Podcasts about Capernaum

The Danger of Presumption: When Grace and God Demands a Response This Homily emphasizes that the goodness and blessings of God are not ends in themselves, . . . . . . but invitations to transformation and repentance. Jesus expresses frustration at communities like Capernaum that witnessed his miracles and heard his teachings yet remained unchanged. The Homily draws a parallel between modern believers and ancient Israel, highlighting the danger of presumption . . . the mistaken belief that God's mercy requires nothing from us. It warns that taking God's grace for granted can lead to spiritual stagnation and even condemnation. The act of receiving Holy Communion is used symbolically to illustrate that God comes close, but we must still respond by moving toward Him, both physically and spiritually. The central message is a call to wake up, repent, and respond to God's call now, while the opportunity remains. Listen to: The Danger of Presumption: When Grace and God Demands a Response ---------------------------------------------------------- Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea: French Artist and Painter: James Tissot: 1886 ---------------------------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: Matthew 11: 20-24 First Reading: Exodus 2: 1-15

Read OnlineAt that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”  Matthew 11:25This passage is in stark contrast to the passage just before it in which Jesus chastised the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for not repenting and believing in Him. And as soon as Jesus issued those rebukes, He turned His eyes to Heaven and offered praise to the Father for revealing the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who were “childlike.”One of the greatest threats to a pure and childlike faith is intellectual pride. Those who consider themselves as “wise and learned” are often tempted to rely upon their own reasoning abilities to come to conclusions and beliefs in life. The problem is that even though the matters of our faith are fully reasonable, they go beyond the conclusions that human reason alone can achieve. We cannot figure out God by ourselves. We need the gift of faith for that, and the gift of faith begins with a spiritual communication from God through which He reveals to us Who He is and what is true. Only the childlike, meaning, those who are humble, are able to hear this form of communication from God and respond.This passage also reveals to us that Jesus passionately rejoices in this form of humble faith. He gives “praise” to the Father in Heaven for witnessing such faith, because Jesus knows that this form of faith originates from the Father. In your life, it is important that you regularly ponder whether you are more like the wise and learned or like those who are childlike. Though God is an infinite and incomprehensible mystery, He must be known. And the only way we can come to know God is if He reveals Himself to us. And the only way God will reveal Himself to us is if we remain humble and childlike.As we come to childlike faith, we must also imitate the praise that Jesus offered the Father for the faith that He witnessed in the lives of His followers. We, too, must turn our eyes to those who clearly manifest this pure knowledge of God by the gift of faith. As we see this faith lived, we must rejoice and offer praise to the Father. And this act of praise must be given not only when we see faith alive in others, it must also be given when we see the gift of faith grow within our own soul. We must foster a holy awe of what God does within us, and we must rejoice in that experience. Reflect, today, upon Jesus giving praise to the Father as He witnesses the faith born in the hearts of His followers. When Jesus looks at you, what does He do? Does He issue chastisements? Or does His Sacred Heart rejoice and give praise for what He sees. Give joy to the Heart of Christ by humbling yourself to the point that you, too, are counted among the childlike who truly know and love God. My rejoicing Lord, You are attentive to the workings of grace in every human heart. As You see the Voice of the Father speaking to Your children, You rejoice at such a sight. Dear Lord, I pray that my own heart will be the cause of Your joy and Your praise of the Father in Heaven. Please speak to me and help me to believe with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:21–22Chorazin and Bethsaida were Jewish towns that Jesus visited frequently to preach and to perform many “mighty deeds.” They were located just north of His city of residence, Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon were pagan coastal cities northeast of Chorazin and Bethsaida, in modern-day Lebanon, and were towns known for their immoral living. Though Jesus did not spend much time in those cities, He did visit them at times. During Jesus' first recorded visit there, recall His encounter with the Syrophoenician woman who begged Him to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21–28). The Gospel passage quoted above took place prior to Jesus making that journey.Why was Jesus so harsh toward the towns He spent so much of His time in. Why did He rebuke Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum? To answer this, it's important to remember that Jesus spent most of His time preaching to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In other words, His primary mission during His public ministry was to share the Gospel with those who were descendants of Abraham and had been entrusted with the Law of Moses, the teachings of the prophets and the liturgical rites. For that reason, Jesus not only preached with perfection to these people, He also did miracle after miracle. And though there were many who did believe in Him and became His disciples, there were many others who were indifferent or who flatly refused to believe in Him. Today, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum could be seen as symbols of those Catholics who were born and raised in the faith and were given good formation by their parents and others. Many parents whose children have gone astray from the faith wonder what they did wrong. But the truth is that even Jesus Himself was rejected, despite His perfect preaching, perfect charity and undeniable miracles. And the same happens today. There are many who, despite being raised within the holy faith given to us by Christ Himself, reject that faith and turn a blind eye to the Gospel and the Church.Jesus' rebuke of those towns should echo today in the minds of those who, despite being given so much in regard to a good upbringing, have rejected God. Of course, that rejection is not always absolute and total. More often, it is a rejection in degrees. First, the rejection comes in the form of missing Mass. Then moral compromises. Then a lack of faith. And eventually confusion, doubt and a complete loss of faith sets in.If you are one who has started down the road of becoming more and more lukewarm in your faith, then the rebuke of these towns by Jesus should be understood to also be directed at you in love. “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required…” (Luke 12:48). Therefore, to those who have been taught the faith well, much is expected. And when we fail to live up to that which is demanded of us by God out of love, a holy rebuke is exactly what we need. Reflect, today, upon whether the rebuke Jesus issues toward these towns is also issued toward you. Have you been blessed with a good formation in the faith? If so, have you done all you can to help nourish that faith and grow in your love of God? Or have you allowed your faith to dim, to become lukewarm and to begin to wither and die? If you have been given much, have been raised in the faith and have been privileged with good examples in your life, then know God expects much of you. Answer that high calling that is given to you and respond to God with all your heart. My passionate Jesus, You poured out Your heart and soul through Your preaching to the people of Israel. Although many accepted You, many others rejected You. I thank You for the privilege I have been given to hear Your holy Word preached to me. Help me to respond to You with all my heart so that I will be counted among those who listen and believe. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Day of Judgement by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

“Judge not” is more nuanced than we might think. What is Jesus telling us?   ---    Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49460662 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

In this episode: Capernaum synagogue, demon possession, unclean spirits, ghosts, rationalism, anti-supernaturalism, paranormal activity, aliens, occult, astrology, new age, Holy One of God, Jesus power over spiritual realm. Become a supporter and get unlimited questions turned into podcasts at: www.patreon.com/theologyandapologetics YouTube Channel: Theology & Apologetics www.youtube.com/channel/UChoiZ46uyDZZY7W1K9UGAnw TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@dr.fretwell?_t=ZN-8w8NXIFTHkc&_r=1 Instagram: www.instagram.com/theology.apologetics Websites: www.ezrafoundation.org www.theologyandapologetics.com

Jesus’ Teaching We are now on day 14 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days, from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! The long awaited for king is here - the one the covenants from long ago had promised! Jesus' public ministry on earth has begun! Teaching was an integral part of Jesus' ministry. Today we start to look at what he taught about himself. We do that by looking at how he taught, what he taught, his methods and who did he teach? 1. How he taught with authority: The events in Capernaum we looked at last time happened frequently with Jesus. The gospel accounts often remark how people viewed Jesus' teaching as authoritative, but while being amazed were often angry about it. What was it that made his teaching authoritative? Jesus' manner of teaching shared much in common with other teachers of the 1st century. Jesus frequently used Old Testament texts; exaggerated hyperbole, telling of parables, rhythmic poetry aiding memorisation and the predicting of future events, were common teaching practice at the time in both religious and secular circles. Most of the teaching we have in the Gospels did not arise out of formal settings but rather through personal encounters, engaging with the religious leaders and the inherent need to teach his disciples. However, it is not so much his manner of teaching that created the air of authority about him, but rather what he taught that did (Matthew 7v28-29). Saying as He often did, "But I say to you...", was in direct opposition to the method the Rabbinical teachers employed. Additionally, Jesus often sat down to teach, and this was the custom at the time for formal instruction. 2. What did he teach? Jesus appeals often to the Old Testament, (the Jewish scriptures) in every facet of his teaching. Jesus frequently used Old Testament Scripture (Mark 7v6-13) as the basis for his moral and legal teachings (Matthew 5v148), the historical stories (Matthew 24v27-29) and in his debates with the religious leaders. Quite possibly, the supreme example of his teaching can be found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5v1-7v29). Whilst mainly speaking to his disciples, he allowed the crowds to listen. In this discourse, all of Jesus' teachings are exhibited. Key themes include the character, influence, righteousness, religion, devotional life, ambition and relationships of anybody wanting to follow Jesus. The Kingdom of God - Jesus preached that entrance to the kingdom of God was through repentance (Matthew 3v2) and this repentance led to a spiritual rebirth (John 3v1-8). But what is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God as taught by Jesus, was not a political uprising against the Romans, as thought by James and John (Mark 10v35-45) and nor is it the church. The kingdom of God was and is both a personal inner spiritual relationship with God as ruler over the life of the follower of Jesus Christ. But also the Jesus follower showing openly this relationship with God (Matthew 25v34; Luke 13v29). Regarding Himself - Whilst Jesus never directly claimed to be God, he did things only God could do. He claimed authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9v1-7). His claim to be the Messiah, or Son of Man, is an appeal to Old Testament texts and their subsequent fulfilment and completion in him (Mark 8v29-33). Primarily His teaching that the Messiah must suffer and be glorified was also an appeal to Old Testament scripture (Luke 9v31; Luke 12v50; John 10v11-15). More about this in the coming studies as we look deeper into what Jesus said about himself. 3. What method did he use? We see, as we read the gospel accounts of his life that Jesus spoke a lot in parables or picture stories. He did this in order to get his message across completely. The parables as recorded in the Gospels mainly fall into four categories: Society and its God - an example of this would be the parable of the sheep (Luke 15v1-7) whereby God is seen as a God of grace. Society and the individual - an example of this would be the parable involving the rich fool who thought his wealth would make God love him more (Luke 12v13-21). Society and the community - an example here would be the parable of the Good Samaritan whereby everyone is to show love, even for their enemies (Luke 10v25-37). Society and the future - an example here would be the parable of the great feast whereby the future climax of the kingdom is seen (Matthew 25v31-33). 4. Who did He teach? The Gospel writers attributed Jesus as a teacher (Mark 5v35; John 7v15) despite his lacking the formal requirements usually attained by rabbis. The Gospel writers also refer to him as a prophet (Luke 7v16; John 6v14), and he was recognized as such by people (Mark 6v15; Mark 8v28). There were three main groups of people that Jesus interacted with and taught. There were large crowds, his twelve disciples and the religious leaders. The Crowds - When Jesus taught large gathering of people, it was always based on evidential facts and it was always as Luke described "good news" (Luke 4v18), because God gave it to Jesus. Crowds recognized that Jesus had a confident manner of speaking (Mark 1v22). It must be noted that in the presence of crowds, Jesus didn't actively reveal who he was (Mark 1v44; Mark 3v11-12; Mark 9v9). The Disciples - Many of Jesus' recorded teachings were to his disciples, but in the midst of crowds, such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5v1; Matthew 7v28). However on more precise requirements of discipleship, or about himself or the future of God's Kingdom, Jesus usually only taught his disciples concerning his true identity, even though they failed to grasp it (Mark 8v27-33). The religious leaders - Because of Jesus' popularity and the activities He was involved with, the religious leaders soon took notice of him. Jesus respected the Law of Moses and Moses authority (Mark 1v22). He gave his own unique interpretation and as such attracted the opposition of the religious leaders who had taught a different interpretation. An example of this is in Jesus interpretation of the Sabbath (Mark 2v23-38); the healings he performed (John 5v1-18); fasting and ritual cleanliness (Mark 7v1-5) and for consorting with sinners (Luke 7v34). Jesus criticised the religious leaders for amongst other things: their lack of compassion and the weighty burdens they placed upon others (Matthew 23; Mark 12v38-40; Luke 11v37-54). So, that is how he taught, what he taught, the methods he used and who he taught. Tomorrow we go further into what Jesus taught and revealed about himself. Thank you. Right mouse click or tap here to download as a MP3 audio file

This morning we read Luke 4:31–37, where Jesus, fresh off a brutal rejection in Nazareth, walks right into another synagogue in Capernaum and keeps preaching. That really struck me—he didn't let one bad experience shake his calling. And that's a great reminder for us too. Sometimes we try something for God and it flops. We teach, serve, speak up—and it doesn't go the way we hoped. But failure doesn't mean we're not called. I shared a story about my first sermon (it was rough!) and how, over time, I grew because I didn't give up. If God has placed something on your heart—whether it's music, teaching, behind-the-scenes service, or anything else that brings you joy and purpose—keep going, even when it's hard. You won't get it perfect, but if you're walking in your calling, God will meet you there.Shameless plug: here's a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%204%3A%2031-37&version=NRSVUEClick here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6CYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Sunday, 13 July 2025   At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Matthew 11:25   “In that time, Jesus answering, He said, ‘I acknowledge You, Father, Lord “the heaven and the earth” that You hid these from wise and sagacious, and You revealed them to infants'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told Capernaum that it would be sufferable on Judgment Day for Sodom in comparison to them. He now openly speaks to the Father with words based on how these things have played out, beginning with, “In that time, Jesus answering.”   As often occurs in Scripture, the word answer is not in response to a question but a matter. Jesus has been speaking about the judgment of God upon those who should have known better. As a response to that thought, He continues with, “He said, ‘I acknowledge You, Father.'”   The word exomologeó is used. It was already seen in Matthew 3:6. The word signifies to acknowledge. By extension, that can mean to confess, such as in confessing (acknowledging) one's sins, professing one's allegiance, etc. Jesus is acknowledging the ways of His Father who is “Lord ‘the heaven and the earth.'”   It is an all-encompassing thought that indicates what is expressed in Isaiah 55 –   “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says 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.'” Isaiah 55:8, 9   That this is what is expressed is seen in Jesus' next words, “that You hid these from wise and sagacious.”   The word sunetos is introduced. It signifies someone who can mentally put things together. It may be deemed as intelligence where one plus one equals two. It may be a form of prudence, as in “this and this together are not safe and should not be mixed,” etc. The word sagacious fits because it describes someone with keen mental discernment and who possesses and uses good judgment.   In God's infinite wisdom, He makes the most important matters of all those that must be received by faith. The wise and sagacious will spend their effort working out matters, relying on their own wits, experience, and mental acuity to come to conclusions. Such a person trusts in self, not in God, for the answer to a matter. On the other hand, Jesus says, “and You revealed them to infants.”   An infant is not capable of deep thought. He cannot process information because he has no experience or training to do so. He is given instruction, and he will trust that one who has the wisdom is rightly instructing him. This is what Jesus says about those He has been referring to.   Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Israel at large had all of Jesus' words and miracles to attest to who He is. However, they failed to accept Him by simply believing what their eyes saw and what the Father had said in His word. They were trying to process a Messiah in their minds that fit a different paradigm, and they missed the simplicity of what Jesus presented.   As such, Jesus is acknowledging the wisdom of God because of how things had been laid out by Him. Surely, His ways are higher than the ways of man.   Life application: The words of Jesus are later reflected in the words of Paul –   “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.' 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25   Paul tells us that the simplicity of the gospel is something most intelligent and prudent people will stumble over. They cannot grasp that God has brought man's salvation down to simple belief. Their great intellects will call out to them, “You can do it! You can figure out how to please God with your wisdom.”   But God has said, “I have done it all. I just want you to trust Me. Have faith that I will carry you through.” This is nonsense to those who look at their own power, determination, wisdom, etc.  It is the “I” problem that seems hopelessly instilled in humanity. Only those who trust like a little child will set themselves aside.   Later in the same passage, Paul says not many of those higher categories will do so. He doesn't say none will. Some are so prudent that they know they will never be prudent enough. Such a person will acknowledge, “I can't attain to Your station, O God. Receive me despite my failings. I trust in Jesus.”   This is what God expects from His creatures... trust. Have faith in what God has done. It is sufficient to restore you to Him.   Lord God, help us to be people of faith. May we be willing to remove ourselves from the salvation equation and trust You, wholly and without reservation, to restore us to You. Your plan is set, it is recorded, and You ask us to believe. May our hearts be tender and do so. Amen.  

John 6:22-26 “The next day, the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. There came other small boats from Tiberias, near to the place where they ate the bread, after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” A few days ago, we mentioned the discernment that is necessary as we live to love with Jesus. There may be people who expect others to do what they want. They will use those who love because of the benefit they gain. We are reminded from these verses today that we need Jesus' discernment. He knew they intended to make Him king by force (vs. 15), and He revealed their motives for their benefit. As we love people, we must be careful that we don't serve people because we want to please them and want their good opinion of us or their friendship. Our one motive in life is to glorify God, to seek His good opinion or pleasure. The way we glorify God is by abiding in Christ and loving with Him. Jesus said that explicitly in John 15:7-8. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” We don't produce the fruit, Jesus does. He's the vine, and we are the branches. We display His fruit, which is love, the fruit of the Spirit. By this is our Father glorified through His Son. Abiding in the Father, Jesus confronted the crowd who wished to make Him king. We can draw another important lesson from these verses. We need to check our own motives in our relationship with Jesus. Do we seek Him for the benefits we enjoy? Are we seeking the blessing rather than the blesser? This is easy to do because we receive grace upon grace from Him. He fills us with His goodness, grace, and love. We have the joy of meaningful relationships in the body of Christ. If we are focused on God being glorified in Christ, we will be protected from selfish motives. Living to love with Jesus for the glory of God keeps us in God's will and blessing. Enjoy this day, recognizing Jesus is your king, your life, and your way to glorifying the Father with your life. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Mission Possible! G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 13 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days, from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! The long awaited for king is here - the one the covenants from long ago had promised! Jesus' public ministry on earth has begun! From what we have glimpsed so far, what do you think Jesus' mission is? Before we go on to see what it is, pause for a moment to think through what you think that mission may well be. Luke 4v14-20 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favour has come." He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day!" Do you have a clue now what Jesus' mission is? A reluctant John the Baptist baptized him and the crowds heard God the Father speaking to Him and the Holy Spirit descend upon Him. Now Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, has returned home to Galilee (Luke 4v14). Jesus at home (Luke 4v14-30) Jesus is back in home territory and because of the power of his teaching, He is becoming known as a great teacher (Luke 4v15). Jesus spent some time in Galilee, became known and aroused the interest, curiosity and excitement of people. It was Jesus' habit to attend public worship wherever he was. Because of his growing renown as a teacher, it is no surprise that he should be asked to read the Scripture and give a short teaching session regarding it. Here in Nazareth, Jesus declared that the day for demonstrating God's salvation had arrived and the day the prophets and Covenants had looked forward to! This was going to be fulfilled in Jesus Himself (Luke 4v20). He was the Servant that Isaiah had talked about long ago (Isaiah 61v1-2). His ministry was divinely directed: a ministry of hope for all people and a ministry to free the spiritually oppressed. The local reaction was at first one of astonishment (Luke 4v22) and telling each other he was the son of Joseph! But Jesus was more than that as he goes on to explain! Rejected (Luke 4:20-30) The people there saw Him only as the son of Joseph. Admiration soon turned to anger though, because Jesus began to remind them of God's goodness to the Gentiles. Israel had a fear and hatred of those who were not Jewish, the Gentiles, and remember that Israel was under Roman control - under the power of the Gentiles! Whilst those in Nazareth could only see Jesus in the local setting, He told them his mission was for all Israel! And if Israel rejected this message of Jesus, then the Gentiles would be blessed by it (Luke 4v25-27). Upon hearing this, the astonished admiration turned to furious anger! Listen to their reaction from Luke 4v28-30 "when they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way." See how divisive Jesus was! Jesus away from home (Luke 4v31-44) Now Jesus walked straight through the rioting mob and went to Capernaum and here he engaged in yet more public ministry: Preaching (Luke 4v31-32) - Jesus sets up headquarters in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13-16) and started teaching in the Synagogue. Again, people were astonished that he taught with such authority. Rebuking (Luke 4v33-37, 41) - Jesus rebuked the demons did not want the demons to bear witness to Himself and his identity (Luke 4:34,41). Again people were astonished at Jesus power and authority. Healing (Luke 4v:39-40) - People bought their sick and asked Jesus to help and heal them. Praying (Luke 4v42-44) - He was up early the next morning to pray (Mark 1:35). It was in prayer that He found his strength and power for service. During this period Jesus has God's authority to do what He is doing - preaching, healing and releasing. God desires humility and Jesus looked for people to acknowledge their spiritual blindness and poverty, so that he may liberate them from such things. Jesus taught and preached in the synagogues (Luke 4v32, 44); rebuked demons (Luke 4v35, 41), and healed diseases (Luke 4v39): all with the authority of just his word. Jesus' mission was to be the saviour of the world as God's Son (John 3v16) and the Servant of the Lord, for Jesus came not be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10v45). How he fulfilled this role, we will come to see. Tomorrow we start honing in on what Jesus taught about Himself - things that were divisive in his day and are still divisive today almost 2000 years later! Thank you! Right mouse click or tap here to download as a MP3 audio file

Saturday, 12 July 2025   But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:24   “Moreover, I say to you that it will be sufferable – land Sodom – in Judgment Day than you” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that if the miracles done in Sodom had been done in Capernaum, it would have remained till that day. And more! He continues with, “Moreover, I say to you that it will be sufferable – land Sodom – in Judgment Day than you.”   The thought is the same as that of Tyre and Sidon in comparison to Chorazin and Bethsaida in verse 22. Just as the judgment of those two Jewish cities would be weightier than for the two wicked Gentile cities, so would the judgment of Capernaum be in comparison to that of Sodom.   The people of those cities would have been offended at such a thought. The judgment on Sodom because of their vile deeds was a key theme in their Scriptures. To be compared to Sodom, and then to be condemned as more deserving of judgment than it, would have been the highest form of offense.   Jews reading that today would still find it offensive. No wonder so many hear Jesus' words and find them offensive. Until one understands the reason, the pronouncement would seem intolerable. However, with greater revelation comes greater responsibility.   The city of Sodom may have been filled with sexual deviants who rejected the natural order for humanity, but they only had the general revelation of God to guide them. Capernaum had the full body of Old Testament Scriptures to instruct them.   In seeing Jesus' miracles and not making the connection of Him to being the fullest revelation of God ever made manifest, they were more worthy of condemnation than the perverted city of Sodom.   Life application: Imagine the guilt of those who have read the entire Bible, understood the evidence for the coming of Jesus, His fulfillment of the promises of God, His atoning death, internment, and resurrection, and then rejecting what they have read!   What more can God have done than what is recorded in Scripture to make it evident that He has fulfilled every promise concerning the restoration of life for those who believe? At some point, faith must be a part of the equation. Five days after Jesus ascended, some Jew may have arrived in Israel who had never heard of His coming.   He couldn't say, “Ok, God, please send Jesus back so I can verify what these men say is true.” Nor could he ask for a video recording of it all to make sure He really did what had been claimed. For that Jew, faith must now come into play.   The same is true with us. People who sit on YouTube all day watching videos from false teachers about their visions and divine revelations are using faith in believing what they are being told. Their faith is just misdirected.   Though not a video recording of Jesus' life, the Bible is a record of it nonetheless. It was carefully compiled over the centuries, slowly and methodically expressing God's ongoing hand in the plan of redemption. When that plan was fully expressed, the final word of Scripture, the word Amen at the end of Revelation 22:21, was penned.   Now, we have everything necessary to competently know what God has done. From there, we can decide if the evidence is sufficient for us to accept and believe. Assuredly, it is. There is no need to look for further evidence from God concerning visions, prophecies, and revelations on YouTube. The word has been sealed.   Trust what God has presented, accept the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and be saved. To reject what is penned there, due to the complete nature of the revelation expressed, means that the one who is rejecting it is worthy of great condemnation. Don't be such a person. Believe and be saved! Trust what God in Christ has done by believing the message found in the pages of the Holy Bible!   Heavenly Father, may we not neglect the truth of Your word, but read it, accept it, and apply it to our walk with You all the days of our lives. In it is found life, because in it we find Jesus. Thank You for what You have done in the sending of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Yes, thank You, O God. Amen.  

In chapter 14 verses 1-12 of Matthew Herod is struck with terror on hearing of the miracles of Jesus. Herod Antipas, a convert of the Sadducees (and therefore a non believer in the resurrection of the dead) was convinced that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Our Lord is told of John's brutal decapitation and in response seeks solitude to reflect. Verses 13-22 tell us that Jesus is interrupted by a multitude seeking him out and his compassionate response to their need of a shepherd to teach them: compare Numbers 27 verse 17. Jesus feeds 5,000 of them and heals many. John 6 tells us that their desire was to take him by force and make him their king. Jesus summarily dispersed the crowd and went into a mountain to pray. Verses 24-33 speak of Jesus sending the Apostles by boat to the other side of the lake. After praying on the mountain our Lord saw the Apostles toiling in rowing on a storm tossed sea and failing to make any progress. The Lord came to them through the storm, walking on the water. Peter alone showed the faith and courage to briefly do likewise. Though Peter's faith faltered he alone had the courage to walk on the Sea of Galilee at the request of his master. O that such trust in our master and such confidence was ours that Peter then displayed! Peter was rescued by his Master. Their port of destination was Capernaum - meaning the city of consolation. This speaks of our destination and finding comfort when our Lord, the Father's Son and our hope and consolation, has come. Verses 34-36 tell us that Jesus on reaching the other side of the lake Jesus healed many at Gennesaret.

John 6:20-21, “But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. Once the disciples knew it was Jesus, and heard Him say, “Don't be afraid,” they overcame their fear and welcomed Him into the boat. Although He didn't say, “I'm here with you,” that was the effect of His words. When we are being tossed to and fro by the storm winds of life, feel the terror of being out of control and imagining things we can't explain and that make no sense, and are enveloped in darkness, Jesus' words of comfort are, “I am with you; don't be afraid.” This is our confidence as we live to love with Jesus in all circumstances. I'm reminded of many times when God's people were in dire straits and God spoke these words of comfort and encouragement. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Jeremiah 1:8 “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. Matthew 17:7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” Hebrews 13:5-6 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?” In the moment that they knew it was Jesus with them, their fear turned to comfort and their long, arduous night of rowing in the storm ended. Once He got in the boat, John said they were immediately at the shore in Capernaum. Our confidence as we walk through each day to love whoever God puts in our paths in whatever circumstances He orchestrates is that He is with us to help us. He's in our boat, we are brought through the storm, and that's what mattered. It's interesting that John didn't record any conversation between the disciples and Jesus. I don't know about you, but I would like to know what Jesus had to say to them. However, apparently what John wanted to communicate was that once Jesus was with them, the storm had served its purpose and so had His midnight hike on the sea. We are meant to be encouraged by this one great reality: Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God who gives life to all who believe. Those who have Him in their boat don't need to be afraid, and can be assured that they will arrive at their final destination safely. So be it! I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

In 1 Samuel 26 we learn of Saul continuing to seek David in order to slaughter him because of Saul's being consumed by jealousy - which as Proverbs says is "as rotten bones" Proverbs 14 verse 30 - but the fact remains that Yahweh continues to providentially preserve David. In the Wilderness of Ziph Saul set up camp and God causes a deep sleep to fall on Saul's entire camp. David and his nephew Abishai stealthily make their way into the camp and carry away Saul's spear and other personal and identifiable items as evidence that David has yet again spared his monarch's life. When Saul's army is at a safe distance David calls after Saul and reprimands Abner for failing to protect his king. David shows genuine humility and requests how he might be reconciled to his master. Saul momentarily shows remorse for his actions and swore to leave David in peace. A young man is sent from Saul's host to retrieve the king's personal weaponry. In despair David is certain that the truce with Saul is temporary and so he determines to go to the land of the Philistines believing that Saul will cease to pursue him. What a wrong, though understandable, decision. This desperate act would lead to a chain of lies and bloodshed that could have been avoided had David continued to trust in the Almighty who had always proved to be his shield. In chapter 27 David and his men find themselves once again in the midst of Gath. How foolish it is for David to return to this Philistine city from which he has recently escaped with his life being miraculously saved by his gracious God. Here he has to survive, this time, by his wits and his lies. This is clearly a low point spiritually in David's life and yet again will it be miraculously spared by the Almighty - see chapters 29 and 30. David promises to serve Achish king of Gath and fight against his own people - Israel - in exchange for Achish providing a city as a base for David and his men to launch raids against his own nation. David is given the city of Ziklag. When David raids the nearby cities of Israel's enemies he is forced to leave no one alive lest the Philistine king receives word about David's deception. He also lies to Achish about the location of his raids. The chapter concludes by telling us that through this David became one of Achish's "trusted' servants. How ironic that a servant of the LORD becomes trusted by dishonesty and a failure to value the ways of his Sovereign. Let us ponder the lesson for us.  In Jeremiah 3:1-2 tell of the lewd behaviour of Judah. In verses 3-5 we are told that God had withheld the blessings as a result of the nation's lascivious behaviour. Verses 6-9 outline some of the horrific behaviours of Judah. Verses 10-13 are the Almighty's pleading with the nation to consider how they had wronged their Sovereign and call upon them to turn to Him wholeheartedly. If they do that then their Husband and Maker will restore their position to see Jerusalem as the capital city of Messiah's kingdom: Isaiah 2 verses 1-4; Zechariah 1 verse 9, 16, 20-21. Those blessings will see Jesus Messiah and his saints shepherding - ie feeding the nation with the nourishing and enriching Word of the LORD. Yet despite such a glorious future God's people were now behaving as a treacherous wife. Ezekiel 16 verses 22-58 tell us how Judah had failed to learn the lessons of how the Almighty had disciplined Samaria and Israel. In verses 21-25 the nation's Omnipotent Creator pleads with His people to return to Him in faithfulness. In chapter 14 verses 1-12 of Matthew Herod is struck with terror on hearing of the miracles of Jesus. Herod Antipas, a convert of the Sadducees (and therefore a non believer in the resurrection of the dead) was convinced that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Our Lord is told of John's brutal decapitation and in response seeks solitude to reflect. Verses 13-22 tell us that Jesus is interrupted by a multitude seeking him out and his compassionate response to their need of a shepherd to teach them: compare Numbers 27 verse 17. Jesus feeds 5,000 of them and heals  many. John 6 tells us that their desire was to take him by force and make him their king. Jesus summarily dispersed the crowd and went into a mountain to pray. Verses 24-33 speak of Jesus sending the Apostles by boat to the other side of the lake. After praying on the mountain our Lord saw the Apostles toiling in rowing on a storm tossed sea and failing to make any progress. The Lord came to them through the storm, walking on the water. Peter alone showed the faith and courage to briefly do likewise. Though Peter's faith faltered he alone had the courage to walk on the Sea of Galilee at the request of his master. O that such trust in our master and such confidence was ours that Peter then displayed! Peter was rescued by his Master. Their port of destination was Capernaum - meaning the city of consolation. This speaks of our destination and finding comfort when our Lord, the Father's Son and our hope and consolation, has come. Verses 34-36 tell us that Jesus on reaching the other side of the lake Jesus healed many at Gennesaret.

Friday, 11 July 2025   And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Matthew 11:23   “And you, Capernaum, the ‘until heaven you having been elevated,' until Hades, you will be descended. For if in Sodom they occurred – the miracles, the ‘having occurred in you' – it remained, if until the day” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus referred to the difference between Tyre and Sidon and Chorazin and Bethsaida on the day of judgment. Next, He says, “And you, Capernaum.”   More miracles of Jesus are recorded in Capernaum than in any other city. It was essentially His staging area, going and returning to it while ministering to other cities. So notable were His miracles there that in Luke 4:23, it says –   “He said to them, ‘You will surely say this proverb to Me, “Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.”'”   In other words, the word about His miracles in Capernaum had extended beyond there, filling the ears of people in other cities. It is 52 miles from Capernaum to Nazareth, indicating that what the people saw in Capernaum was more than a curious event spoken by a couple of friends, but a word that was conveyed with such excitement that it was passed on until many were made aware of what transpired. Of Capernaum, Jesus next calls it, “the ‘until heaven you having been elevated.'”   Here, Jesus introduces the word hupsoó, to exalt. Specifically, it means to raise high or lift up. Metaphorically, the idea of exaltation is then seen.   The meaning is that because of Jesus' ministry there, the people had been provided the highest form of God's favor. They saw Jesus' miracles, they witnessed His perfection, they heard His instruction, etc.   The incarnate Word of God made that city His dwelling and focal point for ministering to the nation of Israel. No greater favor could ever be imagined. What they saw and heard was more of a revelation of God's favor and call upon the nation than that of any prophet before, including Moses. But because of their hardened hearts, Jesus says, “until Hades, you will be descended.”   Though they had the keys to heaven itself extended to them in the Person of Jesus and the ministry He conducted among them, they chose to reject Him and continue life apart from His saving grace.   Instead of continuing to be exalted to heaven, they would be cast down to Hades, meaning Sheol, the place of the dead, awaiting the final judgment. Unfortunately for the city, their judgment will not be a happy one. Jesus next says, “For if in Sodom.”   Without going any further, it is a note of utter contempt. Capernaum is being contrasted to the city representative of the epitome of wickedness in the Old Testament. The story of Sodom is recorded in Genesis, but it is referred to almost twenty times elsewhere in the Old Testament.   The city was so wicked that its misdeeds reached the ears of the Lord in heaven. It was judged and destroyed by fire. However, Jesus continues, saying that if “they occurred – the miracles, the ‘having occurred in you' – it remained, if until the day.”   About two thousand years had passed since the time of Sodom's destruction, and yet, Jesus says that if the miracles that were performed in Capernaum were performed in Sodom, the wicked city would have turned and been so affected by what He had done that they would have remained, without destruction, until that day.   Having said that, the destruction of Capernaum eventually came about in approximately the 7th century AD. The town was completely abandoned in the 11th century.   Life application: To this day, the stories concerning Jesus' ministry are read and remembered by Christians. We believe, by faith, that what is recorded in the New Testament is a true account of what Jesus did as He ministered among the people.   Stories have been written, songs have been sung, plays have been presented, and movies have been made concerning the great things Jesus did. The church has been founded on the deeds of the Messiah, and it has proclaimed this message throughout the world.   In nations and cultures of people throughout the world, tears have been shed and hearts have been converted through the words about Jesus, just as He said would happen. During this same time, the name of Jesus has been used as a curse among the people of Israel.   There has been a wall of enmity put up against Him that seemed impenetrable. However, that wall has slowly but steadily been broken open over the past century. With each passing year, more Jews hear and accept the word concerning Jesus Christ.   Someday, as incredible as it seems at this point, the entire nation will proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. Seeing the state of affairs in the world and the alignment of the nations in relation to biblical prophecy, it doesn't seem like it will be a long time until these things come about.   Keep sharing the word! Keep studying the Bible! The message of Jesus is what changes the course of history for the lives of people. Their eternal destiny goes from condemnation to salvation upon the acceptance of the gospel. So be ready to share it at all times!   Heavenly Father, help us to be diligent in our study and in our sharing of Your word. May we be faithful to this calling and willing to get the word out. The world needs Jesus. Each person in the world needs Jesus. May we be willing to share this wonderful story of hope and redemption. Amen.

John 6:16-19 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. What an interesting and memorable scene. Matthew, Mark, and John all record events of this night on the Sea of Galilee. The boat was large enough for 13 people. It was between 3 and 6 a.m. and dark, so their visibility was limited. The sea was choppy due to a strong wind. The disciples had strained at the oars for hours. Jesus walked on the water toward the boat. Certainly unexpected. Wouldn't it be interesting to know the comments of the disciples once one of them saw Jesus? Matthew's and Mark's accounts inform us that they were frightened, terrified, when they saw a form walking on the sea. They didn't immediately recognize who it was. Both accounts said the disciples exclaimed, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.” Matthew records that once Peter heard Jesus, he asked Jesus to command him to come to him on the water, which Jesus did. It seems the distraction of the waves occurred once Peter got to Jesus. When he started to sink and called out to Jesus to save him, Jesus took hold of him, and they walked to the boat together. Yes, Jesus rebuked Peter for having little faith, but hey, he did walk on water to Jesus and then with Him back to the boat. I'm impressed, aren't you? So here are my questions. Why did the Father do this? Why have His Son walk the 3 or 4 miles on choppy waters in the middle of the night when He needed to be resting up for another day of ministry? Jesus certainly could have gotten a good night's sleep and waited until morning, when He could have made the trip in another boat or have walked in daylight along the shoreline. In Mark 6:48, Mark wrote that Jesus intended to walk past them. Why didn't Jesus do that? Why did He go near the boat at all if He intended to meet them in Capernaum? That would have been easy to do. How far could they see on a dark, windy night? Maybe 10 or 15 yards? So what's with going on a four-mile walk on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the night? Furthermore, why did John leave out Peter's walk on the water with Jesus? The reason for all of it was clearly stated by John in 20:31. It's so we might read this and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that we might have life in His name. For John's purpose, what mattered wasn't if Peter walked on the water, but that Jesus loved them so much that He provided undeniable proof that He is the Son of God. In fact, in Matthew's account, those who were in the boat worshiped Him saying, “You are certainly God's Son” (Matt. 14:33). That was the conclusion drawn by the experience on the sea of Galilee that night. But I don't want us to miss Peter's encounter with Jesus on the sea. I have a couple of questions for you. First, are you convinced that Jesus is the Son of God? It's impossible to love with God's love without believing Jesus is God's Son. To believe He is the Son is to believe the whole of creation belongs to Him and that He is the sovereign Lord of all things and everybody.

In this revealing message, Ps. Andy tells us about his experience around healing, and lay outs the various types of healings.

In Matthew 12 we have two incidents, both deliberately performed on the Sabbath day, illustrating that Jesus was indeed the Lord of the Sabbath, in contrast to the Sabbath having authority over our Lord Jesus. The first of these confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus' disciples was whether the disciples had the right to pluck and eat the ears of grain ( Jesus cites the precedent in David's eating of the shewbread, which our readings from two days ago highlighted). The second incident was the healing of the man with the withered hand. In all likelihood the Pharisees had planted this man at the front of the synagogue in Capernaum as a challenge to our Lord. Would he heal on the Sabbath day, or not? This healing proved that our Lord Jesus Christ was Yahweh's chosen Servant of Isaiah 42. These incidents are followed by grievous charges being leveled against Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Beelzebul - the lord of the dung heap - the prince of the demons. Jesus claims that this charge amounted to blasphemy against God's power which was being flagrantly denied despite incontestable evidence that Jesus was from God. Then follows the lesson of the fruits. Our Lord Jesus declares that the type of tree we are is shown by the fruits - ie actions of our lives - Jesus kindly words, actions and healings proved that he was the Son of God. And their hatred, words and enmity towards our Lord illustrates that they were acting from minds that were carnal in every respect. Our Lord would advance further incontestable proof of his Sonship with a prophecy of his resurrection from the dead as the sign of Jonah - the prophet from Galilee (see John 7:50-52). The chapter concludes with the parable of the unclean spirit seeking a lodging place. It leaves its abode and starts to look for another house. But finding no place it returned to its original home and found it to be swept clean. The spirit then found another 7 vile creatures to return and take possession of the original house. This spoke of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ purging the house of Israel. Only for the foul priests and Pharisees uniting to kill our Lord Jesus Christ: Matthew 23 verses :19-39. Lastly the chapter records that Jesus' own family sought to 'rescue' him from the trouble he had seemingly caused. His family were not impressed with his head on confrontations with the nation's religious leaders. Perhaps they believed he needed rest and time to reflect on a better course of action and not antagonise Israel's leaders. Jesus tells his family that he is doing the work of his God and that those who choose to listen to his Father's Word are his true family.

1Samuel 24 verse 7 tells of David and his men hiding in the wilderness of En Gedi - which means "the eye of the fountain",, or "the eye of the wild goat" - where Saul was pursuing him. Saul went into a cave to release himself. David's men urge him to slay Saul as it seemed to them that God had delivered David's enemy into his hand. David tells his men that he cannot innocently lift his hand against the LORD's anointed. David stealthily enters the cave and cuts off the corner of Saul's robe. After this he was ashamed that he had done this. Verses 8-15 speak of David calling after the king from a safe distance and relating to Saul what has happened. David says that there is no way that he would have killed Saul and the proof was in David's hand. He claims that Saul was pursuing an insignificant flea. David claims that Yahweh will vindicate his righteous behaviour. Verses 16-22 reveals Saul's pathetic response to David's plea and an acknowledgment of David's faithfulness and a declaration that God will continue to bless David for this reason. Saul says that he is sure that the Almighty will bring David to the throne. King Saul asks David not to retaliate against his family when David reigns. David swears an oath to Saul to that effect. We are in the first chapter of Jeremiah introduced to one of Yahweh's long suffering prophets. Jeremiah commenced his prophecy in the year BC 628 as a young man related to king Josiah who was nearing the end of his short reign. Jeremiah continued his ministry beyond BC 588 when Jerusalem fell to Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the priest (in all likelihood the High Priest) and therefore cousin to king Josiah. His ministry within Judah lasted from the end of Josiah's reign (occasioned by his untimely death in battle with Pharaoh Necho) until the dissolution of the kingdom under the faithless and  vacillating Zedekiah. Jeremiah played a central role in the unparalleled reforms of Josiah and was himself devastated by the premature removal of the king he loved. He was foreknown of God and chosen before his birth to be a prophet to plead with God's people to reform and also to the surrounding nations - a task which, as youth, he found daunting. Nevertheless he was strengthened to perform this in the face of persistent and hostile opposition. In Matthew 12 we have two incidents, both deliberately performed on the Sabbath day,  illustrating that Jesus was indeed the Lord of the Sabbath, in contrast to the Sabbath having authority over our Lord Jesus. The first of these confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus' disciples was whether the disciples had the right to pluck and eat the ears of grain ( Jesus cites the precedent in David's eating of the shewbread, which our readings from two days ago highlighted). The second incident was the healing of the man with the withered hand. In all likelihood the Pharisees had planted this man at the front of the synagogue in Capernaum as a challenge to our Lord. Would he heal on the Sabbath day, or not? This healing proved that our Lord Jesus Christ was Yahweh's chosen Servant of Isaiah 42. These incidents are followed by grievous charges being leveled against Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Beelzebul - the lord of the dung heap - the prince of the demons. Jesus claims that this charge amounted to blasphemy against God's power which was being flagrantly denied despite incontestable evidence that Jesus was from God. Then follows the lesson of the fruits. Our Lord Jesus declares that the type of tree we are is shown by the fruits - ie actions of our lives - Jesus kindly words, actions and healings proved that he was the Son of God. And their hatred, words and enmity towards our Lord illustrates that they were acting from minds that were carnal in every respect. Our Lord would advance further incontestable proof of his Sonship with a prophecy of his resurrection from the dead as the sign of Jonah - the prophet from Galilee (see John 7:50-52). The chapter concludes with the parable of the unclean spirit seeking a lodging place. It leaves its abode and starts to look for another house. But finding no place it returned to its original home and found it to be swept clean. The spirit then found another 7 vile creatures to return and take possession of the original house. This spoke of John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ purging the house of Israel. Only for the foul priests and Pharisees uniting to kill our Lord Jesus Christ: Matthew 23 verses :19-39. Lastly the chapter records that Jesus' own family sought to 'rescue' him from the trouble he had seemingly caused. His family were not impressed with his head on confrontations with the nation's religious leaders. Perhaps they believed he needed rest and time to reflect on a better course of action and not antagonise Israel's leaders. Jesus tells his family that he is doing the work of his God and that those who choose to listen to his Father's Word are his true family.

====================================================SUSCRIBETEhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpffyr-7_zP1x1lS89ByaQ?sub_confirmation=1====================================================DEVOCIÓN MATUTINA PARA ADULTOS 2025“CON JESÚS HOY”Narrado por: Exyomara AvilaDesde: Bogotá, ColombiaUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist Church ===================|| www.drministries.org ||===================10 de JulioAtención personal«Al ponerse el sol, todos los que tenían enfermos de diversas enfermedades los traían a él; y él, poniendo las manos sobre cada uno de ellos, los sanaba» (Luc. 4: 40).Jesús atrae a los dolientes. Todos le traen a sus enfermos para que les haga bien. Su mera presencia, su contacto de amor, ya les hace sentirse mejor. Pero no los sana de forma colectiva: los atiende individualmente, a «cada uno de ellos».Jesús siempre pone al ser humano en el centro de su actividad. Toma en consideración sus necesidades personales, sus problemas particulares, sus expectativas íntimas. Así se gana nuestra confianza, la de los enfermos que somos todos, como el terapeuta (psicólogo, pastor y sanador) que él era y sigue siendo. Jesús «tomó nuestras enfermedades y cargó con nuestras dolencias» literal y personalmente (Mat. 8: 17).¿De qué sanaba Jesús a cada uno de esos seres humanos necesitados de curación? Sin duda, más o menos de lo mismo de lo que desearíamos sanar nosotros hoy, o de lo que necesitaríamos sanar sin que seamos muy conscientes de ello. Porque todos, cada uno en un ámbito distinto, somos igualmente vulnerables.Jesús sanaba el cuerpo deteriorado por el paso del tiempo o por los abusos cometidos. La mente enferma. El alma herida por las faltas acumuladas. Ese dolor interior de sentirse incomprendido o injustamente maltratado que tanto devasta a la autoestima. El sentimiento de culpa, de vergüenza ante nuestro propio odio o desprecio. Saciaba también la sed espiritual, esa sed del alma, que hiere el corazón con la bienhechora llamada del infinito, con deseos de elevación y superación.Jesús sabía que una verdadera acción terapéutica no podía limitarse a tratar solamente al cuerpo, sino que debía ocuparse del paciente en todas sus dimensiones: física, mental, emocional, social y espiritual.La pertinencia y la modernidad de Jesús como terapeuta se manifiestan precisamente en que su acercamiento a los enfermos tiene en cuenta esta globalidad del ser. Su actitud frente al sufrimiento integral del paciente sigue siendo hoy en día un modelo de excelencia y de saber hacer para todos, y no solo para los profesionales de la salud.Señor, yo también acudo a ti hoy, como aquellos enfermos que sanaste al atardecer en Capernaum, para que pongas tus manos sanadoras sobre todo aquello que tú sabes que necesita curación y me des lo más me convenga. 

Matthew 9 verses1-8 speak of our Lord Jesus Christ healing a paralytic man. Note our Lord's love, compassion and authority all shown in this miracle. Jesus demonstrates the link between sin and sickness. Adam's sin brought suffering, sickness and death. Jesus' life and offering brought deliverance from these: Jesus Christ is the Lord of life. And his life caused men and women to glorify God. In verses 9-13 Jesus called Matthew, ie Levi, to follow him. Many murmured that Jesus would ask a tax collector to become one of his disciple. Our Lord responds by quoting the words of Hosea 6:6 to explain why he ministers to the needy and not the self righteous. In verses 14-17 Jesus responds to a question about fasting by saying that his disciples were not fasting while the bridegroom was with them. The disciples of our Lord were like supple wineskins who were able to grow with his teaching rather than being stifled by adherence to mere tradition. Verses 18-26 speak of Jesus' restoration to life of Jairus' daughter. Jairus was the ruler of the Capernaum synagogue. This miracle again proves that Jesus is "the Lord of life". Just prior to restoring life to Jairus' daughter Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood. The unnamed woman could not be cured by any of Israel's doctors. Our Lord did what the Law and its rigid followers were incapable of doing. In verses 27-31 Jesus heals two blind men. What he requires of them is faith that he can heal: not only physical disease but more importantly sin. In verses 32-34 our Lord cures a deaf man. This is a reminder of Messiah's kingdom rule: Isaiah 35 verses 1-10. Read slowly aloud and pause and ponder. Verses 35-38 tell of our Lord's mission and motive. Why did he heal? Because God had anointed him to do so: Isaiah 61:1-4; and because he came to open the blind eyes: Isaiah 9:1-7. What moved him to so act - zeal for His God and compassion for God's children: Matthew 9 verses36; Numbers 27 verses17. The great volume of work moved our Lord Jesus to say Jesus: Pray for God to send more labourers into His plentiful harvest.

It's amazing that Saul with spies everywhere could not find David in the wilderness yet Jonathan on his own could find him. No! It's not amazing as God was protecting David and assisting Jonathan in finding him. And preventing Saul from finding David. The discussion between David and Jonathan indicates that David had only been absent from Saul's regal table for a matter of days, or at most weeks. They make a plan to explain David's absence and to find out how Saul will react to this news. Together Jonathan and David devise a scheme to communicate Saul's mood without exposing David to danger. The two friends make a covenant twice sworn because of their mutual love. Jonathan will pretend to shoot at a target outside of the city and will either tell David by sign that it will be safe to come back to the palace, or for David to flee swiftly. Saul says nothing to reveal his mood on David's first absence believing David to be ceremonially unclean. But in an uncontrollable rage Saul throws a javelin to kill his son Jonathan. Saul claims that David and Jonathan have conspired against him and that Jonathan's mother is to be blamed for Jonathan's weakness. Jonathan left Saul's feast in a rage and he the next morning warns David to flee with haste.  Isaiah 64 verses 1-4 is a call from the prophet for a theophany - God revealing, or manifesting, Himself - to His people. The language recalls the time in Exodus 20 when God came down on Mount Sinai in might and power and gave His people a "fiery Law": Habbakuk 3 verses 1-16. The earth trembles at His majestic and awesome presence.  The purpose of manifesting His power is that His people will respond with respect and trust for their Sovereign. Verse 4 tells of the LORD's love for His people and the wonders He has in store for them: 1 Corinthians 2 verses 6-16 explains Yahweh's purpose for His children. It is to fill the earth with His glory revealed in His glorious children. Verse 5-7 is a lament that speaks of our best efforts to please the Almighty. These are pitiful and unbecoming no matter how hard we try. However when we graciously accept His forgiveness and mercy and trust in His righteousness we become children who delight our God. Verses 9-12 is a prayer for our Omnipotent Sovereign to reverse our desolation and bring peace and glory to Zion when He delivers us. Matthew 9 verses1-8 speak of our Lord Jesus Christ healing a paralytic man. Note our Lord's love, compassion and authority all shown in this miracle. Jesus demonstrates the link between sin and sickness. Adam's sin brought suffering, sickness and death. Jesus' life and offering brought deliverance from these: Jesus Christ is the Lord of life. And his life caused men and women to glorify God. In verses 9-13 Jesus called Matthew, ie Levi, to follow him. Many murmured that Jesus would ask a tax collector to become one of his disciple. Our Lord responds by quoting the words of Hosea 6:6 to explain why he ministers to the needy and not the self righteous. In verses 14-17 Jesus responds to a question about fasting by saying that his disciples were not fasting while the bridegroom was with them. The disciples of our Lord were like supple wineskins who were able to grow with his teaching rather than being stifled by adherence to mere tradition. Verses 18-26 speak of Jesus' restoration to life of Jairus' daughter. Jairus was the ruler of the Capernaum synagogue. This miracle again proves that Jesus is "the Lord of life". Just prior to restoring life to Jairus' daughter Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood. The unnamed woman could not be cured by any of Israel's doctors. Our Lord did what the Law and its rigid followers were incapable of doing. In verses 27-31 Jesus heals two blind men. What he requires of them is faith that he can heal: not only physical disease but more importantly sin. In verses 32-34 our Lord cures a deaf man. This is a reminder of Messiah's kingdom rule: Isaiah 35 verses 1-10. Read slowly aloud and pause and ponder. Verses 35-38 tell of our Lord's mission and motive. Why did he heal? Because God had anointed him to do so: Isaiah 61:1-4; and because he came to open the blind eyes: Isaiah 9:1-7. What moved him to so act - zeal for His God and compassion for God's children: Matthew 9 verses36; Numbers 27 verses17. The great volume of work moved our Lord Jesus to say Jesus: Pray for God to send more labourers into His plentiful harvest.

Luke 10:1-20  --  English Standard VersionJesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!' 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.Woe to Unrepentant Cities13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”The Return of the Seventy-Two17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places // Jesus the Winemaker John 2:1-5 (ESV)“On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus was also invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.'”  John 2:6-12 (ESV)“Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.' So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.' This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.” John 21:25 (ESV)“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” Isaiah 25:6-9 (ESV)“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (ESV)“Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Jesus' Actions… Honored Others  Announced His Kingdom  Provided Joy

I love the T-shirt that reads: “WWMD?”  But when in crisis, I'd much rather talk to my best friend or my sister—older or younger—than Martha Stewart, or even one of her staff members. Steve Janney said, “We all need a friend we can be weak with.” He's right. Some of need more than one. In the Bible there's a great little story about a man who had four such friends. He wanted to see Jesus but couldn't get close to Him because of the crowds and mainly because he lived his life on a stretcher.  “When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.  Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door.” Mark 2:1,2 Enter 4 friends. Actually, they could have been strangers. The Bible doesn't include their names. What we do know it that they had big muscles and even bigger hearts. Now what was so important that they had to ruin someone's roof? Why did he need to get to Jesus? We assume it was so he could be healed. Something they were all hoping for. But Jesus had so much more in mind for him and for us, as well. We pray—“Lord, I need a new job, a new refrigerator, a new body!” And He says, “Ah, but I have so much more in mind for you!” And He does. Jesus came to save us and we all need saving. We're all a little lost until we put our trust in Him. These four friends brought their friend to the One who could actually do the work. Jesus did the real work. They didn't. He did. They couldn't really help the man, but they knew where to take him to get help. I am convinced that at any given time we could be either be lifting someone else's stretcher or we are on the stretcher, being lifted by someone else. We will all get a turn at each, perhaps simultaneously. All the lifting is to take us to Jesus – we either need to be brought to him or we need to bring someone to him. That's why we get up in the morning and sleep peacefully at night. Some gems to remember: When feeling weak, it reminds us that we need each other. It should be of no surprise: we don't heal people. We don't do the work of salvation. We just be a friend to one another and bring people to the only one who can truly put broken hearts back together and heal our deepest hurts. We all need a friend we can be weak with. Some of need more than one. How can we banish loneliness in ourselves or for others? We find our people. We call our people and we look out for the one who needs a hand up to Jesus. Meeting with friends doesn't happen unless you put it on the calendar. If you start this week meeting with your stretcher-bearers you can say in 14 years, "We've been meeting together now for 14 years."   

What have you devoted your life to getting? What does Jesus have to say about that?   ---    Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49457597 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

Lucas 10:4-16 nos confronta con la urgencia de la misión y la seriedad de responder al mensaje del Reino de Dios. El llamado a "ir" es tanto una invitación como una responsabilidad, mientras que el lamento sobre Corazín y Betsaida nos recuerda las consecuencias de rechazar la gracia de Dios. Que este pasaje nos inspire a vivir con propósito, proclamando el Evangelio con valentía y respondiendo con un corazón abierto al llamado de Jesús. Banda sonora: Drop the Tapes - Biblioteca de audio de YouTube Donaciones local: https://iglesiadeciudadreal.es/donaciones Web: http://iglesiadeciudadreal.es/ Podcast: http://www.ivoox.com/podcast-iglesia-. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPq8l9Q7KcX7j6iOGDPP_zg x (antes Twitter): https://x.com/home?lang=es Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IglesiaCristianaEvangelicaDeCiudadReal Nota informativa: En todos nuestros videos se pueden traducir los SUBTÍTULOS a cualquier idioma. Ir a configuración y elegir idioma de subtitulo. 06/07/2025 - PREDICACIÓN DE LA TARDE - SERIE: LUCAS Lucas 10:4-16 Reina-Valera 1960 4 No llevéis bolsa, ni alforja, ni calzado; y a nadie saludéis por el camino. 5 En cualquier casa donde entréis, primeramente decid: Paz sea a esta casa. 6 Y si hubiere allí algún hijo de paz, vuestra paz reposará sobre él; y si no, se volverá a vosotros. 7 Y posad en aquella misma casa, comiendo y bebiendo lo que os den; porque el obrero es digno de su salario. No os paséis de casa en casa. 8 En cualquier ciudad donde entréis, y os reciban, comed lo que os pongan delante; 9 y sanad a los enfermos que en ella haya, y decidles: Se ha acercado a vosotros el reino de Dios. 10 Mas en cualquier ciudad donde entréis, y no os reciban, saliendo por sus calles, decid: 11 Aun el polvo de vuestra ciudad, que se ha pegado a nuestros pies, lo sacudimos contra vosotros. Pero esto sabed, que el reino de Dios se ha acercado a vosotros. 12 Y os digo que en aquel día será más tolerable el castigo para Sodoma, que para aquella ciudad. Ayes sobre las ciudades impenitentes (Mt. 11.20-24) 13 ¡Ay de ti, Corazín! ¡Ay de ti, Betsaida! que si en Tiro y en Sidón se hubieran hecho los milagros que se han hecho en vosotras, tiempo ha que sentadas en cilicio y ceniza, se habrían arrepentido. 14 Por tanto, en el juicio será más tolerable el castigo para Tiro y Sidón, que para vosotras. 15 Y tú, Capernaum, que hasta los cielos eres levantada, hasta el Hades serás abatida. 16 El que a vosotros oye, a mí me oye; y el que a vosotros desecha, a mí me desecha; y el que me desecha a mí, desecha al que me envió.

This message was given at Greenfield Presbyterian Church in Berkley, MI. The Scripture lesson is Luke 4:16-30 16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. 17 The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, 19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. 21 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” 22 Everyone was raving about Jesus, so impressed were they by the gracious words flowing from his lips. They said, “This is Joseph's son, isn't it?” 23 Then Jesus said to them, “Undoubtedly, you will quote this saying to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we've heard you did in Capernaum.'” 24 He said, “I assure you that no prophet is welcome in the prophet's hometown. 25 And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah's time, when it didn't rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. 26 Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 There were also many persons with skin diseases in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them were cleansed. Instead, Naaman the Syrian was cleansed.” 28 When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. 29 They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the crowd and went on his way.

The weekly Sunday morning sermon delivered by Rev. James WilesMark 9:30-41“They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”1. A debate2. A demonstration3. A declarationwww.huntsmbc.com

John 6:1-2 After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. As we continue our study in the book of John and enter into chapter 6, we notice there's a change of context, but let's not miss John's overall purpose in writing this gospel account. He wrote these things, so his readers might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing they might have life in His name (John 20:31). There is a change of location for Jesus in this chapter, but it's not a long distance, perhaps less than five miles. Bethsaida is located on the northeast of the Sea of Galilee, home to Peter, Andrew, and Phillip. The area was a grassy area and apparently a good place for Jesus and His disciples to “get away.” However, they were unsuccessful. A large crowd from Capernaum walked the four or five miles to find Him because of the signs which they had seen Him do. I'm encouraged by this from these verses. The Father led Jesus to this place to set the stage for another display of His glory, the miraculous feeding of 15,000 people, counting women and children. We can be encouraged by this great reality. Our Father is always going before us, setting the stage for Jesus to display His glory. As we live to love with Jesus, we have confidence that nothing is random. Where we go today is necessary for what God wants to do through His Son in our lives. Who we meet is also arranged by the Father. Why they are in our paths may depend on a thousand small acts of God, both passive and active. Let's thank God, our Father, for going ahead of us today. “Father, thank You for guiding our paths and for orchestrating the circumstances and encounters we have today with people. Prepare us for loving with Jesus by keeping us abiding in Him and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Give us faith to trust You as things happen today, and keep us mindful that You are at work and desire to bear fruit in our lives through Your Son, Jesus. We love you, and consider it a privilege to be called and empowered to live to love with You and Him. Magnify Your name in us today. Amen. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Christina Muscianese from Johnson City, TN. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23, which is helping people hear and respond to the truth of God's Word. This one's for you. Our text today is Mark 9:33-37: And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” — Mark 9:33-37 Jesus and the disciples arrive in Capernaum. They enter a house. And Jesus asks them a question—one he already knows the answer to: “What were you discussing on the way?” They fall silent. Why? Because they were arguing about status. About greatness. About who would be first in the kingdom. Let that sink in. Jesus just told them—again—that he would suffer and die. And they follow it up by debating rank. But here's what makes this moment even more ironic and powerful: the greatest person in the room is the one teaching them what true greatness really is. The Son of God—radiant in glory, worthy of all worship—sits down and calls them close. And then he turns greatness on its head: “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Then Jesus does something shocking. He takes a child—a symbol of weakness, low status, and dependency—and pulls him into their circle. Not to say, “Be like this child,” but, “Receive this child.” Welcome the unnoticed. Embrace the vulnerable. Value the ones the world forgets. Jesus isn't just telling us what greatness is—he's embodying it. The King of all is stooping to serve. The highest is showing us how to go low. In God's kingdom, greatness is not defined by visibility but by humility. Not by power but by service. Not by the spotlight but by sacrifice. So, if you want to be great, stop climbing. Start kneeling. Serve those around you today, and learn his greatness! #ServantLeadership, #KingdomGreatness, #Mark9 ASK THIS: What definition of greatness have you bought into? How does Jesus' model challenge your own ambitions? Who are the “children” around you God wants you to welcome? What would it look like to choose service over status today? DO THIS: Humble yourself by serving someone with no influence—someone who can't repay you—just as Jesus did. PRAY THIS: Jesus, I confess I chase the wrong kind of greatness. Teach me to see, serve, and value others like you do. Amen. PLAY THIS: “Make Room.”

How do we pray the way Jesus taught us to pray?   ---   Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49451873  Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

Third Sunday after Pentecost Bible Readings 1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Corinthians 11:21b-30, Luke 9:51-62 Worship Folder Seninarian Noah Cook Sermon text: Mark 7:31-37 A Believing Centurion 7 After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were listening, he went into Capernaum. 2 A centurion's servant, who was valuable to him, was sick and about to die. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 because he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.” 6 Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, because I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!' and he goes; and to another one, ‘Come!' and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,' and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he was amazed at him. He turned to the crowd that was following him and said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” 10 And when the men who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Take a Moment to recall something from today's message. Ask Jesus to create for you opportunities to use your words, activities and thoughts to glorify Him this week. We value your friendship and the opportunity to share the love of Jesus together with you!

Jesus’ authority is unmatched and unprecedented among any physical or spiritual being or force that is seen or unseen and demands our obedience because He is worthy of it! Sermon Outline @ http://bible.com/events/49456428

“And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.” (Luke 5:13 NAS95)

“And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.” (Luke 5:13 NAS95)

Gospel Matthew 8:5-17 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, "You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you." And at that very hour his servant was healed. Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases. Reflection Jesus encountered over and over again rejection, rejection and rejection from those engaged in the temple and in the system that the temple taught people to be a part of. But here we see the beauty of what Jesus is really about. He's here to give life to those who care. And we have in the centurion a man who comes forward, a general of the Roman army, and he's worried about his servant, not himself, and he asks for healing for someone else. And he knows that Jesus can do it. And Jesus is so struck by his faith. He's never found any faith like that in all of Israel. It's a beautiful image of how miracles work, how healing works when we care deeply for one another and long for one another to grow and change, and invite God to bless those that we care about and bring them into fullness. That's the Kingdom of God. That's the work we have before us. Closing Prayer Father, relationship with you is not just about us. It is about those you have shared with us, our family, our friends, our circle. Help us always to invite you into the role of using us to be healers of those that we love. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jesus entered Capernaum,a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."He said to him, "I will come and cure him."The centurion said in reply,"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;only say the word and my servant will be healed.For I too am a man subject to authority,with soldiers subject to me.And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobat the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,but the children of the Kingdomwill be driven out into the outer darkness,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."And Jesus said to the centurion,"You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you."And at that very hour his servant was healed.Jesus entered the house of Peter,and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.He touched her hand, the fever left her,and she rose and waited on him.When it was evening, they brought him manywho were possessed by demons,and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:He took away our infirmitiesand bore our diseases.

“May we invite you to be the main speaker in our nationwide church leadership conference?” After Jose read the invitation from the renowned organization, he replied, “Please let me pray about it first.” Later, when he turned down the offer, he told a friend, “I knew God was calling me to editorial work on a mission’s project, and the speaking engagement would take time and energy away from that. I said no so I can do what God wants me to do.” What God wants me to do─that was Jose’s priority, determining his decision. Jesus also made God’s purpose His priority. The morning after healing many in Capernaum who were sick and demon-possessed, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray (Mark 1:32-35). The disciples came, saying, “Everyone is looking for you!” (v. 37). Some of those seeking Him were likely requesting healing. Jesus, however, didn’t allow urgency or His sudden popularity to determine what He’d do next. “Let us go . . . to the nearby villages,” He said, “so I can preach there also. That is why I have come” (v. 38). Jesus followed His priority—a ministry that covered the rest of Galilee, and one that included preaching (v. 38). How may we know God’s purpose for us? We can approach Him in prayer, be led by His Word and seek counsel from people who uphold His ways. Let’s spend our life doing what God wants us to do.

In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings his hearers to a watershed moment. He starts to connect the heart to the wallet with the intention of helping His hearers understand the importance of giving and helping those in need.    ---    Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49450865 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven'?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Luke 7:1–10 (ESV) After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,' and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,' and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.Miracles Require 3 Things:Declared NeedPeople are to proud to ask or reveal weaknessRelationshipsRelationship with GodRelationship with peopleEffective FaithJames 5:16 (NASB) The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.Live “People Before _______________ ”Luke 7:2 (ESV) Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.See yourself on MISSION in all things.There has always been and will always be sticky times, sticky politics, sticky social situationsJews, Centurions, Servants…Democrats, Republicans, Democrats, LiberalsRefuse titlesSee People “Worthy Of His Help” - Luke 7:3–5 (ESV) When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”Recognize The “I Need Your Jesus” MomentLuke 7:2 (ESV) Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.This may require discernmentThis may require reading the hintsThis may require seeing people in spite of task.But it will come.1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,Grow Your FaithLuke 7:9–10 (ESV) When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.Grow In FaithPut yourself in situations to grow your faithLean into authorityHebrews 11:1 (ESV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ⇒Check out all of Carey's books - for adults and kids, fiction and nonfiction : https://CareyGreen.com/books ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:   ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate. To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ⇒Check out all of Carey's books - for adults and kids, fiction and nonfiction : https://CareyGreen.com/books ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Mark 9:33–37 - And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” [34] But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. [35] And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” [36] And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, [37] “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God is different, and empowered by His Holy Spirit, its citizens live differently.   ---    Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49447887 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

Chapter 26: At Capernaum.The Desire of Ages is a proven source of inspiration and enlightenment to millions of readers all over the world. And with good reason, for it deals with a universal yearning—the desire for living life to its fullest with the knowledge that we are here for a reason: That we are loved.This devotional classic tells the life story of the greatest spiritual leader the world has ever known—Jesus Christ. It does not merely set down a series of remote events; it presents the meaning of them so vividly that you will feel like you are an eyewitness to what is being described. And in these pages you will understand, possibly for the first time, the true, underlying significance of Christ's deeds and their bearing on your own life...here and now.This book is like a harmony of the gospels. It takes Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and combines the stories in chapter form. Of the thousands of books in the Library of Congress on the life of Jesus, this is one of the most used and asked for.---Are you interested in making a profound life change? Let us know today! Text "ADD," plus your name, over to us to our text line at (561) 468-3873 if you're interested in bible study, prayer requests, or baptism. We look forward to hearing from you!---God be praised, His Word is now available for download on both iPhone and Android!The Bible: ⁠⁠⁠APPLE⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠ANDROID⁠⁠⁠.Ellen G. White's Writings: ⁠⁠⁠APPLE⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠ANDROID⁠⁠⁠.Sabbath School Quarterly: ⁠⁠⁠APPLE⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠ANDROID⁠⁠⁠.---Bring all your tithes into the storehouse! We now accept tithes and offerings via ⁠⁠⁠Cash App⁠⁠⁠ [$DOZChurch].---For even more content, subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠, follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ and Instagram [⁠⁠⁠@DOZChurch⁠⁠⁠], and visit us at ⁠⁠⁠DOZSDA.COM⁠⁠⁠!

Daily Dose of Hope June 12, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 11:20-30   Prayer: Holy God,  We are weary.  We are tired.  We need you.  You are great and mighty.  You are merciful and loving.  How we need that right now!  Lord, speak to us today.  We need to hear your voice.  We pray that your voice will be louder and clearer than all the other voices that crowd our thoughts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, please speak to us...  God, we give you all the glory.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Matthew 11.   There is so much substance in this chapter. I feel like there is no way for me to even brush the surface. Let's start with the woe on unrepentant towns.  Jesus is denouncing certain areas in the northern region of Galilee, including Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, because even though they saw many of his miracles and heard his teaching, they didn't repent.  Jesus is saying if he had done the same miracles in Gentile cities like Tyre and Sidon, they would have already repented and believed.  Jesus is speaking harsh words here.  The cities that should have responded well and come to believe have largely rejected him.  Jesus has not met their expectation of the Messiah, but that does not absolve them of guilt.  They will very much be held accountable, as will all of us.   And then, there is this discussion that the Father is revealed in the Son.  Those who think they are really smart and learned might reject Jesus but we must have faith like little, vulnerable children.  Humility is an asset in God's Kingdom.    Where I really want to focus today is on the last few verses.  Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Is he simply talking about people who are physically weary? That's certainly part of it. Think about the culture at the time of Jesus. Most people were poor and they worked really, really hard. This whole idea of rest would have been very appealing to them. But it goes much deeper. We know from scripture that the Pharisees were kind of obsessed with following the law and the manmade traditions they had created. In fact, they had created hundreds of additional rules that they felt were necessary to follow the law well. God's law, Torah, was certainly fine and it was a good thing to keep Torah. But this group took it to the extreme, creating an additional burden on people to follow. Matthew 23:4 said, “They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” This created constant striving, but always failing, never being able to be good enough. Their souls were being worn down and worn down and worn down. And Jesus said, “NO–come to me all of you who are experiencing this soul weariness, all of you who are tired and need rest–physical rest, emotional rest, and spiritual rest.”   We live in a culture where being stressed out is the norm (we almost wear it like a badge of honor). People are tired and weary. The truth is that life can wear you down. Once we overcome one challenge, there seems to be another right around the corner. I know that many of you are dealing with really serious difficulty like health problems, broken relationships, and significant financial issues.   But the weariness of life is not just about the big burdens, is it? Sometimes, it is the everyday busyness of life that wears us down, the feeling of running on the hamster wheel, the getting up and dealing with the same stress day end and day out. The end result of all this weariness isa kind of restlessness. And yet, this isn't the kind of restlessness that just goes away by watching TV or going on vacation. Could it be that our need for rest is different than we think it is? Is rest simply the freedom from work OR is it something very different? True rest is impossible apart from Jesus Christ. We can never be at rest in our soul apart from Jesus. This restlessness of our soul is truly what ails so many of us. No amount of money, no amount of power or prestige can keep you from this restlessness. No one can escape it.   So what in the world can we do? Well, Jesus gives us the answer. He says to take his yoke upon us. A yoke was essentially a wooden frame that was used to harness together a pair of oxen at their necks so that they could pull a plough or some other kind of load. It was kind of a balancing device. Often a younger ox that needed to be taught to work would be paired with an older, more experienced ox.   This is a wonderful picture of our relationship with Jesus (or maybe I should say what our relationship with Jesus ideally looks like). The people that Jesus was speaking to would have known this–their yoke was hard. The Pharisees put this really difficult, ill-fitting yoke around their necks. But being yoked together with Jesus is so much better. The fit is better, it doesn't hurt so badly. When we allow him to walk alongside us, sharing our burden and yoke, the load does not disappear but is made lighter.   Being yoked together with Jesus does not mean we won't have to work, we will. We will still have problems, we will still have difficulty. But his yoke is not harsh or oppressive. Jesus' company is gentle. Just picture being yoked together with him as you plow a field. I know it might be a ridiculous thought for some of us non-farming people, but it is also a comforting thought. He wants us to attach ourselves to him. Not just hang around him every now and then. Not just go and have dinner with him once a week and then do it our way the rest of the week. No, he wants us to become permanently yoked with him, day in and day out. In doing so, our load will be lighter because he will share it with us. His peace and his comfort will walk alongside us and enable us to keep going.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

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Jesus expects—and graciously enables—His people to do good.   ---    Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49444579 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions