars, they're the children of the bride chamber; it's in many, many places. There's the star glory in 1 Corinthians 15; the star glory is a person who's manifested star glory with the Lord. And some go on to moon glory and sun glory. But a third of the stars of heaven are being cast to the earth, and it goes on in Rev 6:13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. That's not talking about angels, that's talking about God's people not coming to maturity. You see, this is what's happening to a third of the stars. And yet of the people who are alive and remain, half of those people do not enter to being with the Lord. During this end time many will fall in the great falling away. They were called, twice dead and plucked up by the roots. Do you suppose that if your lamp is going out, you would be called twice dead? I do and that's what he's talking about; there's a great falling away happening right there. I think during the tribulation period, probably a third of the Christians are going to take the mark and spiritually die, and out of the ones that are left, half of them are going to be rejected. This is what I feel from these two parables. In the parable of the sower in Mat 13, three out of four did not bear fruit and were rejected. But let's look now at the Lord and how He knows us. You know that the Lord foreknew a group of people in Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: Let's see who the Lord knew. Okay, it's really important that we know who He foreknew because He didn't foreknow every Christian. I can prove that to you Notice who he's talking about; who was foreknown. Now, that's not knowing what's going to happen before it happens. Foreknew is like Adam knew his wife. The word ‘know' implies an intimate relationship. Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: These people whom He foreknew here is not talking about He foreknew that they would overcome. He knew this person. He knew their nature before the world was created. Watch, it says, For whom He foreknew, He foreordained. (Everybody that He foreknew, He foreordained.) Notice to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Notice now, there's no way out of this verse. If you start in on one end of it, you've got to come out on the other end of it. The ones He foreknew, he foreordained, (He predestined) to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So, everybody that God foreknew from the foundation of the world will be conformed to the image of His Son. That doesn't mean everyone that we call ‘Christians'. So, Jesus pointed out this group; He called them 30-60 and a 100-fold fruit. Fruit of what? The fruit of Christ. The 30-60 and a 100-fold are going to be conformed to the image of Christ. These are the ones He foreknew. What is it to know God? Did God know anybody who was not in Covenant relationship? No, He didn't. I'm going to make this point at the very beginning that God only knows one family in all the earth, and that family is born again spiritual Israel. Amo 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities. Now keep that in your mind that the Lord has only known Israel from the foundation until now. Even though Israel was changed in the New Covenant, it's still Israel. He makes a point back in Rom 9:6 … For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: In other words, ‘real Israel' is going to be picked out of the midst of mans ‘Israel'. You understand? Because remember, For many are called, but few chosen. Mat 22:14 That word chosen is eklektos, or elected. And Paul exhorts us to give diligence to make our calling and election sure. (2Pe.1:10) This group of people in Romans 8 was called and elect because in verse 33, he said who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? … So, he's specifically talking about the elect, not just the called. Now, everybody who's the elect has to be called because the word call means invited. You remember when Jesus came to the Jews, they were invited, but they all weren't elect, and the reason was that they didn't accept Jesus. So it's only Israel that He knows and specifically only those who are of faith in the Promises.  Let's look at Rom 11:1 I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. He cast off all but the elect who are born from above for they are His people. There were some Israelites that He didn't cast off because Paul said, For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. So God didn't cast off the chosen or elect Israelites. But there were other Israelites that He did. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Notice that. Nobody that God foreknew did He cast off. You know why? Let's read on, and we'll see why. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (or chosen) of grace. Now the remnant is according to the election of grace. Notice that Israel did fall away, but not the elect, not the chosen, not the foreknown. Watch. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. In other words, by no more of your works, no more works of the law, are you going to be justified before God. 7 What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, … Notice, the elect or the chosen will obtain it. The foreknown will obtain it, and they will not be cast off. See, we're identifying something here. There were many people called out of Egypt who fell in the wilderness and did not make it to the Promised Land. The Bible says many are called, but few are chosen or ‘elect'. Who are the ones He foreknew? The many called or the few chosen? So, obviously, from this text you can see very clearly that the ones He foreknew were elect, meaning chosen, and they obtained it. Why did they obtain it? Let's see what it means to be known by God. Look at this verse very closely in Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches (Israel), neither will he spare thee. 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.  The point I wanted to make is in verse 26 And so all Israel shall be saved. So what about all those who were cut off? They were Israel. They were called, but they were not elect. Remember what we saw back at the beginning of the chapter: those who were called and fell away in the wilderness. Those who rebelled against God, the ones whose hearts He hardened, He said, But the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened. (Rom.11:7) Who is Israel? Who is the Israel that God foreknew? It's the elect. It is the foreknown. What about the rest of them? He didn't foreknow them. You know why? Because they didn't endure to the end in faith and obedience.  I want you to notice that everybody who was not foreknown and who was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world is going to be deceived and fall away. Everybody. We're talking about those called who fell in the wilderness. That's talking about the world, the flesh, everybody who is not foreknown is going to be deceived by the Beast.  Look at Rev 13:8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Notice, it's everyone who is not written or not foreknown. Many Christians are called, meaning invited, but will not come to prove to be the elect, or chosen. They won't obtain the promise because of unbelief and are broken off. You understand what I'm saying? Remember they do not obtain the promise because they do not endure in faith. You can't obtain the promise that way. Look at Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. So everybody whose name was not written there is going to be deceived, but everybody whose name that is written there will see through it. They are the elect; they will obtain. They are the foreknown; they will obtain. They will be the ‘Paul out of Israel', who God chose to go on and to bear fruit.  Today, we see Israel as a type of Christianity. Out of that, there are some who are going to go on and be obedient. Because obedience proves your faith. If you have no obedience, if you do not obey, if you are not a doer of the word, you have no proof for your faith. The way God is going to prove that you walk by faith is by your works. Everyone who walks by faith will overcome. If we walk by faith, we will overcome the trials in this life; the sin, the works of the devil; we will win.  There's another point I want you to see. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, in Ephesians, where it also says God chose us; that's the word eklektos in Him, before the foundation of the world. Now, if Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, when was He manifestly slain? Not until 2,000 years ago. Now, if our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, when are they manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life? They're manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life when you're born again. Therefore, you were foreknown just as Christ was foreknown. You see that? It is really important that you follow this now. It's manifest when you're born into the Kingdom. In God's plan and His foreknowledge. Just like Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but He wasn't killed then. When God set His plan into manifestation, Jesus was sacrificed. But it might as well have been because God calls the things to be not as though they were.  So, when you were born from above you were written in the Book of Life. I'm not talking about in God's plan that He foreknew. I'm talking about when manifestly your name was written in. Because everyone who's born of God is written in His Book. But remember, the ones that He foreknew from the beginning were those who endured to the end and came into the manifestation of Jesus. Psa 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there. 5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her. 6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. Selah. The point is, when you're born into the Kingdom, that's when God writes your name. He said, Rejoice not that you have power over the demons, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luk 10:20) So here's the point. Everybody that's born, including all of those that came out of Egypt, were written in that book. But some were blotted out. Who was it that was blotted out, before the full manifestation of Jesus? Remember, we're talking about those whom He foreknew before the foundation of the world who came into the image of His Son. But according to Rev 3:5, He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life,…. So you've got many names written in manifestly, and those who don't overcome are blotted out. Before what? Before the full manifestation, the ones who were foreknown. So all the Jews who came out of Egypt were written at that time. Also, every Christian who receives a new born-again spirit from God is written at that time. But only the ones who endure to bear fruit were foreknown. Therefore, of those who fall in the wilderness, He says, I know you not. I never knew you. Why? He didn't foreknow them. What was the main difference between those two groups of people, the wise and the foolish? The main difference was that they both heard the word, but only the wise became a doer of the word. In both Matthew 7 and Matthew 25, the difference between the wise and the foolish is the same. And yet, clearly, even the foolish had oil in their lamps. But their oil was going out. See, there's a great falling away coming because of tribulation, because of trials and people are going to fall away. Look at Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There will be those who will be written in Zion but the sinner in Zion will be destroyed out of it. Look in Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem; 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. God is doing a work of purging from the church those who are walking in wickedness, those who are guilty of blood, and walking in disobedience.  This scripture is very plain about being blotted out: Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There's another one where Moses was interceding for the people in Exo 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. So those who are written among the living, those who have manifested fruit, those who came into the image of Christ through the Word. Those who are written at the end are going to be the ones that He foreknew. They're going to be the elect, the ones that He chose. He exhorts us in 2Pe 1:10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: Look at 2Ti 2:19 Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. See, the Lord knows them that are His and that's going to be the ones who depart from unrighteousness, so he's exhorting everybody that names the name of the Lord to depart from unrighteousness, to depart from iniquity. See, we're finding out who the Lord knows. Do you know who He knows? He knows Jesus. He knows the name, which is the nature and character of Jesus. Can you imagine God having relationship with us as Adam did with Eve? (That's what the word ‘know' means.) Imagine God having a relationship with somebody who is contrary to His nature? Do you understand that? God cannot know someone who is contrary to His nature and Word. 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God".   Just like He commands us Christians not to choose an unbelieving mate, right? Why did He tell us not to choose an unbelieving mate? Because we're not to know anybody with a contrary nature. What fellowship has light with darkness? So God knows and sows the Word who is Jesus. To the extent Jesus is in you, that's to the extent God knows you.  Who did Jesus say the Father would love? Every Christian? No, He didn't. Joh 14:23…If a man love me he will keep my word: and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. What is the proof that you love God? Jesus said several times that the proof that you love God is that you obey his commandments. This is the one He knows. 1Co 8:3 but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. In other words, we are proving our love for God by walking in faith and obeying His commandments. The ones that God knows or foreknew are the ones that love Him. Why? Because they not only hear the Word, they do the Word. The ones that God knows will come to know Him because of the foreknowledge part, like I said. It's in the mind of God. It's calling those things that be not as though they were. God spoke, and ever since He spoke this plan, it's been coming into existence. Don't miss it!  It was Jesus Who was foreknown to die for the world, but He wasn't manifest until Calvary. And you, who were foreknown to be in God, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, weren't manifest until you were born. Of those who are born and walk by faith and overcome and endure to the end, Jesus said, they shall be saved. Those who endure through the wilderness and enter into the Promised Land; they are the types of the elect. The very thing that causes you to go on is faith and if you don't understand that, then you can't overcome it anyway. Ever since Exodus chapter 3 the Lord revealed Himself to Moses. But you know Moses didn't know the Lord? He confessed it in Exodus chapter 33. He did not know the Lord. We are coming to know the Lord. The Lord is the nature of Jesus Christ.  And the more we come to know that nature of the real Jesus, the more we're coming to know the Lord. The one the Father knows, or even foreknew, was Jesus, because He was of like nature. God can only know that which is of like nature. Jesus said in Joh 14:9 If you have seen me you have seen the Father. He doesn't know the worldly person. He doesn't know the wicked person. He knows the righteous man that's inside of those who love Him. Exo 33:12 And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, See, the Lord had told Moses, I know thee by name. You know what the word ‘name' means? It's the same in the Hebrew as it is in the Greek. It's nature, character, and authority. The Lord told him, I know thee by name, and thou hast found favor in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee. The Bible talks about the Jews, how they knew the doings of the Lord, but Moses knew the ways of the Lord. There's a difference in knowing His doing and knowing His ways. If you know His ways, you can walk with Him. If you only know His doings, sometimes you're just going from judgment to judgment. …that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.  And in verse 17 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 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; Moses found out the name of the Lord in Exodus chapter 3. He told him the exact name. YHWH, I AM THAT I AM. So obviously, he's talking about a different name here. He's talking about the real name here.  Verse 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name (the Shem) 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. Moses represented the Law; you couldn't come into the likeness of Christ through the Law. So he didn't get to see the face of the Lord, but we have a promise in 1 Corinthians 13. Moses didn't see His face; he spoke to Him face to face, but he didn't see His face. There's a difference. We can speak to the Lord face to face, but not see Him. Now there's a difference. He spoke to God face to face, but he didn't see His face. For man shall not see me and live. In other words, as man, you can't know Him. And as man, you are not known by Him. 1Co 15:50 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. It is your spirit man that can know Him and be known by Him. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmity that we can know Him and see Him.  But He goes on to say, 21 and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock: (The only place you can see God is standing upon the rock, right? That's Jesus, and you have to stand upon the Word of God.) 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. Now, when He revealed the name of the Lord, the Lord said He was going to proclaim His name. It wasn't YHWH because He told him that 30 chapters before. Look at Exo 34:5 And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. 6 And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, (YHWH; it's YHWH, in the original, that's what He said.) 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. This is His Nature, Character, and Authority, Which is the meaning of Name. Now, He just proclaimed the name of the Lord. But what Moses didn't know, and he asked God to show him, ‘Show me thy ways, so I'll know the one who's going with us.' See, this is knowing God. Knowing this person whose name represents the I AM, that's knowing God. The opposite is also true. God knows the same nature. He knows Jesus Christ. He knows Jesus in us. And it is Christ in us by Word and Spirit that is the hope of glory. Remember in Romans 8, the ones He foreknew, and you go all the way to the end of the verse that says, He also glorified. Everyone He foreknew, He glorified. Now in 1Co.13: 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. So knowing fully is seeing God face to face. Moses said, ‘I don't know You; reveal Yourself to me.' Therefore, he could not see Him face to face. Coming to maturity, bearing fruit, or manifesting Christ's likeness is coming to know Him face to face. It is coming to know Him fully as I was fully known. Who is going to come to know Him fully? Only those who were fully known will come to know Him fully and will see Him face to face.  Moses himself said, ‘I don't know You yet.' By the Law, you can't know God face to face. That's why Moses didn't enter into the Promised Land as a type and a shadow because the Law could not make perfect. It's also why Moses couldn't see God's face; he could only see His shadow, His back parts. Did you see that? By the Law, all they could see was shadow, so God said I'll let you see My hinder parts but He wouldn't let you see His face because by the Law you can never come to know God. It's only by His grace that you can come to know God.  Now Moses was asking for this, ‘Let me know the One Who's going to go with us.' In the New Testament, our Moses is Jesus; He did know God face to face. And we're coming to know God face to face through His grace and through His sacrifice. But the ones that are going to fully know God are the ones that were fully known by God before the foundation of the world. All the rest of them are going to fall away, just like those people in the wilderness. They were written in, but blotted out before coming to the fullness of God, which was what? The Promised Land. Did you know that, as a child, we can speak to God face to face? And God can speak to us face to face as a child of God. And the reason we can speak to God as a child is because of our Covenant relationship. But coming to know the Lord is seeing Him face to face by faith. 2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That's coming into His nature, coming into His life, coming to know Him. Moses knew the literal name, Y-H-W-H, but he didn't know the One that name just represented. Remember we build on the foundation and we need to able to stand upon the rock when the wind blows and the rain beats against that house. Look, what is the firm foundation of God that stands? It's the name of the Lord. And that everybody who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. We can't stand on that rock in our own strength. I know I've shared this vision that my wife had years ago, how that I was standing on this rock wearing what was like metal leg braces.  The ones who are foreknown are going to stand on that rock of the Word and this shows us it won't be by their own strength, but by the strength of the Lord. So that's why it's our faith that counts. If it were by our works, it would be our strength that would cause us to stand but it's not. We can praise God for this, because it's not by our works. It's by grace, and the only way to get grace is faith in the promises. I thank God that Jesus freely gave us this salvation that we're talking about. We can accept it by faith without trying to work it up in ourselves. Everybody seems to go through that stage of trying to earn their salvation and failing miserably because it's got to be freely given by grace. It's got to be the strength that God supplies, and God supplies that strength by simply believing the word of God, not walking by sight, but believing the word of God. We believe that Jesus took away our sins. Initially we can't see that, but as we believe that He did it will happen. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We proclaim and confess the word; that's standing upon the rock and that's the only place you can see the Lord. Right now, maybe we speak to Him more face-to-face than see Him face to face. But we're going to know fully, if we walk by faith, even as we were fully known. Can you imagine that? You're going to know God fully as you were fully known. That's a tremendous promise! I mean, we want to know God, and gradually, the more we stand upon the rock, the more we're going to see His face. It's progressive, it's not an instantaneous thing.  When Moses stood upon the rock and the Lord proclaimed the Name, He proclaimed the nature of God there. This is the way God is, and yet, we're only learning the nature of God a little by little, line upon line, here a little and there a little. We're learning His nature. A lot of people are building things upon the foundation of God that have got to be torn back down, like in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. People build on it, the wood, hay, and the stubble of their own works, own doctrines, and religious establishment. All those dead things have to be burned back down by tribulation, and then start over. We build upon the foundation, which is Christ. There's no other foundation that can be laid that will work. That's what Paul was saying. Some people are on the shifting sand, yet some who are really on the right foundation, but they're building wrong things on the right foundation, the right foundation being that Jesus took away our sins.  But again, you can make the same mistake the Pharisees made in making of no effect the Word of God by their traditions. This is what the worldly church is famous for. This is what the Jews were famous for and Jesus rebuked them several times for that. If you make of no effect the word of God by your traditions, you're not standing upon the rock, and you're not going to see His face.  We have to come to know this Lord. We have to humble ourselves to His word. People have ulterior motives for believing what they believe, which is religion's way; they have different reasons for believing what they believe and they don't like to be wrong. They want to be seen as right. They live purely for the glory of men. And so they never change their mind even when you can show them all the verses in the word. They're building other things on the foundation and those things are going to be torn down by tribulations that are coming. Hopefully, many people will repent and rebuild the right things on the right foundation and bear fruit. That's why tribulation is coming. It's coming to tear down, to shake, the things that can be shaken, shake them right down to the ground so that God can rebuild the truth. There's going to be a great outpouring of truth in the tribulation period for those who love the truth. But sadly, for those who will believe a lie, there's great deception coming. That deception is going to blot a lot of names out of the Book of Life so that those who are foreknown will be there alone. Those that are left in Zion will be holy, you understand, because the spirit of fire has cleansed it, so the way is to walk by faith, to stand upon the Word of God continuously, and not be swayed by the traditions of men, by Babylon's wood, hay and stubble. Babylon really has been around since, as people say, the Tower of Babel, but really the nature of Babylon has been around since the very beginning. Religion is supplanting God's way. The problem is, all we like sheep have gone astray, each one after his own way, and that's why we've got so many religions. But we've got God's standard to go by. God's way, and you really can't accept anything else. Religion's ideas, how to organize the church, and how to do the works of God. Religion's ideas are Babylon. God's people, historically, the Jews were taken captive by Babylon, and will later be delivered from the bondage of Babylon to build Zion, and that's really the Christian walk. Every Christian starts out taken captive to Babylon. That's the false ideas of ways God wants things done, false ideas of the nature of God, the name of God, and their false image of Jesus. Everyone needs to be delivered from all that. Their false teachings, church doctrines, traditions of men, etc., and go to Zion where the truth is. The Lord Jesus is our Zion; the true Word is our Zion. It's seeing God the way God wants to be seen; it's knowing God the way God wants to be known, and without knowing God the way God wants to be known, He doesn't know you. Do you know who God knows? It's the inner man, the seed of Christ that's on the inside of us. God knows Him.  And the point is, if we're not like those virgins taking the vessel of oil along with the lamp with the oil, then we're not bearing fruit in the area of the soul. Their lamps went out because they didn't carry the oil in the vessel. In these days, people don't think it's necessary to obey. But bearing fruit in the area of the soul comes from obedience. Peter said that, and it's something we need to see. 1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: 23 having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. In other words, we're still being born again; we're being born again in our soul. And our souls are being purified, and we're walking in holiness. Heb 12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. And Jesus said in Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father. Who is Christ in you. For a more complete teaching on those who are chosen and the elect, see our book Predestined Called and Elect on our Website.

Pastor shares a message entitled "Talk to People".

Prayer of the Day Teach us, good Lord God, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we do your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Welcome to Calvary Lutheran Church 619 3RD AVE SW, PERHAM, MN 56573 Thank God. Share Jesus. Help Others   Support Our Livestream Ministry—and Empower Our Youth! Each week, our YouTube, Facebook Live and our podcast services are made possible by our amazing youth media team. That's right—they run the cameras, audio, and streaming software—and we're proud to pay them for their work, helping them build life skills while serving the church. Your donation supports: Livestream costs (equipment, internet, tools) Paid media roles for our youth Continued outreach through digital ministry If you've been blessed by our services, consider giving here: https://www.calvaryperham.com/gifts Thank you for helping us serve our community—and raise up the next generation! Facebook: / calvaryperham YouTube: / @calvaryperham Podcast on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7hbXujm... Podcast public site https://rss.com/podcasts/april16th2023/ Lakes 99.5 Radio Sundays at Ten Thirty AM https://player.listenlive.co/64121 TUESDAY WORSHIP 9 AM Arvig TV Channel 14 Egiving https://secure.myvanco.com/YMVS/home Website: https://calvaryperham.com/ Vanco Mobile App on Phone/Tablet: Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement has replaced the Give+ App. Search “vanco mobile faith engagement” in the app store to download on your phone or tablet, Calvary is “Calvary Lutheran Church ELCA.” Website: Click the orange E-Giving button at https://calvaryperham.com/

On this episode of the Ricecast, Dan Pigsley and Pastor Willy Rice share the story of Pastor Willy coming to Faith and His journey since then. Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Bob McCord discuss the recent government UFO and UAP disclosures from a Biblical Worldview (part 1 of 3).  Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

Send us a comment or question!Calvary Chapel Franklin: http://calvarychapelfranklin.com/  Email: info@calvarychapelfranklin.com  Telegram: https://t.me/parsonspadpodcastTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/ccfranklintn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalvaryChapelFranklin/  Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://parsonspad.buzzsprout.com/  iTunes: Parson's Pad Podcast Calvary Chapel Franklin meets on Sunday mornings / Wednesday Evenings at: 415 Franklin Rd, Franklin TN 37069 Mail: PO Box 1993 Spring Hill TN 37174 If you need a Bible, please download the free Gideon's app for iPhone or Android: https://gideons.org/  Calvary Chapel Franklin is a 501c3 tax exempt religious organization. If you would like to donate to support this ministry, please click here: https://calvarychapelfranklin.churchcenter.com/giving 

Welcome to your daily devotion for June 19, 2026. Today, Pastor Balla shares "Let Their Own Table Become a Snare" from Psalm 69:22–25. In this honest Christian devotional and Bible study, we wrestle with one of the psalms of imprecation—prayers for God's judgment against enemies. These are hard words, but they teach us something vital: the psalmist does not take revenge. He brings his anger, pain, and cry for justice directly to God and leaves it there. He trusts the Lord to judge rightly. As Christians, we read these words through the cross. Jesus, who fulfilled this psalm, did not call down curses on His crucifiers—He prayed for their forgiveness. All sin and persecution met their judgment at Calvary in Christ. When life feels unjust, bring it to God. He hears. Please like, share, and subscribe. Support this ministry at https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalph or visit https://buymeacoffee.com/whitegandalph. Thank you for listening—God's Peace be with you.Hashtags:#Psalm69 #ImprecatoryPsalm #DailyDevotion #PastorBalla #JusticeOfGod

The gospel didn't begin at Calvary — it was preached to Abraham four thousand years ago. In this episode, Dr. John takes on the Judaizers' challenge head-on, showing from Galatians 3:6–14 that there has always been only one way to be saved: not by works of the law, but by faith in the promises of a God who never changes.No Compromise: The book of Galatians was written because the gospel was under attack — and it still is today. From false teachers in ancient Galatia to the distortions we encounter in our own time, the battle over the heart of the Christian faith has never stopped. Join Dr. John for this four-part series as he works through one of Scripture's most urgent letters, asking what the true gospel is, where it comes from, and why getting it right changes everything.

What does it look like for the Church to faithfully live in the world without becoming shaped by it?In this episode, Daniel Williams sits down with Phil Metzger, Lead Pastor of Calvary San Diego and featured speaker at the CGN International Ministry Conference, to discuss mission, culture, church planting, and the role of the Church in today's world.Drawing from over twenty years of missionary service in Eastern Europe, Phil shares how God has shaped his understanding of ministry, the importance of listening across cultural differences, and why the Church must remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in every generation.Phil also offers a preview of his upcoming conference message, exploring what it means for the Church to engage the world missionally, methodologically, and as a movement—while remaining distinct from the values of the world around us. 

Receptivity & Revelation • Part of our midweek verse-by-verse study through Mark.

In this week's episode, Dr. Willy Rice teaches from Luke 11 and Luke 18, unpacking Jesus' parables on prayer and what it means to truly seek the heart of God.Through these stories, we're invited to approach God with boldness, clarity, expectation, and persistence—not because He is reluctant to hear us, but because He is a good Father who delights in responding to His people. Jesus reminds us that prayer is not about wearing God down, but about drawing near in faith and trust.This message challenges us to keep praying even when answers aren't immediate, holding onto the truth that God is working even when we don't see it, and that He faithfully hears every cry of His people.Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us

The Southern Baptist Convention, Pastors Conference 2026 sermon from Pastor Willy Rice. In this powerful message from the 2026 SBC Pastors Conference, “The Bleating of the Sheep and the Tearing of the Robe,” Willy Rice examines the tragic downfall of King Saul through 1 Samuel 15:22–27 and issues a compelling call for doctrinal faithfulness. Saul's failure was not outright apostasy, but a gradual compromise driven by pragmatism, public pressure, and a desire for success over obedience. Through the vivid imagery of the bleating sheep and Samuel's torn robe, listeners are challenged to consider whether religious activity, ministry accomplishments, and cultural approval have replaced wholehearted submission to God's Word.Drawing lessons from Saul, the life of Charles Spurgeon during the Downgrade Controversy, and the current challenges facing the church, this message urges believers to value obedience over observance, faithfulness over fervency, and God's kingdom over personal ambition. Ultimately, it is a call for humility, courage, and steadfast commitment to biblical truth so that future generations may be able to say of us: “We kept the faith.”Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us

Johnny needs backup that there shouldn't be rule changes in sports or there should be. Andrew needs backup that there should be two categories of kids movies... Kids movies that are good for kids and kids movies that are made for adults that kids actually hate. Enjoy! Support the showRemember to sign up for the Patreon for Post-Show Banter! https://patreon.com/thecavalrypodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Episode Summary:In this message, Pastor Brad continues The Gospel Of series by looking at the gospel of peace. Peace is not simply the absence of trouble or the result of everything around us finally lining up. Through Romans 10:14–15 and Romans 5:1–2, we are reminded that the peace Jesus gives is rooted in His finished work, not in our ability to control circumstances. Because we are at peace with God through Christ, we can carry peace toward others and live with peace within ourselves.Main Scripture:Romans 10:14–15Romans 5:1–2Big Idea:The gospel of peace is the finished work of Jesus giving us assurance with God, peace toward others, and peace within ourselves—no matter what is happening around us.In This Episode:Biblical peace is not based on controlling circumstances; it is based on the finished work of Jesus and the promises of God.The gospel of peace is good news that people carry, but it is the gospel itself—not the preacher—that changes people.Peace is not the absence of trouble; it is the presence, authority, and power of Christ in the middle of trouble.Peace with God is positional, not conditional, because it rests on what Jesus did at Calvary.When we know we are at peace with God, we can carry peace to others and begin to see ourselves the way God sees us.Reflection Questions:Where have I been waiting for circumstances to change before allowing myself to live in peace?What promise of God do I need to remember when trouble surrounds me?Have I been living as if God's peace with me depends on my performance?Where have I treated people as enemies instead of people Jesus went to the cross for?What has God forgiven that I am still refusing to release in myself?Next Steps:Read Romans 10:14–15 and Romans 5:1–2 this week, and thank Jesus for the gospel of peace.When anxiety or chaos rises, pray from assurance instead of waiting until you understand everything.Let a trusted believer remind you of God's promises instead of carrying pressure alone.Choose one relationship where you can carry peace instead of an us-versus-them attitude.Stop measuring God's peace by your performance, and stand in the finished work of Jesus.Closing Line:Listen in, share this message with someone who needs peace, and subscribe so you do not miss future episodes.

n this Spiritual Emphasis message, Daniel Bentley preaches a powerful word, calling us to fix our eyes on Jesus in a world filled with distraction. In a culture trained to scroll, glance, and move on, Daniel reminds us that the invitation of Scripture is to slow down and truly behold the Lord. Drawing from the writings of John, Daniel walks through three powerful pictures of Jesus. First, we behold the Lamb of God, the sinless sacrifice whose blood was shed for us. Then we behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the conquering King whose victory was revealed through the cross. Finally, we behold the love of the Father, the otherworldly love that calls us sons and daughters of God. “What you continually behold, you eventually become like,” Daniel said. He also reminded us, “Don't scroll past the cross.” The cross is not just an event to be remembered. It is an invitation to be received. This message challenges us to recognize what has captured our attention. The enemy wants us to fix our eyes on our past, our shame, our failure, and ourselves. But freedom begins when we lift our eyes and behold Jesus as He truly is. He is the Lamb who was slain, the Lion who reigns, and the love of God revealed. When we look to Calvary, we are changed from the inside out. We are reminded that we are chosen, wanted, accepted, forgiven, and free in Jesus.

The opening message of Spiritual Emphasis began with one question from Psalm 24: Who is this King of Glory? Ron Brown called students to prepare their hearts for God to do defining things in their lives. Through Psalm 24 and Isaiah 6, he reminded us that when we truly see the Lord, our eyes are opened to the truth. We recognize our need, we see our own condition, and we discover that Jesus is the King who meets us in brokenness, addiction, despair, and hopelessness. “When the King of Glory comes in, everything changes,” Ron said. He also reminded us, “Victory in Jesus is about being conformed to the image of His Son.” This message points to Jesus as both the victorious King and the suffering servant. He did battle for our souls at Calvary, bore our sin and pain on the cross, and initiated a relationship with us long before we ever knew Him. Victory begins when we step into that relationship and allow Him to become the center of our lives. Ron also challenged students to understand that new life must be practiced. We practiced sin for years, but now we learn how to practice being Christians. We learn to love, forgive, trust, obey, worship, and renew our minds through the Word of God. The application is simple: let the King of Glory come in. Lay down the burdens of sin, shame, brokenness, and addiction. Build a real relationship with Jesus. Let Him renew your mind, reshape your identity, and teach you how to walk in the new life He has already made possible.

Welcome to the Calvary Church Podcast!  -- To support this ministry and help us continue to spread the Gospel around the world, click here: https://www.calvar

Calvary LifeCast • Episode 6 by Calvary Church

The Rev. Sarah Bonay expounds on how God, like a master glassmaker, uses the fires of suffering not to destroy us but to shape us, breathe His life into us, and form us into vessels of His grace. Romans 5:1–8 reminds us that because we are justified through Christ, we can trust that even our trials are being used by God to deepen our faith, strengthen our hope, and draw us closer to Him.

Paul expresses his love and appreciation for his fellow laborers in Christ. These men and women faithfully served the Christian community, generously giving their time, resources, and God-given talents to advance God's kingdom. The unity they shared is found in Christ and in His truths. 

Pastor Miles DeBenedictis Exodus 34:6–7 Miles DeBenedictispastormiles.com

From the corporate ruins of 1990s IBM to the spiritual darkness of ancient Israel, discover how God disrupts paralyzed leadership and raises up unexpected outsiders to bring ultimate transformation. Our text in this study is: 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1 Series: Know Kings: The Book Of Samuel Gene Pensiero Jr Find the rest of the series at […]

We have reached the end of our Exodus series! Chapter 40 concludes with the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle, marking the completion of the structure, but not the end of the journey. The Israelites are not yet in the Promised Land. So why is this 40-chapter story so central to the biblical narrative? Because Exodus is not just background history—it is a legally binding testimony that points directly to the coming of a greater Messiah.Key Points1. A Testimony to the FutureHebrews 3:5 states that Moses was faithful as a servant, bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. The Greek word used here for servant (therapon) implies an intimate, trusted servant whose testimony carries legal weight. Moses is a credible witness establishing the criteria for the Messiah. Anyone claiming to be the Messiah must be greater than Moses.2. Jesus is the Greater IntercessorMoses: Interceded for the Israelites on a hill to win a physical battle against the Amalekites. His hands were held up by his friends (Exodus 17).Jesus: Interceded on the hill of Calvary to win the eternal war against sin and death. His hands were held up by nails—and by the joy set before Him.3. Jesus is the Greater Deliverer & SacrificeMoses: Delivered the Israelites physically from Egypt, but he could not lead them all the way into the Promised Land. The Old Covenant required sacrifices to be made over and over again, like weed killer that only offers temporary relief.Jesus: Shared in our humanity to break the power of death and deliver us spiritually (Hebrews 2:14). As our High Priest, He offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, and then He sat down—because the work was finished (Hebrews 10:11-12). Note: Joshua (Yeshua), whose name points to Jesus, was the one who ultimately led the people into the Promised Land.4. Jesus is the Greater TabernacleMoses: Built the physical tabernacle where God's presence dwelled, but the people were kept out by a thick curtain and the barrier of sin.Jesus: The Word became flesh and "tabernacled" among us (John 1:14). When Jesus died on the cross, the physical curtain in the temple was torn in two. Now, through the blood of Jesus, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place. Better yet, through the Holy Spirit, believers have become living tabernacles.5. The Warning: Guard Against a Hard HeartThe Israelites saw the Red Sea part and manna fall from the sky, yet their hearts grew hard and they built a golden calf. Signs and wonders cannot replace an intimate relationship with God. Hebrews warns us not to harden our hearts as they did, but to encourage one another daily. We guard against a hard heart through personal devotion and active participation in a faith community.ConclusionWhen Moses asked God, "Show me your glory," God tucked him in a rock and only allowed him to see His back. Moses did not get exactly what he asked for in that moment, nor did he get to enter the Promised Land in his lifetime. However, God does not forget our prayers. Centuries later, on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17), Moses finally stands in the Promised Land, face-to-face with Jesus, whose face shone like the sun. Moses finally saw the full glory of God. God is worth the wait.Calls to ActionExamine Your Heart: Are there areas where your heart has grown hard or calloused toward God?Speak it Out: If you are struggling with unbelief or a hard heart, confess it to someone in your faith community this week to break its power.Trust the Delay: If you have been waiting a long time for a prayer to be answered, look to Moses. Trust that God's timing is perfect and His glory is worth the wait. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

The Test, the Tension, and the Altar • Part of our weekly Sunday morning study through Exodus.

Rev Ronnie Brinson, Jr. Sr. Pastor, Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Sparks, GA

From the corporate ruins of 1990s IBM to the spiritual darkness of ancient Israel, discover how God disrupts paralyzed leadership and raises up unexpected outsiders to bring ultimate transformation. Our text in this study is: 1 Samuel 3:1-4:1 Series: Know Kings: The Book Of Samuel Gene Pensiero Jr Find the rest of the series at […]

Pastor Shalondria TaylorFounder of Young Esther's Inc.

Guest Revivalist - Pastor Breonus M. Mitchell, Sr. Pastor of Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, TN

En Gálatas 2, el apóstol Pablo lleva a Jerusalén a Tito, un fiel creyente griego, como prueba viviente del poder transformador del Evangelio de la Gracia. Tito era un creyente gentil y no necesitaba ser circuncidado para recibir la salvación eterna. Tito era la prueba de que Dios puede salvar a los gentiles sin necesidad… The post Ver El Fruto appeared first on Calvary Chapel At The Cross.

In Galatians 2, the Apostle Paul brings Titus, a faithful Greek believer, to Jerusalem as living evidence of the transforming power of the Gospel of Grace. Titus was a Gentile believer and didn't have to be circumcised in order to receive eternal salvation. Titus was proof that God can save Gentiles, without being circumcised. He… The post Seeing the Fruit appeared first on Calvary Chapel At The Cross.

Do you need to be encouraged? Do you find yourself on social media or watching the news and easily becoming discouraged? Take heart, our God has provided a way of encouragement, and He is our ultimate source of love for one another. What does Jesus expect from His bride, the Church? Jesus has left His Spirit to move and act for God's glory. The Spirit is utilizing His people to accomplish the task of discipleship, encouragement and loving one another. Sharing the truth of the Gospel and making Christ known by making disciples is our primary mission here at HBC. But how is this accomplished? What does it look like to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ? We only need to look to Christ Himself for the answers. Jesus left His Holy Spirit to not only be in our presence, but to actually abide in our soul. The Spirit of God through His Word will encourage us this coming Sunday as we look at Philippians 2:1-11. Jesus is our ultimate source of joy, hope and love. What does it really mean, to "be humble of mind, regarding one another as more important than yourselves"? (Phil 2:3b). Anticipate this coming Sunday, when you come into the building, to take part in and observe the hands and feet of Jesus working through His church the Bride of Christ. How are your hands and feet moving in the direction of love towards one another? The song by Sovereign Grace, "Jesus Thank You," has a lyric that states: "Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you." No greater love has ever been demonstrated than Jesus' death on the cross at Calvary for you and for me. One day we will gather around the banquet table of our King. Are you not encouraged by that future hope? H

The Great White Throne Judgment: The Final, Dreadful, and Eternal Reckoning of the Wicked Dead   In the majestic and awe-inspiring closing visions of the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John, carried along by the powerful inspiration of the Holy Spirit, beholds a series of breathtaking scenes that unveil the final consummation of all things and the eternal destiny of every soul. Following the glorious thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the earth, after the last desperate and futile rebellion of Satan, and after the complete and utter defeat of Gog and Magog with fire from heaven, the divine spotlight turns with solemn intensity upon the most terrifying and irreversible event in all of human history: the Great White Throne Judgment. This is the ultimate, final, and most dreadful courtroom of the entire universe, where every single soul that has ever died in unbelief, impenitence, and open rebellion against the living God will be supernaturally raised from the dead, solemnly examined with perfect scrutiny, and eternally sentenced according to the flawless, unerring, and infinitely holy justice of Almighty God. Revelation 20:11-15 stands as one of the most sobering, heart-shaking, conscience-piercing, and fear-inducing passages in all of Holy Scripture, a passage that should cause every reader to tremble and every unrepentant sinner to flee without delay to the mercy of the cross. The full text of this profoundly solemn and eternally weighty passage, as given in the inspired and infallible Word of God, reads as follows in its complete and unbroken form: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” This tightly woven, divinely inspired passage forms a self-contained and climactic unit that brings the entire millennial section of the Book of Revelation to its dreadful, everlasting, and irreversible close. It follows immediately after the final casting of Satan, the devil, into the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. It stands just before the glorious and radiant unveiling of the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. The context is saturated with absolute finality, divine justice, and the irreversible nature of eternity. The redeemed saints of all ages have already participated joyfully in the blessed first resurrection and have reigned triumphantly with Christ for a full thousand years. Those who now appear trembling before the throne are precisely “the rest of the dead” who “lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:5). The old creation, stained and cursed by sin, is even now dissolving before our eyes, and every unsaved soul must now give a full, terrifying, and inescapable account before the burning, all-seeing holiness of Almighty God. Let us now carefully, reverently, and thoroughly exposit this passage verse by verse, drawing out its rich and multifaceted meaning through the original Greek language where it adds vivid force and eternal impact, through the surrounding biblical context, and through the weighty, soul-stirring eternal truths it so powerfully proclaims to every generation. The Scene (Revelation 20:11) “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” The apostle John begins this vision with the majestic and familiar apocalyptic declaration “And I saw” (Kai eidon), words that immediately signal the introduction of a fresh, breathtaking, overwhelming, and panoramic heavenly vision that seizes both the apostle's enraptured gaze and our own hearts with a profound sense of holy dread and reverent awe. What suddenly bursts upon his enraptured sight is nothing less than the supreme, final, and most glorious tribunal of the entire created universe: “a great white throne” (thronon megan leukon). This throne is described as megan—vast beyond all human imagination or comprehension, majestic in unrivaled dignity and splendor, and clothed with overwhelming, absolute, and unchallenged sovereign authority. It towers infinitely and eternally above every earthly court of law, every royal palace, and every seat of human government or power that has ever existed. It is leukon—brilliantly, purely, dazzlingly, and radiantly white—symbolizing in the most vivid way possible the spotless, unapproachable, and infinite holiness together with the flawless, unblemished, and perfect righteousness of God Himself.  No shadow of injustice, no whisper of partiality or favoritism, no trace of corruption or bribery can ever approach, touch, or stain its gloriously radiant surface. It glows and pulses with the blazing, consuming purity of the One who is eternally “light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Seated in awesome, majestic, and terrifying splendor upon this throne is “him that sat on it” (ton kathemenon ep' autou). Though not explicitly named in this particular verse, the consistent, harmonious voice of all Holy Scripture clearly identifies this enthroned and sovereign Judge as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself—the very One to whom the Father has committed all judgment without exception (John 5:22, 27).  It is the same pierced and crucified Savior who once hung in agony upon the cross as the meek and lowly Lamb of God, now appearing in indescribable glory and power as the exalted Lion of the tribe of Judah and the righteous, eternal Judge of all the earth (Acts 17:31). From His glorious and unveiled face—“from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away” (ephugen ho ouranos kai he ge apo tou prosopou autou)—the entire created cosmos recoils in utter panic-stricken terror and helpless flight. The powerful Greek verb ephugen paints a vivid, dramatic picture of frantic, desperate, and uncontrollable flight, as though the whole vast universe is fleeing away like a terrified servant before the blazing anger and consuming holiness of its rightful Master. The material heavens and earth, which have groaned and travailed together in pain for long ages under the heavy curse and bondage of sin (Romans 8:22), simply cannot endure or withstand the unveiled, searing, and infinite holiness of the incarnate Son of God. “And there was found no place for them” (kai topos ouch heurethe autois). No towering mountain can hide the guilty. No vast ocean can swallow them up or conceal their shame. No dark cavern, no remote corner of the universe, and no hiding place anywhere offers the slightest refuge or shelter. The old creation completely and obediently dissolves in trembling submission to make way for the new heavens and the new earth, soon to be revealed in all their pristine and eternal glory. Behold this scene in all its terrifying majesty and cosmic grandeur: the Judge's holy countenance shines with such consuming, blinding splendor that the very stars vanish from the sky, the mountains melt like wax before the fire, and the fabric of the universe itself flees away in helpless panic. There is absolutely no escape, no delay, and no hiding place anywhere for the guilty. This is the awe-inspiring, universe-shaking, cosmic backdrop against which the final judgment of all the wicked dead will now unfold in solemn and eternal detail. The Subjects (Revelation 20:12) “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” With the majestic, terrifying, and holy scene now vividly established, the apostle John solemnly describes the vast multitude of those who must appear before this awesome throne: “the dead, small and great” (tous nekrous tous megalous kai tous mikrous). This innumerable host includes every single human being who has ever lived and died without Christ—from the mightiest emperors, renowned philosophers, and world conquerors of history to the poorest peasants, nameless slaves, and long-forgotten souls in obscure corners of the earth. The term nekrous powerfully and solemnly underscores their former dreadful and hopeless condition: they were spiritually dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and physically dead and decaying in the grave. Now they are resurrected—not unto glorious and eternal life, but solely and exclusively to stand condemned and trembling before the righteous Judge. They “stand before God” (hestanda enopion tou theou) in solemn, trembling, and inescapable accountability. They do not sit as honored guests or relaxed observers; they stand as helpless, guilty defendants before the bar of infinite holiness and perfect justice. All earthly distinctions, privileges, and ranks vanish instantly: kings and beggars, the rich and the poor, the famous and the obscure—all stand equally naked, exposed, and without a single defense. Then the books are dramatically and solemnly opened: “the books were opened” (kai biblia eneochthesan). These are the perfect, unerring, and exhaustive records of God's infinite omniscience—containing every single thought, every idle word, every secret deed, every hidden motive, every act of open rebellion, and every neglected opportunity for repentance. Nothing is lost in the mists of time, forgotten, exaggerated, or diminished by even the slightest degree. “And another book was opened, which is the book of life” (kai allo biblion eneochthe, ho estin tes zoes). This is the precious, blood-bought Lamb's Book of Life, the eternal and unchangeable roll call of all who have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). The dead “were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (ek ton gegrammenon en tois bibliois kata ta erga auton). For the unredeemed, their own accumulated works rise up as silent but utterly damning witnesses against them, proving beyond any shadow of doubt the universal guilt declared throughout Scripture: “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). The Significance (Revelation 20:13-14) “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” The resurrection is total, universal, complete, and absolutely inescapable. “The sea gave up the dead which were in it” (kai edoken he thalassa tous nekrous tous en aute)—even those whose bodies were lost in the darkest ocean depths, shipwrecked, or dissolved into nothingness over centuries are raised whole, intact, and fully conscious. “Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them” (kai ho thanatos kai ho hades edokan tous nekrous tous en autois). Death releases the bodies it has claimed; Hades surrenders the disembodied spirits it has held in waiting. Every single prisoner is freed without exception for this final, terrifying accounting. “They were judged every man according to their works” (ekrithesan hekastos kata ta erga auton)—a perfectly personal, individual, thorough, and unanswerably just judgment. Then comes the climactic declaration of finality and eternal victory: “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (kai ho thanatos kai ho hades eblethesan eis ten limnen tou pyros. Houtos ho thanatos ho deuteros estin). Here we must clearly, carefully, and biblically distinguish the First Resurrection from the Second Death if we are to grasp the full weight and significance of this moment. The First Resurrection, described in detail earlier in this same chapter, is the glorious and blessed rising of all the righteous saints of every age: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). These blessed and holy ones rise to glorious life, priestly service, and triumphant reigning with Christ, enjoying complete and eternal immunity from all judgment and condemnation. The Second Death, however, is the lake of fire itself—the final, conscious, unending, and irreversible torment and eternal separation from the presence of God for all who die without Christ. It is not annihilation, cessation of existence, or temporary punishment. Scripture repeatedly describes those confined there as being “tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10; see also Revelation 14:11 and Mark 9:44-48). The first death is physical, temporary, and universal; the second death is spiritual, eternal, conscious, and reserved only for the impenitent. Those who share by faith in the First Resurrection escape the Second Death forever because the Lord Jesus Christ has already borne their full judgment and condemnation in His own body on the tree. Those who reject Him will experience both deaths in their fullest, most horrifying measure. How infinitely, eternally, and gloriously better it is to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ—the Bema Seat described in 2 Corinthians 5:10—than to stand condemned before this Great White Throne of terrifying justice!  At the Bema Seat, believers, already washed in the atoning blood and forever accepted in the Beloved, have their works examined only for the purpose of rewards and commendation, never for condemnation or loss of salvation. Christ has fully and completely borne our judgment at Calvary: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We may lose certain rewards through unfaithfulness, yet we ourselves are saved “so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). At the Great White Throne there is no Advocate, no covering blood of the Lamb, and no possibility of mercy—only the damning books of works and the horrifying, eternal absence of one's name from the Book of Life.   The Sentence (Revelation 20:15) “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The sentence falls with devastating, irreversible, and terrifying finality and simplicity: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (ei tis ouch heurethe en te biblo tes zoes gegrammenos eblethe eis ten limnen tou pyros). No appeal is possible. No second chance is granted. No mitigation or end is ever offered. The lake of fire—originally prepared for the devil and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41)—becomes the everlasting, conscious abode of every soul whose name is missing from the Lamb's Book of Life.      All human works, however outwardly impressive or religious in human eyes, prove utterly powerless to save or deliver on that day. Conclusion and Appeal Dear friend, the blazing, inescapable reality of the Great White Throne Judgment should cause every heart to tremble with godly fear, every conscience to awaken, and every soul still outside of Christ to flee without a moment's delay to the only place of safety—the cross of Calvary.    To every sinner still living in unbelief and rebellion: Come now! Do not delay another heartbeat or take another breath without settling this eternal matter. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Repent of your sins with genuine sorrow and place your full, trusting faith in the finished work of the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. His precious, sin-cleansing blood can write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life this very moment, delivering you forever from this throne of terror and granting you a joyful place in the blessed first resurrection and the eternal joys of the redeemed. To every true believer already resting in Christ: Live with holy urgency, eternity burning brightly in your soul, and a passionate desire to please your Lord. Be ready to meet your Savior at any instant, whether by death or by His glorious return.        Serve Him with wholehearted devotion, faithfulness, and love so that when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ you may hear His glorious “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) and receive a full and abundant reward. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). May the solemn, weighty, and eternal truths of this passage stir us all to fervent prayer, pure and separated living, compassionate love for the lost, and bold, urgent gospel witness until Jesus returns in power and great glory.  To the Lamb upon the throne, our blessed Savior and coming Judge, be all honor, praise, dominion, and glory forever and ever. Amen.

On this episode of the Ricecast, Dan Pigsley, Pastor Willy, and Special Guest Cheryl Rice talk about the new SBC President position and what is next for Calvary Church and the SBC. Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us

In this week's episode, Dr. David Rice takes us to Luke 15:11–32 and the parable of the prodigal son—a powerful picture of both rebellion and redemption.Through the story of the younger and older sons, we see two different ways hearts can drift from the Father—one through reckless living, the other through self-righteousness. Yet at the center of it all stands a compassionate Father who pursues, forgives, and restores with overwhelming grace.This message reminds us that no matter how far we've wandered or how long we've stood at a distance, the invitation is the same: to come home. And when we do, we find not rejection, but celebration—because what was lost is found.Support the showFind us at! Calvary.us

Patrick tackles Catholic life and its intersections with contemporary culture, addressing questions about priestly vocations, interdenominational encounters, and prayers for the departed. He weaves in scriptural discussions on the Eucharist, advises Catholics on Protestant Bible study invitations, and unpacks the federal government’s move to reclassify Mormonism outside the Christian list for military personnel—a choice that sparks both theological friction and political response. Every segment pulses with direct advice, practical faith, and moments where swift insights meet unexpected candor. Jorge - A deacon said homosexuals are accepted for priesthood candidacy just to stay away from their temptations. (02:34) Sherry - How can I tell my Presbyterian neighbor that the True Body and Blood of Christ is only in the Catholic Church? (07:26) Conrad - My girlfriend and I go to a Catholic Church on weekdays, and then a 'bible' church on Sunday morning. I see it as a Bible study. (12:15) Connie - I'm a convert, and the only Catholic in my family. Can you talk about customs Catholics do for a recently deceased relative? (20:22) Ben - Referring back to Calvary church: my brother has been asked to be one of the leaders at a similar church, but I don't think that'd be good for him. (27:12) Dept. of War removes Mormonism, and about 180 other belief systems as recognized religions (34:04)

Join us for a special weekend episode from the Built Different podcast hosted by Dr. Zach Clinton. What defines a life well lived? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Zach Clinton welcomes Tim Tebow to discuss identity, intimacy with Christ, and living a life marked by lasting impact. While many know Tim first as a Heisman Trophy winner, national champion, and NFL quarterback, his greatest mission has always extended far beyond football. From serving the “Most Vulnerable People” through the Tim Tebow Foundation to stepping into fatherhood with his wife Demi-Leigh and their daughter Daphne, Tim shares how identity, calling, and purpose have taken on even greater meaning in this season of life. At the center of this conversation is Tim’s new book, If the Tree Could Speak, a creative retelling of the crucifixion inspired by Luke 19:40. Through the perspective of the cross itself, Tim invites listeners to slow down and truly see the love displayed at Calvary—not as distant history, but as a deeply personal rescue mission. Together, Tim and Zach explore: Living with urgency without anxiety Leading with conviction anchored in love Seeing and valuing the people the world often overlooks Finding identity rooted in Christ instead of achievement The transforming power of the cross If you’ve ever felt unseen, dismissed, or forgotten, this episode is a reminder that the greatest declaration of love in history was completed for you. About Built Different Built Different with Dr. Zach Clinton helps listeners grow emotionally, relationally, and spiritually through conversations centered on faith, mental health, identity, and purpose. Be sure to follow Built Different for more encouraging conversations like this one. Episode Links Find Out More About Tim: https://timtebow.com/ Find Out More About the Tim Tebow Foundation: https://timtebowfoundation.org/ Purchase If the Tree Could Speak: https://timtebow.com/tree Purchase Look Again: https://shorturl.at/JFL2B Follow Tim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timtebow/ Find Christian Counseling or Coaching: https://christiancareconnect.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.