Podcast appearances and mentions of charles swindoll

We are all under pressure whether it's expectations, trying to achieve something, or even the weight of trying not to disappoint people. But - it isn't always an enemy, sometimes it can even be a gift. Over the next 12 weeks, we will walk through Galatians on Tuesdays and a different guest will join me on Thursdays. We'll answer questions like - have I really accepted who I am and who I am not? Can I let other people be different, think differently? When do I know when I've messed up too many times for God? Let's talk about it. HELPFUL LINKS: Join the newsletter Sign up for texts from Jennie and TeamCONNECT ON SOCIALS: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | TikTok | PinterestRESOURCES:Abba's Child by Brennan ManningGrace Awakening by Charles Swindoll

Create Sales meetings in minutes. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 36 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on creating sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word topics to create a conversation and inspire your sales team.   Episode 212: What we have 90% control over when reacting to a challenge. This weeks three words, Attitude is Everything!   Last week was a tough week. My brother-in-law, Herb, passed away unexpectedly. Two weekends earlier, we had a family pool swimming, laughing, and enjoying each other. Then, about a week later, he passed away unexpectedly.    I had the privilege and honor to speak at his service on behalf of the family about this great man - Herb Birkenhauer.    Herb was a great son, brother, brother-in-law, Uncle, Grandfather, Father, Friend, and Husband for 43 years. He also was a great teacher!   A teacher on how to live Life!     I shared the story of a little note that hung on his refrigerator as a reminder and guide on how he lived his Life every day, even when facing Cancer!    This little note centered around one word: how Herb lived. One word that Herb's family believes defined how he approached each day is ATTITUDE!   It's easy to have a great attitude when things are going great.  But what about those hard days?  How about those dark days? How is your Attitude in those moments?  This was his secret weapon to get through those hard days. Herb never complained, but he was there to listen and encourage others to adopt the same positive Attitude.    He wanted to help others. Just a few weeks ago, my nephew Adam told me that his mom, Carol, asked him to replace a chimney cap on the roof. When Adam showed up, Herb had already climbed up on the top and fixed it, saying to Adam, in his sweet way, Let's keep this between us!   Herb was here for many reasons, and one I believe in my heart was to teach us how we approach our days, especially those challenging moments. Perhaps we can use it to guide our lives and business. We can learn to react, learn, and grow from every situation.   Here is what Herb read every morning -  Attitude from Charles Swindoll. The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change the past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.  I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitude!   One word we all have control over when facing those challenging moments - is our Attitude!  Remembering, Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% how you react.   The world was a better place because of Herb!     Thanks for joining me this week. Could you do me a favor? If you think someone can benefit from this episode, share it and rate it, or subscribe to where you get your favorite podcasts.     Create engaging sales meetings in minutes!  My easy-to-use process can quickly create impactful meetings tailored to your team's needs.    Learn more at www.Threewordmeetings.com.        

Sermon Notes Song of Songs 2:8 NIV Listen! My beloved! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. We are 25 verses in, with at least 18 compliments and not one harsh word. Song of Songs 2:9 NIV My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. Song of Songs 2:10 NIV My beloved spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me." Song of Songs 2:11-12 NIV "See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land." Song of Songs 2:13 NIV "The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." Song of Songs 2:14 NIV My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. How are your words and actions building up the one you love? Song of Songs 2:15 NIV Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. "It's the slow leaks, not the blow outs; the insidious pests we seldom even consider that cut away at the heart of a home until it crumbles and two people end up walking away." - Charles Swindoll, Strike the Original Match Dating is for the purpose of discovering the kind of person you want to spend the rest of your life with. "If you do not allow yourself to rush into falling for someone that you have not become friends with first, you will be more sure when you let yourself go to the next step. Certainly, you might find yourself having all sorts of feelings. Enjoy them. But do not believe them. Only believe your experience of getting to know a person and seeing if you can share at a deep level. See if you find that he or she is a person of the kind of character you would trust as a friend. And as important as all of that, see if that person is a person that you would like spending time with if there were no romance at all. That is the one true measure of a friend, a person with whom you like to spend time, having no regard to how you are spending it. "Hanging out" is fulfilling in and of itself. And that, long-term, requires character, and in the deepest of friendships, shared values as well. You would want your best friends to be honest, faithful, deep, spiritual, responsible, connecting, growing, loving, and the like. Make sure that those qualities are also present in the person you are falling in love with." - Dr. Henry Cloud, Boundaries in Dating Song of Songs 2:16-17 NIV My beloved is mine, and I am his; he browses among the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the rugged hills. A relationship is ready to get to the serious stage when you have seen their worst days, and still feel totally safe with them emotionally, relationally, physically, and historically. "A person who truly loves you should be able to handle the full truth about you. I met a man who fell in love with, courted, and married a young woman who had once been the "pass around" girl in her college. She had been through twenty or more sexual affairs during her college days. By the time she met the man she later married, she had come to her senses, committed her life to the Lord, and was deeply embarrassed about her past. Nevertheless, she confessed her past to her husband. She wanted no secrets between them. What was his response? He wept openly for the pain and grief she had suffered. He rejoiced that she had come to Christ. His love for her increased because he saw the transformation in her life as both a miracle from God and an act of courage on her part. He became her protector, loving her in a way that gave her a genuine shield against the world." – Tommy Nelson, The Book of Romance Song of Songs 3:1-3 NIV All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. "Have you seen the one my heart loves?" "The image of this young lady walking the night streets by herself is one that emphasizes her solitude, her loneliness without Solomon. Marriage provides the security to deal with issues, and to do so as a team. The dream is helping her understand how much she needs that security." – Dr. David Jeremiah Song of Songs 3:4-5 NIV Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother's house, to the room of the one who conceived me. Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. When both people feel heard, safe, loved, built-up, pursued, and desired – physical intimacy is the natural outcome.

I recently read an article about how our attitude depends on what we eat and when we eat as it has a major impact on our performance and moods. We have heard often, "You are what you eat." According to Dr. Jack Gropple, a well known nutrition and fitness expert, he tells us how to have a better attitude. He states that we need to remember what your mother said about breakfast - don't skip it. Gropple says, "No ifs, ands, and buts - eat breakfast. Breakfast is most important. He tells us why it is so important. "After a good night's sleep, your body is nearly devoid of glucose or blood sugar. You need to replenish. When you eat a proper breakfast, your cognitive abilities, your energy, and your attitude are better. Cereals and grains are good and even a little fat is okay." He tells us that eating for attitude and energy is a day long project. The rule, according to Gropple is simple. Eat four or five small meals, not three big meals. A hearty breakfast, lunch, and dinner is old thinking. To keep your metabolism up, your blood sugar from dropping, and yourself energized, you need to eat a small breakfast, a healthy mid morning snack, a small dinner, and a healthy snack. He even suggest certain foods for certain times of the day. For energy in the afternoon, for example, many people opt for a light lunch like a salad. This is one of the worst things you can do because when you eat carbohydrates your body releases an amino acid called tritophan. "That amino acid," he says, "triggers a hormone that has a relaxing effect. Not good if you have a busy afternoon planned. Select a chicken sandwich on rye bread and skip the mayonnaise," he says, "the protein causes a release of the amino acid triosine, another big word with a simple meaning - energy." And what about that late night snack? "Carbohydrates make you feel calm. If you have to eat late, eat carbohydrates," he concludes. Did you expect another warm thoughts column on attitudes? Thanks to Dr. Jack Gropple, a very well known nutrition and fitness expert on the subject. I'd love to discuss this a little more with him. Yes, you guessed it, just over a cup of tea. Warm Thoughts: The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change the past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and this is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes. Charles Swindoll. Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner Published in the Marion Record August 23rd, 1998.Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don't forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I'd greatly appreciate it.Till next time,Trina

Of all the Warm Thoughts columns I have ever written, perhaps the ones pertaining to "thoughts on attitude" have received the most favorable comments from my readers. Recently I read about Jerry who had a very positive attitude. It inspired me so much and it may have a positive effect on any summertime blues that may be coming our way in this season of the year. Jerry was the kind of guy who was always in a good mood and had something positive to say at all times. He owned his own business and his employees love to work with him. He was a natural motivator. If an employee had a bad day, Jerry was there talking about how to look at the positive side of the situation. "Employees who learn from their mistakes are better employees," he would always say. When he was asked how he could be so positive, he would reply, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Jerry, you have two choices today: You can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. I choose a good mood.' Each time something bad happens I can learn every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaints, or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive." One day Jerry left the back door of his business open and he was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed off to the local trauma center. After eighteen hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of bullets still in his body. When asked what had gone through his mind when the robbery took place, he told his story: "The first thing was that I should have locked the back door. Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I choose to live. The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses I really got scared. In their eyes, I read, "He's a dead man." I just knew I needed to take action. But they were shouting questions at me. The nurse asked me if I was allergic to anything. "Yes," I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working just waiting for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Bullets!!" Over their laughter I told them I am choosing to live, operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Yes, Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. We all can learn from him that every day we have a choice to live fully. Winsome Words: The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Charles Swindoll. May you have many warm thoughts on attitude! Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner Published in the Marion Record July 16th, 1998.Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don't forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I'd greatly appreciate it.Till next time,Trina

Introduction      Previously, the church had come under persecution by Saul (Acts 8:1-3), and the result was, “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Philip—one of the seven Hellenistic Jews chosen in Acts 7—showed himself to be an obedient-to-the-word believer who shared the gospel with others who were willing to listen (Acts 8:5-8). Philip relied on the Holy Spirit to create witnessing opportunities and engaged people through normal conversation. Text      As Luke continues to recount Philip's evangelistic ministry, he focuses on a particular person named Simon, saying, “Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, ‘This man is what is called the Great Power of God'” (Acts 8:9-10). Here, Luke records the first of three encounters with the occult in the book of Acts (cf., Acts 8:8-9; 13:8; 16:16). This magic that Simon practiced was not mere sleight of hand, but had demonic powers working through him. This led many people to focus on him and to be misled by his activities. According to Stanley Toussaint: "Because of his “sorcery,” the ability to exercise control over nature and/or people by means of demonic power, people called him the Great Power. They may or may not have thought of him as possessing deity. At any rate Simon boasted that he was someone great, and the people of Samaria believed him. Furthermore, he accepted their adulation."[1]      Luke continues, saying, “And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts” (Acts 8:11). Apparently Simon was performing his “magic arts” by means of demonic forces. Biblically, there are examples of when Satan empowered his false messengers to perform miracles in order to deceive. For example, when Moses was executing God's plagues upon Egypt, it is recorded that three times “the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts” (Ex 7:10-11; cf., 7:21-22; 8:6-7). Later, Moses warned the Israelites who were about to enter the land that they should guard themselves against false prophets and dreamers of dreams who arise and give them a “sign or wonder” and then seek to lead them away from God (Deut 13:1-4). Jesus warned of future “false Christs and false prophets who will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matt 24:24). And Paul spoke of the coming Antichrist, “whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Th 2:9-10). Those who know God's Word and live by it will guard themselves against the deceiving power of false miracle workers.      Luke informs us that Simon began to lose some of his followers, saying, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike” (Acts 8:12). Here were people turning from Simon's deceptive practices to the true and living God as they believed Philip's message concerning the good news about “the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12b). The kingdom of God here refers to the coming future earthly kingdom that Christ will bring in at His second coming (Acts 1:3, 6; Rev 20:4-6). Of course, Jesus Christ is the Savior and coming King who will rule over the earth in righteousness. Stanley Toussaint states, “‘The name of Jesus Christ' looks to His position as Messiah (cf., 8:5, ‘the Christ,' lit., the Messiah). In other words, the message meant that some Samaritans would become heirs of the Millennium by faith in Jesus, the Messiah.”[2] Apparently, Philip's message about Jesus included His work on the cross as well as a future hope of a better world when He returns and rules the world in righteousness (Rev 20:4-6). Here was a contrast between Simon and Philip. Whereas Simon sought to bring attention to himself, Philip pointed others to Christ.      Interestingly, Luke tells us, “Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed” (Acts 8:13). I take this passage as Simon's conversion experience, as the text states he “believed” the good news message Philip was preaching and he was “baptized” as a new convert. Stanley Toussaint thinks Simon was not saved because of his sinful actions that follow (see his notes in the Bible Knowledge Commentary). However, I tend to agree with Thomas Constable, who wrote, “Even Simon believed. I see no reason to conclude that Simon's faith was spurious. The text says that he believed just as the others Luke mentioned (Acts 9:12), and there is no reason to doubt the reality of their faith.”[3] Charles Swindoll notes, “Luke says plainly, ‘Simon himself believed' (Acts 8:13). He expects us to take that statement at face value; after all, Philip didn't doubt the man's authenticity. Simon was baptized in water and then followed Philip like a disciple, observing the deacon's ministry of preaching, healing, and casting out demons.”[4]      Luke continues, saying, “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17). This account reveals the Samaritans had been accepted by God just as the Jewish believers. But why was the Holy Spirit withheld from the Samaritans until Peter and John came down from Jerusalem? According to Charles Swindoll, “God didn't bring the apostles to Samaria to bestow the Holy Spirit but to witness the Samaritans receiving the Holy Spirit. The Lord delayed the falling of the Holy Spirit for the apostles' benefit, to assure them that He had accepted the Samaritans' belief and had made them full-fledged brothers and sisters in the kingdom.”[5]Stanley Toussaint states: "Perhaps the most important aspect of God's withholding the Spirit till apostolic representatives came from the Jerusalem church was to prevent schism. Because of the natural propensity of division between Jews and Samaritans it was essential for Peter and John to welcome the Samaritan believers officially into the church. The contrast between John's attitude here and in Luke 9:52–54 is significant."[6]      Luke then brings Simon back into the account, saying, “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit'” (Acts 8:18-19). What Simon visually witnessed is uncertain. Perhaps the Holy Spirit was manifesting Himself through these new converts by means of tongues, just as He did when He came upon those on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). Whatever Simon saw, it moved his carnal heart to seek to have that power himself, so he offered Peter and John some money, thinking they could transfer this ability to him. The purchase of knowledge or power for personal gain was and is a worldly practice. Here, Simon was operating from a state of carnality and seeking to monopolize God's power for personal advantage. Toussaint notes, “The term simony, which is the buying or selling of things considered religious or sacred such as an ecclesiastical office, comes from Simon's desire to purchase the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to others.”[7]      But things did not go as Simon had hoped, as “Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God” (Acts 8:20-21). Simon was worldly minded and did not understand grace. He was governed by selfish pride for personal gain rather than selfless humility for the service of others. The pronouncement of Peter that Simon perish (ἀπώλεια apoleia – to be destroyed) could refer either to eternal destruction (John 3:16), or to premature physical death such as happened with Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-10). If Simon was not a Christian, then it speaks to his eternal damnation. If Simon was a Christian, then it refers to the sin unto death which a believer can experience (1 Cor 11:30; 1 John 5:16-17).      Do God's children ever behave sinfully? Yes. Throughout Scripture, we observe examples of God's children behaving sinfully, yet they were true believers. For example, Abraham twice lied and jeopardized the safety of his wife, Sarah (Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-11). Samson slept with several women (Judg 16:1, 4), and lied to his parents (Judg 14:5-9). David had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband, Uriah (2 Sam 11:1-17), followed Satan's temptation and “sinned greatly” by taking an unauthorized census in Israel  (1 Ch 21:1, 8), and even practiced the sin of polygamy contrary to the Law of Moses (Deut 17:17). Solomon practiced polygamy and “had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines” (1 Ki 11:3a), and went “after other gods” to worship them (1 Ki 11:4). Jonah disobeyed the Lord and temporarily fled His calling (Jonah 1:1-3). The apostles James and John suggested to Jesus that a Samaritan city be destroyed by fire (Luke 9:51-54). Peter rebuked the Jesus and tried to stop Him from going to the cross (Matt 16:21-23), and later publicly denied Him three times (Matt 26:69-75). The apostle John, while receiving divine revelation, was twice rebuked for worshipping an angel (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9).      We cannot know with 100% certainty whether Simon was saved, but at the end of the day, “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim 2:19). The problem is, if we doubt the statement here about Simon's faith in Jesus, it opens the door for us to doubt the faith of anyone who believes, including ourselves. In this way, we can easily become fruit inspectors who spend our time analyzing people's lives and thinking they are not saved because we don't immediately see the fruit of a changed life. Taking the passage in a straightforward way, it's easier to see Simon as a carnal baby believer who has a lot to learn.      Peter's advice for Simon was, “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity” (Acts 8:22-23). Simon was jealous of the Apostle's ability and wanted the power for himself. To be in the gall of bitterness is to be deeply envious of someone to such an extent that it results in bitterness and bondage because they have something you don't, and the thought of it drives you to mental madness. Simon was in the “bondage of iniquity.” However, after being rebuked by Peter, Simon seems to display some humility, as Luke records, “But Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me'” (Acts 8:24). This seems to be a genuine cry of concern from Simon, which might further argue his conversion was true. Conclusion      Many Samaritans had believed in Christ as their Savior, but the giving of the Holy Spirit was intentionally delayed until the Apostles could arrive. This was a special occasion, as the baptism, indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit would occur at Salvation for future believers (1 Cor 12:13; cf., 1 Cor 6:19; Eph 1:13; 4:30). The Samaritans received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the Apostle's hands to reveal a unity and new Christian identity as part of the church. The new spiritual identity created by God the Holy Spirit destroyed the hostilities that had existed for centuries between the Jews and Samaritans.      Prior to believing in Christ, Simon was involved in the occult and had the ability—through demonic forces—to perform supernatural acts to manipulate people and circumstances for his self-interest and self-glory (Acts 8:9-10). In contrast, the Apostles performed miracles by means of God's power, always giving credit to God and pointing men to Christ for salvation (see Acts 3:12, 16; 4:10). Though Simon had “believed” and been “baptized” along with the others at Samaria, he was still governed by pride and worldly viewpoint. Simon reveals his theological ignorance when he requested to buy the ability to dispense the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Peter strongly rebuked Simon who failed to understand God's grace, and thought to turn it into a system of self-centered glory. Simon became fearful after Peter's rebuke and asked Peter to pray for him, hoping to avoid the punishment. Present Application      Taking Simon as a believer, it demonstrates the point that regeneration does not automatically produce humility or the divine viewpoint necessary for Christian service. After being born again, the Christian must begin the process of expunging a lifetime of human viewpoint thinking and replacing it divine viewpoint. This is accomplished only through consistent study and the application of God's Word over time (see Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:11-16; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). The Gospel      If you are here this morning without Christ, without hope, and without eternal life, I want you to know that when Jesus was on the cross, He had you personally in mind as He bore your sin and paid the price for it. He died and paid the penalty for your sins so that you would not have to. Scripture reveals, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8), and “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). The good news for us is that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4), and if we place our faith in Him as the only Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), we are promised forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), eternal life (John 10:28), and place in heaven forever (John 14:1-3). Dr. Steven R. Cook               [1] Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 372. [2] Ibid., 372–373. [3] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ac 8:13. [4] Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016), 145. [5] Ibid., 145. [6] Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, vol. 2, 373. [7] Ibid., 373.

It is always a joy to receive thoughts from faithful readers of this Warm Thoughts column. They share with me thoughts so precious that I feel the need to share with others. A faithful reader from Florida who has lived a long life and has a contagious attitude worth catching, sent me thoughts by Charles Swindoll on attitude. "The longer I live, the more I realized the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me, is more important than the facts, it is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on this one string we have and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes." Attitudes are contagious! Are yours and mine worth catching? Positive attitudes are a choice we can make. The control center of our lives is our attitude. Our health and happiness depends on our relaxed attitudes. Our attitude controls our future. Edgar Jackson wrote in his book, "Your Health and You," one of the best lines: "No one can go to the drugstore and order a bottle of attitude pills." He wrote the book when he was recovering from a stroke. Attitudes create the atmosphere of life. We are aware that if the attitude is good, positive, and enthusiastic that life welcomes adventure and discovery. Throughout the years, we have observed how attitudes are contagious. Parents pass their attitudes on to their children, teachers to their students, a coach to his players, and a boss to his employee. It is a blessing when those at the top have a good attitude. I am reminded from the familiar strains of music from Oklahoma, "Oh, what a beautiful morning. Oh, what a beautiful day." Let's make it a beautiful day with our attitude! Warm Thoughts: I discovered I always have choices and sometimes it is only a choice of attitude. Abraham Lincoln. The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any set of circumstances. Dr. Viktor Frankl. Have a beautiful day and a positive attitude! Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner Published in the Marion Record, July 11th, 1996.Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don't forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I'd greatly appreciate it.Till next time,Trina

¿Cómo puedo mejorar mi vida me pregunto un joven el otro día? Rápidamente le respondí diciendo: Al mejorar tu actitud. Creo firmemente que cada ser humano puede mejorar su vida mejorando su actitud, porque de todas las cosas que llevamos puesta, nuestra actitud es la más importante. La actitud parece ser una pequeña cosa, pero marca una gran diferencia. Como bien lo leí un día: Nuestra actitud hacia la vida determina la actitud de la vida hacia nosotros. De modo que, si aprendemos a cambiar nuestra actitud, habremos creado uno de los mejores hábitos que nos puede ayudar en nuestra vida. El predicador Charles Swindoll comentó en uno de sus libros que la actitud lo es todo en la vida porque es un 10% lo que te pasa y un 90% el cómo reaccionas. Esta es una gran verdad. Muchas de las problemáticas y dilemas con los que lidiamos en la vida tienen que ver con la manera como reaccionamos a las cosas que nos pasan. Así que si mejoras tu actitud mejorarás tu calidad de vida. ¿Deseas hacerlo? Hoy puede ser un buen comienzo que puede traer cambios permanentes para ti y para los que están alrededor tuyo. La Biblia dice en Filipenses 2:13, “13 porque Dios es el que en vosotros produce así el querer como el hacer, por su buena voluntad (RV1960)

¿Cómo puedo mejorar mi vida me pregunto un joven el otro día? Rápidamente le respondí diciendo: Al mejorar tu actitud. Creo firmemente que cada ser humano puede mejorar su vida mejorando su actitud, porque de todas las cosas que llevamos puesta, nuestra actitud es la más importante. La actitud parece ser una pequeña cosa, pero marca una gran diferencia. Como bien lo leí un día: Nuestra actitud hacia la vida determina la actitud de la vida hacia nosotros. De modo que, si aprendemos a cambiar nuestra actitud, habremos creado uno de los mejores hábitos que nos puede ayudar en nuestra vida. El predicador Charles Swindoll comentó en uno de sus libros que la actitud lo es todo en la vida porque es un 10% lo que te pasa y un 90% el cómo reaccionas. Esta es una gran verdad. Muchas de las problemáticas y dilemas con los que lidiamos en la vida tienen que ver con la manera como reaccionamos a las cosas que nos pasan. Así que si mejoras tu actitud mejorarás tu calidad de vida. ¿Deseas hacerlo? Hoy puede ser un buen comienzo que puede traer cambios permanentes para ti y para los que están alrededor tuyo. La Biblia dice en Filipenses 2:13, “13 porque Dios es el que en vosotros produce así el querer como el hacer, por su buena voluntad (RV1960)

"First impressions never have a second chance”, quote by Charles Swindoll. It is said to never judge a book by its cover, but when have you ever picked up a ragged book to read? How we initially present ourselves is important, but how we actually show up is everything. Do you know how your first impression is perceived by others? Probably not. The bigger questions is, do you mold to fit the perception or do you stay true  and change the perception? First impressions are tough because of that irresistible urge called judgement which precedes an actual first engagement. Coach and Doc look at the various facets of how we see ourselves, especially through the judgmental lens of others. Now grab that sip and toast with us as we peel back the layers to a better understanding of First Impressions.   Sip of the Day: Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke for you old heads!). 2oz of rum, fresh lime squeezed, and topped with coke to taste.    Questions, reviews and topics you would like to hear on the show: Website: podcastsoe.com Instagram: @soe_podcast YouTube: Sippin On Excellence Connect with Doc! Website: huntspine.com Instagram: @leonelhunt Connect with Coach KJ! Website: coachkj.com Instagram: @coachkjknows

This weeks discussion will be on the book "Grace Awakening" by Charles Swindoll. In this book, Charles Swindoll encourages us to embrace Grace.

Olá tudo bem? A partir deste episódio, vamos refletir em alguns devocionais do livreto “Ande com fé” do autor Charles Swindoll.

Dear Young Married Couple: You've likely experienced significant loss in your life.

Introduction      Luke had previously addressed the conflict that arose in the early church between the Hellenistic Jews and the native Jews over the matter of food distribution to the widows in the community (Acts 6:1). To resolve the issue, the apostles directed “the congregation of the disciples” (Acts 6:2) to select seven men of “good reputation” who would make sure the widows were being cared for on a daily basis (Acts 6:2-3). The apostle's reason was so they could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). The seven men who were selected were described as being “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Act 6:3), and “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), and were approved by the apostles for their ministry (Acts 6:6). Afterwards, we're told, “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem” (Acts 6:7). In the following pericope, Luke singled out Stephen, who was a transitional figure in the early church. Stephen takes up such a large section in Acts because he is the first Christian martyr and his death marks the beginning of the great church persecution that scattered Christians all over the world. Text      Luke wrote, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Previously, Stephen was among those who were said to be “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3), and specifically was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). And here, Stephen was said to be “full of grace and power” (Acts 6:8). The Greek adjective πλήρης pleres, translated full of, appears 16 times in the NT, with half of the occurrences in Acts. According to Mounce, the word means to be “completely under the influence of, or affected by.”[1] Stephen was marked by the good qualities one would like to see in a godly leader. The word grace translates the Greek word χάρις charis, which commonly denotes unmerited favor or undeserved kindness, but here means “a winning quality or attractiveness … charm, winsomeness.”[2] Furthermore, Stephen was under the influence of God's power, Who was working through His servant to perform “great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8b). It is assumed these signs and wonders were similar to those performed by the apostles, and that it was done to promote the gospel message to others in the community. According to Charles Swindoll, “In faith, Stephen submitted himself to the direction of the Holy Spirit and worked to serve the church. This is exactly the kind of faithful Christian God loves to use to do big things. Stephen took his faith seriously, and he yielded to the Holy Spirit's control. That's what it means to be ‘full' in this way.”[3] But godliness does not come without resistance. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, “Because of his actions in this context, Stephen ended up being the first member of the church to qualify for the martyr's crown. The main purpose of the book of Acts is to tell the story of Peter and Paul, and Stephen is the link between these two key apostles: he was appointed by Peter, but Paul will be consenting to his death.”[4]      Because the church exists in a fallen world, where Satan is ruling in a limited way (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1 John 5:19), and where many people are resistant to God's work (Matt 7:13; John 3:19; Rom 1:18), it was only a matter of time before a conflict arose. Luke informs us, “But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen” (Acts 6:9). Here, we have some men who were from a specific synagogue called “the Synagogue of the Freedmen”, which consisted either of Jewish men who had previously been slaves and were now free, or were the sons of those who'd previously been freed. Their common bond was their freedom from physical slavery, yet they were hostile to Stephen who offered them spiritual freedom in Christ (Acts 6:9-14; cf. Acts 26:18; Col 1:13). Thomas Constable notes, “Like local churches today, these synagogues tended to attract people with similar backgrounds and preferences. Many families that had experienced liberation from some kind of slavery or servitude evidently populated the Synagogue of the Freedmen.”[5] And Charles Swindoll states: "Synagogues not only held services for worship and teaching, but they also served as community centers where people met socially. This made them ideal locations to discuss theology. Stephen and the other believers regularly frequented synagogues, looking for opportunities to testify about Jesus the Messiah and His resurrection from the dead. Stephen quickly demonstrated a remarkable ability to debate, which infuriated these freedmen (Acts 6:10)."[6]      That these men “rose up and argued with Stephen” means they opposed his preaching, not necessarily his grace or good works. We're not told exactly what Stephen was preaching, but from their opposing arguments that follow, it was related to Jesus, the Mosaic Law, and the temple. The apostle Paul was a “Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia” (Acts 21:39) and may have fellowshipped in this particular synagogue. If so, it would make sense why he was listed among those who approved of Stephen's killing in the next chapter (Acts 7:58).      But these Jewish men, collectively, could not adequately defend their position against Stephen's well-reasoned and robust teaching. Luke tells us, “But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:10). Because Stephen was so proficient in his presentation of God's Word, showing from Scripture that Jesus is the Christ, he threatened the theological base of those who opposed him. Stephen appears as an unusually gifted teacher who was able to communicate God's Word. Apparently Stephen presented his case with such compelling force that the Hellenistic Jews were unable to cope with his wisdom. Luke's comment about Stephen speaking by “the Spirit” implies his words were divinely sanctioned. That is, they originated with God the Holy Spirit and were truth. This appears to be a display of what Jesus told His disciples, saying, “I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute” (Luke 21:15). Rational words only work with rational minds, and those given over to sin are not always rational. Furthermore, winning an argument does not mean winning a heart, as some who are recalcitrant and committed to their sinful ways will not be persuaded by solid biblical reasoning, but will only dig in their heels (cf., Jer 25:3; John 3:19). That Stephen spoke by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit meant his detractors were actually arguing with God, and thus it was an unfair debate. When the Jews from the Synagogue of the Freedmen could not win their debate by rational means—since they were governed by pride—they resorted to sinful practices that are common to the world. Luke wrote: "Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” (Acts 6:11-14)      Stephen was treated the same as the Lord Jesus, where Jewish leaders employed false witnesses to testify against Him, declaring He would destroy the temple. Mark tells us in his Gospel, “Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands'” (Mark 14:57-58). Though it was Stephen standing before the Sanhedrin, it was as though Jesus were on trial all over again. However, before the supreme court of heaven, and God, “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25), it was these unbelieving Jewish men and the Sanhedrin itself that was on trial. Apparently the Sanhedrin had so elevated Moses, that they considered one who spoke against him as worthy of capital punishment. Josephus says of them, “What they most of all honor, after God himself, is the name of their legislator [Moses]; whom, if any one blaspheme, he is punished capitally.”[7]      Those who opposed Stephen, assuming they knew the Law at all, might have been thinking of when Moses wrote, “the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from among his people” (Num 15:30). Of course, these men only used the Scripture as a means of controlling others and destroying their enemies. Luke tells us these men 1) “secretly induced men to say” false things about Stephen (Acts 6:11), 2) “stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes” (Acts 6:12a) 3) “dragged him away and brought him before the Council” (Acts 6:12b), and 4) “put forward false witnesses” to accuse him (Acts 6:13).      These wicked men violated the Scripture in order to protect their power. It was evil that they secretly induced men to spread lies about Stephen, which is a direct violation of the ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex 20:16). Spreading a lie and stirring up the people was their tactic to manipulate the situation and win local support, which they felt they needed to overpower Stephen and the influence he was having on those who heard him. It's noteworthy that such actions are a common tactic among the wicked, as David prayed to the Lord, saying, “Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence” (Psa 27:12). Once they had their false charges and the support of others, they grabbed Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. Luke employs the Greek word συναρπάζω sunarpazo (translated dragged away) which, according to BDAG, means “to take hold of forcibly, to seize someone.”[8] One can imagine a group of strong men approaching Stephen and grabbing him by force and dragging him through the city to bring him before the Sanhedrin. This reveals the physical actions some people will resort to when dealing with God's people, all because they feel threatened by divine revelation and will seek to shut down those who communicate it by whatever means necessary.      Once the false witnesses were put before the Sanhedrin, they said, “we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us” (Acts 6:14). The charge that was brought against Stephen echoed that which had been brought against Jesus a few months earlier (Mark 14:57-58). For the Sanhedrin, this was Déjà vu all over again. According to Stanley Toussaint: "The false witnesses were not necessarily outright liars. Stephen had probably said the things they accused him of; however, they misrepresented the intentions and imports of his statements (cf. Matt 26:61; Mark 14:58; John 2:19). The Lord Himself predicted the destruction of the temple (Matt 24:1–2; Mark 13:1–2; Luke 21:5–6), though He never said He would do it. The other half of the allegation against Stephen involved the temporary nature of the Mosaic system. Undoubtedly he saw the theological implications of justification by faith and the fulfillment of the Law in Christ. Furthermore, if the gospel was for the whole world (Acts 1:8), the Law had to be a temporary arrangement."[9]      Luke closed out this pericope, saying, “And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). The Sanhedrin, fixing their collective stares at Stephen, were probably trying to intimidate him. That, along with the false charges, would normally frighten anyone in that situation. But Luke tells us they “saw his face like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15b). This could very well be God's shekinah glory, resting on Stephen as it had rested on Moses after he'd spoken with the Lord, and whose “face shone” for others to see (Ex 34:29). It could also be Luke's way of saying that Stephen displayed a calmness in the face of his accusers. If so, it reveals a relaxed mental attitude in the face of hostility. No doubt, the Lord was with Stephen, and His Word saturated his thinking, so much so, that Stephen remained calm in the face of great pressure. Present Application      As God's people, we must be faithful to Him in those moments when we have opportunity to share Christ and His Word. When we share Christ with others, it gives them the opportunity believe in Him as their Savior, believing He died for them, was buried, and raised again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). Once they believe in Jesus as their Savior, they receive forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), eternal life (John 10:28), the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17; Phil 3:9), and many other blessings (Eph 1:3). However, we must also keep in mind that we live in a fallen world that is largely governed by Satan (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1 John 5:19), and where the vast majority of people are under “the dominion of Satan” (Act 26:18), and reside in his “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). It is in this realm that we live our lives and must proclaim the truth of God's Word, as lights in a dark world (Eph 5:8-10; Phil 2:5). Sadly, the majority of people in this world will seek to suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18), and to silence God's messengers by whatever means they can. Yet we must be strong, for God has told us, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13:5); therefore, we take courage, for “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (Heb 13:6a). Knowing God's Word and walking with Him erects a fortress in our souls that enables us to stand in the face of great pressure. Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William D. Mounce, Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 1246. [2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1079. [3] Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016), 126. [4] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Book of Acts (San Antonio, TX, Published by Ariel Ministries, 2022), 153. [5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ac 6:9. [6] Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary, 126. [7] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 606. [8] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 966. [9] Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 368–369.

Welcome to Day 2142 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 10 – Jesus Heals At A Distance – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 03/27/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 2 Presentation Of The Word – Jesus Heals At A Distance Today we continue our Good News series according to John the Apostle. Jesus shows us evidence that his healing is not based on physical contact, but the faith of the person asking must be in accordance with God's will. Today's passage continues last week's message, John 4:43-54, on Page 1653 in the Pew Bible. Follow along as I read. After the two days, he left for Galilee. (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. Once more, he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. Jesus was a “faith healer,” but not what we think of today when you hear about faith healers on TV or ones that make a public spectacle of their healing.  Many of today's “faith healers” also have a money-making component. In today's message, we will see that Jesus did not need to be physically present for healing.  I can't heal anyone, nor am I a “conduit” of God's healing power. Frankly, the supposed healings performed today by certain notable figures bear little resemblance to the “signs” offered by Jesus and His apostles. However, this is not to say I don't believe in supernatural healing. I do.  While I don't have a personal story of instantaneous miraculous healing, let me share a recently-read story.  Pastor and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary, Charles Swindoll, who I respect as a solid Bible teacher, shared this story in one of his books. “I am aware of and read about examples in which the healing power of God left doctors speechless.  On one occasion, a close friend developed a malignancy on the side of his tongue. By its diagnosis, it had spread to the lymph nodes and through a part of his upper torso. As a father of four with a full life and a promising career ahead, he needed to prepare a will, get his house in order, and begin turning his business over to associates. Several of his friends, including me, were not able to be with him right away, so we agreed to pray

Introduction      Luke had previously revealed the persecution of the apostles at the hand of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:17-18), and how God had supernaturally rescued them from jail so they could continue to preach about Jesus (Acts 5:19-20). Afterwards, the Sanhedrin gathered together and had the apostles arrested a second time in order to question them (Acts 5:21-27). After being reminded that they were commanded to stop preaching in Jesus' name (Acts 5:28), Peter stated they were under divine orders and said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Peter proceeded to share the gospel, saying, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross” (Acts 5:30), revealing that God had exalted Jesus to His right hand (Acts 5:31), and that the apostles were witnesses of these things (Acts 5:32). Luke recorded the response of the Sanhedrin and the apostles in the following verses. Text      Recording the hostility of the Sanhedrin, Luke wrote, “But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them” (Acts 5:33). Here we see the wicked hearts of the Sanhedrin—at least a portion of them—as they wanted to murder the apostles as they had murdered Jesus. But the Sanhedrin was a divided group. Josephus said of the Pharisees and Sadducees, “The Pharisees are friendly to one another, and are for the exercise of friendliness and concern for the public. But the behavior of the Sadducees one towards another is in some degree wild; and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them.”[1]      Being a divided group, Luke informs us about one of their esteemed members, saying, “But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time” (Acts 5:33-34). Gamaliel was a prominent leader in Israel at this time, and he was also the teacher of Saul, who later became Paul (Acts 22:3). Whereas earlier the high priest had “rose up” in defiance of the apostles (Acts 5:17), here Gamaliel “stood up” against some in his own party and argued for moderation (Acts 5:34). In a calm manner, Gamaliel asked that the apostles be put out “for a short time”, which indicated his confidence that it would not take long for him to argue his case. Luke records the words of Gamaliel as follows: And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered” (Acts 5:35-37)      Modern historians do not know anything about Theudas mentioned here by Gamaliel. Josephus mentioned a Theudas in his writings, but that was a different man who lived decades later. Gamaliel's mentioning two men, Theudas and Judas, was to present historical precedents for men who rose up within the Jewish community and had followers, but who failed in their efforts. Both of these men “came to nothing” and “were scattered” among the people. Charles Swindoll states: "Beginning with a short history of other failed movements, he reminded the men that their noninterference policy had served them well in the past. As each would-be messiah or populist movement had surfaced, the Sanhedrin had refused to lend its support for fear of Rome's wrath. But they had also avoided taking sides with Rome to avoid angering the people. In each case, the deceptive leader was killed, his movement fell apart, and the crisis passed without the Sanhedrin's involvement (Acts 5:35–37)."[2]      Warren Wiersbe notes, “In spite of the fact that Gamaliel tried to use cool logic rather than overheated emotions, his approach was still wrong. To begin with, he automatically classified Jesus with two rebels, which means he had already rejected the evidence. To him, this ‘Jesus of Nazareth' was just another zealous Jew, trying to set the nation free from Rome.”[3]      Gamaliel argued for a response of noninterference, saying, “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39). Here was an argument for moderation and not hostility. It could be that God was working through this religious non-Christian to mitigate the hostility that was put forth. According to Thomas Constable: "Gamaliel's point was that if God was not behind the apostles, their influence would peter out in time. Obviously Gamaliel believed that this was the case, or else he would likely have become a Christian. He offered the theoretical option that if the apostles were of God, the Sanhedrin would find itself in the terrible position of fighting against God by opposing them. Obviously Gamaliel believed in the sovereignty of God. He advised his brethren to wait and see. He did not believe that the apostles presented as serious a threat to the leaders of Judaism as the Sadducees believed they did."[4]       Apparently, Gamaliel's rational response was received by the Sanhedrin, as Luke records, “They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them” (Acts 5:40). Though the majority in the Sanhedrin backed off from killing the apostles, they still wanted their pound of flesh, so they ordered them to be whipped and commanded them not to preach any more in the name of Jesus. There was legal precedent under the Mosaic Law that permitted the flogging of a wicked person (Deut 25:2-3). Of course, this was an incorrect application and was unjustly applied. The flogging usually required the victim to be stripped of his shirt and be placed in a kneeling position, whipped both on the chest and back, with one whip on the chest for every two whips on the back.      Though Gamaliel represented a portion of the Pharisees, apparently they did not all share his view on non-involvement. Later, we will learn about another Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus who took a different view than that of Gamaliel, and rather than live in peace with the early Christians, sought to exterminate them (Acts 8:1, 3; 9:1-2). This shows that there was not always agreement within the parties. Though Gamaliel seemed to advocate neutrality, he was actually against Jesus, Who said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Matt 12:30). Jesus had previously prophesied this persecution would happen (Matt 10:17; 23:34; Mark 13:9).      Luke records the faith response of the apostles, saying, “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). Here was a faith response as they were able to frame their suffering from a biblical perspective. Scripture reveals that those who wish to live righteously will suffer persecution (Matt 5:10-12; Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 3:12). Part of the reason for their rejoicing was because they knew God was working through them to bring others to salvation. Furthermore, Christians are called to the very difficult task of not retaliating when attacked. We are to obey the words of Jesus, who tells us to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). It is okay to hurt, but not to hate. Operating from divine viewpoint, we walk by faith and trust God to handle the injustice, knowing He is the “Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25) and that “it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you” (2 Th 1:6), as God states, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Rom 12:19b). In this way, we follow the example set by Jesus, who, “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; and while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet 2:23).      And the apostles continued to follow Jesus' directive to preach, as Luke tells us, “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42). The courage of the disciples was evident, considering their prior hiding during Jesus' trial and crucifixion. What happened? Where did their courage come from? First, they had seen what the afterlife was like, having beheld Jesus in His resurrection body over many days. Second, the Holy Spirit had fallen on them and empowered them to be witnesses for Jesus. Third, they had Jesus' promise that He was directing them and was with them, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20). To be encouraged is to receive courage from an outside source. To know that God is with us, for us, and will sustain us in our trials, is to be encouraged to do His will, trusting He will guide and strengthen us along the way, no matter the hardships of life. Present Application      God has rescued His people on many occasions (Heb 11:32-35a), but the record of Scripture is that there are numerous times in which He has chosen to permit them to face persecution, even to the point of death (Heb 11:35b-40). Whether rescued from harm or delivered to persecution and death, God always provides grace to the believer who lives by faith in the midst of adversity (Dan 3:16-18; Psa 23; Isa 26:3; ; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Phil 4:6-8). Rejoicing in the midst of suffering is a sign of faith under pressure (Acts 5:40-41; 16:22-25; Rom 5:3-5; Jam 1:2-4). It's also a sign of spiritual maturity, as the advancing Christian disciplines his/her mind to look to the Lord and His Word rather than people, the world, or the circumstances of this life (Prov 3:5-6; Isa 26:3; 2 Cor 10:3-5; Phil 4:6-8; Col 3:1-2)      Paul wrote, “we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). And James wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, [5] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam 1:2-4). Exulting in tribulations and counting it all joy when we encounter various trials is a discipline of the mind and will, in which “we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Warren Wiersbe states: "Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to “count it all joy.” If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. Job had the right outlook when he said, “But He knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). So, when trials come, immediately give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. Do not pretend; do not try self-hypnosis; simply look at trials through the eyes of faith. Outlook determines outcome; to end with joy, begin with joy."[6]      Weakness is a blessing if it teaches us to look to God more and to ourselves less. And we cease to be the victim when we see suffering as divinely purposeful. This is not always easy, but the alternative to faith is fear, and fear brings mental slavery to the circumstances of life. It is true that God desires to bless us; and of course, we enjoy this. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). But it's also God's will to advance us spiritually, and this means He will send trials that are intended to burn away the dross of weak character and refine those golden qualities He wants to see in us. We trust that when God turns up the heat, He also keeps His hand on the thermostat, regulating the temperature. And when we desire and pursue spiritual maturity as an important goal in our Christian life, then we can become content and rejoice in the hardships, because we know God controls them and sends them our way for our good. This is done by faith, not feelings.      If we're not careful, we can easily fall into a pattern of complaining, and this can prove harmful, not only to us, but those around us, for our lives influence others, for better or worse. Scripture states, “Do all things without complaining or arguing” (Phil 2:14). That's a big order. How do we do this? By an act of faith; that's how. Though the pressure can be great at times, we must consciously make the choice not to complain; instead, we must choose to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; and in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:16-18). These divine expectations appear elsewhere in Scripture, as we are called to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4a), “Devote yourselves to prayer” (Col 4:2a), and “Give thanks always for all things” (Eph 5:20a).      These commands are relatively easy to accomplish when life is good, and we should certainly praise God for His many blessings. But what about those times when life is difficult; such as when we've lost our health, work is overly stressful, or we're experiencing unjust persecution? Are we to rejoice, pray, and give thanks even during those times? Yes! Especially during those times. It's in difficult moments that we need to operate by faith, not feelings. In fact, feelings can work against us when we're experiencing difficulty. When feelings rise up, faith must rise higher. As we commit to obeying the Word, our feelings will eventually get in line. It's only when we understand and obey these commands by faith that we rise above our difficult circumstances. Though we aren't physically removed from the hardship, mentally we're lifted above it and experience a joy that is free from it. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12). This is exactly what the apostles did when they were persecuted and flogged, for Luke tells us, “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). And when Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into jail (Acts 16:22-24), we're told they “were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Act 16:25). Elsewhere, Paul wrote, “we exult in our tribulations” (Rom 5:3a), and “I rejoice in my sufferings” (Col 1:24). One of the reasons we can rejoice in suffering is because we know God is using it to develop our character in order to mature us spiritually. God sometimes uses the furnace of affliction to burn away the dross of weak character and to refine those golden qualities He wants to see in us. As Christians operating on divine viewpoint, it's our responsibility to live by faith when the trials come.      This may seem impossible to do, especially if we're accustomed to living by our feelings and reacting to circumstances. However, living by faith is possible, and is the only way Scripture can be obeyed, especially in difficult circumstances. Living by faith is liberating, because it frees us from the tyranny of difficult circumstances over which we have no control, and from the knee-jerk reaction of hurt feelings that naturally rise up in such situations. If we stay the course of learning God's Word and living by faith, we will reach a place in our spiritual development where His Word becomes more real than our circumstances and feelings. This is the place of freedom and joy, as long as we remain there.  Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 608. [2] Charles R. Swindoll, Acts, Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016), 108–109. [3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 426. [4] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ac 5:38. [5] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2, 338. [6] Ibid., 338.

Introduction      For thirty three chapters, Moses has been speaking to his people, Israel, and informing them about their special God who is unique (Deut 4:35, 39; Isa 45:5-6), His love for them (Deut 7:7-9; 10:15-19), their liberation from slavery (Deut 5:6; 15:15), God's calling them into a special relationship with Him (Lev 11:45), and His directives that would set them above the nations of the world and bring His blessing if they obey (Deut 11:26-28; 30:15-20). Those who love Him will follow His directives (Deut 6:4-9). In this chapter, the voice of Moses falls silent, as God calls His servant home. According to Daniel Block: "By this point in the drama, Moses has done all he could do to set his house in order. He has commissioned a successor (Deut 31:1-8, 23), provided a written transcript of his farewell pastoral sermons and arranged for the regular reading of this Torah in the future (Deut 31:9-13, 24-29), taught the people a national anthem (Deut 31:14-22, 30; 32:47), and pronounced his benediction on the tribes (Deut 33:1-29). All that remains is the report of his death and the people's response to his passing."[1] Text      In this closing section, we observe Moses ascending Mount Nebo, where he will see the land of Canaan from a distance. We read, “Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar” (Deut 34:1-3).      Having walked the earth for 120 years, Moses was about to take his final journey, a walk from which he would not return, for he would soon die. And, as Moses ascended the mountain, he would have been able to look over his shoulder and see the Israelites' camp below. Moses' destination was “the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho” (Deut 34:1b). And once on top of the mountain, “the LORD showed him all the land” of Canaan (Deut 34:1c). The words showed him translates the Hebrew verb רָאָה raah, which, in the hiphil form, means “to let someone see something, to show someone.”[2] Here we observe God's permissive will, as He allowed Moses to see the land of Canaan, which He had promised to His people, Israel. Moses visually surveyed the land in a counter clockwise manner from north to south.      Having observed all the land, “Then the LORD said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there'” (Deut 34:4). The land Moses saw was the very land God promised to Abraham (Gen 13:15; 17:8), Isaac (Gen 26:3), Jacob (Gen 28:13), and to their descendants as an everlasting possession (Gen 15:18; 24:7; Deut 1:8). Here we observe God's active will, in which He, by His sovereign choice and omnipotent power, gives to His people. Though Israel would get to enter the land, God reminded Moses that he was not going to let him enter it, saying, “you shall not go over there” (Deut 34:4b; cf., Deut 3:27; 32:52). Though Moses would not set foot on the land, he would leave the world stage knowing he'd been employed by the Lord to get His people there. Moses' Epitaph      What follows in the closing verses of the book of Deuteronomy was written by someone other than Moses, perhaps Joshua, to inform us about the details of Moses' death. We are told, “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD” (Deut 34:5). Moses was faithful to the end of his life. Even though Moses was under divine discipline and would not enter the land, he is still described as the “servant of the LORD” ( עֶֽבֶד־יְהוָ֛ה- ebed Yahweh), an honorable title held by others who submitted themselves to God and walked with Him (Josh 24:29; 2 Sam 3:18; Job 1:8; Isa 20:3). This title was formalized in the name Obadiah, which means servant of Yahweh. God had been with Moses throughout his ministry, and others saw the Lord was with him. Though Moses would die alone, away from others, he was not alone, for God was with Him to the end, to accompany His servant as he left this earth and entered heaven.      After Moses died, the Lord took his limp, lifeless body, “And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day” (Deut 34:6). That God personally attended to the burial of Moses speaks of an intimacy and tenderness the Lord had for His prophet. God took Moses' body from the mountain top and brought it down into “the valley in the land of Moab.” There are some things God does not want us to know (Deut 29:29), that He keeps hidden from us for His own reasons, and the burial place of Moses is one of them. This is one of the mysteries of the Bible. But why hide Moses' body? The text does not say. It's possible that God knew the idolatrous hearts of the Israelites and that they would venerate Moses' grave as a holy place in itself. According to Charles Swindoll, “Moses is the only person in the Bible whom God personally buried. Did you know that? And then the Lord hid the tomb. Why did He do that? Because that grave would have become a second Mecca. They would still be beating a path up Nebo to this day, building shrines, selling popcorn and peanuts, offering all sorts of rides, maybe running a tram up there, with big banners announcing, ‘Moses' burial place!'”[3]      To add to the mystery around Moses' death, Jude wrote about “Michael the archangel” who “disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses” (Jude 1:9a). Apparently Michael, the archangel, was somehow involved in Moses' burial, and had a dispute with Satan over the body. Why Satan would want the body of Moses is not known, as Jude does not elaborate on the details. It's possible Satan wanted to use Moses' body for idolatrous purposes. Whatever the reason, God would not permit Satan to have his way. Here we observe God's overruling will.      We know that Moses' spirit, at his death, went into the presence of the Lord, and later appeared with Elijah at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-3). Matthew wrote about the event, saying, “Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves” (Matt 17:1). And while they were on the mountain, Jesus “was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light” (Matt 17:2). And during the time of Jesus' glorification, Matthew tells us, “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him” (Matt 17:3). Though Moses' body was still in a grave, his spirit was alive and well, and here, along with the spirit of Elijah, was interacting with Jesus. Warren Wiersbe informs us, “Moses did arrive in the Holy Land centuries later when he and Elijah joined Jesus in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 17:1–3; Luke 9:28–31).”[4]      The writer informs us that Moses did not die because of old age or infirmity, as he states, “Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated” (Deut 34:7). Moses died because God put him to death. Within God's divine plan, it was simply Moses' time to die, so the Lord ended his life and brought his servant home. This occurred, in part, because it was God's time to bring Israel into the land of Canaan, which the Lord had told Moses he would not see because of his disobedience in the wilderness (Num 20:1-12).      Though Moses had died, God and His Word remained, and the people had all they needed for a life of success if they would follow Yahweh. Sadly, the book of Judges shows they did not stay true to the Lord, and even Moses' grandson, “Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses” (Judg 18:30; cf., Ex 2:21-22), would later turn away from the Lord and lead the people into idolatry (Judg 18:30-31). In this way, Jonathan was acting more like Aaron, his great uncle, than his grandfather, Moses, for Aaron had led the people into idolatry and the worship of the golden calf (Ex 32:1-6).      And after Moses' death and burial, we're told, “So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end” (Deut 34:8). The people of Israel—at least the second generation since the exodus—loved Moses and mourned his passing. They also mourned Aaron for thirty days as well (Num 20:29), which was longer than the customary seven days (cf., Gen 50:10).      Switching focus to Joshua, the writer states, “Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses” (Deut 34:9). To have “the spirit of wisdom” meant Joshua had been divinely enabled to take up the leadership role and move forward, as God intended. Fortunately, the Israelites listened to Joshua and followed his directives. In this way, they “did as the LORD had commanded Moses” (Deut 34:9b).      In closing out this book, we're told, “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel” (Deut 34:10-12). As a prophet, Moses was in a class by himself because: 1) the Lord knew Moses face to face, 2) Moses had performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 3) the mighty power God worked through Moses in the sight of all Israel. According to Peter Craigie, “Moses was a prophet, but in his epitaph it is not his knowledge of God that is stressed, but rather the Lord's knowledge of him. God had sought him out and appointed him to a particular task; over the years, the relationship had become intimate, so that to those Israelites who knew Moses, it was evident that his highest communion was with God.”[5]Warren Wiersbe adds, “Moses was faithful to walk with God, and he spoke to God as a man speaks to his friend (Ex 33:11; Num 12:7–8). The secret of his life wasn't his own abilities—he claimed he had none—or even his education in Egypt (Acts 7:22), but his humble walk with the Lord. He spent time with God, he listened to God's Word, and he followed God's orders.”[6] And Daniel Block notes: "The account of the death and burial of Moses on the mountain forces the reader to ask, “Now what?” The answer lies in the recognition that in the end, Israel's fate is not in the hands of Moses. He is not the one who actually brought them out of Egypt and sustained them through the desert wanderings, and he will not complete the mission by delivering the Promised Land into their hands. The rest of the Scriptures are commentary not only on how Israel responded, but also on the fidelity of Yahweh, who will complete the present mission without Moses and who will patiently work with his people. Moses has merely been his mouthpiece, the interpreter of his great and gracious revelatory acts, whose aim was always to point his people to Yahweh their Redeemer."[7] Summary      In this closing section, we observe a brief account of Moses' death and burial. Unlike other rulers throughout history, who have erected great memorials to themselves that others might remember them, Moses' death is simple and without a monument. Moses was not concerned that people remember him, but that they remember the Lord, learn His Word, and follow His directives. Moses is remembered as God's servant who was faithful to carry out his mission (Heb 3:5). Present Application      From Genesis to Revelation, God governs the lives of people and nations. People exist because God gives them life. David wrote, “Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves” (Ps. 100:3). And God determines the duration of each person's life, having final control over the day and cause of their death. The Lord states, “It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand” (Deut 32:39). And Job said, “Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain” (Job 14:2). And Hannah, in her stately prayer says, “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up” (1 Sam 2:6).  People live and die as God decides, “for in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).      Furthermore, God controls the exact days of our life. David wrote, “in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Ps. 139:16). The writer of Hebrews states, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb 9:27). The word appointed translates the Greek verb ἀπόκειμαι apokeimai, which means “it is certain, is destined.”[8] Apart from Enoch (Gen 5:24), Elijah (2 Ki 2:11), and the rapture generation (1 Cor 15:51-52; 1 Th 4:13-18), all humanity will face death. God brings His children to heaven by numerous means, and sometimes uses sickness, as He'd done with Elisha, who “became sick with the sickness of which he was to die” (2 Ki 13:14a). And we know that “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones” (Psa 116:15). For believers who die, we are instantly transported into the presence of the Lord, for “to be absent from the body” means we are instantly “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8; cf., Phil 1:21-23). Our last breath here is followed by our first breath in heaven. And though the departing of a loved one leaves us with the sorrow of loss, we realize this is temporary, as we will see them again. David, who lost his son, said “I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sa 12:23). This is our hope as well, for we, as Christians, know our loved ones are in heaven, and that at a future time we will be reunited with them forever (1 Th 4:13-17). At the time of the rapture of the church, “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Th 4:16-17). For this reason, Paul said, “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th 4:18).      There is wisdom in thinking about death and the afterlife. David wrote, “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer” (Psa 103:14-16). And in another place he said, “LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am” (Psa 39:4). And Moses said to the Lord, “Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psa 90:12). Wisdom is found in the one who contemplates the Lord, the brevity of life, and the eternal resting place of heaven. Solomon wrote, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart” (Eccl 7:2). But in all this, we must not forget to live, nor to realize that what we do in time touches things eternal, for one life will soon be past, and only what's done for Christ will last. So live, and live well, and above all, live for the Lord. There's no better life than the one lived in daily fellowship with God, learning and living His Word, and this we will do until the end of our days. Charles Swindoll notes: "When you're planning on retirement, don't plan on checking out with people or with God's Word. If you do, you'll be moving away from that which is eternal, and that's the wrong direction, my friend. So stay in touch. Give until you don't have anything else to give, and then tap into God's reservoirs and give some more. This is what lengthens the meaning and purpose—and sometimes the years—of life."[9]     [1] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 806. [2] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1161. [3] Charles R. Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication (Nashville, Tenn., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009), 346. [4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 197. [5] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 406. [6] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series, 198. [7] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 815. [8] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 113. [9] Charles R. Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication, 348.

Marzo 28, 2023 - Durante esta serie titulada Alimentese de las Escrituras, el pastor Carlos A. Zazueta ha ilustrado las disciplinas personales del pastor Charles Swindoll. Si usted es un pastor o un laico, hoy en Vision Para Vivir, el pastor Carlos explica como abrir el libro de Dios y leerlo con comprension.

Marzo 27, 2023 - Hoy en Vision Para Vivir, ya casi llegamos a la culminacion de esta serie titulada Alimentese de las Escrituras donde el pastor Carlos nos ha guiado a traves del proceso que el pastor Charles Swindoll ha empleado en su estudio personal durante casi sesenta anos. Para la conclusion de este mensaje titualdo Hacer una degustacion: Comprender donde encajamos en la historia el pasaje que se ha estudiando es Marcos 4, donde Jesus conto la historia del agricultor que echaba semillas.

Marzo 23, 2023 - En las ultimas semanas, hemos estado escuchando la seire practica titulada Alimentese de las Escrituras. Estamos en la recta final, ya que pronto concluiremos esta serie de estudios. A lo largo de esta serie, el pastor Carlos A. Zazueta ha descrito cuidadosamente las tecnicas que el pastor Charles Swindoll ha aplicado en su estudio personal de la Biblia durante casi sesenta anos. Y hoy ilustrara el proceso citando una historia que Jesus conto en el libro de Marcos.

Marzo 21, 2023 - En estas ultimas semanas, el pastor Carlos A. Zazueta nos ha llevado a traves de los pasos de estudio que el pastor Charles Swindoll ha usado los ultimos sesenta anos de su ministerio al preparar su propio estudio biblico. Recuerda cuales son? Los pasos son observacion, interpretacion, correlacion y aplicacion, lo que el pastor Carlos llama exposicion.

The Master's Course of DiscipleshipLuke 14:25-33; 9:23, John 8:31-32, 13:34-35 For the bulletin in PDF form click here. For sermon slides - click here.David Garland resource - click here.Josh McDowell resource - click here.Charles Swindoll resource - click here.Introduction: Opportunity for the ChurchIf you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. (John 8:31) Disciples make Jesus' Truth, their truth.In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)• Disciples have a supreme love for Jesus.• Disciples disavow their autonomy to Jesus.• Disciples bear their cross.• Disciples pattern their lives after Christ. Disciples renounce earthly pleasures for Kingdom treasures.By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. (John 13:35) Disciples' love for others shows who they really love.Discipleship according to Jesus is costly,but worth it!Next Steps • I will tangibly share the love of Christ with someone this week. • I will start and end every day reading in one of the gospels this week. • I will take these truths and share them with a younger in-faith Christian.This Week's Growth GuideGod's Word is both central and critical to your spiritual growth. We invite you to utilize the Growth Guide during the week to further your application of the Truth from the message.•. Monday - Luke 14:25-35•. Tuesday - Luke 18:18-30•. Wednesday - Deuteronomy 6:1-12• Thursday - John 13:1-17•. Friday - Acts 4:32-37Home ChurchOur Home Churches meet weekly to facilitate quicker relational depth, study the same passage taught Sunday to help apply Scripture in the context of community, and pray with one another. Home Church helps our body seek God's best for one another. Home Church Questions • Read Luke 14:25-33; John 8:31-32; John 13:34-35• What was new or challenging from Sunday's message?• How have you seen yourself showing "determined resolve to live out the daily life in the full scope of Jesus' teaching in the past month?”• Share areas in your life you have recognized as potential strong earthly allegiances, challenging to entrust to God fully. • Has there been a time recently you have had difficulty receiving Christ's love for you?• What is one way you will tangibly show Christ's love to someone outside of your household this week? FinancesWeekly Budget 31,390Giving For 02/26 29,775Giving For 03/05 34,361YTD Budget 1,130,030YTD Giving. 1,176,071 OVER/(UNDER) 46,041 Get Connected in a Home Church - Fellowship's desire is for everyone to be relationally connected. The primary way we do this is in Home Churches – small groups that meet in living rooms to apply God's Word, pray, and to serve together. Go to fellowshipconway.org/home church for more information. New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you joined the Fellowship Family to worship this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Men's Muster Men, April 21-23 is the date for this year's Men's Muster, at Shepherd of the Ozarks. We encourage those in a Home Church to use Muster as an opportunity to deepen their community by taking the weekend together. Those in Home Church together will be placed in small groups to foster more depth in existing relationships and meet some new faces. Whether you are in a Home Church or not, Muster is a great place to meet others and connect at Fellowship. For pricing and registration go to fellowshipconway.org/register. Crucifixion Dinner | April 7 | 6:30 p.m.Mark your calendars to join us on Good Friday as we remember together what Christ did on the cross through the Crucifixion Dinner. Child care for ages 6 and under by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332. Grill Out and Silent AuctionFellowship Student and College Ministries would like to invite you and your entire family to our youth and college mission trip fundraiser, Wednesday, April 12, 5:30-8:00 p.m. Free dinner (grilled hamburgers and hotdogs), child care provided (birth thru pre-school by RSVP, text Shanna at 501-336-0332) games, and great opportunities to support our 70 youth and college missionaries this summer. Plan now to join us! Fellowship 101We invite you to join us Sunday, April 16, at 9:00 a.m. to hear more about Fellowship. This is a great opportunity to learn about our mission, values, and ministries. If you're new to Fellowship, join us in the conference room (first floor) to hear what God is doing and where He is taking us. You will meet some of our ministry leaders and ask questions. Register at fellowshipconway.org/register. Downline Preview You're invited to attend a live Downline Institute class session, with an opportunity to hear from Downline staff and alumni, as well as get your questions answered. Preview night - Monday, March 13, with Renaut van der Riet (Ephesians). Register at DownlineConway2023.eventbrite.com.

Marzo 07, 2023 - Ya sea que sea un cristiano relativamente nuevo o un veterano experimentado de la fe, probablemente se haya encontrado hojeando pasajes biblicos que ha leído muchas veces antes. Pero las Escrituras son vivas y activas, asi que no importa con que frecuencia las hayas leido... siempre hay algo nuevo que aprender de cada versiculo de la Biblia! Hoy en Vision Para Vivir, el pastor Carlos A. Zazueta continua con la serie Alimentese de las Escrituras, en donde comparte el proceso personal que el, al igual que el pastor Charles Swindoll, usan al leer y entender la Biblia.

Marzo 03, 2023 - Hasta que aprendamos a cocinar, es probable que dependamos de cenas rapidas en el microondas y suframos una dieta poco equilibrada. De la misma manera, si nunca aprendemos a leer la Biblia por nuestra cuenta, estaremos espiritualmente desnutridos. En esta practica serie titulada Alimentese de las Escrituras, el pastor Carlos A. Zazueta explica las tecnicas personales del pastor Charles Swindoll para prepara comidas espirituales. . . ensenandonos como alimentar nuestras almas con la mesa del banquete de la Palabra de Dios.

Febrero 20, 2023 - Hoy, el pastor Carlos A. Zazueta presenta una nueva serie practica que ha titulado Alimentese de las Escrituras. En muchos aspectos, este estudio ha tardado sesenta anos en realizarse. Durante las proximas semanas, usted escuchara al pastor Carlos describir las tecnicas que el pastor Charles Swindoll ha utilizado desde sus dias de seminario. Estas son lecciones transferibles para cualquiera que tenga curiosidad por aprender mas sobre la Biblia.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://oftenquotes.com/2022/10/06/charles-swindoll/

“La vida es 10 por ciento lo que me pasa y 90 por ciento cómo reacciono a ello”, Charles Swindoll

Jason Erb joins us as we talk about our first spiritual rhythm - simplicity and slowing down! We chat about the importance of unhurrying and decluttering our life. Resources to check out: Intimacy with the Almighty by Charles Swindoll, Lectio365, Practicingtheway.org

“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears." David writes Psalm 34 during the time he is hiding in the cave of Adullum after he barely escapes from the Philistines at Gath, and at the same time he is fleeing from the wrath of King Saul who is determined to kill him. In this time of great trouble David turns to the LORD. Just a few days before, David had gone to the enemy, the Philistines, to seek protection and help but that turned out to be a total disaster. Whenever we go to the world to seek relief, protection, and help before we go to the LORD, we are always making a mistake! The first thing David does is to worship and praise the LORD and encourage his men to do the same (vv. 1-3). Now in verses 4-8, he describes at least three things that the LORD did for him and his men when they “sought the LORD”. The LORD saves those who seek Him (vv. 4-8). He keeps them (v. 7), and He satisfies them (v. 8). David tells us that when he sought the Lord he was saved from “all his fears” or "terrors" within him (v. 4). And when he cried to the Lord, he was delivered from “all his troubles” around him (v. 6). To seek the LORD is the same as to look to the LORD; and when we look to Him by faith, He looks to us and "shines upon us" (Psalm 4:6; Num. 6:22-27). I'll never forget hearing Dr. Charles Swindoll saying that one of the most important things that we can give our children is a heart that seeks after the LORD! To seek the LORD means that we determine that our first thoughts when we wake up in the morning are about Him! We thank Him for His protection through the night. We ask Him to help us wake up and get out bed. We take a few minutes to have a “quiet time” and meditate on His Word and pray. We yield the entire day to Him and ask for His guidance. We might listen to praise and worship music while we are getting ready and on the way to school or work. To seek the LORD means that we get to know Him by His many names! Because when we know His name, we will have confidence to put our trust in Him. Psalm 9:9-10 teaches us that: “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” If we begin our day by walking in unbelief, our faces will be ashamed. But if we seek the LORD and walk by faith, our faces will be aglow (Ex. 34:29; Matt. 17:2; Acts 6:15; 2 Cor. 3:18). The word "radiant" in verse 5 describes the joyful countenance of a mother who is welcoming her children home (Isa. 60:4-5). After the Lord saves us, He keeps us and sends His angels to protect us (v. 7). See Psalm 35:5-6; Gen. 48:16; and Ex. 14:19). The Angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity (Josh. 5:13-15), the Lord of the hosts of the angels, who made pre-incarnation visits to His people during Old Testament times. The angels are servants of the saints today and minister to us in ways we will never know about until we get to heaven (Heb. 1:14). Those who seek the Lord will discover that He not only saves and keeps but that He also satisfies (v. 8). "Taste" doesn't suggest a sip or a nibble; it implies feeding on the Lord through His Word and experiencing all He has for us (1 Peter 2:3; see Heb. 2:9 and 6:3). It means knowing Him better and enjoying Him more. It was a great blessing for David to be delivered from Gath, and it was a greater blessing for him to be protected by the Lord after he fled, but the greatest blessing was drawing nearer to God and enjoying His presence, not just His gifts. David found God's Word sweet (Psalm 119:103), and he rejoiced in the goodness of the Lord. Today, ask the LORD to give you and your family a heart to seek the LORD! God bless!

Welcome to January 22nd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate having fun with our kids and the brownie's blonde cousin.  Charles Swindoll said that each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Today is the day to make that investment count by letting our kids know how much we love them. Celebration of Life Day is about appreciating the Now, whether it's a walk in the park together, coloring or reading a book. Kids grow up much faster than we can imagine. And while your children may be racing towards adulthood, they are never too old to appreciate your attention and encouragement. This day is for everyone who loves a youngster. It's a gentle reminder that the best thing you can give your children is time.  Did you know that the first brownies didn't have cocoa at all but got their color from molasses? It's believed that these dessert bars originated in Sandusky, Ohio at least 10 years before their chocolate cousins. When chocolate became the norm in the early 1900s they differentiated the bars by calling the original the blondie. This name appeared in recipe books of the 1940s and called for light brown sugar instead of molasses. Blondies have all the caramel sweetness of a chocolate chip cookie with the soft fudgy texture of a bar. On National Blonde Brownie Day enjoy this ultimate way to satisfy your sweet tooth. I'm Anna Devere and I'm Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greetings, Leaders.Everyday presents us with the opportunity to respond with "An attitude of gratitude.""The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you." - Charles Swindoll. A great leader suggests making this thinking our mindset. "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."What are you most thankful for as you reflect on your life and career journey today? Take time to get alone with pen and paper and write down the things, turning points, people, and events that were breakthrough moments in your life. When you do this exercise, you will discover a reoccurring process that takes place in making you the person you are right now.ThanksgivingBy Ralph Waldo EmersonFor each new morning with its light,For rest and shelter of the night,For health and food,For love and friends,For everything Thy goodness sends. Success in life and career is never just about us; it is a combination of the people who poured themselves into us, shared our pains and setbacks, and encouraged us to persevere and not give up. Make it your goal to remember those leaders who spoke truth into your life and give thanks for them.One Leader said: " Like the pilgrims, we have to adapt to change."  As I listened and observed this leader express her optimism for the future, the phrase "attitude of gratitude" came to me.Here are some of the benefits.1. The attitude of gratitude protects us from pride. Remembering the people who helped you encouraged you to "stay the course" in adversity. We understood that none of our success would be possible without their support.  For instance, fire tests silver and gold. Also, a person undergoes testing by their responses. Pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Humility comes before honor. 2. The attitude of gratitude preserves us from falling victim to traps along our journey. Sometimes, the mistaken belief that my destiny is only through my hard work, skills, talents, and abilities. Notice the emphasis is self and not others or recognizing time and circumstances providentially designed for us.  3. The attitude of gratitude gives us perspective in living and leading. Being thankful helps us see life and events more clearly and respond to challenges, opportunities, and outcomes. 4. The attitude of gratitude prepares us for promotion in living and leading. A combination of our responses, remembering the turning points, reflecting on the process, and experiencing our transformation while adapting to change, prepare us for more significant influence and leadership levels.  This Thanksgiving Day, let us reflect on how far we have come, how blessed we are to experience this day, and continue daily to give thanks for all the right things in our lives. Thanksgiving positions us for transformation in renewing our thinking, perspective, and outlook for our future.  Be thankful and believe for the best is yet to come.HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Victory!

Charles Swindoll writes, “God doesn't work on our timetable. He has a plan that He will execute perfectly and for the highest, greatest good of all, and for His ultimate glory.” Pastor Ray shares a message titled The Will of God Above All from his new series “God Is Up to Something Big.”

Day 202 Today's Reading: Titus 2 Do you have the happiest or the unhappiest job? Recently Bloomberg Work Wise put out a list of the happiest jobs in America, based on fulfillment, coworkers, supervisors, and balance of home and life. Here are the top five: firefighters topped the list, followed by machine operators, pediatricians, communication professors, and guidance counselors. Bloomberg also listed the top jobs in which people are asking, “Is it 5 p.m. yet?” These are the jobs where lunch hour rescues them. They are: mail clerks and sorters are the first on the list, followed in order by court and municipal clerks, house cleaners, insurance claims and policy clerks, telemarketers. When talking about work, A. W. Tozer said: “We must do worldly jobs, but if we do them with sanctified minds, they no longer are worldly but are as much a part of our offering to God as anything else we give to Him.” In today's chapter Paul wants to teach us a lesson on work, regardless of which list we are on. And we find no better place to know how to sanctify our minds and make our job an offering to God than in Titus 2:9-10: "Servants are to be supportive of their masters and do what is pleasing in every way. They are not to be argumentative nor steal but prove themselves to be completely loyal and trustworthy. By doing this they will advertise through all that they do the beautiful teachings of God our Savior." (TPT) In Titus 2, Paul begins to give advice to a number of different groups. He speaks to the men and women who are part of AARP; he calls them older men and older women. Then he has advice for young men and young women. And then Paul speaks to laborers who encompass all these groups. Author Dorothy Sayers, one of C. S. Lewis's literary friends said: “The only Christian work is good work well done.” That's our goal: good work well done. In their book, The Edge of Adventure, Keith Miller and Bruce Larson wrote, “If you are miserable or bored in your work, or dread going to it, then God is speaking to you. He either wants you to change the job you are in or—more likely—he wants to change you.” I think Paul helps us here, regardless of what job we have, and I think Titus 2 is a good place to start with wanting us to change. Paul says when we work the right way in our jobs, we advertise God the Savior through what we do, not what we say. A lot of people like to talk, but it is those who do rather than talk who make the greatest impact. Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz said: “When all is said and done, more is usually said than done.” Let's be a people who do more than say more. Here is Paul's challenge for us, our on-the-job training: • be supportive • do what is pleasing in every way • do not be argumentative • don't steal • prove to be completely loyal and trustworthy Paul tells us to make those things our priority and we will be a walking advertisement for God. The Living Bible paraphrases that last part like this: “In this way they will make people want to believe in our Savior and God.” We make God attractive by being a great employee. We witness for Jesus without even saying the name of Jesus. Jesus alluded to this principle in the Sermon on the Mount: “Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance. . . . Let it shine brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, TPT). Here it is in its simplicity. People see your good actions and attribute them to God in your life. It goes like this: your Christian faith should translate into good employee habits—showing up on time, not stealing, not being argumentative, being loyal, being trustworthy. When you are a good worker, you make God look good. Then eventually that opens the way for you to have a good God conversation with others about it. Talking to people about your faith is last, not first. Usually those who talk first have a lifestyle that messes up their conversation.  Charles Swindoll shares an old story of Saint Francis of Assisi. One day Saint Francis said to one of his students, “Come with me. Let's go down to the village and preach to the people who need our Savior.” Off they went. Once at the gate they stopped, bent down to speak kind words to a crippled old man, and gave him a cool drink of water and a few coins. Then they saw some children playing with a ball out in the field, so they joined their game and had fun with the children. While they played, a lonely widow watching at her doorstep drew their attention. When they finished the game, they visited with her, bringing her a few words of cheer and encouragement. A fearful young man lurked in the shadows, ashamed of what he had done the night before. They prayed with him, spoke with him openly and freely about forgiveness, grace, and mercy, and they encouraged him to pursue a more productive future. On the way out of town, they stopped at a small store and greeted the merchant, asked about his family, and thanked him for his faithful work through the years. Finally Saint Francis said, “Let's go back.” The novice stopped and said, “But wait, when do we preach?” The older friar answered, “Every step we took, every word we spoke, every action we did has been a sermon.” Imagine how well we could represent God if we approached our lives and work that same way?

Introduction      Moses had previously addressed God's goodness to provide for His people since leaving Egypt (Deut 29:2-8), and called for them to commit themselves to the Lord for their own good (Deut 29:9-13) and the good of their children (Deut 29:14-15). Now Moses addresses the consequences of disobedience to the covenant if the people turn away from the Lord and adopt the idols and values of the pagan nations which surround them (Deut 29:16-29). Context      Moses opens this pericope by calling the people's attention to those spiritually poor nations who did not know the Lord or His blessings, saying,  “For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; 17 moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which they had with them” (Deut 29:16-17). Here, Israel's relationship with God was contrasted with Egypt from which they came, as well as the pagans nations through which they'd recently passed. Israel's spiritual health and blessings could be seen in comparison to the surrounding pagan cultures. According to Kalland: "The statements “How we lived in Egypt” and “how we passed through the countries on the way here” (v.16) provide the locale and historic background for the people's knowledge of the gods in those places and the nature of their worship. This is evident from the definite reference to the detestable images and idols that they saw among the people there (v.17).”[1]      So that there would be no individual or national corruption, Moses said, “there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood” (Deut 29:18). According to Radmacher, “Every individual man and woman was responsible to the community as a whole for his or her relationship to God. Since the entire community was covenanted to God Himself, every individual had to follow Him…Tolerance for idolatry and pagan practices would always corrupt the community, and therefore the covenant relationship with God.”[2] And Kalland states, “The source of ‘bitter poison' (v.18) was the person who turned away from the Lord to worship the gods of Egypt and those of the other nations that the Israelites passed through on their journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab.”[3]Choices have consequences, and to worship idols is to sow the seeds of darkness and poison into one's own heart, which not only corrupts the individual, but negatively impacts others.      The arrogant person who chose idolatry was his own worst enemy and would bring God's curses upon himself. Moses said, “It shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry'” (Deut 29:19). For that person who walks in the stubbornness of his pride and pursues idols without repentance, Moses said, “The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven” (Deut 29:20). God is always opposed to the proud, and as long as recalcitrance persists, there will be no forgiveness. God's love reaches out to everyone, but when the prideful person rejects the Lord and His love, there is no other recourse to be saved or blessed. Rather, such a one will experience the Lord's anger, and the curses mentioned in the law of Moses will fall upon him. To have one's name blotted out from under heaven meant that he would die and not be remembered among his people, which was a grievous matter for those in the ancient world. If Israelites acted like pagans and devoted themselves to idols, they would, by their own decision, experience the same fate that Moses described would be for the Canaanites (Deut 7:24) and Amalekites (Deut 25:19), whose name and memory would be blotted out. Moses continued, saying, “Then the LORD will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law” (Deut 29:21). To be singled out for adversity meant God targeted His judgment against the offender to deal with him according to the requirements of the law.      God's judgment upon the disobedient was a display of His holy and righteous character, but it also had pedagogical value, to help future generations know how not to behave, and to see the consequences of sinful choices. Moses said, “Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it, will say, 23 ‘All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath'” (Deut 29:22-23). Because of the extreme wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, God had destroyed those cities, as well as the two neighboring cities Admah and Zeboiim, and He did this as a display of His righteous judgment against them (Gen 19:24-25). Similarly, if God's severe judgment were to fall upon Israel, it would draw the attention of surrounding nations. Moses said, “All the nations will say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?'” (Deut 29:24). God intended for Israel to know His blessings, which would have testified positively to the surrounding nations (Deut 26:19; 28:1); however, by turning away from the Lord, He would use their destruction as a lesson to those who would see and question their downfall. God's outburst of anger against His people would come if they violated the terms of the covenant and pursued idols. The surrounding Gentile nations would properly conclude, saying, “Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Deut 29:25). Breaking the covenant meant that His people “went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them” (Deut 29:26). Israel was a theocracy and God was their King, Lawgiver, and Judge (Isa 33:22), and to worship idols and serve other gods was tantamount to treason.      The choice of ongoing sinful actions would have very negative consequences for God's people, as it would bring His judgment upon them, and rightfully so. Moses said, “Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; 28 and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day” (Deut 29:27-28). According to Radmacher, “The nations were supposed to learn about God's grace from Israel's example; what a shame if they were to learn of His wrath instead!”[4] It is true that God did display His anger among His people, and this because they repeatedly turned away from Him and pursued sin and idolatry. However, because it's His nature, God was very slow to become angry with His people (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Psa 86:15; 103:8; 145:8-9; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2), and He was quick to forgive and show kindness when they humbled themselves, even in the slightest way (Neh 9:9-33). For example, King Ahab was a wicked ruler who reigned over Israel for twenty-two years (1 Ki 16:29), and Ahab “did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him” (1 Ki 16:30). By the end of Ahab's life, it is written, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26 He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel” (1 Ki 21:25-26). However, even wicked Ahab, after hearing God's judgment against him (1 Ki 21:20-24), responded in humility and “tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently” (1 Ki 21:27). And God, because He is quick to show grace and mercy, turned from His anger against Ahab, saying to His prophet Elijah, “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days” (1 Ki 21:29). Even the most wicked, as long as they have breath, may taste the Lord's goodness if they humble themselves before Him. God has certainly been patient with us (2 Pet 3:9).      Moses closed out this pericope, saying, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deut 29:29). Concerning this verse, Peter Craigie notes, “The law placed upon the people the responsibility of obedience, the result of which would be God's blessing in the land they were going in to possess. This general principle was clearly revealed; obedience would lead to God's continuing blessing, but disobedience would bring about the curse of God. To go beyond that and speculate about the future things (the secret things) was not man's prerogative.”[5] As Christians, we possess God's Word to us, which provides particular insights into realities we could never know, except that He has spoken and His Words have been inscripturated (2 Tim 3:16-17). Charles Swindoll notes: “God keeps some knowledge to Himself. There are people who will tell you that they have access to this knowledge, claiming that God has given them a special revelation of His teaching. But God never contradicts Himself. The things He holds in secret are not a different truth that will erase the things we now know. They are simply things that only the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and power, can know. Everything that is essential for life has already been stated in God's Word. We do not have need of any ‘extra' revelation. It is enough to be accountable to all that He has already told us within the pages of this Book.”[6]      Sadly, we know from Israel's history, that the majority in Israel, from the leadership down, chose to turn away from the Lord and to walk in the stubbornness of their own hearts. And if we're honest, this is the history of us all.  Historical Review of Israel      Factually, we know that after Moses died, God brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua (Deut 31:23; Josh 1:1-9), and there the land was divided, giving a portion to each of the descendants of Jacob. After Joshua died (Josh 24:29-31), Israel failed to obey the Lord and did not drive out the Canaanites as He'd instructed (Judg 1:20-21; 28-33; 2:1-4). By allowing the Canaanites to live among them, the Israelites were influenced by their pagan values and, over time, were corrupted by them. These sinful choices had an impact on their children—the third generation of Israelites since the exodus—and they turned away from the Lord and radically pursued idols, thus provoking the Lord's anger (Judg 2:10-12). This went on for roughly 300 years as Israel fell into a pattern of idolatry (sin), after which God would send punishment (suffering), then the people would cry out to God (supplication), Who would relent of His judgment and send a judge to deliver them (savior), then the people would obey God for a time (service), and then fall back into idolatry (sin). The period of the Judges was generally marked by people who did not obey the Lord, but “did what was right in their own eyes” (Judg 17:6; 21:25).      Israel's history changed during the time of Samuel, who was the last of Israel's judges. The people of Israel cried for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations (1 Sam 8:4-5). God gave them their request (1 Sam 8:22), and Saul became the first king in Israel (1 Sam 10:1). Though Saul started well, he quickly turned away from the Lord and would not obey God's commands. Saul reigned for approximately 40 years and his leadership was basically a failure (1 Sam 13:1; cf. Acts 13:21). Later, God raised up David to be king in Israel (1 Sam 16:1-13), and David reigned for 40 years and was an ideal king who followed God and encouraged others to do the same (1 Ki 2:10-11). God decreed David's throne would be established forever through one of his descendants (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4), and this is Jesus (Luke 1:31-33). Solomon reigned for 40 years after David (1 Ki 2:12; 11:42-43), and though He was wise and did many good things (ruled well, built the temple, wrote Scripture, etc.), he eventually turned away from God and worshiped idols (1 Ki 11:1-10), and the kingdom was divided afterward (1 Ki 11:11-41). The nation was united under Saul, David, and Solomon.      Israel—the northern kingdom—had 19 kings throughout its history and all were bad, as they led God's people into idolatry (i.e. the “sins of Jeroboam” 1 Ki 16:31; 2 Ki 3:3; 10:31; 13:2). The ten northern tribes came under divine discipline because of their idolatry (2 Ki 17:7-18) and were destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah—the southern kingdom—had 20 kings throughout its history and 8 were good (some more than others), as they obeyed God and led others to do the same (they were committed to the Lord like David, 1 Ki 15:11). However, Judah repeatedly fell into idolatry—as the 10 northern tribes had done—and, because of their disobedience (Jer 11:6-11; 22:8-9), they were eventually destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The dispersion of Israel was promised by God if they turned away from Him and served other gods (Deut 28:63-68). Since the destruction by Babylon, Israel has been under Gentile dominance known as “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24; Rom 11:25). After a temporary regathering under Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel continued under Gentile dominance with the Medes & Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Because of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, God disciplined Israel again in AD 70, and the Jews were scattered all over the world (Jam 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1). Israel's current state is one of judgment (Matt 23:37-39), and a “partial hardening” (Rom 11:25). Israel will be restored when Messiah returns to establish His kingdom on earth (Rev 19:11-21; 20:4-6). Present Application      As Christians, God calls us to holy living (1 Pet 1:14-16), and to serve as lights in a sin-darkened world (Matt 5:14-16; Eph 5:8-10). Such a life is based on good choices we make, as we daily learn God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18) and walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6). And, if we turn away from the Lord and commit egregious sins, or a lifestyle of ongoing carnality (1 Cor 3:1-4), then God will administer corrective suffering to bring us back into His will (Heb 12:5-11).      Living in a fallen world that is currently under Satan's rule (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19), it is imperative that we live wisely (Eph 5:15-16), choose our friends carefully (2 Cor 6:14), and not allow ourselves to be corrupted by Satan's world-system. And when we sin, it's important that we keep short accounts and confess our sin regularly (1 John 1:9), are filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18), and resume our walk with the Lord (Gal 5:16). In this way we will glorify God and be a blessing to others.   [1] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 182. [2] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 264. [3] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3, 182. [4] Earl D. Radmacher, et al, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary, 264. [5] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 360–361. [6] Charles R. Swindoll, The Swindoll Study Bible, (Carol Stream, Ill. Tyndale House Publishers, 2017), 245.

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. –Charles Swindoll Check out John Lee Dumas' award winning Podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire on your favorite podcast directory. For world class free courses and resources to help you on your Entrepreneurial journey visit EOFire.com

Charles Swindoll reminds us, “We need discernment in what we see and what we hear and what we believe.” Pastor Ray shares a message titled “The Uninformed Church” from his latest  series, 7 Churches, 7 Choices.

I'm pretty pumped that I can finally deliver audio clips from a book I wrote, now out of print. It was going to be a daily 'devotional'. But the more I prayed about it the more I realized my prayers don't sound like anybody elses. And lets face it I'm not going to stand up well against Oswald Chambers or Charles Swindoll or Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling" or a dozen other classic devotionals. I read one or all of those I mention. I am passionate about following Jesus but it would be an insult to my creator to try to be somebody else. Just sayin'

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. –Charles Swindoll Check out John Lee Dumas' award winning Podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire on your favorite podcast directory. For world class free courses and resources to help you on your Entrepreneurial journey visit EOFire.com

VERSES REFERENCED:James 5:13-20, Numbers 12:13-15, 1 Kings 17:20-22, Mark 5:21-43, Acts 5:15-16, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Matthew 8:1-3, Revelation 21:4ARTICLES REFERENCED:Why Doesn't God Heal Every Sickness, Disease, and Illness? By Chris Russell: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/explore-the-bible/why-doesn-t-god-heal-every-sickness-disease-and-illness.html Should We Anoint the Sick With Oil? By Samuel Emadi: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/anoint-sick-with-oil-james-5/ 7 Stories of God's Incredible Power Over Sickness by Chara Donahue: https://www.ibelieve.com/health-beauty/stories-of-gods-power-over-sickness-in-the-bible.htmlBOOKS REFERENCED: On Death by Timothy Keller: https://www.amazon.com/Death-How-Find-God/dp/0143135376 A Man of Heroism and Humility: Elijah by Charles Swindoll: https://smile.amazon.com/Elijah-Heroism-Humility-Great-Lives-ebook/dp/B007V91IP4FOLLOW CHARA:Anchored Voices: https://anchoredvoices.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharaDonahueTwitter: https://twitter.com/charadonahue

Day 112 Today's Reading: Acts 23 My father used to use a phrase when we were about to get spanked when we were kids—The bag is getting full. It meant that a bunch of things we did were adding up, and he couldn't take anymore. Have you ever just got so full that you could not take anymore and you lose it? Words come flying out. Maybe even a profanity or two. Things are said that if somebody heard you, they wouldn't know you're a Christian. In Slaying the Giants in Your Life, David Jeremiah writes on anger: Road rage, parking rage, air rage, boat rage, surf rage, fishing rage, river rage, pedestrian rage, pavement rage, jogger rage, biker rage, trucker rage, cell phone rage, shopping rage, grocery cart rage, and checkout line rage. I'm told there's such a thing as pew rage. . . . What makes anger so elusive and so incredibly dangerous is that it flares suddenly, powerfully, and irrationally. It takes no counsel of the future. It takes no consideration of personal safety. This kind of stuff would seem like it would hit new converts. And it does. Can it hit mature Christians? It does. The bag can get full, and we lose it. Can it hit super Christians? Big time believers? How about Paul the apostle? Absolutely. We have a time in Acts when Paul lost it, Christian cursing. Read it for yourself: Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God's high priest?” And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'” (Acts 23:1-5) It may not read as bad as it sounds. It was bad. Paul got slapped in the face for saying that his conscience was clear before God. It seemed to have a sense of sarcasm in it as he stood before the Council. And then after he was struck in the mouth, Paul lost it. He called Ananias a “whitewashed wall” and then stared him down, saying, “Do you sit to try me . . . and . . . order me to be struck?” When you call someone a “whitewashed wall,” you are saying that person may dress well and look good on the outside but something stinks on the inside. Everyone in Paul's presence knew what it meant. It was a common insult; a curse word to call someone, if that would make sense. He was saying to them, “You stink!” Or, “This stinks!” Let me tell you about Paul's week before we get hard on him. It's not to excuse him but to show you that we all can lose it when our bags get full. To explain better, let me use Charles Swindoll's words from his Acts commentary: Let me give you a little reminder of the kind of week that the apostle Paul has just had before entering into the situation of chapter 23 of Acts. So far this week he has been beaten by a mob (21:27-32), bound in chains (21:33), had his death demanded by a group of zealous Jews (22:1-22) and then came within a hairsbreadth of being scourged (22:23- 29). Now he wants to know for certain why he has been accused by the Jews. . . . Having little sleep, food, or physical care, he stands weary and bruised before the highest Jewish court, the Sanhedrin. All that added up to this moment. The bag got full, and a flood came out of Paul. Controlling himself no longer, he suddenly poured out a scalding stream of contempt directed at his accusers and judges. In effect, Paul called the judge a stinking hypocrite. This was more flesh than spirit. Correction, it was all flesh and no spirit. He realized his mistake when a bystan

================================================== ==SUSCRIBETEhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpffyr-7_zP1x1lS89ByaQ?sub_confirmation=1================================================== == DEVOCIÓN MATUTINA PARA ADULTOS 2022“NUESTRO MARAVILLOSO DIOS”Narrado por: Roberto NavarroDesde: Chiapas, MéxicoUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist Church 03 JUNIO ROSTROS QUE DICEN «SÍ»«El fruto del Espíritu es amor, gozo, paz, paciencia, benignidad, bondad, fe, mansedumbre, templanza; contra cuentos cosas no hay ley». Gálatas 5:22CUANDO VIAJO A OTROS PAÍSES, al llegar a la sala de control de pasaporte acostumbro estudiar los rostros de los oficiales de inmigración antes de decidir en qué fila ubicarme, si me es posible. La idea es procurar que me atienda un oficial de esos con «rostros que dicen sí».«Rostros que dicen sí». ¿Qué significa? Charles Swindoll lo ilustra bien por medio de una anécdota de los días cuando Thomas Jefferson era presidente de los Estados Unidos. Dice el relato que Jefferson y un grupo de amigos viajaban a caballo a través de un campo cuando llegaron a un río que se había desbordado por las fuertes lluvias. El puente había sido destruido, y para los jinetes estaba bien claro que, si atravesarían el río, lo harían un riesgo de sus vidas.Mientras uno a uno los jinetes atravesaban el río cuidadosamente, un hombre que no era parte del grupo, y que no se atrevía a cruzar, le preguntó al presidente Jefferson si podía dañar el favor de transportarlo. El presidente accedió, y al poco rato los dos hombres estaban a salvo en la otra orilla. Entonces, asaltado por la curiosidad, uno de los miembros del grupo se sintió impulsado al extraño.-Amigo, ¿por qué seleccionó al presidente para que lo ayudara?- ¿El presidente? --respondió el hombre, sorprendido—. No sabía que era el presidente. Lo que pasó es que en los rostros de algunos de ustedes vi dibujado un «no». En su rostro, en cambio, vi un «sí». *Cuando leí este relato, me preguntó: ¿Qué verá la gente en mi rostro: un sí o un no? ¿Qué vio a la gente en el rostro de Jesús? No puedo responder a la primera pregunta, pero me atrevo a responder a la segunda diciendo que había un gran «sí» dibujado en el rostro de nuestro Señor. De no haber sido así, ¿cómo explicar que los niños acudieran a él sin temor alguno, y que personas de todas las edades lo buscaran confiados de que no serían rechazados?Oremos para que Cristo more hoy en nuestro corazón, por medio de su Santo Espíritu. Solo así los frutos del Espíritu se manifestarán en nuestra vida y reflejaremos cada vez más de la belleza de su carácter, tal como lo indica la siguiente promesa: «Aquellos con quienes mora Cristo están rodeados de una atmósfera divina. Sus blancas vestiduras de pureza difundirán la fragancia del jardín del Señor. [Y] sus rostros reflejarán la luz de su semblante» ( Mensajes para los jóvenes , cap. 142, p. 297). Amado Jesús, oro para que la refinada influenciara de tu Espíritu purifique mi corazón y mi vida refleje la dulzura de tu carácter.*Charles Swindoll, El Despertar de la Gracia, Word Publishing, 1990, pp. 5-6.

Would there have been a David without Jonathan? Holmes without Watson? Starsky without Hutch? We continue looking at the life of David in the book of I Samuel. "Friendship is a sheltering tree," mused poet Samuel Coleridge. Like King David, we need a grove of such friendships. Let's get out our shovels and start planting a few.  Check out the book, "David: A Man of Passion and Destiny," by Charles Swindoll. Spread the love by writing a review, sharing with a friend, and subscribing or following wherever you get your podcasts! Connect with us on Facebook here or support the church that supports us here or at www.grandstrandchurch.org.  

Day 84 Today's Reading: John 16 In The Grace Awakening, author and pastor Charles Swindoll used an imaginative illustration for how best we can live: imagine driving on a treacherous mountain road with a cliff on both sides. As you approach a hairpin turn, you must decide which is better: a state-of-the-art hospital with the best doctors in the world at the bottom of the mountain or a giant yellow warning sign before the curve telling you, “Danger! Curve Ahead. Drive slowly”? The answer is obvious: a warning sign. In John 16, we find Jesus giving His followers a life of warning signs so they don't end up at the bottom of the mountain in the hospital. The warning sign is called conviction and it's a ministry of the Holy Spirit. Read with me what Jesus says about it: I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (John 16:7-11) When He comes, He will convict. What is conviction? It is an inner warning, a big yellow sign that says, “Slow down! This may not be right." Conviction of the Holy Spirit is the opposite of peace; it's a disturbance in the soul that can be silenced only by stepping on the brake when coming to the turn. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is what saves us from crashing and burning and needing the hospital at the bottom of the mountain. The hospital at the bottom of the hill can be a counselor's office, a pastor's office, etc. I'm not saying those hospitals can't fix the damage inflicted, but think of the pain that people could have avoided had they yielded to the Spirit's conviction. Most of the times the conviction comes when we are entering into a compromise, an area of sin, a place that will hurt our spiritual lives. People will confuse conviction and condemnation. Conviction is the feeling that what I was doing was wrong, and with God's help, I can change. Condemnation is the feeling that I am wrong and I can never measure up. There is no hope of change in condemnation. Conviction is from God. Conviction is the warning sign on the hairpin turns. Our job is to yield, like in this story: During the Great Awakening—a time of revival throughout our country—Jonathan Edwards was leading a prayer meeting in which eight hundred men were in attendance. In the midst of the meeting, a woman sent in a note asking them to pray for her husband. She described him as unloving, prideful, and difficult. Edwards read the message aloud to the men, thinking that perhaps the woman's husband was present. Then he boldly asked if the man whom he had described would raise his hand, so the whole group could pray for him. Three hundred men raised their hands. Really, three hundred men yielded to the yellow sign to avoid the hospital. All because they yielded. May we do the same.

What God is looking for, you are capable of. It's not talent, looks or results. It's not out of reach for anyone. In part two of this series, David compares King Saul with a young King David to answer this all important question. Check out the book, "David: A Man of Passion and Destiny," by Charles Swindoll. Help spread this message by writing a review, sharing with a friend, and subscribing or following wherever you get your podcasts! Connect with us on Facebook here or support the church that supports us here or at www.grandstrandchurch.org.  

Abril 07, 2022 - A traves de los mas de 30 anos de historia de Vision Para Vivir, le hemos presentado varios estudios acerca del matrimonio, pero nunca uno como este. En esta serie titulada MATRIMONIO: DE SOBREVIVIR A PROSPERAR le otorgaremos una fuente de sabiduria acumulada por mas de 60 anos de matrimonio del pastor Charles Swindoll. Este invaluable conocimiento junto con cinco decadas de ministerio, ayudando a esposos y esposas a abrazar el modelo biblico del matrimonio, hacen este estudio muy eficaz.

¿Cómo puedo mejorar mi vida me pregunto un joven el otro día? Rápidamente le respondí diciendo: Al mejorar tu actitud. Creo firmemente que cada ser humano puede mejorar su vida mejorando su actitud, porque de todas las cosas que llevamos puesta, nuestra actitud es la más importante. La actitud parece ser una pequeña cosa, pero marca una gran diferencia. Como bien lo leí un día: Nuestra actitud hacia la vida determina la actitud de la vida hacia nosotros. De modo que, si aprendemos a cambiar nuestra actitud, habremos creado uno de los mejores hábitos que nos puede ayudar en nuestra vida. El predicador Charles Swindoll comentó en uno de sus libros que la actitud lo es todo en la vida porque es un 10% lo que te pasa y un 90% el cómo reaccionas. Esta es una gran verdad. Muchas de las problemáticas y dilemas con los que lidiamos en la vida tienen que ver con la manera como reaccionamos a las cosas que nos pasan. Así que si mejoras tu actitud mejorarás tu calidad de vida. ¿Deseas hacerlo? Hoy puede ser un buen comienzo que puede traer cambios permanentes para ti y para los que están alrededor tuyo. La Biblia dice en Filipenses 2:13, “13 porque Dios es el que en vosotros produce así el querer como el hacer, por su buena voluntad (RV1960)

Host: Brad McNutt  |  Released Monday, March 21, 2022 On this episode of The Book Club, Brad reviews a classic work on church leadership! Episode Resources Purchase Hand Me Another Brick via Amazon. We want to hear from you! Email: books@thelightnetwork.tv Voicemail: 903-26-LIGHT (903-265-4448) Subscription Links  

Host: Brad McNutt  |  Released Monday, March 21, 2022 On this episode of The Book Club, Brad reviews a classic work on church leadership! Episode Resources Purchase Hand Me Another Brick via Amazon. We want to hear from you! Email: books@thelightnetwork.tv Voicemail: 903-26-LIGHT (903-265-4448) Subscription Links  

Discerning God's will in a noisy world requires intentionality.  In today's episode, Bill and Jen share strategies that will work for you and your marriage so you can not only find the quiet, but begin to discern God's call, blessings, and stewardship authority for your family.Here are the 5 simple steps:Aligning your marriage with God's will through the power of A, B, C, D, & E!A: Attitude - ready to hear from GodB: Bible Study - Search for Scriptural AnswersC: Conviction of the Holy SpiritD: Determine if we have peace: "Let peace be your referee!"E: Expect DifficultyToday's episode draws from The Mystery of God's Will by Charles Swindoll (one of Bill's fave authors!)P.S. Here's the link for Quiet Parks international (QPI)Like this episode? Great! Thank you! Subscribe today! Please, share with a friend!We help stepfamily couples turn what feels impossible into Stepfamily Mission POSSIBLE! We offer real-life solutions you can start implementing right away. We help you understand how critical YOU are as leaders in your family to create a kingdom legacy that relies on God's best for your family.If you're ready to ditch the chaos caused by high conflict stepfamily norms, regain intimacy as a couple, and begin to live your Kingdom Legacy right now, you're in the right place.  We pray you enjoy this episode of Stepfamily Mission POSSIBLE!, and if so, rate and review!   Want even more guidance and support?·        Want to join a community of like-minded Christian stepfamily couples? ·       Want to get equipped, feedback & tips off social media, and blend beautifully together? ·       Want to have fun & experience success with couples' challenges and stepfamily coaching? You do?! Then Join us in the Mastermind for Stepfamily Couples community!Say hi and help us grow on Instagram, check out our FB Page, or book a free, 30-minute consult to get started!Build your legacy, with confidence!Bill & Jen