Podcasts about canaanites

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Daily Dose of Hope June 23, 2026   Scripture:  1 Kings 17   Prayer:  Almighty God, We belong to you.  Sometimes, we get distracted and wander.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us stay fully focused on you.  Help us remember who and whose we are.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us hear a word from you...Jesus, this is your day, we are your people.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we are currently working our way through 1 & 2 Kings.    Our reading for today was 1 Kings 17.  The chapter begins with Elijah proclaiming to King Ahab that there would be no rain for the next few years until the one true God declared it so.  This is particularly important because the main Canaanite god, Baal, was worshiped as the god of rain.  By Yahweh stopping all rain and dew, he is declaring that HE alone is God and that Baal is a fake god with no power.  The Scripture doesn't explicitly state the response of King Ahab but we can guess it wasn't good, for God tells Elijah to leave the area and go hide by Kerith Brook.    As you read through the chapter, Elijah's obedience and trust in God are quite remarkable. He trusts God to provide provisions for food and water through animals and people!  My favorite aspect of this chapter is how God uses an impoverished outsider, the widow of Sidon (a city in what is now Lebanon), to provide care and nourishment to one of the most faithful of all of God's prophets.  Keep in mind that a widow would have been one of the poorest and most vulnerable people in that world.  And yet, God chooses her and she (possibly out of desperation) agrees to be part of God's plan. As a result, she and her son are saved from the drought, the ensuing famine, and even illness.  At the end of the chapter, her faithfulness to Elijah is rewarded with God bringing her son back to life.  By being faithful and open to God at work, this widow puts to shame many others who rejected the one true God.   How often God uses the weak and lowly to shame the powerful.  I think this is something we all need to reflect on today. When have you personally seen this at work?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

The Mount // Week 10 // - Prejudice, Planks and Pearls Matthew 7:1-6 NIV 1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Prejudice Matthew 7:15-20 NIV  15  “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Luke 6:43-45 NIV 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Galatians 5:19-25 NIV 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 1 John 4:1 NIV  1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Matthew 7:3-5 NIV  3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Prejudice Planks Pearls Matthew 7:6 NIV   6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 15:21–28 NIV 21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. Matthew 7:6 NIV   6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:7-8 NIV  7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Romans 2:1-4 NIV  1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? Prejudice Planks Pearls

Matthew 15 : 21 - 28, Mark 7 : 24 - 30

In this study of Joshua 17, Jeremy Miller explores the inheritance given to the descendants of Joseph and the challenges they faced as they settled into the land God had promised them. Rather than focusing on what they had already received, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh became fixated on what they believed they lacked. Joshua's response reveals a timeless lesson about faith, courage, and personal responsibility. This chapter reminds us that God's promises often require effort, obedience, and perseverance. The obstacles before Israel were real, but so was the God who had gone before them. Through the account of Joseph's descendants, we are challenged to stop measuring our opportunities by our limitations and instead begin viewing our limitations through the lens of God's faithfulness. Join us as we examine themes of inheritance, contentment, spiritual growth, and the call to possess everything God has placed before us. Dothan Messianic Fellowship Dothan, Alabama #Joshua17 #BookOfJoshua #BibleStudy #Messianic #MessianicJudaism #Torah #OldTestament #Faith #BiblicalTeaching #DothanMessianicFellowship #JeremyMiller #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #ScriptureStudy #Yeshua #Inheritance #TrustGod      

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

1. Early in his sermon, Tim said “American Christianity has largely sentimentalized the New Testament; but you can't do that with the Old Testament.”What do you think it means to “sentimentalize the NT?” How prominent is that in your experience of Christianity? How aware of it have you been or are you now?What things can you recognize and identify as impacts or outcomes of that sentimentalizing? How have those things impacted you and your life of faith?2. The phrase “the Canaanites” acts almost as a shorthand representation for the many smaller kingdoms that operated in the region at the time. These kingdoms operated in the mode of something Brueggemann called the “Royal Consciousness: a culture of domination, consumption, and social control where the few live extravagantly…at the cost of many.”Common objects of worship in these cultures were Baal & Asherah. Baal was the rain and storm god, while Asherah was believed to have power over childbirth and family concerns. The Israelites, as noted in Judges 3:7, don't last long before they lapse into servitude of these two gods.In the cultural & historical contexts of Judges, Baal & Asherah could be understood as objects that were worshipped in attempts to avoid the threats of chaos & barrenness. These two themes have shown up repeatedly in our study of the first Old Testament books.Where, in our own modern cultural context, do you see the same perpetual specters of chaos & barrenness? What does each look like in 2026's America?How do people today try to escape these modern iterations of chaos &/or barrenness? To what extent do you see that dynamic at play within our world today?To what extent is that dynamic at play in you and your life? What things do you pursue as hopeful saviors from these timeless threats? Where do you tend to (consciously or unconsciously) look for rescue or safety in the face of them?3. Tim described a pattern that is present in Judges; it's a cycle that starts with loss of memory resulting in ideological capture.Where can you identify these first parts of the pattern in a more contemporary context?After reviewing the full cycle, how relatable or resonant does this pattern seem today? Does it hold true? Where might you call out additional nuance or variation?Tim said that though this pattern is often referred to as the “sin cycle,” it is, instead, a Redemption Cycle. He added that “failure is the engine of every redemption story.”What do you think about this framing? Where does it hold up? Where might you feel curious about gaps?How might you conceive of yourself within its stages, especially in light of the things you identified in question 2 as places you may turn for safety in the face of chaos and/or barrenness?

Pastor Chris continues our sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew, preaching from Matthew 15:21–28. In this message, he explores the remarkable faith of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus seeking mercy for her daughter. Despite obstacles, silence, and apparent rejection, she persisted in trusting Christ's power and compassion. Through her example, we are reminded that genuine faith recognizes who Jesus is, humbly depends on His mercy, and confidently trusts Him to respond according to His perfect wisdom and grace. Learn more about Maple Plain Community Church at https://mapleplaincc.org.

Death, Resurrection Power and Revival (1) (audio) David Eells, 6/14/26 Coming Baptism of Death Unto Life Pearl Harbor James Kehrli (David's notes in red) In December of 1984, about a week after I purchased an old 1940 Cadillac sedan, I was driving around thinking about times gone by, particularly the time before and during World War II. Suddenly I heard the Lord say to me, very softly, “It's 1940 and Pearl Harbor is coming up for the Church”. I thought about betrayal, warfare, death and awakening! I prayed to the Lord about it and He began to reveal to me more about Pearl Harbor. He reminded me of a scene from the film Tora Tora Tora in which one of the Japanese military leaders remarked, after their attack on Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve”. I thought about the Church finally waking up to her true condition. I thought about the terrible price our country paid in the 1940's to wake up to the realities of the world political situation. The price was human life, suffering, and destruction. But we did wake up. I thought about December 8, 1941, when we declared war against the Axis powers. Before that time, we were sending arms, supplies and money to our allies, but we were not sending men to help fight. We watched China, the Pacific Islands, France and much of Europe fall to Germany, Italy, and Japan, but we were not personally affected so we did not enter the warfare. It took a catastrophic event to wake us up. (His reference to waking up a sleeping giant reminds me of Tommy Hicks' End Time Vision and it becomes millions of people all over the world.) I prayed about and meditated on what I had heard until May of 1985, when I again heard from God during a baptismal service in our Church. The person to be baptized was an older lady who was quite concerned, even a little frightened, about being fully immersed. But she, after fifty years of disobedience and rebellion against God, desired to be baptized for the first time. Right before I was going to enter the water with her, a message in tongues came forth from my wife. The Lord gave me the interpretation by means of the following vision. This vision describes a future time of great hardship and great blessing for the Body of Christ. He showed me a deep harbor with blue-green water that was clear and calm. There was a Person in the water. This Person was not swimming or standing, but just floating in an upright position. He was motionless, like a sailing ship listing in a windless sea. Many Japanese Zero aircraft came in from the east and proceeded to dive-bomb and strafe the body in the water and the body began to slowly sink. Eventually, the body was entirely under the water. As he went down, I could see that there were many little people on this Body. As this Body sank deeper into the water, many of these small people jumped off just before they were about to enter the water. There were thousands of people jumping off and swimming away from this slow but steadily sinking Body. Some of these people jumped onto beds, which the Lord made clear to me were beds of adultery, and floated away, off to the left. Others jumped onto whiskey bottles and paddled away; still others jumped on books, while others swam off on their own strength. All of the people were floating, swimming or paddling in the same direction. I looked over in that direction, which was to my left, and I saw an extremely beautiful, gigantic woman, with skin and clothing of a deep reddish purple hue, standing solidly on the harbor floor. She stretched out her arms toward the sinking Body and got the attention of many as she very sweetly, seductively, and sincerely called out, “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you WHAT YOU WANT!” (As we know, God separates His people, and the tares and goats go to the left, as in this vision. This is the Great Harlot of Rev 17:1-5 And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, 5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.) The people who were jumping off were in a panic, like rats leaving a sinking ship. Some scurried to higher ground on the Body, going from the shoulders to the ears and finally jumping off the top of the head right before it went under. It was clear that THEY DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE THIS BODY, but it was equally clear that they were not going down under the water with it either. The Body was now completely under the water, sinking steadily toward the bottom. Some of the little people hung on as it sank, but after a few seconds of holding their breath, they gave up, swam for the top, gulped a mouthful of air, and swam off toward the woman. The apparently lifeless Body sank deeper and deeper into the clear blue-green water. As it sank, I could see at the bottom of the harbor a beautiful, large, perfect Pearl - obviously of great value. It was supernaturally large and beautiful, lustrous, pure and round. As I watched, I could see the Body change shape from that of a single being, with little people desperately hanging on it, to many little individual people swimming deep enough to get to this beautiful Pearl. As they went deeper, many chose to quit and swim to the surface for air and life and then go over to the beautiful woman. All who quit diving eventually swam over to the beautiful woman. (The water puts to death the old man. They don't want to give up their fleshy life and die to self and follow Jesus.) Finally, I saw a number of these small people swim to the Pearl and touch it, and embrace it. But to do this, everyone who dove down reached a point when they realized that their own natural ability to hold their breath and dive deeper would not be enough. Those who dove down and touched this Pearl all came to understand that they would have to expend all of their natural strength before they touched and embraced the Pearl of Great Price. This did not keep them from diving down though, because the closer they got to the Pearl, the more of His beauty they saw. I saw many touch and embrace the Pearl and then immediately shoot straight up. As each of these little people shot up from the floor of the Harbor, each had the Pearl. As this group of individuals rose higher and higher, they all became one Body again. By the time these Pearl-laden people reached the surface they burst forth from the waters as one Body, the Body of Christ. These people were manifestly His own possession and they, in turn possessed the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus Christ Himself. (Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: …) As the Lord was showing me this beautiful picture, He spoke to me and said, “Even as Jesus came out of the waters of baptism, so My Body will come out of Pearl Harbor with a new and powerful anointing of My Holy Spirit, and a new and deadly power to fight the enemy”. He said that there indeed would come upon the Church of Jesus Christ a Pearl Harbor experience like the United States experienced on December 7, 1941. He said that when the Body of Christ begins to sink under the water, because of a soon-coming, devastating attack of the enemy, MANY will choose to desert our Lord Jesus Christ because they do not esteem the Pearl of Great Price (Jesus Himself) worth the price - death to their own selfish desires. They will not make the selfless effort of love to dive deeply enough to embrace Him because they do not love Him more than their own lives. Many will choose not to identify with what they assume is a defeated individual or group. They look upon themselves as winners and will not identify with a Jesus Who is apparently being defeated. They will choose to identify with the beautiful woman of the harbor who gives them what they want. As the vision revealed, many who leapt off the sinking Body because the woman of the harbor promised them success. Because of this, they went to her. Many others did not feel that it was necessary to pay such a high price to apprehend Jesus, and they felt that the beautiful woman would give them Jesus on their own terms. (This is the great falling away and like the parable of the seed and the sower; only one of the four held fast to the Word and bore fruit, 30-60 and 100-fold.) As the Body of Christ came out of the waters of death, the Lord said that His Body was now fully alive and would now fight the enemy with purpose and real anointing. (the coming Latter Rain anointing. Hos 6:3  And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.) Also, His Body would now use only supernatural weaponry. He spoke so clearly to me about the weapons. He said, “Even as the United States entered the Second World War using conventional weapons to fight the enemy, and ended the war with the atomic bomb, a weapon beyond their comprehension; so My people will begin this spiritual war with conventional weapons in the Spirit, but by the end of this war to end all wars, they will be using atomic bombs of the Spirit”. The Lord made it clear that we will come out of the water equipped with God-given anointing to REALLY heal the sick, work miracles, and deliver those in demonic bondage. He also made it clear that before the warfare ends, we will be moving in a dimension of spiritual warfare that is unimaginable to us now. We will do greater works than Jesus did and we will see the demon hordes routed like never before. After this message in tongues and interpretation was given, my attention turned back to the woman who was to be baptized. Then the Lord said that the Pearl Harbor experience for His Church would be similar to this woman's baptism. I closely watched this baptism to see what the Lord meant. The woman was very nervous and quite afraid of going under the water. I assured her that she would be all right. After several moments of prayer and a short teaching on what baptism represented, she was plunged underneath the water. She came out of the water with her hands lifted up, praising God. I had not told anyone what the Lord told me about this woman's baptism, because I did not know exactly what was going to happen. When she recovered her composure, she began to testify about what had just happened to her. She said that she was extremely fearful at first, but that when she got under the water, a Beautiful Peace swept through her, and all her fear was gone. This beautiful peace became joy as she came out of the water, and she praised God for His great comfort, love and mercy. I believe that God was showing us that we need not fear what He will put us through. His purpose is to bring us peace, joy, cleansing and power. He was also showing us that His Church will go through a baptism. It is a baptism of the Body of Christ. It is a death and a resurrection. We must trust Him to bring us out of this watery tomb of death and into the glorious resurrection power of His Son. We must understand that a harbor is a place of SAFETY and REFUGE. (As we have been shown. Those who reject death to self will not find this place.) God's people who are involved in these events will need to be safe and protected. The Harbor of the Pearl of Great Price is the only harbor that will provide refuge and safety, and ALL who believe will be more than willing to pay the price of dying to their own desires. Pearl Harbor is the death and resurrection of the Body of Christ, being prepared to do His work in His way, with His heart. It is the final separation of David from Saul - the David Church being purified and separated from the Saul Church. It is the final AWAKENING blast of the trumpet of God to rouse His people for battle. It is the judgment that begins with the house of the Lord. It is the refining fire that separates the gold from the dross. It will be preceded by the Lord dealing with His true people to both survive and desire this final preparation for battle. It is the promise of unmatched power and purity: power over sin, power over the enemy, power to live a much more virtuous life, and power to glorify our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even now, God is dealing with those in the David Church, even as God dealt with David. Whenever David would start to fall asleep to God's purity and purpose, the Lord would abruptly DEAL with David to AWAKEN him. God did not waste this kind of effort on Saul because Saul CHOSE to be asleep to God and His desires. Pearl Harbor is a warning of betrayal and disaster. The Church in the past has gone through many Pearl Harbors of betrayal and disaster. Jesus was betrayed, killed, and rose again. English Puritans experienced Pearl Harbor in the early 17th century and survived because they could not obey the law that the Church of England tried to force them to obey. They fled England and eventually sailed to the New World, where they laid the spiritual foundation for what eventually became one of the greatest revivals in the history of the world. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress at the bottom of the harbor as he was betrayed by his own country and thrown in jail for not attending the services of the Church of England and for preaching in a way that did not conform to this church's liturgy. Had he given in and done that which they asked, he could have been a free man. But for conscience sake he chose not to do so. Because of this uncompromising obedience to the Scriptures and to God Himself, he was able to rise to the highest place in the history of Christian literature. Today, he still blesses us with the fruit of that resurrection power. To those who are not awake and prepared, Pearl Harbor will come suddenly and tragically, as a thief in the night, and they will be swept away to Great Deception. (As we are seeing.) To those who are more open to the will of God than they are to pleasing religious men, it will be an expected ordeal, a call to arms, and a prelude to great victory. The initial stages will be the harbinger of the greatest move of God in history: the Greatest Revival and the greatest manifestation of Christian Unity that the world has ever known.   The Pearls of Great Price Marie Kelton - 1/6/23 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was in Chicago, and I was walking away from my old house on the sidewalk. (Leaving the house of our mother Church is a sign of growing in spiritual maturity.) I met Thaddeus (God's gift) and Greg (watchful or vigilant), two people I went to school with. (God gives us helpers along the way, like the fruits of the Spirit and wisdom; we must listen to them.) Thaddeus was to my left and Greg was to my right. As we were walking, I asked Thaddeus what had happened to him because I saw that he had a cut on his finger. Thaddeus said that he had a paper cut. I said to him, “Those are the worst.” (Our gifts can suffer when we go contrary to the Word which is written on paper and is a sharp two-edged sword.) We were going across the street and there was a tan van waiting for us to cross so that it could turn right. A red truck was behind the van, waiting also. As we were crossing, I felt an evil spirit grab the back of my shirt to keep me from continuing to cross the street. Thaddeus and Greg continued walking across the street. (We shouldn't get separated from our spiritual gifts by any demon or fleshly influence.) The person in the tan van was getting impatient and turned and hit me with their car. (The demons will try to hold us back so that we fall under judgment.) In the dream I told the Judge (representing the Father) about the car that hit me. The license plate on the front of the van had 333 in it. (Jer.33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.) (This is on the front or before the van hits, so to stop this, we must seek the Lord for His direction and wisdom!) The scene changed and I was in a car. I don't know if I was driving or not. I realized I was wearing an old necklace, and I heard a voice say, “Pearls.” (If our treasures have become tarnished from age or the curse we must sanctify them with repentance and faith and drawing near to Jesus.) In the dream I thought of the parable of the pearl of great price. While in the car, the Lord was supernaturally changing the radio stations to speak to me through the songs. Every time He would change the song, one of the old pearls from the necklace I wore would burst and break and a new pearl would be in its place. (As we seek His face and ask for wisdom, He will give us new born again beauty and values.) I was so excited and asked the Lord to keep speaking to me through songs on the radio. (The Lord's Words are melodious, pleasing Words to our spirit man.)  Mat.13:45-46, Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. An Experience of Power G. W. - 10/17/22 (David's notes in red) I was going through a time of what seemed like reflection. I kind of felt like my life had no purpose, kind of meaningless. I've been waiting so many years, and it seems like nothing is happening. I didn't feel sad or condemned by it, but rather just wondering what God's mind was on everything. (The Word had the answers but he couldn't stay under it for long and would seek a simple message that did not demand death to self.) So, I was just questioning what God's purposes were for me in my life and if I was missing something. I was really earnestly seeking God and wondering what am I doing? Is there something I'm supposed to be doing that I'm missing? I don't want to waste any talents even though I don't see myself as having any great talents or anything, but I know the Lord has given us all some. I want to be able to use them. Before I went to bed, my wife and I prayed to the Lord about these questions. I woke up in the middle of the night and went to lie down on the couch. As I was lying down on the couch, I don't know if I fell asleep or if I was awake, to be honest. I'm assuming I fell asleep for just a few minutes. It seemed like a dream but I could feel everything happening in my body like it was real. I could hear myself say to myself, “You are such a loser” (I felt like it meant that I was not good for anything, meaningless life, etc.). (“We can do nothing without Him” but “We can do all things through Him”. His power is made perfect through our weakness. This revelation comes before the experience below.) Immediately, after that was said, this incredible Force picked up my entire body. Not even the strongest human on Earth would be able to resist this Force. My body was powerless, as I had no control over my motor functions. However, my consciousness was still there, and I was completely aware of everything that was going on from an observing point of view. This Force was moving me across the ground, as if I were a floating object. I then noticed something that the Force was moving towards. As I got closer, I knew that it was a shadow in the shape of a man. As the Force brought me directly over the shadow, I shot up in the air like a rocket! The Force moved me with such extreme velocity and an incredible amount of G-Force. It felt like my body was shaking like an earthquake (The Lord was showing him that He comes in those who will, through death to self, give themselves over to His Word and power.), as I was going straight up into the air. It seemed like the shadowy figure was what made the Force shoot me directly up in the air. I was shaking so excessively that it seemed to be contorting my face, as if soaring up through the air. I then seemed to come either out of the dream or into an earthly reality. I started to think normally, and I thought, is something wrong with me? What is happening to me? The Force started to wind my body down, and it began to become less intense. It shook me so hard that I could still feel it in my physical body, as I either woke up or came into complete consciousness. I started meditating on what had just happened. I thought about the shadowy figure. The only thing that kept coming to me was Trump. I have no idea why I felt this way. It might have looked like him, I'm not for sure. I don't think about Trump a lot, so it was very unusual for me to think that. (He is typed by Cyrus, who conquers DS Babylon, just when the Man-child is anointed over the Kingdom by the King. Cyrus is a shadow of Trump. Cyrus makes it possible for the Latter Rain Man-child to come and release the captives, as in Isaiah 61. So the shadow person could represent both of these entities ruling under God as the verse he received. The refuge here will be formed and our new provisions to reach the world will come.) I have a Bible App that I check every morning and it sends me a verse of the day. I opened the App and looked at the verse, it said “whoever dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty”. I was amazed that it had the word “shadow” in the random daily verse!   Resurrected Back to Life D. L. - 05/24/2016 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was observing a group of about 12 people standing somewhat together. All of them had grey hair that was tending more toward the white. (This could be the 12 Man-children from UBM we have had many dreams about and who have been spiritually resurrected.) Then in walked a tall man who walked directly to the group and to a woman in the middle, whom I understood to be his wife. But he had died some time ago and had been buried at that time. (This is a repeat of history called the “out resurrection” by Paul in Phl.3:11 If somehow I may attain unto the out-resurrection from the dead. This is in the most accurate Numeric English New Testament. Here it is in history. Mat.27:50 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; 52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised (Many of these were just dust by the time of this out-resurrection. All of these have a purpose in God's work); 53 and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. 54 Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. What a witness of the resurrection to these people! This partial resurrection will be worldwide. As a witness G.C. was resurrected after being dead and buried for 8 ½ months. He came walking into his kitchen to greet his wife. Six people were resurrected that day in a moment.) D.L.- Now, she was no longer a widow, but no one showed any emotion. (These men would have also been resurrected, so it's no surprise to them.) He just walked over to where she was and started talking to her. In the next scene, they were in a room off to my right, standing there talking. Then I woke up and it was almost 4:30 am. As I was waking up, I was still in the dream state and heard a knock at the back door, which is near the bedroom, and I opened the door. It was light outside and there stood my brother Darl, who had been dead since October of 2009 and was cremated. (Cremation is the fast oxidation of the body. The normal rotting of the body is slow oxidation. Both are just dust but God can bring them back.) He had brown hair but the last time I saw him it was white. He said he was on his way to Charlotte, NC to see his daughter and just stopped by to let me know he was around. He said he had a car and plenty of money to do what he had to do. Then he walked away and when he got about 20 feet away, I asked him if he was going to see our five children. And he said yes and that it was in his schedule. End of dream. (They have a God-given schedule for the revival. Could this be a secondary meaning to Paul's words? Php.3:10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; 11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead [Numeric pattern is in “the out -resurrection from the dead”]. 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. Paul and others of his caliber will be among them.)   What's the Motivation of Your Heart? Sandy Shaw - April 2016 (David's notes in red) In this dream, the first thing I see is a white brick fence. People are walking on the fence. Some jump on the left side, and then they jump back on the fence. Some jump on the right side, and then they go back to the fence. And this is going on continually with people walking the fence. Then I realized the left side is the way of the world and the right side is the way of the Lord. When I realized that, I heard, “I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). (Which God spoke to the lukewarm.) Then I noticed a man was standing next to me. I didn't know who he was until he spoke and He asked, “How does this edify Me?” I immediately felt conviction and asked the Lord for forgiveness for having my own agenda. Then I saw a little girl in a house. (A little girl represents immaturity.) She was looking out the window as she saw her friends outside. She was sooo anxious to go with them. She ran to a closed door in the house and knocked on it. And on the other side of the door was her mom. She said, “Honey, I'll be out in a minute”. At this point, the little girl turned and looks out the window and turned around and knocked on the door again. And her mom said, “Wait for me. I'll be out in a minute”. The little girl ran to the big window and saw that her friends are in the next yard. She ran to the table and saw paper and a pencil. She wrote, “I'll be back in a little while. I'm going to play with my friends”. So Mom comes out and called for the little girl and saw that she is not there but she saw the note. Time has passed, and the little girl comes back and she says, “Hi, Mom!” And Mom says, “Honey, come and sit down”. The little girl says, “Mom, did I do something wrong? I left a note; didn't you see it?” “Yes, I did. But I asked you to wait.” “But my friends had gone to the next yard”. Mom said, “Now I know I need to give you punishment. First, because you didn't wait and your plans are not my plans for today. Therefore, you did not listen”. Next, I saw a big tree. I was sitting under it with the same man next to me. He said, “Examine the motives of your heart. Are your desires My desires? Are your desires lined up with My Word? Examine the desires of your heart. Is the agenda of your heart yours or Mine? Your motives, your heart, your agenda -- are they lined up with the Word? Am I your All-in-All?” Pro.16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But the LORD weigheth the spirits. 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life. Mar.12:30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Psa.27:14 Wait for the LORD: Be strong, and let thy heart take courage; yea, wait thou for the lord. Isa.55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.   Surrendering Brings Swift Victory T.F. - 1/14/23 (David's notes in red) Suddenly, I felt the Lord's presence so strong in the spiritual realm. I then saw at that very moment, that in an instant, God could remove all the filth in my flesh and soul 100%, quicker than I could think, and He could manifest His presence 100% in my body and soul. I saw that it had already been done, and the manifestation could be done instantaneously. (The manifestation is progressive but it can be finished quickly. Php.1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. Psa.81:13 Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of Jehovah should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever.) I know many other brethren pray for God to manifest Himself in us fully (Eph.3:19 to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.) We all want to be 100% dead to self, and my soul desires it so much for all of us. We know that, by faith, it has already happened and we will see it manifest in the physical realm. But, in that moment, when I saw He could do it all right then, my flesh got so terrified because it couldn't handle the presence of God that strong and that intensity so quickly. I desire it, and I know it will happen. But there is so much that I still have to let go of that isn't Christ, that God hasn't even revealed to me yet; so many hidden things. But God will reveal those things in His perfect timing, and I desire to let go of EVERYTHING that isn't Holy. I have thought that the complete removal of self in an instance would hurt because it is all I have ever known and His holiness replacing it would hurt if it happened without me being fully prepared. I felt that it had to be a gradual thing. I must let go of things bit by bit, and then the Lord can come and fill those spots, until there is nothing left but Jesus. I must keep letting go of my own carnal thinking, reasoning, and understanding and filling it with the Word and His Holy Spirit. (This is why God told the Israelites that every place that they set their foot in the Promised Land, He would give them. Because if He had wiped out their enemies all at once the land would have been overrun with wild beasts. So, He ordained that they conquer it a little at a time. Exo.23:28 And I will send the hornet before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.) I have felt and experienced what I would describe as my flesh surrendering bit by bit to the Spirit and the Word, but some parts still haven't surrendered completely and if it happened instantaneously, possibly my mind and body couldn't handle it. God's timing is perfect and we need to be prepared every day for an increase of Him in each of us in our soul and physical body. When we surrender to His Spirit willingly and surrender our whole heart to Him, it is so much easier for our body to submit. (1Co.9:27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.) Yes, I want the complete manifestation and deliverance from all evil in my soul and body, but I realized that it is a progressive thing, so that my physical body can handle it. God doesn't give us more than we can handle. God wants His Son to completely manifest in each of us. I can see Jesus growing and increasing in the brethren more and more, and it is so beautiful to witness. After experiencing this, I have felt so much closer to God and that every day we are getting closer and closer to Him manifesting in us fully. Every day, whether we see it or not, we are dying to self in some areas and He is coming into us more and more than the previous day. (Joh.3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.) Everything is His grace and can only be done by His grace. It is all because of Jesus. ALL Glory and praise to Our Father and Lord Jesus forever and ever! Lord, let us all willingly surrender to Your Spirit in all areas of our existence. Allow us to love You more and to rest in You, accepting Your grace and allowing You to flow through us. Thank You Lord, that Your grace is beyond anything we can comprehend. Thank You that we can do nothing without You, but we can do everything through You. Thank You that it's not us living, but Christ living in us. Thank You that we are dead to self and alive unto You, God in Christ Jesus. Thank You that Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death! Thank You, God that it is all You for all eternity! (My husband prayed and saw a young fruit tree - ambitious to bear hundreds of fruits, but not yet mature to do so. As the branches grew, buds formed all over and flowered. In time the tree was able to bear the amount it could handle.) Empty Me, (for Jesus) Debbie Fensky – 10/24/19 On Wednesday morning, October 23, I was awakened at 4:13 a.m. by a loud voice. I had fallen asleep on our sofa, and Denny was in the bedroom. My first thought was that he was yelling to me to get up. But when I looked at the clock, I saw it was too early to get up to get ready for the morning meeting. My mind cleared enough to realize that it was not Denny's voice. It was the voice of God or the voice of an angel of the Lord. And what He spoke was not in words I recognized. And it was really loud! It sounded to me like two words were spoken. I asked Father to let me know what He was saying through these words. I immediately heard, “Empty,” and He continued speaking. “This is the word for you, My people. Empty! The time is now to be empty! I am still uncovering hearts. Will you spend time with Me? For your hearts, your very life, is the temple in which I dwell. Do you know that you represent My authority? Do you truly know? Know this, that I know your name, for you hold My Name. I am going to bring back much truth to remembrance and reveal spiritual to spiritual. (The disciples related that this happened after Jesus died and was resurrected.) You are My spiritual people, and I want to continue working a spiritual work and a deep work in you and among you. And My authority will be upon you as you allow the spiritual light and truth to pour forth into your heart, and your mouth will speak deep things of My Spirit; things I have taught you. And people will know these things are true. But, My people, there is still some emptying out that needs to take place. For yea, I am cleaning you up. I am making you clean. Only be empty. Empty your hearts and yourselves of all your belongings, longings, and your trifles. Yes, even your own nothingness. What you think of yourself is not important. Glory only in that you are in Me, and that I am everything in you. I have a job to do through you. I have chosen you to be My humble, My emptied out, and cleaned up vessels. But I am letting you know the time is short. And I still need room for total residence.” I was moved by what Father said. And I was intrigued and wanted to know how “empty” was pronounced in the Hebrew. And I wondered if it was two words. So I tried something - I looked things up, asking God to lead me. In Hebrew, “empty” is “tohu bohu.” That was about the length of the words that I heard spoken to me so loudly. Some “empty” definitions: decant, lay bare, empty, raze, spill Strongs Hebrew 7386 adj; rake, empty, vain. Much that we give ourselves to is nothing; only vain. Strongs Hebrew 8414; formless, confusion, unreality, emptiness, desolation, empty space It said, properly spelled, it is, “tohuw bohuw.” And somewhere in all of this belongs, “tohu wa-bohu.” And this meaning (Heb), wasteness, that which is laid waste, desert, emptiness, vanity. But, “tohu bohu” is parallel to Isaiah 34:11, confusion, emptiness. Speaking about God's wrath against the nations, which we want to have no part of. So God is still telling us to get things of Egypt out of us. Isa.34:11 “But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, and owl and raven will dwell in it; and He will stretch over it the line of desolation and the plumbline of emptiness.” Father, may we desire to become completely empty of ourselves and our personal correctness, all that is vain, so that Your plumb line finds us measuring up to the fullness of Your likeness in us, so that we do not fall behind and even become as one of the nations. God, we need You to help us give it all up. Thank You for Your grace to do what You are being so long suffering in telling us to do. We do want You fully and totally residing in us. Lord, in Jesus name, help us to keep the end in view! Amen. Eph.4:12-13 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” 1Th.5:6 “so then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” Get Ready for God's Great Reset! The One Word Order - Kolyah - September 14, 2021 Rhema Word … 9.13.21 … entrusted to Kolyah … released just prior to Yom Kippur “Little ones, are you ready for My hard reset of your world? It is best that you prepare now, for in an instant, of My choosing, the brakes on this runaway world will suddenly be applied down to the floor … to the foundations; bringing this global wickedness to an abrupt halt. When that happens, there will be a hard tossing about, with slamming, banging, and pain for those who are not braced, awake, and aware. (This reminds me of Eve's Dream of the US/China Train coming to a sudden halt.) Do you remember the report of the loud shrieks of horror and mourning that arose in Egypt's night, at the death of their firstborn? Truly, I say to you, it shall happen again on a worldwide scale, as I bring forth the disclosure of the truth that will shatter hearts, minds, idols, and strongholds by the power of truth that will not be held back, modified, or contained behind closed doors. The cries of anguish and despair will finally bring the level of breaking necessary for the people to realize how wickedly they have been deceived, and how eagerly they have ingested the poisons promoted by the deceivers. (On both sides. This could be the EBS that Trump and the Alliance have been planning, revealing the DS satanic crimes and the false Christian leadership.) They will think that ALL IS LOST, as they see the price that they have paid for their blindness, stubbornness, pride, and fear. As no household was untouched by the grief arising throughout Egypt at the time of the first Passover, so shall it soon be in your day. Only the households that heeded my warning and those, who obeyed My voice, will be spared the depths of the pain. The righteous will mourn and grieve for those around them. They will weep for those across the world, who will be writhing in unspeakable agony of soul in the realization of the pit into which they have fallen. I will allow the righteous to feel the pain of seeing the losses among those whom they love, but I will not allow them to go into the deepest depths of soul pain; only into the depths of intercession that will lessen the pain in others. My compassion will undertake. Have I not said that those who did not LOVE the truth would fall into deception? Too few believed My word regarding that matter. As I am the first Truth, whom they are to love, those who have had a shallow, fickle affection for Me will find out the grave consequences of being casual about truth and without true love … and the results of accepting, as fact, only those things that fit into their own grid … into their prideful grid of comfort and human knowledge. They will feel horrifically betrayed, and well they should. Their own souls have betrayed them, because their love of My truth, and of My reality was only partial. In the pain of their consequences, they will have the opportunity to exchange an appreciation of truth for a committed LOVE of the truth. Not only am I Truth and Love, but I am also Justice and Commitment. Human justice and convenient human commitment will be humiliated through what is to be revealed soon. The deep falsehoods in the human premises will be shattered as My truth comes down like a hammer. Truth will not come down as a soft rain, for rain requires years to erode rock and to move mountains from their place. There is no time for that now. A rock smasher and a mountain crusher are needed to awaken the sleepers and to expose the truth before all is lost. The Enemy has been working his plans with wicked brilliance. I have allowed it to unfold in order to entrap him, and all those who are in league with him. The lies, which have provided the glue to secure their wicked plans and mandates of unholy power, are about to be changed into a slime. That slime will be powerless to hold their deceptions together. The road, which has been cemented into place through their deceit, will begin to sink and separate. Where then, will they walk in their prideful power? Who will join them on that slimy road, once the truth is exposed? All this will come … but first the howls and the tears must come to soften the hardened hearts, and to bring them to the melting point in the laser light of hot Truth. My way is righteous and wise. You must trust Me. The fear of Me has been replaced with the fear of man. The awe of Me has been replaced with the awe of inventions and technology. The awareness of human vulnerability has been replaced with an awe of intellectual prowess and confidence. All of these strongholds of wicked false worship, and of arrogant disregard of Me … all the strategies designed to supplant and to replace Me … will be brought down into dust. (What? No Med-beds? The use of AI, CGI, and high-tech devices.) It is good to be down on your knees in this hour, as the final round of increased shaking takes place. On your knees, you will be properly positioned before Me. Those on their knees will not be knocked down as the world rocks. Their personal kingdoms will not fall down upon their heads. The posture of submitted humility will be the place of safety for those who seek Me, and who abide in Me. But be advised: what is about to take place will greatly disquiet your souls. Do not allow the pain you see manifesting in the multitudes, nor the shrieks of those you love, cause you to mistrust or to despise Me. Trust Me that the process I bring forth will set My Great Harvest into place. Go to your knees soon, and remain in a spiritual posture of humility before Me as these days unfold. The Enemy of your souls will put up an even greater fight to retain power, and to seize even more. I have already declared the boundary set against this advance and have put that boundary into place. It will not be moved by him, nor by any of his associates. It will stand firm, for I have decreed it. (The boundary is the Bride. As in my vision of 2007, the boundaries of the catastrophes were the refuge.) Get out of the way of what I am about to allow and do. Move into a place of safety as I direct you. Do not fear and do not depend upon your own survival strategies. Simply abide in Me and be well. I will not allow more than you can handle. Have I not entrusted the words of truth in Psalm 91 to be a holocaust blanket, and a sure safety to surround you? Declare those words and find safety in the shelter of those promises. Know that the wailing of the masses will seek to disquiet you; to take you into fear and doubt. Don't go there, but rather profess your faith and stay in the Spirit at all times. Lock down in Me and hold. Gather in those who are standing, but who are weakening. Be a support of faith for each other. Share the treasure and the provision which I have given to you for this hour. What I provide will be more than enough. Entrust your troubled heart to Me. I will hold it securely and will fill it with all the love and hope you will need. Know this: I am fully in control. There is NOTHING out of My hand, plan, or notice. There will be many who have been on the fringes of faith, who will declare that My way is NOT GOOD. They will feel the horror of the unveiling, and then cry out that I am cruel for allowing such things. I AM MORE compassionate and patient … more loving and kinder than any of you can fathom. My path is a hard one, because the rebellion is very deep and widespread, consuming a great portion of humankind. (Stripes that wound cleanse away evil.) Unless there is a clearly visual manifestation, revealing where the influences of rebellion and deceit have taken your world, the changes in hearts will be only temporary and shallow. There are lessons to be learned. There are people to be reborn. There are powers of great evil embedded into every facet of human life that must be disclosed and stripped. As a result, these painful measures are necessary. I will allow only the smallest level of suffering required to bring the vital changes. The length and depth of human suffering will be determined by the speed at which the hearts and minds submit to the purpose of the shakings. See to it that you lovingly, clearly, tell the ignorant and the arrogant the truth about what is happening, and about what will yet happen. If you do not speak the truth to them, the hollow spaces formed within their human souls because of the shaking will be quickly filled with more lies, bringing more rebellion and more defiance against me. Cooperate with My plan to bring a Great Awakening, and see the Glory come to your world as a result. Hold on tightly to Me. The most violent shaking is about to come. (Spiritual and physical! In the warfare that is coming, there will be violent earthquakes which they are very capable of making; to say nothing of the nukes going off.)HOLD! Rest in Me, and do not withhold the truth from the terrified and perishing. The deceptions that have held them are about to crack. The trauma and terror of it will bring forth good fruit as we work together. All will be well. Trust, stand, obey, and believe. I am with you, and I am in charge. In the final analysis, you will bless Me for what I am about to allow, as well as that which I am about to bring forth from My own hand. Hold, and thank Me in advance for the glory which is soon to come to your world to change everything.” At the time we received this last revelation in 2021, a year after COVID-19 and the DS death jab. We prayed for people who took the shots and saw healings. We prayed for those who were infected by those who got the jab and saw healings. We know worse plagues than the DS's vax are coming. We have prayed for lost friends and seen healings. Some people who got the shots got placebos and showed no infection. Some only got the first shot and show less trouble. Cry out for mercy and God answers. The revival of the Man-child ministries will heal many when they believe. Mark 11:24 is still true. Mar.11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Like Esther, intercede for your family and the people of God that they repent and accept God's word and turn this thing around for them. Many times God changes a decree when touched by faith. Pray for your loved ones and cover them. All things are possible to him that believeth. Like the woman who, in rebellion, finally decided to get baptized, and shared her experience of the extreme fear she felt before she was submerged in the water, which was replaced by a beautiful peace and joy. That's what's coming for those who obey and surrender to the Word of God. The power of the Holy Spirit will fill those who repent and obey.   Prepare, I Come Quickly Eve Brast – 8/20/18  Yesterday, as I was working, around 11 am, the Lord spoke to me very clearly, “I come quickly... Go, My daughter, and write the things I speak and warn My people.” So I grabbed my notebook, and He said, “In a very little while you shall see Me. I come quickly. Tell My people to enter into the secret places of their hearts and cry unto Me for purity and holiness; to press into the voice of My Holy Spirit. Listen to My voice in the quiet place. Soften your hearts to My corrections. Cleanse yourselves of all defilement of flesh and spirit. If your hearts are pure and willing, I will fill you with My power to overcome. Separate yourselves from distractions and the useless things of this world and this life. There is so little time left. So little time!! Seek Me with all your mind, will, and strength and I will be found of you. Don't faint in the day of adversity! Many judgments and terrible things are coming. Do not get weary of seeking Me daily. Do not grow weary of sanctification. Be diligent to be found in Me. When I return and judgments fall, will you be found in Me? Your adversary is increasing his activities, especially against My holy ones, seeking to deceive and destroy as many as will listen to his lies. All idolaters will fall. Wherever idols are found, the enemy will gain access to your souls. The idol of self is the biggest deception. You sit on the throne of your own hearts and are deceived by your own mind, will, and emotions!! Put on My whole armor and fight! Do not let down your guard even for a minute. Understand your enemy's tactics! He will use your friends, even your brethren, your family members, and your phones and electronic devices to keep you from obeying this word I speak to you. Resist the distractions and the cunning deceptions and lies. Do not listen to lies! Cast down every vain thing, every vain thought, or these will take root in your heart and mind and exalt themselves above Me and My Word. Then shall the scales cover your eyes and your ears will be stopped, and the deceptions will overtake you! You will not even recognize it. Go forth in intercession, void of distractions. Don't be slothful! Pray without ceasing and I will lead you to victory. You will be found in Me and the devil will have nothing in you. In this way you will live in the light of My truth. I will lead you forth in victory, conquering all your enemies. I have provided everything you need, but you must use it!” I asked Father for a text for this word by faith at random and my finger was on the phrase, “there is no respect of persons” in Colossians 3:25 (in context 1-25) Col.3:1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. 5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: 7 wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things; 8 but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: 9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged. 22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: 23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Deborah Fensky - 8/29/18 God started speaking this to me last week in a couple of the morning meetings and last Friday night's meeting. Since last Friday, after I was done receiving this word, several things were shared here and there that matched up with or seemed to me to confirm things in this word. I had been questioning God about Him being bitter. But then He reminded me that He hates, and how in so many places in the word, God expressed what and who His soul hates. He let me know that He can be bitter too. Then on the last conference call Michael asked everyone, “Can God hate?” Along with other things this week that have been said, I felt God was confirming this word to me. But I did ask Him today to confirm with 2 heads if I should share this now, or wait. I know other words have been spoken that we need to remember. Yet, today I tossed and immediately got 2 heads. “I am bitter toward My people. I am bitter with anger. Listen, My holy ones. Have I not said that I come quickly? I come quickly, with a strong vengeance. For My people disregard Me. They disregard My ways. They refuse to seek Me out, but stubbornly adhere to their own likes and desires. Yet, though I am bitter with anger towards My people, My mercy will cause Me to hear their cries of repentance. Hear My cry, My holy people. I need you. I need you to pray and fight for My lost and stubborn children. And I need you in this day to continually draw close to Me. Live in love and faith, and in the wisdom of My Word and by My Spirit. For though living in an evil day already, as I have warned, dark evil is soon to descend upon all the earth; a darkness so gross that the light of My Glory to shine forth, penetrating that darkness, drawing My lost people out of the world to the light. I am the Light. My holy ones, you are the Light. You in Me and I in you. The dark and evil day is upon you. Thrust all your faith in Me and Me alone. There can nothing be of yourself. Yes, the day you are about to enter is a day of deep darkness, but a day of My power. It is the day My Glory will be fully revealed in My holy ones. Have I not said, I come quickly? I need you to trust Me. I need you to make yourself ready. Make yourself ready!”

Welcome to Day 2882 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2882 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 135:8-14 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2882 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2882 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Sovereign of History – Dismantling the Rebel Giant Kings In our previous stop along this grand, poetic landscape, we explored the opening movement of Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five, where we witnessed a magnificent temple liturgy that unmasked the false gods of the nations. We watched as Yahweh effortlessly demonstrated His total, seamless mastery over nature—commanding the clouds, directing the lightning, and releasing the wind from His royal celestial storehouses. We saw how the psalmist executed a brilliant, razor-sharp polemical attack against Baal, stripping the Canaanite storm god of his fraudulent resume. We discovered the comforting truth that Israel is Yahweh's segullah—His private, prized, and treasured possession, chosen out of the chaotic landscape of a disinherited world. Today, the temple liturgy takes a powerful, dramatic turn. The psalmist shifts his focus away from Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over nature, and directs our eyes to His absolute, undeniable sovereignty over human history and spiritual geography. He takes the traveling assembly on a historical tour, demonstrating that the True King doesn't just manage the weather; He systematically dismantles the greatest earthly emp'res, and violently crushes the giant rebel kings who attempt to block the expansion of His kingdom. We are exploring Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five, verses eight through fourteen, in the New Living Translation. Let us step onto the trail, adjust our cosmic lenses, and watch the Righteous Judge execute justice against the principalities of darkness. The First Segment is: The Judgment of Egypt's Incarnate Gods Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five: verses eight and nine. He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals. He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people. The historical narrative begins in the dark, oppressive brick-kilns of Egypt, tracing the opening lines of Israel's great cosmic liberation. “He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals. He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.” To fully comprehend the sheer scale of the spiritual warfare embedded in these familiar words, we must look past our modern, secular history books, and view the Exodus through the profound lens of the Ancient Israelite divine council worldview, as masterfully taught by Doctor Michael S. Heiser. In the book of Exodus, chapter twelve, verse twelve, Yahweh explicitly declares the ultimate, underlying purpose of the plagues. He states, “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am Yahweh.” The Exodus was not merely a political dispute over human labor; it was an open, aggressive courtroom trial, and a declaration of war against the corrupt, territorial elohim of the Nile. Egypt was the premier superpower of the ancient world, operating under the direct spiritual inspiration of powerful, rebellious members of the heavenly host. Pharaoh himself was not viewed merely as a human politician; he was worshiped as an incarnate god—the living proxy, and the supreme avatar, of the rebel spiritual principalities. When Pharaoh oppressed the chosen family of God, he was acting as the mouthpiece for the cosmic rebellion. Therefore, when Yahweh unleashed His miraculous signs and wonders, He was systematically target-shooting the Egyptian pantheon. He turned the Nile into blood to humiliate the river gods; He blocked out the sun to blind the sun god, Ra; and He paralyzed the land with darkness. The terrifying, ultimate climax of this cosmic execution occurred when the Lord destroyed the firstborn of both people and animals. In the ancient Near East, the firstborn son represented the strength, the legal inheritance, and the future legacy of the household. By striking down the firstborn—including the firstborn son of Pharaoh himself—Yahweh permanently broke the spiritual back of the empire. He demonstrated that the gods of Egypt were utterly helpless, completely unable to protect their own biological and spiritual lineages from the superior authority of the Creator. The proud, arrogant principalities of the Nile were weighed in the celestial balances, found wanting, and publicly stripped of their power. The Second Segment is: Dismantling the Gatekeepers of the Underworld Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five: verses ten through twelve. He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings— Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the rulers of Canaan. He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel. The historical tour moves from the waters of the Red Sea, to the rugged, bloody battlefields on the eastern side of the Jordan River. “He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings—Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the rulers of Canaan. He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.” To the casual reader, the names Sihon and Og might seem like obscure, boring footnotes from ancient military history. But to the ancient Israelite pilgrim singing this song, these two names triggered a profound sense of awe, and holy terror. These were not ordinary human kings; they were the terrifying, giant gatekeepers of the cosmic rebellion. Let us unpack the spiritual geography of these territories through Doctor Heiser's research. In the book of Deuteronomy, we discover that Og, the king of Bashan, was a literal remnant of the giant Rephaim. His massive iron bedstead was over thirteen feet long! In the ancient Near Eastern mindset, the Rephaim were not just tall people; their lineage was directly connected to the Nephilim—the hybrid offspring resulting from the spiritual corruption of the Watchers recorded in Genesis chapter six. They were the physical, and spiritual, anomalies produced by the rebel gods to contaminate the human race, and block the redemptive plans of Yahweh. Furthermore, the region of Bashan was universally recognized as the geographic and spiritual epicenter of darkness. Located at the foot of Mount Hermon—the exact site where the rebel angels originally staged their mutiny—Bashan was poetically referred to as the "place of the serpent," and the literal "gate of the underworld." Sihon and Og ruled over this demonic stronghold, acting as a massive, supernatural wall designed to intimidate Israel, and prevent them from ever entering the Promised Land. When Yahweh struck down great nations, and slaughtered these mighty giant kings, He was not just clearing a physical highway for Israel. He was executing a spectacular, cosmic cleansing of the geography. The Divine Warrior marched into the very territory of the dead, confronted the most terrifying, monstrous proxies of the rebel council, and completely obliterated them from the face of the earth. He proved that giant stature, demonic lineages, and ancient spiritual fortresses are absolutely nothing but dust in the presence of the Almighty. And look at the ultimate, glorious result of this victory in verse twelve: “He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.” This is the beautiful, geographic reversal of the Tower of Babel. At Babel, humanity was disinherited, and handed over to the rule of the lesser elohim. But here, Yahweh violently reclaims the land from the rebels, completely evicts the demonic tenants, and hands the territory over to His segullah—His special possession. The Promised Land becomes a restored beachhead of Eden, a sacred space where the cosmic order, truth, and righteousness of the true King can finally flourish. The Third Segment is: The Eternal Courtroom Verdict Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five: verses thirteen and fourteen. Your name, O Lord, endures forever; your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation. For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. Having demonstrated Yahweh's absolute mastery over history, the psalmist transitions into a magnificent, courtroom declaration of praise, drawing a sharp contrast between the mortality

Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God.5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.6 Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.7 Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

Welcome to Day 2881 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – The Bible as a Polemic: Confronting the Powers that Rebelled Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2881 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2881 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled:  The Bible as a Polemic: Confronting the Powers that Rebelled To modern readers shaped by pluralism and academic detachment, the confrontational tone of the Bible may seem abrasive. But this response overlooks what the Bible truly is. It is not a disinterested theological reflection. It is a weapon. It is a series of books forged in the heart of a spiritual and historical rebellion. Its message was not formed in a vacuum but in the aftermath of Babel and the divine treason of the bene elohim who had been placed over the nations. Understanding the polemical nature of the Bible begins by understanding the world it was written to confront. The first segment is: What Is a Polemic? And Why the ANE Was Full of Them A polemic is a targeted argument or critique meant to expose, undermine, or discredit a rival idea, practice, or system. Unlike a simple disagreement or neutral description, a polemic is written to confront. It deliberately challenges an existing claim and seeks to replace it. In the ancient world, polemics were often theological, political, and cultural all at once. The gods, kings, and cities of rival nations were not treated as irrelevant. They were treated as threats that had to be addressed. In the context of the Ancient Near East, polemics were deeply embedded in the stories nations told about themselves. Every origin story, temple hymn, or divine genealogy was not just a description of how things came to be. It was a claim of legitimacy. To say your god created the world or defeated the sea monster or chose your king was to declare supremacy over other peoples and their gods. It was to say, “Our story is the true one. Yours is a counterfeit.” For example, when Babylon claimed that Marduk created the world by killing the goddess Tiamat, it was not just promoting cosmology. It was justifying Babylon's imperial authority as the city of the supreme god. When Egypt said that Ma'at held the universe together through the Pharaoh's divine rulership, it was declaring that Egyptian order was the divine ideal, and everyone else lived in chaos. In such a world, writing something like Genesis 1 was not a quiet religious reflection. It was a direct challenge to every claim made by Egypt, Babylon, and Canaan. It was a polemic. And in the Bible, this polemical instinct is not occasional. It is foundational. Israel's Scriptures were not meant to fit within the theological frameworks of other nations. They were meant to shatter them. The second segment is: Babel and the Reordering of the World Genesis 11 describes a human rebellion that goes far deeper than building a tower. At Babel, humanity attempted to unify under its own authority and defy Yahweh's mandate to fill the earth. But the judgment that followed did more than scatter languages. According to Deuteronomy 32, verses eight and nine, when Yahweh divided the nations, He appointed the bene elohim, divine sons of God, to oversee them. Only Israel would remain His direct possession. The nations were not abandoned without guidance. But over time, the spiritual beings given authority over them failed in their stewardship. They began to crave worship and corrupted the justice they were meant to uphold. Psalm 82 records Yahweh standing in judgment over these divine rulers, declaring that they would fall like mortals. This cosmic judgment sets the stage for the mission of Israel and the tone of Scripture itself. The third segment is: Israel: The Counter-Nation Unlike the nations that inherited rebellious rulers, Israel was created from scratch. Yahweh did not reform an existing people. He called Abram from among the disinherited nations and made a new people who would be His portion. Israel was not simply chosen for privilege but created for purpose. As stated in Exodus 19 verse six, they were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This priestly identity means Israel's role was inherently polemical. Their laws, festivals, temples, and scriptures were not private religious expressions. They were public declarations that the gods of the nations were false, the powers behind them were corrupt, and that Yahweh alone was Most High over all the earth. The Bible, as the written witness of Israel's calling, reflects this purpose. The Fourth Segment is: Polemics in the Biblical Texts The polemical nature of the Bible is woven deeply into its stories, laws, songs, and prophecies. These are not culturally isolated documents. They are intentional confrontations with the dominant worldviews shaped by the fallen gods of the nations. The Fifth segment is: Creation and the Flood Genesis one is not merely an account of beginnings. It is a direct response to Mesopotamian creation myths such as Enuma Elish, which portray creation as the result of divine violence and chaos. In contrast, the biblical God creates through speech, with order and intention. There is no struggle, no divine bloodshed, no pantheon. It is a declaration that the gods of Babylon are not creators but pretenders. Likewise, the flood account in Genesis six through nine subverts the flood stories of the surrounding cultures. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods send the flood in terror and regret it. In the Bible, the flood is just, purposeful, and moral. It is a surgical judgment on a world corrupted by human violence and divine rebellion, not the panicked act of unstable deities. The sixth segment is: Conquest and the Defeat of the Gods When Israel enters the land of Canaan, the conquest is not simply a political campaign. It is a cosmic battle against the corrupted spiritual rulers of the land. The defeat of Pharaoh in Egypt is explicitly described as Yahweh executing judgment on the gods of Egypt. The plagues are not random punishments but targeted humiliations of Egypt's divine protectors. Jericho's fall, the silencing of Baal on Mount Carmel, the defeat of Dagon before the Ark in 1 Samuel 5, and the crushing of Leviathan imagery in the Psalms all follow the same pattern. The text is not just reporting history. It is declaring war on the false gods and the unseen rulers who manipulated the nations into darkness. The seventh Segment is: Psalms and Prophets as Weapons The Psalms, often viewed only as worship poetry, are filled with divine council imagery and subversion of Canaanite theology. Psalm 29, for instance, uses storm language that sounds like a Baal hymn but places Yahweh as the one who rides the storm and subdues the waters. In Ugaritic myth, Baal defeats Yam to earn his throne. In the Bible, Yahweh sits enthroned above the flood before it ever lifts its head. The prophets likewise deliver blistering critiques of the nations and their gods. Isaiah 19 declares judgment not just on Egypt but on its idols, priests, and necromancers. Ezekiel 28 mocks the divine claims of the Prince of Tyre, unmasking him as a fallen being in Eden. These are not veiled jabs. They are open condemnations of spiritual rebellion embedded in political empires. The Eighth segment is: The New Testament: The War Reaches Its Climax By the time of Christ, the powers of the nations had not been dethroned. The world remained under their sway. Jesus refers to Satan as the ruler of this world and frames His ministry as a battle to bind the strong man and plunder his house. Every healing, exorcism, and storm-calming miracle is a polemic in action. Jesus is not just showing compassion. He is confronting the gods. The cross itself is the ultimate polemic. It appears to be a defeat but is actually a triumph. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:15, Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame. This is courtroom and battlefield language. The spiritual powers that once ruled unchallenged were publicly exposed as weak, condemned, and temporary. The apostles carry this mission forward. Paul sees the preaching of the gospel as a cosmic declaration to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. The church is not merely a new religious community. It is the living proof that

13.1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. 5 And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' 9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?' you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

Regardless of the era, Israel has been hated and warred against. History shows this during the biblical era of the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Midianites and the Amalekites. In modern times, anger against the Jewish nation has been fueled by the rampant spreading of antisemitism through entities such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Turkey, or Islam. Did you know more resolutions against Israel have come before the United Nations than any other nation in the world? Did you know that the vast majority of the world's nations are regularly voting against Israel? This is a nation only the size of New Jersey, yet they've been despised and warred against throughout all of human history. Under such international pressure, it's truly a miracle that Israel has survived. Why all the hatred? Why have all these forces been unable to destroy Israel? The answer lies in the fact that this is not a battle of flesh and blood, but this is a spiritual battle that has ensued from the beginning ...

There's a terrifying line between having unwavering faith in your homeland and blinding yourself to a reality that is tearing it apart. Did the spies lie? For generations, Jews have read Parshat Sh'lach as the story of a faithless generation that listened to ten pessimistic scouts instead of Joshua and Caleb. The rabbis saw their tears as a "bechi shel chinam"—a gratuitous cry whose consequences echoed through Jewish history. But what happens when history forces us to reread the story? Key Takeaways The Spies Didn't Just Report the Facts—They Shaped the Narrative The Torah's first Hasbara crisis was not about military intelligence but about interpretation. The spies and Joshua saw the same land, the same giants, and the same challenges. The debate was over what those facts meant. Every generation faces the challenge of distinguishing between reality and the stories we tell about reality. 2. Sometimes Ancient Texts Force Us to Reconsider Our Assumptions For centuries, Jews have read the spies as the villains of the story. Yet in a moment of war, division, and uncertainty, we asked whether there are times when their warnings deserve to be heard. The enduring power of Torah is that it does not merely answer questions—it challenges each generation to confront its own historical moment. 3. Hasbara Begins at Home The spies were not speaking to the Canaanites; they were speaking to their fellow Israelites. Before a nation can explain itself to the world, it must understand itself. The conversation explored whether Israel's greatest challenge today is not external public diplomacy, but maintaining a shared sense of purpose, responsibility, and destiny among its own people. Timestamps [00:00] Meet Pamela Peled [03:07] Spies and Perception [07:29] Zionist Journey to Israel [11:11] When Fear Feels Real [18:10] Hasbara Begins at Home [21:34] Sponsor Break [22:32] Israel Not Apartheid [24:30] Needless vs Authentic Tears [28:52] Conflict and Corruption [32:05] Hope and Closing Blessing Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/733929 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Regardless of the era, Israel has been hated and warred against. History shows this during the biblical era of the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Midianites and the Amalekites. In modern times, anger against the Jewish nation has been fueled by the rampant spreading of antisemitism through entities such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Turkey, or Islam. Did you know more resolutions against Israel have come before the United Nations than any other nation in the world? Did you know that the vast majority of the world's nations are regularly voting against Israel? This is a nation only the size of New Jersey, yet they've been despised and warred against throughout all of human history. Under such international pressure, it's truly a miracle that Israel has survived. Why all the hatred? Why have all these forces been unable to destroy Israel? The answer lies in the fact that this is not a battle of flesh and blood, but this is a spiritual battle that has ensued from the beginning ...

This week we continue our look at the Book of Joshua covering the seize of Jericho and discussing the morality of God's command to wipe out the Canaanites.

Hosts Pastor Robert Baltodano and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: Carrie, YouTube (1:41) - Both Abraham and Moses saw God, but Moses had a glow afterward while Abraham didn't. Why is this? Teri, email (3:22) - Where is Abraham's Bosom and Hades? Where do the spirits of the dead rest? Chris, NY (5:24) - Did God have patience with the Canaanites during the four hundred years that Israel was in Egypt? When God told the Israelites to "smite them all," did that include the kids and women? Teri, email (10:50) - Where was Enoch taken? Are other righteous dead in the same place as Moses and Elijah? Connie, VA (13:02) - My family member is gay, how do I handle telling them I don't want their influence on my kids? William, GA (16:42) - Can we pray for God to forgive our children's sins? Bobby, DE (23:18) - Was the book of Revelation written by Lucifer? Derrick, email (26:33) - What is your favorite chapter of the Bible? What are some best practices to study the Bible? Donna, VA (33:38) - What do you think of the burial process that turns your body into soil? Jenn, email (38:09) - Can you explain deliverance? How is it that believers can have demons that need to be cast out? Carly, email (42:04) - What are Seventh Day Adventists? Are they different from regular Christians? Joy, NJ (44:04) - How does someone go about repenting? What actions do you take? Is it disrespectful to call yourself a sinner? Arthur, YouTube (49:53) - In John 1 is the Word of God the same as God? Pauline, email (51:55) - How were people able to cast out demons without God's power in Matthew 7? Ask Your Questions: Call: 888-712-7434 Email: Answers@bbtlive.org

Looking at three examples in the Bible of people who abandoned their previous group identity to join God's family, we see a pattern to emulate. Rather than thinking of yourself as an American or a businessman or a student who goes to church, think of yourself as a child of God who is also an American or a businessman or a student. Joshua 2:1-21 Rahab took a huge risk protecting the Israelite spies. She had heard about Yahweh who had demonstrated his power in Egypt and she wanted in. Joshua 6:15-25 She abandoned her Canaanite group identity to become an Israelite herself. She and Salmon had a son called Boaz who became a man of integrity and compassion. Ruth 1:7-9, 18 Ruth responded to Naomi's immense suffering through a self-sacrificial act of loyalty. She abandoned her Moabite identity to care for her mother-in-law, taking on her religious beliefs and practices. Ruth 3:10-11 Rahab's son, Boaz, took note of Ruth's character and loyalty. He married her and their child was the grandfather of the great king David. Philippians 3:4-6 Paul was a man of religious fervor and zeal. As a Pharisee, he adhered to the strictest sect of Judaism. That was his identity. Acts 9:3-6 When Jesus presented himself to Paul it resulted in his sudden abandonment of his previous group. Henceforth he threw his lot in with the Christians, the very people he had been persecuting. Philippians 3:7-9 Rather than mourning the loss of his old group identity, Paul now considered all his previous accomplishments as trash in comparison to “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.” What is your group identity? Do you first think of yourself as a child of God, part of his family, or does your identity lay elsewhere?The post Transformation 2: The Kind of People We Are first appeared on Living Hope.

In Judges 5, Deborah and Barak respond to God's mighty deliverance with a song of praise, celebrating the Lord's victory over the Canaanite oppressors. In this message, Pastor Jim Schultz walks through this powerful chapter, showing how the song highlights both God's sovereign power and the willing obedience of those who answered His call.Along the way, we see the contrast between those who stepped forward in faith and those who stayed on the sidelines, offering timely lessons for believers today. What keeps us from obeying God? Fear, inconvenience, distraction, or something else?This sermon also explores how Christians should understand themes of battle and victory in light of the New Testament. Drawing from Ephesians 6, Pastor Jim explains how believers are called to engage in spiritual warfare through faith, prayer, standing firm in God's truth, and boldly sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.Join us as we learn to praise God for His victories, trust His leadership, and faithfully follow His call.

"G.R.E.A.T. Faith" (Matthew 15:21-28) In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus with a need that no one around her could address. She was not a Jew. She had no standing. And yet she fixed her eyes on Jesus, called Him Lord and Son of David, and refused to move no matter what came at her. In this sermon, Elder Omar Edwards walks through five elements of great faith using her story as the frame: God-focused, Repentant, Earnest, Adoring, and Tenacious. He draws a sharp contrast between this woman and the disciples who had witnessed miracle after miracle and still struggled to trust. The sermon calls both believer and unbeliever to consider what it actually means to come to Jesus, not for what He can give, but in repentance, humility, and desperate need. Sermon Notes June 7, 2026 Elder Omar Edwards Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

NKJV 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey." ' 18 Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.' 19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

This powerful message takes us deep into the concept of diligence as a spiritual force that transforms our lives from the inside out. We often think of diligence as simply showing up on time or working hard, but Scripture reveals it as something far more profound—it's the refusal to quit what God has called us to pursue. The sermon explores Proverbs 12:24, which declares that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule, contrasting those who persist with those who fall under circumstances. We're challenged to examine not just our external efforts, but our internal diligence: Are we guarding our thoughts? Are we persistent in our pursuit of God's presence? The message unpacks Hebrews 11:6, reminding us that God rewards those who diligently seek Him—not casually, not occasionally, but with relentless determination. This isn't about perfection; it's about pursuit. When we face tiredness, discouragement, slow progress, or opposition, diligence becomes the supernatural force that carries us through. The Canaanite woman who wouldn't take no for an answer, Jacob wrestling with God until he received blessing, David facing Goliath—these stories illustrate what happens when determination meets faith. We're called to be finishers, people who understand that victory is guaranteed if we simply don't faint. The message lands powerfully on Galatians 6:9: we will reap if we don't grow weary in well-doing. The only thing that can stop our harvest is quitting before it arrives. We pray this message blesses you and gives you the strength you need to do and be all that God has called you to do and be! Leave a comment below letting us know how this message impacted you today, we'd love to chat with you! #RelevantChurch #Diligence #Reward #RewardsOfDiligence #PastorChrisSarno #OnlineChurch #RelevantChurchDaytonaBeach #Church #ChurchOnline #RelevantChurchFlorida -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ways to Give: Text to Give: Text your amount to 888-364-4483 Online Giving: Visit our website http://www.relevantfl.org/giving to give via debit, credit, or ACH Mail It In: Send gift Via USPS to 920 Beville Rd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay Connected: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @RelevantChurch Relevant Church Website: https://www.relevantfl.org/ Relevant Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relevant_fl/ Relevant Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RelevantFL Relevant Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relevant_fl Relevant Church App: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1615804850?fbclid=IwAR3aHqo_6kr8Tzd_JK6xihjfJkVk6j7-iqITDj1u1wFicDLn6g6C29gL3LY Rkidz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkidzfl Relevant Youth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relevantflyouth/ Relevant Church Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6nUtPIkecEehfstUWWPIVU?si=QBMEtu85SyuU3FxRM1X7lg&nd=1 Pastor Chris Sarno's Website: https://www.chrissarno.tv/ Chris Sarno App: http://www.chrissarno.tv/app -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scripture References: Proverbs 12:24 Hebrews 11:6 Matthew 19:16-22 Matthew 19:23-24 Galatians 6:7 Galatians 6:9 Luke 2:49 James 1:2 1 John 4:4 John 8:32 Mark 9:23 Isaiah 53:5 Genesis 2:15 Matthew 15:21-28 Mark 5:25-34 Romans 10:9-10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, June 7th 2026 Pastor Chris Sarno Relevant Church The Rewards Of Diligence | Week 1 | Sunday, June 7th 2026 | Pastor Chris Sarno | Relevant Church

Second Sunday after Pentecost Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-9 1Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lordappeared to Abram, and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb. Psalm: Psalm 33:1-12 1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; *        it is good for the just to sing praises. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; *        play to him upon the psaltery and lyre. 3 Sing for him a new song; *        sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet. 4 For the word of the Lord is right, *        and all his works are sure. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; *        the loving-kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, *        by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts. 7 He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin *        and stores up the depths of the sea. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; *        let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to pass; *        he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught; *        he thwarts the designs of the peoples. 11 But the Lord's will stands fast for ever, *        and the designs of his heart from age to age. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! *        happy the people he has chosen to be his own! Old Testament: Hosea 5:15-6:6 15I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favor: 1"Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. 2After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." 4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. 6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Psalm: Psalm 50:7-15 7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak:  "O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *        for I am God, your God. 8 I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *        your offerings are always before me. 9 I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *        nor he-goats out of your pens; 10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *        the herds in their thousands upon the hills. 11 I know every bird in the sky, *        and the creatures of the fields are in my sight. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *        for the whole world is mine and all that is in it. 13 Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *        or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *        and make good your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; *        I will deliver you, and you shall honor me." Epistle: Romans 4:13-25 13For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations") —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be." 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness." 23Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." 18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Welcome to Day 2876 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Progressive Christianity and the Northern Kingdom: A Repeated Rebellion. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2876 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2876 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled:  Progressive Christianity and the Northern Kingdom: A Repeated Rebellion. After the division of Israel, Jeroboam feared losing his kingdom if the people continued worshiping in Jerusalem. Rather than abolish religion, he reshaped it. He placed golden calves at Dan and Bethel and declared, “Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (First Kings 12, verse twenty-eight). He kept the name of Yahweh but changed the worship to fit political and cultural needs. Progressive Christianity walks the same path. It keeps the language of faith while redefining the terms. Jesus becomes a moral teacher rather than the risen Lord. Sin becomes injustice rather than rebellion. Salvation becomes social healing rather than spiritual redemption. Just like the Northern Kingdom, modern progressives offer a god who is familiar in name but foreign in nature. The First Segment is: “Open-Minded” Idolatry The people of Israel did not see themselves as rejecting Yahweh. They simply wanted to be open to other spiritual options. Baal was worshiped for rain, Asherah for fertility, and Molech for prosperity. The land was filled with high places, groves, and alternate shrines. In their minds, it was not apostasy. It was balance. It was maturity. Progressive Christianity mirrors this impulse. Its leaders are often proud to affirm all religions as valid paths to the divine. Jesus is presented as one example among many. Interfaith services blend Scripture with mantras, chakras, and meditation. This “open-mindedness” is not new. It is the same spiritual adultery that the prophets condemned as whoredom. God does not share His throne. The second Segment is: Pagan Intrusion in Sacred Clothing The Israelites introduced forbidden elements into their worship. They practiced divination, consulted mediums, and used cultic rituals they learned from their Canaanite neighbors. They may have justified these things as “spiritual tools,” but the prophets saw clearly what was happening. Paganism was creeping into the house of God. Today, angel cards, energy healing, astrology, aura readings, and manifesting are all being imported into churches, especially those influenced by progressive and New Apostolic Reformation theology. These practices are often wrapped in Christian language. They speak of light, Spirit, and destiny. But they are no different from the forbidden rituals of ancient days. Their power does not come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the same deceiving spirits that always wait behind the idols. The Third Segment is: The Rise of Prophetic Theater In the Northern Kingdom, the prophets became professional performers. They declared victory and blessing without requiring repentance. They contradicted the true prophets, promising peace while ignoring rebellion. Jeremiah lamented, “They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you'” (Jeremiah 23, verse seventeen). Today's “prophecy schools,” such as Bethel's School of Supernatural Ministry, follow a disturbingly similar pattern. They claim to train individuals to “activate” prophetic gifts, to decree and declare realities into being, and to access heaven's secrets at will. But true prophecy in Scripture was never a skill to be mastered or a sensation to be invoked. It was a calling given by God to speak His Word with fear and trembling. At Bethel and similar movements, prophecy becomes performance. It centers on personal revelation, emotional experience, and “manifesting” outcomes rather than repentance, obedience, and holiness. Like the prophets of the Northern Kingdom, these teachers proclaim peace where there is no peace and glory without the cross. The emphasis on “prophetic activation” closely mirrors the divination condemned by Moses, where the divine is manipulated for human ends rather than received with reverent submission. The Fourth Segment is: Cultural Syncretism Rebranded as Revival Ancient Israel thought it could have both Yahweh and Baal. It thought it could use Canaanite worship styles to honor the God of Abraham. But Yahweh had already spoken at Sinai. His worship was not negotiable. Israel's attempt to blend cultures resulted in divine rejection. Progressive Christianity makes the same mistake. It borrows the language of self-help, the values of humanism, and the practices of mysticism. It attempts to wrap them in Christian terms, calling it “revival” or “awakening.” But Yahweh does not share His glory. He is not worshiped on the high places. He is not accessed through emotion, technique, or personal preference. He demands covenant faithfulness. The fifth segment is: The Prophets Were Never Popular In the Northern Kingdom, the true prophets were persecuted. Elijah was hunted. Amos was silenced. Hosea was scorned. They did not tell people what they wanted to hear. They told them what God said. The people preferred the false prophets who promised peace, affirmation, and national greatness. Today, biblical voices that warn against false spirituality are called judgmental. They are told they are stifling the Spirit. They are accused of division and fear-mongering. But their words match the prophets of old. God does not change, and neither does the nature of rebellion. The sixth segment is: The Consequence of Compromise The Northern Kingdom fell. Assyria crushed it, and its people were scattered. The fall was not just political. It was spiritual. The gods they welcomed could not save them. The prophets they trusted led them into ruin. God gave them over to what they had chosen. Progressive Christianity is on the same path. It trades revelation for reinvention. It welcomes what God forbids. It builds golden calves and calls them Jesus. Its trajectory is not renewal but collapse. A house built on sand will fall. In Conclusion The Northern Kingdom did not fall because it rejected religion. It fell because it redefined it. It kept the name of God while reshaping everything else. It embraced the gods of the age and called it progress. Progressive Christianity is repeating this rebellion. It is time to choose whom we will serve. For further study, consider these Discussion Questions Why do you think Jeroboam chose to redefine Israel's worship rather than abolish it outright? How does this reflect the way progressive Christianity reshapes faith today? What are the dangers of being “open-minded” about spiritual truth? At what point does openness become compromise, and how can we recognize the difference? How do modern practices like angel cards, manifesting, and prophetic activation parallel ancient forbidden rituals? Can these practices ever be redeemed or are they inherently incompatible with biblical faith? Why were the true prophets in Israel often unpopular and rejected? How does this help us evaluate popular spiritual leaders today? If the Northern Kingdom's downfall was theological more than political, what does that suggest about the long-term consequences of doctrinal compromise in the Church today? Join us next Theology Thursday to learn The Bible as a Polemic: Confronting the Powers that Rebelled Kingdom:. If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of  ‘Wisdom-Trek,  Creating a Legacy.'                          Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly,   I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:           

In Week 14 of our Kingdom Code series, Brandon Williams walks us through Matthew 15:21–28, where we encounter the remarkable faith of a Canaanite woman who refuses to give up in her pursuit of Jesus. Through this powerful account, we see that genuine faith remains steadfast even when circumstances are difficult and answers seem delayed. This message reminds us that humility, persistence, and trust in Jesus are marks of great faith, encouraging us to keep pursuing Him no matter what obstacles stand in our way.

In this message from our "We Can Be Heroes" series, we explore the surprising story of Rahab — a Canaanite prostitute living in the wall of Jericho who ends up in the Bible's Hall of Faith and in the genealogy of Jesus. Just like high school graduation celebrates the unlikely heroes nobody saw coming, God consistently chooses flawed, faithful people over the talented and popular. Through Rahab's story in Joshua 2, we discover that true faith isn't defined by a clean record or a thick theology — it's marked by quiet strength that protects the innocent and steady courage that proclaims what is true. If your past feels like it disqualifies you, Rahab's story is your answer: God kept his promise down to the last brick, and he's still in that same business today.

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal at ⁠⁠⁠PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal ⁠⁠⁠today!What do you do when the world around you is constantly chasing false idols — when society’s empty promises tempt you to forget the true source of your provision? Join Jaime on the Praying Christian Women Podcast for a devotional on Psalm 65 — God’s Abundant Favor to Earth and Man — a psalm that speaks directly to the spiritual battle for our loyalty and the revolutionary goodness of the one true God. Jaime unpacks the rich historical and geographical context of this beautiful passage, revealing that it is far more than just a simple harvest celebration. Instead, she explores its powerful original purpose: a bold, spiritual assault on the false Canaanite god, Baal. While the ancient world was ruled by the fear of bloodthirsty, territorial deities who demanded horrific sacrifices in exchange for rain and crops, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob revealed Himself as a completely different kind of ruler—a loving Father who provides not because of what we do, but because of who He is. Even today, when we are surrounded by a culture that tempts us to fill our voids with modern-day idols and fleeting comforts, God remains the ultimate authority over the chaos. He is the One who truly establishes the mountains, stills the roaring seas, and crowns the year with His bounty. When the world demands constant noise and striving, God gently invites us into His courts, showing us that even our awestruck, still silence can be a profoundly effective form of praise. Come ready to lay down the earthly vices you’ve been clinging to and confront the ways the enemy tries to veil your spiritual eyes. Let this psalm remind you of the stark contrast between the exhausting demands of this world and the boundless grace of the Creator. Because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you don't have to look anywhere else to find your ultimate satisfaction, and you can confidently join all of creation in shouting for joy. Discover More: Explore additional episodes of Praying Christian Women, Mindful Christian Prayers, and other Christian podcasts at Lifeaudio.com Check out our new podcast, Christian True-Crime Junkies!, on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Connect with Us: Stay updated and engage with our community: On Substack @PrayingChristianWomen On Facebook @PrayingChristianWomen On Instagram @PrayingChristianWomen On YouTube: @PrayingChristianWomen Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

864 They Will Heed Your Voice, A Guided Christian Meditation on Exodus 3:16-19 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Exodus 3 NKJV 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey." ' 18 Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.' 19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. 2 RSV 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per′izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites, a land flowing with milk and honey."' 18 And they will hearken to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we pray you, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.' 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. Reflection on Scripture: God called Moses to listen to the voice of a burning bush in the wilderness and from the beginning God told him that the people would accept him and that the Pharaoh would not. God knew with precision what would be required to deliver His people from bondage and He told Moses all about it. This was an unknown blessing. Moses did not understand the blessing that he was given. He was given the answer for how it would pan out. Many times in our lives we take steps into what seems to be darkness to our eyes. There have been many times in my life and my ministry where I feel I have gotten only a small partial direction without any indication of what would happen. In fact my whole journey to become a Chaplain took me a total of 8 years and I had no assurance that my path would end in success as it has.  Invariably I suspect for most things God directs us to do we will not get clear direction on the outcome. DIcernment in and of itself is a valuable thing. After we are reasonably assured we have been given a direction the battle is not over. We have to just roger up and do the best we can and stay open to further guidance God gives us along the way. Moses was told the people would listen and that Pharaoh would only respond when compelled but many times Moses didn't know what was coming next.  God invites us into a relationship of trust. He had no such relationship with king of Epypt. So in this situation although it would be very challenging to be Moses, it would be far worse to be the king who opposed him, who opposed God. So the invitation stands to each of us. Do we respond to the call of the Lord or do we choose what our human passions desire? Do we bravely wade into the deep waters, sustained by a God of wonders or do we cower in fear hiding from the Lord? I know what I want that answer to be for me, what is left is actually doing it.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

“Into the Water”Joshua 3:1-171 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits[a] between you and the ark; do not go near it.”5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”6 Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.7 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.'”9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

God's Mercy With Gideon's Doubt by Autumn Dickson The book of Judges records a time period in which Israel had no centralized prophet. There was apostasy and partial restorations as the Israelites would sway into worshipping like the Canaanites did. The Lord sometimes sent judges to help Israel against their enemies. These judges were charismatic, military leaders. Some of the judges would save all of Israel; other judges were more regional. Gideon was one of these regional judges, primarily protecting Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Ephraim. Gideon is interesting because he struggled with his faith in the Lord, and yet, the Lord was merciful. There are plenty of instances in the scriptures where the Lord doesn't seem to respond to that very well. Right after the Red Sea parted, the Israelites demanded a sign of Moses to show his favor with God. They were complaining and challenging Moses to show a sign. The place was named Massah as a memorial to their lack of faith. When Zechariah was told that his wife would have a son, he didn't believe it because she was old. He was struck as a mute. Thomas the apostle was likewise rebuked for his lack of faith. Gideon receives not just one, but multiple signs from the Lord. The angel burns up his offering to the Lord. His blanket is covered with dew while the ground is dry one night; his blanket is dry while the ground is wet one night. As he stands in the camp with his 300 men to go against the Midianites, the Lord encourages him to go spy on the Midianites and see what they're saying in order to receive comfort. He does so and overhears a Midianite sharing a dream in which a barley loaf came and flattened a tent. The Midianite's companion interprets it as God helping Israel defeat them. Here is Gideon's response. Judges 7:15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. Multiple signs! God continually blesses Gideon and gives him signs to encourage him along. In fact, Gideon didn't even ask for the last sign. The Lord just gave it to him, and He gave it to Gideon in a powerful way. It would have been one thing to send a dream to Gideon about defeating the Midianites. It would have been easy for Gideon to wonder if it was just wishful thinking. In comparison, hearing the mighty Midianites have a dream and interpret it as defeat by the Israelites was much more powerful in calming Gideon's fears. So why did Gideon get multiple signs while others seem to be rebuked for asking for the same thing? I think there are a lot of reasons because the Lord works according to individual circumstances, but I want to talk about two potential reasons that can be applied in our own lives as we work to approach the Lord. The first reason the Lord was willing to work with Gideon is because the Lord is wise enough to understand that Gideon didn't have much of a relationship with the Lord. The fact that his father had a Baal altar implies that Gideon's family had fallen into idolatry. How much did Gideon know about God? We know Gideon had some knowledge of God because he asks about the deliverance from Egypt, but how much had Gideon experienced God? There's a difference. How much could the Lord reasonably expect Gideon to trust Him? The Lord knew Gideon, but did Gideon know the Lord? The Lord isn't looking for blind, obedient dogs. He is looking to have a true relationship with us. The fact that Gideon was cautious about running into danger isn't a sign that Gideon is faithless; it is more an indication that Gideon did not yet know the Lord. So what does this teach us about our own lives? The Lord will not begrudge us the time it takes to learn how to trust Him; He doesn't mind allowing us to approach Him until we've built up a number of encounters and start to understand His character. David fought off two wild animals before he fought off Goliath. We recently read about Moses whose trust in the Lord was extremely fragile in the beginning; Moses grew to the point where he encouraged the Israelites to have faith in the face of certain death even though he did not yet know the plan for rescue. The Old Testament gives us a front row seat to watching people experience the Lord and grow in their trust of Him. In contrast, imagine a powerful stranger coming up to you and saying, “Trust me.” When you ask them why you should trust them, they respond with, “Because I told you to.” Um…what? You may not immediately hate them or be wary of them, but you're not going to give them your darkest secrets or social security number (or hopefully you won't…). The Lord understands that He is a stranger to us; He is the one who put the veil there. He understands that we need experiences with Him before we're ready to run into danger when He asks. Once again, He isn't looking for blind, obedient dogs. He wants His children to be wise and consciously and voluntarily choose Him. He gave Gideon experiences because Gideon likely hadn't had many previously. He was patient with Israel. He was patient with Moses. The Lord has no problem being patient. If He seems impatient in specific scenarios, we can usually assume it's for the benefit of the person He is working with. He is trying to get their attention or get them moving. Which leads me to my second reason: The Lord allowed Gideon to approach Him multiple times for signs because Gideon's heart was soft. Over and over and over and over and over we read about the Lord responding with intensity in response to a hard heart and responding with mercy and encouragement to a soft heart. Gideon's heart was obviously soft. Look at this verse. Judges 6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. Gideon approaches the Lord so humbly. When the angel gave him a sign, Gideon immediately built an altar unto the Lord. That night, Gideon went and took down the altar of Baal according to the direction of the Lord. We see this multiple times with Gideon. He approaches the Lord in humility and asks for help knowing the truth. Gideon was willing to follow the truth and power and peace; Gideon was just trying to make sure he was looking in the right direction before moving forward. It is only when we've closed our heart off to that truth and power and peace that the Lord shakes the earth to reach us. I think of the Egyptians that saw all the same signs as the Israelites but didn't bother to ask whether they should follow after the same God as the Israelites. I think of Rahab and her people. The Canaanites were all terrified, but it didn't change who they put their faith in. Only Rahab was willing to follow the Israelite God and was spared because of it. You would think that people would open their eyes and ask, “Is there something here?” You would think that they would pause long enough and open their hearts so that the Lord could speak to them. Gideon asked, but Gideon was likewise prepared to follow through. This was part of why the Lord was so willing to encourage him along. I testify of a Lord that responds with wisdom. He knows what He is doing. He will not condemn us for approaching Him for reassurances if we're doing so with the intent to follow after Him. He doesn't even condemn us when we struggle; His intensity is not a sign of condemnation. It's a sign of God's love in trying to reach us! However the Lord is working in your life, you can take it with the perspective that He is trying to do what's best for you. I'm grateful for a Lord who is wise and can train me so purposefully and deliberately. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

In this message, we'll look at the great faith of a Canaanite woman, who received mercy from Jesus in her time of need. In doing so, we'll consider the Gospel of Jesus that both saves us and sends us into a world of need.   Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

In this compelling message, Greg Bryan dives into Matthew 14-20 to explore the "surprising and costly grace" of King Jesus. Opening with a fascinating breakdown of the Hebrew letters in God's personal name (Yahweh)—which symbolically translate to "behold the hand, behold the nail"—the speaker demonstrates how the Old Testament conceals what the New Testament ultimately reveals through Christ. Throughout the study, listeners are challenged to examine their own hearts and develop a "big view of God" that transforms how they live, trust, and forgive.Key Themes & Facets of Grace: Grace Multiplies Our Little: Looking at the feeding of the 5,000, we learn that when we surrender our inadequate resources to Jesus, His authoritative hands multiply them into more than enough. This miracle reveals Him as the true shepherd and the bread of life. Grace Meets Us in the Storm: Through the story of Jesus walking on water, it becomes clear that grace isn't the absence of trouble, but rather the very presence of Christ stepping into our chaos to save us when we sink. Grace Transcends Barriers: Jesus's encounter with the Canaanite woman proves that His mercy shatters ethnic, gender, and religious boundaries, overflowing to anyone who approaches Him with desperate, humble faith. Grace Redeems Our Identity: Following Peter's bold confession at Caesarea Philippi, we see that our truest identity is not found in our past failures, occupations, or cultural labels, but strictly in our union with the Son of the Living God. Grace Calls Us to Die: True discipleship means abandoning self-preservation to take up our cross, as grace redeems us by crucifying our old, self-centered identities and conforming us to Christ. Grace Demands Radical Forgiveness: The parable of the unmerciful servant illustrates that because God has forgiven our unpayable sin debt, we are called to freely and radically forgive others. Grace Offends Human Fairness: Through the parable of the vineyard workers, we are reminded that salvation is a generous gift from God, operating on an entirely different economy than human merit, entitlement, or comparison.Conclusion: The session wraps up with a poignant reflection question for the audience: "What is your view of God right now?" A small view of God leads us to trust ourselves, judge others, and seek comfort, whereas a big view of God empowers us to live boldly by faith, expect trials, and generously extend grace to others.

This week, Pastor Jesse is in Matthew chapter 15, where Jesus confronts the difference between outward religion and real faith. We walk through Jesus challenging empty tradition, revealing that true transformation begins in the heart, not in performance. We also see the persistent faith of the Canaanite woman, who clung to Jesus despite every obstacle, […] The post Matthew 15 – When Religion Is Empty and Faith Is Real appeared first on Sierra Bible Church.

As our study of Genesis continues, we find Isaac grown and Abraham anxious to marry him off to a godly woman. The nearby Canaanites are idol worshippers, so Abraham sends his servant back home to find a suitable match. What happens next? Join us on the Bible Bus and find out.

What Does it Mean to be a Prophetess? by Autumn Dickson In a day and age where many are curious as to why women can't hold specific positions in the church or be ordained to priesthood offices, reading about Deborah the prophetess can be confusing. Here is a verse that describes her as a prophetess. Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. If Deborah can be a prophetess, can we have a prophetess in our day? What does it even mean that she was a prophetess and what are the implications for women in the latter days? I think it's important to note that I'm not an official representative of the church. However, I'd like to share some of my own perspectives and interpretations surrounding Deborah and what it means as a female Latter-day Saint. But first, some context. Judges is a book of scripture that describes the time period when Israel had no king. Joshua, the prophet after Moses, died, and there was no prophet that directly succeeded him. We don't know exactly how long it took before the Lord called another centralized prophet (Samuel), but educated guesses suggest 300-450 years. As a society, they had the Law of Moses, and the government could be described as a tribal confederation. Despite having a law given unto them from God, they often fell in with Canaanites and found themselves in varying levels of apostasy. Sometimes, in response to the Israelites finding themselves in trouble, the Lord would send a “judge.” The way that we define “judge” is not necessarily accurate in this particular book of scripture. In this context, a judge was a charismatic military leader that would help Israel. There were some major judges such as Samson; there were other minor judges that would help regions rather than the entire nation of Israel. So who was Deborah? Deborah was one of the major judges sent by God to help Israel. She was a judge in every sense of the word. She was a military leader, but people also literally went to her for guidance to settle their problems. She was also a spiritual leader over the nation of Israel. Was she a prophet? The scriptures describe her as a prophetess, and she led all of Israel politically and spiritually. But was she a prophet in the way that we define “prophet” in our day? At this point, I think it's important to clarify what it means to have a prophet. Definition One. The way that we usually define “prophet” in our church in the Latter-days is unique. It's not just someone who studies the scriptures and knows them really well. It's not just someone who receives revelation. When Latter-day Saints speak of prophets, we are often describing the man who has the authority to speak for God on behalf of the entire church. He is the only one with spiritual jurisdiction to lead (under Christ) the church. He holds all of the priesthood keys. And yes, he is a male. We don't know if that will ever change. I don't know if it's doctrine that means this particular role will always be male, or if someday the Lord will use His unchanging love and wisdom to adapt His church according to circumstances as He has throughout the course of history. But there is also a broader definition of this term, “prophet.” Definition two. Anyone can have the spirit of prophecy which is defined as a “testimony of Christ.” We know that Jerusalem had centralized prophets in ancient times as well as lesser “prophets” who would also be sent by the Lord to teach and call upon people to repent. I am not a prophet in the sense that I hold all the priesthood keys or can define doctrine on behalf of the Lord for the entire church. However, I have come to view myself as a prophetess within my own family. Beside my husband, I lead our home. I receive revelation on behalf of our kids and what we need to do. I learn the will of the Lord for our family. I fulfill so many of the “prophetic” responsibilities often associated with prophets; I simply do it within the context of my own family. Most importantly, I am a witness of Christ to my family. What kind of prophetess was Deborah? With the information we've been given, I feel pretty safe assuming she was the second kind of prophet. The Lord had declared that priesthood responsibilities would go through male descendants of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. Deborah was not ordained nor did she hold any keys. So Deborah was a prophetess but not necessarily how we often define it in our day. Perhaps there are some who are disappointed by this news. Perhaps there are some who hoped that because Deborah was a prophetess, we could have one in our day. Perhaps there are some who cling to the idea that things will change and long for the day to see a prophetess lead the church. I don't know whether that will be a thing. If anyone has any insight into that particular doctrine, feel free to comment. But as far as I know, we don't know. Here's what I do know. Deborah doesn't need to be disappointing. In fact, if we understand her properly, we should be exultant. If we understand what the Lord would like to bestow upon His daughters and His sons, then we would hold no fear. Deborah is excellent proof of what the Lord would have all of us do. Deborah may not have been a prophetess in the modern sense of the word, but guys! She was still a prophetess! She was a national leader, and people followed her. She changed Israel. She made a difference. She has been regarded with respect by millions who learned about her generation after generation. And she didn't need the priesthood keys to do it. The Lord is wonderful and wise and set up a priesthood organization with offices and keys. I know that can be a painful sticking point for some. I understand that. I'm personally grateful for this organization, but I can simultaneously understand why it's painful. But that's not really my point today. My point is that you have all that you need to become everything God wants you to become, and He has much more in mind for you than you have for yourself. This has implications for men too. About 3-5% of men will hold priesthood keys at any given time in the church. That number jumps to 10-20% of men who will hold priesthood keys at some point in their lifetime. BUT YOU DON'T NEED KEYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND CHANGE THE WORLD. No one came to Deborah and ordained her as a prophetess. The bible doesn't tell us how she rose to that role, but I have my guesses as to how it happened. It happened because she was a faithful daughter of God who chose to follow the Lord wherever He chose to lead her. Following the Lord and handing your life over to Him in faith (female or male) does not mean you will be recorded for people to pore over your life story for generations to come. It doesn't mean you'll be famous or even particularly loud. But if that's what you're looking for, then you're in the wrong place anyway. I love the example of Deborah, if for no other reason than her story means that I can be a powerful tool for the Lord regardless of what mankind recognizes in me. Regardless of whatever official roles I've been given, I could part seas or change lives. Really what it comes down to is what the Lord wants for me and what He's trying to teach me. Having enough power to change the world isn't really the question here; the Lord will give me everything I need. The true question is whether I will give my life over to Him in whatever capacity He asks. I have as well as I can, and I love my life. I testify that we have everything we need to do everything the Lord wants us to do and become everything He wants us to become. I likewise testify that He has much more in mind for you than you have for yourself. If you (female or male) feel left out because you can't be or aren't a bishop, then hold tight. The Lord has much bigger plans for you. He loves you so much. You are so important to Him. It would be silly to ask more from Him when He already plans on giving you everything that He has. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Rahab: From Prostitute to Type of Christ by Autumn Dickson How could I not take some time to speak about Rahab? She was incredible. Here is our introduction to Rahab. Joshua 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. Rahab was a prostitute who hid Israeli spies as they were coming to look at Jericho. In exchange for hiding them, she asked them to spare her and her family. They gave her a red cord to put in the window, and all of Jericho was destroyed except for her and her family. In order to understand precisely why she was so great, it's important to understand the background she was born into. Jericho was getting utterly destroyed. There have been times throughout history where the Lord helped His people conquer without utterly destroying everything. Jericho was not one of those times. The land of Canaan was “full” of sin to the extent that destruction was necessary. It was so filled with misery that it needed a clean slate. Except for Rahab. The fact that she's a prostitute during this time period isn't unsurprising. What she's had to go through is not a sign of her moral failings but of her society failing her. We can see the type of person she is from her reactions. She is willing to follow the Lord after hearing the testimony of others. She wants to save her family, not just herself. She utilized her circumstances for the Lord's work. These are not the only reasons Rahab is incredible. The fact that she married is also amazing when you learn what trauma she likely accrued because of her circumstances. This is not a comprehensive list of her good qualities, but I specifically chose these ones. These qualities are what make her like the Savior. Rahab is a type of Christ. Let's talk about a couple of things in her life that reflect the Savior. 1) She is willing to follow the Lord despite what the society around her is doing. Rahab could have been blinded by her own society. She could have followed what everyone else was doing and simply been afraid. Imagine if the rest of the Canaanites had the heart that Rahab had. Imagine if all of them had approached the Israelite army and were like, “We heard how your God protected you and took care of you. We would like to follow Him too.” Imagine if all of us were able to look at what was going on around us and be willing to follow a better way. The Jews were not especially righteous when Christ came to fulfill His mortal ministry. In fact, many of them were evil. If Christ had been born to any other nation, they would have recognized Him as God. Some of the Jews of this time period were too wicked to see Him for what He was. Jesus broke a lot of their made up rules. He followed the Law of Moses perfectly, but He broke a lot of the rules that they had built up around that law. He looked at society and knew there was a better way to live. 2) She wants to save her family, not just herself. Rahab could have followed the spies out. Perhaps that would have been easier than sitting in her home and hoping all the soldiers followed the direction to spare her. We don't know all the reasons why Rahab stayed, but we do know she sought out her family and brought them into her home where they could be protected too. She cared enough about her family that she sought saving them too. Maybe she even felt that being saved wouldn't be worth it if her family couldn't be saved too. Christ's heart also pushed Him to look beyond Himself. Christ is the only One who was perfect enough to go to heaven. He could have come down here, lived perfectly, and gone on to live in heaven forever, but He loved us too much. He put Himself through difficult things in order to save us too. He was concerned with saving His family. He obviously didn't think heaven was going to be good enough without us despite our many failings. He loved us, and looked beyond Himself. 3) She utilized her circumstances for the Lord's work. It was actually important that Rahab was a prostitute. With all of the tension in the air from the Israelite army, it would have been difficult for the spies to get into Jericho. Because she was a prostitute, it allowed them to enter into the city. It wasn't as uncommon for strangers and foreigners to visit brothels in comparison to visiting repectable houses. Not to mention, Rahab's house was within the city wall and allowed them to escape. Now, the fact that she was a prostitute did not mean that the spies went undetected. Somehow, the residents of Jericho noticed the spies and they came knocking. Rahab hid them on the roof before helping them escape. This is actually also an important reflection of Christ. Only Christ was in the correct circumstances to save us. Because of His birth, He held power that no one else had. He had the ability to save us because of His circumstances. But, it was still ultimately His decision to save us. Rahab's circumstances put her in an ideal situation to save her family and help the Lord's work, but her choices and faith were absolutely key as well. Sometimes our circumstances make it difficult to believe that we could ever be like Christ. Sometimes what we've been through or are currently going through make us think that we can't serve. Sometimes our circumstances are the very things that put is in a position to be like Christ. I testify that like Rahab, we are all given opportunities to be like our Savior. I also testify that like Rahab, following the Lord and His prophet will ultimately save us. It doesn't matter where we started; we can make choices that will put us in line with the Lord's people. He can save us, and He can utilize us if we're willing to leave our old lives behind. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Joshua 1–8; 23–24 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

What do Stan Jones, King David, the Apache Tribe, the Canaanites, Baal, and Yahweh have in common? You'll have to listen to find out more. My latest talk from Psalm 68.

Send us Fan MailGenealogies usually get skipped, but Genesis 10 refuses to be background noise. When you slow down, the Table of Nations becomes a map of the world after the flood and a warning about what the human heart does with power. I'm Dr. Robert Jackson, and we walk through Genesis 10:6–20 with a focus on the sons of Ham, tying biblical names to real places like Ethiopia, Egypt, and Libya so the text lands in history instead of floating in abstraction. Then we zero in on one of the most haunting figures in early Genesis: Nimrod. Scripture calls him a mighty one and a mighty hunter, and we explore how his story connects to Babel in the land of Shinar and to the building of major cities that echo throughout the Old Testament, including Nineveh in Assyria. This is more than ancient trivia. It's a picture of how rebellion can gather followers, reshape a culture, and persuade people to trust human judgment over God's word. We also trace Canaan's line and the Canaanite tribes that later fill the promised land narrative, placing Israel's arrival into its true context. Finally, we ask the question that brings the passage to life: where is Jesus here? Nimrod's “let us rebel” becomes a mirror of our sin nature and a call to discernment, worship, and refuge in the Son. If this kind of Bible teaching helps you read Scripture with fresh eyes, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.Support the showhttps://www.jacksonfamilyministry.comhttps://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/

Join us for the most spiritually uplifting week imaginable on the Momentum 27 West cruise. We will leave from San Diego and go to Cabo San Lucas and other great ports. I will speak as well as Elaine Dalton, Jasen Wade, and others. Jenny Oaks Baker and Nathan Pacheco will also perform. Use the promo code KERRY for a discount at https://www.goanddotravel.com/momentu... For fantastic extra content, join us at / enlightenedgeedu where you will also be supporting the podcast. This week the extra content will help us learn more about the story of the conquest of the Promised Land. With a lot of pictures and video that go beyond what is in the podcast, Kerry goes into great detail about how the whole things worked and allows you to picture it with much greater clarity. In this episode Kerry and Dana Pike discuss the book of Joshua and what God does for His people and how God helped them overcome those things they had been afraid of. Kerry talks about how things worked at Jericho, and how they conquered other parts of the Promised Land and how God brought it all about. Kerry also explores what we learn about the covenant and covenant renewal in the video, and then Kerry discusses how God helped them conquer the Canaanites in the north. We are grateful for our executive producers, P. Franzen, J. Parke, D. Watson, B. Van Blerkom, the Dawsons, M. Cannon, M. Rosema, B. Fisher, J. Beardall, D. Anderson, M. Zitar, J. Edwards, A. Dixon, T. Cottrell, and H. Umphlett, and for all our generous and loyal donors. We are also very grateful for all our Patreon members. We are so thankful for Beehive Broadcast for producing the podcast and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

NLT 7 Then the Lord told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them.

Lesson 9 - The King's Patience and CareMatthew 14:1 — 15:39. The Kingdom education of the disciples continues in the next two chapters of Matthew. They watch their Master grieve the death of the beloved John the Baptist, miraculously feed thousands and then rescue them in a storm. They hear Him denounce the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and yet honor the faith of a persistent Canaanite woman. Whether they realized it or not, every word, every experience was preparing them for the mission that lay ahead — a mission whose challenges were just beginning.To learn more about Michele or to support this international ministry please visithttps://intheword.com

What do you do with the hardest passages in the Bible? In this episode, Dr. E responds to a listener wrestling with one of the biggest objections people have about Christianity: Why did God command the destruction of entire nations in the Old Testament? Dr. Easley walks through passages in Joshua, Deuteronomy, 1 Samuel, and 2 Kings while explaining the historical, theological, and spiritual context behind God's judgment against the Canaanites and other nations. This conversation explores God's sovereignty, justice, mercy, evil, idolatry, and why these passages still feel deeply difficult for believers today. Rather than avoiding the tension, this episode honestly addresses it—pointing listeners back to the holiness of God and ultimately to Jesus Christ, where justice and mercy meet at the cross. If you've ever struggled with difficult Bible passages or wondered how to answer skeptics who call God cruel or inconsistent, this episode is for you. Chapters 00:00 – Why These Passages Are So Difficult 01:52 – Understanding God's Judgment in the Old Testament 05:09 – The Wickedness of the Canaanites 08:02 – Does God Take Pleasure in Judgment? 10:18 – Justice, Mercy, and the Cross of Christ 13:15 – Wrestling With God's Sovereignty Key Topics Covered Why God commanded war in the Old Testament God's justice and sovereignty The wickedness of the Canaanites Mercy, holiness, and judgment Difficult Bible passages explained Spiritual warfare in Scripture Romans 9 and the sovereignty of God How the cross fulfills justice and mercy Answering skeptical objections to Christianity Wrestling honestly with difficult theology Links Mentioned: Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here. If you've got a question for Dr. Easley, call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

In this Mother's Day message, Lead Pastor Steve Garcia and his wife Kate kick off a new series Women of the Bible by exploring the powerful story of the unnamed Canaanite woman who fought for her daughter and refused to give up on Jesus. In one of the most surprising interactions in the Gospels, Jesus uses this moment to reveal what persistent, desperate faith truly looks like. You'll discover: Why desperation can become the starting point of transformation What to do when God feels distant or silent How prayer can become a battle for the people you love most This message is for every person carrying pain, fighting for family, or wondering if God still sees them. Don't give up—Jesus still responds to desperate faith. - NEXT STEPS  Looking to take your next step?  We want to help! Text the word NEXT to 909-281-7797 or visit sunrisechurch.org/nextsteps. - GIVE TO SUNRISE CHURCH Imagine what God can do through our giving. You can give today at sunrisechurch.org/give  - FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunriseChurchCA  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunrisechurchca  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/SunriseChurch 

Welcome to Day 2858 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2858 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 124:1-8– Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2858 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2858 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – Surviving the Raging Waters of Chaos In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we explored the fourth Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three. We stood safely within the seamless walls of Jerusalem, yet we realized that our souls were still carrying the heavy, agonizing scars of the wilderness. We felt the crushing, suffocating weight of cultural contempt. In response, we adopted the posture of a hyper-vigilant servant. We chose to lift our eyes above the earthly mockery of the arrogant, and we fixed our gaze firmly upon the hand of the Master, waiting desperately for His unmerited, vindicating mercy. Today, we are exploring the fifth song in this ancient pilgrim collection. We are turning our attention to Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four, verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. The psalmist shifts our perspective dramatically. Instead of looking upward in exhaustion, he demands that we look backward, and stare directly into the terrifying abyss of what could have been. He forces the congregation to confront a chilling, hypothetical question, imagining a reality where the Creator had ignored their upward gaze. Let us step back onto the trail, and examine the raging waters from which we have been saved. The first segment is: The Horrifying Hypothetical and the Maw of the Underworld Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verses one through three What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The stanza opens with a dark, shuddering question: "What if the Lord had not been on our side?" The psalmist is not asking this lightly; he commands the entire gathered congregation of Israel to repeat the phrase. He wants the collective community to mentally strip away the protection of Yahweh for just a moment, and truly comprehend their own agonizing vulnerability. Imagine a universe where the Most High God was neutral, apathetic, or simply absent. Imagine facing the hostility of the surrounding pagan nations without the covering of the Divine Shield. The psalmist describes the attackers not merely as human politicians, or enemy soldiers, but as forces of cosmic destruction. He says, "They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger." To fully grasp the terror of this imagery, we must understand the Ancient Near Eastern, and biblical, worldview. The language of being "swallowed alive" is heavily rooted in the mythology of the Canaanite god of death, Mot. In the ancient world, death was not just an inevitable biological event; death was a predatory, insatiable entity. The underworld, Sheol, was often depicted as a monstrous beast with a gaping maw, a throat that stretched from the dirt all the way up to the heavens, eager to swallow humanity whole. When the psalmist says the attacking armies would have swallowed them alive, he is revealing the spiritual reality behind the human conflict. The nations attacking Israel are the earthly proxies of the rebel elohim—the fallen spiritual principalities of the Divine Council. The ultimate goal of the kingdom of darkness is not just to win a military skirmish; it is to consume, devour, and entirely erase the imagers of God from the face of the earth. Without the intervention of Yahweh, the burning, demonic anger of the rebel gods would have dragged the entire covenant community down into the belly of the grave. The second segment is: The Torrent of Cosmic Chaos Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verses four and five The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. The terrifying metaphors continue to escalate. The psalmist shifts from the gaping jaws of the underworld, to the devastating, unstoppable force of a flash flood. "The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us." In the arid, rocky landscape of the Middle East, a sudden rainstorm in the distant mountains can create a deadly, roaring wall of water that completely floods a dry riverbed, or wadi, in a matter of minutes. Anyone caught in its path is violently swept away. But once again, the physical imagery points directly to a massive, cosmic reality. In the biblical worldview, stretching all the way back to Genesis Chapter One, the raging, untamed waters represent primordial chaos. The sea—known as Yamm in the ancient Ugaritic texts—was viewed as a hostile, chaotic deity, a dark, churning realm that constantly threatened to undo the beautiful, organized creation of Yahweh. The rebel spiritual forces use the chaotic waters as their primary weapon against the order of God. When the psalmist says, "the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives," he is describing a spiritual tsunami. Have you ever felt that sensation in your own life? Have you ever felt the toxic culture, the deceptive lies, and the sheer hostility of the world rising up like a dark flood, threatening to sweep you off your feet, and pull you under? That is the exact experience of the exile. The enemy does not just want to defeat you; they want to drown you in despair. They want to engulf your soul in chaos, until you can no longer breathe. And the chilling truth that the psalmist wants us to acknowledge is this: on our own, we are no match for the flood. Human willpower cannot hold back the raging waters of cosmic fury. If the Lord had not been standing as a breakwater on our behalf, the torrent would have absolutely overwhelmed our very lives. The third segment is: Escaping the Teeth of the Beast and the Fowler's Snare Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verses six and seven Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter's snare. The snare is broken, and we are free! Suddenly, the dark, suffocating tension of the hypothetical question breaks, and the psalm explodes into a brilliant, breathless shout of triumphant gratitude. "Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!" The psalmist looks back at the jaws of the predator, and he realizes that the mouth of the beast was forcibly slammed shut. Just as God famously shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel in the pit, Yahweh intervened for His people. The rebel gods bared their fangs, the chaotic nations moved in for the kill, but the Creator simply said, "No." He would not permit His beloved exiles to be torn to pieces. He then uses an incredibly delicate, beautiful metaphor to describe our deliverance. "We escaped like a bird from a hunter's snare. The snare is broken, and we are free!" Imagine a small, fragile bird, desperately fluttering its wings, caught tightly in a hidden net laid by a cruel fowler. The bird has absolutely no strength to break the thick ropes of the snare. It is completely helpless, exhausted, and awaiting its execution. This perfectly describes our condition when we are trapped by the deceptive, arrogant schemes of the wicked. But then, the massive, capable hands of the Divine Warrior reach down. God does not just untangle the bird; He violently snaps the trap in half. "The snare is broken!" This is the ultimate, cosmic rescue mission. The rebel spirits set their intricate traps of idolatry, fear, and cultural compromise, hoping to permanently bind the believers. But Yahweh shatters their mechanisms of control. And the result of that divine intervention is absolute, soaring liberty. "...and we are free!" In the biblical sense, freedom is not the ability to do whatever your sinful flesh desires. True freedom is the glorious release from the suffocating, chaotic traps of the enemy, allowing you to fly upward, and live joyfully within the safe, ordered boundaries of God's cosmic blueprint. You have been liberated from the snare of death, so that you can sing in the branches of the Tree of Life. The fourth segment is: The Cosmic Anchor of the Creator Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verse...

858 I Have Heard Them Cry Out, A Guided Christian Meditation on Exodus 3:7-9 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.  You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Exodus 3 NIV The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. NLT 7 Then the Lord told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Reflection on Scripture: I want you to stop everything you are thinking and hone in on this call from the Lord. I am aware of your suffering is what he says to you. I know what you have been through. This scripture points out that he could tell you clearly, I know your victories and your setbacks. I know your heart. I know what you need. I know what it takes to craft you into the image I want from you. Not only do I know all these things but I am strong. I am strong enough to save you. I have that power. The greatest challenge of all the one we should be most desperate for is a forgiveness of our sin.  Each one of us has weakness within our mind and heart. Take this moment to turn from that weakness toward the strength God offers. Working with people in the most challenging of circumstances has shown me again and again that each of us have our own story with plenty of deep valleys. As an example It has been a few weeks since I put out an episode. I got sick then had a family member in the hospital and then someone I minister to in a professional context was in the hospital. So I have had many things up in the air. And at the end of all that I ended up traveling to support a family member and I am not at home to celebrate Mother's Day with my wife. At certain points I have been quite low recently. And yet I know that my struggle is knot unknown to God. He knows it. And he lets these things happen because he knows what is required to cause us to grow. He knows what is required for us to overcome. Please trust the one who has power to save.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

In this Flourish message, Your Faith Is Showing, Pastor Jennie Lusko looks at the bold, persistent faith of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 and discover what it means to keep coming to Jesus even when the answer feels delayed, the silence feels heavy, or the situation feels impossible. This message is an invitation to bring your burdens, doubts, desperation, personality, and prayers fully to God and trust that He is still moving, still listening, and still able to heal, restore, and strengthen what feels beyond repair.This message will help you: understand what great faith actually looks likekeep trusting God when you don't immediately see answerspersist in prayer through disappointment or silenceNEXT STEPS:Ask for prayer or connect with a pastor: https://freshlife.church/contactRegister your decision to follow Jesus and receive free resources: https://freshlife.church/know-godGive a financial gift to support what God is doing as we take steps forward to see the Gospel reach far and wide: https://freshlife.church/giveSUBSCRIBE:Sign up to receive encouragement straight to your inbox, and to stay up to date with announcements, events, and more: https://church.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6ea4d82b2567db3e86b7767cd&id=451f2fe63eDon't miss a video! Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/freshlifechurch?sub_confirmation=1CONNECT ON SOCIALS:Website: https://freshlife.churchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshlifeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshlifechurchTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/freshlifeYoutube: https://youtube.com/c/freshlifechurch/Fresh Life Church was pioneered by Pastors Levi and Jennie Lusko in 2007. We exist to see those stranded in sin find life and liberty in Jesus Christ. Today Fresh Life's ministry impacts people with the radical, life-changing message of Jesus' grace, spilling across Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho… and beyond.

Welcome to Day 2853 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2853 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 121:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2853 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2853 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Guardian Who Never Sleeps In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we took our very first steps onto the ancient pilgrim trail. We opened the collection known as the Songs of Ascents, beginning with Psalm One Hundred Twenty. There, we felt the suffocating exhaustion of living among deceitful people, dwelling in the hostile, spiritual wastelands of Meshech and Kedar. We realized that true peace, true biblical Shalom, cannot be found by negotiating with the empire of lies. That painful realization served as the ultimate catalyst for our journey. We packed our bags, left our tents in the chaotic lowlands, and began our steep, deliberate ascent toward Jerusalem, seeking the presence of the True King. Today, we take our next determined strides up the mountain pass. We are exploring the second song in this pilgrim collection: Psalm One Hundred Twenty-One, verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. As the traveler leaves the safety of his home, and steps out onto the dangerous, open road, a profound sense of vulnerability sets in. The journey is long, the terrain is treacherous, and the wilderness is infested with bandits, predators, and dark spiritual forces. To survive the ascent, the pilgrim needs absolute assurance that he is not walking alone. Let us step onto the trail, lift our eyes to the horizon, and meet the Guardian of our souls. Psalm One Hundred Twenty-One: verses one and two. I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! The psalm opens with one of the most iconic, yet frequently misunderstood, questions in all of Scripture: “I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there?” In our modern, romanticized view of nature, we often read this verse and think the psalmist is drawing peace from the majestic beauty of the mountain peaks. We imagine a serene, snow-capped range inspiring a sense of divine comfort. But to the Ancient Israelite mind, the mountains were deeply intimidating, and spiritually contested, territory. Physically, the mountains were where the bandits hid. They were the places of ambush, rockslides, and wild beasts. But more importantly, we must view this through the lens of the Divine Council worldview. In the ancient Near East, the high places—the peaks of the mountains—were universally recognized as the dwelling places of the gods. The rebel spiritual principalities, the fallen elohim of the disinherited nations, demanded worship on the high places. The Canaanites built their altars to Baal, and their shrines to Asherah, on the elevated hills. Therefore, as the weary pilgrim looks up at the towering, shadow-filled mountains surrounding the road to Jerusalem, he is acknowledging a profound temptation. The pagan culture whispers, "The journey is too hard. The road is too dangerous. Why don't you stop at this local shrine? Why don't you offer a quick sacrifice to the gods of these hills, just to ensure your safe passage?" The psalmist asks the question, “Does my help come from there?” And he answers it with a resounding, cosmic rejection of the rebel gods. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” He completely bypasses the localized, lesser deities of the hills. He declares that he will not seek protection from the dark powers that claim jurisdiction over the mountains. Instead, he appeals directly to Yahweh, the Supreme Architect, who actually created the dirt, the rocks, and the sheer cliffs of those very mountains. Why would he beg for help from a created, rebel spirit, when he has direct access to the Uncreated Maker of the entire cosmos? His help is anchored not in the terrain, but in the Creator of the terrain. Psalm One Hundred Twenty-One: verses three and four. He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. Having established the identity of his Helper, the psalmist begins to sing an anthem of profound assurance over his own soul, and over the souls of his fellow travelers. He promises, “He will not let you stumble.” On a steep, rocky, and unpaved mountain trail, a single stumble could mean a sprained ankle, a broken leg, or a fatal fall into a ravine. A stumble meant you became easy prey. But the psalmist assures us that the Creator is actively involved in the micro-movements of our lives. Yahweh is not a distant, clockmaker God who wound up the universe and walked away; He is intimately engaged, ensuring that our feet find solid purchase on the treacherous path of obedience. And why is God's protection so flawless? Because, “the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.” In this beautiful repetition, the psalmist draws a sharp, mocking contrast between the God of Israel and the false gods of the surrounding nations. In pagan mythology, the gods were fundamentally limited. They got tired. They needed to eat, and they needed to sleep. If you remember the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, he famously mocked the prophets of Baal when their god failed to send fire. Elijah taunted them, saying, “Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and needs to be awakened!” A sleeping god is a useless god. If your deity takes a nap, you are entirely vulnerable to the chaotic forces of the world. But the Commander of the heavenly armies does not experience fatigue. He does not require a night watchman to relieve Him of His post. Because Yahweh never closes His eyes, the pilgrim can safely close his. In a world fraught with nocturnal terrors, and dark spiritual forces that prowl in the night, the absolute, unbroken vigilance of the Creator is our ultimate source of rest. Psalm One Hundred Twenty-One: verses five and six The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The promises of protection become even more intimate, and incredibly specific. “The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” The Hebrew word used repeatedly throughout this psalm for “watches over,” or “keeps,” is shamar. It means to guard, to protect, to build a hedge around, or to carefully attend to. The psalmist is emphasizing that Yahweh does not delegate your ultimate security to a lower-ranking angel; the Lord Himself is your personal bodyguard. He stands at your right hand, which was the traditional position of a military defender, holding a shield to protect a warrior's exposed side. He acts as a "protective shade." In the scorching, relentless heat of the Middle Eastern desert, shade was not just a luxury; it was a matter of life and death. But once again, we must read verse six through the eyes of the ancient, cosmic worldview: “The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.” To the surrounding pagan cultures, the sun and the moon were not just celestial bodies; they were powerful, ruling deities. Shamash was the Babylonian sun god, representing blistering, judging heat. Yarih, or Sin, was the moon god, often associated with the terrors of the night, madness, and disease. When the psalmist declares that the sun and the moon will not harm you, he is making a massive theological claim. He is stating that Yahweh exercises absolute sovereignty over the celestial realm. The rebel gods of the sky have been stripped of their power to destroy the faithful exile. The oppressive, scorching trials of the daytime cannot break you, and the creeping, psychological terrors of the moonlight cannot drive you to despair. The Lord, your protective shade, completely neutralizes the most powerful, threatening elements of the natural, and supernatural, world. Psalm One Hundred Twenty-One: verses seven and eight The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. The psalm reaches its crescendo with a sweeping, comprehensive guarantee of...