Podcasts about both christians

Both Christians and non-Christians alike quote the words, “Do not judge.” Is that in the Bible? If so, is that phrase being applied correctly? Check out the next installment in our series “Is that in the Bible?”  Check out the video of this sermon.  If you've missed any of the other messages in this installment of our series Is That In The Bible?, you can find them all here. ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Do you feel trapped in any area of your life? Do you know that you can be set free by God's power? Both Christians and non-Christians need to understand that the God of the Bible is a God of miracles. He can do supernaturally what is not possibly naturally. Nothing is impossible for God.    Miracles come in many forms. There may be miracles of financial provision or miracles of children being born, without medical help, despite previous infertility. There may be miracles of reconciliation between enemies of many years. And of course, there can be miracles of healing.    Such miracles happened many times in the ministry of Jesus and are recorded in the gospels. The blind regained their sight. The lame were able to walk. The lepers were made clean. But for all the miracles recorded in the gospel, this list is not complete. For John 21:25 said that ‘Jesus did many other things as well' ….in fact way too many to be recorded.     But Jesus not only healed people's bodies, but he also delivered them from evil power (Acts 10:38). Deliverance from demons is one of the key features of the ministry of Jesus and later the early church. And it is a subject many either don't want to face up to or, on the other hand, may get wrongly focussed on. So, we need to get a true Bible view of demons and deliverance. For the Bible shows us that the world is not just a logical, rational world. Our world is a battle ground between the kingdoms of light and the kingdom of darkness, between good and evil, between God and the Devil (Ephesians 6:12).  Demonic activity is real in the world which is why there is so much trouble in the world. Sometimes it is obvious when you see evils such as genocide or people who are devil worshippers. Other times the Bible says that the Devil hides himself as ‘an angel of light.'    Well Jesus came to destroy all the works of the Devil which he did through the cross and in delivering people in His ministry. He cast demons out of a man in a synagogue. He delivered Mary called Magdalene, ‘out of whom went seven devils” (Luke 8:2). He set free a wild man living in a graveyard who had many demons. And you too can see miracles of deliverance.   We read a story in Mark 9:14-29 (KJV) that shows us the miraculous power of Jesus against evil spirits that were attacking the life of a boy.   1. People are in great need (Mark 9:17-24) 2. Jesus is the miracle worker (Mark 9:25-27) 3. The disciples of Jesus needed to learn to move to a new level of supernatural ministry (Mark 9:28-29; Luke 9:1-2; Mark 6:13; Joel 2:12-13)  Apply    1. People are in great need (Mark 9:17-24). Here we see a desperate father who knew that there was something very wrong with his son. His son would suddenly be thrown to the ground and start foaming at the mouth. He would grind his teeth and go rigid. These distressing experiences had been going on since childhood. Sometimes things got so bad his life was at risk when it seemed like he was being thrown into a fire or water. He could die if he continued like this. The father reached his conclusion that the reason for all this was that his son had an evil spirit that was controlling his son and causing great worry for him. He knew that he needed a miracle to deliver his son. Today many people need deliverance: they may be oppressed by the devil, by fears, or invisible limitations, or they in more extreme cases being possessed by the devil. Either way they need to be freed from the power of the enemy. How many of you are in a desperate situation? Maybe you have been involved with the occult. Maybe you have experienced evil power, maybe you feel there are evil spirits that rise up in you to pull you down. Maybe you feel that you or your family is living under a curse. Are you in anyway are not free in your life because of drugs, or alcohol or pornography or depression? Well, this story tells us that there is hope for you.   2. Jesus is the miracle worker (Mark 9:25-27). Jesus had so much authority that even the demons submitted to Him as soon as they heard Him. Although this demon had ruined the life of this boy for so long, in one encounter with Jesus he was completely freed. At first there was a spiritual struggle and there was shouting and shaking in the boy's body. Then it looked as if he was dead. But then Jesus took hold of him and lifted him up. He was now full of life and free from the tormenting demon. Sometimes deliverances can seem scary but when Jesus is on the scene you don't have to worry because that person is being delivered out of bondage into freedom. And this is why Jesus the son of God came to this earth: to save us, to free us from all the power of evil. Today in the name of Jesus you too can be set free from every evil spirit that has troubled you. And when we have Jesus in us as His disciples, we also can work miracles.   3. The disciples of Jesus needed to learn to move to a new level of supernatural ministry (Mark 9:28-29). Now the disciples already had experience of delivering people from demons (Luke 9:1-2), and they had been able to cast out demons (Mark 6:13). But here they were at a stage in their development where they needed to have a greater authority. So, Jesus told them how they could be more effective when faced with bigger challenges. First, by prayer. There is no substitute for prayer. Deliverance is not a formula. Jesus was not just talking about just praying now and again but living a life of prayer that He Himself lived. It's when you are constantly so close to God that His authority is always on you. We must learn to live a life of prayer, a life of intimacy with our Heavenly Father and a life of knowing Him more and experiencing His power. Intense demonic opposition is only overcome when you know what it is to struggle and overcome in prayer with your intercession and fellowship with God. For us to see greater conquest in spiritual warfare prayer must be at the very heart of our lives and families and in this church. As Oswald Smith, a great evangelist said simply ‘when we work, we work. When we pray, God works.' But prayer can and should be accompanied by fasting. Some manuscripts add ‘this kind goes out by prayer and fasting'. Fasting brings us to new levels of spiritual focus and authority. We may be weak physically, but the Holy Spirit gives us new spiritual strength. Throughout the Bible and church history we see that miracles and moves of God can be traced back to people who prayed and fasted. So, let's see fasting not as a duty or a struggle but as a blessing and a delight (Joel 2:12-13). Today can be a new day of freedom when you experience the Lord's deliverance. Today you can see breakthrough in every area of your life when you have an encounter with God. You can go direct to the Lord. But if you need prayer, please ask for it. And if you are a Christian leader who needs to minister in the authority of the spirit, know that you have authority when you are under authority. Give yourselves to prayer and fasting and you and all of us will move to new levels of miracles of deliverance.  

Do you feel trapped in any area of your life? Do you know that you can be set free by God's power? Both Christians and non-Christians need to understand that the God of the Bible is a God of miracles. He can do supernaturally what is not possibly naturally. Nothing is impossible for God.    Miracles come in many forms. There may be miracles of financial provision or miracles of children being born, without medical help, despite previous infertility. There may be miracles of reconciliation between enemies of many years. And of course, there can be miracles of healing.    Such miracles happened many times in the ministry of Jesus and are recorded in the gospels. The blind regained their sight. The lame were able to walk. The lepers were made clean. But for all the miracles recorded in the gospel, this list is not complete. For John 21:25 said that ‘Jesus did many other things as well' ….in fact way too many to be recorded.     But Jesus not only healed people's bodies, but he also delivered them from evil power (Acts 10:38). Deliverance from demons is one of the key features of the ministry of Jesus and later the early church. And it is a subject many either don't want to face up to or, on the other hand, may get wrongly focussed on. So, we need to get a true Bible view of demons and deliverance. For the Bible shows us that the world is not just a logical, rational world. Our world is a battle ground between the kingdoms of light and the kingdom of darkness, between good and evil, between God and the Devil (Ephesians 6:12).  Demonic activity is real in the world which is why there is so much trouble in the world. Sometimes it is obvious when you see evils such as genocide or people who are devil worshippers. Other times the Bible says that the Devil hides himself as ‘an angel of light.'    Well Jesus came to destroy all the works of the Devil which he did through the cross and in delivering people in His ministry. He cast demons out of a man in a synagogue. He delivered Mary called Magdalene, ‘out of whom went seven devils” (Luke 8:2). He set free a wild man living in a graveyard who had many demons. And you too can see miracles of deliverance.   We read a story in Mark 9:14-29 (KJV) that shows us the miraculous power of Jesus against evil spirits that were attacking the life of a boy.   1. People are in great need (Mark 9:17-24) 2. Jesus is the miracle worker (Mark 9:25-27) 3. The disciples of Jesus needed to learn to move to a new level of supernatural ministry (Mark 9:28-29; Luke 9:1-2; Mark 6:13; Joel 2:12-13)  Apply    1. People are in great need (Mark 9:17-24). Here we see a desperate father who knew that there was something very wrong with his son. His son would suddenly be thrown to the ground and start foaming at the mouth. He would grind his teeth and go rigid. These distressing experiences had been going on since childhood. Sometimes things got so bad his life was at risk when it seemed like he was being thrown into a fire or water. He could die if he continued like this. The father reached his conclusion that the reason for all this was that his son had an evil spirit that was controlling his son and causing great worry for him. He knew that he needed a miracle to deliver his son. Today many people need deliverance: they may be oppressed by the devil, by fears, or invisible limitations, or they in more extreme cases being possessed by the devil. Either way they need to be freed from the power of the enemy. How many of you are in a desperate situation? Maybe you have been involved with the occult. Maybe you have experienced evil power, maybe you feel there are evil spirits that rise up in you to pull you down. Maybe you feel that you or your family is living under a curse. Are you in anyway are not free in your life because of drugs, or alcohol or pornography or depression? Well, this story tells us that there is hope for you.   2. Jesus is the miracle worker (Mark 9:25-27). Jesus had so much authority that even the demons submitted to Him as soon as they heard Him. Although this demon had ruined the life of this boy for so long, in one encounter with Jesus he was completely freed. At first there was a spiritual struggle and there was shouting and shaking in the boy's body. Then it looked as if he was dead. But then Jesus took hold of him and lifted him up. He was now full of life and free from the tormenting demon. Sometimes deliverances can seem scary but when Jesus is on the scene you don't have to worry because that person is being delivered out of bondage into freedom. And this is why Jesus the son of God came to this earth: to save us, to free us from all the power of evil. Today in the name of Jesus you too can be set free from every evil spirit that has troubled you. And when we have Jesus in us as His disciples, we also can work miracles.   3. The disciples of Jesus needed to learn to move to a new level of supernatural ministry (Mark 9:28-29). Now the disciples already had experience of delivering people from demons (Luke 9:1-2), and they had been able to cast out demons (Mark 6:13). But here they were at a stage in their development where they needed to have a greater authority. So, Jesus told them how they could be more effective when faced with bigger challenges. First, by prayer. There is no substitute for prayer. Deliverance is not a formula. Jesus was not just talking about just praying now and again but living a life of prayer that He Himself lived. It's when you are constantly so close to God that His authority is always on you. We must learn to live a life of prayer, a life of intimacy with our Heavenly Father and a life of knowing Him more and experiencing His power. Intense demonic opposition is only overcome when you know what it is to struggle and overcome in prayer with your intercession and fellowship with God. For us to see greater conquest in spiritual warfare prayer must be at the very heart of our lives and families and in this church. As Oswald Smith, a great evangelist said simply ‘when we work, we work. When we pray, God works.' But prayer can and should be accompanied by fasting. Some manuscripts add ‘this kind goes out by prayer and fasting'. Fasting brings us to new levels of spiritual focus and authority. We may be weak physically, but the Holy Spirit gives us new spiritual strength. Throughout the Bible and church history we see that miracles and moves of God can be traced back to people who prayed and fasted. So, let's see fasting not as a duty or a struggle but as a blessing and a delight (Joel 2:12-13). Today can be a new day of freedom when you experience the Lord's deliverance. Today you can see breakthrough in every area of your life when you have an encounter with God. You can go direct to the Lord. But if you need prayer, please ask for it. And if you are a Christian leader who needs to minister in the authority of the spirit, know that you have authority when you are under authority. Give yourselves to prayer and fasting and you and all of us will move to new levels of miracles of deliverance.  

The story of Job is a well-known story. Both Christians and non-Christians are fascinated with the life of Job and the challenges he faced. It appeals to so many because it tackles one of life's most intriguing issues: suffering. It's easy to accept suffering when you know you've done something wrong to deserve it, but what if you don't think you deserve it? Let us journey through the book of Job, and let us look at this issue from the life of this righteous sufferer. Join our community: Facebook:   / uecphilippines   Facebook Group:   / unitedevangelicalchurchofthephilippines   Instagram:   / uecphilippines   Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... Viber: https://bitly.com/UECPViberComm

What do demons look like!? Where do demons come from? What power do demons have? Can a Christian be demonized? Can music, celebrating halloween, horror movies, or attending secular concerts cause demonization? How do I know if something is psychological or demonic? Can someone attempt witchcraft on a Christian? Is sleep paralysis demonic? For a long time, people have been wrestling with these big questions. Both Christians and non-Christians often don't know much about the spiritual world, and this leaves us feeling powerless. We don't realize we actually have the power to trample over demons with the power and authority given to us by Jesus. So join us for an amazing conversation as we uncover the truth about demons, demonization, and how to stand firm in spiritual warfare with our special guest Pastor Charles.

My beliefs as a child that my adult self totally respects: “Christianity Beliefs: Some basic Christian concepts include: Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there's only one God, and he created the heavens and the earth. This divine Godhead consists of the father (God himself), the son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The essence of Christianity revolves around life, death, and Christian beliefs in the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the Messiah, to save the world. They believe Jesus was crucified on the cross to offer the forgiveness of sins and was resurrected three days after his death before ascending to heaven. Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in what's known as the Second Coming. The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline Jesus's teachings, the lives, and the teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how Christians should live. Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the Bible, but Christians also embrace the New Testament. The cross is a symbol of Christianity. The most important Christian holidays are Christmas (which celebrates the birth of Jesus) and Easter (which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus).” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support

To honour the passing of the great scientist and Christian educator Tom McLeish, we're replaying this show first broadcast in 2017. David Hutchings is a physics teacher and prof Tom McLeish chaired the Royal Society's education committee. Both Christians co-authored the book ‘Let there be Science: Why God Loves Science and Science needs God' arguing that the Christian worldview has fuelled many of the greatest leaps forward in science. Joining David and Tom was Suzie Sheehy, an accelerator physicist at Oxford University who is agnostic when it comes to religion. She argued that science doesn't need God since it's a fundamentally human activity.   • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Key Text: Exodus 20:8-11   We are continuing our series “Living God's Way” looking at the 4th commandment which God gave Moses, telling him to ‘Keep the Sabbath Day Holy'. Both the principle and the practice of resting comes directly from God as part of His 10 Commandments, modelling to us how to live the best life. The Sabbath day is not something as a killjoy command here, but something commanded because God has our best interests at heart and wants to bless us in every way. Rest is at the heart of Christianity.  In a world where we are constantly busy and running from one task to the next, the Sabbath provides us with an opportunity to slow down, recharge, and refocus our hearts and minds on God. Perhaps we feel we are too busy or have too many needs to take a day off and rest. Yet as we do, we will see how we flourish spiritually and in every other way, and in turn can be a blessing to others too.  1. God Shows Us How To Rest (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 31:17; Genesis 1:27; Psalm 127:2; Mark 2:27-28) 2. God Wants Us To Rest In Him (Exodus 20:10; Exodus 33:14; Jeremiah 31:25; Matthew 11:28-29) 3. We Will Be Blessed And Bless Others As We Rest (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Samuel 2:30)  Apply 1) God Shows Us How To Rest It's quite something to think that the Lord God Almighty Himself took a day off (Genesis 2:2-3)! But that's what the Bible teaches: God stopped and took a day to rest and enjoy all He had made (Exodus 31:17). Where we see that God worked then rested, we should too (Genesis 1:27). In our modern society of constant drivenness for further productivity, greater wealth, more efficiencies and maximising our time, it is important that we have one day a week where we change our normal routines to rest and refocus on God (Psalm 127:2). We need the Sabbath otherwise God would not have made it for us (Mark 2:27-28). Maybe for you the Sabbath is rest from paid employment. Or maybe if you're working hard to maintain a home and look after the kids all week, it's a day where you don't do as many chores but prioritise family time together and with the Lord instead. Whatever your individual circumstances, the principle God sets for us is that first we work, then we rest.   2) God Wants Us To Rest In Him Both Christians and non-Christians would agree that it's important to rest. And as Christians, we see God commanded it and we should partake in it. The way Christians and non-Christians live most days of the week may not outwardly appear too different. But on the seventh day, there should be a noticeable difference (Exodus 20:10). The Sabbath isn't a day to just fill with our leisure pursuits, but a day set apart as holy to the Lord so we can be fully refreshed in spirit as well as physically. Keeping the Sabbath holy is a way of demonstrating our love and obedience to God. It is a way of putting Him first and acknowledging that He is the source of all blessings we enjoy. Now we mustn't fall into the trap that the Pharisees and religious Jewish leaders did of making this command to rest equate to a list of rules and regulations. Out of this one command, they made 1521 further rules of what you weren't allowed to do on the Sabbath! But whilst our recreations can become distractions from the pressures and problems of life, they become like gods to us when we value them over time with the Lord. For some, like those in the emergency services, sometimes the Sabbath day cannot be a Sunday, but then it is important to take another day in the week to also set apart. But for those who can, and that is the majority of us, we should do all we can to enjoy the Sabbath as a holy day, a day set apart to worship God. In the Bible, God repeatedly told His people thatreal refreshing comes from Him (Exodus 33:14; Jeremiah 31:25; Matthew 11:28-29). So how important is it for you to experience refreshing, worship and fellowship in the presence of God as part of your Sabbath rest each week? Is there anything that stops you, or matters more to you than having the sabbath as a holy day set apart to God? It is in the presence of God where you can find real rest: body, soul and spirit. More than simply distracting us from our reality, there is nothing and no one else who can revitalise our whole being, minister to every need and permanently remove every burden like God can.  3) We Will Be Blessed And Bless Others As We Rest When we follow God's instructions through the Ten Commandments, we help bring the Kingdom of heaven on earth. Whether or not people choose to follow the Ten Commandments, they still exist, including this command to rest, because God wants to bring His Kingdom here on earth as we live God's way (Hebrews 10:24-25). We come to church to worship God, to be renewed in our perspectives and helped to take the God-given view of ourselves and the world. It's where we can be reminded that we are spiritual beings, made in the image of God the Creator, and be encouraged and stimulated in our faith. It's an opportunity where, no matter your home and personal circumstances, on this one day a week we can come together across all the different generations, backgrounds and ethnicities to worship and fellowship with our church family. And as we fellowship with one another, we are refreshed and we in turn refresh others. As well as enjoying time as a church family, it's so important to also take time to enjoy in your own families as well.  When did you last have a leisurely meal together as a family at the table, no phones or devices, just enjoying one another's company? Maybe today could be that day! Obeying the Lord's command means we will set an example of enjoying a healthy work/life balance, of not being stressed and burned out but flourishing in life by living God's way. Would you be a kinder, more generous individual if you had a little more rest in your life? You and your family, colleagues, neighbours and even complete strangers would all be blessed if you really encountered the Lord as part of your rest time each week! So what's stopping you? Is there fear of missing out: in your finances by not working, of promotion in your sports team by choosing church over a match? Or maybe have you just not prioritised taking time out. Just as with Olympian Eric Liddell, so too the Lord will honour us when we keep to His principles (1 Samuel 2:30). So what adjustments do we need to make so we have one day which is different? Where we don't go into business, but where we focus on fellowship with God, where we focus on restoration of our spirit and time with the family. Let's make this a priority in our lives and we will find we have much more energy for the six other days. And God will give us His grace to do it.  Let's line up with Him to see His best. 

Key Text: Exodus 20:8-11   We are continuing our series “Living God's Way” looking at the 4th commandment which God gave Moses, telling him to ‘Keep the Sabbath Day Holy'. Both the principle and the practice of resting comes directly from God as part of His 10 Commandments, modelling to us how to live the best life. The Sabbath day is not something as a killjoy command here, but something commanded because God has our best interests at heart and wants to bless us in every way. Rest is at the heart of Christianity.  In a world where we are constantly busy and running from one task to the next, the Sabbath provides us with an opportunity to slow down, recharge, and refocus our hearts and minds on God. Perhaps we feel we are too busy or have too many needs to take a day off and rest. Yet as we do, we will see how we flourish spiritually and in every other way, and in turn can be a blessing to others too.  1. God Shows Us How To Rest (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 31:17; Genesis 1:27; Psalm 127:2; Mark 2:27-28) 2. God Wants Us To Rest In Him (Exodus 20:10; Exodus 33:14; Jeremiah 31:25; Matthew 11:28-29) 3. We Will Be Blessed And Bless Others As We Rest (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Samuel 2:30)  Apply 1) God Shows Us How To Rest It's quite something to think that the Lord God Almighty Himself took a day off (Genesis 2:2-3)! But that's what the Bible teaches: God stopped and took a day to rest and enjoy all He had made (Exodus 31:17). Where we see that God worked then rested, we should too (Genesis 1:27). In our modern society of constant drivenness for further productivity, greater wealth, more efficiencies and maximising our time, it is important that we have one day a week where we change our normal routines to rest and refocus on God (Psalm 127:2). We need the Sabbath otherwise God would not have made it for us (Mark 2:27-28). Maybe for you the Sabbath is rest from paid employment. Or maybe if you're working hard to maintain a home and look after the kids all week, it's a day where you don't do as many chores but prioritise family time together and with the Lord instead. Whatever your individual circumstances, the principle God sets for us is that first we work, then we rest.   2) God Wants Us To Rest In Him Both Christians and non-Christians would agree that it's important to rest. And as Christians, we see God commanded it and we should partake in it. The way Christians and non-Christians live most days of the week may not outwardly appear too different. But on the seventh day, there should be a noticeable difference (Exodus 20:10). The Sabbath isn't a day to just fill with our leisure pursuits, but a day set apart as holy to the Lord so we can be fully refreshed in spirit as well as physically. Keeping the Sabbath holy is a way of demonstrating our love and obedience to God. It is a way of putting Him first and acknowledging that He is the source of all blessings we enjoy. Now we mustn't fall into the trap that the Pharisees and religious Jewish leaders did of making this command to rest equate to a list of rules and regulations. Out of this one command, they made 1521 further rules of what you weren't allowed to do on the Sabbath! But whilst our recreations can become distractions from the pressures and problems of life, they become like gods to us when we value them over time with the Lord. For some, like those in the emergency services, sometimes the Sabbath day cannot be a Sunday, but then it is important to take another day in the week to also set apart. But for those who can, and that is the majority of us, we should do all we can to enjoy the Sabbath as a holy day, a day set apart to worship God. In the Bible, God repeatedly told His people thatreal refreshing comes from Him (Exodus 33:14; Jeremiah 31:25; Matthew 11:28-29). So how important is it for you to experience refreshing, worship and fellowship in the presence of God as part of your Sabbath rest each week? Is there anything that stops you, or matters more to you than having the sabbath as a holy day set apart to God? It is in the presence of God where you can find real rest: body, soul and spirit. More than simply distracting us from our reality, there is nothing and no one else who can revitalise our whole being, minister to every need and permanently remove every burden like God can.  3) We Will Be Blessed And Bless Others As We Rest When we follow God's instructions through the Ten Commandments, we help bring the Kingdom of heaven on earth. Whether or not people choose to follow the Ten Commandments, they still exist, including this command to rest, because God wants to bring His Kingdom here on earth as we live God's way (Hebrews 10:24-25). We come to church to worship God, to be renewed in our perspectives and helped to take the God-given view of ourselves and the world. It's where we can be reminded that we are spiritual beings, made in the image of God the Creator, and be encouraged and stimulated in our faith. It's an opportunity where, no matter your home and personal circumstances, on this one day a week we can come together across all the different generations, backgrounds and ethnicities to worship and fellowship with our church family. And as we fellowship with one another, we are refreshed and we in turn refresh others. As well as enjoying time as a church family, it's so important to also take time to enjoy in your own families as well.  When did you last have a leisurely meal together as a family at the table, no phones or devices, just enjoying one another's company? Maybe today could be that day! Obeying the Lord's command means we will set an example of enjoying a healthy work/life balance, of not being stressed and burned out but flourishing in life by living God's way. Would you be a kinder, more generous individual if you had a little more rest in your life? You and your family, colleagues, neighbours and even complete strangers would all be blessed if you really encountered the Lord as part of your rest time each week! So what's stopping you? Is there fear of missing out: in your finances by not working, of promotion in your sports team by choosing church over a match? Or maybe have you just not prioritised taking time out. Just as with Olympian Eric Liddell, so too the Lord will honour us when we keep to His principles (1 Samuel 2:30). So what adjustments do we need to make so we have one day which is different? Where we don't go into business, but where we focus on fellowship with God, where we focus on restoration of our spirit and time with the family. Let's make this a priority in our lives and we will find we have much more energy for the six other days. And God will give us His grace to do it.  Let's line up with Him to see His best. 

It's Wednesday, November 2nd, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Two imprisoned Iranian Christians released Praise God! Officials in Iran unexpectedly released two Christians last month from Evin Prison. It's known as the country's “torture factory.” Both Christians received pardons. One of the believers, Pastor Nasser Narvad Gol-Tapeh, had already served half of a ten-year sentence for attending a house church. A few days before the release, a fire broke out at the prison, killing four prisoners. None of the Christians at the prison were hurt. Please pray for the 10 Christians who remain in the infamous prison. The Lord said in Isaiah 43:1-2, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you … When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” Court: Scottish venue ordered to pay Billy Graham Assoc. $100,000 Last Monday, a Scottish court ruled an event venue must pay the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headed by Franklin Graham, over $100,000 for canceling a crusade. Back in January 2020, Scottish Event Campus Limited canceled an event because of Franklin Graham's biblical views on marriage and sexuality. Graham welcomed the ruling, saying, “This case was … about the preservation of religious freedom in the U.K. — particularly the right for Christians to share the Gospel in the public square.” Mexican state recognizes faux homosexual marriage Last Wednesday, Mexico's northeastern border state of Tamaulipas voted to recognize faux homosexual marriage. The vote comes after three other states, Mexico, Sonora, and Sinaloa, made similar votes. Living in vile passions with someone of the same sex is now recognized across Mexico. The practice remains illegal or not recognized in Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, most of Central America, and much of the Caribbean. Survey on “Christian nationalism” Pew Research released a new survey on so-called Christian nationalism. Sixty percent of U.S. adults think America's founders intended for the country to be a Christian nation, and 45% think America should be a Christian nation. Of those who think the U.S. should be a Christian nation, 30% said they don't even know what being a Christian nation means. Forty-eight percent defined a Christian nation as a country where people are generally guided by Christian values. Only 6% defined it as a country that bases its laws on Christianity.   Isaiah 33:22 says, “The LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.” Elon Musk let Twitter fly free After months of back and forth, tech billionaire Elon Musk finalized a deal to buy Twitter last Friday. Musk stepped into the chief executive position and dissolved the company's board of directors. As of next week, Twitter will not be publicly traded. In an open letter, Musk accused traditional media of fueling political polarization. In contrast, Musk said he acquired Twitter to encourage a “common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner.”  10,000 babies spared from abortion since Dobbs case FiveThirtyEight reports over 10,000 fewer abortions took place in the months following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.  Overall, the number of abortions nationwide declined 6% between April and August. Some states experienced a near 100% decline in abortions, including Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.  U.S. Senate is up for grabs Also from FiveThirtyEight, control of the U.S. Senate is now in a dead heat between Republicans and Democrats in the midterm elections. Projections also give Republicans substantial odds of taking back the U.S. House of Representatives.  In the governors' races, Democrats are expected to flip Massachusetts and Maryland while Republicans have a good chance of flipping Nevada, Wisconsin, and Oregon. Take a look at iVoterGuide.com to learn more about the candidates on the ballot in your state.   Just type in your street address on the home page to get a personalized ballot. 225,000 North Macedonian children get Bibles And finally, a Texas-based ministry recently delivered over 225,000 children's Bibles to North Macedonia, located in Europe between Serbia to the North and Greece to the South. Eastern European Missions made the delivery to the former communist bloc country after delivering 650,000 Bibles to public schools in Croatia last year. The ministry started out in the 1960s, smuggling between hundreds and thousands of Bibles into the Soviet Union. Now, Eastern European Missions delivers 1.5 million Bibles in over 20 languages to over 30 countries in a year. Revelation 5:9 says of Christ, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, November 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2022. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Tom was an awesome guest with a wide breadth of experience when it comes to talking to people with whom he doesn't agree. Both Christians and atheists include poison pills in the conversation, making them less productive. We examine the issues and possible solutions. Enjoy.

In today's episode of BRIDGE Radio, we are joined by Dr. David Murray to talk about his new book The Story Changer: How God Rewrites Our Story by Inviting Us into His. David Murray is the senior pastor of First Byron Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center, Michigan. He is also a counselor, a regular speaker at conferences, and the author of Reset and Exploring the Bible. In The Story Changer, Dr. David Murray introduces readers to Jesus Christ—the only one who can rewrite human stories with his better Story. Both Christians and non-Christians will discover how God's Story can transform their own messy stories into stories worth telling.

A 2 part episode of Dwell On Truth. In the first half Brenten shares his teaching from Calvary Chapel Yuba City, in the second half Dan talks about why and how he shares the gospel in his unique way. Both Christians and non-christians can learn from this show. God bless!

"Both Christians and atheists incorrectly accept the narrative that believers must reject evolution. I want to change this paradigm. I want to help Christians question their assumptions about this topic and broaden their perspective." - April M. Cordero April Maskiewicz Cordero PhD is a professor of biology at Christian university (Point Loma Nazarene) in San Diego and has taken on the challenging task of teaching evolution and ecology to Christian college undergraduates. She's co-authored several books and delivered several notable lectures and talks at TED and Biologos. I was connected with April by a mutual friend and I was immediately struck by her energy and charisma. April is incredibly fun to listen to and talk to and is very compassionate. If anyone is up to the task of kindly and carefully unpacking the tension surrounding the Creation/Evolution debate in evangelical circles, it's her. I was so honoured to get to have the opportunity to chat with her for a bit about that tension specifically, as well as her story of leaving and coming back to faith in a time of heavy pressure to accept either atheistic evolution or Christian creationism. April was on the cutting edge of those unwilling to accept this dichotomy in the '90s and 2000s and has helped push the Evangelical movement forward on this issue in a valuable way. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Study Notes Ed Underwood Jude: Contend for the Faith I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith. (Jude 3) The nine General Epistles point to the person and work of the resurrected Christ. They encourage Christians to cling to Him and exhort them to serve Him faithfully because He is the only source of life. Written primarily to persecuted Jewish Christians, the truths apply to every believer from every culture and in every age of church history. Judas, or Jude, was the half-brother of Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3), and the full-brother of James (Jude 1; Acts 15:13). Jesus’ brothers rejected His claims to be the Messiah during His life on earth (John 7:5), but they believed in Him after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). They were among the believers who gathered in the Upper Room awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14), and they were traveling ministers of the Gospel in the early church (1 Corinthians 9:5). Due to the similarities between Jude and 2 Peter, it seems best that Jude wrote his epistle to a predominantly Jewish church sometime after 2 Peter (A.D. 64-66). Both epistles deal with the danger of apostasy (departure from the faith). Peter prophetically warns against the future rise of false teachers (2 Peter 2:1-2; 3:3) whereas Jude documents the historical fulfillment of Peter’s warnings (Jude 4, 11-12, 17-18). This means that Jude wrote his letter sometime between A.D 66-80. Much like James, Jude’s letter seems to be an “epistolary sermon,” a sermon he preached that he then sent in the form of an epistle. “One thought characterizes this epistle: beware of the apostates.” (Edward C. Pentecost, “Jude,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, p. 918) Though historically it occurs before the emergence of fully developed Gnosticism, incipient forms of that heresy seem to be involved. “Here, in an undeveloped form, are all the main characteristics which went to make up later Gnosticism—emphasis on knowledge which was emancipated from the claims of morality; arrogance toward ‘unenlightened’ church leaders; interest in angelology; divisiveness and lasciviousness.” (Michael Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter and the General Epistle of Jude, p. 39) Apostasy means to depart from “the faith”—the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. It involves a denial or even a repudiation of a major truth of biblical Christianity. I believe it is a matter of obedience to Christ’s teaching rather than salvation. Both Christians and non-Christians can become apostate. It isn’t a changing of your status before God—redeemed or unredeemed, but a change in your conviction concerning the truth of God—accepting or rejecting. The Book of Jude warns us of the very real possibility that not only must we remain faithful to the faith, but we must also fight for “the faith”—the teachings of Christ and the Apostles: Like his brother James, Jude used powerful descriptive and cutting terms to describe those who compromise or pervert the truth concerning his half-brother Jesus, the Son of God, Messiah of Israel and Savior of the World. I. Take care to remain faithful to the faith. A. Purpose: Jude addresses believers to warn them against false teachers who undermine the grace of God by teaching licentiousness and who deny Christ. He implores his readers to contend earnestly for the faith (1-4). B. Warning: Jude alerts his readers to the dangers of false teaching by illustrating past failures of those who strayed from God’s truth and by exposing the error of those who were teaching error (5-16). 1. Three examples of divine judgment on apostates from the Pentateuch illustrate the danger of apostasy: certain Israelites, certain angels, and certain pagans (5-7). Jude: Contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints! 2. Threetragicmistakesapostatesmakeexposetheidiocyoftheirteaching(8-16). They overestimate the importance of what they think they know. They are so sure of their “new truth” that they defile their lives, reject God’s authority, and even insult angels (8-9). They,alongwiththegullible,underestimatetheseriousnessoftheirerror.LikeCain,Balaam, and Korah from the Old Testament, they spout foolish and powerless theories, are dangerous to everyone, and invite judgment (10-13). They, along with the gullible, ignore the consequences of their error. Jesus is coming to judge all wrong, even and especially the wrongs of apostates because their weird but impressive teachings enchant people (14-16). C. Exhortation: Remember the warning of the apostles that these apostates would show up, motivated only by their ungodly desires. Build yourselves up in the faith through prayer in the Spirit, receiving love from the Father, and looking forward to the mercy of the Son. Have mercy on those who waver due to the impact of these false teachers (17-23). D. Benediction Praising Christ (24-25). II. JUDE AND YOU: The slipperiest slippery slope in the universe—the path to apostasy. Keep in mind that an apostate is anyone who denies the truth of “the faith”—the teaching of Christ and the Apostles. This progression of the apostate in v. 4 comes from the notes of Tom Constable, “Jude,” pp. 3-4. Ungodliness—the conscious decision to refuse to submit to God’s authority. This stems from a lack of reverence for God as the One who deserves obedience because He loves us. License—now that these people have decided not to submit to God’s authority, their lives become boundary-less when it comes to sin. Their conduct becomes more and more outside the lines of morality and justice. Extremely sinful, hopeless, and hurtful lifestyles are often the result. Intellectual Rationalization—finally, these people will justify their ridiculously sinful lifestyle with intellectual, religious, and philosophical theories that “prove” they are right and God is wrong. This is always based upon a denial of God’s Word and the conclusion that what God says is “right” is “wrong,” and what God says is “wrong” is “right.” If you do not live what you believe, you will end up believing what you live. Jude 4’s perspective on heresy and heretics: Though heretical teachings are usually defended only on intellectual grounds, Jude 4 tells us that it often begins with rebellion against God that leads to an immoral life that must be justified. Jude 4’s warning against the slippery slope: In your own life, or someone you love, do you see evidences of the slipperiest slippery slope of rebellion- licentiousness-apostasy?

In “White As Snow”, Rodney shares that Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Both Christians and unbelievers enjoy all the festivities and colors of the season. The colors of Christmas, red and white, are everywhere. This Christmas when you see the Christmas colors you can think about something other than just Santa and Christmas bows on presents. Why do Christians make such a big deal about the Christmas holiday? Why did God have to send Jesus to earth? The truth and answers to these questions is God is closer to you than you can imagine. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. Second, you don’t just need a fixer to help you with your biggest problem. You need a Savior. Though our sins are like scarlet, Jesus will make them white as snow.

Both Christians and Muslims claim their holy book to be from God, but since the Qur'an and Bible contradict each other in numerous ways, both cannot be from the same God because God does not contradict himself. This is the tenth hour of our 20-hour, "Understanding Islam" (Apologetics to Islam) training series. See the video here: https://youtu.be/BSakgmKRc88 The full training series is available on a 6-DVD set or on an official 'Radical Truth' flash drive. Email us for details: info@radicaltruth.net

Both Christians and Muslims claim their holy book to be from God, but since the Qur'an and Bible contradict each other in numerous ways, both cannot be from the same God because God does not contradict himself. This is the eleventh hour of our 20-hour, "Understanding Islam" (Apologetics to Islam) training series. See video here: https://youtu.be/MC-l_s9uI4I The full training series is available on a 6-DVD set or on an official 'Radical Truth' flash drive. Email us for details: info@radicaltruth.net

Misrepresented. Isn’t that how many of us feel? Isn’t that how God must feel right now? Both Christians and non-Christians quote the Bible to justify their beliefs and actions. But do we really know God? Do we take time to study His character, not just the things He did? In this episode, learn about how the image of God you carry around in your heart and mind affects the way you live your daily life. Our reactions to what happens in life reveal what we really believe about God. Episode notes here. Learn more about our ministry at Lionshare.org

Both Christians and non-Christians can sometimes come up with reasons that we haven't really given God everything and worship Him fully.  We talk about some of those this morning.

Both Christians and non-Christians can wrestle with doubts about the truth of Christianity. Dr. Michael Gleghorn explores why doubts arise and what we can do about them.

Gunmen killed 24 people, including a pastor, and wounded at least 18 near a Protestant church in the village of Pansi, in Burkina Faso's northern Yagha province, officials said on Monday. The assault occurred on Sunday during a weekly service at the church, according to security officials. The attackers, roughly 20 of them, separated men from women near the church. Both Christians and Muslims were killed before the church was set on fire. More than 1,300 civilians in Burkina Faso were killed in attacks last year — more than seven times the previous year, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Attacks targeting Christians and churches have become more frequent in Burkina Faso's northern provinces. The West African nation is one of the poorest countries in the world and is one of several countries in the Sahel region dealing with extremist violence. Since 2015, around 750 people have been killed in Burkina Faso and around 600,000 have fled their homes. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/newscast-africa/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both Christians and non-Christians love to quote Jesus’ words from Matthew 7, “Judge not.” Nobody wants to be (or feel) judged. But as Jesus points out, we ourselves are quick to judge. Jesus is not teaching only about an action, but about a heart-level attitude. And he cautions us against applying a higher standard to others than to ourselves. Are there situations in which judgment might be appropriate? And if so, by what standard do we judge ourselves?

John 15:1-11; Both Christians and non-Christians have certain things they want to change about their lives, but their own will power has proved powerless to change. Today Jesus is gonna teach us where the power to change and transform our lives...

Both Christians and non-Christians struggle with the question, "Does my life really matter?" As a Christian is this even a question that I am allowed to ask? This seminar will address living a significant and impactful life in the midst of a world that defines success as what you earn in money, respect, beauty, social media likes, etc.

Both Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate the Christmas season by having Christmas parties. We have staff parties, school parties, small group parties, friends and family parties, ugly sweater parties, we have all kinds of parties full of...

Both Christians and non-Christians use Christmas lights to celebrate the Christmas season, but those lights can have even greater significance in Jesus.

Psalm 23 is the most widely known chapter of the Bible. Both Christians and non-Christians alike can quote David's Psalm word-for-word. But what do those words actually mean? Ryan takes us through each verse as we take a closer look at David, and ourselves.

Want to change the future? Both Christians and Messianics have used Yahezkel/Ezekiel to frame an eschatological world view. Rabbis consider the text a “problem book” and advocated for it’s exclusion from Scripture. What if they’re all wrong? Join us for an in-depth study, as we shed traditional interpretations for the truth of the text itself. Is Ezekiel Future or in the Past?

Want to change the future? Both Christians and Messianics have used Yahezkel/Ezekiel to frame an eschatological world view. Rabbis consider the text a “problem book” and advocated for it’s exclusion from Scripture. What if they’re all wrong? Join us for an in-depth study, as we shed traditional interpretations for the truth of the text itself.

Both Christians and non-Christians have wondered why bad things happen to seemingly good people, and how those good people could possibly go to Hell. In this teaching, Dr. Burns discusses this issue, showing scriptural resolution to this question. Ministering at Westside Christian Center - Gustine, CA

Today we're looking at Matthew 11:16-19. We come to a passage of scripture that you might just read over and not recognize its significance, but I think it is very significant for how we relate to our world, to the culture that surrounds us, to the expectations that they have on us. The world does have expectations. It wants us to dance to its tune. I think it's important for us to see the examples that are set before us in the text today: the example of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and see how they would not dance to the world's tune, but followed instead a heavenly music that they heard within themselves. There are two different strains of music permeating this world. Competing Songs There is the song of God and of the Lamb, spoken of in the Book of Revelation. And there is the song of the devil and of the world. I was afraid in using this metaphor which comes right out of the text for us, thinking that you would be confused and think that I'm talking against rock and roll music or anything like that. That's not what this talk is about. This is talking metaphorically about the way the world seeks to impose itself on us. The way the world wants to make us dance to its tune. But I picked up this metaphor and thought, let's see what there is in it. There was much. Many of you perhaps have read C.S. Lewis's masterpiece, The Chronicles of Narnia. The magician's nephew describes the creation of the universe. Aslan, who is a lion and represents Jesus Christ, is singing a song. That song is the song of creation. Listen to what Lewis wrote: “The lion was pacing to and fro about that empty land and singing his new song. It was softer and more lilting than the song by which he had called up the stars and the sun, a gentle rippling music. And as he walked and sang, the valley grew green with grass. It spread out from the lion like a pool. It ran up the sides of the little hill like wave. In a few minutes, it was creeping up the lower slopes of the distant mountains, making that young world ever softer.” As the account goes on, Polly, one of the girls in the story, starts to notice the connection between the music that the lion's singing and what's happening around them. And this is what it says, "All this time, the lion's song and his stately prowl, to and fro, backwards and forwards, was going on. Polly was finding the song more and more interesting because she thought she was beginning to see the connection between the music and the things that were happening. When a lion of dark furs sprang up on a ridge about a hundred yards away, she felt they were connected to a series of deep prolonged notes, which the lion had sung just a second before. And when he burst into a rapid series of lighter notes, she was not surprised to see primroses suddenly appearing in every direction. Thus with an unspeakable thrill, she felt quite certain that all things were coming as she said, out of the lion's head. When you listen to the song, you heard the things that he was making up. When you looked around you, you could see them." C.S. Lewis likens creation to a song that was sung by God, the Creator. That song permeates, and if you are regenerate, if you're born again, you can hear it, though faintly, because this created world is cursed by sin and yet there's still something of those original strains of music around us. Sadly, though, in our history, it wasn't long after that that another discordant song began to be sung — a song of rebellion, a song that our first fathers, Adam and Eve, heard and listened to and began to dance to, the sound of rebellion against our God. This is the song that Jesus is talking about here in Matthew 11:16-19. We played the flute for you and you did not dance. We sang a dirge and you did not mourn. The flute is happy music. The world is saying, "It's time to celebrate now. We have something we're happy about. We would like you to celebrate with us," but that which is highly esteemed in the eyes of man is nothing to God, and so we can't celebrate at what the world celebrates. The the world sings a dirge, funeral music. It's time for mourning, and the world is saying, “It’s time to be sad. We're sad about this and you be sad with us. You dance to our tune. You be happy when we tell you to be happy. You be sad when we tell you to be sad.” That's a tune of rebellion. But there's another song that's been sung since the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the song of redemption. In Hebrews 2:11-12 it says that Jesus Christ sings. "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation," [ Jesus Christ] “perfect through suffering.” Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family; Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." He's not ashamed to adopt us. But look what he says next in verse 12. Who's the “he” in verse 12? Jesus Christ. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers. In the presence of the congregation, I will sing your praises." Praise the Lord for that song. It is a song of redemption, and Jesus came and sang it to us. He's singing to us a song of salvation. He's singing to us a song of redemption. All of creation someday will hear it plainly. All of creation and the new heavens and new earth will worship to that song, that song of redemption. Revelation 5 says, "The twenty-four elders sang a new song. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain. And with your blood, you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our God and they will reign on the earth." Then the Angels join in. Revelation 5:11, "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and 10,000 times 10,000. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders; in a loud voice, they sang, 'Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.'" We've got the twenty-four elders singing, we've got myriad of angels, more than you can count, singing, and then we come in. Verse 13, "Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and on the sea and all that is in them singing, 'To Him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be praise, honor, and glory, and power forever and ever.'" Standing Firm Against the World’s Enticing Tune The question of the text this morning, Matthew 11, is whose music are you dancing to? Are you dancing to the world's song? Are you dancing to the song of creation and redemption that God is singing in your heart? This text calls us to stand firm against the world's music, against the world's enticing tune. In a simple sense, this is a talk on resisting peer pressure. If I were a youth minister, for example, or speaking to youth, I would talk about the importance of resisting peer pressure. That's a common theme, though, that were somehow germane only to youth, and none of the rest of us need to be concerned about resisting peer pressure. This text seems to say differently. We all need to be concerned about the opinions of the world around us, especially the ungodly ones, and how pressure affects us, how we are slightly dancing to the world's tune. Parental concern always has to do with negative influences; smoking and drinking and hanging out with the wrong people and relationships with members of the opposite sex, and these are valid concerns for peer pressure at a vulnerable time in development. But the fact of the matter is, all of us are surrounded by a world that is hostile to our faith. I you don't realize that you're in enemy territory, you may not realize how much that music is getting into your heart and how you are gradually slowly, perhaps unwittingly, dancing to the world's tune. “To what can I compare this generation? They're like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others ‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance. We sang a dirge and you did not mourn.’” There is hope, is there not? Because apparently, the world's tune is being frustrated. "We played our music, and you did not yield to it, you did not dance to it and we're frustrated with you. Why won't you do the things we do? Why don't you like the things that we like? Why won't you celebrate when we celebrate? Why won't you mourn when we mourn?" We are God's peculiar people. We are a strange people marching to the tune that we alone can hear by faith, and this is the call from the text. In our own hearts, there's a constant concern for human approval. You can't deny it, and I don't think it's wrong or it's bad. From infancy, little children learn how to gauge their situation by the reaction of their parents. A little child will fall down and look to mommy and daddy to see if they're hurt seriously. Have you ever noticed that? They will fall down and they'll look and see what Mommy does or what Daddy does, and if they are okay, then they feel like they are okay. A little baby will look up for approval and that is not a bad thing. It's a big part of the way that a parent influences and shapes the children from an early age, so there's nothing wrong with being concerned about other people's opinions. More than that, there is a system of approval and disapproval woven around us, we call it culture. When I was over in Japan, ministering as a missionary with my wife and children, we had to learn a whole new culture. Japanese have an ancient polished and very carefully thought through culture. It all has to do with who sits where at tables and who bows a little bit lower and all of these things. What kind of honorific titles are used. We were like proverbial bulls in the china shop. We were Americans without any culture at all, so it seemed. We had to learn little by little how to do things. We were still really at the kindergarten level when we left. Japanese peer pressure is intense. All of their kids dress the same. They have a saying, "The nail that sticks up will be pounded down.” They don't look to individuality or individualism as a good thing. There's intense pressure to conform all the time. These are not necessarily bad things. It's a concern for human approval or disapproval. What I'm getting at here is the way that there is a negative demonic or satanic pressure or music also. You listen to the media, you listen to the news stories, you listen to how they are reported, the way that they're written about. There is a value system that they're trying to get over on us so that we think the way that they think. For example, in the schools, they're trying to do what they call diversity training, so that we embrace diversity. Well, what are they getting at? Well, they're getting at what the Bible calls sexual perversion, homosexuality. They want it to be accepted, they want it to be tolerated or welcomed even. We need to think the way they think. We need to rejoice in the things they rejoice in, and call them gifts from God. This is the kind of music that they're seeking to play, even at a very young level. The same is true on all kinds of other issues. Animal rights, abortion, as we talked about last week, cloning, feminism. All of these thoughts, we're being trained to think like the world. There's a tune out there that we're being called on to dance to. They're like children sitting in the marketplaces calling out to us. "We're playing a flute for you, you better dance. And when we play a dirge, you better mourn." The desire to please people is not a bad thing. It says in Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew in wisdom, and in favor with God and men. What does it mean to grow in favor with men? It means that he learned how to please people. To be a pleasing person is a good thing within its context. People with absolutely no concern whatsoever for other people's opinions are dangerous sociopaths. They're tyrants. They steam roll people and they don't care, and that's wrong, it's an evil thing. But Jesus also warned against yearning for human praise, living for human praise. Luke 6:26 says, "Woe to you when men speak well of you, when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets." Here we get to the key issue. A false prophet is spoken well of by everybody, because they learn to tailor their message and weed it out until it is universally pleasing. If I may say specifically, they do not confront sin. They do not confront the evil that surrounds, and there is much. They do not confront it, and therefore, they are universally liked. They're universally popular. Two Role Models: John the Baptist and Jesus Jesus said, "Woe to you if that's the kind of prophet you are." John the Baptist was not that kind of prophet. Jesus was not either. They confronted sin and they bore the wrath of surrounding culture as a result. The fact of the matter is that fear of man is a great hindrance to the advance of the Gospel. Is it not? We fear to offend, we fear to confront sin. We fear to deal directly with issues because we're afraid what they may think. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." A snare is something that entangles your feet and causes you to trip and fall. Fear of man, therefore, is very much like a snare for your feet. It's a hindrance to the advance of the Gospel. Ultimately, living for the praise of man will damn your soul. Jesus said in John 5:44, "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another and yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the one and only God." Jesus sets up competing praise. Either the world will praise you or God will praise you. But you cannot believe if you set your heart on praise from the world. It will close out your soul, you cannot hear. There were people in Jesus' age and era who were concerned what their friends would think. There were some among the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin that were believing in Jesus to a point, but they were afraid to come out of the closet, as it were, as believers in Jesus Christ. Afraid because they were afraid of what their friends would think. In John 12:42 and 43, it says, "Yet at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they would not confess their faith for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." That's a devastating testimony from scripture. May it not be said of us that we love praise from men more than praise from God. The fear of man can keep Christians who are ready to be witnesses for Jesus Christ from speaking the gospel they know. The Apostle Paul, knowing that the Galatians were being offended by the things he was saying, said in Galatians 1:10. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God, or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would no longer be a servant of Christ." You really have to choose if you're going to be a witness for Jesus Christ. So, my question today is, is peer pressure, is this surrounding music of rebellion, an irresistible force? What is the answer? The answer within the text is, no, it is not an irresistible force. It can be resisted. Let's look at these two role models. John the Baptist first, and then Jesus. John the Baptist, we've already learned in Matthew 11, was not a reed swayed by the wind. Jesus talked about that. “What did you go out into the desert to see, a reed swayed by the wind?” You can imagine long grass, dead brown grass and the wind is blowing in the fall, and it's just moving. It almost looks like water. It just blows and the grass blows whatever way the wind blows. John wasn't that way. He was a mighty oak tree; he didn't sway in the breeze of public opinion. That's not the way he was. John's appearance was not culturally acceptable. I don't think that John set any fashion trends. He wore camel's hair, which is not very comfortable and not very attractive. Functional, yes, but comfortable, no. He wore the leather belt around his waist, yes, but it was how he tied the leather belt that was so special. There was nothing to it. He did not set fashion trends, that's not why he was here. His appearance was not culturally acceptable, his lifestyle was not culturally acceptable either. His diet was locusts and wild honey. He wasn't there to eat. That's not what he came for. His lifestyle was a rebuke, at least to King Herod, who dined on silk pillows and ordered the prophet’s head be cut off. His lifestyle was a rebuke. Hebrews 11:38 speaks of men of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground. I think of John the Baptist when I think of that. That's the way he lived. John's ministry was shocking to Jewish sensibilities. You know why? Because he baptized Jews— this is unheard of. We were the Gentile outsiders, called by some Gentile dogs. When we turn to the Law of Moses, we would need to be cleaned up from our Gentile excesses. We would need to be washed with water. We would need to be baptized in order to become a Jew, certainly circumcised if you're a man. And so, you'd be brought into the law of Moses. But through this cleansing of baptism, John baptized everybody— baptized Jews, and that was very offensive. He's saying, "You're[the Jews] as repugnant to God as the Gentiles are." And John's preaching was all on fire. He didn't preach to entice or appease, he preached to convict. In John's religion, he showed a total disregard for the narrow confines of Pharisees-ism. The Pharisees called the shots for religion. I you followed in their steps, if you obeyed what they said then you were religious, you were acceptable in Jewish society. When the scribes and Pharisees said “Fast”, John ignored it. When the scribes and Pharisees said “Feast”, John ignored it. When the scribes and Pharisees said “Drink”, John ignored it. When the scribes and Pharisees said “Refrain from drinking”, he ignored it. He was not marching to their tune, they had no hold over him, and he was therefore dangerous, very much like a loose cannon. John the Baptist lived his own kind of life. He followed only the way of God, which He heard in his mind and his heart by faith. But John the Baptist, for all of his greatness, could not hold Jesus' sandals. He says in Matthew 3:7-8, "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them, 'You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath, produce fruit in keeping with repentance? The one who comes after me, who will baptize not with water, but with the Holy Spirit and with fire, I am not worthy to stoop down and untie his sandals.’” As great as John the Baptist was, and Jesus said He was greater than anyone who had been born to women up to that point, he could not have carried Jesus' sandals. Why? Because Jesus also was not swayed by men, but lived only to do the will of His Heavenly Father. He lived only for one thing, moment by moment, to please his heavenly Father. He constantly angered the religious establishment. I believe he did most of his miracles on the Sabbath on purpose to challenge their faulty understandings of the Sabbath. He was his own man and he followed in the way of God. He marched to the tune that he heard within his heart and with his mind that his Father was playing. He refused to follow man-made traditions. He didn't wash his hands or the ceremonial washings and other such Pharisaic traditions. He preached openly against the scribes and Pharisees calling them hypocrites. In John 5:41, he said, "I do not accept praise from men." Very interesting statement. We do lavish praise on him, and he wants us to praise him, but he's saying in that context, "It's not what I live for, I don't accept it, I don't live by it, praise from men." He lived only for one thing, John 4:34: "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." Praise from Man of Praise from God The question that we have set before us by John the Baptist and Jesus is, “How are we going to live? Are we going to live for praise from man or praise from God?” The simple choice is, whose praise do we seek? In Luke 6:22 it says, "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man; rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven." Are you willing to live that kind of a life? What's interesting is that both sides will force a choice in this matter. The Father will force a choice, the world will force a choice. They're actively competing for your loyalty. James 4:4 says, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." 1 John 2:15 it says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." If you're a Christian, the Holy Spirit's living within you and aggressively wooing you all the time so that you will love God and seek his praise and seek to please him, and when you veer off and seek to dance to the world's tune, he is jealous and wants you back. Both sides force a choice. The world also forces a choice. “We played the flute for you and you did not dance. We sang a dirge and you did not mourn.” Both Christians and worldly folks have this in common— we both look insane to the other, we both look crazy to the other. We're saying, "How can you not believe in Christ? How can you not seek forgiveness of your sins? How can you not want to go and live with God forever and ever? How can you not seek to please your Creator who knit you together in your mother's womb, and who sent his son to die for you? How can you not live that way?" Meanwhile they're saying, "How can you not love what we love? How can you not hate what we hate and follow in the pleasure seeking that we recommend to you? How can you not?" There's an aggressive evangelism for music going on on each side. They've got their tune and the Father has his, and He wants you to listen to his as much as the world; even more than the world wants you to listen to theirs. More than anything, I'm challenging you today to listen to the music that God is playing in your heart if you're a Christian, the music to follow him, to love what he's doing in the world, the redemptive plan, the advance of the kingdom of God, Heavenly music that you alone can hear by faith. If you are called to be a Christian, to some degree you're called to a prophetic role in this world. You're called to stand and testify on behalf of God that what the world does is evil. If you testify faithfully, you will be hated by people. Verse 18 and 19 says, "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say he has a demon, The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is proved right by her actions." This is a pair of very unfair assessments made by the world against John the Baptist and Jesus. Very unfair, very un-truthful, very insulting. But the cause of it, I believe, is that both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ preached sin and righteousness and the world could not accept that. Martin Luther, speaking to young preachers said, "You should always preach in such a way that when you get done people will either hate you or hate their sin." What a challenge is that? To be a genuine preacher of God and you end up with a division every time you preach. That's very, very difficult. But John the Baptist did that —and Jesus, too. Basically, I think that life is somewhat like traveling along a road and you come to a fork in the road, and we're standing at the fork saying, "Choose life, follow this way." You're bringing people to a decision, you're bringing people to a fork in the road, and that's uncomfortable for people. You're calling on them to love God more than they love their sin, to repent and turn away and enter the kingdom of God, and that's not going to be popular. John confronted sin, and the world dealt with him unfairly. They said he was demon-possessed—the most righteous man that had lived up to that point. Jesus confronted sin, and they said the same thing about him, that he was demon-possessed. But in this matter, they charged him unfairly because he was willing to eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners, and so they pushed it beyond the boundaries that Jesus set, beyond the boundaries of sin. He didn't just eat, he was a glutton; he didn't just drink, he was a drunkard. It pushes it beyond the boundaries. Very unfair, but the motivation was the conviction that the people felt when they spoke. But the power of wisdom in the end is final vindication. Look at verse 19, it says, "But wisdom is vindicated by her actions." Vindicated. Another word for that is justified. In the end you will stand vindicated as you follow a wise course of action, as you follow God himself. Evil peer pressure leads to condemnation on that final day. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of that way is death.” Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Following the crowd and doing evil leads to condemnation. Where are you heading? Whose music are you listening to? What is the ultimate end of your life? Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." A wise life begins there. Say, "I want to live for God. I want to live for him, I want to please him, I love him, I don't want to dishonor him." That's where wisdom begins. You live like that, you'll be vindicated in the end. Even though you seem insane to your surrounding neighbors, in the end, you'll be vindicated. God's music is eternally beautiful. I wonder what that'll sound like. I love the music we hear every week from our music ministry. These folks work hard, don't they? They practice and they play and they bless with their spiritual gifts, and I'm grateful for it. But even they would say they can't compete with the new song that we're gonna hear in Heaven. Power of Wisdom: Final Vindication I can't wait to hear that music. God's music is eternally beautiful. Surrounding culture's music is enticing, it's luring, it's interesting, but it's deadly. Very much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were standing up and everybody else bowing down. There was that enticing alluring music of the flutes and the zithers and the harps and the lyre and all that, and they were told to bow down to the golden idol that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. We must not bow down. We must not listen. We must stand up like those nails in that Japanese proverb, and we will not be smashed down. We must be willing to stand up like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and listen to a more beautiful music. In Zephaniah 3:17 the Lord God is singing over you and in you. It says, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save, he will take delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Isn't that beautiful? God will sing over you and you will respond also in kind. You will sing back. In Revelation 15:2-4, it says, "I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and standing beside the sea those who have been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name." They had reached the finish line, they were victors. They were singing, they held harps given to them by God, and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the Ages, who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name, for you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you for your righteous acts have been revealed." We're going to sing like that and that music will drown out Satan's rebellious tunes. We already saying "Crown him with many crowns. The Lamb upon his throne hark how the heavenly music... Heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.” How beautiful when the sound of rebellion will cease, and nothing will be there but worship and praise and adoration. The hymn,”What Wondrous Love Is This?" speaks to this issue : “To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing. To God and to the lamb, I will sing. To God and to the lamb who is the great I Am, while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing. While millions join the theme, I will sing.” That's the advancing kingdom of God. Millions joining in and singing to God and to the lamb. And verse 4, "And When from death I'm free I'll sing on, I'll sing on, and when from death, I'm free, I'll sing on. And when from death I'm free, I'll sing and joyful be. And through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on, and through eternity, I'll sing on." Application What application can we take from this? First, set your heart on pleasing God. Set your heart on listening to his music, pleasing him, moving to his music, dancing to his tune. You can only do this by praying and by having Jesus Christ live within you powerfully. You can only do it if you're Christian. If you're not a Christian, there’s a step before this. Come to faith in Christ, trust in him for eternal life. But if you are a Christian, you must pray and say, "Lord, set you before me, always." Psalms 16, "I have set the Lord always before me, I want to live for you." Secondly, renew your mind with scripture. Let the clear pure water scripture flow through your brain. Only then will you be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good and pleasing perfect will, and what the world's discordant music is. You can start to see it more and more. Recognize, therefore, the world's tunes. The way that the media is trying to brainwash us into thinking certain ways that are not scriptural. Recognize them and then reflect on your own tendencies. Could it be that you're already starting to move to the world's tune? Could it be that there's some areas in which you've become un-biblical, in the way you're living, in the way you're thinking, in your value system? If so, you must repent. You must say, "I've been living wrong, I've been thinking wrong. I need to repent and come back to your way of doing things". Then resolve to make a stand, stand firm and be a witness for righteousness in your world. Be willing to take the abuse that John the Baptist took. Be willing to take the abuse that Jesus took, the abuse of misunderstanding. Be willing to live for God. Finally, rejoice in your future that some day you will hear that new music and sing to God and to the lamb.