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Beloved survivor, if you are feeling depleted, defeated, lost and confused, we here at the show see you and feel you and invite you to apply to sister Autumn's fall program, The Fortification Cohort. It's an 8-week process of collective and self study, where we learn how to practice fugitivity, and in so doing, map a new internal landscape defined by agency and courage, instead of dissociation and collapse.Fugitivity is more than escape. It is making ourselves powerful, both individually and collectively. It is remembering a much longer timeline for our freedom fight, and holding connection to that reality no matter the conditions around us. It is a process of conditioning the soul for the righteous fight.This program is for you if:You want to practice freedom in your own life, but you are not sure how.You have an existing practice for self-regulation and have already done some of your own healing work. You have a working understanding of trauma, but you find the victim/oppressor dichotomy to be limiting and overly simplistic. You want an updated framework for understanding conditions as they are. You want to make change in the world, but struggle to turn your values and wisdom into action. You desire to work in multiracial and multi-class formation using black feminist principles, without throwing anyone away.Head to Autumn's website for more information about the cohort: www.iambrown.org/fortificationHere is the direct link to the application: https://forms.gle/Zu4Cw8Ee7d1XCBJV8
On this episode of Justin, Scott, and Spiegel we are joined by Joe Robinson!!! Tune in to hear Scott, Josh, and Joe talk about who would be considered the most beloved person in all of history and we answer the question of how gay are we. Who's the most beloved person? How gay are we? Why are we yelling?! Hit play to get the answer to our hard hitting questions and find out!
#956. Hannah Brown is back, and we have a LOT to catch up on!We kick things off with the diagnosis that had doctors initially thinking Hannah had a double uterus. She shares what they ultimately discovered, how her recent surgery went, and why the experience has changed the conversations she's having about family planning.Then we talk married life with Adam one year in, their full-blown house renovation (seriously, it's getting the Kris Jenner facelift), and why they'll be living out of their home for months!!Plus, Hannah shares the real-life inspiration behind her new book Reasons to Be Loved by You—including a storyline inspired by her brother dating her ex's ex. Yes, really!From fertility and future plans to marriage, home renovations, and relationship drama that somehow turned into a romance novel, Hannah has plenty of updates since the last time she was on the pod.If you're LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE!Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these AMAZING deals!Macy's: Shop in stores or online only at Macys.com!Poshmark: Download the Poshmark app today and use code vine when you sign up to get $10 off your first purchase.Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to see if you can save on car insurance!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Hannah Brown talks 'Reasons to Be Loved by You'; Can parental leave help prevent depression?; Taylor Swift and 'Toy Story 5' rule at No. 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hannah Brown talks 'Reasons to Be Loved by You'; Can parental leave help prevent depression?; Taylor Swift and 'Toy Story 5' rule at No. 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of SheMD, hosts Mary Alice Haney and Dr. A sit down with Hannah Brown to unpack her long and complex health journey with PMOS, fertility challenges, and a recently discovered uterine septum.Hannah shares how years of irregular periods, cystic acne, weight fluctuations, and anxiety were repeatedly overlooked before she finally received a clear diagnosis. She opens up about navigating public life while silently struggling with her health, and how getting the right medical support completely changed her trajectory.Dr. A breaks down the science behind PMOS, insulin resistance, and hormone disruption, explaining how metabolic health impacts ovulation, fertility, and long-term well-being. The conversation also explores uterine anomalies, surgical treatment options, and why early diagnosis is critical for reproductive health.The episode also highlights Hannah's mental health journey, including therapy and EMDR, and how addressing trauma and inflammation helped her rebuild both her physical and emotional health.Subscribe to SHE MD Podcast for expert tips on PMOS, endometriosis, fertility, hormonal balance, mental health, and more. Share with friends and visit SHE MD website and Ovii for research-backed resources, holistic health strategies, and expert guidance on women's health and well-being.SponsorsSera: To learn more you can visit PreTRM.com.Talk with your provider about whether the PreTRM Test might be right for you.Midi: Ready to feel your best and write your second act script? Visit JoinMidi.com today to book your personalized, insurance-covered virtual visit. Alaya Naturals: Visit alayanaturals.com/shemd and enter code SheMD at checkout for 20% off your order.Gusto: Three months of free payroll at Gusto.com/shemdDavid Protein: David: Buy 4 cartons of Protein Bars and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHEMD.Olly: Shop Olly Precise Probiotics with Skin, Stress Response or Metabolism Support at a Walmart near you.What You'll LearnWhy PMOS is often missed or misdiagnosed for yearsHow insulin resistance drives hormonal imbalance and symptomsThe connection between PMOS, inflammation, and fertility challengesWhat a uterine septum is and how it affects pregnancy outcomesTreatment options including metformin, GLP-1s, and surgical correctionWhy mental health and trauma can amplify physical symptomsHow to advocate for proper diagnostic testing and careKey Timestamps00:00 Why Most Women With PMOS Are Never Properly Diagnosed02:24 Hannah Brown Opens Up About Her PMOS Journey03:48 How It All Started With Her Very First Period05:01 The Moment A Dermatologist Changed Everything07:16 Finally Getting Real Answers About PMOS10:30 What Hannah Did To Start Feeling Better13:37 What Is PMOS And How Common Is It14:41 The Brain Ovary Loop Nobody Explains To You16:19 Why Your Ovaries Stop Releasing Eggs17:18 The Insulin Resistance Loop Making Everything Worse19:00 How High Insulin Destroys Your Hormones20:24 How Metformin And GLP1s Actually Fix The Root Cause25:37 Why GLP1s Gave Hannah Her Period Back Every 30 Days27:13 How Hannah Became Her Own Health Advocate29:06 The Uterine Septum Nobody Warned Her About31:12 What A Septate Uterus Is And Why It Matters33:30 The Fertility Risks Of An Untreated Septum36:28 Hannah's Full Treatment Plan Before Trying To Conceive41:11 Why You Must Always Get A 3D Ultrasound43:47 Septate vs Bicornuate Uterus What Every Woman Should Know47:22 The Surgical Technique That Changes Everything53:02 Why Hannah Is Sharing Her Story Publicly55:00 Always Ask For A 3D Ultrasound At Your Appointment1:00:07 How PMOS Affected Hannah During The Bachelorette And DWTS1:03:42 Hannah's Experience With EMDR Therapy1:05:28 How EMDR Actually Works In Simple Terms1:07:43 The Moment Hannah Knew She Had To Change Everything1:11:05 How Hannah Completely Transformed Her Health1:13:18 Hannah's Advice For Every Woman Struggling Right Now1:15:10 Take The Free PMOS Quiz And Find Your AnswersKey TakeawaysPMOS is a metabolic and hormonal condition, not just a reproductive oneInsulin resistance plays a central role in worsening symptoms and fertility issuesMany women go years without proper diagnosis despite clear symptomsUterine septums can significantly increase miscarriage risk but are often treatableProper diagnosis and intervention can dramatically improve ovulation and fertility outcomesMental health, stress, and trauma can intensify physical inflammation and symptomsSelf-advocacy and persistence in seeking care can change long-term health outcomesGuest BioHannah Brown is a television personality, bestselling author, and former lead of The Bachelorette. She first gained national recognition as a contestant on The Bachelor before starring in The Bachelorette, winning Dancing with the Stars, and later competing on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.In addition to her television career, Hannah is a New York Times bestselling author. Her books include the memoir God Bless This Mess and the romance novels Mistakes We Never Made, The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain, and Reasons to Be Loved by You.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Today - Dewey the steer has been part of one Hereford family’s daily routine for nearly two decades — and at 21 years old, he is still going strong.Support the show: https://www.myheraldreview.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ashley’s kitchen chat with Hannah Brown continues as they bond over the challenges of sharing their real lives on social media and prioritizing their mental health. Hannah holds nothing back when discussing the current state of The Bachelor franchise and we find out where she really stands on the Taylor Frankie Paul situation. Plus, Hannah explains how her new book “Reasons to Be Loved by You” is connected to her lived experiences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is smooching, listener! Beloved actor, comedian, writer, and friend Breanne Williamson RETURNS for the annual ASH-BRE CATCH-UP — and you best believe there is gonna be some kissing involved! We discuss the crisis of kissing in younger generations, Love Island, the mental illness of young men, European vs. American sense of humor, and whether or not “Belly” is sexy dirty talk. Ashley has her DIRTIEST sex yet (literally). Bre wants romance. FOLLOW BREANNE WILLIAMSON @breannewilliamson TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@breannewilliamson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breannewilliamson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BreanneWilliamson Twitter: https://twitter.com/brewilliamson Live Events & Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/9777d57c18fb/breannewilliamson FOLLOW ASHLEY GAVIN @ashgavs TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashgavscomedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashgavs/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashgavs Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashgavs Tour Dates & Newsletter: https://www.ashleygavin.com/#dates FOLLOW ALEX VRAHAS @alvrahas Mailing List: https://forms.gle/t48AUUEYzrNagU1B9 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvrahas/ SUPPORT OUR PODCAST: Watch this UNCUT: https://www.patreon.com/WHGS Merch: https://shop.merchcentral.com/collections/ashley-gavin Watch on this YouTube: https://youtu.be/K21UJXAzr_I ______________________________________________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: HERS: Get personalized & affordable care at https://www.forhers.com/gay HELIX: Get 20% OFF sitewide at https://helixsleep.com/gaysex Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The intention we choose in any given moment shapes everything that follows. In this episode, Dr. Margaret Paul explores how becoming aware of our intentions can transform the way we relate to ourselves, others, and the choices we make every day. She unpacks the two core intentions in Inner Bonding: the intention to control and the intention to love. These intentions either strengthen the relationship between our loving adult, inner child, and spiritual guidance, or keep us operating from our wounded ego-self. Dr. Paul also reminds us that lasting healing cannot happen when the wounded self is in charge, because control and love lead us in very different directions. Tune in to this episode of the Inner Bonding podcast to learn more about how your intentions can shape your outcomes. Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review! About Dr. Margaret Paul Dr. Margaret Paul, PhD, is a bestselling author, relationship expert, and the co-creator of the Inner Bonding® self-healing process. She is the author and co-author of twelve books, including “Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by You?”, “Healing Your Aloneness,” “Inner Bonding,” and "Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by God? Through her work, Dr. Paul teaches individuals how to take responsibility for their feelings, heal anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges, and develop a deep, loving connection with themselves and their spiritual guidance. She facilitates Inner Bonding Workshops and Intensives, administers the Inner Bonding website, and works to make the Inner Bonding® process available worldwide through the SelfQuest® online self-healing program. Visit her website for a FREE Inner Bonding course at https://innerbondinghub.com/7-lessons/ or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Connect with Dr. Margaret Paul: Website: https://innerbonding.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerbonding1/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretpaul/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innerbonding Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ideas/inner-bonding-margaret-paul/923777849815/
TRIGGER WARNING! Many people have asked to hear more of Fred's story. In this episode, he opens up about parts of his life he doesn't often share publicly. This episode of Draw Near contains adult themes; we do not recommend listening in the presence of children. Through an honest conversation with Kara, Fred reflects on his childhood, the hardships he experienced, and the wounds throughout his early life. He shares why he often says, "I shouldn't be alive," and how there were moments when his future seemed uncertain. Yet this episode is about far more than suffering or past wounds. Looking back, Fred can now see how Christ was present even in the darkest seasons: through unexpected people, quiet moments of grace, and circumstances that helped lead him toward healing and faith. What once seemed like random events now reveal a story of God's providence and relentless pursuit. In this episode, we discuss: Fred's childhood and family experiences The challenges and wounds that marked his early years Why he says he "shouldn't be alive" The lasting impact of suffering and brokenness Where Christ was present throughout the journey How God works even when we cannot see Him The path that eventually led Fred to deeper faith and conversion Hope for anyone who feels trapped by their past Whether your story is marked by loss, pain, disappointment, or unanswered questions, this conversation is a reminder that God is never absent. He is often working in ways we cannot yet understand. As Jesus says in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (and Kara referenced in the episode): "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." (Luke 15:24) No wound is beyond Christ's reach. No story is beyond redemption. *Resources Mentioned * OCIA curriculum from Ascension: INVITED Webinar The Surrender Journal *Listen Next * If this episode resonates with you, consider listening to Fred's other testimony episodes, where he shares more about his conversion, his Catholic faith, and the ways God continues to work in his life today. Fred's First Testimony Episode: From Heathen to Heaven "Why are you Catholic?" Testimony For reflections, formation, and community, FOLLOW Draw Near on Social Media: @drawnearbygrace YouTube Instagram Facebook! Like our podcast? Hit that “follow” button and tell your friends. :) Click here to become a patron! We wouldn't be "Draw Near" without your support! Who are "Fred and Kara?" Find out by visiting our home page. Draw Near Theme © Fred Shellabarger & Kara Kardell
What happens when two entrepreneurs decide to build a business together?In this episode of First Round's On Me, Joe and Hannah sit down with Jeffrey Carlson and Gabriela Esposito Carlson, founders of Bark House NYC, to discuss entrepreneurship, marriage, hospitality, community, and raising a family while building a growing business.They dive into the philosophy behind creating memorable customer experiences, why attention to detail matters, how they balance work and marriage, and the lessons they've learned while building Bark House into one of New York City's most unique pet destinations.The conversation also explores dating, founder relationships, entrepreneurial mindsets, and the powerful responsibility of raising children while building something meaningful.Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, parent, or simply someone who values community and hospitality, this episode is packed with lessons on creating a life and business you genuinely love.Follow Bark House:Instagram: @barkhousenyc00:00 Introduction01:04 The Origin of Bark House02:30 The Equinox of Dog Daycare05:33 Building Through Attention to Detail09:19 Creating Experiences People Remember11:22 The Cheers Effect13:35 Why Community Matters More Than Ever15:36 Building a Business With Your Spouse19:05 Managing Conflict & Working Together20:28 Every Founder Needs a Delusional One22:17 Thinking Bigger as Entrepreneurs25:04 Choosing the Right Life Partner26:02 How Jeffrey & Gabriela Met28:04 Standing Out in Dating29:35 Connection at First Sight31:02 Building a Future for Your Children34:12 Entrepreneurial Parents & Imagination35:37 A Question for Their Son at 1838:28 The Power of Unconditional Love39:18 Where to Find Bark House
In this episode, I bring my exploration of the Divine Mother to its culmination. Over the past several episodes, we have journeyed together through Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, discovering the many ways the Divine Mother reveals herself through the living world. Now I gather those threads together and explore what it means to find hope, belonging, and connection in a culture that often feels disconnected from her presence.
June 21, 2026 - Joel May, Assistant Pastor
Adult Children In Recovery - Moving From Insanity To Serenity
Send us Fan MailWhat if the chaos we see in the world is simply the unhealed wounds of childhood — scaled up?In this soul-stirring episode of the Adult-Children in Recovery Podcast, Vandana Atara Noorah welcomes back Phyllis Leavitt — author of America in Therapy, speaker, and psychotherapist — for a conversation that moves from the deeply personal to the profoundly global.Phyllis reveals:How writing saved her during a chaotic, dysfunctional childhood — and how it became her path to healingWhy she believes we are at a precarious moment in human history that demands big ideas and bigger solutionsThe little-known psychological secrets behind how we arrived at this cultural precipice — and what keeps us hereWhy the same therapeutic tools that heal individuals and families can heal communities, corporations, governments, and nationsHow universal loving kindness and compassion in community — free from shame and self-blame — is not naïve idealism but practical healing strategyVandana also shares how her Inner Child Reiki Practitioner Program supports adult-children in doing this exact work — building safety from the inside out.This is an episode about HOPE — real, grounded, hard-won hope.ABOUT PHYLLIS LEAVITTPhyllis Leavitt is a psychotherapist with decades of clinical experience and the author of America in Therapy. Her work sits at the intersection of individual trauma healing and collective wellbeing. Learn more and pick up your copy at: https://phyllisleavitt.com INNER CHILD REIKI PRACTITIONER PROGRAMReady to go deeper? Explore Vandana's signature program at: https://vandanalighthealing.com/products/inner-child-reiki-practitioner-programIf this episode moved you, please leave a 5-star review on your podcast platform. Your review helps more adult-children in recovery find this work. Thank you, Beloved.Support the showStay Connected with Vandana Light Healing :✨ Website: vandanalighthealing.com YouTube: @VandanaLightHealing Facebook: VandanaLightHealing Podcast: Hope & Healing LinkedIn: Vandana Atara Noorah Instagram: @vandana_light_healing Amazon Author: Vandana Atara Noorah
Anchored in the Word Morning Reflection: Season 5 Episode 121 Imitate God as Beloved Children: Remember Ephesians 5:1-7 #morningreflections #strength #wisdom #perspective #trust
Matinee Theater || (02) Beloved Enemy | October 29, 1944 ||
Lux Radio Theatre - Beloved EnemyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/harold-s-old-time-radio--4206392/support.
This sermon opens a summer series on John 13-17, known as the Upper Room Discourse, focusing on Jesus's final teachings to His disciples before the crucifixion. The central message emphasizes that our truest identity is being "the beloved of God." Rather than living to earn God's love, believers are called to live from the security of already being perfectly and completely loved by their Heavenly Father. The sermon challenges listeners to identify themselves as John did—as "the disciple whom Jesus loved"—and to reject the lies of shame, condemnation, and performance-based religion. Jesus's sacrificial love on the cross demonstrates the ultimate expression of this complete, selfless love that defines who we are as His children.Read John 13:1-3; 1 John 3:16Jesus knew His hour had come, yet His focus remained on loving His disciples "to the end"—completely and perfectly. This wasn't just chronological love; it was ultimate, sacrificial love demonstrated through the cross. John identified himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved," not from arrogance, but from understanding his truest identity. Today, consider how you define yourself. Do you lead with your failures, accomplishments, or roles? Or do you embrace your deepest truth—that you are God's beloved? Write your name followed by "the beloved" and let this identity sink into your soul. You are not loved because of what you do; you are loved because of whose you are. What keeps you from fully accepting your identity as God's beloved?Discussion Questions:-In what ways do you find yourself living 'for' God's love rather than 'from' God's love, and what would it look like to shift that perspective?-How does proximity to Jesus through religious activity differ from intimacy with Jesus, and where do you see this distinction in your own spiritual life?-What does it reveal about Jesus that he chose to spend his final moments before the cross teaching his disciples about love rather than strategy or doctrine?-In what ways do you project your earthly relationships, especially with parents or authority figures, onto your understanding of God's love for you?
Who Does the Lord Know? (1) (audio) David Eells, 6/21/26 We received a question regarding Matthew 7:23 and how these people could say they know the Lord, and yet the Lord says, “I never knew you”. Also, Some people think that they are lost people, or that they were never really saved. And so I thought we could look at that today and identify who the Lord knows and those whom the Lord said He never knew. Let's look first in Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. The Bible talks about false prophets quite a bit in both the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes they don't appear to have been apostate, but in some cases, they definitely are. This is true in 2 Peter chapter 2; and the Christians he's talking about there. I believe the whole chapter really is about false prophets. 2Pe 2:15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; Of course, the only one that can forsake the right way is somebody who's been there, and obviously, they are being an apostate or fallen away in this case. For instance in 2Pe 2:20-21 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. This and many other scriptures clearly refute the ”once saved always saved doctrine. Another good example would be in Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; This includes those who fell into the error of trying to be “a profit” instead of a prophet. But I just wanted to make that point, because some people say that all false prophets are lost people, and that's just not the case. Of course, a lot of times, when we talk about Christians, we really should identify Christians the way the Bible identifies Christians, and not the way the worldly church identifies them. The way the worldly church identifies Christians now is those who have been born in spirit. Their spirit has been born from God, and they have a new spirit. But it is more than that. that's not the way the scriptures identify as Christians. Scriptures identify Christians as those who walk and talk the way Christ walked and talked. Also, there's a big difference between somebody who's just been born in spirit and those who walk the way Christ walked, because you can have Christ's spirit and not live His life as Paul exhorted Christians in Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. That's an exhortation given to those who have the spirit of Christ because he went on to exhort that those who have the spirit of Christ should go on to receive the Spirit of God. Everyone who is born of God receives the Spirit of Christ and today, that's called a born-again Christian. As we read the text, we'll see that “Christian” is identified scripturally as something completely different. So keep that in mind that I'm talking about Christians in the way that the church uses the term, those who have been born in spirit. Back to Mat 7:16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; (Again, now he's not just identifying prophets. Now he's broadening the scope. And in the next few verses, he uses the word “every” several times. So he's broadening the scope to talk about everybody, not just false prophets.) 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Now, this same verse is used in Matthew 3:10, where John the Baptist is rebuking the Covenant people of God; those religious leaders who made their stand on believing that Abraham was their father. Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I want you to notice here that He's talking about the Covenant people, thinking that because they were children of Abraham, they were entitled to God's blessings. And John told them that that's not the truth. The truth is, only bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance brings you into God's blessings. I think this is a good exhortation for Christians today, because Christians think, “Well, I'm a Christian, God's my Father so I can just go and do what I want to do now.” But this is not so. It says every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit among us is hewn down and cast into the fire. The scripture also says in Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away:… Notice: Every branch in me… Now that can be no other than God's people, right? We're all responsible to bring forth fruit. The fruit is what identifies us as Christians, and the fruit here, as we see in the text, is the actions of your life. The fruit is love, the joy, the peace, the righteousness; all those things that Christ was and is. The actions of our life are the fruit of the inner life, that's what He's talking about; the fruit. Along the same line in several of Jesus's parables, He came looking for fruit on the fig tree. He wasn't looking for fruit on a tree that wasn't supposed to bring forth fruit. He was looking for fruit on a tree that was created to bring forth fruit. It is the fig tree that identifies God's people. Luk 13:6-9 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down. Notice: The Lord is the one who's going to cut it down. The Lord is long-suffering with us to bear fruit, but be that as it may, we've been given a certain amount of time to bear that fruit, and I think that's what He's talking about in Matthew 7, because as He goes on in Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Now he's identifying fruit as doing the will of the Father. The fruit of the Spirit is doing the will of the Father. He goes on to say, 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Let me make a point here. Do you suppose that it's possible that an apostate Christian could prophesy? I mean, prophesy from the Lord? We have examples in the scriptures of false prophets who prophesied in the name of the Lord. A good example is in 1 Samuel 19. This is talking about Saul after he had fallen away from the Lord; in fact, he had been rejected by the Lord. It says 1Sa 19:23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? Now, some people say, well, because he stripped off all his clothes, that doesn't seem like a godly thing to do, but I think what the Holy Spirit was showing to people around him was that he was walking naked before the Lord. He wasn't dressed up with Christ. He didn't have on his wedding garment, so on and so forth. He had fallen away in his works, because remember when we studied the garment, it symbolized your works, right? In Revelation 19, the righteous acts of the saints were the garment that the bride is wearing. Now, I want you to notice this too; this same man had a demon that was sent from God to him. 1Sa 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. Now this is the same Saul whom the Lord had departed from, who later prophesied in the name of the Lord, because the Spirit came upon him. Here, he prophesied in verse 10 by an evil spirit. He had obviously become a false prophet. Was it always that way? No, it wasn't always that way. He was the anointed of the Lord. But yet he became a false prophet. He became what we would know today as an apostate Christian. He was rejected in 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king. So he had been rejected by the Lord, received an evil spirit by which he prophesied, and later even prophesied in the name of the Lord when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Now, going back to what I consider to be probably apostate Christians in Mat 7: 22 …Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name,… And some people say, ‘Well, that wouldn't be possible if this person did not know the Lord at all to be able to prophesy by thy name.' And the point I want you to see here, too, is that it says by thy name and not in thy name; in the original, it says by thy name, meaning they could be prophesying true enough, but they weren't in the name. They weren't getting a reward because they weren't abiding in the name of the Lord. Another point, it says, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12, when they accused Him of casting out demons by the prince of demons, Beelzebub? Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. 25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. You know, I think you'll find that Satan doesn't cast out Satan; that even the most apostate Christians, because of their Covenant relationship with the Lord, still have authority to do that and can do it. I've seen people that the Lord identified to me as false prophets and actually did prophesy wrongly, and I've seen them cast out demons too. They had the Covenant relationship because of the Jews. The seven sons of Sceva were Jews. You see, the Jews were casting out demons. This wasn't new to the Jews to cast out demons. They had been doing that. And because of Covenant relationship, the Jews got healing, and they got deliverance. Even today, people, because of Covenant relationship, before being completely rejected by God, they can still cast out demons. I know of a false prophet in particular who has identified too many people who cast out demons; in fact, he cast them out with me. Let me say this: a person who is lost, who does not know the Lord, how do they cast out demons? Those who have no Covenant relationship with the Lord; how do they cast out demons? Their father manifestly is Beelzebub, so how do they cast out demons? Well, what happened to the seven sons of Sceva when they tried to use “by Jesus whom Paul preacheth” to cast out demons in Acts 19:13 and then got whipped? They did not know the one who was creating the New Covenant. I think the point is that you have to be in some kind of a Covenant relationship in order to be casting demons out, because Satan doesn't cast out Satan. The One who lives in you now casts out demons. 1Jn 4:4 … greater is he that's in you than he that is in the world. Who's in the world? Satan. Does Satan cast out his own kingdom? Jesus said, No, he doesn't do that. Well, here's the point. Were they casting the demons out by the Spirit of God or were they casting them out by Satan? Jesus said they couldn't cast them out by Satan. The lost people's authority is Satan. The one that lives in them is Satan. The point I'm making about these people here, these false prophets, is that many of them are apostate Christians. Remember, an apostate is one who is falling away from the truth and the grace of God. And it's somebody who is obviously saying, Lord, Lord, (so they obviously believed in their heart that Jesus was their Lord) Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy and by thy name cast out demons and by thy name do many mighty works? Notice they were not “in” thy name but God permitted this “by” thy name as a witness of Jesus. Who is it today that we know that is doing this in the name of the Lord, if it's not somebody who is abiding in His name, which is far more powerful? I was in a situation where a preacher and his girl friend were trying to cast many demons out of a man who chased them out of the building. Previously the demon possessed man chased the preachers deacon through a plate glass door, shattering it, and sending him to the hospital. So, they sent for me and told me their story. They watched from the doorway as I approached this man who thought to do the same to me. By the grace of God he cowered and was delivered. Many today are in “by” mode, meaning they are using the name of the Lord and not doing it in the name. I agree that some people profess the Lord and don't know the Lord or haven't been sent by Him. And all false prophets are not apostate Christians or just lost deceivers. ; not all of them. And I'm convinced that there is some chicanery going on even in Christian circles. I don't know if any of you are familiar with it, but I've been among some of them where they see a demon behind every bush. They cast demons out daily from everybody's flesh. But a lot of that's not demons, it's just run away flesh. Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now here's the point: is there such a thing as a Christian who's been born in spirit that God spoke to and said, “I don't know you” or “I never knew you?” Yes, we have examples of that. But first, before we get away from this, I want to read on because He says, I never knew you depart from me you that work iniquity. What is it for the Lord to know you? I want to look at that and what that means. When he says depart from me ye that work iniquity verse 24 went right on Every one therefore; (Meaning: He's talking about the same thing as just before this verse.) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: Notice, He didn't say whether you had the spirit of Christ or not; it all has to do with obedience. The difference between a foolish man and a wise man is strictly just one word; obedience. The born again spirit filled with the Holy Spirit gives us power to obey through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Our text deals with the fruit, which has to do with whether you're obeying. So the main difference between the wise and the foolish is hearing the words and doing them. Notice that both men here in this text heard the words, but only one obeyed, and that was the wise man. 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. And this is the test that follows. I want to make that point before we go on because I want to look at the foolish virgins briefly, because God spoke to them, and He says, I don't know you. Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Again, what's the difference between the wise and the foolish? It's just one thing, being a hearer and a doer by the anointing of God. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. We know that in Pro 20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts. The spirit of man is the lamp of the oil. And the oil being the life of God or the Holy Spirit is to be in that lamp. And there's a vessel that the wise virgins took with them that was also full of oil; that obviously the foolish did not bring. What do you think the vessel is that also has the oil? We've talked about the difference between the born again spirit and the born again soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions. This is the fruit of the Spirit being born in the soul. The person who had just a born-again spirit, but brought forth no fruit in the soul through obedience will be rejected. They were not bearing the fruit of obedience so they could be born again in the soul. The vessel that they brought with their lamp is the vessel of their physical life because that's where you bear the fruit of the oil. That's where you bear the fruit of Christ to be seen by the world. Now, even the foolish virgins here had oil in their lamp or spirit. So you can't classify them as non-Christians? Or, what we've been calling Christians. You understand? Verse 5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. This was another question someone had a while back about a word, so I went and looked it up. It's the Greek word, kosmeo. Kosmeo is the word we get cosmetics from. And it simply means ‘to arrange or to adorn'. It's not implying that their lamps were out and they lit them, you understand? It's just talking about adorning or arranging their lamps. They chose to translate it trim in this text; I don't think that's a very good word to use. To trim is to bring the wick up so the light shines best. Continuing in Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Notice that - the door was shut. That was ominous because that door being shut is mentioned in other places in the scripture, like in Luke 13:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. He said, I know you not. Now these virgins did have oil in their lamps. So obviously what the Lord means by knowing you is more than just receiving a new spirit, a born-again spirit. There must be fruit born of that spirit life in order for the Lord to know you. And I want to look at that too. Before we go there, let's look at Luke too, because it has a very close parallel to this door being closed. Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; … (Obviously the same text there.) and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; 26 then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; 27 and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. See, so many people are relying on their relationship with the Lord by what they know, by who they're connected with, by the fact that they're a Christian, that they've accepted Jesus as their Savior, but they're using none of the criteria of the scriptures. The only basis that God rebuked any of these people was for their disobedience. And we know that the only way we can obey is by having faith in the Lord and being filled with His Spirit. If we have faith, we'll obey. We'll overcome the sins that we struggle against because we fight the good fight of faith. It's not by works. I'm not trying to magnify our works; I'm trying to magnify the Lord's works through us. The criteria by which the Lord is going to judge any of us is going to be works. And he says to them, because of their evil works, not because they weren't Christians, because it's obvious to me from Matthew 25, and what we just read here, that He's talking to His children. But He says, I know not whence ye are… What causes the Lord to know us? First of all, many people are going to be found in this situation. In Matthew 25, there were 10 virgins. It was talking about the time of the coming of the Lord, how that five were ready, and five were not. That's only half of the people mentioned; half were not ready to meet the Lord, and half were. The very next parable is the parable of the talents, and again, there's no paragraph indentation, so He just goes on in Mat 25:14 For it is as when a man, going into another country, (In other words, he's telling you, watch, I'm going to show you the same thing in another way.) There were three groups at that time who had each been given talents. And one-third of them were rejected because they didn't bring forth the fruit that God put in, right? Doesn't the Bible say a third of the stars of heaven will be cast down to the earth? How come it was half of the virgins and yet a third of those with the talents? Because the virgins are those who are living on the earth when the Lord returns, and these men with the talents are standing before the judgment after death, after resurrection, you see? We're talking about those who are living at the time the Lord returns in order to be caught up to be with the Lord. What about the people who die? There are obviously three groups. A third of the stars of heaven were cast to the earth in the Book of Revelation. That's a third of the people. The scriptures say that Abraham's seed are as the stars; also, Jacob. The stars are likened to God's people. In Jacob's dream of the stars, they're the children of the bride chamber; it's in many, many places. There's the star glory in 1 Corinthians 15; the star glory is a person who's manifested star glory with the Lord. And some go on to moon glory and sun glory. But a third of the stars of heaven are being cast to the earth, and it goes on in Rev 6:13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. That's not talking about angels, that's talking about God's people not coming to maturity. You see, this is what's happening to a third of the stars. And yet of the people who are alive and remain, half of those people do not enter to being with the Lord. During this end time many will fall in the great falling away. They were called, twice dead and plucked up by the roots. Do you suppose that if your lamp is going out, you would be called twice dead? I do and that's what he's talking about; there's a great falling away happening right there. I think during the tribulation period, probably a third of the Christians are going to take the mark and spiritually die, and out of the ones that are left, half of them are going to be rejected. This is what I feel from these two parables. In the parable of the sower in Mat 13, three out of four did not bear fruit and were rejected. But let's look now at the Lord and how He knows us. You know that the Lord foreknew a group of people in Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: Let's see who the Lord knew. Okay, it's really important that we know who He foreknew because He didn't foreknow every Christian. I can prove that to you Notice who he's talking about; who was foreknown. Now, that's not knowing what's going to happen before it happens. Foreknew is like Adam knew his wife. The word ‘know' implies an intimate relationship. Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: These people whom He foreknew here is not talking about He foreknew that they would overcome. He knew this person. He knew their nature before the world was created. Watch, it says, For whom He foreknew, He foreordained. (Everybody that He foreknew, He foreordained.) Notice to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Notice now, there's no way out of this verse. If you start in on one end of it, you've got to come out on the other end of it. The ones He foreknew, he foreordained, (He predestined) to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So, everybody that God foreknew from the foundation of the world will be conformed to the image of His Son. That doesn't mean everyone that we call ‘Christians'. So, Jesus pointed out this group; He called them 30-60 and a 100-fold fruit. Fruit of what? The fruit of Christ. The 30-60 and a 100-fold are going to be conformed to the image of Christ. These are the ones He foreknew. What is it to know God? Did God know anybody who was not in Covenant relationship? No, He didn't. I'm going to make this point at the very beginning that God only knows one family in all the earth, and that family is born again spiritual Israel. Amo 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities. Now keep that in your mind that the Lord has only known Israel from the foundation until now. Even though Israel was changed in the New Covenant, it's still Israel. He makes a point back in Rom 9:6 … For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: In other words, ‘real Israel' is going to be picked out of the midst of mans ‘Israel'. You understand? Because remember, For many are called, but few chosen. Mat 22:14 That word chosen is eklektos, or elected. And Paul exhorts us to give diligence to make our calling and election sure. (2Pe.1:10) This group of people in Romans 8 was called and elect because in verse 33, he said who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? … So, he's specifically talking about the elect, not just the called. Now, everybody who's the elect has to be called because the word call means invited. You remember when Jesus came to the Jews, they were invited, but they all weren't elect, and the reason was that they didn't accept Jesus. So it's only Israel that He knows and specifically only those who are of faith in the Promises. Let's look at Rom 11:1 I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. He cast off all but the elect who are born from above for they are His people. There were some Israelites that He didn't cast off because Paul said, For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. So God didn't cast off the chosen or elect Israelites. But there were other Israelites that He did. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Notice that. Nobody that God foreknew did He cast off. You know why? Let's read on, and we'll see why. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (or chosen) of grace. Now the remnant is according to the election of grace. Notice that Israel did fall away, but not the elect, not the chosen, not the foreknown. Watch. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. In other words, by no more of your works, no more works of the law, are you going to be justified before God. 7 What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, … Notice, the elect or the chosen will obtain it. The foreknown will obtain it, and they will not be cast off. See, we're identifying something here. There were many people called out of Egypt who fell in the wilderness and did not make it to the Promised Land. The Bible says many are called, but few are chosen or ‘elect'. Who are the ones He foreknew? The many called or the few chosen? So, obviously, from this text you can see very clearly that the ones He foreknew were elect, meaning chosen, and they obtained it. Why did they obtain it? Let's see what it means to be known by God. Look at this verse very closely in Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches (Israel), neither will he spare thee. 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. The point I wanted to make is in verse 26 And so all Israel shall be saved. So what about all those who were cut off? They were Israel. They were called, but they were not elect. Remember what we saw back at the beginning of the chapter: those who were called and fell away in the wilderness. Those who rebelled against God, the ones whose hearts He hardened, He said, But the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened. (Rom.11:7) Who is Israel? Who is the Israel that God foreknew? It's the elect. It is the foreknown. What about the rest of them? He didn't foreknow them. You know why? Because they didn't endure to the end in faith and obedience. I want you to notice that everybody who was not foreknown and who was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world is going to be deceived and fall away. Everybody. We're talking about those called who fell in the wilderness. That's talking about the world, the flesh, everybody who is not foreknown is going to be deceived by the Beast. Look at Rev 13:8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Notice, it's everyone who is not written or not foreknown. Many Christians are called, meaning invited, but will not come to prove to be the elect, or chosen. They won't obtain the promise because of unbelief and are broken off. You understand what I'm saying? Remember they do not obtain the promise because they do not endure in faith. You can't obtain the promise that way. Look at Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. So everybody whose name was not written there is going to be deceived, but everybody whose name that is written there will see through it. They are the elect; they will obtain. They are the foreknown; they will obtain. They will be the ‘Paul out of Israel', who God chose to go on and to bear fruit. Today, we see Israel as a type of Christianity. Out of that, there are some who are going to go on and be obedient. Because obedience proves your faith. If you have no obedience, if you do not obey, if you are not a doer of the word, you have no proof for your faith. The way God is going to prove that you walk by faith is by your works. Everyone who walks by faith will overcome. If we walk by faith, we will overcome the trials in this life; the sin, the works of the devil; we will win. There's another point I want you to see. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, in Ephesians, where it also says God chose us; that's the word eklektos in Him, before the foundation of the world. Now, if Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, when was He manifestly slain? Not until 2,000 years ago. Now, if our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, when are they manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life? They're manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life when you're born again. Therefore, you were foreknown just as Christ was foreknown. You see that? It is really important that you follow this now. It's manifest when you're born into the Kingdom. In God's plan and His foreknowledge. Just like Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but He wasn't killed then. When God set His plan into manifestation, Jesus was sacrificed. But it might as well have been because God calls the things to be not as though they were. So, when you were born from above you were written in the Book of Life. I'm not talking about in God's plan that He foreknew. I'm talking about when manifestly your name was written in. Because everyone who's born of God is written in His Book. But remember, the ones that He foreknew from the beginning were those who endured to the end and came into the manifestation of Jesus. Psa 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there. 5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her. 6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. Selah. The point is, when you're born into the Kingdom, that's when God writes your name. He said, Rejoice not that you have power over the demons, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luk 10:20) So here's the point. Everybody that's born, including all of those that came out of Egypt, were written in that book. But some were blotted out. Who was it that was blotted out, before the full manifestation of Jesus? Remember, we're talking about those whom He foreknew before the foundation of the world who came into the image of His Son. But according to Rev 3:5, He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life,…. So you've got many names written in manifestly, and those who don't overcome are blotted out. Before what? Before the full manifestation, the ones who were foreknown. So all the Jews who came out of Egypt were written at that time. Also, every Christian who receives a new born-again spirit from God is written at that time. But only the ones who endure to bear fruit were foreknown. Therefore, of those who fall in the wilderness, He says, I know you not. I never knew you. Why? He didn't foreknow them. What was the main difference between those two groups of people, the wise and the foolish? The main difference was that they both heard the word, but only the wise became a doer of the word. In both Matthew 7 and Matthew 25, the difference between the wise and the foolish is the same. And yet, clearly, even the foolish had oil in their lamps. But their oil was going out. See, there's a great falling away coming because of tribulation, because of trials and people are going to fall away. Look at Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There will be those who will be written in Zion but the sinner in Zion will be destroyed out of it. Look in Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem; 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. God is doing a work of purging from the church those who are walking in wickedness, those who are guilty of blood, and walking in disobedience. This scripture is very plain about being blotted out: Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There's another one where Moses was interceding for the people in Exo 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. So those who are written among the living, those who have manifested fruit, those who came into the image of Christ through the Word. Those who are written at the end are going to be the ones that He foreknew. They're going to be the elect, the ones that He chose. He exhorts us in 2Pe 1:10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: Look at 2Ti 2:19 Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. See, the Lord knows them that are His and that's going to be the ones who depart from unrighteousness, so he's exhorting everybody that names the name of the Lord to depart from unrighteousness, to depart from iniquity. See, we're finding out who the Lord knows. Do you know who He knows? He knows Jesus. He knows the name, which is the nature and character of Jesus. Can you imagine God having relationship with us as Adam did with Eve? (That's what the word ‘know' means.) Imagine God having a relationship with somebody who is contrary to His nature? Do you understand that? God cannot know someone who is contrary to His nature and Word. 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God". Just like He commands us Christians not to choose an unbelieving mate, right? Why did He tell us not to choose an unbelieving mate? Because we're not to know anybody with a contrary nature. What fellowship has light with darkness? So God knows and sows the Word who is Jesus. To the extent Jesus is in you, that's to the extent God knows you. Who did Jesus say the Father would love? Every Christian? No, He didn't. Joh 14:23…If a man love me he will keep my word: and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. What is the proof that you love God? Jesus said several times that the proof that you love God is that you obey his commandments. This is the one He knows. 1Co 8:3 but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. In other words, we are proving our love for God by walking in faith and obeying His commandments. The ones that God knows or foreknew are the ones that love Him. Why? Because they not only hear the Word, they do the Word. The ones that God knows will come to know Him because of the foreknowledge part, like I said. It's in the mind of God. It's calling those things that be not as though they were. God spoke, and ever since He spoke this plan, it's been coming into existence. Don't miss it! It was Jesus Who was foreknown to die for the world, but He wasn't manifest until Calvary. And you, who were foreknown to be in God, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, weren't manifest until you were born. Of those who are born and walk by faith and overcome and endure to the end, Jesus said, they shall be saved. Those who endure through the wilderness and enter into the Promised Land; they are the types of the elect. The very thing that causes you to go on is faith and if you don't understand that, then you can't overcome it anyway. Ever since Exodus chapter 3 the Lord revealed Himself to Moses. But you know Moses didn't know the Lord? He confessed it in Exodus chapter 33. He did not know the Lord. We are coming to know the Lord. The Lord is the nature of Jesus Christ. And the more we come to know that nature of the real Jesus, the more we're coming to know the Lord. The one the Father knows, or even foreknew, was Jesus, because He was of like nature. God can only know that which is of like nature. Jesus said in Joh 14:9 If you have seen me you have seen the Father. He doesn't know the worldly person. He doesn't know the wicked person. He knows the righteous man that's inside of those who love Him. Exo 33:12 And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, See, the Lord had told Moses, I know thee by name. You know what the word ‘name' means? It's the same in the Hebrew as it is in the Greek. It's nature, character, and authority. The Lord told him, I know thee by name, and thou hast found favor in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee. The Bible talks about the Jews, how they knew the doings of the Lord, but Moses knew the ways of the Lord. There's a difference in knowing His doing and knowing His ways. If you know His ways, you can walk with Him. If you only know His doings, sometimes you're just going from judgment to judgment. …that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And in verse 17 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; Moses found out the name of the Lord in Exodus chapter 3. He told him the exact name. YHWH, I AM THAT I AM. So obviously, he's talking about a different name here. He's talking about the real name here. Verse 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name (the Shem) of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live. Moses represented the Law; you couldn't come into the likeness of Christ through the Law. So he didn't get to see the face of the Lord, but we have a promise in 1 Corinthians 13. Moses didn't see His face; he spoke to Him face to face, but he didn't see His face. There's a difference. We can speak to the Lord face to face, but not see Him. Now there's a difference. He spoke to God face to face, but he didn't see His face. For man shall not see me and live. In other words, as man, you can't know Him. And as man, you are not known by Him. 1Co 15:50 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. It is your spirit man that can know Him and be known by Him. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmity that we can know Him and see Him. But He goes on to say, 21 and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock: (The only place you can see God is standing upon the rock, right? That's Jesus, and you have to stand upon the Word of God.) 22 and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by: 23 and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. Now, when He revealed the name of the Lord, the Lord said He was going to proclaim His name. It wasn't YHWH because He told him that 30 chapters before. Look at Exo 34:5 And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. 6 And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, (YHWH; it's YHWH, in the original, that's what He said.) a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; 7 keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. This is His Nature, Character, and Authority, Which is the meaning of Name. Now, He just proclaimed the name of the Lord. But what Moses didn't know, and he asked God to show him, ‘Show me thy ways, so I'll know the one who's going with us.' See, this is knowing God. Knowing this person whose name represents the I AM, that's knowing God. The opposite is also true. God knows the same nature. He knows Jesus Christ. He knows Jesus in us. And it is Christ in us by Word and Spirit that is the hope of glory. Remember in Romans 8, the ones He foreknew, and you go all the way to the end of the verse that says, He also glorified. Everyone He foreknew, He glorified. Now in 1Co.13: 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. So knowing fully is seeing God face to face. Moses said, ‘I don't know You; reveal Yourself to me.' Therefore, he could not see Him face to face. Coming to maturity, bearing fruit, or manifesting Christ's likeness is coming to know Him face to face. It is coming to know Him fully as I was fully known. Who is going to come to know Him fully? Only those who were fully known will come to know Him fully and will see Him face to face. Moses himself said, ‘I don't know You yet.' By the Law, you can't know God face to face. That's why Moses didn't enter into the Promised Land as a type and a shadow because the Law could not make perfect. It's also why Moses couldn't see God's face; he could only see His shadow, His back parts. Did you see that? By the Law, all they could see was shadow, so God said I'll let you see My hinder parts but He wouldn't let you see His face because by the Law you can never come to know God. It's only by His grace that you can come to know God. Now Moses was asking for this, ‘Let me know the One Who's going to go with us.' In the New Testament, our Moses is Jesus; He did know God face to face. And we're coming to know God face to face through His grace and through His sacrifice. But the ones that are going to fully know God are the ones that were fully known by God before the foundation of the world. All the rest of them are going to fall away, just like those people in the wilderness. They were written in, but blotted out before coming to the fullness of God, which was what? The Promised Land. Did you know that, as a child, we can speak to God face to face? And God can speak to us face to face as a child of God. And the reason we can speak to God as a child is because of our Covenant relationship. But coming to know the Lord is seeing Him face to face by faith. 2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That's coming into His nature, coming into His life, coming to know Him. Moses knew the literal name, Y-H-W-H, but he didn't know the One that name just represented. Remember we build on the foundation and we need to able to stand upon the rock when the wind blows and the rain beats against that house. Look, what is the firm foundation of God that stands? It's the name of the Lord. And that everybody who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. We can't stand on that rock in our own strength. I know I've shared this vision that my wife had years ago, how that I was standing on this rock wearing what was like metal leg braces. The ones who are foreknown are going to stand on that rock of the Word and this shows us it won't be by their own strength, but by the strength of the Lord. So that's why it's our faith that counts. If it were by our works, it would be our strength that would cause us to stand but it's not. We can praise God for this, because it's not by our works. It's by grace, and the only way to get grace is faith in the promises. I thank God that Jesus freely gave us this salvation that we're talking about. We can accept it by faith without trying to work it up in ourselves. Everybody seems to go through that stage of trying to earn their salvation and failing miserably because it's got to be freely given by grace. It's got to be the strength that God supplies, and God supplies that strength by simply believing the word of God, not walking by sight, but believing the word of God. We believe that Jesus took away our sins. Initially we can't see that, but as we believe that He did it will happen. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We proclaim and confess the word; that's standing upon the rock and that's the only place you can see the Lord. Right now, maybe we speak to Him more face-to-face than see Him face to face. But we're going to know fully, if we walk by faith, even as we were fully known. Can you imagine that? You're going to know God fully as you were fully known. That's a tremendous promise! I mean, we want to know God, and gradually, the more we stand upon the rock, the more we're going to see His face. It's progressive, it's not an instantaneous thing. When Moses stood upon the rock and the Lord proclaimed the Name, He proclaimed the nature of God there. This is the way God is, and yet, we're only learning the nature of God a little by little, line upon line, here a little and there a little. We're learning His nature. A lot of people are building things upon the foundation of God that have got to be torn back down, like in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. People build on it, the wood, hay, and the stubble of their own works, own doctrines, and religious establishment. All those dead things have to be burned back down by tribulation, and then start over. We build upon the foundation, which is Christ. There's no other foundation that can be laid that will work. That's what Paul was saying. Some people are on the shifting sand, yet some who are really on the right foundation, but they're building wrong things on the right foundation, the right foundation being that Jesus took away our sins. But again, you can make the same mistake the Pharisees made in making of no effect the Word of God by their traditions. This is what the worldly church is famous for. This is what the Jews were famous for and Jesus rebuked them several times for that. If you make of no effect the word of God by your traditions, you're not standing upon the rock, and you're not going to see His face. We have to come to know this Lord. We have to humble ourselves to His word. People have ulterior motives for believing what they believe, which is religion's way; they have different reasons for believing what they believe and they don't like to be wrong. They want to be seen as right. They live purely for the glory of men. And so they never change their mind even when you can show them all the verses in the word. They're building other things on the foundation and those things are going to be torn down by tribulations that are coming. Hopefully, many people will repent and rebuild the right things on the right foundation and bear fruit. That's why tribulation is coming. It's coming to tear down, to shake, the things that can be shaken, shake them right down to the ground so that God can rebuild the truth. There's going to be a great outpouring of truth in the tribulation period for those who love the truth. But sadly, for those who will believe a lie, there's great deception coming. That deception is going to blot a lot of names out of the Book of Life so that those who are foreknown will be there alone. Those that are left in Zion will be holy, you understand, because the spirit of fire has cleansed it, so the way is to walk by faith, to stand upon the Word of God continuously, and not be swayed by the traditions of men, by Babylon's wood, hay and stubble. Babylon really has been around since, as people say, the Tower of Babel, but really the nature of Babylon has been around since the very beginning. Religion is supplanting God's way. The problem is, all we like sheep have gone astray, each one after his own way, and that's why we've got so many religions. But we've got God's standard to go by. God's way, and you really can't accept anything else. Religion's ideas, how to organize the church, and how to do the works of God. Religion's ideas are Babylon. God's people, historically, the Jews were taken captive by Babylon, and will later be delivered from the bondage of Babylon to build Zion, and that's really the Christian walk. Every Christian starts out taken captive to Babylon. That's the false ideas of ways God wants things done, false ideas of the nature of God, the name of God, and their false image of Jesus. Everyone needs to be delivered from all that. Their false teachings, church doctrines, traditions of men, etc., and go to Zion where the truth is. The Lord Jesus is our Zion; the true Word is our Zion. It's seeing God the way God wants to be seen; it's knowing God the way God wants to be known, and without knowing God the way God wants to be known, He doesn't know you. Do you know who God knows? It's the inner man, the seed of Christ that's on the inside of us. God knows Him. And the point is, if we're not like those virgins taking the vessel of oil along with the lamp with the oil, then we're not bearing fruit in the area of the soul. Their lamps went out because they didn't carry the oil in the vessel. In these days, people don't think it's necessary to obey. But bearing fruit in the area of the soul comes from obedience. Peter said that, and it's something we need to see. 1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: 23 having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. In other words, we're still being born again; we're being born again in our soul. And our souls are being purified, and we're walking in holiness. Heb 12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. And Jesus said in Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father. Who is Christ in you. For a more complete teaching on those who are chosen and the elect, see our book Predestined Called and Elect on our Website.
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God wants that best for us! Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of that! For the plans He has for us is to prosper us not hinder us. Yet, oftentimes we encounter spiritual roadblocks in life that can either benefit us or stagnate us depending on how we handle them. We can either let go and let God or hold on and dig ourselves into a deeper situation. And even then, through Christ, we can still come out victorious, but it takes denial of self.Ultimately, Our Heavenly Father wants us to be spiritually healthy, faith filled, and obedient to His purpose and plan for our lives. 3 John 1:2 tells us this very thing. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers". That includes every obstacle or spiritual roadblock that we will ever encounter. Afterall, Jesus paid the unrepayable price so that we can live righteously, victoriously, and experience eternal life.Series: How To Identify Your Spiritual Roadblocks
A new MP3 sermon from The Narrated Puritan is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Beloved, Yet Afflicted Subtitle: Tracts - Chapel Library Speaker: C. H. Spurgeon Broadcaster: The Narrated Puritan Event: Audiobook Date: 6/20/2026 Bible: John 11:3 Length: 15 min.
ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ਘਰੁ ੧ ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਅਪਾਹੁ ॥ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ ਜਗੁ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਸਾਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਵਣਜੁ ਵਾਪਾਰੀਆ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਸਚੁ ਵੇਸਾਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਜਪਿ ਮਨ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਲਾਹ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਪਾਈਐ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਅਗਮ ਅਥਾਹ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਸੁਣਿ ਸਭ ਵੇਖਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਮੁਖਿ ਬੋਲੇ ਆਪਿ ਮੁਹਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਉਝੜਿ ਪਾਇਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪਿ ਵਿਖਾਲੇ ਰਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਸਭੁ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਵੇਪਰਵਾਹੁ ॥੨॥ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਉਪਾਇਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਸਿਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਧੰਧੜੈ ਲਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪਿ ਕਰਾਏ ਸਾਖਤੀ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪਿ ਮਾਰੇ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਪਤਣੁ ਪਾਤਣੀ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਆਪੇ ਪਾਰਿ ਲੰਘਾਹੁ ॥੩॥ ਆਪੇ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਬੋਹਿਥਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਖੇਵਟੁ ਆਪਿ ਚਲਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਚੜਿ ਲੰਘਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਕਰਿ ਚੋਜ ਵੇਖੈ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਹੈ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਬਖਸਿ ਮਿਲਾਹੁ ॥੪॥੧॥ ਅਰਥ: ਹੇ (ਮੇਰੇ) ਮਨ! ਸਦਾ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਿਆ ਕਰ, ਸਿਫ਼ਤਿ-ਸਾਲਾਹ ਕਰਿਆ ਕਰ। (ਹੇ ਭਾਈ!) ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਮੇਹਰ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਉਹ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਮਿਲ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਅਪਹੁੰਚ ਹੈ, ਤੇ, ਜੋ ਬਹੁਤ ਡੂੰਘਾ ਹੈ।ਰਹਾਉ।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਹਰ ਥਾਂ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਹੈ (ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੁੰਦਿਆਂ ਭੀ) ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਨਿਰਲੇਪ (ਭੀ) ਹ ੈ। ਜਗਤ-ਵਣਜਾਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਹੈ (ਜਗਤ-ਵਣਜਾਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਰਾਸਿ-ਪੂੰਜੀ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਭੀ) ਸਦਾ ਕਾਇਮ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਸ਼ਾਹੂਕਾਰ ਹੈ। ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਵਣਜ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਵਪਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਸਦਾ-ਥਿਰ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਸਰਮਾਇਆ ਹੈ।੧।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਅਰਦਾਸਾਂ) ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਸਭ ਦੀ ਸੰਭਾਲ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਮੂੰਹੋਂ (ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਢਾਰਸ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ) ਮਿੱਠਾ ਬੋਲ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹੈ। ਪਿਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ) ਕੁਰਾਹੇ ਪਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦਾ ਸਹੀ) ਰਸਤਾ ਵਿਖਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਹਰ ਥਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਆਪ ਹੈ, (ਇਤਨੇ ਖਲਜਗਨ ਦਾ ਮਾਲਕ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ) ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਬੇ-ਪਰਵਾਹ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ।੨।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਸਭ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ) ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਹਰੇਕ ਜੀਵ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ ਆਹਰ ਵਿਚ ਲਾਈ ਰੱਖਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦੀ) ਬਣਤਰ ਬਣਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਮਾਰਦਾ ਹੈ, (ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਜੀਵ) ਮਰ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਨਦੀ ਉਤੇ) ਪੱਤਣ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਮਲਾਹ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ) ਪਾਰ ਲੰਘਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੩।ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਸੰਸਾਰ-) ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਗੁਰੂ-ਮਲਾਹ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਨੂੰ ਚਲਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਜਹਾਜ਼ ਵਿਚ) ਚੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਪਾਰ ਲੰਘਦਾ ਹੈ। ਪ੍ਰਭੂ-ਪਾਤਿਸ਼ਾਹ ਕੌਤਕ-ਤਮਾਸ਼ੇ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਇਤਨਾ ਤਮਾਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ) ਵੇਖ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਆਖ-) ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਆਪ ਹੀ (ਸਦਾ) ਦਇਆ ਦਾ ਸੋਮਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪ ਹੀ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਸ਼ ਕਰ ਕੇ (ਆਪਣੇ ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤੇ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਨਾਲ) ਮਿਲਾ ਲੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੪।੧।My Beloved Lord Himself pervades and permeates all; He Himself is, all by Himself. My Beloved Himself is the trader in this world; He Himself is the true banker. My Beloved Himself is the trade and the trader; He Himself is the true credit. || 1 || O mind, meditate on the Lord, Har, Har, and praise His Name. By Guru's Grace, the Beloved, Ambrosial, unapproachable and unfathomable Lord is obtained. || Pause || The Beloved Himself sees and hears everything; He Himself speaks through the mouths of all beings. The Beloved Himself leads us into the wilderness, and He Himself shows us the Way. The Beloved Himself is Himself all-in-all; He Himself is carefree. || 2 || The Beloved Himself, all by Himself, created everything; He Himself links all to their tasks. The Beloved Himself creates the Creation, and He Himself destroys it. He Himself is the wharf, and He Himself is the ferryman, who ferries us across. || 3 || The Beloved Himself is the ocean, and the boat; He Himself is the Guru, the boatman who steers it. The Beloved Himself sets sail and crosses over; He, the King, beholds His wondrous play. The Beloved Himself is the Merciful Master; O servant Nanak, He forgives and blends with Himself. || 4 || 1 ||SORAT'H, FOURTH MEHL, FIRST HOUSE:ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:
“My Beloved is mine, and I am His: He feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my Beloved, and be Thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.” — Song of Solomon 2:16, 17 Surely if there be a happy verse in the […]
There are passages in St. Isaac that seem less like theology and more like glimpses through an opened door into the Kingdom. These words are among them. He speaks of a table around which those who fast, keep vigil, and labor in the Lord gather. Yet he is not describing merely an ascetical fellowship or a pious community of like-minded people. Something infinitely greater is taking place. The Beloved Himself reclines in their midst. The angels overshadow them. The bitterness of their struggles is transformed into ineffable sweetness. Earth and Heaven become one. How impoverished our understanding of communion often is. We think of fellowship as friendship, conversation, common interests, or shared projects. St. Isaac speaks of something far more profound. Communion arises when hearts are turned together toward God. It is born of a shared hunger. It comes into being when men and women desire the Lord above all things and seek Him with simplicity of heart. Such souls begin, as it were, to breathe the same air. The desert fathers understood this deeply. The bond between them was not built primarily upon personality or affinity. They recognized in one another a common thirst for God. Their love arose from seeing another soul struggling toward the same Kingdom, carrying the same burden, shedding the same tears, and longing for the same Face. This is why the company of the saints becomes so sweet. One can sit in silence with such souls and experience a communion deeper than many conversations. One can eat their frugal bread and feel nourished. One can hear a few simple words from their lips and depart inwardly changed. Their very presence becomes sacramental because their hearts have become places of divine habitation. Indeed, St. Isaac dares to say that their table is sweeter than musk and precious perfumes. Why? Because Christ Himself is there. Perhaps many of us have tasted something of this together as fellow pilgrims sitting at the feet of the fathers. Though separated by thousands of miles and unknown to one another in ordinary ways, there has emerged a real communion among us. We have breathed the same air. We have sat before the same elders. We have listened to the same words of Abba Isaac, Abba Arsenius, and the great company of witnesses. We have found ourselves drawn toward the same beauty and compelled toward the same repentance. This communion cannot be explained by sociology or common interests. It is born from a shared turning toward God. And this is why our reading of the fathers must never become merely informational. One can know every saying of the desert and remain untouched. One can quote Isaac and remain hard of heart. One can speak eloquently about prayer while never having prayed. The fathers are not information to be mastered. They are witnesses before whom we sit as children. We come to them as disciples. We come to them docile and teachable. We suspend judgment and lay aside the need to be experts. We allow ourselves to be questioned, exposed, and gradually transformed by what we hear. We sit quietly before these saints because they themselves are sitting quietly before Christ. This is where communion is born. As the heart is purified, our vision changes. We begin to perceive the image and likeness of Christ in one another with greater clarity. The other person ceases to be a rival, an annoyance, or merely a personality to be managed. He becomes mystery. She becomes icon. Every human being becomes one for whom Christ died and one in whom the hidden beauty of God waits to be revealed. This is the reality we must foster in our homes, our monasteries, our parishes, and our friendships. Not mere association. Not the exchange of religious information. Not even activity done in God's name. Rather, we must cultivate together a common hunger for God. For where men and women gather with hearts turned toward Him, desiring Him above all things, the Beloved still reclines in their midst. The angels still draw near. The waters of life still well up from within. And those who have learned to breathe the same air already begin, even now, to partake of the life of the Kingdom. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:05 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/nazareth-and-the-hidden-life 00:02:27 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 207 paragraph 14 00:19:39 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 207, #14, third paragraph on page 00:32:29 John ‘Jack': I have/had a dear freind who has a great love of cinema, action movies in particular, I had to tell him at one point that I found all the violence disheartening, he understood, we no longer share much time in common, as he is my former pastor 00:33:27 John ‘Jack': It was the superhero movies
Adam Hurrey is joined on the Adjudication Panel by Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker. On the agenda: Adam's slapstick attempt to watch England 4-2 Croatia at the pub, the mid-1990s England player recognition skills of French TV, how Cape Verde triggered a social-media threshold, Lee Dixon on Mexican waves, the diminishing number of original ways to write about Lionel Messi, which of the 48 nations least suits being full-named by a commentator, the refereeing hand gesture for hydration break, and why the USA are 90 minutes away from soccer supremacy. Play the Happy Hunting Grounds daily quiz at games.footballcliches.com Sign up for Dreamland, the members-only Football Clichés experience, to access our exclusive show and much more: dreamland.footballcliches.com Visit nordvpn.com/cliches to get four extra months on a two-year plan with NordVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Knapweed and leafy spurge don't have many fans in these parts. Nobody makes the drive from Texas to pose with them and post the photos on Instagram. Invasive species aren't usually something to celebrate, because they can wreak havoc on native ecosystems in ways impossible to undo. But other invaders have gotten a much warmer welcome. One listener wonders why some non-native species – like brown trout and rainbows – are so valued in Montana.
On today's Take 2 with Jerry & Debbie our topic is: Have You Had to Put Down a Beloved Pet?
Knapweed and leafy spurge don't have many fans in these parts. Nobody makes the drive from Texas to pose with them and post the photos on Instagram. Invasive species aren't usually something to celebrate, because they can wreak havoc on native ecosystems in ways impossible to undo. But other invaders have gotten a much warmer welcome. One listener wonders why some non-native species – like brown trout and rainbows – are so valued in Montana.
God wants that best for us! Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of that! For the plans He has for us is to prosper us not hinder us. Yet, oftentimes we encounter spiritual roadblocks in life that can either benefit us or stagnate us depending on how we handle them. We can either let go and let God or hold on and dig ourselves into a deeper situation. And even then, through Christ, we can still come out victorious, but it takes denial of self.Ultimately, Our Heavenly Father wants us to be spiritually healthy, faith filled, and obedient to His purpose and plan for our lives. 3 John 1:2 tells us this very thing. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers". That includes every obstacle or spiritual roadblock that we will ever encounter. Afterall, Jesus paid the unrepayable price so that we can live righteously, victoriously, and experience eternal life
Fugitives are on the run—not free yet, they are running and running hard…running toward freedom. Refugees have escaped war or catastrophic climate collapse or extreme social disintegration, and forced to flee their homes, compelled to confront a fresh landscape, they invent new ways of living, learning, loving, and being—on the run. Walter Riley is a long-distance runner—he's been in the mix and on the move for eight decades. A refugee from the Jim Crow South where as a teenager he was a renowned organizer and activist, and at 19 moderated a conversation with Malcolm X in Durham, NC, Walter Riley is a civil rights attorney in Oakland, California, winner of the National Lawyers Guild's Champion of Justice Award, and a founder of Haiti Emergency Relief (visit Episode #38 where Walter is in conversation about Haiti with our Beloved late comrade Malik Alim). Walter Riley is a fugitive from our soul-crushing racial capitalist system, and a powerful revolutionary thinker and strategist. His son Boots Riley says that his dad teaches us that “we must participate, we must engage, we must seek to change the world.” In motion and in action we will develop our thinking and figure out with more clarity “how to fight, how to live, how to love…” Arm-in-arm, shoulder-to-shoulder, heart-to-heart, Walter Riley returns to “Under the Tree” for a discussion of movement-building in this political moment as well as his new book (with Jesse Strauss and a Foreword by Boots), Civil Rights and Structural Attacks.
Drew has seen the England National Team in the World Cup and is adopting them for the 3D for the next month or so...Well, adopting "parts" of it...?
Shaya Rees Frum was 14 years old when her then 11 year old sister Jessie was diagnosed with DIPG on March 3rd of 2011. Jessie passed away from this terrible Pediatric Brain Cancer on January 5th of 2012, but not before laying the groundwork for the Jessie Rees Foundation that has been directed by her father Eric for the past 14 years. I spoke with Erik about Jessie and the Foundation back in April. Shaya has taken on a major role in the Foundation, it is her full time job, and hopefully she will be the person to take on its Leadership Role, when Erik and Shaya decide that the time is right .
Hannah Brown rapid-fires through which show messed with her head the most, whether she'd be a Faithful or a Traitor, and the wild real-life twist she put straight into Reasons to Be Loved by You. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday (so weird it's not Thurs?!) - we are OFFICIALLY 3 episodes a week… AND tomorrow we officially launch our SUBSTACK!!!
Hannah Brown rapid-fires through which show messed with her head the most, whether she'd be a Faithful or a Traitor, and the wild real-life twist she put straight into Reasons to Be Loved by You. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week we wanted to explore 1980s fantasy. But sometimes it's hard to recover nostalgia when present-day villains keep killing our favorite heroes. Last week, the BBC announced Doctor Who is dead. For now. Rest in peace, Time Lord. Also these days, Stargate fans are rallying to hold Amazon to its original promises of restoring that universe with original creators, and stop the ‘Zon from some “modern audience” reboot. For these and fans of other Star franchises, how do we mourn? Episode sponsors Twist of Time by Tricia Goyer and Nathan Goyer Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo Author Update from Author Media Descendant Publishing Mission update New at Lorehaven: new review, Maxine Justice: Public Offender Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Quotes and notes “June 3, 2026: Stargate cancelled, for the fourth and likely final time,” Joseph Mallozzi’s Weblog, June 3, 2026 “June 6, 2026: Do Fans Matter?”, Joseph Mallozzi’s Weblog, June 6, 2026 “Why Amazon canceling the new Stargate series is a mistake – and fans are trying to tell them,” Trent Moore at Static on the TV, June 6, 2026 “Former ‘Dr. Who’ showrunner Russell T. Davies says women and transvestites should be over-represented in creative writing until ‘things are balanced,’ even if it takes 100 years.” See this June 10 X.com post @BreitbartNews with video of original Davies interview. “Save Stargate with Martin Gero,” Change.org petition “Lego’s latest design research: what girls want,” Reena Jana at ZDNet.com, Dec. 19, 2011 1. Doctor Who destroyed by Russell T. Davies BBC, June 10: “BBC cancels Doctor Who Christmas special and Russell T Davies announces exit,” absolutely predictable end. Back in 2005, Davies revived Doctor Who serials on television. The series had “politically correct” moments, yet great writing. Writer Steven Moffat took over. The show got big. Then declined. In the late 2010s, political leftists demanded Doctor Who A lackluster showrunner took over. Fans rejected a gender-swap. Davies returned a political omnicause monster. He killed the Doctor. 2. Amazon rejects a fan-centered Stargate Variety, June 2: “‘Stargate' TV Series From Martin Gero Not Moving Forward at Amazon (EXCLUSIVE),” and fans were outraged. Original creators were on board, per the Nov. 2025 announcement. Now they join fans opposing this seeming ridiculous double-back. Amazon may want a “modern audience” show, not original fans. This is a universe more impossible than any sci-fi scenario. That's not how you grow a fanbase ever. True fans will grow it. Stephen finds this similar to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. He's drawn in! 3. Star Trek/Wars still struggle to survive We saved this for last because fans everywhere rightly lament. Since our last episode on the topic, we've seen major updates. Mandalorian and Grogu bombed. Starfleet Academy was axed. Technically both franchises flounder ahead with illusory intent. Kathleen Kennedy is finally leaving Lucasfilm, owned by Disney. Star Trek showrunner Robert Kurtzman is likely next to go. Corporations aren't evil. But inhuman corporatism is parasitic. This “mind of metal and wheels” has ruined stories for Christians. But now the Christians are improving. These stories are decaying. We really can't pretend “popular culture” is just neutral ground. Activists do want to kill these stories and replace them with others. To speak truth, we should acknowledge the justifiable backlash. And then we mourn their deaths. But not as those without hope. After all, the results could be worse. What if the hijacking worked? Even non-Christian fans saw through the trick. And they said no. The “market” did its job, perhaps thanks to God's common grace. It's nearly like the Law rightly punishing violators. It is necessary. Let them suffer the results. Maybe repent. But retreat in disgrace. And if possible, may better storytellers rise up to restore worlds. Until then, let great story-worlds like Doctor Who rest in peace. Com station Top question for listeners How do you grieve the loss of fantastical stories you once loved? Next on Fantastical Truth One of the sillier myths in our culture is that “Most men don't read.” Sometimes this is a real trend. Other times it's wishful thinking because some creators don't want to make stories that celebrate boys and men. Still, we can look to fathers and mentors to train younger men, not just to love truth, but to love fantastical stories that honor truth. Just in time for the next stage of the Lightraiders tabletop game system, pilot and author James R. Hannibal returns to the studio to help fight dragons.
Because you belong to the Beloved Son, the Father lavishes on you the same love He has for the Son.
Hannah Brown stops by Casual Chaos to chat about her new romance novel, Reasons to Be Loved by You, what writing fiction lets her say that reality TV never could, surviving Special Forces, and why she's making women's health her priority after opening up about her uterine surgery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hannah Brown stops by Casual Chaos to chat about her new romance novel, Reasons to Be Loved by You, what writing fiction lets her say that reality TV never could, surviving Special Forces, and why she's making women's health her priority after opening up about her uterine surgery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you ever tried to explain yourself in a conflict — and the more you explained, the worse it got? In this insightful and deeply practical episode, Dr. Margaret Paul explores one of the most frustrating patterns in relationships: why explaining, defending, and justifying yourself rarely leads to understanding. She explains that when someone is operating from their wounded self, they are not in their logical upper brain. They are not available to hear you. And no amount of explaining will change that. Dr. Paul walks through what is actually happening beneath the surface of relational conflict, what the other person is really asking for when they come at you with anger or blame, and how to shift from the urge to explain and control into the loving adult who can respond with presence, curiosity, and care. She shares practical examples of what this looks like in real moments including how to comment on intent rather than content, how to actively listen, and how to take a sacred pause when your wounded self is ready to defend. Come explore a more loving and effective way of navigating conflict in the Inner Bonding podcast. Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review! About Dr. Margaret Paul Dr. Margaret Paul, PhD, is a bestselling author, relationship expert, and the co-creator of the Inner Bonding® self-healing process. She is the author and co-author of twelve books, including “Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by You?”, “Healing Your Aloneness,” “Inner Bonding,” and "Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by God? Through her work, Dr. Paul teaches individuals how to take responsibility for their feelings, heal anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges, and develop a deep, loving connection with themselves and their spiritual guidance. She facilitates Inner Bonding Workshops and Intensives, administers the Inner Bonding website, and works to make the Inner Bonding® process available worldwide through the SelfQuest® online self-healing program. Visit her website for a FREE Inner Bonding course at https://innerbondinghub.com/7-lessons/ or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Connect with Dr. Margaret Paul: Website: https://innerbonding.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerbonding1/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretpaul/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innerbonding Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ideas/inner-bonding-margaret-paul/923777849815/
I John 2:3-11 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Fr. Mike connects today's reading from Songs to the teachings of St. John Paul's Theology of the Body. He also points out how helpful it is to track the timelines of the kings of Israel and Judah as we read from Kings and Chronicles simultaneously. The readings are 1 Kings 15-16, 2 Chronicles 16-17, and Song of Solomon 4. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
From Apple News In Conversation: This year’s World Cup will be the largest in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches — and, for the first time in more than 30 years, the tournament is being played on American soil. Brendan Hunt, co-creator, writer, and star of Ted Lasso and cohost of the Apple News Original podcast After the Whistle, joins Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene to talk about how he fell in love with soccer as an adult, the U.S. Men’s National Team players he’ll be watching, and whether the United States is finally a soccer country.
The San Francisco Bay Area has two major public ferry agencies serving the north and east bay. Together, they carried 4 million people last year. Bay Curious listener Kristen Breck often sees the ferries as they crisscross the bay waters and she wondered, what happens if one breaks down? Where do they go to be repaired? And who does that work? Today, we take you behind the scenes and show what it takes to keep the ferry system running smoothly. Additional Resources: Include a link to the web post for this very episode Read the transcript for this episode Become a KQED member! Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcastsThis story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I am recording the intro to this episode during one of the saddest weeks of my life. My beloved brother-in-law, Logan McKenna, died unexpectedly last Sunday morning. He was only 44 years old, and we are simply shattered by this loss. As soon as I got the call, I got into my car and started driving to Utah to be with my sister and her two teenage children. And as I was driving, trying to wrap my mind around the immensity of this loss, I thought, "I am so glad that Logan agreed to be a guest on my podcast a year ago so that we can have his goodness and wisdom recorded forevermore." This episode originally aired in February of 2025, where Logan talked about how to support a loved one who's struggling with mental illness. I decided to re-air it today as a tribute to him, so everyone who listens will get a taste of just how good he was — and will understand just how much he will be missed. The world has lost one of the most special souls who ever lived. I will be clinging to his memory and his legacy this week and always.
Despite his reputation as “the safe Beatle,” Paul McCartney was a badass. He took wild artistic risks, rubbed elbows with truly dangerous characters and because of his crimes, did hard time in one of the world’s most notorious prisons. His public spats with Beatles bandmate John Lennon are the stuff of legend, as is the “Paul is dead” conspiracy at the end of their time together as a band, but the truth may be even stranger. This episode was originally published on June 15, 2021. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan Group TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.