Podcasts about Bashan

Welcome to Day 2635 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2635 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 68:21-27 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2635 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2635 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, continue our journey through the dynamic and multifaceted Psalm 68 in the New Living Translation. We've already seen God revealed as the powerful Divine Warrior, the compassionate Defender of the vulnerable, and the faithful Leader who guided Israel through the wilderness to His dwelling place in Zion. Now, as we move into verses 21 through 27, the psalm focuses on God's decisive judgment against His enemies and the glorious, triumphant procession of His people entering His sanctuary. This section contains vivid and powerful language, reflecting the ancient Israelite understanding of divine justice and the consequences of opposing the Almighty. It's a stark reminder that while God is merciful and compassionate, He is also just and will deal with wickedness. Yet, amidst the pronouncements of judgment, there is also the promise of restoration and a beautiful picture of the unity of God's people in worship. Let's delve into Psalm 68, starting with verses 21 through 23: (Reads Psalm 68:21-23 NLT) Surely God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their guilty deeds. The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, that your foot may crush them in blood, and the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”   Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalmist opens this section with a strong declaration of God's impending judgment: “Surely God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their guilty deeds.” This is powerful, even confronting, language. In ancient warfare, striking the head symbolized a decisive and often fatal blow. The phrase “hairy crowns” might refer to the long, perhaps unkempt, hair of warriors from some enemy nations, or it could be a metaphor for their proud and untamed rebellion. Regardless of the specific imagery, the message is clear: God will utterly defeat those who are His adversaries, particularly those who “go on in their guilty deeds” – those who persistently and unrepentantly choose a path of wickedness and rebellion against Him. In the ancient Israelite worldview, God was seen as the ultimate source of justice. While they were called to seek justice in their own society, they also understood that there would be a time when God Himself would deal definitively with evil and those who actively opposed His righteous rule and harmed His people. This language, while strong, reflects that conviction – God will not allow wickedness to triumph indefinitely. Then, in verse 22, we hear a direct word from the Lord: “The Lord said, ‘I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea.'” This verse is rich with symbolic meaning. Bashan, known for its formidable mountains and strong inhabitants, represented a place of strength and perhaps a...

Welcome to Day 2633 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2633 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 68:15-20 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2633 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2633 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we continue our exploration of the majestic Psalm 68 in the New Living Translation. We've already witnessed God as the powerful Divine Warrior, scattering His enemies and bringing joy to the godly. We've journeyed with the Israelites through the wilderness, marveling at God's leadership and provision. Now, as we reach verses 15 through 20, the psalm shifts its focus to God's chosen dwelling place, His triumphant ascension, and His ultimate power over death itself. This section brings together the historical narrative of God's dealings with Israel and a powerful preview of God's ultimate victory and the blessings He bestows upon His people. It's a passage that resonated deeply with the Israelites and holds profound meaning for us today. Let's pick up our trek in Psalm 68, reading verses 15 through 17: (Reads Psalm 68:15-17 NLT) The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain God desired for his abode? The Lord will dwell there forever! God's chariots are tens of thousands and thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them in the sanctuary as he was at Sinai. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalmist begins by referencing the “mountains of Bashan.” Bashan was a region known for its imposing, majestic mountains. They were geographically significant and perhaps viewed with a sense of awe or even pride by other nations. The psalmist acknowledges their grandeur but immediately contrasts them with another mountain – the one “God desired for his abode.” This mountain is, of course, Mount Zion in Jerusalem. From an ancient Israelite perspective, Mount Zion wasn't as physically imposing as some other mountains in the region, including those in Bashan. Yet, its significance far surpassed any other peak because God had chosen it as His dwelling place. The psalmist's question, “Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain God desired for his abode?” is a rhetorical one, highlighting the supreme honor and importance of Zion, not because of its natural features, but because of God's presence there. In the ancient world, the dwelling place of a deity was central to the identity and security of a people. For the Israelites, the Temple on Mount Zion represented God's tangible presence among them. It was the place where they could come to meet with Him, offer sacrifices, and seek His face. The declaration, “The Lord will dwell there forever!” underscored the permanence of God's presence in Zion, offering a sense of stability and assurance in a world of shifting powers and temporary kingdoms. It was a powerful statement of God's faithfulness to remain with His people. The psalmist then describes God's arrival at His sanctuary in Zion in magnificent terms: “God's chariots are tens of thousands and thousands upon thousands; the Lord...

He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.  Is 9:1–2.Jesus delivers two men from demonic possession.  Join as as we discuss the setting and supernatural implications of Matthew 8:28-34

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    Psalms 21 (selected verses)   1 The king (DAVID) shall joy in THY strength, O LORD; and in THY salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!   2 THOU hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips.   3 For THOU preventest him with the blessings of goodness: THOU settest a crown of pure gold on his head.   4 He asked life of THEE, and THOU gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.   5 His glory is great in THY salvation: honour and majesty hast THOU laid upon him.   6 For THOU hast made him most blessed for ever: THOU hast made him exceeding glad with THY countenance.   7 For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.   8 Thine hand shall find out all THINE enemies: THY right hand shall find out those that hate THEE.   9 THOU shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of THINE anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in HIS wrath, and the fire shall devour them.   10 Their fruit shalt THOU destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.   11 For they intended evil against THEE: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.   12 Therefore shalt THOU make them turn their back, when THOU shalt make ready thine arrows upon THY strings against the face of them.   13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in THINE own strength: so will we sing and praise THY power.   ***    Psalm 22  (selected verses)   1  My God, my God, why hast THOU forsaken me? why art THOU so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?   2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but THOU hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.   3 But THOU art holy, O THOU that inhabitest the praises of Israel.   4 Our fathers trusted in THEE: they trusted, and THOU didst deliver them.   5 They cried unto THEE, and were delivered: they trusted in THEE, and were not confounded.   6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.   (Jesus was despised of the people, especially despised of the religious rulers who killed HIM for envy.)   7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,  8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.   9 But THOU art HE that took me out of the womb: THOU didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.   10 I was cast upon THEE from the womb: THOU art my God from my mother's belly.   11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.   12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.   13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.   14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.   15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and THOU hast brought me into the dust of death.   16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.   17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.   18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.   19 But be not THOU far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste THEE to help me.   20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.   21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for THOU hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.   22 I will declare THY name (THE WORD) unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise THEE.   23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise HIM; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify HIM; and fear HIM, all ye the seed of Israel.   24 For HE hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath HE hid HIS face from him; but when he cried unto HIM, he heard.   25 My praise shall be of THEE (THE WORD) in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear HIM.   26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD (THE WORD) that seek HIM: your heart shall live for ever.   27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD (THE WORD): and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before THEE.   28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and HE is the governor among the nations.   29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before HIM: and none can keep alive his own soul.   30 A seed shall serve HIM; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.   31 They shall come, and shall declare HIS righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that HE hath done this.  

Teaching Text - Deuteronomy 4Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to you. 3 You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor, how he eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor. 4 But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you. 5 Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in the land you are about to enter and possess. 6 So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise people.” 7 In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? 8 And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this whole law that I am about to share with you today?9 Again, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10 You stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.” 11 You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it and yet dark with a thick cloud. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything—only a voice was heard. 13 And he revealed to you the covenant he has commanded you to keep, the Ten Commandments, writing them on two stone tablets. 14 Moreover, at that same time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to keep in the land that you are about to enter and possess.15 Be very careful, then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 16 I say this so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, 17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth. 19 When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly creation—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you. 22 So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that good land. 23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God.25 After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him, 26 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will surely and swiftly be removed from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be annihilated. 27 Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 There you will worship gods made by human hands—wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell. 29 But if you seek the Lord your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. 30 In your distress when all these things happen to you in future days, if you return to the Lord your God and obey him 31 (for he is a merciful God), he will not let you down or destroy you, for he cannot forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.32 Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been such a great thing as this, or even a rumor of it. 33 Have a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire, as you yourselves have, and lived to tell about it? 34 Or has God ever before tried to deliver a nation from the middle of another nation, accompanied by judgments, signs, wonders, war, strength, power, and other very terrifying things like the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 35 You have been taught that the Lord alone is God—there is no other besides him. 36 From heaven he spoke to you in order to teach you, and on earth he showed you his great fire from which you also heard his words. 37 Moreover, because he loved your ancestors, he chose their descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power 38 to dispossess nations greater and stronger than you and brought you here this day to give you their land as your property. 39 Today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below—there is no other! 40 Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.”41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone without hating him at the time of the accident could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 43 These cities are Bezer, in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites. 45 These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt, 46 in the Transjordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. (It is he whom Moses and the Israelites attacked after they came out of Egypt. 47 They possessed his land and that of King Og of Bashan—both of whom were Amorite kings in the Transjordan, to the east. 48 Their territory extended from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon valley as far as Mount Siyon—that is, Hermon— 49 including all the rift valley of the Transjordan in the east to the sea of the rift valley, beneath the slopes of Pisgah.)

Teaching Text - Deuteronomy 1This is what Moses said to all of Israel in the Transjordanian wilderness, the arid rift valley opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab. 2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir. 3 However, it was not until the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year that Moses addressed the Israelites just as the Lord had instructed him to do. 4 This took place after the defeat of King Sihon of the Amorites, whose capital was in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was in Ashtaroth, specifically in Edrei. 5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words:6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed in the area of this mountain long enough. 7 Head out and resume your journey. Enter the Amorite hill country, and all its neighboring areas, including the rift valley, the hill country, the foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain—all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. 8 Look! I have already given the land to you. Go, occupy the territory that I, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.” 9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. 11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you just as he said he would! 12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? 13 Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.” 14 You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. 15 So I chose as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 16 I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one person and a native Israelite or a resident foreigner. 17 They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.18 So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country, which the Lord our God is about to give us. 21 Look, he has placed the land in front of you! Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let's send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 23 I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, which they scouted out. 25 Then they took some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God. 27 You complained among yourselves privately and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there.” 29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified of them! 30 The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.” 32 However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 33 who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day to show you the way you ought to go.34 When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow: 35 “Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! 36 The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.” 37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there. 38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. 39 Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. 40 But as for you, turn back and head for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country. 42 But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.'” 43 I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord and recklessly went up to the hill country. 44 The Amorite inhabitants of that area confronted you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah. 45 Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to you whatsoever. 46 Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time—indeed, for the full time.

Today's Scripture passages are Psalm 5 | Psalm 10 | Psalm 14 | Psalm 36 | Psalm 53 | Psalm 140 | Deuteronomy 3:1-11 | Romans 3:9-31.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPOD25 for 25% off any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeDisclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Welcome to Church Pew Sports Ep 176  - 2025 NFL Draft... of Biblical Characters What if the NFL Draft looked a little more… Biblical? Welcome to a truly unique episode of Church Pew Sports, where the crew dives into a one-of-a-kind fantasy draft—selecting Biblical figures to build the ultimate NFL team. It's the 2025 NFL Biblical Character Draft, and trust us, it's just as wild, hilarious, and thought-provoking as it sounds. In this episode, Joshua takes Samson off the board early for his raw power and sky-high potential, even if his locker room presence might raise a few eyebrows. Bill picks John, the beloved disciple, envisioning him as a lightning-fast wide receiver. Meanwhile, Paul throws a massive curveball by selecting Og, the King of Bashan—arguably the biggest draft pick in NFL history. From linebackers with Daniel's fearlessness to quarterbacks like Gideon and David with legendary leadership skills, the crew debates the perfect blend of spiritual strength and gridiron grit. There's even talk of Methuselah anchoring the O-line with centuries of chemistry-building experience! As the episode unfolds, the team mixes humor, biblical insight, and football strategy, all while exploring how faith intersects with competition. The conversation wraps with thoughts on modern sports—from TV-driven college rankings to the ethics of roster building in today's NCAA. It's the draft episode you never knew you needed—until now. This week's CPS Starting Host Lineup: Bill Hobson Pastor Paul Miller Pastor Josh Pardee Josh Gilmer Jacob Miller --------- Did you know you can now WATCH Church Pew Sports on our new YOUTUBE Channel? You can listen to EVERY episode of CPS by visiting Churchpewsports.com/ We would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions. Reach out to us at: churchpewsports316@gmail.com Stay connected to Church Pew Sports on Facebook and Twitter @CPewsSports316  

The fat cows of Bashan

Deuteronomy 3 tells of two momentous events prior to Israel's entry into the Promised Land. The first of these was the victory over the other great king on the eastern side of the River Jordan – the defeat of the giant king of Bashan, Og. Although we can tell how tall Og was the Scripture tells us that his bed was approximately 4.15 metres long, ie 13 foot 6 inches for those of my age. That makes him considerably taller than the Philistine giant Goliath, who was between 3 metres and 3.2 metres depending on the length of the cubit. So Israel conquers Og and his people and took possession of their territory in Bashan, which was a part of Gilead. The record tells us that Reuben and Gad occupied this land and its cities – which includes the region of Jair, one of the famous deliverers in the time of the Judges. The extent of the territory is described. The soldiers of the Reubenites and the Gadites were commanded to pass over and aid their brothers from the other 10 tribes in the conquest of the land to the west of the Jordan River. The event with the greatest impact on the nation was the LORD's forbidding Moses from entering into the Promised Land. Verses 23-29 describe why his Sovereign forbad Moses' entry. They tell of Moses' plea to God and also Yahweh's graciously allowing of Moses to see the land he had longed for; and for which he had carried and encouraged Israel for forty years; to guide them and ready them for their future inheritance. Moses will, of course, have an inheritance in the Land in the coming kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Proverbs 30 we have the sixth section of the book. He was not Solomon who was the son of David. Agur says that he was the son of Jakeh. The Hebrew word for Agur means “the Gatherer”, ie one who collected wise sayings. There are 13 wise sayings, or proverbs, recorded in chapter 30. We cannot speculate on the identity of Agur; but we are told that in his era there were several other wise men – perhaps Agur was among those. When the book of Proverbs was finalised in the days of Ezra a selection of 13 of Agur's proverbs were included. Chapter 30 centre around the theme of humility. Verses 1-4 tell of the grandeur and impossibility of searching out the depths of God's Word. It is of the utmost importance that we understand and appreciate the significance of these first four verses. Agur speaks of the vital nature of divine revelation. The thoughts align with Moses' words in Deuteronomy 30 verses 11-16; which the Apostle Paul explains in Romans 10:6-17. The words of verse 4 focus upon our Almighty God, Yahweh, and His incomparable Son our Lord Jesus Christ and they were the subject of David's closing prayer recorded in Psalm 72 verses 17-20. Verses 5-6 are equally important as the Scriptures tell us that the LORD has magnified His Word above His Name. Every Word from God is pure. And it strengthens and protects those who honour it through seeking to understand our Sovereign's Word and exhibit it daily in their lives. Be careful in the wise and proper explanation of that Word. Do not seek to add to it, nor take away from its saving truth – see Revelation 1 verse 3; 22 verses 18-19. Verses 7-9 provide the formula for a contented and God-centred life. Satisfaction with sufficient and the abhorring of covetousness. The Apostle Paul offers the same counsel in 1 Timothy 6:6-10. Verse 10 tells us to be fair and gracious in our speech – cp Ephesians 4 verses 25, 29. By way of contrast verses 11-14 focus on a proud and selfish generation through the poem Agur gives. These words in concert with the foregoing provide us with the opportunity for self examination. Verses 15-17 are another poem telling of the insatiable appetite of a leech; of a barren women; of a parched earth; and of the grave. By finishing with Sheol (the pit, the grave) we are being warned that a failure to heed God's Word and to obey Him will see us hopelessly and forever entombed there. Verses 18-20 tell us about four marvellous and baffling things; and a contrasting fifth imponderable is added in harmony with the two women of the book – wisdom and folly – the Godly companion and the self interested and destructive harlot. The four marvels are how does an eagle fly; how does a snake slither across a rock; how does move without a trace through the sea; and love, who can explain that. Verses 20-23 speak in a sonnet of four disturbing and unbearable behaviours – an oppressive slave when he rises to become a ruler; a fool who is happy with himself/herself; an unloved woman in a disastrous marriage; and a maidservant who steals her master's affection from his wife (compare Hagar and Sarah). Verses 24-28 tell of four tiny, yet powerful creatures, which are proactive and accomplish great things by acting together – the ants; the rock badgers; the locusts; and the house lizards. Verses 29-31 a poem extolling the grandeur of four created beasts – the majestic lion; the strutting cock, or rooster; the male goat; and a powerful king leading his army. Verses 32-33 the closing advice to control your anger and avoid the otherwise disastrous consequences. In John 13 we have Jesus' demonstration to his disciples of love, when he girds himself with a towel in the form of a servant (Philippians 2) and washes their feet. When Jesus came to Peter he was told you're not going to wash my feet. He was told unless I wash your feet you can have no part with me. Peter's response was, “Wash all of me”. Jesus said that the believers need only their feet be washed. Jesus had given the great example of loving service; and that from the one who was their Lord and Master. We must follow that exemplary service. Our Lord spoke of his betrayal and after given the sop – a sign of friendship – to Judas the betrayer left intent on completing the deliverance of his Lord into the hands of Christ's enemies. When Judas left Jesus' response was, “Just now was the Son of Man glorified”. He told the disciples of a new commandment, which was not entirely new, but certainly it was to the extent our Lord demonstrated in the laying down of his life revealed ‘agape' to an extent never been seen before. Peter's threefold denial was prophesied. In chapter 14 we are told that Jesus is, “the way, the truth and the life” and that no one can come to the Father but through the Lord. Philip said, “Show us the Father and that will be enough. Jesus response was “Haven't you been with me long enough to have seen the Father's character revealed?” Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as their Comforter, when he was to be taken from them. They would be left with peace – not the absence of strife, but the understanding that all things are in the Father's control. So they left the upper room for further instruction.

Good Friday Old Testament Isaiah 52:13-53:12 See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him --so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals-- so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.   Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.   Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.   He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.   Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. The Response Psalm 22 Deus, Deus meus 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? * and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; * by night as well, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; * they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 They cried out to you and were delivered; * they trusted in you and were not put to shame. 6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, * scorned by all and despised by the people. 7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; * they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying, 8 "He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; * let him rescue him, if he delights in him." 9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, * and kept me safe upon my mother's breast. 10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; * you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, * and there is none to help. 12 Many young bulls encircle me; * strong bulls of Bashan surround me. 13 They open wide their jaws at me, * like a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; * my heart within my breast is melting wax. 15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; * and you have laid me in the dust of the grave. 16 Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; * they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones. 17 They stare and gloat over me; * they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing. 18 Be not far away, O Lord; * you are my strength; hasten to help me. 19 Save me from the sword, * my life from the power of the dog. 20 Save me from the lion's mouth, * my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls. 21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; * in the midst of the congregation I will praise you. 22 Praise the Lord, you that fear him; * stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory. 23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; * but when they cry to him he hears them. 24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him. 25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: * "May your heart live for ever!" 26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, * and all the families of the nations shall bow before him. 27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; * he rules over the nations. 28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; * all who go down to the dust fall before him. 29 My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; * they shall be known as the Lord's for ever. 30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn * the saving deeds that he has done. The Epistle Hebrews 10:16-25 The Holy Spirit testifies saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds," he also adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. The Gospel John 18:1-19:42 Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, "Whom are you looking for?" They answered, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus replied, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, "Whom are you looking for?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go." This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, "I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me." Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?" So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people. Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said." When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" Jesus answered, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?" Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, "You are not also one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" They answered, "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you." Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews replied, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death." (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" They shouted in reply, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a bandit. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God." Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor." When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, "Here is your King!" They cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate asked them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it." This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, "None of his bones shall be broken." And again another passage of scripture says, "They will look on the one whom they have pierced." After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Joshua 9The Gibeonite Deception1As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. 6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” 7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” 8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” 9They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”' 12Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. 15And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.16At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. 17And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.22Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us? 23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” 26So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation

Pastor, author, and ancient mysteries master Doug Van Dorn takes the mic for a mind-bending journey through the Serpent Mound of Bashan and the supernatural geography. Why did the ancient world build where they did? WE ARE GOING! That's right, BLURRY ISREAL 2026. Tickets go on sale for all members April 7th 2025 @7pm CT. What cosmic chessboard were the ancients playing on? And how does it all connect to giants, watchers, and spiritual warfare? From the heart of Bashan—territory of Og and the Rephaim—to modern-day revelations, Doug unpacks how the Bible isn't just a spiritual book... it's a map of contested realms. blurrycreatures.com/members Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.”‭‭- Deuteronomy‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Deuteronomy 3 continues Moses' recounting of Israel's journey and battles as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. This chapter focuses primarily on two major events: the defeat of King Og of Bashan and the allocation of the conquered territories to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. 1. Victory Over King Og (Verses 1–11) Moses recalls how the Israelites, under God's command, advanced toward Bashan, where they faced King Og and his forces. Despite Og's formidable reputation and fortified cities, God assured Moses of victory, just as He had granted triumph over Sihon, King of Heshbon, earlier. The Israelites defeated Og, took control of sixty fortified cities, and utterly destroyed the region. The chapter even highlights Og's enormous iron bed, a detail underscoring the magnitude of God's victory over seemingly unbeatable foes. Reflection: This victory reminds us that no enemy is too great when God fights for His people. Obstacles that appear insurmountable in human terms are overcome by divine power and assurance. 2. Division of the Land (Verses 12–17) After the conquest, Moses describes how the newly acquired territories east of the Jordan River were distributed. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh received these lands as their inheritance. Moses emphasizes that this decision was not arbitrary but aligned with God's plan. He also ensures military support from these tribes for the upcoming battles west of the Jordan. Reflection: This section demonstrates God's provision and careful planning. The allocation of land ensured that the tribes were settled according to divine wisdom, and it shows a balance between enjoying God's blessings and continuing to support the community's mission. 3. Encouragement to Joshua (Verses 18–22) Moses charges Joshua with the task of leading Israel into the Promised Land. He encourages him by recalling the victories God has already provided, reinforcing that future battles will be won in the same way. The message is clear: just as God was faithful in past victories, He will remain faithful in what lies ahead. Reflection: This is a powerful leadership moment. Moses is passing the baton to Joshua with words of faith and courage. It teaches us about mentoring, preparing future leaders, and trusting in God's continued guidance. 4. Moses' Plea and God's Firm Response (Verses 23–29) In the closing section, Moses shares a personal moment: his heartfelt plea to God to allow him to enter the Promised Land. God, however, firmly denies his request, reminding Moses of the consequences of earlier disobedience. Yet, in His grace, God allows Moses to see the land from a distance. He then instructs Moses to strengthen and encourage Joshua, who will complete the mission. Reflection: This portion of the chapter is deeply human and touching. It shows Moses' humility and God's firm justice, but also His kindness. Moses' acceptance of God's will and his focus on empowering Joshua highlights the importance of submission to God's plan and supporting the next generation of leaders. ⸻ Themes in Deuteronomy 3: •God's Sovereignty in Victory: God leads His people to triumph over powerful enemies. •Provision and Preparation: God provides not just victory, but a home and structure for His people. •Leadership Transition: Moses prepares Joshua to lead with courage, underscoring mentorship and legacy. •Obedience and Consequences: Moses' story is a sober reminder of the weight of obedience. ⸻ Final Reflection: Deuteronomy 3 is a chapter full of transition — from conquest to settlement, from one leader to the next, from human limitations to divine promise. It teaches us to remember God's faithfulness, to trust His plans, and to courageously move forward, even when the path includes personal sacrifice.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

“Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain (Bashan), at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?” ‭‭- Psalm‬ ‭68‬:‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬“The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.” ‭‭- Psalm‬ ‭68‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

ALC Recommends: “That's My King” - CeCe Winans“O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!” ‭‭- Psalm‬ ‭68‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. – Psalm 22:12

Nahum 1 (NASB) 1 The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither. 5 Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it. 6 Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him. 7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. 8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness. 9 Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. 10 Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed As stubble completely withered. 11 From you has gone forth One who plotted evil against the Lord, A wicked counselor. 12 Thus says the Lord, "Though they are at full strength and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. 13 "So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you, And I will tear off your shackles." 14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you: "Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible." 15 Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is cut off completely. Theme: God specially protects and cares for His people Outline:1) A Dreadful Warning to God's Enemies (1:1-8)    - God is vengeful and jealous for His people (1:2)    - The Wrath of God is Incomparable (1:3-5)    - None Can Stand Before God's Anger (1:6)    - Great Comfort for God's People (1:7-8)2) A Prophetic Message of Destruction & Protection (1:9-15)    - God Will Protect His Own (1:9-13)    - God Will Destroy His Enemy (1:14)    - God Gives a Promise to His People (1:15)

Leviticus 25 tells of the year of the Jubilee (Hebrew, “Yobal”). This was the year of release for all manner of servitude; land reverted to the original family owner with the cancellation of all debts. It occurred every 50th year and began 49 years and 6 months after the completion of the previous Jubilee; and lasted for 1 year. Its commencement was marked by the sounding of the silver trumpet, which spoke of redemption. There are many incredible patterns associated with the Yobal, both in ancient times and also in the modern era. 1847 the series of lectures delivered by John Thomas, which produced the remarkable book “Elpis Israel” (at the same time Karl Marx released the Communist Manifesto in his book “Das Kapital”). 1897 was the first Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland, where Theodore Hertzl declared “today I founded the Jewish State”; which in fact occurred 50 years later on when in 1947 the United Nations Select Committee on Palestine, UNSCOP, decided to partition the Promised Land leading on to the declaration of the State of Israel on 14th May, 1948 (the flag of Israel was raised at midnight following that day – making it actually the 15th of May Jewish time; but the Declaration of the State of Israel had occurred on May 14th). Now for the chapter breakdown: Verses 1 to 7 Sabbath for the Land; Verses 8 to 13 The Year of Jubilee; Verses 14 to17 Regulations for sale and purchase; Verses 18 to 22 Exhortations against fear of shortages; Verses 23 to 24 Land rights ultimately belong unto Yahweh; Verses 25 to 28 Assistance to the poor to help with re-purchase; Verses 29to 34 Laws of house sales: Verses 29to 30 Metropolitan Verse 31 Country Verses 32 to 34 Houses and fields of the Levites Verses 35 to 38 Usury not to be taken from a brother; Verses 39 to 46 No Israelite to be made a bond slave, only of the Gentiles; Verses 47to 55 Redemption of a poor Israelite from servitude to a stranger. Psalms 135 and 136 speak of identical themes, but with slightly different words. The recurring phrase in Psalm 135 is the need to praise the name of Yahweh because of His mighty deeds on behalf of His people, Israel. The Psalm could be entitled, “Your Name, O Yahweh, endures forever”. The Psalmist traces God's awesome deeds performed on behalf of Israel from the time the patriarch Jacob, that is Israel, took possession of the Promised Land. The nation was our Sovereign's peculiar treasure, as verse 4 tells. The song traces the providence of the Almighty for His people as He delivered them from Egypt. It outlines their Maker's care for them in giving them victories over the giants of Sihon the king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan. Their Omnipotent Creator gave them the Land promised to their faithful forefathers. What power in heaven, or in earth, is comparable to our LORD's. The gods of the heathen are impotent idols. And as verse 18 declares, “They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusts in them.” Who is it that you have placed your trust in? Hopefully not in yourself. For what folly that would be! Hopefully you are not striving for material success. Again, how futile is that! But slowly read aloud the final three verses of the song and make the affirmation with the Psalmist, “Blessed be Yahweh out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise to Yahweh (Hallelujah)”. Psalm 136, as Psalm 135, commences by praising the creative might of our Omnipotent Creator. It once more outlines the Almighty's providential care for His people, Israel. The choir would sing of the victorious LORD and His triumphing over every foe of His people. Then the entire nation would acclaim that truth by uttering the refrain, “O give thanks to the Lord of lords…”, or “to the God of gods”; and similar phrases dotted throughout the Psalm. However the most pronounced; and greatly emphasised refrain is, “for His mercy endures for ever”. Repetition is a great tool for learning and understanding the core message of the Psalm. Never let us forget that, “OUR SOVEREIGN'S MERCY ENDURES FOR EVER”. And let us praise and thank Him constantly for that wonderful and dependable character of our God. Luke chapter 8 begins by naming some of the women who accompany our Lord and his Apostles. Among them was Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's nobleman (consider some of the difficulties this may have occasioned – perhaps very similar to Obadiah, the steward of Ahab; who had fed 100 of Yahweh's prophets during the great drought). The Parable of the Sower is taught, as the basis of understanding all of our Lord's parables. As we have seen it can be called the parable of the soils; as the seed sown is the same – it was the response that differed. The chapter then records an explanation from Jesus as to why our Lord spoke in parables. It was to reveal the message to the seekers and to confound the self righteous. The teaching by parables is a fulfilment of Christ's mission and is explained in Psalm 78:1-4 and Isaiah 6:1-13. Then follows the parable of the lamp on the table which outlines the disciple's responsibility to spread the Gospel. Jesus' mother and brothers, being concerned for him, seek to curtail his preaching. They are told to join the supporters rather than those who are slowing down God's work. Next Jesus calms a storm demonstrating that he is indeed the Son of God (see Psalm 107 verses 23 to 32). The chapter then says that he heals the man called Legion. Whose curing is proved by the destruction of the pigs. The Jews should not have been breeding these as the Law of Moses forbad it. The record follows with the curing of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years (note Luke's ironic comments about his fellow doctors). Then Jesus raises the twelve year old daughter of Jairus (whose name means ‘enlightenment') and presents her alive to her parents. Christ shows that he is indeed the Good Shepherd of John 10 when he said to the child “little lamb arise”.

Reflection on Numbers 21 Numbers 21 is a powerful chapter in the Bible that highlights themes of judgment, repentance, divine provision, and victory. It chronicles Israel's journey through the wilderness, their struggles with faith, and God's miraculous interventions. 1. Complaints and the Fiery Serpents (Numbers 21:4-9) As the Israelites journeyed from Mount Hor toward the Red Sea, they became impatient and began to complain against Moses and God, saying: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (Numbers 21:5). In response to their rebellion, God sent fiery serpents among them, which bit the people, causing many to die. This judgment was a direct consequence of their ungrateful hearts. However, when they acknowledged their sin and pleaded for mercy, God provided a way of healing. He commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it on a pole, declaring that anyone who looked upon it would be healed. This event is significant because it foreshadows Christ's sacrifice. In John 3:14-15, Jesus refers to this event: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” The bronze serpent represents both judgment and healing—just as Jesus, though sinless, took on the judgment of sin so that those who look to Him in faith might be saved. 2. Victory Over the Canaanites (Numbers 21:1-3, 10-35) The chapter also records several military victories. After their repentance, Israel prayed for deliverance against the Canaanite king of Arad, and God granted them victory. This moment signified a turning point—when the people put their trust in God instead of complaining, they experienced His power. Israel also defeated King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan, securing territory east of the Jordan. These victories confirmed God's promise to give Israel the land and demonstrated that obedience and faith lead to divine blessings. Lessons from Numbers 21 1.Complaining against God leads to consequences. •The Israelites' grumbling led to judgment, reminding us to be grateful even in difficult times. 2.Repentance and obedience bring healing. •When the Israelites repented and looked to the bronze serpent, they were saved—just as faith in Christ brings eternal life. 3.Trusting God leads to victory. •When Israel sought God in battle instead of doubting Him, He led them to triumph. Numbers 21 is a call to trust God in hardships, avoid complaining, and seek His healing and guidance. Just as the Israelites had to look upon the bronze serpent, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, our ultimate source of salvation and victory.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

Relationships are complex, and understanding them can often feel overwhelming. In this episode, we dive deep into the intricacies of love, connection, and sexual fluidity with Dr. Frankie Bashan, a clinical psychologist, board-certified sex therapist, and relationship expert with over two decades of experience.Dr. Frankie shares her expert insights into the challenges people face in their partnerships, shedding light on the critical question: when do we fight for love, and when is it time to seek assistance? As the CEO & Founder of LittleGayBook.com and LittleBlackBookMatchmaking.com, Dr. Frankie has spent her career connecting people—both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+—through personalized matchmaking and exclusive singles events, helping thousands find meaningful relationships. She emphasizes the essential role of communication in relationships and explains how mastering the art of expressing ourselves can profoundly impact intimacy and connection.Dr. Frankie has also appeared on MTV's hit dating show "Are You the One?" and shared her expertise on The Howard Stern Show, showcasing her deep understanding of relationship dynamics and communication on major national platforms. Throughout the discussion, we explore how empathy, curiosity, and healthy communication can help couples navigate challenges. Dr. Frankie also touches on the nuances of passive-aggressive behavior, emotional landscapes, and when seeking professional help is vital for growth. Relationships are hard, but with the right tools and commitment from both partners, they are worth the effort.With Dr. Frankie's unique combination of formal training and emotional intelligence, we gain valuable strategies for fostering emotional connection and relationship success. Whether you're single or in a relationship, this episode offers practical advice that anyone can implement.Follow Dr. Frankie Bashan:Instagram: @drfrankiebashanYouTube: Little Gay Book ChannelWebsite: Little Gay BookWebsite: Little Black Book MatchmakingFacebook: Little Gay BookTwitter: @LITTLEGAYBOOKTedX Talk: Sexual FluidityDon't forget to subscribe, share this episode with someone who might benefit, and leave a review to help us reach more listeners!Send us a textSupport the showFollow Jacquelynn on Instagram HERE.Follow Just Women Talking Shit on Instagram HERE.Discover Ways to Work with Jacquelynn HERE.

Who are the cows of Bashan? Why does God condemn his people's holy places and religious practices? Why is it that God sends hardships to his people? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten take a look at each of these tough questions and look to Amos for the answers.We hope you enjoy it. As usual, if you have any questions about Sermon B-sides or anything else, email us at pastor@coramdeochurch.org.

Throughout history, mountains have held deep spiritual significance—serving as meeting places between heaven and earth, battlegrounds of supernatural warfare, and stages for divine encounters. From the Garden of Eden to Mount Sinai, from the transfiguration of Christ to the crucifixion, the Bible is filled with moments where mountains play a pivotal role in God's plan for humanity. But why? What is the deeper connection between these sacred heights and the cosmic battle between good and evil?In this episode of the Revelations Podcast, host Reagan Kramer welcomes back pastor, author, and theologian Doug Van Dorn for an eye-opening discussion on biblical mountains, the divine council, and the supernatural forces that have shaped human history. Together, they explore how God uses mountains as places of revelation, how fallen entities have sought to corrupt them, and how Jesus' ministry strategically reversed the destruction caused by the enemy.Whether you're a seasoned Bible scholar or just beginning to explore the deeper spiritual dimensions of scripture, this episode will leave you with a greater understanding of God's plan and the victory we have in Christ.Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:Gain a deeper understanding of the biblical significance of mountains and their connection to the supernatural realm.Learn about the concept of the divine council and how it relates to mythological entities like Zeus and Baal, and their connection to Satan.Reflect on the practical implications of understanding the supernatural worldview, particularly in terms of overcoming worry and trusting in God's control.Become Part of Our Mission! Support The Revelations Podcast:Your support fuels our mission to share transformative messages of hope and faith. Click here to learn how you can contribute and be part of this growing community!ResourcesMore from the Revelations Podcast hosted by Reagan Kramer: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast | Youtube"Rings of Revelation" by Doug Van Dorn"Giant Sons of God" by Doug Van Dorn"The Unseen Real" — by Dr. Michael HeiserDoug Van Dorn: Website | InstagramGiant Steps Podcast - Apple Podcast | Spotify PodcastIron and Myth Podcast - YouTube Kingdoms Unveiled Podcast  - YouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify PodcastBible VersesPsalm 82:1Isaiah 14:12-14Ezekiel 28Genesis 3:1Ezekiel 31Psalm 91Psalm 24Psalm 68Daniel 42 Peter 2:4Jude 1:6This Episode is brought to you by Advanced Medicine AlternativesGet back to the active life you love through natural & regenerative musculoskeletal healing: https://www.georgekramermd.com/Episode Highlights[0:44] Introduction to Doug Van Doren and his WorkA journey from Minneapolis to Denver shaped Doug Van Dorn's path as a pastor, author, and theologian dedicated to biblical mysteries and the supernatural.His extensive background includes roles as a scholar, radio host, CEO, mountain climber, and fellow at the Institute for Biblical Anthropology.Books like Rings of Revelation and Giant Sons of God, along with the Giant Steps podcast, dive deep into theological and supernatural themes.This episode unpacks key topics such as biblical mountains, divine encounters, and the ongoing spiritual battle between good and evil.[3:20] Significance of Mountains in the BibleBiblical events unfold on mountains, from Noah's Ark resting on Mount Ararat to the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.[4:46] Doug: “"Mountains are all over the place. And the question becomes, why would that be? And that's where you need to understand first of all, that God is meeting with people on all of these mountains.”The "axis mundi," a concept describing mountains as divine meeting points, reveals their role as a bridge between heaven and earth.Mountains hold significance not only in the Bible but also in global mythologies, including Mount Olympus and sacred Native American sites.Isaiah 14 introduces the “mount of assembly,” linking biblical mountains to divine councils where heavenly beings gather.[5:10] Divine Council and Mythological ConnectionsMountains serve as the setting for the divine council, where God meets with angels and heavenly beings to rule over creation.Ancient mythologies mirror biblical narratives, with figures like Zeus and Baal representing the same rebellious entity—Satan.Mount Zaphon, recognized as Baal's sacred mountain, connects directly to the divine council and the spiritual battle against false gods.The fall of Lucifer in Isaiah 14 echoes the rebellion of spiritual beings, linking the serpent in Eden to later deceptions throughout history.[17:42] Eden and the Divine CouncilThe Garden of Eden is depicted as a mountain, a place where heaven and earth intersect.Adam and Eve's use of fig leaves for covering may symbolize an early attempt to seek refuge in fallen supernatural beings.Satan's jealousy over humanity's God-given authority fueled his deception in Eden, setting the stage for spiritual warfare.The Edenic narrative connects to a larger biblical pattern of rebellion, redemption, and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.[24:01] The Post-Flood Rebellion and the Return of the NephilimFollowing the flood, fallen angels were imprisoned in "gloomy chains of darkness," as described in 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6.Despite this judgment, the Nephilim reappear after the flood, indicating a renewed rebellion by supernatural forces.Ancient texts, including the Book of Enoch, describe how 200 fallen angels conspired to corrupt humanity.The struggle between God's people and these rebellious beings continues throughout Scripture, reinforcing the need for spiritual vigilance.[36:29] Moses, Mount Sinai, and the Law as a Divine RevelationMount Sinai is a sacred site where God revealed His law to Moses, establishing a covenant with Israel.Patterns in Scripture link Sinai to Eden and the future Temple, each acting as a central place of divine presence and instruction.The tabernacle mirrors the structure of the mountain, symbolizing levels of access to God's holiness.The law delivered at Sinai not only governed Israel but also foreshadowed Christ's fulfillment of righteousness.[40:16] The Golden Calf and IdolatryThe Israelites, fearing God's presence, attempted to worship Him through an idol, reshaping Him into something they could control.[41:02] Doug: “Idolatry is we're going to make that God that's up there come and be in this calf, so that we can somehow manipulate him because that's too terrifying for us.”The golden calf represented a common struggle—seeking to domesticate God rather than submitting to His true nature.Idolatry in all forms distorts faith, leading people to trust in tangible symbols rather than divine truth.Understanding this historical moment sheds light on the continuous human tendency to replace God with lesser things.[43:58] Jesus' Ministry and Supernatural BattlesEach phase of Jesus' ministry strategically dismantles Satan's authority over the world.[48:27] Doug: “Jesus's ministry is a multiple phased attack on Satan, and you have to understand some cosmic geography, and some of the motifs we've been talking about here are also very helpful.”The region of Bashan, known as "the land of the serpent," becomes the battleground where Christ begins His campaign against darkness.Key moments—including His temptation in the wilderness, His healing miracles, and His transfiguration—symbolize a reclaiming of territory from the enemy.Through these events, Jesus openly declares war on the forces of darkness, establishing His dominion over both heaven and earth.[52:48] Jesus' Death, Resurrection, and AscensionCalvary stands as the cosmic mountain where Jesus' sacrifice defeats sin and death.Descending into Hades, Christ proclaims victory and liberates those who awaited redemption.His resurrection seals His triumph, securing authority over all spiritual forces.By ascending to the right hand of God, Jesus asserts His role as the ultimate conqueror over evil.[57:10] Practical Implications of a Supernatural WorldviewThe desire for control, often expressed through worry and fear, stems from spiritual forces working against faith.Trusting in God's sovereignty dismantles the illusion of control and realigns believers with divine truth.Spiritual warfare manifests not only in extraordinary events but in daily battles over faith, trust, and obedience.Understanding Christ's victory allows believers to walk in peace, embracing their role in God's kingdom rather than being consumed by speculation about the future. About Doug Van Dorn Doug Van Dorn is a pastor, author, and theologian known for his deep exploration of biblical mysteries and the supernatural realm. With over two decades of pastoral experience, he has dedicated his work to uncovering the spiritual battles woven throughout Scripture, from the Nephilim and the Divine Council to the cosmic significance of mountains in biblical history. As the author of Giant Sons of God and Rings of Revelation, Doug bridges ancient texts, historical research, and theological insight to reveal the hidden layers of God's plan and the forces at work against it.Beyond writing, Doug is the host of the Giant Steps podcast and co-host of Iron and Myth, where he collaborates with other scholars to discuss the supernatural foundations of the Bible. A fellow at the Institute for Biblical Anthropology, he is also a speaker and researcher who challenges believers to embrace a biblical worldview that acknowledges the unseen realm. Whether teaching in his church or uncovering historical and theological connections, Doug's passion lies in equipping believers to discern truth, stand firm in faith, and understand how Jesus' ministry actively overcomes the darkness.Connect with Doug Van Dorn and explore his books, podcasts, and resources on his website.Enjoyed this Episode?If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!Post a review and share it! If you found our deep dive into the spiritual influences on mental health insightful, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a review and share this episode with friends and family. Uncover the hidden layers of biblical history and step into a deeper understanding of the supernatural realm. Strengthen your faith by recognizing the spiritual battles at play and discern truth from deception. Embrace victory that Christ has already won.Have any questions? You can connect with me on Instagram.Thank you for tuning in! For more updates, tune in on Apple Podcasts. 

Friday Bible Study (1/31/25) // 2 Kings 10: 18-36 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.org Follow us to remain connected: Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others To support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... 2 Kings 10: 18-36 (ESV) Jehu Strikes Down the Prophets of Baal 18 Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. 23 Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they[a] went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.” 25 So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, 26 and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. 27 And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. Jehu Reigns in Israel 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin. 32 In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. Footnotes a. 2 Kings 10: 24 Septuagint he (compare verse 25) #2Kings⁠ | ⁠#BibleStudy⁠ | ⁠#DanielBatarseh⁠ | ⁠#mbchicago⁠ | ⁠#mbcchicago⁠ | ⁠#Bible⁠ | ⁠#livechurch⁠ | ⁠#churchlive⁠ | ⁠#chicagochurch⁠ | ⁠#chicagochurches⁠ | ⁠#versebyverse⁠ | ⁠#church⁠ | ⁠#chicago⁠ | ⁠#sermon⁠ | ⁠#bibleexplained⁠ | ⁠#bibleproject⁠ | ⁠#bibleverse⁠

Key Points:Dr. Frankie's background and passionDr. Frankie introduced herself as a clinical psychologist, board-certified therapist, and the CEO and founder of Little Gay Book and Little Black Book matchmaking services. She shared that her passion is helping people have healthier, happier relationships with themselves and others, and being a conduit to bring people together.Challenges with dating appsDr. Frankie discussed common themes she sees with her clients using dating apps, including feeling stuck in a "hamster wheel" of swiping without making real connections, misrepresenting themselves to appear a certain way, and experiencing disappointment when dates don't match their online profiles. She emphasized the importance of authenticity and setting boundaries when using dating apps.Navigating dating app dynamicsDr. Frankie and Cam discussed strategies for using dating apps more effectively, such as setting time limits, doing video calls before in-person dates, and moving quickly to meet up rather than prolonging messaging. They also explored the psychology behind the addictive nature of dating apps and the need to be mindful of how they are designed to keep users engaged.Advice for in-person datingCam and Dr. Frankie provided advice for meeting people in person, including the benefits of doing activities you already enjoy, giving thoughtful compliments, and having an "exit strategy" to gracefully end conversations. They also discussed navigating the transition from a romantic connection to a platonic friendship.Recap and closing thoughtsDr. Frankie expressed appreciation for Cam's work and the practical, real-life dating advice they discussed. She encouraged people to get out there and make in-person connections, despite any fears or self-consciousness, as most people are hungry for that type of human interaction.Relevant links:Dr. Frankie's website: https://www.littleblackbookmatchmaking.com

We're so excited about our episode this week! Rebecca & Kelee had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Frankie Bashan, a renowned relationship coach and dating expert. Together, we read real-life dating scenarios where someone involved made an interesting choice. Then we debate if that person is hopeless and the relationship is doomed, or if they could be helped, and maybe they just need some therapy or some solid advice.  After talking to Dr. Frankie, we feel enlightened, inspired, and so excited to share all of her amazing, professional advice. We hope you feel the same way after listening! Enjoy! More about Dr. Frankie: As a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience, she specializes in working with both couples and individuals. Her extensive training includes a focus on trauma, enabling her to provide comprehensive support and guidance in her practice. She possesses a unique combination of formal training, innate emotional intelligence, and communication skills that allow her to help couples struggling with relationship issues of all kinds.  Dr. Frankie is the CEO & Founder of LittleGayBook.com, which focuses on personalized matchmaking and singles events for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and trans folks, and has successfully connected thousands of couples across the United States for nearly two decades. Her latest venture is as CEO & Founder of LittleBlackBookMatchmaking.com, specializing in personalized matchmaking and elevated singles events for heterosexual singles + LGBTQIA+ singles. Dr. Frankie's provides psychotherapy in the state of California, but coaching clients can access her services via video conferencing from around the globe. You can follow Dr. Frankie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Yelp.  Where you can find Dr. Frankie:  YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/littlegaybook WEB: https://www.littlegaybook.com WEB: https://www.littleblackbookmatchmaking.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/drfrankiebashan/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/littlegaybook/ X: https://twitter.com/LITTLEGAYBOOK TEDX: https://youtu.be/mIjAqACtCLg

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: MAR 31, 2018What Jesus saw from the Cross demonstrates much about the militant nature of the Lord's mission. Topics discussed: The Book of Enoch, Second Temple Judaism, the Watchers, the Sin of the Watchers, the giants, the origins of demons, idols, Azazel, Mt. Hermon, the Bulls of Bashan, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the giving of Spiritual Gifts. 

Listen to the sermon 'You Cows Of Bashan' by Jeremy Burrage from the Amos series, based on Amos 4:1-13.

Psalm 22 1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2. O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. 6. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. 7. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8. "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." 9. Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. 10. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. 11. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. 19. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Streng

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.John 1:14 Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Jubilate (Psalm 100)Alleluia. To us a child is born: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *serve the Lord with gladnessand come before his presence with a song.Know this: The Lord himself is God; *he himself has made us, and we are his;we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving;go into his courts with praise; *give thanks to him and call upon his Name.For the Lord is good;his mercy is everlasting; *and his faithfulness endures from age to age.Alleluia. To us a child is born: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia. The PsalterPsalm 68:1-191Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *let those who hate him flee before him.2Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.3But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *let them also be merry and joyful.4Sing to God, sing praises to his Name;exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *Yhwh is his Name, rejoice before him!5Father of orphans, defender of widows, *God in his holy habitation!6God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *but the rebels shall live in dry places.7O God, when you went forth before your people, *when you marched through the wilderness,8The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *at the presence of God, the God of Israel.9You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *you refreshed the land when it was weary.10Your people found their home in it; *in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.11The Lord gave the word; *great was the company of women who bore the tidings:12“Kings with their armies are fleeing away; *the women at home are dividing the spoils.”13Though you lingered among the sheepfolds, *you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,whose feathers are like green gold.14When the Almighty scattered kings, *it was like snow falling in Zalmon.15O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan! *O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!16Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,at the hill which God chose for his resting place? *truly, the Lord will dwell there for ever.17The chariots of God are twenty thousand,even thousands of thousands; *the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.18You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;you have received gifts even from your enemies, *that the Lord God might dwell among them.19Blessed be the Lord day by day, *the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsGen. 28:10-22A Reading from the Book of Genesis.Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Heb. 11:13-22A Reading from the Book of Hebrews.These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. John 10:7-17A Reading from the Gospel According to John.So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

OUR 2023 TOUR of Israel featured a visit to Gilgal Refaim, the “Wheel of the Giants” on the Golan Heights. Why did we go there, and why is it relevant to our study of end times prophecy?We share video of our visit to this fascinating site that some call “Israel's Stonehenge.” That really does Gilgal Refaim a disservice, because it's much bigger and much older than Britain's famous megalith. The most recent excavations at Gilgal Refaim date it to about 3700 BC, but it's probably older. And it was more than likely used in rituals to summon and commune with the dead, a cult that was expressly forbidden by God. We explain the link between the Nephilim (later called Rephaim by the Canaanites and Israelites), the region of Bashan, and end times prophecies in Isaiah 26:13–19, Isaiah 27:1, and Psalm 68:21–22 that foretell the deaths of the giants, their supernatural fathers (the “sons of God” of Genesis 6:1–4), and Leviathan—the spirit of chaos that we believe indwells the Antichrist in the last days.

Israel hits Syrian air bases, destroying dozens of helicopters and planes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria as a turning point for the Middle East. Will the fall of Assad lead to ‘transforming the face of the Middle East?' Today we are talking about the two things you're not supposed to… Politics & Religion! --------------- 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com 📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream One Source and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse   🏧: America's Christian Credit Union: Make the switch from the BIG banks: https://www.endtime.com/switch ☕️: First Cup Coffee: use code ENDTIME to get 10% off: https://www.firstcup.com ⭐️: Birch Gold: Claim your free info kit on gold: https://www.birchgold.com/endtime 🥤: Ready Pantry: Save an extra 10% your entire order (use code “ENDTIME”): https://www.readypantry.com/endtime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Email: CatholicPleb@gmail.comLocals (Online Community): https://catholicplebs.locals.com/Podcast Website; https://catholicplebs.buzzsprout.comJoin me today on an Advent reflection with Isaiah as we enter into this time of preparation for the reception of the Lord. This episode focuses on how we can enter into the season by taking an introspective look at our lives and what can slow the coming of the Lord in our lies: Self-reliance and independence from GodWhat have we allowed to grow in the gardens of our hearts that crowds out the LordWhat idols have we madeWhat are we building that keep us from the LordDo our long-term plans in life include the LordReading from Isaiah CH 2The Lord's Day of Judgment on Pride6 You have abandoned your people,the house of Jacob!Because they are filled with diviners,and soothsayers, like the Philistines;with foreigners they clasp hands.7 Their land is full of silver and gold,there is no end to their treasures;Their land is full of horses,there is no end to their chariots.8 Their land is full of idols;they bow down to the works of their hands,what their fingers have made.9 So all shall be abased,each one brought low.Do not pardon them!10 Get behind the rocks,hide in the dust,From the terror of the LORDand the splendor of his majesty!11 The eyes of human pride shall be lowered,the arrogance of mortals shall be abased,and the LORD alone will be exalted, on that day.12 For the LORD of hosts will have his dayagainst all that is proud and arrogant,against all that is high, and it will be brought low;13 Yes, against all the cedars of Lebanonand against all the oaks of Bashan,14 Against all the lofty mountainsand all the high hills,15 Against every lofty towerand every fortified wall,16 Against all the ships of Tarshishand all stately vessels.17 Then human pride shall be abased,the arrogance of mortals brought low,And the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.18 The idols will vanish completely.19 People will go into caves in the rocksand into holes in the earth,At the terror of the LORDand the splendor of his majesty,as he rises to overawe the earth.20 On that day people shall throw to moles and batstheir idols of silver and their idols of goldwhich they made for themselves to worship.21 And they shall go into caverns in the rocksand into crevices in the cliffs,At the terror of the LORDand the splendor of his majesty,as he rises to overawe the earth.22 As for you, stop worrying about mortals,in whose nostrils is but a breath;for of what worth are they?Topics: Scripture, Bible, Advent Reflection, Relationship with Jesus,Send us a textSupport the show

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”- Isaiah 40:3 Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 18: Part IDiligam te, Domine.BCP p. 602Ilove you, O Lord my strength, *O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, *my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;you are worthy of praise.I will call upon the Lord, *and so shall I be saved from my enemies.The breakers of death rolled over me, *and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.The cords of hell entangled me, *and the snares of death were set for me.I called upon the Lord in my distress *and cried out to my God for help.He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; *my cry of anguish came to his ears.The earth reeled and rocked; *the roots of the mountains shook;they reeled because of his anger.Smoke rose from his nostrilsand a consuming fire out of his mouth; *hot burning coals blazed forth from him.He parted the heavens and came down *with a storm cloud under his feet.He mounted on cherubim and flew; *he swooped on the wings of the wind.He wrapped darkness about him; *he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, *burst hailstones and coals of fire.The Lord thundered out of heaven; *the Most High uttered his voice.He loosed his arrows and scattered them; *he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.The beds of the seas were uncovered,and the foundations of the world laid bare, *at your battle cry, O Lord,at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.He reached down from on high and grasped me; *he drew me out of great waters.He delivered me from my strong enemiesand from those who hated me; *for they were too mighty for me.They confronted me in the day of my disaster; *but the Lord was my support.He brought me out into an open place; *he rescued me because he delighted in me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 2:12-22A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.For the Lord of hosts has a dayagainst all that is proud and lofty,against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;against all the cedars of Lebanon,lofty and lifted up;and against all the oaks of Bashan;against all the lofty mountains,and against all the uplifted hills;against every high tower,and against every fortified wall;against all the ships of Tarshish,and against all the beautiful craft.And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.And the idols shall utterly pass away.And people shall enter the caves of the rocksand the holes of the ground,from before the terror of the Lord,and from the splendor of his majesty,when he rises to terrify the earth. In that day mankind will cast awaytheir idols of silver and their idols of gold,which they made for themselves to worship,to the moles and to the bats,to enter the caverns of the rocksand the clefts of the cliffs,from before the terror of the Lord,and from the splendor of his majesty,when he rises to terrify the earth.Stop regarding manin whose nostrils is breath,for of what account is he? The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. 1 Thess. 3:1-13A Reading from the First Letter to the Thessalonians.Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   The CollectsAdvent 1Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Verses mentioning Mount Hermon and the land of Bashan are sprinkled throughout the Bible. To Israelites during the Biblical Period, they were obvious references to the land of the dead.Bible scholar Dr. Michael Heiser, who sadly passed away February 20, 2023 at the age of 60, joined us for an interview in 2021 and explained why Bashan and Hermon were important, and why Jesus deliberately traveled there for some very specific events during his ministry—like picking a fight with the Enemy.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 137Super flumina1By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *when we remembered you, O Zion.2As for our harps, we hung them up *on the trees in the midst of that land.3For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,and our oppressors called for mirth: *“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”4How shall we sing the Lord's song *upon an alien soil?5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *let my right hand forget its skill.6Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouthif I do not remember you, *if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.Psalm 144Benedictus Dominus1Blessed be the Lord my rock! *who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;2My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, *my shield in whom I trust,who subdues the peoples under me.3O Lord, what are we that you should care for us? *mere mortals that you should think of us?4We are like a puff of wind; *our days are like a passing shadow.5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; *touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.6Hurl the lightning and scatter them; *shoot out your arrows and rout them.7Stretch out your hand from on high; *rescue me and deliver me from the great waters,from the hand of foreign peoples,8Whose mouths speak deceitfully *and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.9O God, I will sing to you a new song; *I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.10You give victory to kings *and have rescued David your servant.11Rescue me from the hurtful sword *and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,12Whose mouths speak deceitfully *and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.13May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, *and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.14May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; *may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;may our cattle be fat and sleek.15May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, *no wailing in the public squares.16Happy are the people of whom this is so! *happy are the people whose God is the Lord! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsMicah 7:11-20English Standard VersionA day for the building of your walls!    In that day the boundary shall be far extended.In that day they will come to you,    from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,and from Egypt to the River,    from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.But the earth will be desolate    because of its inhabitants,    for the fruit of their deeds.Shepherd your people with your staff,    the flock of your inheritance,who dwell alone in a forest    in the midst of a garden land;let them graze in Bashan and Gilead    as in the days of old.As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,    I will show them marvelous things.The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;they shall lay their hands on their mouths;    their ears shall be deaf;they shall lick the dust like a serpent,    like the crawling things of the earth;they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;    they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,    and they shall be in fear of you.Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity    and passing over transgression    for the remnant of his inheritance?He does not retain his anger forever,    because he delights in steadfast love.He will again have compassion on us;    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.You will cast all our sins    into the depths of the sea.You will show faithfulness to Jacob    and steadfast love to Abraham,as you have sworn to our fathers    from the days of old.1 Peter 4:7-19English Standard VersionThe end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And“If the righteous is scarcely saved,    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 29Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Avoid the Sly Sins of Selfishness, Part 2 Series: The Lord's Roar: God's Call to Faithfulness in a Culture That Has it All Scripture: Amos 4 Episode: 1369 In Amos 4, God rebukes the women of Samaria, referred to as the “cows of Bashan,” for their oppression of the poorand self-indulgence. He warns of their coming judgment, including exile and destruction. God recounts His repeated attempts to bring Israel to repentance through various calamities, such as drought, famine, plagues, and military defeat, yet they stubbornly refused to return to Him. The chapter ends with a chilling call to prepare to meet your God, emphasizing His power as Creator and Judge. Key themes include oppression of the poor, refusal to repent, and God's sovereignty in judgment.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 121Levavi oculos1I lift up my eyes to the hills; *from where is my help to come?2My help comes from the Lord, *the maker of heaven and earth.3He will not let your foot be moved *and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.4Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *shall neither slumber nor sleep;5The Lord himself watches over you; *the Lord is your shade at your right hand,6So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *nor the moon by night.7The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *it is he who shall keep you safe.8The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *from this time forth for evermore.Psalm 122Lætatus sum1I was glad when they said to me, *“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”2Now our feet are standing *within your gates, O Jerusalem.3Jerusalem is built as a city *that is at unity with itself;4To which the tribes go up,the tribes of the Lord, *the assembly of Israel,to praise the Name of the Lord.5For there are the thrones of judgment, *the thrones of the house of David.6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *“May they prosper who love you.7Peace be within your walls *and quietness within your towers.8For my brethren and companions' sake, *I pray for your prosperity.9Because of the house of the Lord our God, *I will seek to do you good.”Psalm 123Ad te levavi oculos meos1To you I lift up my eyes, *to you enthroned in the heavens.2As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,3So our eyes look to the Lord our God, *until he show us his mercy.4Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, *for we have had more than enough of contempt,5Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *and of the derision of the proud. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsNahum 1:1-13English Standard VersionAn oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;    the Lord is avenging and wrathful;the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries    and keeps wrath for his enemies.The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,    and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.His way is in whirlwind and storm,    and the clouds are the dust of his feet.He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;    he dries up all the rivers;Bashan and Carmel wither;    the bloom of Lebanon withers.The mountains quake before him;    the hills melt;the earth heaves before him,    the world and all who dwell in it.Who can stand before his indignation?    Who can endure the heat of his anger?His wrath is poured out like fire,    and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.The Lord is good,    a stronghold in the day of trouble;he knows those who take refuge in him.    But with an overflowing floodhe will make a complete end of the adversaries,    and will pursue his enemies into darkness.What do you plot against the Lord?    He will make a complete end;    trouble will not rise up a second time.For they are like entangled thorns,    like drunkards as they drink;    they are consumed like stubble fully dried.From you came one    who plotted evil against the Lord,    a worthless counselor.Thus says the Lord,“Though they are at full strength and many,    they will be cut down and pass away.Though I have afflicted you,    I will afflict you no more.And now I will break his yoke from off you    and will burst your bonds apart.”1 Peter 1:13-25English Standard VersionTherefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for“All flesh is like grass    and all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers,    and the flower falls,but the word of the Lord remains forever.”And this word is the good news that was preached to you. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 29Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Avoid the Sly Sins of Selfishness, Part 1 Series: The Lord's Roar: God's Call to Faithfulness in a Culture That Has it All Scripture: Amos 4 Episode: 1368 In Amos 4, God rebukes the women of Samaria, referred to as the “cows of Bashan,” for their oppression of the poorand self-indulgence. He warns of their coming judgment, including exile and destruction. God recounts His repeated attempts to bring Israel to repentance through various calamities, such as drought, famine, plagues, and military defeat, yet they stubbornly refused to return to Him. The chapter ends with a chilling call to prepare to meet your God, emphasizing His power as Creator and Judge. Key themes include oppression of the poor, refusal to repent, and God's sovereignty in judgment.

Text: Amos 4:1-3  A sermon from our Sunday night series through the book of Amos

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:What do we learn from Parshas Chayei Sarah?  How can these Torah chapters help us understand today's wars and what we can do to help the situation?  What is the central theme of this Torah portion?  Why is the portion that talks about the death of Sarah called the life of Sarah?  What is the lesson from Eliezer initially wanting his own daughter to marry Yitzchak, but ends up serving as the messenger to have Rivkah marry him?  How can Eliezer be Og King of Bashan, who was a villain?  What is the meaning of V'Avraham zokon bo ba'yomim?  Why did Abraham remarry Hagar/Keturah?  Why is Ishmael's return discussed at the end of this portion?  What can we learn from Sarah insisting that Ishmael be sent away?  Vayeira Why did Sarah laugh when she heard that she would give birth? Was she rebuked?  Why did the akeidah cause Sarah's passing?  If the akeidah was meant to reveal higher levels of love between us and G-d, why was Sarah harmed when she heard about the akeidah?  Is there a connection between a nisayon (test) and nes (miracle)?  Lech Lecha  Why don't we add a letter to the name of everyone who is circumcised as it was added to the name Avraham?  Chof Cheshvan  What lessons can we learn from the Rebbe Rashab today?  Can you please share an idea from the Rebbe Rashab?   Why did the Tzemech Tzedek ask to delay his bris? Winter  As we enter the winter season, what lessons does it offer us?  Why not put on a fur coat while also lighting a fireplace?  What attitude should we have to politics?  How important is the president of a country in the divine scheme?  War in Israel  How should we be responding to Israel's victories over its enemies? 

Escaping Apostate Church Judgments (2) (audio) David Eells 11/17/24 The Whole Counsel of God or Death The following wonderful vision was given to Brother L. Vere Elliot, after a time of earnest struggle in prayer for a new spiritual revival and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In a vision I was in the midst of a great meeting hall. The walls and ceiling were covered with jewels and ornaments everywhere. The windows were made of colored glass. The hall was full of people -- some were rich, some poor, some sick and crippled, some deaf, mute and blind -- but all had handcuffs and no one was free. (Apostate religious system) In front of the meeting hall there was a large platform with a pulpit on one side and a large cage in which there was a huge green serpent on the other side. (They believe the serpent is subdued because they go to church.) Hanging in the air between those two things, there was a tremendously large sword suspended horizontally and fastened with two strings hanging down from the ceiling. At each end of the sword there was a string; just behind there was a row of eight or 10 men clothed in clergy-type robes, sitting one behind the other, each one seated a little above the one before him. (The Nicolaitan Pastors.) The assembly looked at these men and the men looked upon the assembly. There was a silence for a while, until a thundering voice sounded from the pulpit, as if it came directly from God: "Who will declare the whole counsel of God?" The first clergyman arose with a Bible in his hand. When he did so, the old green serpent uncoiled and stretched out, hissing against the man, with sparkling eyes and protruding fangs. The man of God (falsely so-called) sank back into his seat and placed his Bible under his chair. (They fear to go beyond their religion) The serpent then stretched up its head to touch the sword (which the man was standing under when he spoke to the people), saying, "With this, I shall kill you if you obey the voice of God". Then, for a little while, there was silence again. Again the voice sounded from the pulpit, "Who will declare the whole counsel of God?" At that time, the second man in a clergy-type robe arose, as if he would step forward, but again the serpent uncoiled against the man and he tumbled back with fear. The man sat down and placed his Bible under his chair. Then the serpent touched the sword again with the same previous remark, "With this, I shall kill you if you obey the voice of God". For the third time, the voice from the pulpit thundered and the third man arose and sat down just like the two before him. Again and again, the voice sounded until each one of the clergymen had their own opportunity to resist the serpent but, like the first three, fear overcame them all. Then the serpent smiled with an evil smile. Oh, what a vicious, snake-like smile it was. The voice then sounded again from the pulpit, "Oh, if there were a man. Oh, if there were a man. Oh, if there were a man who would declare the whole counsel of God, that these chained men might be set free. Is there not one man?" The first clergyman then took up a notebook full of written sermons; it appeared as if he would preach from the notebook but he was stuck to his chair and endeavored in vain to arise. A man, little in stature, ascended the platform and stood under the sword. He lifted his eyes toward heaven and said, "Into thy hands, O God, I commit my spirit". He then opened the Bible and read, not adding anything to it nor taking anything away. The man spoke as a man having authority. When the man had finished, the old serpent stretched up to the sword and cut off the one string with its fangs. The sword swung down but passed over the head of the man of God because he was a man "little of stature". (He was humble to God.) The weight of the sword caused the other string to break, flinging the sword back, piercing the hearts of the clergymen, and nailing all of them to the wall. A great scream of despair sounded from the platform but an even greater scream of joy sounded from the assembly, for every man's chain was loosed, setting them free! (As it was and is with the Pharisees and Jesus.) When this vision had vanished (it was truly a reality to me and all those who were together with me in the prayer room), I saw another vision of the Savior in a cloud, just above my head. He spoke, saying, "Hear, my son, the meaning of these things. The meeting hall which you saw is the secularized church, having a form of piety but denying the power of it. They are all covered with jewels of the joys of this world and there is no end of their silver and gold. The people whom you saw are those for which I died but my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. They have eyes but not to see; they have ears but not to hear. They are truly in bondage and must be set free". "The platform which you saw, on where the clergymen were sitting, is preconceived ideas, having their origin from the pit of hell. The pulpit is the throne of God and the serpent is old Lucifer himself, who, because of his pride, has set himself up as ruler over the church, since he could not be equal to Me in heaven". "The sword which you saw is the Word of God and the strings on which it was hanging represent the power of the Word to give life and the power of the Word to take life. Life was given to the man who was of little stature. Life was taken from the clergymen who did not preach the word". "The clergymen whom you saw are men from every church which pretend to know Me but they teach my people things which are not written in the Book of Life. Their pride, presumption and worldly spirit force them to obey Satan, who is a liar and the father of lies. Each of the clergymen tries to exceed the other in eloquence, in extensive writings, argumentations and the like but they only consider the letter of the Word. They leave out the Spirit of the Word. The day comes, and is now at hand, when they shall all likewise perish". After having considered this horrible scene, the Lord spoke again with these words: "Do you remember my words in the prophecy of Jeremiah, chapter 23, as well as my words in the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 34? Read!" I opened my Bible and read: (Jer.23:1) Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah. (14) In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. (20) ….At the end of the days ye shall understand it clearly. (Eze.34:2) …Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? (4) The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. (16) …but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice. Then He said to me, "These false shepherds shall in no way escape when the sword falls upon them but my sheep must be warned. They must be set free". Again, He said, "Do you remember My words in the prophecy of Jeremiah, in the latter part of chapter 25? Read!" So I read these words: (Jer.25:33 And the slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth:... (34) Wail, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow in ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come,… Then He said to me, "These days shall come quickly. The shepherds shall howl, yea! There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth but when the sword has fallen, it will be too late forever. The man whom you saw that was of little stature is every man or woman (Was added, doesn't fit the context or the Word) who will humble himself and be obedient, even unto the death of the cross; putting his trust in God and going forward, declaring the whole counsel of God. Oh, if I could find such a man; can you tell Me where there is one? With such a man I could shake heaven and earth". Now I'd like to share a word with you about:     The Bulls of Bashan David Eells The Lord has shown me a lot about the Saul ministries, and I'd like to share with you a few of those experiences the Lord has given me. I had asked the Lord, “Where are we, Lord?” and the Lord gave me 1Ch.10:1-6. Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers. 4 Then said Saul unto his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons; and all his house died together. Before the David ministry, there was the Saul ministry. It was that Saul ministry who lost their battle with the inhabitants of the land, with the fleshly man, the old man who lived in the land, and this old man represented their carnal nature, their carnal flesh. So they lost their battle primarily because Saul prepared to lose this battle. He refused to obey the Lord and put to death the previous inhabitants of the land and he refused to put to death their king, Agag, for which God basically cursed him. God gave Saul no authority; instead, the inhabitants of the land came back and conquered him and conquered all the people who followed him. Saul led them to disaster. He led them to lose the battle against what's typed there as their old flesh. Today we also have a ministry that's basically thinking that the old flesh cannot be overcome and that it's not really necessary to overcome because we're forgiven. But they miss the plan of God. David's gift to be able to conquer the people of God's enemies was because David had put to death his old man, Goliath, and taken off his head. He'd taken off the mind of the flesh. He did exactly the opposite of what Saul did and was given the victory. Now, the Lord told me many years ago that He was moving the Sauls out of the way and making room for the Davids and I was one of His Davids. By, “moving the Sauls out of the way” He didn't necessarily mean they were going to be physically killed, but that they were spiritually dying. There is no defense against the enemy when you're spiritually dead, twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jud.12). And he called them “shepherds” in Jude. He said that they were twice dead, plucked up by the roots because you can be twice born, but die again. You can be born again and die again. So what does the Lord mean by “moving the Sauls out of the way”? Well, He meant for the elect, for the people of God who were to go on and to be the elect, that this false leadership over them was going to be brought to decimation and disrespect among them, be made dead to them. And after the Lord spoke that revelation to me, as a matter of fact, the same day it came on the news that one of the most, if not the most, famous minister in America had been caught red-handed in fornication. That was just the beginning of a long chain of ministers who fell by the wayside after being caught doing this and doing that. And it's still happening today. I want to share a revelation I received concerning this same minister who fell that first day. God gave me a very vivid dream. I've shared it before but maybe some of you haven't heard it. I was standing on a mountain, looking down the side of this mountain, and I saw a construction crew very plainly putting up those real high-tension poles that they use for the high-tension wires, to bring a power line over the top of this mountain, and I believe the mountain represented the Kingdom of God. So they were coming up the side of this mountain and, while they were doing that, I looked down beside me and there was an old cow lying on the ground. It was very shriveled up and very much on the edge of death. And so while I'm standing there looking at this, a construction worker comes up on a backhoe with a front-end loader. He scoops this old cow up and started moving the cow out of the way, but not before I reached down beside the cow and picked up a big baby boy. I mean he was a handful! A big baby boy. I knew that this baby boy had been birthed from that cow. And so, the front-end loader picks up the cow and starts carrying the cow off, while I have this big baby boy, I walk over and get on an escalator going up. While I was on the escalator, I looked beside me, and there was a woman with a normal-sized baby boy. She looks at this big baby in my arms and she says, “That looks like a real baby boy.” And I said, “Yeah, and I wonder how that's possible,” as I was looking over at this front-end loader carrying the cow off. My thought was, “How is this possible, that this could come out of that?” So let me share the interpretation with you. The Lord impressed me that the power line that's coming, the great power that's coming, is not going to come through the organizational churches as they are today. They are dying like the Saul ministry. The Saul ministry has brought great destruction to the churches through lack of truth, lack of putting the Amalekites to death, the old man to death, through lack of leading God's people to put the old man to death. There's great destruction. Death has come. We can see that in 1 Chronicles 10:1-6. Saul and all of the house that was under him, along with all the people whom he led in the war against the man of flesh, the old man, all died. And so this old cow was on the verge of death and I believe the Lord showed me it represented the apostate religious Christian institutions of men dying, passing off the scene. God is refusing to share His power with or minister His power through these people, so, He's moving them out of the way. This is a repetition of what happened in Jesus' day. In His day there was a powerless bunch of people there who were considering themselves the people of God, yet they were dying. And He said to them, except ye believe that I am [he,] (or, literally, “I am”) ye shall die in your sins (Joh.8:24). They were doing it. They were dying in their sins and their Saul ministry was dying along with them. But Jesus got a little remnant out of those people, didn't He? The disciples who came out of the apostate denominations of Judaism followed him. He went into the sheepfold, He called them by name and He called them out, and they followed Him. That's what this vision was all about. This vision that the Lord gave me is a modern-day re-enactment of that. The old cow represents that system of worshiping the golden calf, but now we're seeing the end result of it: death. And the old cow was drying up, shriveled up and dying, but out of that cow, God plans on bringing forth fruit. That big baby boy represented the fruit that God is going to get out of this system. A multitude of people are going to come out of the system because God also has a Man-child ministry ready to lead them. They're going to come out to follow Christ in this Man-child ministry, just like those early disciples did. Jesus came in a body of David – a son of David. He was Son of man and Son of God. Jesus came in that body and the Bible tells us the same thing about Him coming in these days. He's going to come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day (2Th.1:10). Paul, looking down the road to our day, was seeing that Jesus was going to come in His people and “be glorified in His saints.” Praise God! That's exactly what the Bible teaches in 2Co.3:18. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (which is Christ in us), are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. So the first-fruits of these people to come into this place are those who are believing that they can because they believe it's a promised Word of God. That's the reason they're going to be the first-fruits to come into this. They're ready to take a fruit that's born from this old, corrupt, dead system and bring it up the escalator just Like Jesus did. The escalator represents a rest; it's not stairs or steps. Steps are something that you have to work to go up, but an escalator is something that works for you. And this is what God is going to do. This is supernatural. This is going to be His power, meaning we're going to get to rest in His power to bring it to pass! God also pointed out to me that the cow represents this system because a cow eats grass. And the Apostle Peter said that all flesh is as grass (1Pe.1:24). The “cow system” of Saul only devours grass; in other words, they only a fleshly understanding of the Word. They don't have eyes to see in the Spirit, just like the Pharisees and the people under them had no eyes to see in the Spirit. Jesus spoke of that in Matthew 13:13,14. They had no eyes and no ears, and so this cow only partakes of a fleshly understanding of the Word and is only able to feed someone milk, which is for babies. The only thing you can get that's truthful out of this apostate system is milk and most of the time they don't have that right. So where we are headed is to the meat. Jesus said, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me (Joh.4:34), meaning to do the Will of My Father. And God's people are going to do just that. We're coming into a day when the people who come … out from among them (2Co.6:17) like those early disciples did, are going to do the Will of God. They're going to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. History always repeats. (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. I believe going up on the escalator represents getting closer and closer to God, becoming more and more Godly, and overcoming the world beneath. The power to do that is not coming to the old cow; the power is coming to the fruit that's born out of the old cow. Back to the vision. As we were going up this escalator, the scene changed and I saw a vision of myself going into a meeting. In this meeting, I looked around and I saw just about all the famous preachers in America, including the man I mentioned previously. The one who fell the very day the Lord told me that, “I'm moving the Sauls out of the way and making room for the Davids.” I believe that this man is going to be one of the few who may repent, which is the reason I don't mention his name. You know, in Jesus' day, very few people repented. However, I received a dream about this man repenting and knowing about our ministry, talking about it favorably and so on, and I thought, “Oh, praise God!” You know, I would love to see them all repent. It's not going to happen, but I would love to see them all repent. The overwhelming majority of the Saul ministry is never going to repent. In the New Testament, we have a Saul who became a Paul. He repented, so we know that there is a small minority of people who will. There's a type and shadow for that. Continuing with this revelation, I went into this conference with these famous ministers. Now, I'm not a famous minister, but I went there and this man left the crowd and walked over to me and he had some papers in his hand. They were all rolled up and he handed them to me like he was passing something on to me, and when they hit my hand, I heard the voice of the Lord say, “This is his propaganda about what he has accomplished.” And I understood that this man fell because he thought he was really irreplaceable, because of what he'd been doing for the Kingdom, the great success that he thought he was having for the Kingdom. But, you know, any success that we have doesn't come from us. We can't take any credit for it. It's by grace and it's by God. If we think we're irreplaceable, we're all wrong because God said he can raise up stones to take our place. He doesn't need us, we need Him, and that's the whole point: we need Him. It's by His grace that we stand. Anything that's accomplished, He's the One Who accomplishes it, not us. He uses this body. We, by grace, are used by God to do things and He can do it with anyone else. He doesn't need us. He can use the next guy just as easily. God wants us, God loves us and we are valuable to Him, but He doesn't need us. If you say He needs us because He wants us, well, that's true, I agree, but don't think you're irreplaceable because you're not. Neither am I. So I knew the reason that this man fell was because of the word that the Lord gave to me. The Lord showed me he thought, “Well, I'm entitled to more. I'm entitled to have a fling. I've done so much for the Kingdom and so many people have been saved,” and so on. The Lord revealed to me that these men were the “bulls of Bashan.” We see the ‘bulls of Bashan' in this prophecy: (Psa.22:12) Many bulls have compassed me; Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. (13) They gape upon me with their mouth, [As] a ravening and as a roaring lion. And some of you may recognize this prophecy as speaking about Jesus. These leaders were called the “bulls of Bashan” because they were the ones who sowed their seed in the cow. We know the seed in the Bible is the Word, right? The reason Saul led his people to destruction at the hand of the Philistines is because of the teaching that he gave them. His leadership was faulty because he was not led of the Lord. And we'll look at that, too, but first I want to point out that the “bulls of Bashan” is a prophecy. David was not only a Psalmist but he was a prophet and in many of his prophecies he was speaking about himself. In this chapter, he was speaking about himself, but he was also speaking about Jesus and about the Man-child of our day because history just keeps repeating with larger and larger groups of people. For instance, if we go back to the beginning of the chapter, it says, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Psa.22:1), we may recognize it because Jesus quoted it in Matthew 27:46. As a matter of fact, a lot of Psalm 22 is in Matthew 27. So we recognize that as Jesus, Who was on His Cross and being crucified. We know that our Lord was crucified after 3½ years of ministry and that He was a literal Man-child. The Man-child that's coming now is a spiritual Man-child, meaning the death that the spiritual Man-child is going to die is spiritual. It's a death to self. It's a crucifixion at the hands of a lot of wicked, false leadership. In Jesus' day the leadership was the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, other leadership, and the Sanhedrin false prophet; this leadership was crucifying Jesus and using the Roman government to do it. Is it going to happen in our day? Yes, it's going to happen, but in a spiritual way. We understand that the natural fulfillment comes first, then the spiritual. Paul teaches this in 1Co 15:46 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. Prophecies are usually first fulfilled naturally and then later, spiritually, they're fulfilled again. Well, here we see Jesus going to His Cross and so shall the Man-child. (Psa.22:8) Commit [thyself] unto the Lord; let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him. The religious leaders were saying the same thing at the foot of the Cross. (Mat.27:43) He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him…. Let the Lord save Him, if He wants to save Him. But the strong bulls of Bashan were these religious leaders who had ruled over that cow system and led their people to death and destruction. It's happening now that God is going to get a group of people out of there; a remnant is going to go on and go into the presence of God. But we see there's also going to be persecution against the Man-child at the hands of these Saul leaders. Verse 16 is very similar to verse 12, about the bulls of Bashan. (Psa.22:16) For dogs (God calls these apostate leaders greedy “dogs.”) have compassed me: A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. This is obviously the crucifixion of the Man-child being spoken of here, at the hands of the Saul ministry, the Pharisee ministry, and the Eli ministry. (Psa.22:18) They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots. That's Matthew 27:35 again. We can see the fulfillment all the way down through (Psa.22:22) I will declare thy name unto my brethren: In the midst of the assembly will I praise thee. And Jesus did this. So we see that this bulls of Bashan prophecy is something that was fulfilled in Jesus' day, but also in the Man-child's day in our time, it's going to be fulfilled with a great persecution raised up at the hands of the apostate Saul ministry. As you know, Saul persecuted David. He attempted to kill David and crucified him in many ways. Saul spoke against him, he led Israel against him, but, of course, God preserved him. God anointed David to fight the battles of Israel while he was in the wilderness and even before he was anointed king. And so the story back in 1 Chronicles 10 is very much going to be fulfilled in our time with the old cow, and it's got to be moved out of the way for the real power to come. The real power, in this case, was David who followed Saul after Saul's death in chapter 10. David was anointed king over all Israel. I just wanted to tell you that this Saul leadership is going to destruction for all but those who repent and come out of it. Those who are under it, under submission to it, are being called to come out of it now. Jesus' ministry was to call a remnant out of apostate Israel to come and follow Him and go to the Kingdom of God. And, once again, the Man-child's ministry today is the same because Jesus is being manifested in the Man-child ministry by Word and Spirit. Jesus said this would happen, too in (Joh.16:21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. He said a baby boy would once again be born to a woman; and, He said, “I'll see you again.” And He is! He's coming to feed His sheep, shepherd His sheep. Praise be to God! We're looking forward to all that, aren't we? Praise be to God! So this old cow dying is talking about this apostate system of what we call Christianity around us. It's all going to a crucifixion; it's all dying. It's dying basically at the hands of their own flesh; dying because they haven't been taught that this old man has to die, as we know. I was thinking about those bulls of Bashan and how “bull” could be short for “baloney” because, I'll tell you, they have a lot of baloney with them. I remember a fellow back when I used to be an apprentice for Exxon many, many years ago before I knew the Lord. This guy worked alongside me for about three years and he would faithfully bring his bologna sandwiches to work. I mean, they were just bologna between two pieces of white bread. He'd bring two of them to work every day. And I asked him, “Don't you eat vegetables?” “No,” he said, “I don't like ‘em.” So I asked again, “Is the only thing you like bologna?” “Yeah, I like bologna.” Then I asked, “How can you live on bologna? Don't you know what that stuff is, man? That's not the best stuff in the world. It's what's left over when the butcher uses all the stuff for other things.” Well, I don't know if that's really true or not, but it kind of was in my mind. I asked, “How can you live on bologna every day?” “I like bologna,” he answered again. I told him, “You must.” I mean, bologna; that's all he had was bologna with ketchup on it. That's what he ate all the time. You know, you really can't live on that. Think about it, folks. A lot of people out there are just living on baloney. Those bulls of Bashan, you know the seed that they're putting in that old cow is bringing it to death and destruction. But we know the Sower went forth to sow and the Man-child Jesus went forth to sow the seed, and that seed that He sowed in our hearts will bring forth Himself, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. This is what we're looking forward to, right? And so we have to not depart from the true Word of God for somebody's baloney. I want to share another experience when I first came to Pensacola. I was invited to quite a few churches and some strange things started happening. In this one instance, I walked in at the back of the church and was looking down front as I was walking in. Down in front, a pastor was standing, facing me and there was a woman who was standing and facing him. Suddenly this woman wheeled around and pointed her finger right at me. She never saw me enter because she was looking the other way at this pastor as I walked in. And she started prophesying. And I'll tell you, she went on prophesying for a while. It seemed like a long time because I was kind of nervous in front of people in situations like that, so I just kind of froze and looked at her. She had her finger pointed right at my nose and she started prophesying at me. Well, I didn't know what the Lord had planned, but He planned to open a door for me, and He used this woman, who'd never been in this church before in her life and she told me later she never went back there either. But she prophesied at me and she said, “I've never seen the Word of God in anybody like I see it in that man right there.” Then she went on to prophesy about what I was going to do and so forth. Well, it kind of opened the door because everybody was paying attention to me then including the pastor. They were probably thinking, “Who's this guy?” Well, I'm a nobody and I like it that way. But anyway, the pastor started asking me questions, and he didn't have a real deep love of the Word or knowledge of the Word. He was basically leading these poor people astray, just like a Saul leadership. Eventually, we came to find out that he was in fornication with some of the people who were in his mission and that he was cavorting with his secretary. He was also cheating people by convincing them he needed their money in order to support this mission and telling them lies. Their water was turned off one time while I was there; they came and turned the water off, but he went out there and turned it back on. He did the same thing with the electricity. So he was just a dishonest person. But the poor people were thinking this was normal Christianity, especially people in the mission who were first coming to know the Lord and then got this guy for an example. And I thought, “God help them.” Well, anyway because of this prophecy, God was opening a door for me to preach and teach, and I did. I started preaching and teaching and God was delivering the people there and they were becoming happy. This pastor didn't teach about baptism; it just wasn't very important to him, so I taught them about baptism and baptized almost the whole church while I was there. The pastor had come out of a very famous rock band, so he was used to being charismatic. He was gifted in song and the guitar, so it was easy for people to follow him. But when the people started hearing the Word, some of them became kind of excited, you know, and he could see that he was losing his grip on them. And I felt like some of that jealousy that was between Saul, or in Saul for David was showing up. As a matter of fact, the Lord spoke to this man, who was a prophet of sorts. He came and told me, “The Lord spoke to me. He said, “I'm Saul and you're David.” He said this to me three times. So the pastor finally asked me, “What does this mean?” And I gave him something, but I didn't feel like the Lord wanted me to give him everything, so I didn't tell him everything that I knew and the Lord was teaching me through this experience, too. I asked the Lord one time, “Lord, what do you want me to do with this guy?” Because he was a mess and he was leading these poor people. They were thinking it's normal to do some of those things and he was teaching them wrong. And I asked the Lord, “Lord, what do you want me to do about him?” He said, “Nothing. Let the Philistines take him out.” That's what he told me, just as clear as a bell. And I said, “Oh, okay. You know, he's a Saul.” I guess that's what happened to Saul; letting the Philistines take him out represents, of course, his old man taking him out. It was really strange one time because two of the ladies in that church had the exact same dream about this man and how he was basically going to get taken out. They saw him going down the interstate and running off the road and into the water, and he was drowning in his vehicle in the water. And they saw me there and I went out in the water, trying to get the door open to get the guy out of the vehicle to save him but I couldn't get him out. That was exactly what happened. I mean, I was trying to save the guy. I was trying to share with him the Word. I was trying to show him the ways of Christianity and show him the ways of faith. He would call me wise Soloman. He would catch on to some things, but it wasn't important enough to him. He wouldn't cease doing his little conniving things in the background. And so I kept praying for him, working, trying to help him to see through it and help him to be delivered, but many things happened there. In the mission, for instance, we cast out a lot of demons. I never saw so many demons to be cast out in a group of people in all my life. I learned that missions are a place for a lot of people who come in off the road, and who have problems and need help. And so we ended up casting out a lot of demons. Some very supernatural things happened there. But the Lord told me that this man was a Saul. And, you know, I started more and more taking over the ministry teaching. I was teaching more and more and he taught less and less. I asked him one time, “Aren't you going to teach anymore?” He said, “No, I just feel kind of dried up.” I knew that the Lord was doing this so that I could help these people. It was the same situation with Saul and David. Saul wasn't ready to go out there and take on the giants, but he was glad that David was taking care of it. But then when the women started singing their songs and saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands (1Sa.18:7), Saul became jealous. The Bible says he eyed David from that day and forward (9). He was worried about this guy taking over the kingdom, which was God's plan. And it happened because Saul was not leading the people to crucify the Amalekites and Saul refused to put to death Agag, who was the head of the corporate body of the beast, the old man, and so, because of that, God moved on and chose David and anointed him. I had some other instances of the same thing. During that time, some of those people moved on, and some of them came and fellowshipped with us. We taught them, we shared with them, and so on. This man moved to another town and he prophesied that I was supposed to come over there and teach leaders in his particular building, but I just began to pray that God would open people's eyes. I did it in the first church in this particular town. I prayed, “Lord, open the people's eyes. Help them to see that this man is not who they think he is.” God answered that prayer. People had visions and dreams of this man. One man, out of whom I cast 12 demons, literally had supernatural strength. He came in as an alcoholic when I was preaching and he was immediately delivered and totally sobered up. He got saved, but then he started continuing with some of his old habits and began watching pornography. Then these demons entered into him and he almost killed this pastor and his secretary. He ran the deacon through one of those big plate glass doors and sent him to the hospital. The demons just manifested in this guy. The pastor was in the mission when this happened, along with a lot of other people. He was leading them astray and I was casting demons out, praying for the people, helping the people along. So I asked the Lord to show people who this pastor really was. Besides the two women who had the exact same dream I shared, another woman had a dream that she saw this man outside the window and he was trying to gain pity from her because he was outside in the cold and so on. So she went to the church window and opened it, and when he came in he was a dragon. And the Lord impressed her to go down to the library and look up the man's name, which she did and found out that his last name meant “dragon,” amazingly. And then that guy who had all the demons also got a vision. He saw a man standing behind the pulpit, speaking into the microphone, and the man was a serpent and all the people were going to sleep. When God started showing people all these dreams and visions they started departing from him. But that pastor just went over to another city and did the same thing, and I prayed that God would open the people's eyes there, too. Then the same thing happened. The church there fell all apart. I tell you, folks, God's people are in bondage. We need to pray for God's people that He will open their eyes and help them to see that some of them are sitting underneath Saul ministries. They need to come out from among them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17). After this, the same thing happened to me a couple more times. For instance, I was invited to another church, a non-spirit-filled denomination. I was invited there to share where I met the pastor and his wife in a home school meeting. I told him, “Hey, you don't even know what I believe.” He said, “Well, I know you told me you preach discipleship.” I said, “Yes, that's true.” So he invited me over there and I was very graceful with them. You know, you have to be careful and help people to try to receive some things from the Lord. So, anyway, while I was there fellowshipping, there were an awful lot of sick people there because they really didn't believe in divine healing or deliverance. They didn't believe in any of those things, thinking that all passed away. So, essentially, I was sharing with people and I prayed for some after they gained knowledge. I went to their Sunday schools and shared things with them there too. They asked questions and I shared my experiences and shared words with them and so on. It worked out to where we were able to pray for a few people in that church who received healing and we cast out some demons. The elders, of course, did not believe in these kinds of things and didn't believe in being filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. My wife, for instance, went to one of their ladies' meetings. She saw a vision of one of the women there and in the vision, the woman had a very angry face. My wife knew it wasn't physical, she knew it was spiritual. She said she knew that woman had a demon of anger. And so they started going around the room testifying and when this woman's turn came, she stood up and said, “I just don't understand why I'm so angry,” as a confirmation to my wife. So my wife told the woman, “Well, I'm going to get my husband to call you. I think he can help you.” The woman said, “Okay.” When my wife came home, she told me about it. She said the woman had a crippled foot and that she was full of this anger. So I called her up and I was very careful because, of course, they don't get training in that regard. I just shared with her that, “My wife saw a demon in you. This anger that you're having a problem with is a demon spirit.” Thankfully, this lady was very young in this religion. She hadn't been heavily indoctrinated so she was open to the truth. Anyway, she came to our home and we commanded the demon to come out. The demon came out and she felt the deliverance. Then we told her that the Lord also wanted to heal her foot. We prayed for her foot and God healed her foot. We prayed for her to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and she received it. She started speaking in tongues; it was in Hebrew, and I recognized it as Hebrew and wrote it down and I made sure I was getting the interpretation right. I went to the Concordance and brought back to her what she had said. She was actually prophesying concerning her family and it was a very good prophecy. She was just delighted that she had received all this, and that all this blessing came upon her. And I said to her, “You know, it would probably not be a good thing for you to go back and tell the elders about this.” In this particular church, the elders had equal authority and the pastor was an elder. And I warned her that it probably wouldn't work out well, but she was just overflowing. It kind of reminded me of when Jesus said, “Now don't go and say anything to anyone,” and, of course, he went and just blabbed it everywhere (Luke 5:12-15). Jesus couldn't even go into the town because everybody knew Him. Well, she did just that. She was working part-time at the bookstore in this church, and when some of the ladies who were there were talking to her, she told this great, wondrous thing that God had done for her. Those ladies went right to the pastor and told the pastor and the elders and so on. This was on top of other healings and deliverances we had done, so the elders decided they were going to call me on the carpet. There were five elders there and they had made an appointment for me to come and they were going to grill me on what I was teaching. One of the things they asked me about was joining a church. I had explained to some of these people, “No, you don't join a church. You're baptized into the body of Christ. It's not such a physical thing as that. Nobody can hire you, nobody can fire you. You're born into the Body of Christ and there is no joining a church.” I shared a few other things like the baptism of the Holy Spirit and healing and deliverance. They had objections to all these things and so they started asking me, “Why are you teaching this?” and “Why are you teaching that?” It was the Sauls, the bulls of Bashan around me, and I just backed everything up with Scripture. I said, “Well, I teach it because it's in the Bible.” I told them, “This is what it says about being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is what the Bible says about casting out demons. This is what the Bible says about joining a church. This is what the Bible says about baptism.” They kept asking one question right after another and I just kept giving them Biblical truths. They were keeping the minutes of the meeting and I found out it made them look so bad that they were trying to change them afterward, but one of the elders spoke up and said, “No, you can't do that. That's dishonest, that's lying. This is what happened.” They were trying to change it and he wouldn't let them change it. Even though I gave them all completely Scriptural answers, they didn't agree. They didn't use any Scripture, but they didn't agree. And at the end of the meeting they said, “Well, here's what we want you to do. We either want you to quit teaching these things” (I was not teaching there; it was people from their assembly coming to our meetings and I was teaching them there.) They said, “We either want you to quit teaching our people this or we want you to separate.” I said, “Well, I'll tell you what, give me another week and I will go to the Lord to find out how to answer you.” I didn't say “what” to answer them, I said “how” to answer them. A week later, they called me back on the carpet and asked, “What's your answer?” I said, “Well, I did seek the Lord and I found out how to answer you. I want to share with you why I teach this, this, this and this.” I just started giving verses, verses, and more verses, just overwhelming them with verses and responsibility. Because when you give verses to people who say they're Christian leaders, but they don't act according to the Word of God and they don't believe the Word of God when they can't even back it up with the Word of God, you're making them responsible. At the end of the meeting they just were angry. One of the elders jumped up and said, We thought you were going to tell us yes or no if you were going to stop or not. No, I said I would ask God how to answer you and I am doing that so please sit down and let me finish. This was an elder whom I had prayed for and he had been healed. I had commented to him about their long list of sick people and asked why the elders didn't pray for them in faith as the bible commands. He said, “Well, why don't you take me and let's go do this?” So I went with him. We prayed over three people in the assembly and they were healed, and he witnessed this. He asked me to pray over him to receive the Holy Spirit. Another elder, whose wife had run off with a so-called charismatic leader who believed in speaking in tongues, and so he was angry about that. And I pacified him a little bit. I just told him, “No, it was wrong; it was an evil thing that this man did. That doesn't say that he was walking in the Lord at all and I don't blame you for being hurt about it.” But, despite all that, these elders were all ganging up on me while I was just giving them Scriptural answers. They finally ended up saying, “Look, we just want you to stop teaching these things.” And I replied, “I can't do that. I can tell you right now I'm not going to back away from the Word of God, not one iota.” They said, “Then we want you to separate from us.” I answered, “Okay, well, it was your decision, not mine.” So I went to the door of the church while the elders watched me. I kicked my shoes against the frame of the doorway and shook the dust off my feet, just exactly the way Acts 13:51 says to do. A very short time later their denomination decided that this pastor was not fit to be a pastor. They made him, a basketball coach instead of a pastor. Well, then the church was floundering because they were using their elders, who didn't know the Word of God in the first place, to teach them. Pretty soon people just started leaving; it fizzled and the doors closed. Then they sold the church buildings and grounds to some people who, very fitly made a large children's nursery out of it. So that was the second time I was in a church, sharing truth, and God decided just to close the doors. He made them responsible and they rebelled against the Word. These were Saul ministries. I'm telling you a lot of these Saul ministries are going to close down because people are going to come out of them. They're going to see through them, they're going to see that they're dead. I'm talking about anybody with eyes to see and ears to hear are going to see that they're dead churches and the people who stay are going to be dead. Go into one of these old mainline denominational churches and look around. Usually it's just old people stuck in their ways and the younger generation has moved on. Remember, Babylon is going to be full of all these doleful creatures (Isaiah 13:21), in other words, unclean beasts. Revelation 18:2 speaks of the same thing. Ultimately, it's going to be full of demons. You need to accept the truth and come out from among them and follow Jesus because this whole thing is going to die, decay and fall all to pieces. It's going to get worse and worse and worse. Two of those men later repented but it was too late. Their church was gone. God just scattered it and tore it all to pieces. Those two men later contacted me and repented for what they'd done. They realized that there was dishonesty there, that they were trying to change the minutes of the meeting in order to make it look like they were justified in running me off. They were telling lies to the people about me, but God didn't let them get away with it. He tore that whole thing down. The same thing happened to another church of the same denomination after that. After I was there, and share testimonies before their assembly I saw the people loved it but the elders did not and then whole thing shut down. When Jesus came, He shared the truths that were the Word of God. It made the people responsible. He told those Pharisees and Sadducees, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin (Joh.15:22). What God did with those people is he scattered them, which was probably very good for them. He took away even that which they did have, as it says in Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. When I was going to this elders meeting, God gave me these verses when I asked Him, “Lord, what are You going to do in this thing? All these people are coming against me. What are you going to do? Show me, Lord.” Then I opened the Bible and my finger came down right on this verse: (Eze.2:6) And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briars and thorns are with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forebear; for they are most rebellious. And He goes on to speak about eating the roll of the book. Then I said, “Okay, Lord. Would you give me one more confirmation of this?” When I flipped my Bible open and stuck my finger down again, I saw this: (Jer.1:17) Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them. (18) For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. (19) And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. Well, I'll tell you, I was pumped up and ready for that meeting and the Word of God was just going forth and it was making them responsible. God did not let them get away with what they did. He tore their little church fellowship all to pieces. God had demonstrated healing, and deliverance, and He had demonstrated the baptism of the Holy Spirit but they denied the Word over and over and over. They had never heard it so plainly, I'm sure. God just tore that Saul ministry down, though some of those people moved on to our David ministry. He did this with me four times back then and a few times since. Church after church all closed down. And, you know what, I think it was a sign of things to come. I think in itself it wasn't all that significant. These churches were not churches; they were fakes. They didn't teach the Word of God. They had a form of godliness, but … denied the power thereof (2Ti.3:5). The Bible says from these also turn away (5). And, thank God, some people had an opportunity to do that, either because the doors closed or because they saw it was no good and they left first, one or the other. But God did His will there and He helped some people. Folks, we're looking at the same thing happening all around us in Christianity. They're becoming more and more corrupt. They're falling to pieces and falling into all kinds of sin, corruption, and false silly doctrines, but some people are beginning to realize that something is wrong. I'm talking about anybody who has eyes to see. The out-of-church movement is as great as it's ever been right now. People are coming out from among them. They're studying the Word of God for themselves and I praise God for it. I hope you are seeing that and I hope you're praying and asking God to show you in the Word. You don't need to do anything but sit down and read God's Word to see what the truth is and to see what a true, Scriptural assembly is supposed to look like. Follow God, friends. Don't follow these dead denominations or non-denominational denominations.     Prophecies to Denominations Thomas Gibson Prophecies 2003 01 31 Book 1 For thus saith the Lord. Do not despair. I am going throughout the churches of America to see who will put My Name first, who will put the salvation by the Blood of the Lamb above all else. Those who do so will be blessed by the Lord above; but those who do not will be condemned by Me. Do not turn to the world or the world's ways. Do not listen to the ways of many who compromise My gospel. Those who turn away from the compromising position of the worldly church will be blessed by Me. Those who continue in the work of compromising My Word will be condemned! Do not doubt this word. I am going throughout the world and throughout the churches in America to see who will put me first. It is time that the worldliness be burned out of the church! It is time to see that God is placed first above all things. There is power in the name of Jesus. Those who walk in that power are walking with Me. Those who do not walk in that power are walking with the world. Not only will I turn away from godless churches, but I will turn to those who are truly serving Me in truth and power, and I will give them a protection in this time. For coming soon is a persecution and a strong attack against My people. Not only that but there is coming trouble to America's shores. I will protect and guide My people through this time. Do not partake in those churches and religious organizations who will not listen to the Word of God and follow it in a complete way. 2003 03 05 Book 1 For thus says the Lord. I am that I am. I have created one church, one Bible, and one truth. Therefore, all who profess to believe in Me must believe to one truth, one God, and one church. Where do we find one church? Where? Why are there so many organizations that use My Name and do not bow to the will of God for one church? In My Word I condemned factions and denominations or sects of My church. You will find it in 1 Corinthians 1. Obey My Word now! Return to the days of the Book of Acts where My people were one; humbling themselves under the mighty hand of God. Turn away from the sins that you have. Destroy your divisions of Me. Become a local church that will not, under any circumstances, change or alter what the Bible says. Leave any church that will not confess that God is all and they are nothing. Return to the humility of the first-century church. Look at what My Word says and believe it; not what some theologian interprets. Stand for all of God's Word and lead the world to Christ! 2003 06 18 Book 2 For thus says the Lord. I am the One who you should be worshipping. I am the One who you should be paying attention to. I am the One who is in control of everything. Those who stand for their denomination, those who stand for their beliefs separate from the Bible, those who stand for their money-organized churches; will stand for the world and I will not be their help when the troubles and denominational fights begin. Yes, there will be fights between churches, fights within churches, and fights between those within the churches and those without. I am calling My people to stand for peace and love even to love those who are wrong and bring a Spirit of love to those who persecute them. I am calling My people to stand for peace and not fight at this time. For those who fight will lose; and those who will not fight but stand in love for the truth of the Bible will be raised up victorious by Myself in the end. Stand and know that troubled times are coming. Stand and know that there is a way of the world which will lead to sin within the churches. Stand and know that there is a way of God which will lead to truth without man-made, money-organized, churches. So says the Lord. 2003 11 25 Book 1 I cry for My people who are deceived by such a wicked world. So many have tried to make the church look good in the eyes of the world by making the church worldly. So much has been done by these people that My church looks more like the world than Me. I have become strengthened by those who will stand against the worldliness that is in the church always wanting to be so worldly that they have gone away from Me. See in the Word how powerful My church was: healing, miracles on a regular time. But now how many are healed, how many miracles, how many signs and wonders? When they come back to Me, I will come again in signs, wonders, and mighty deeds. 2004 01 28 Book 1 For thus says the Lord. My people who are tormented by unbelievers within the churches are truly those who are My witnesses in all the land. For when those who are within the churches will not bow down and serve the Master, Jesus; then truly sin has come unto the churches. I seek those who will bow down and humble themselves and obey the Spirit of God. 2004 02 8 Book 1 My true church is not a denomination, but rather it is My people gathering into a local congregation with a name that represents the local area. Beyond this is sin. For if one creates a division with Christ, one creates a division of My people which is wickedness. 2004 02 8 Book 2 Thus saith the Lord. Those churches who are truly not part of division-making shall be blessed by Me. Those churches who will not stand as a true and separate church from divisions (denominations) shall be removed. I will no longer have divisions within My body. They shall be removed. I will do this in the coming years. 2004 03 27 Book 1 How many people, says the Lord, have I called out of My church to begin a teaching of My power? They should have been able to learn this within the church, but they could not because the church has preached against My power! I said in My Word, that you shall do greater miracles than I did [John 14:12] Why is this not seen? Because the church preaches worldly man-made power and not Godly power through fasting and prayer!! 2004 04 23 Book 1 There are many who walk in pride in the church thinking that they are someone important who will be used in the coming revival. But no! I will use the humble ones who are not part of the great organized man-made church. For the man-made man-organized church will not partake of what is to come. For what is to come must come through the unhindered move of the Holy Spirit. Anything else would taint the move of God. So says the Lord God. 2004 05 06. Book 1 Thus says the Lord. Did I not command My people to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Why then do I find man-organized man-controlled organizations who call themselves by My Name? In the Book of Acts I saw the multitudes bow down and serve Me. But here in this world we now have an organization that is answerable to itself and the votes of its members. Blasphemy! Great blasphemy!! So says the Lord!

Revelation, Session Seven Christ the Savior, Anderson SC Chapters Two and Three – the letters to the seven churches Sources: The translation of the Apocalypse is from the Orthodox Study Bible. Lawrence R. Farley, The Apocalypse of St. John: A Revelation of Love and Power, The Orthodox Bible Study Companion (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2011), Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, Volume III. (Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2018). Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011). Jack Norman Sparks, The Orthodox Study Bible: Notes (Thomas Nelson, 2008), 1712. Venerable Bede, The Explanation of the Apocalypse, trans. Edward Marshall (Oxford: James Parker and Co., 1878). William C. Weinrich, ed., Revelation, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005).       Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011), 63–80. The Things Declared to the Angel of the Church in Pergamum 2:12–13a. 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: “Thus says the one who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13a I know your works and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is. This city was full of idols…  2:13b. And you keep my name. You did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, that all-faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. … 2:14–15. 14 But I have a few things against you: that you have there keeping the teaching of Balaam, who in Balaam taught [30] Balak to put a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and to practice fornication. 15 Thus you also have those who keep the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which I likewise hate. So it seems this city had possessed two difficulties: First, the majority was Greek, and second, among those who were called believers, the shameful Nicolaitans had sown evil “tares among the wheat.”8 … 2:16. Repent. If not, I will come to you soon, and I will war against them by the sword of my mouth. Love for humankind is also in the threat. For he does not say, “against you,” but I will war against them, those who are incurably “diseased.” 2:17. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To the one who is victorious I will give to him to eat from the hidden manna, [31] and I will give to him a small white stone, and a new name written upon the stone, which no one knows except the one receiving it.” The “Bread of Life” is the hidden manna, the One who descended from heaven for us and has become edible. …   Things Declared to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira 2:18. And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: “Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like glowing brass. [32] … [T]his union, ignited by means of the divine Spirit, cannot be grasped by human reasoning. 2:19–20. 19 I know your works and your love and faith and service and your patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this very much against you, that you allow the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet, to teach and to lead my servants astray to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. … 2:21. I gave her time to repent of her immorality. The evil a choice, he says, since, having received time to repent rightly, she did not use it. 2:22–23a. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23a And I will strike her children dead. … 2:23b–25. 23b And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches reins and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 And I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, any who have not learned the deep things of Satan, as they say: I do not lay upon you any other burden; 25 only hold fast to that which you have until I come. These things are to the deceived heretics and those deceiving others. [34] To the more simple he says: “Since you, through your simple manner, are not able to endure the cunning and quick-witted men, inasmuch as you do not know the deep things of Satan, as you say, I do not request that you do battle through words but that you safeguard the teaching which you have received, until I will take you from there.” 2:26–28a. 26 And he who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations, 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as earthen vessels they will be shattered, 28a just as I myself have received from my Father. To him who does my works,” he says, I will give authority “over five or ten cities,” as the Gospel said. … 2:28b–29. 28b And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Morning star, or, it says, the one about whom Isaiah was saying, “How did he fall from heaven, the bright rising morning star?” whom he promised he will hand over to be “crushed under the feet of the saints.”22 Or the One who brings light, as has been said by the blessed Peter, [35] “dawning in the hearts” of the faithful, the well-known illumination of Christ. …. It is not surprising that we have taken this as referring to two things totally contradictory to each other. For we learn from the divine Scriptures that the lion of Judah the Christ,30 and from Bashan the Antichrist. According to what is meant, it is this or the other. It also implies both the dawn of the future day, by which the darkness of the present life will be covered, and also its “messenger” bringing the good news of this .32…   The Things Declared to the Angel of the Church in Sardis 3:1. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: “Thus says the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that in name you live, and you are dead. … 3:2. Wake up and strengthen those things which remain and which were about to die; for I have not found your works being fulfilled in the sight of God. “Shake off the sleep of laziness,” he says, “and strengthen your members, who are about to die completely through unbelief.” For it is not the beginning of good works that crowns the worker, but the completion. 3:3a. Remember, therefore, what you received and heard, and keep [that], and repent. [37] “Keep the tradition which you received from the apostles, and repent of laziness.” 3:3b. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. Naturally. … 3:4. You have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. “You possess this good,” he says, “that some people, those who have not soiled the garment of the flesh by filthy deeds, will be with me in the rebirth brilliantly attired because they have kept ‘the garment of incorruption'5 spotless.” 3:5–6. 5 He who conquers shall be wrapped about in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” He who is victorious in the above-mentioned victory will shine like the sun in the clothing of his own virtues, and his name will remain indelible in the book of the living. [38] “He will be confessed before my Father and the holy powers,” even as triumphant martyrs, just as he says in the Gospel, “the righteous will shine as the sun.”7   The Things Declared to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia 3:7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “Thus says the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens. His kingdom is called the key of David, for it is the symbol of authority. The key is also the Holy Spirit, of both the book of Psalms and every prophecy, through which the “treasures of knowledge” are opened … 3:8. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; that you have little [39] power, and you kept my word and did not deny my name. …  “I opened before you a door of instructive preaching, which cannot be closed by temptations. I am satisfied with the attitude, and I do not demand things beyond strength.” 3:9. Behold, I will give those of the synagogue of Satan—who say that they are Jews and are not, but they lie. I will make them so that they come and bow down before your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. “As a reward for the confession of my name,” he says, “you will have the return and repentance of the Jews, who will kneel before your feet, asking to approach me for the illumination which comes from me, remaining Judaizers secretly in their hearts, not in appearance.” 3:10–11. 10 Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming soon. 11 Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. [40] …  He rightly says, I come quickly, for “after the affliction of those days immediately” the Lord will come, as he says. For this reason he suddenly commands to keep the treasure of the faith inviolate, so that no one loses the crown of patience. 3:12a. He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; he will never go out of it, Naturally. The victor over the opposing powers is established a pillar and a foundation of the truth, having in it the immovable base according to the Apostle. 12b. And I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from my God, and my new name. [41] “Upon the heart of such a pillar,” he says, “I will engrave the knowledge of the divine name and of the heavenly Jerusalem, so that he will see in her the beautiful things through the eyes of the Spirit, and also my new name which will be known by the saints in the future.” … 3:13. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Let us pray that we ourselves possess such a little ear.   Things Declared to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans 3:14a. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: “Thus says The Amen, the faithful and true witness, … 3:14b. the beginning of God's creation: …  For the beginning of creation is the primary and uncreated cause. 3:15–16a. 15 I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you be cold or hot! 16a Thus it is that you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, Gregory the Theologian says, “We must live exactly hot or exactly cold.” … [I]in faith, the middle way and the lukewarm are worthless. 3:16b–17. 16b I intend to vomit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,' and you do not know that you are miserable and wretched and poor and blind and naked. “Just as lukewarm water causes people who receive it to vomit,” he says, “hence I too, through a word of my mouth, will vomit you like detested food into eternal punishment, for you mingled the thorns of riches with the seed of the divine word and you are unaware of your own poverty in spiritual matters and the blindness of your spiritual eyes and the nakedness of good deeds.” 3:18. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you will become rich, and that you may put on white garments, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. … 3:19. If I love someone, I reproach and correct . Therefore, be zealous and repent. Oh, the love for humanity! How much goodness the reproach holds! 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door and I knock; if one will hear my voice and will open the door, I will come in to him, and I will dine with him, and he with me. “My presence is not forced,” he says. … 3:21. He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself have conquered and taken my seat with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” [45] The Kingdom and the repose of the future age are indicated by the throne.  …  Therefore, having made the cloud a vehicle for the rise heavenward in his Ascension,25 he also says through the Apostle that the saints will be “caught up in the clouds to meet him,” and he will come Judge, as Creator and Master of creation, handing over to the saints to judge those who opposed the truly divine and blessed slavery, as the Apostle says, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” that is, the “rulers of darkness.”28 …  

Zechariah 11:1-17 (NKJV)  1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars. 2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the mighty trees are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the thick forest has come down. 3 There is the sound of wailing shepherds! For their glory is in ruins. There is the sound of roaring lions! For the pride of the Jordan is in ruins. 4 Thus says the LORD my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, 5 “whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich'; and their shepherds do not pity them. 6 “For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.” 7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. 8 I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”--that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15 And the LORD said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 “For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. 17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.” --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/support

Welcome to Day 2465 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 22:11-21 Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2465 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2465 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we'll be focusing on Psalm 22:11-21 from the New Living Translation. Psalm 22 is one of the most profound and prophetic Psalms, offering a glimpse into deep suffering but also a steadfast trust in God's deliverance. In the previous verses, David cried out to God in anguish, feeling abandoned and mocked by his enemies. As we move forward, we see his distress intensify, but at the same time, his desperate plea for God's presence and rescue becomes even more urgent. Let's read Psalm 22:11-21 together before we break it down and explore its message. Psalm 22:11-21 (NLT): 11 Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. 12 My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! 13 Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. 14 My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. 15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. 16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. 17 I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. 18 They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. 19 O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! 20 Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs. 21 Snatch me from the lion's jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen. The Depth of Desperation (Verses 11-13): The first thing we notice in verse 11 is David's desperate plea for God not to stay far away from him. “Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me.” David acknowledges that God is his only source of rescue. The situation is dire, and there is no one else he can turn to. This is a common theme throughout the Psalms—turning to God in moments of desperation when human strength and resources have utterly failed. David is surrounded by his enemies, who he describes as being like a “herd of bulls” in verse 12. These aren't just any bulls, but the “fierce bulls of Bashan,” known for their strength and power. The imagery here is vivid—David feels completely encircled by these mighty, untamable forces. In verse 13, he takes the metaphor further, likening his enemies to lions who have opened their jaws, roaring and ready to tear into their prey. This vivid imagery paints a picture of the danger David is in—he's not just threatened, he's on the verge of being consumed, like a vulnerable animal in the jaws of a predator. These verses express the urgency of David's cry for help. The bulls and lions symbolize overwhelming danger, and...

WHAT'S THE DEAL with Mount Hermon? Why has it been sacred to pagan religions for more than 4,000 years? And why did Jesus make it a focal point of his ministry? Joining us to discuss the “mountain of gods” (Ps. 68:15) is our Iron and Myth crew: Doug Van Dorn (www.douglasvandorn.com), author of Giants: Sons of the Gods, and Dr. Judd Burton (www.BurtonBeyond.net), director of The Institute of Biblical Anthropology and author of Interview with the Giant and The Nephilim Chronicles. Sadly, Brian Godawa (www.Godawa.com), best-selling author of Chronicles of the Nephilim, Chronicles of the Watchers, and the theological thriller Cruel Logic, was unable to join us this month. We discuss the significance of Mount Hermon and its connections to ancient myths and symbolism. We also explore the esoteric ideas of David Flynn and the concept of the Great Year, a 25,920-year cycle that relates to the movement of the Earth's axis, and its possible connection to the Serpent Mound of Bashan and Gilgal Refaim, megalithic sites in the heart of ancient Bashan. Our discussion also touches on the astronomical procession, the significance of the number 33, and the geographical legacy associated with Mount Hermon. The conversation highlights the biblical prophecies related to Mount Hermon and the ultimate destruction of chaos—Leviathan. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the sacred geography and symbolism surrounding Mount Hermon in interpreting biblical texts. Some links you may find interesting: David Flynn's presentation at the 2003 Ancient of Days Bible UFO conference, “Genesis 3, Cydonia, and the Mysteries of Mars” (link opens YouTube video).David Flynn on P.I.D. Radio on the occult significance of the 1947 Roswell crash.David Flynn on Daniel 3:3 and the link between Babylon and Washington, D.C.: Part 1, and Part 2. Follow us! • X: @viewfrombunker | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/viewfromthebunker Sharon's novels Winds of Evil and The Armageddon Strain are available now in paperback, ebook (Kindle), and audiobook (Audible) formats! Get signed copies of the first two books of The Laodicea Chronicles now at GilbertHouse.org/store! Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! The building has HVAC, a new floor, windows, insulation, ceiling fans, and an upgraded electrical system! We're in the process of moving our studios and book/DVD warehouse and shipping office out of our home and across the yard into the Barn. If you are so led, you can help out at www.GilbertHouse.org/donate. —— Download our free app! This brings all of our content directly to your smartphone or tablet. Best of all, we'll never get canceled from our own app! Links to the app stores for iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle Fire devices are at www.GilbertHouse.org/app. Please join us each Sunday for the Gilbert House Fellowship, our weekly Bible study podcast. Log on to www.GilbertHouse.org for more details. Check out our weekly video program Unraveling Revelation (unravelingrevelation.tv), and subscribe to the YouTube channel: YouTube.com/UnravelingRevelation. —— Special offers on our books and DVDs: www.gilberthouse.org/store. —— JOIN US IN ISRAEL! Our 2025 tour features special guests Timothy Alberino, Dr. Judd Burton, and Doug Van Dorn! We will tour the Holy Land March 25–April 3, 2025, with an optional three-day extension in Jordan. For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. PLEASE NOTE: Due to security concerns in the Middle East, we have decided to cancel our planned Solidarity Mission to Israel in November. Discuss these topics at the VFTB Facebook page (facebook.com/viewfromthebunker) and check out the great podcasters at the Fringe Radio Network (Spreaker.com/show/fringe-radio-network)!

Do you remember and celebrate God's faithfulness? In ancient Israeli culture, God commanded them to celebrate His past faithfulness to them through various feasts. In today's episode, Emma Dotter points out how Psalm 81 was probably referencing the Feast of Tabernacles and is a foreshadowing of Christ dwelling among us. Celebrating God's deeds is important because gratitude moves us to action and combats discouragement.  Additional Scriptures referenced:  Leviticus 23:40-42, “On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters.” Deuteronomy 28, 32:13-14, “He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, with curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape.” Luke 2:8, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  Grab a Psalms Join The Journey Journal for 2024: https://a.co/d/7rt0H3g  Got kids? Check out the NEW Join The Journey Jr. Journal for 2024: https://a.co/d/eYBgvUM  You can also check out the Join The Journey Jr. Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898