Podcast appearances and mentions of christ himself

How would you feel if a list of your weaknesses were posted so that everyone, including Christ Himself, could see?...

There is a peculiar mercy in the way Our Lord heals. We, in our modern cleverness, are often inclined to imagine that healing ought to be immediate, painless, and, above all, understandable. Yet in the Gospel we encounter something altogether different: a healing that begins in mystery, passes through obedience, and ends in sight. It's the restoration of not merely the eyes, but even more magnificently the soul.Consider the man born blind whom Christ meets on the roadside. The disciples, like many of us, are preoccupied with explanations: Who sinned? Who is to blame? But Our Lord will not be trapped in that small courtroom of human reasoning. Instead, He stoops to the ground, makes clay, anoints the blind man's eyes, and sends him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.Now this is a strange prescription if one pauses to think about it. Mud upon the eyes does not look like medicine; it looks rather like further blindness. And yet the man obeys. He goes to the pool, washes, and returns seeing.Here we begin to glimpse a truth that is as unsettling as it is hopeful: the true source of healing is not the pool, nor the clay, nor even the man's obedience in itself. The source is Christ. The pool is merely the place where trust meets grace.Many of us wander through life rather like that blind man though we seldom admit it. Our sight may be sharp enough to read the morning paper, but we stumble in darker matters: forgiveness, meaning, love, hope. We seek remedies in every direction—self-improvement, distraction, ambition—yet find that none quite reaches the deeper wound.For the soul's blindness is not cured by clearer information. It is cured by encounter.Christ does not merely instruct the blind man; He touches him. And that touch begins a process. First comes the clay, then the journey, then the washing, then the sight. In much the same way, the healing of the human soul rarely arrives as a sudden bolt of lightning. More often it comes disguised as small acts of trust: a prayer whispered in uncertainty, a forgiveness offered when it is undeserved, a step taken toward God when we can hardly see the road ahead.Indeed, the curious thing is that Christ often places clay upon our eyes before He gives us sight. He allows circumstances that confuse us, humble us, even darken our view of ourselves. Yet these moments are not evidence of His absence but of His craftsmanship. The Great Physician is preparing the eyes of the heart.And when at last we wash, when we surrender our cleverness and come honestly before Him, we begin to see. Not perfectly, not all at once, but truly. We see that we are known and loved.We see that grace was at work long before we recognized it. And, most astonishing of all, we begin to see Christ Himself.The pool of Siloam was never the final destination. It was only the place where the blind man discovered that the One who sent him there was, in fact, the Light of the World. And so it remains. Every true healing of the soul begins and ends in Him. For Christ does not merely restore sight; He gives us a new way of seeing altogether. --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian's homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gift helps us continue recording and sharing the hope of Jesus—one homily at a time. Give Here: https://frbriansoliven.org/give

Most Christians know the Trinity is a foundational doctrine, but few truly grasp what it means for God to be one yet three persons. In this eye-opening episode, Angie and Stevens begin to unpack the complex truth behind this aspect of God—without resorting to theological jargon. Discover how the Bible's own words reveal an astonishing reality: God is a single being in perpetual, loving relationship within Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Angie and Stevens dive deep into key Scripture passages that illuminate the Trinity, from Genesis 1 and John 1 to Isaiah 48 and Proverbs 30. You'll learn how the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is divine, not created, and that the Spirit and the Father are distinct persons yet united in one Godhead. Explore how language like "Let us make man in our image" hints at this divine fellowship, and why Genesis 1:1-3 introduces us to the three persons right from creation's dawn.This episode breaks down critical topics such as:The historical development of the doctrine of the Trinity and the early church's role in formalizing itWhy the term “Trinity” isn't in the Bible, but the concept is embedded throughout ScriptureHow the unity of God is preserved alongside the distinctiveness of Father, Son, and Holy SpiritThe importance of understanding the Trinity for genuine faith and salvationPractical ways to humbly share this truth with others without pride or arroganceWhy does the doctrine of the Trinity matter in everyday faith? Because rejecting this truth is not just a theological disagreement—it's a rejection of Christ Himself. If Jesus isn't divine, then the gospel crumbles; if the Spirit is not God, then our worship is incomplete. Understanding the Trinity opens the door to a richer, more accurate relationship with God, and helps believers stand firm against false doctrines.Whether you're a new Christian seeking clarity or a seasoned believer longing for a deeper understanding, this episode is essential listening. You'll come away with Scripture-based confidence that the Trinity is not a confusing mystery but a beautiful reality woven into the fabric of God's Word. Prepare to be inspired, challenged, and equipped to stand firm in the truth of who God is—one divine essence in three eternal persons. Join us as we explore the majestic truth of the Trinity. The more you understand, the more your worship and faith will soar. Don't miss this foundational episode—your view of God will never be the same.Give Now: www.christalonenetwork.com/giveFeatured Ad: www.renewedmindsets.comQuestions/Suggestions: www.christalonenetwork.com/contactPrayer Request: www.christalonenetwork.com/prayerImmediate Contact: call/text 407-796-2881

Discover why acts of mercy toward others are encounters with Christ Himself.Morning Offering, March 14, 2026Every morning, join Father Brad as he begins the day with prayer and reflection. In a few short minutes, Father Brad guides you in prayer, shares a brief reflection grounding your day in the Church's rhythm of feast days and liturgy, and provides you with the encouragement necessary to go forward with peace and strength. Disclaimer: The ads shown before, during, or after this video have no affiliation with Morning Offering and are controlled by YouTubeLet us do as the saints urge and begin our days in prayer together so as a community of believers we may join the Psalmist in saying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3-4)________________

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to Aric Carpenter from Manitou Beach, MI. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 8:12. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. — 1 Corinthians 8:12 Paul strips away the most common excuse we make for sin. "I'm not hurting anyone." With one sentence, Paul exposes the lie. When you wound a fellow believer's conscience—especially when they are still learning to walk in obedience—you are not merely harming them. You are sinning against Christ himself. This is the unavoidable logic of union with Christ. Believers are not spiritually independent individuals. They are members of Christ's body. What touches them touches him. What wounds them wounds him. That means there is no such thing as a private sin when other believers are involved. No such thing as neutral participation. No such thing as harmless freedom. Paul says that careless liberty doesn't just create relational fallout—it also creates spiritual offense. The Corinthians believed their knowledge insulated them. Paul says it indicts them. You can be right and still be wrong. You can know the truth and still sin against Christ by how you treat those who belong to him. This verse prompts us to seriously reconsider how we practice our freedom within the church community. When we accept behaviors that Scripture prohibits, disregard biblical beliefs as irrelevant, or encourage others to join us in ambiguous situations, we aren't merely influencing behavior—we're harming the consciences that Christ Himself redeemed. Christ does not stand at a distance from his people. He identifies with them. So when a believer stumbles because of your example, Christ says, "You did that to me." Sin always has a target. And when believers are involved, that target is Christ. DO THIS: Examine one area of freedom where you've said, "It's not hurting anyone," and ask how Christ might see its impact on others. ASK THIS: Where have I minimized sin by calling it personal or private? How does union with Christ reshape the way I view my influence? What freedoms might Christ be asking me to restrain out of love? PRAY THIS: Jesus, forgive me for the ways I've separated my freedom from my responsibility. Teach me to see your people as you see them—and to walk in love that honors you. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me."

The word "headship" has become so loaded that most men either weaponize it or abandon it entirely. In this episode, John Heinen and Devin Schadt cut through the cultural noise to recover what male leadership actually means, not as domination or control, but as a divine paradigm rooted in the very nature of God and modeled from the beginning in Adam, St. Joseph, and Christ Himself. Why do men of goodwill still feel confused about their role? This is Satan's playbook and plan of attack. What follows is a frank, theologically grounded unpacking of what Devin calls "charitable authority", the kind of leadership that doesn't demand compliance but authors the story of a family's glory by pouring itself out. The three P's of the leader of the family are examined not as a management framework but as a way of understanding the ransom a man pays so that his wife and children can be free.

In this message from Luke 10, Chad Everett teaches on the authority Jesus has given His followers and what it means to put your foot down on the lies and tactics of the enemy. Jesus told His disciples, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10: 19). That authority — the Greek word exousia — means the right, permission, and jurisdiction given by Christ Himself. But many believers know this truth without living in it. Through a simple but powerful family story about saying “no more dogs,” Chad illustrates how trampling the enemy often begins with a clear decision: stop negotiating with what God has already told us to resist. When the enemy offers fear, shame, temptation, offense, or condemnation, believers have the authority in Christ to say: “No. I'm putting my foot down.” This message will encourage you to: • Walk in the authority Jesus has given you • Recognize and resist the enemy's tactics • Stop agreeing with lies and stand on God's Word • Step into your assignment as a laborer in God's harvest Jesus has already defeated the enemy. Now the church must learn to walk in that victory. The Roads Church - https://theroads.church

Third Reflection Lenten Retreat 2026 When God Begins to Take Everything On the Delusion of Belonging to God While Still Belonging to Oneself “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46 There comes a point in the spiritual life when the man can no longer recognize himself. Until this point, he has struggled with visible things. With sins. With distractions. With passions that moved through his body and mind. He struggled to restrain them. He struggled to purify himself. He struggled to become faithful. This struggle had structure. It had direction. It had meaning. He could see what he was fighting. He could measure progress. He could recognize failure and repentance. He lived with the sense that he was moving toward God. Even when he failed, he knew where he stood. Even when he fell, he knew he could rise. His existence had continuity. His identity had stability. He was a man seeking God. He knew himself as such. Then something begins to happen that he cannot understand. God removes not sin, but support. Not temptation, but stability. Not rebellion, but ground. 1 Prayer continues, but something within it has disappeared. The words remain. The effort remains. The intention remains. But life has receded. He speaks to God, but he does not experience being heard. He calls, but nothing answers. He remembers when prayer gave him warmth, when the name of Christ carried sweetness, when he felt himself held in a presence greater than himself. Now that presence cannot be found. He does not know whether it has left or whether he has. St. Isaac the Syrian writes that there is a stage in which God withdraws the perceptible operation of grace so that the soul may be taught that it does not possess Him. This withdrawal is not punishment. It is revelation. Until this point, the man believed he depended on God. Now he sees that he depended on his experience of God. He depended on the stability that experience gave him. He depended on the sense that he knew where he stood. This sense has now been taken. He no longer knows where he stands. He no longer knows what he is. He no longer knows how to locate himself before God. Evagrios says that when grace withdraws, the soul is handed over to knowledge of its own powerlessness. 2 Not intellectual knowledge. Existential knowledge. The man discovers that he cannot produce even the smallest movement toward God by his own strength. He cannot restore what has been taken. He cannot recover the life he once knew. He cannot make himself alive again. This knowledge terrifies him. Because until now, he has lived with the assumption that he existed. That he endured. That he remained himself across time. That his relationship with God was something he inhabited. Now even this has dissolved. He experiences groundlessness. Not emotional instability. Ontological groundlessness. He cannot find the place within himself from which he once lived. St. Macarius the Great says that until the soul passes through abandonment, it cannot be freed from the illusion that it possesses life. This illusion is so subtle that even humility cannot destroy it. The man may believe he is nothing. He may confess his weakness. He may acknowledge his dependence. And still exist as the center of his own life. 3 God removes this center. Not suddenly. But completely. The man cannot stop this process. He cannot preserve himself. He cannot secure himself. Everything he relied on to know himself has been taken. This produces the deepest temptation. Not the temptation to sin. The temptation to restore himself. To rebuild identity. To recover stability. To become again the one he was. Many do this unconsciously. They reconstruct their religious self. They recover certainty. They regain structure. They resume existing as before. And they lose something they do not understand. They lose the possibility of union. Because union requires the disappearance of the one who lives apart from God. St. Paul writes with terrifying clarity, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3 4 Hidden. Not strengthened. Not improved. Hidden. The man can no longer find himself. Because he no longer exists where he once lived. Christ entered this darkness fully. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He entered the experience of abandonment. Not because He had lost the Father. But because He had surrendered every human ground. He stood where man stands when nothing remains. So that man could stand there and live. St. Silouan says, “Keep thy mind in hell and despair not.” Hell is the place where every support has been removed. Where the self cannot preserve itself. Where existence depends entirely on God. The ego cannot survive here. This is its death. The man who remains here without turning back passes beyond himself. But he does not yet know this. He knows only loss. 5 Only absence. Only the disappearance of the one he believed himself to be. This is the threshold of resurrection. But resurrection cannot yet be seen. Only death can be seen. And the man must remain. ⸻ This is the most terrible mercy God gives to those He draws near. Because as long as the man can still find himself, he still lives from himself. As long as he can still locate stability within his own experience, he has not yet been born of God. Christ said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24 Remains alone. Even if it is righteous. Even if it is faithful. Even if it believes itself to belong to God. As long as it remains intact, it remains alone. St. Sophrony writes that God allows the soul to descend into this darkness so that it may learn to exist from Him alone and not from any created support, including its own experience of grace. This descent feels like death because it is death. The death of psychological continuity. The death of spiritual self recognition. The death of the one who could say, I am the one who prays. 6 Now prayer continues. But the one who prayed cannot be found. The Jesus Prayer may still be spoken. The lips may still move. The mind may still form the words. But the center from which it once came has been shattered. The man stands before God without himself. This is why the psalmist cries, “I am forgotten like one dead, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.” Psalm 30:12 LXX Forgotten. Broken. Without place. Without continuity. Without self possession. St. Isaac says that when the soul enters this stage, it feels itself suspended between existence and non existence. It cannot return to what it was. It cannot yet see what it will become. It cannot move forward. It cannot move back. It can only remain. This remaining is crucifixion. Christ did not descend from the Cross. 7 He remained. He did not preserve Himself. He entrusted Himself. “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” Luke 23:46 This is the final act of abandonment. Not abandonment by God. Abandonment of oneself into God. Archimandrite Zacharias writes that at this stage, man learns true obedience. Not obedience of action, but obedience of being. He no longer acts from himself. He no longer preserves himself. He exists in radical dependence. This dependence feels like non existence. Because the ego cannot live this way. The ego requires ground. Continuity. Self possession. Identity. God removes all of it. Not to destroy the person. But to reveal the person. Because the person does not exist in himself. The person exists in God. St. Paul writes, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 Not alongside Him. Not with assistance from Him. 8 In Him. When this is seen, the man understands that his previous life, even his spiritual life, was sustained by illusion. He believed he lived. He believed he endured. He believed he remained. Now he sees that he does not possess existence. Existence is given. Moment by moment. Breath by breath. “God withdraws His breath, and they perish and return to their dust.” Psalm 103:29 LXX The man feels this. Not as theology. As reality. He feels that if God does not sustain him, he will cease. Not morally. Ontologically. This is why fear arises. Not fear of punishment. Fear of non being. But if the man remains, something begins to happen that he cannot yet perceive. A new center begins to emerge. 9 Not located within himself. Located in God. Christ begins to live where the ego once lived. This is why St. Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Galatians 2:20 Not metaphor. Ontological fact. The old center has died. A new center has been given. St. Silouan writes that when man descends into this hell and remains with faith, the Lord Himself becomes his life. Not as comfort. As existence. The man no longer lives toward God. He lives from God. But before this becomes clear, there is only darkness. Only abandonment. Only the terrible silence of God. St. Sophrony says that this silence is not absence, but the deepest form of presence. God is acting beyond perception, dismantling the final illusion that man possesses himself. The man feels forsaken. But he is being carried. He feels abandoned. 10 But he is being born. This is the third dismantling. Not the destruction of sin. Not the destruction of righteousness. The destruction of the illusion that one belongs to God while still belonging to oneself. God takes everything. Even the man's experience of belonging to Him. So that the man may finally belong to Him completely. And the man must remain. Without returning. Without rebuilding. Without preserving anything. He must remain in the darkness where Christ Himself stood. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And wait for the life that only God can give. 11

Welcome to episode 239 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, Pastor Drew continues our study entitled Kingdom Logic. Today we will cover:• “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” — Matthew 5:6• Why righteousness — not happiness — is the pathway to the blessed life.Key Takeaways:· The first three Beatitudes reveal man's need — the fourth reveals the remedy.· God promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.· The blessed life comes through holiness, not fortune, fame, or comfort.· God's standard is perfect righteousness — and Christ is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30).· Biblical hunger is desperate, inward, and all-consuming — not partial or “right-ish.”· Our ultimate satisfaction is not circumstances, but Jesus Himself.Quotable:· “The first three express the need — the fourth provides the remedy.”· “The blessed people seek holiness before happiness.”· “Not right-ish — righteous.”· “Where there is desire for righteousness, there will be filling — and the filling will be Christ Himself.”Application:· Examine what you are truly hungry for.· Stop pursuing happiness apart from holiness.· Desire complete righteousness, not surface improvement.· Seek first the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).· Remember — your satisfaction is Christ.Connect with us:Website: https://springbaptist.orgFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus)Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to:https://springbaptist.org/prayer/If you haven't already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider.

Be Sober. Be Vigilant. The Enemy Is Still the Enemy.When life feels “fun,” easy, or carefree, that is often when the enemy strikes hardest. The Bible warns us to walk in wisdom, not foolishness — for “there is treasure to be desired… in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spendeth it up.” Are you guarding what God has given you, or squandering it?In this episode, we draw a line between global battlefronts and the spiritual frontlines inside our own homes. As governments maneuver, nations align, and threats rise — from China supplying hostile nations to terrorists already within our borders — believers must remain watchful, grounded, and equipped.Just as countries guard their borders, parents must guard the gates of their homes:cell phoneslaptopslibrary contentfriendshipsyouth groupsinfluences that quietly shape the heartWe must teach, train, equip, renew, and refresh our families daily.The truth is sobering: The enemy is still the enemy — in government, in culture, and even in churches across America. Sleeper cells plot. Opponents of truth sit in Congress. The Devil infiltrates families. The battle is real. But so is our victory.Scripture calls us to be: Sober. Resist. Stand. Build. Battle. (Ephesians 6:10)And take hope: there is coming a day when the Devil will launch his final attack — and Christ Himself will bring every enemy to nothing.Stand firm. Stay alert. The time to be vigilant is now.The Voice in the Wilderness does not endorse any link or other material found at buzzsprout.More at https://www.thevoiceinthewilderness.org/

Jesus Is Still Building His ChurchIn a world shaken by war, conflict, and spiritual darkness — from Iran to every corner of the globe — one unshakable truth stands firm: Jesus Christ is still building His Church. And as He declared in Matthew 16:16–19, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”In this episode, we take a closer look at what Jesus meant when He said “My Church.” Not man's church. Not a government's church. Not a cultural church. His Church.You'll discover:Jesus Himself is the builder. No trauma, crisis, persecution, or world event can stop His work.The Church is Bible-founded — anchored in the doctrine, truth, and authority of Jesus Christ.The Church is blood-bought — purchased with the precious sacrifice of Christ alone.The Church is Spirit-empowered — believers are strengthened by the power of Christ Himself, just as Ephesians 6:10 commands: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”The Church is unstoppable — no government, no nation, no ideology can overturn what God has ordained.Whether the world is in chaos or peace, whether nations rage or governments oppose, this truth remains: Jesus is building His Church — and nothing can stand against Him.Be encouraged, strengthened, and reminded of who we are, whose we are, and what foundation we are standing on in these last days.The Voice in the Wilderness does not endorse any link or other material found at buzzsprout.More at https://www.thevoiceinthewilderness.org/

Not every raised voice is boldness, and not every sharp word is faithfulness. In this episode of Hearts for the Lost, Brian and Jimmy take an honest look at tone and motive in evangelism. When should our tone remain gentle? Is there ever a time for strong confrontation? And how do we guard our hearts from turning gospel conversations into ego contests?Drawing from passages like 1 Peter 3:15, 2 Timothy 2:24–26, and the example of Christ Himself, Brian and Jimmy discuss what it means to speak truth with both clarity and compassion. Evangelism is not about winning arguments or scoring points—it is about loving souls enough to tell them the truth in a way that reflects the character of Christ.If our message is reconciliation, our manner should not contradict it. Join Brian and Jimmy as they explore how humility, biblical wisdom, and genuine love for the lost shape the tone of faithful gospel witness.

Speaker: Rob BerrethScripture: Matthew 5:10–16Episode Overview:In Gospel of Matthew 5:10–16, Jesus names His people “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” These words are not flattery—they are a calling. This message explores what it means to live with confidence in Christ's transforming power, to seek the good of our cities, and to endure opposition without losing heart. Drawing from Book of Jeremiah 29 and the wider teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, we are reminded that God's people are both exiles and ambassadors—deeply rooted in their communities while distinctly shaped by the kingdom of heaven. Even when faithfulness brings misunderstanding or harassment, Jesus promises a reward that far outweighs the cost. The church's greatest gift to the world is not cultural dominance, but Christ Himself.Key Highlights:• Salt and Light Defined – What Jesus means when He calls His followers to preserve, illuminate, and influence for good.• Engagement Without Assimilation – Learning from Book of Jeremiah 29 how to seek the welfare of the city while remaining distinct.• Confidence in the Good News – Why believers need not live in embarrassment, but in steady trust that Christ truly is good for the world.• Understanding Persecution – A biblical perspective on being reviled or harassed for righteousness' sake (Matthew 5:10–12).• Wounds as Medals of Honor – How opposition for Jesus' sake becomes evidence of faithful allegiance.• The Ultimate Hope – Christ builds His church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).Call to Action:This week, identify one place God has planted you—your workplace, neighborhood, classroom, or home—and intentionally seek its good. Pray for the people there by name. Look for one tangible way to serve without compromise. Speak of Christ with humility and courage when the opportunity comes. And if faithfulness costs you something, receive it as a mark of belonging to Him. Shine steadily, trusting that God uses even quiet obedience to bring glory to the Father.

This message reflects on the pastor's return to teaching after serious illness and centers on the timeless call Jesus gives to the suffering church in Revelation 2 (the church of Smyrna), a letter focused not on correction but on encouragement amid fear, persecution, and coming tribulation, urging believers to trust God deeply, remain faithful no matter the cost, and not be afraid of suffering, since Christ Himself has already endured it and promises to be present with His people through every trial, reminding listeners that eternal hope far outweighs present fear and that faithfulness to the end is what truly matters. 

Jesus teaches us that reaching others with His gospel begins with four essential practices drawn from His sending of the 70 disciples. First, we must pray deeply, beseeching the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers, recognizing that only the Holy Spirit saves and transforms hearts. We cannot be faithful followers of Christ if we are not at least stumbling evangelists, willing to share the good news with those around us. Second, we must go humbly into a world that will oppose us, understanding that we go as lambs among wolves but trusting in God's protection and purpose even when we face rejection. Third, we must pursue peacefully, bringing God's peace into our interactions and communities, avoiding strife while remaining faithful witnesses who do not compromise the message for comfort or gain.Finally, we must preach boldly, declaring the full truth of the gospel in love, not watering down the reality that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. The good news is that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, lived the perfect life we could never live, died on the cross to take our sins upon Himself, and rose on the third day to offer us salvation and eternal life in paradise. We dare not neglect to tell people they need Jesus, for the truth without love condemns, but love without truth deceives people into hell. As His representatives sent into the world, we carry the authority and message of Christ Himself, and those who receive us receive Him, while those who reject us reject Him and the Father who sent Him.

In this Here We Go episode of Tent Talk, Nancy records from rainy Portsmouth, UK on the final full day of the 28-day launch of Oxford 2026 across the USA, Europe, and the British Isles. Reflecting on what has been stirred and exposed, she speaks candidly about the deep preparation underway in this hour—an awakening not to hype, platforms, or church trends, but to Christ Himself. Oxford, she explains, is both an activator and an accelerator, a pressure chamber where Holy Spirit forms sons who can carry real responsibility without self-rule. This is not about performance or religious culture, but about the overthrow of independence and the restoration of all things unto the Father—a true “restoration revolution” beginning within His people. Nancy addresses the sobering exposure happening across the Church, urging listeners not toward criticism but toward personal awakening. The great awakening, she says, is not a spectacle but the moment a son realizes he has believed everything but God—and returns. With bold clarity, she calls for quiet before the Lord, echoing Zechariah 2:13: God is on the move in His holy house. The invitation is simple yet costly—take sides with the Father against self, embrace His discipline as love, and walk with Him in obscurity and glad-hearted obedience. As Oxford's first month closes, this episode is a call to deep responsiveness, steady formation, and wholehearted agreement with Him in this decisive hour of history. Thanks for Listening! Nancy McCready Ministries is committed to building cultures of personal and corporate discipleship so that believers can walk in maturity and their destiny with the Father. We hope this conversation today has helped you along your journey. JOIN THE CONVERSATION Every journey begins with a conversation, so we would like to invite you to join us on social media to get started! Facebook: www.facebook.com/nbmccready Instagram: www.instagram.com/nbmccready/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@nancymccreadyministries LINKS Want to host or attend Cross Encounter? Click here: nancymccready.com/crossencounter/ Shop to Support NMM: nancymccready.com/shop/

In this episode of Made to be a Kingdom, Fathers Harry Linsenbigler and Anthony Perkins return to Christ's words in Matthew 16–18 to explore what Scripture reveals about the nature of the Church. Reading the Gospel through its original biblical and Septuagint context, they reflect on Christ as the anointed Petra, the gathering of the scattered people of Israel, and the Church as the place where God restores His flock from among the nations. Drawing on Micah's prophecy (2:6-13), the language of gates and mountains, and the Paschal victory over death, the conversation shows how Orthodox ecclesiology is rooted not in abstract authority, but in Christ Himself—the Anointed Rock who leads His people through the gates of hell into life. Along the way, they highlight how Scripture interprets Scripture, why the Church understands herself as the restored Israel, and how Pascha stands at the heart of what it means for the Church to be built, gathered, and led by Christ.

Cities are known for their slogans. New York is called The City That Never Sleeps. Paris is The City of Light. Philadelphia is The City of Brotherly Love. Chicago is The Windy City. Every city has a name it embracessomething that captures its identity and the image it wants the world to believe about it. But in Revelation 2, Jesus gives Pergamum a name no city would ever choose for itself. He calls it where Satans throne is (Rev. 2:13). Imagine that as your citys reputation. Not The Pride of Asia. Not The Seat of Learning. Not The Crown of Culture. But The Place Where Satan Dwells. Pergamum was the capital of Roman Asia, a center of political authority, pagan worship, and emperor devotion. Towering above the city stood a massive altar to Zeus, a visible reminder of pagan power. The Roman governor there possessed the ius gladiithe right of the sword authority to execute. Power, religion, and politics converged in Pergamum in a way that made allegiance to Jesus costly. So when Christ introduces Himself as the One who has the sharp two-edged sword, He makes a bold claim: ultimate authority does not belong to Rome. The sword does not finally rest in Caesars hand. It rests in His. Pergamum teaches us that the churchs greatest danger is not merely persecution from outside, but compromise from withinand that even where Satans throne seems near, Christ still reigns. Dangers from the Outside (v. 13) The Christians in Pergamum faced very real dangers. To the church in Smyrna, severe persecution was coming; to the church in Pergamum, it had already arrived in the martyrdom of Antipas. Unlike many cities in the empire, Pergamum offered few places to hide from Rome, as it was the headquarters of Roman government in Asia. Michael Wilcock observed, If Ephesus was the New York of Asia, Pergamum was its Washington, for there the Roman imperial power had its seat of government. Devotion to emperor worship was not optional civic ritual it was public loyalty to Rome and for Christians, refusal came at a cost. But Pergamums pressure did not come from Rome alone. The city was saturated with devotion to Zeus, Athena, Dionysos, and Asklepios all of whom had prominent temples. The massive altar to Zeus, hailed as the god of gods, rose like a throne above the acropolis, proclaiming that ultimate power and salvation belonged to him. Asklepios, the famed healing god, was symbolized by a serpent-entwined staff still used in medical imagery today; his worshipers sought restoration and life from him. Athena embodied wisdom and civic strength, reinforcing Pergamums intellectual pride. Dionysos promised joy through wine, feasting, and sensual excess, blurring the line between celebration and corruption. And over all of it stood the emperor, honored as lord and savior, demanding allegiance that directly rivaled the confession that Jesus alone is Lord. Robert Mounce, in his commentary on Revelation, wrote: ...as the traveler approached Pergamum by the ancient road from the south, the actual shape of the city hill would appear as a giant throne towering above the plain. This is probably why Jesus refers to the city as the place, where Satans throne is. But against Pergamums skyline of rival saviors stands the living Christ. Zeus claimed ultimate power, but Jesus is the One to whom all authority in heaven and on earth belongs. Asklepios promised healing through a serpents symbol, but Jesus crushed the serpents head and, as the risen Lord, conquered death, giving eternal life to all who believe. Athena embodied worldly wisdom and pride, but Christ is the wisdom of God made flesh, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Dionysos offered joy through indulgence, but Jesus gives the true bread from heaven that satisfies forever. Caesar demanded worship as lord and savior, but only Jesus shed His blood to redeem sinners and now reigns as the King of kings. Pergamum was filled with promises of power, healing, wisdom, pleasure, and security but only the gospel delivers what these gods could only counterfeit. Jesus commends these believers despite the immense pressure around them: Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith They lived in a city crowded with rival saviors, yet they clung to Christ. Though we are not told the exact circumstances of Antipas death, it is not hard to imagine how it unfolded. He likely died by the blade of a Roman sword for refusing to bend his knee to the gods of Rome or to confess Caesar as lord. He would bow to only one name the name above every name Jesus Christ. And it is this man, Antipas executed by Rome, forgotten by the empire whom Jesus calls my faithful witness. We know from Roman records that this was the very test Christians faced. About twenty years after Revelation was written, the governor Pliny the Younger explained that accused Christians could avoid execution by invoking the Roman gods, offering incense to Caesar, and cursing the name of Christ. Those who refused were executed. He even admitted that genuine Christians could not be compelled to curse Christ. When Jesus praises these Christians Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith His words are not cheap; they are costly. To hold fast His name meant refusing to renounce it when your life was on the line. Rome took Antipas life, but Jesus rendered the greater verdict the very title He bears Himself: my faithful witness (see Rev. 1:5). The kind of faithfulness Antipas demonstrated in the face of death is the same faithfulness we are all called to whether suffering comes in the form of persecution or in circumstances beyond our control, such as illness, discouragement, or a life that did not unfold as we had hoped. Faithfulness is not measured by the kind of suffering we face, but by the Christ to whom we cling. And we cling to Him by looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). Dangers from the Inside (vv. 14-15) While the dangers from the outside were real, the greater threat was emerging from within. The Christians in Pergamum had stood firm against persecution, but they were less vigilant in confronting compromise within the church. Some adhered to the teaching of Balaam, and others to the teachings of the Nicolaitans. Though these errors shared similarities, they must be considered individually. To grasp the true danger here, we need to recall Balaams actions. In Numbers 2225, Balak, king of Moab, enlisted Balaam to curse Israel, but God turned every attempted curse into a blessing. When outright opposition failed, Balaam changed tactics. As Numbers 31:16 reveals, he counseled Moab to entice the Israelites drawing them into idolatry and sexual immorality through seductive feasts and relationships with pagan women. What Balaam could not accomplish through direct attack, he achieved through compromise. Israel was not destroyed by an enemy from without but by corruption from within. Here is what Balaam was guilty of: He lingered where God had already told him not to go. He pursued recognition and reward at the expense of Gods honor and the holiness of His people. He walked as close to temptation as he could without openly defying God. 4. His obedience was reluctant because his heart was drawn to what God forbade. Balaams problem was not ignorance but desire. He lingered where God had already told him not to go. He pursued recognition and reward at the expense of Gods glory and the holiness of His people. He walked as close to temptation as he could without openly defying God. And though he spoke Gods words, his obedience was reluctant because his heart was drawn to what God had forbidden. This is why Jesus references Balaam. The problem in Pergamum wasnt an outright rejection of Christ but a willingness to tolerate compromise. Some believed they could remain committed to Jesus while engaging in behaviors God had already forbidden. Compromise rarely starts with denialit begins when we linger where God has said no, chase comfort or recognition over holiness, and edge as close as possible to temptation without openly defying Him. We shouldnt think were exempt; this same risk exists in every congregationeven Meadowbrooke. Whenever we treat Gods commands as optional or hover near what He prohibits, were at risk of the compromise Jesus warns us against. The second thing Jesus has against the church in Pergamum is that some adhered to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. As we learned from the letter to the church in Ephesus, Jesus says He hated their works (2:6). What about their teaching provoked such strong language? They promoted a compromise similar to Balaams the idea that one could claim to belong to Gods people while participating in the very sins God had clearly forbidden. The Nicolaitans appear to have encouraged Christians to join in idolatrous feasts and sexual immorality, likely arguing that Gods grace covered such behavior. In their view, holiness became flexible and obedience negotiable. Listen, the spirit of the Nicolaitans is alive wherever Christians rationalize that blending in with culture poses no danger, that hidden sin is under control, or that Gods grace permits what He has clearly condemned. If we downplay sin, treat Gods commands as negotiable, or blur the boundaries between wholehearted faithfulness and self-indulgence, we risk falling into the same compromise Jesus warns against. Why does Jesus name both Balaam and the Nicolaitans in His rebuke? Because Balaam enticed Gods people into sin, and the Nicolaitans justified their continued presence in it. Those who held to these teachings were not outside the church but within it, and the ideas they embraced posed an immediate and dangerous threat to its spiritual health. The Danger of a Greater Sword (vv. 12, 16-17) Jesus takes the purity of His Bride seriously. The dangers from the outside were real, but all Rome was able to do with its sword was to kill and no more. The dangers within were more significant because they threatened the witness, testimony, and mission of the church. Listen, with the martyrdom of Antipas, his witness and testimony continued. His willingness to die for his faith and to stand in the security of Christ, even in the face of death, continued to speak even beyond Antipas death. What the early Christian apologist Tertullian wrote in 197 AD is true: The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Persecution may wound the body, but it often strengthens the church. Compromise, however, weakens and destroys the church from within. If Satan can infiltrate the church through subtle, subversive teaching persuading believers to tolerate what God forbids and to justify what Christ condemns then the churchs witness is not martyred; it is muted. Its testimony is not silenced by force; it is weakened by concession. What Rome could not accomplish with a sword from without, false teaching seeks to achieve from within. Jesus is madly in love with His Bride and will protect Her when She is threatened. He is also a jealous Groom and will not tolerate any force or teaching that seeks to win Her affections. This is why Jesus hates the works of the Nicolaitans (2:5)! The Nicolaitans offered a perverted version of the Grace that Jesus secured at the cross, teaching that the freedom they had in Christ freed them from obedience to Jesus regarding personal holiness and sexual sin. Jesus calls the Christians in this church to repent by both calling out the false teaching and standing against it. Jesus warns this church that if they do not repent, He will come to war against them with the sword of His mouth. That is sobering language, but it is not unloving. It is not loving to overlook sin in your own life, nor is it loving to tolerate sin in the life of Christs church. This is why the Bible states in James 5:1920, My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Indifference to sin is not grace it is neglect. A Savior who refuses to confront what destroys His Bride would not be loving. The sword of Christ is not the weapon of a tyrant but the discipline of a faithful Bridegroom committed to the purity of His people. Take a close look at Jesus words in verse 16: Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. That is not a casual warning; it is a decisive command. If they refused to turn from their sin and false teaching, it would not merely expose weakness it would reveal they never truly belonged to Him or experienced the saving grace that brings new life. Saving grace does not leave a person at peace with sin; it creates an urgency to cling to Christ. Where Christ truly reigns, repentance follows. Now notice verse 17. The sword is not the only thing Jesus offers. He promises that the one who has truly received Him as Savior evidenced by firmly holding fast to His name will be sustained and kept by Him. The true Christian is promised three things: hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. The manna is for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6). In a city filled with public feasts honoring false gods, Jesus promises hidden nourishment provision the world cannot see and idols cannot give. The white stone likely referred in the Roman world to a token of admission, acquittal, or honor. But the stone Jesus gives is not temporary; it signifies divine acceptance and permanent residence in His kingdom, where there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). And on that stone is a new name a name given by Christ Himself belonging to the one who receives it. That new name speaks to your identity in Christ, an identity no sword, no demon, not even Satan himself can take from you. On that stone is the evidence of your redemption. Its meaning echoes the words of our Redeemer: You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you (Hos. 3:3). Persecution may wound the church, but compromise will hollow it out. Romes sword can threaten the body, but Christs Word searches the heart. So hold fast to His name. Repent without delay. Refuse to justify what He condemns and to flirt with what He died to free you from. Live as those who belong to Him alone nourished by hidden manna, accepted by His verdict, and secure in the name He has written over your life.

Speaker: Rob BerrethScripture: Matthew 5:10–16Episode Overview:In Matthew 5:10–16, Jesus declares that His people are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This message explores what that identity means in a culture shaped by Christian influence yet increasingly untethered from Christ Himself. The church's strength has never come from blending in, grasping for power, or retreating in fear. It has come from embodying the Beatitudes—poverty of spirit, mercy, purity, peacemaking—and living distinctly in the world for the glory of the Father.Drawing on insights from The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener and historical reflections like Dominion by Tom Holland, this sermon considers how Christian convictions have shaped society—and why remaining faithful to Jesus still matters. When believers stay salty and let their light shine, some will be drawn to glorify the Father. Others may resist. Yet Christ's kingdom advances, and He promises blessing to those who are harassed for righteousness' sake.Key Highlights:• Identity before influence – Salt and light flow from the transformed character described in the Beatitudes.• Distinct, not diluted – The church is most potent when it is truly different from the surrounding culture.• Faithful presence – Neither compromise nor retreat fulfills Jesus' call; we are sent into the world without becoming shaped by it.• Wisdom in a polarized age – Christian faithfulness often defies easy political categories, following Christ above all.• Expect both fruit and friction – Some will glorify God because of faithful witness; others may respond with opposition.• Unshakeable hope – The risen Christ builds His church, and no resistance can overturn His kingdom.Call to Action:Ask the Lord to search your life. Where have you grown dim or lost your saltiness? Repent where needed. Re-anchor yourself in Scripture. Pray for courage to speak with grace and truth. Look for one concrete place—at work, at school, in your neighborhood, in your home—where you can shine distinctly for Christ this week. Step forward in humble confidence, trusting that faithfulness in small acts carries eternal weight.Redeemer Church211 Northshore Dr. Bellingham, WA 98226www.redeemernw.org

The closing verses of Paul's letter to Titus emphasize the vital importance of practical Christian service, communal accountability, and enduring spiritual unity within the church. Paul, writing from Nicopolis as a strategic base for future missions, urges Titus to prioritize good works, hospitality, and mutual support—especially for traveling missionaries like Apollos and Zenos—reflecting the church's mission to embody Christ's love in tangible ways. Central to this call is the principle that genuine faith produces action: caring for one another, bearing burdens, and serving the least as if serving Christ Himself, as illustrated in Matthew 25. The epistle concludes with a powerful benediction, underscoring that grace—God's unmerited favor—is the foundation and goal of all Christian endeavor, calling believers to live not for self but for the glory of God and the flourishing of His kingdom.

Color: White First Reading: Acts 4:8–13 Psalm: Psalm 118:19–29; antiphon: v. 26 Epistle: 2 Peter 1:1–15 Gospel: Mark 8:27—9:1 Gospel: Mark 8:27–35 Introit: Psalm 89:1, 5, 15–16; antiphon: Psalm 119:46 Gradual: 2 Corinthians 4:5a, 13c; 1 Peter 4:11b; Psalm 113:3 Verse: Mark 8:35 Losing Ourselves in the Confession of the One Name of Salvation   St. Peter speaks for all disciples when he confesses, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). This confession is the bedrock of the Church, which Christ Himself builds (Matt. 16:18), for “this Jesus,” the stone rejected by earthly builders, “has become the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11). This was a scandal even to Peter. The Christ must suffer, be rejected, be killed “and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31), for through this work of salvation received by faith, God's “precious and very great promises” are granted, “so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Wherever Jesus is the Christ, His disciples deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow Him (Mark 8:34). They have been cleansed from their former sins and increase in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love, effective and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5–9). All who trust in Jesus, the Christ of Peter's confession, will save their life, though for His sake they lose it (Mark 8:35). “For there is no other name … by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

The fathers did not endure silence. They loved it. This is the difference between a man who is forcing himself to be quiet and a man who has discovered God. One clenches his teeth and calls it discipline. The other falls silent because he has found Someone worth listening to. Abba Or never lied, never cursed, never spoke unnecessarily. Not because he was following rules. Because he had seen the damage words do when they are born from ego. He had watched how speech leaks the life out of the soul. How it dissipates grace. How it feeds the illusion that we exist by asserting ourselves. Every unnecessary word strengthens the false self. Every unnecessary word delays repentance. Every unnecessary word postpones intimacy. The fathers were not minimalists. They were realists. They had learned that most of what we say does not come from truth but from anxiety. We speak to control. We speak to secure ourselves. We speak to make sure we exist in the minds of others. We are afraid to disappear. Silence terrifies the ego because silence exposes that we do not sustain ourselves. God does. ⸻ St Ephraim says that he who speaks much multiplies quarrels and hatred. This is not moralism. This is anatomy. Words inflame the passions. Words solidify judgment. Words give form to resentment that would otherwise dissolve in the presence of God. A garden without a fence is trampled. A soul without silence is plundered. Every idle conversation opens the gate to distraction. Every irrelevant word invites the demon of listlessness. Antiochos names this with terrifying clarity. Loquacity does not merely waste time. It hands the mind over to the enemy. Because God is not found in noise. God is found where nothing of the ego remains to obscure Him. This is why silence is not empty. Silence is full. It is full of Presence. It is full of Light. It is full of a Word that cannot be manufactured by human thought. St Isaac the Syrian says that silence is the mystery of the age to come. Words belong to this age. Silence belongs to eternity. Because in eternity, God is not explained. He is known. Not through concepts. Through union. ⸻ When the fathers entered silence, they did not enter absence. They entered encounter. They discovered that beneath the constant internal narration of the mind there was Another Voice. A Voice that did not shout. A Voice that did not argue. A Voice that did not flatter or condemn. A Voice equal to God Himself. Because it was God Himself. The Logos. The Word through whom all things were made. This Word does not force Himself upon us. He waits. He waits for the noise to stop. He waits for the ego to weaken. He waits for the endless commentary to exhaust itself. He waits for the man to become poor enough to listen. And when He speaks, He does not merely inform. He creates. His Word heals what sin has disfigured. His Word restores what pride has shattered. His Word brings into existence a new heart. This is why the fathers guarded silence with ferocity. They were protecting the place where God is born in the soul. ⸻ Antiochos says that those who possess the Holy Spirit do not speak when they wish but when moved by the Spirit. This is freedom. Not the freedom to speak. The freedom to remain silent. The ego must speak to survive. The Spirit does not. The ego is restless. The Spirit is still. The ego needs witnesses. The Spirit is its own witness. This is why the saints speak few words. Not because they have nothing to say. But because they see the cost of speech. They know that every word must pass through fire. They have seen the devastation caused by words spoken without God. They have seen how words born from self obscure the Word who gives life. So they wait. They remain in silence until speech itself becomes obedience. Until speech is no longer self-expression but revelation. ⸻ We resist this silence because it feels like death. And it is death. It is the death of the self that must assert, explain, defend, and secure itself. It is the death of the self that believes it exists by speaking. In silence, this self collapses. And something else begins to appear. Something quiet. Something uncreated. Something that does not depend on being seen or heard. Christ Himself begins to live where the false self once ruled. This is why silence is not endured. It is loved. Because in silence we discover that we were never sustained by our words. We were sustained by Him. And when every unnecessary word falls away, when every inner argument dissolves, when every effort to secure ourselves finally collapses, there remains only this: God speaking His Word in the depths of the heart. And this Word is life. And this Word is light. And this Word is love. And this Word is enough. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:08 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/philokalia-ministries-lenten-retreat-2026 00:03:37 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.youtube.com/@philokaliaministries/videos 00:04:06 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 355 number 11 00:10:00 Janine: Father…still sick..but here…thank you for prayers 00:12:40 Mary and Al: Albert 00:16:30 Andrew Adams: Will the Lenten retread be on the podcast feed? 00:47:12 Jessica McHale: Interesting---I discerned contemplative monastic life at two different monasteries. In both experiences, the nuns were too social for me. They spoke during two meals during the day, and most of the talk was politics. Since I was discerning, I imagine they wanted my opinion on political topics to see if I would "fit in" with the community. They let me know that socialization and speaaking was part of commnity life. It just wasn't for me. It is hard to find a "community" tha understands the importance of silence. For me, silence is essential. It's a prayerful existence centered on God. 00:47:37 Maureen Cunningham: If someone is quiet , the mind can be  in constant thought. How  do you combine the silence and. Empty out the mind 00:51:22 Erick Chastain: Clear creek monks didn't know who Trump was not too long ago (after he ran for president) 01:00:49 John ‘Jack': Silence ultimately brought me back to the Church.  About 15 years ago my wife asked what I wanted for a birthday gift? After listening to an elderly freind speak so lovingly of her time spent at the Abbey of the Genesee, I decided to ask for a  weekend retreat. She gave it to me, best gift ever. The first evening I thought I was  going to lose my mind. I've grown to love silence! 01:01:21 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Silence ultimately..." with ❤️ 01:02:04 Carol Nypaver: Reacted to "Silence ultimately b..." with

Tonight in Homily 6 Saint Isaac did not merely instruct us. He set fire before us. In the first six homilies he has laid the foundations of the spiritual life with uncompromising clarity. No romance. No shortcuts. No sentimentality. If you have no works, do not speak of virtues. If you have not sweat in the arena of repentance, do not theorize about purity. Virtue without bodily toil he calls premature fruit. Stillborn. And yet what he unfolds in these paragraphs is not severity alone. It is hope so luminous that it borders on holy intoxication. Affliction suffered for Christ, he says, is more precious than sacrifice. Tears are incense. Sighs during vigil are offerings more fragrant than any liturgical perfume. The righteous cry under the weight of their frailty, and heaven bends low. The angelic orders stand close at hand. They are not distant observers. They are partakers in the sufferings of the saints. What a vision. The struggler who feels alone in the cell, alone in illness, alone in interior battle, is surrounded. The angels strengthen. They encourage. They console. There is a communion not only with the saints of the earth but with the hosts of heaven who draw near to the one who cries out in humility. This is the first movement. Deep contrition. Tears. Vigil. Labor. The long work of purification. But Isaac does not leave us in mourning. He telescopes the whole journey. Rightly directed labors and humility make a man “a god upon the earth.” Faith and mercy speed him toward limpid purity. And then something changes. Fervor begins to burn. Contrition and fervor cannot dwell together indefinitely. Mourning gives way to fire. Wine has been given for gladness, he says, and fervor for the rejoicing of the soul. The word of God warms the understanding. The one inflamed by hope is ravished by meditations of the age to come. Isaac dares to speak of spiritual drunkenness. Not the stupor of the world, but intoxication with hope. The soul so seized by the promise of God that it becomes unconscious of affliction. Not because suffering disappears, but because the heart is fixed elsewhere. The gaze has shifted. The future age presses upon the present. The Beloved draws near. This is not fantasy. It comes, Isaac says, “in the very beginning of the way” for those who have labored long in purification and who walk with simplicity and faith. And here he gives us one of the most liberating images of the night. Those who hasten onward with hope do not examine the perils of the road. They do not stand calculating every gorge and precipice. They do not sit on the doorstep of their house, forever deliberating, forever preparing, forever fearing. They go. Only after crossing the sea do they look back and give thanks for dangers they never saw. God protected them from unseen obstacles. He led them over crags and through ravines while they were fixed on Him. Hope keeps the gaze steady. Rumination keeps the soul seated at the threshold. Isaac is not advocating recklessness. He is exposing the paralysis of excessive self-consciousness in the spiritual life. The one who constantly measures, analyzes, anticipates every fall, often never sets out. But the one who loves God, who girds his loins with simplicity, who meets the sea of afflictions without turning his back, finds the promised haven. This is the arc of the homily. From sweat to sweetness. From tears to intoxication. From contrition to fervor. From trembling to exultation. And all of it rests on hope. Hope that Christ Himself guards the path. Hope that angels stand near. Hope that affliction is not wasted. Hope that beyond the sea there is a haven already prepared. Isaac places before us not merely discipline, but joy. Not merely purification, but intimacy. Not merely endurance, but ravishment in the meditations of the age to come. The call tonight is clear. Do not speak of virtue. Live it. Do not fear affliction. Meet it. Do not sit on the threshold. Set out. Do not ruminate on precipices. Fix your gaze on Christ. And as we walk, we will discover that we are not walking alone. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:11 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 177 bottom of the page 00:03:34 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/philokalia-ministries-lenten-retreat-2026 00:42:54 Andrew Adams: Thank you! 00:50:08 Jessica McHale: When I first went to a Greek Orthodox liturfy simply for the experience, a parishoner explained to me that the orthodox east emphaises the Ressurectoin (salvation from it) and the west emphasises the Crucifixion (and salvation from it). It was helpful to understand the diffeent. I am very drawn to a Melkite or Byzantine liturgy for Sundays ( I can do a Novus Ordo during the week but it seems Sundays need more ;) 00:52:18 Jessica McHale: Romano Guardini, Meditations Before Mass: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/meditations-before-mass/?srsltid=AfmBOop770BpNWVqK_3cc04pvR2LfL7ItYtkWe5gpFPXJb3opcfsIg4i 00:55:50 Jesssica Imanaka: My daughter had also commented on the chanting. Listening to you, I just recalled that the chanting was a key dimension of her experience. I think the active participation is also critical for her/us. 00:56:38 Jesssica Imanaka: Reacted to "Romano Guardini, Med..." with ❤️ 01:03:12 Anthony: Hope. This is why it can be harmful to focus so much on scandal, demons, possession and exorcists.  That spiritual environment tried to strangle Hope. 01:03:47 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Hope. This is why ..." with

Blessed are the pure in heart: those who have a devoted, undivided heart towards the Lord. Pastor Lance continues explaining the characteristics of all who belong to Christ, according to Christ Himself. Text: Matthew 5:8. For more messages and resources, visit us at www.ccc-online.org.

Welcome to our Reveal podcast,Today we're talking about what it really means to be equipped to love not just emotionally, but biblically.In Scripture, love isn't just a feeling; it's a calling and a discipline. In 1 Corinthians 13, we're told that love is patient, kind, not self-seeking, and not easily angered. That passage reframes love as action something we practice, not just something we feel.Jesus takes it even deeper in John 13:34, saying, “Love one another as I have loved you.” That's sacrificial love. It's modeled by Christ Himself most powerfully seen in Romans 5:8, where we're reminded that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.So how are we equipped to love like that? Through transformation. Galatians 5 talks about the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience. These aren't personality traits; they're evidence of God working within us. We don't manufacture this kind of love on our own we receive it from God and reflect it outward.To support this ministry and help us continue our God-given mission, click here:Subscribe to our channel for the latest sermons:https://www.youtube.com/@revealvineyardLearn more about Vineyard Church Reveal Campus:https://www.revealvineyard.com/Follow us on social media!Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vineyardrevealcampus Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/RevealVineyard

In a culture shaped by status, honor, and self-advancement, Paul commands the church to pursue unity through humility, not by diminishing themselves, but by refusing selfish ambition and empty glory. This episode we dive into Philippians 2:1–11, where Paul moves from calling believers to live worthy of the gospel to revealing the ultimate model of worthy living: Christ Himself. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narcelyruiz.com/podcast Instagram: http://instagram.com/upstreampursuit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPursuit/

Lent is the period in the Church's calendar to where the faithful are encouraged to rekindle their relationship with Jesus through practices such as prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Come Easter, we can rise with Christ a new creation. This blogcast explores “Lenten Transfiguration" from the Ad Infinitum blog, written by Kate Fowler and read by Jonathan Harrison.“Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.” -Luke 9:32Twice in the Gospels we hear of the trio of disciples sleeping at pivotal moments in Christ's life and ministry: at the Transfiguration – in this Sunday's Gospel – and in the Garden of Gethsemane during Christ's Agony. Both times, Christ is in deep prayer. And both times, Peter, James, and John are “overcome by sleep.”I get it. The group of men have just hiked up a mountain. It would have been normal to rest after such a grueling endeavor. Similarly, in the Garden, Jesus took the three disciples to pray after the Feast of the Passover—a long, filling meal complete with wine. I think of all the times I've napped after a holiday meal and sympathize with Peter, James, and John.  In these scenes, they are so human. They become tired and rest their eyes. And yet, because of their physical tiredness, they miss out on God's glory.In this week's Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent, Jesus is transfigured and his three beloved disciples are offered a glimpse of the glory to come—not only the glory of the Resurrected Christ, but the glory that awaits all men and women who allow themselves to be transformed by his grace.This Lent, I find myself asking, “Am I asleep with his disciples? What's causing me to shut my eyes to God's glory?” These questions are what have guided my Lenten journey as I discern how to grow in holiness this season.  Each year, the Church in her wisdom asks us to reflect on what is making us spiritually sluggish and helps us prepare for Easter through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. By ramping up in these three Lenten tenets, we can grow in our ability to see God's will and the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.Had the Apostles been awake throughout the entirety of Christ's Transfiguration, they would have basked longer in this glory—fear and confusion would not have gripped them. Lent calls us to wake up, to be alert, not only for the Easter celebration, but for God's invitation to greater holiness throughout our lives.Pope Francis highlights Lent as the continuation of the “journey of conversion.” This journey is a lifelong one. And yet, seasons such as Lent, which focus on an even greater attention to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, often spur us deeper and further on this journey towards Christ.As Pope Francis encouraged in his 2019 Lenten message:Let us not allow this season of grace to pass in vain! Let us ask God to help us set out on a path of true conversion. Let us leave behind our selfishness and self-absorption, and turn to Jesus' Pasch. Let us stand beside our brothers and sisters in need, sharing our spiritual and material goods with them. In this way, by concretely welcoming Christ's victory over sin and death into our lives, we will also radiate its transforming power to all of creation.The goal of Lent is not only Easter, but Christ Himself. This Lent, may our participation in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving help us shake off the drowsiness that shuts our eyes to God's glory. For more resources to accompany you throughout your Lenten journey, please click here.Questions for Reflection:  Am you asleep with Christ's disciples? What's causing you to shut your eyes to God's glory?” Author:Kate Fowler is a former staff member for the Catholic Apostolate Center. Her work included: editing posts and resources for the Center, and co-hosting the OnMission podcast. Resources:Listen to On Mission: Ash WednesdayLenten PracticesRead the Ad Infinitum blogLent and Easter Resources Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

Monday February 16, 2026Last Week After EpiphanyToday's Episode As we come to the final week after Epiphany, today's readings draw our eyes to the kind of wisdom and humility that prepares us to see Christ clearly.In Proverbs 27:1-6, 10-12 we are reminded of the value of faithful friendship, wise foresight, and steady character. True wisdom is not loud or reactive—it is rooted, discerning, and unwilling to be stirred into chaos.In Philippians 2:1–13, Paul calls believers to unity shaped by humility, pointing us to Christ Himself—who emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, and humbled Himself to the point of death. Because of that obedience, God highly exalted Him. We are invited to reflect that same self-giving mind as we “work out” what God is already working within us.And in John 18:28–38, Jesus stands before Pilate—calm, composed, and unwavering. The true King faces political power without anxiety. When Pilate asks, “What is truth?” he is staring Truth in the face.This episode invites us to embrace humble strength—choosing wisdom over impulse, servanthood over self-assertion, and allegiance to the King whose kingdom is not of this world.

Through Christ's redeeming work, believers receive full adoption into God's family, the Spirit of sonship, and the inheritance of Christ Himself. Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters—fully loved, fully welcomed, and fully heirs of God Where in your life are you living more as an orphan instead of a son or daughter of God?

Many people try to have religion - church attendance, moral living, or even biblical knowledge without truly knowing Christ. But without Him, it is all empty—like artificial flowers that look real but have no life. Dead religion, emotional religion, or intellectual religion cannot give life. Only Jesus can. The message stresses that we must seek Christ Himself first—not merely the way or the truth as ideas. When a person bows before Him in faith and surrender, the way becomes clear and the truth becomes understandable. Eternal life is found in knowing Him personally, through the Word of God. Anything short of giving Him the supreme place in our lives leaves us in confusion and spiritual death.

In this Faith Friday edition of Morning Manna, the focus turns to John 6:49, where Jesus contrasts the manna eaten by Israel in the wilderness with the life He alone provides. Though their fathers ate manna and still died, Christ reveals that temporary provision can never produce eternal life. The verse exposes the danger of trusting in past religious experiences or outward provision while missing the living Bread standing before them. Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart examine why yesterday's miracles cannot sustain today's soul and how only Christ Himself gives life that death cannot take away. Lesson 30-2026 Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting MannaNation.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It's the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Daily Devotion with Pastor Balla for February 12, 2026 reflects on Psalm 45:1–2, a joyful royal psalm that overflows with praise. After the lament of Psalm 44, this Christian daily devotion turns our attention to celebration, beauty, and grace. The psalmist's heart overflows as he addresses the king, speaking words shaped by joy and reverence rather than sorrow.This Christ-centered Lutheran devotion explores how Psalm 45 ultimately points beyond an earthly king to Christ Himself, the true and eternal King whose lips overflow with grace. Jesus speaks forgiveness, peace, and life to weary sinners, and His reign will never end. Rooted in Scripture and the theology of the cross, this meditation reminds us that praise flows naturally from hearts shaped by God's mercy.Whether your heart feels light or heavy today, this devotion invites you to fix your eyes on Christ, the King blessed forever.If this devotion blesses you, consider supporting this ministry at

“The creeds function like a treasure chest, waiting to be opened and explored. The creeds are not meant to reduce our faith to simple facts; they are not intended to drive away mystery and complexity. Rather, the creeds secure a framework for the whole of our faith, so that we can freely go and explore the riches of the mystery in each part and in the whole.” —Jason Ortiz and Daniel Keating in The Nicene Creed: A Scriptural, Historical, and Theological CommentaryFriends, beneath every value we express and every thought we act upon lies an underlying belief. Though often unexamined, each of us has developed a comprehensive worldview that shapes every moment of our lives. What are those beliefs and assumptions—and to what degree do they align with reality as revealed by God?Join us for the first episode of the Become Good Soil Foundations Series, where we explore these core beliefs and assumptions of our faith and the fellowship of Become Good Soil.Drawing on Jesus' imagery in Matthew 7, we ask: what would it look like to make a fresh assessment of the foundations upon which the “house” of our lives is built? What might we notice if we paused to appreciate the beauty and strength of the “rock” itself—and to reckon honestly with the areas of our lives still resting on shifting sand?As a fellowship, what does it look like to freshly receive and act upon Jesus' invitation to relocate the whole of our lives onto the Rock—who is Christ Himself, His teaching, and His beautiful Kingdom?Come along in a courageous global fellowship as we venture together down a path and process that leads to a life truly worth living.It's all been prologue. The best is yet to come.For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie Note: In our conversation on The Nicene Creed this is the reference. For further exploration: Ortiz, J., & Keating, D. A. (2024). The Nicene Creed: a scriptural, historical, and theological commentary. Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Fathers do not treat speech as a social matter. They treat it as a matter of life and death. Because speech reveals what the heart lives from. A man may fast and remain proud. He may pray and remain full of illusion. He may withdraw outwardly and still remain inhabited by noise. But when he speaks, the truth emerges. The tongue betrays what the heart serves. Christ says with terrifying simplicity, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34 He does not say the mouth creates. He says the mouth reveals. Speech is the manifestation of inner condition. The Evergetinos preserves the fierce sobriety of the Fathers on this point because they knew that speech is not neutral. Speech either dissipates the heart or gathers it into God. Abba Arsenius fled from men not because he hated them but because he feared what his own mouth might do. He had been formed in the courts of emperors. He knew the seduction of words. He knew how easily speech strengthens the illusion of the self. He heard a voice saying, “Flee, be silent, pray always.” Not because silence is virtuous in itself, but because silence exposes the poverty of the heart. When a man falls silent, he encounters himself. He encounters the anxiety that drives speech. The need to affirm himself. The need to be seen. The need to exist in the minds of others. Speech often becomes the way the ego sustains its continuity. Each word reinforces the illusion that the self is real, stable, necessary. This is why idle speech is so dangerous. Not because the words themselves are always evil, but because they feed the false center. St. John Climacus writes that talkativeness is the throne of vainglory, the sign of ignorance, the doorway of slander, and the cooling of compunction. Every unnecessary word strengthens forgetfulness of God. Not dramatically. Quietly. Almost imperceptibly. The heart that was once gathered becomes scattered. The attention that was once turned inward toward repentance becomes turned outward toward managing impressions. A man begins by speaking carelessly. He ends by living carelessly. The Evergetinos recounts how the elders guarded their speech with ferocity. Not because they had nothing to say, but because they feared losing the presence of God. They understood that the more a man speaks, the more he lives outside himself. And the more he lives outside himself, the more he forgets God. Abba Poemen said, “If a man remembers that he must give an account of every idle word, he will choose silence.” Not because silence is safer socially. Because silence is safer spiritually. Christ Himself says, “For every idle word men speak, they will give account on the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36 Every idle word. This is not exaggeration. It is revelation. Because every idle word strengthens a life lived apart from God. Speech gives substance to illusion. It allows the ego to feel real. To feel present. To feel established. This is why men fear silence. Silence removes reinforcement. Silence reveals instability. Silence reveals dependency. Silence reveals that without constant affirmation, the ego begins to tremble. The Fathers did not seek silence as technique. They sought silence as truth. In silence, a man begins to see that he does not yet exist in God. He exists in the reflection of himself in the minds of others. Speech sustains that reflection. Silence destroys it. This destruction feels like death. Because something is dying. The false self that lives from recognition. The Evergetinos shows us elders who would rather appear foolish than speak unnecessarily. Who would rather remain misunderstood than protect themselves with words. Because they had discovered something terrible and liberating. Words cannot save the soul. Only God can save the soul. And God is found not in noise, but in poverty. St. Isaac the Syrian writes that the man who has come to know himself guards his tongue as one standing before fire. Because he knows how easily the heart can be emptied of grace. Speech is not evil. But uncontrolled speech reveals an uncontrolled heart. The man who speaks constantly has not yet learned to stand before God. Because the man who stands before God begins to see himself truthfully. And seeing himself truthfully, he loses the need to speak. Not because he despises others. Because he no longer needs to sustain himself. His life begins to be hidden with Christ in God. And the tongue, once restless and hungry, becomes quiet. Not forced into silence. But stilled by the presence of God. This is the path the Fathers walked. They did not seek eloquence. They sought reality. And reality begins when the mouth stops protecting the self and the heart begins to stand naked before God. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:32 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 354 para 4 00:03:51 Angela Bellamy: I apologize for my mic. I didn't realize it had activated. 00:04:01 Angela Bellamy: Reacted to "I apologize for my m..." with

How Christ's Love for the Church Redefines Marriage | Ephesians 5Marriage can be hard. The person you married changes. Circumstances shift. Feelings fade. And you're left asking, "How do I keep loving when I don't feel it anymore?"Pastor Roderick Webster addresses this struggle head-on in today's Words From The Word devotion. Opening Ephesians 5:25-33 (KJV), he reveals a love that doesn't depend on feelings, attraction, or perfection—a love modeled after Christ Himself."Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it."Christ didn't love the church because she was flawless. He loved her, died for her, sanctified her, and will one day present her to Himself as a glorious bride—spotless and beautiful. That's the standard. That's the command. And that's what God calls every Christian husband to do.WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS:- The biblical foundation for marital love (1 John 4, Ephesians 5)- Why love is a command, not a feeling- Christ's sacrificial example: He gave Himself, His blood, His life- How the church is sanctified and cleansed by the Word- The call to love your wife as your own bodySCRIPTURES REFERENCED:Ephesians 5:25-33, 1 John 4:7-12, Matthew 20:28, Luke 22:19-20, 1 Peter 1:18-21, Revelation 1:5, Genesis 2:21-24This isn't just theology—it's transformation. Let God's Word renew your marriage today.

Read Online“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.'” Mark 7:5–8Isaiah's prophecy rings as true for us today as it did when Isaiah spoke it and when Jesus quoted it. Worship of God must come from our hearts, from the depths of our beings. Only then is worship authentic.Humans are complex. We are made up of body and soul. Though we have a physical heart, the “heart” Isaiah and Jesus are speaking of is spiritual in nature, essentially the human will. God created us with a free will, meaning we alone are the source of the decisions we make, though our good choices are always assisted by God's grace.When God speaks to us, revealing His Divine Will, He communicates to us through the use of our intellect. The intellect, enlightened by both natural reason and divine grace, identifies the good we must choose and proposes that good to the will. The will, moved by God's grace, cooperates in freely choosing it or rejecting it. This cooperation reflects the cooperation between God's action and our freedom.When we freely choose the good, we open ourselves to the grace of charity which perfects our will. Charity strengthens us and enables us to love with God's own love, allowing us to live out the divine commandment to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. This alignment of our intellect, will, and actions with God's will is what makes our worship authentic and our lives holy.This loving worship was absent from the practices of the Pharisees and scribes, whose devotion had become purely external. Their “worship” was steeped in pride, reducing their religious observance to a display of self-righteousness rather than a freely graced expression of love for God. Jesus' rebuke, however, was not an act of condemnation but one of love. He sought to challenge their hypocrisy, convict their hearts, and call them into an authentic relationship with God rooted in true worship. Their refusal to respond with humility and repentance led many of them to plot against Him, culminating in His Crucifixion. This rejection of divine love reveals that their worship remained vain, as their hearts were closed to the grace that transforms external observance into a living relationship with God.When you reflect on your own external acts of worship, do they flow from a heart fully devoted to God? What motivates you when you attend Mass, recite prayers, or perform works of charity? Is your worship a genuine expression of love for God, or is it sometimes reduced to routine or mere obligation? We would all do well to listen attentively to Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees and scribes, examining our own hearts to discern whether we, too, are guilty of falling into externalism or prideful worship. True worship requires humility, sincerity, and an openness to God's transforming grace, which alone can elevate our external actions into a genuine offering of love. The greatest and purest act of worship is to unite ourselves fully with the sacrifice of Christ in the Holy Mass, offering ourselves—body, mind, and soul—as a living sacrifice to God in loving obedience and complete trust. At Mass, the priest adds a drop of water to the chalice containing the wine. The water and wine are then consecrated into Christ Himself. That one drop of water represents us. Authentic worship will begin with us making that internal offering, united to the external ritual of the Mass, and flow into every other part of our lives. Reflect today on every external act of devotion and charity you perform, especially your participation in the Mass. Listen to Jesus' loving rebuke of the Pharisees and scribes, and use His words to examine your life. Where weakness, sin, pride, or empty routine are found, seek to replace them with heartfelt worship so that your entire life becomes an offering of authentic love and worship of God.My Lord and my God, You alone are worthy of all my love, all my devotion, and the purity of my worship. Please reveal to me the ways in which my worship lacks authenticity, and grant me the grace to love You freely and wholeheartedly. Purify my heart so that my worship may glorify You and advance Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: The Meal in the House of the Pharisee by James TissotSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT) Every now and then, it seems that my GPS has a mind of its own. I’ll be driving on the freeway, going to a destination where I’ve never been before, when suddenly my device tells me to turn right at the next off-ramp. It doesn’t make sense, but I turn right. Then it tells me to turn left, so I turn left. Then it takes me back to the freeway. What was that all about? It makes no sense at all. The Lord gave the Israelites an amazing GPS system: a fire by night and a cloud by day. It was very simple. When the cloud moved, they moved. When the cloud stopped, they stopped. At night, when the fire moved, they moved. When the fire stopped, they stopped. We might be tempted to think, “I wish I could have that kind of obvious guidance, because a lot of times I don’t know what I should do or where I should go.” But as believers under the New Covenant, we have something better than a cloud or a fire. We have Christ Himself living in our hearts. Every one of us who believes in Jesus Christ has God residing within us. We don’t need a fire in the sky. We have the fire of the Holy Spirit in our life, giving us the power to do what God has called us to do. As believers, we are not masters of our fate. We do not control our spiritual journey. The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT). The Lord will lead us in the way that He wants us to go. Sometimes His will won’t make sense to us. Sometimes it may seem as though God is trying to ruin all our fun. But in time we will realize that God knew what He was doing all along. Unlike the GPS maps on our devices, we can’t plug in our destination coordinates for this life. That’s because we have no idea where it will take us. That doesn’t stop us from trying, of course. We may try to plug in where we would like to end up. Or where we’re planning to end up. But as the old Yiddish expression goes, “Man plans, and God laughs.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) puts it this way: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” GPS devices aren’t always right, but God is. God’s way is always the right way. Reflection question: How can you trust God’s way even when it doesn’t make sense to you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I believe the book of Revelation is intentionally shaped by the rhythm of the seven Jewish feasts, with deep echoes of the Exodus and Israels wilderness journey woven throughout its visions. We have already seen how this works in chapter 1, where the imagery echoes Passover. Passover marked Israels deliverance from slavery through the blood of a substituteand in Revelation 1:1216, that substitute is revealed in all His risen glory. Jesus stands among His churches as the victorious Lamb who was slain and now lives forever. Because of His sacrifice, the Christian belongs to God. If you have been redeemed by Almighty God through His Son, what is there to fear? Jesus Himself answers that question: Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Rev. 1:1718). Our confidence is not rooted in our circumstances, but in the One who has conquered death itself. As we move into Revelation 23 and read the seven letters to the churches, the dominant echo is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately followed Passover. This feast called Gods redeemed people to live holy lives, set apart for Him (Lev. 11:4445; 1 Pet. 1:1617). Israel removed all leaven from their homes as a visible reminder that they belonged to the Lord and were no longer to live under the old patterns of corruption. That same call still comes to us today: You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:1920). Each of the seven churches faced real and pressing challenges in their own dayand what they struggled with are many of the same things we struggle with today, just dressed differently. While we will look at each church individually, here is a brief snapshot of what we will encounter: The church in Ephesus had lost its first love. The church in Smyrna was about to suffer tribulation for ten days. The church in Pergamum struggled with faithfulness to sound doctrine. The church in Thyatira tolerated a false teacher within the congregation. The church in Sardis was spiritually lethargic and nearly dead. The church in Philadelphia faithfully clung to the word of God. The church in Laodicea was lukewarm and missionally useless. In every one of these churches, there was the danger of leavensin quietly working its way through the house. And the call of Christ was to remove it: through renewed love for Jesus and for one another, faithful endurance in suffering, a commitment to truth, intolerance for evil, vigilance against spiritual apathy, unflinching obedience to Christ, and a wholehearted devotion to the mission of God. About forty years before Revelation was written, Paul wrote about Gods expectation for His church: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:1-2). Revelation 1 is about the One who makes our salvation possible. Revelation 2-3 addresses the kind of people He calls us to be. So, when we come to Revelation 4, we encounter the One on the throne who is holy, holy, holy! The City of Ephesus When the gospel came to Ephesus, it was a wealthy and influential trading city, best known for the Temple of Artemis (also called Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The citys economy, culture, and moral life centered on the worship of this goddess. Artemis worship was deeply sexualized and demonic, marked by ritual immorality and idolatry (1 Cor. 10:20). Ephesus was a place where spiritual darkness was not hiddenit was celebrated, institutionalized, and profitable. Into this city, the gospel came with unmistakable power, as it always does in Gods timing and in His way. What we read in the epistle to the Romans was experienced in Ephesus: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... (Rom. 1:16). When the apostle Paul preached Christ in Ephesus, lives were transformed, and the worship of Artemis was directly challenged. So disruptive was the gospel that those who profited from idolatry feared economic collapse, admitting that Paul had persuaded many that gods made with hands are not gods at all (Acts 19:26). Paul spent over two years there, and in this spiritually hostile environment, God birthed a faithful churchthe same church later addressed by Christ Himself in Revelation 2. What makes Jesus words to Ephesus so sobering is not the citys darkness but the fact that a church born in such devotion, perseverance, and truth would later be warned: You have abandoned the love you had at first (2:4). So what happened? To answer that question, we need to first recognize the many things Jesus praises the church for. What the Ephesian Church Was Doing Right The Ephesian church was commended for many things by Jesus such as their toil, patient endurance, and intolerance for evil. Heraclitus, a native of Ephesus and philosopher, spoke with open contempt of his citys moral corruptionso severe that later writers summarized his viewby saying no one could live in Ephesus without weeping.1 The fact that the church was able to endure for forty years in a city known for its sexual promiscuity and demonized idolatrous worship, while holding on to biblical orthodoxy, is staggering! Because of their orthodoxy and fidelity to the Word of God, the church was intolerant of evil, refused to ignore false teachers, and shared Jesuss hatred of the Nicolaitans. Forty years earlier, Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian church: I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears (Acts. 20:29-31). This is what the church did well, and Jesus praised them for it. Now, notice what Jesus does not say to the church in Ephesus. He does not say they were being too orthodox. He does not say they were too truthful, or that their intolerance of evil, false teachers, and the works of the Nicolaitans was too extreme. Jesus does not tell the church to dial it back but instead celebrates these as examples of what they were doing well. What the church did well was refusing to yield to the pressures from their city to conform. Before we look at what the church got wrong, we need to address who the Nicolaitans were and why Jesus hated their teaching. From what we know, the Nicolaitans were a heretical Christian sect associated with the teaching of Balaam (Rev. 2:14-15). They taught that the grace of God permitted freedom to engage in the kinds of things their pagan neighbors enjoyed, such as sexual immorality and full participation in pagan temple feasts. Why? Because grace covered it all. We will come back to Balaam when we look at the church in Pergamum, but for now what you need to know is that Balaam is known for his false teaching that served to seduce the men of Israel to engage in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab that also resulted in the worship of their gods in place of obedience and worship of Yahweh (see Num. 25). The Nicolaitans did not deny Jesus, they just reinterpreted what obedience to Jesus really meant, in that you could both be loyal to Jesus and actively pursue and participate in the kinds of things the Word of God commands the people of God to flee from. The Ephesian church was rightfully commended for their hatred and intolerance of the works of the Nicolaitans because Jesus shares their hatred for the same reasons. Listen carefully. Jesus does not merely disagree with teachings of the Nicolaitans He hates them. He hates any belief that suggests a person can remain loyal to Him while willfully embracing the very sins He died to free us from. The cross was not a license to make peace with sin; it was Gods declaration of war against it. To claim Christ while pursuing what nailed Him to the tree is not freedomit is self-deception. Christ did not die to make sin safe, but to make His people holy. 1 Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR Publishing, 2017), 91. What the Ephesian Church Got Wrong So what was it that the church in Ephesus lost? Well, we know it wasnt the churchs orthodoxy. It was the love they had at first. What love did they have at first? I believe the love the church lost was a combination of their love for Jesus and others. I believe this because of what the apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians and what Jesus said the church needed to do to regain the love they had lost. First, lets look at Jesus criticism in verses 4-5, But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. The way back to regain what they had lost was to first remember where they had fallen or had lost sight of their love, then to repent by doing the works they had done at first. What were the works they had done at first? We are given a few clues in Ephesians about the church from what Paul says at the beginning and the end of his epistle to the Ephesians. 1st Clue: For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers... (Eph. 1:15-16) 2nd Clue: Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Eph. 6:24) I believe that the love the Ephesian church lost had to do with the love they had for Jesus and for one another. The New Living Translation captures this in their translation of Revelation 2:4, But I have this complaint against you. You dont love me or each other as you did at first! When a group of religious leaders asked Jesus to identify the most important commandment, His response was clear: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:3739). Genuine love for God leads to love for othersyou cannot claim to love God while refusing to love those who bear His image. As our love for God grows, it overflows into love for those around us, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. If you find this hard to accept, consider the words of the apostle John: If someone says, I love God, but hates his brother, that person is a liar; for anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20). I believe the Ephesian church, first known for their faith in Jesus and their incorruptible love for Him, became the catalyst that fostered in them a love for one another, which they were known for in the early days of the churchs existence. Their love infused their faith in Jesus, and their love for all the saints was the cocktail God used to push back evil and transform lives! What Revelation 2:1-4 teaches us is that Jesus wants our obedience, but He also wants our hearts! In fact, if Jesus has your heart, He will have your obedience. Conclusion I believe the Ephesian church is listed first among the seven churches because of the danger we face when what we believe and what we do are no longer tethered to a living love for Jesus and His people. Listen carefully. Rather than criticizing the Ephesian church for its zeal for the truth of Gods Word, Jesus praised them for it. Orthodoxy is essential to the spiritual health of both Christians and the church as a whole. When believers abandon orthodoxy, spirituality does not become freer or deeperit becomes hollow and lifeless. So do their churches. But love keeps orthodoxy from hardening into something Jesus also hated. When truth is severed from love, orthodoxy collapses into legalism. And legalism is not holiness; it is a corruption of orthopraxyright living. Christian, we are called to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. Scripture commands us: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Pet. 1:1416). But the way we pursue holiness is not through cold precision or moral superiority. It is through the kind of love the Ephesian church once hadand then lost. This is the first of seven ways Christ calls His people to cleanse His house of leaven. What is that love? Scripture defines it plainly: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth Love never ends (1 Cor. 13:48). This is the love Jesus spoke of that must be true of His followers: By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). We live in a nation deeply fracturedso fractured that many believe we are in a cold civil war. Civil conversation between the left and the right is nearly impossible. But it must not be that way in the church Jesus redeemed from the world. Our love for Christ must overflow into genuine love for one anotherstrong enough to allow disagreement without division, conviction without contempt, and truth without hatred. Let me take this one step further. If you love the Jesus who died to ransom people from every tribe, language, people, and nation, then you must be liberated from the partisan blindness that grips both the left and the right. Christian, you belong to another kingdom. Your allegiance is not to a political ideology but to King Jesus. Please hear me: the world will not see, hear, or receive the gospel from the left or the rightbut only from Jesus Christ Himself. By Gods design, His gospel is not entrusted to government but to His church. The mess in the White House, ournation, and the world is evidence that what people need is the One who makes the Gospel the Gospelnamely, Jesus! If you cannot see thatif you cannot believe that while still calling yourself a Christianthen you are in danger of the very thing that threatened the church in Ephesus. You have lost your first love. So I leave you with the same words Jesus spoke to them: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

I believe the book of Revelation is intentionally shaped by the rhythm of the seven Jewish feasts, with deep echoes of the Exodus and Israels wilderness journey woven throughout its visions. We have already seen how this works in chapter 1, where the imagery echoes Passover. Passover marked Israels deliverance from slavery through the blood of a substituteand in Revelation 1:1216, that substitute is revealed in all His risen glory. Jesus stands among His churches as the victorious Lamb who was slain and now lives forever. Because of His sacrifice, the Christian belongs to God. If you have been redeemed by Almighty God through His Son, what is there to fear? Jesus Himself answers that question: Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Rev. 1:1718). Our confidence is not rooted in our circumstances, but in the One who has conquered death itself. As we move into Revelation 23 and read the seven letters to the churches, the dominant echo is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately followed Passover. This feast called Gods redeemed people to live holy lives, set apart for Him (Lev. 11:4445; 1 Pet. 1:1617). Israel removed all leaven from their homes as a visible reminder that they belonged to the Lord and were no longer to live under the old patterns of corruption. That same call still comes to us today: You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:1920). Each of the seven churches faced real and pressing challenges in their own dayand what they struggled with are many of the same things we struggle with today, just dressed differently. While we will look at each church individually, here is a brief snapshot of what we will encounter: The church in Ephesus had lost its first love. The church in Smyrna was about to suffer tribulation for ten days. The church in Pergamum struggled with faithfulness to sound doctrine. The church in Thyatira tolerated a false teacher within the congregation. The church in Sardis was spiritually lethargic and nearly dead. The church in Philadelphia faithfully clung to the word of God. The church in Laodicea was lukewarm and missionally useless. In every one of these churches, there was the danger of leavensin quietly working its way through the house. And the call of Christ was to remove it: through renewed love for Jesus and for one another, faithful endurance in suffering, a commitment to truth, intolerance for evil, vigilance against spiritual apathy, unflinching obedience to Christ, and a wholehearted devotion to the mission of God. About forty years before Revelation was written, Paul wrote about Gods expectation for His church: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:1-2). Revelation 1 is about the One who makes our salvation possible. Revelation 2-3 addresses the kind of people He calls us to be. So, when we come to Revelation 4, we encounter the One on the throne who is holy, holy, holy! The City of Ephesus When the gospel came to Ephesus, it was a wealthy and influential trading city, best known for the Temple of Artemis (also called Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The citys economy, culture, and moral life centered on the worship of this goddess. Artemis worship was deeply sexualized and demonic, marked by ritual immorality and idolatry (1 Cor. 10:20). Ephesus was a place where spiritual darkness was not hiddenit was celebrated, institutionalized, and profitable. Into this city, the gospel came with unmistakable power, as it always does in Gods timing and in His way. What we read in the epistle to the Romans was experienced in Ephesus: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... (Rom. 1:16). When the apostle Paul preached Christ in Ephesus, lives were transformed, and the worship of Artemis was directly challenged. So disruptive was the gospel that those who profited from idolatry feared economic collapse, admitting that Paul had persuaded many that gods made with hands are not gods at all (Acts 19:26). Paul spent over two years there, and in this spiritually hostile environment, God birthed a faithful churchthe same church later addressed by Christ Himself in Revelation 2. What makes Jesus words to Ephesus so sobering is not the citys darkness but the fact that a church born in such devotion, perseverance, and truth would later be warned: You have abandoned the love you had at first (2:4). So what happened? To answer that question, we need to first recognize the many things Jesus praises the church for. What the Ephesian Church Was Doing Right The Ephesian church was commended for many things by Jesus such as their toil, patient endurance, and intolerance for evil. Heraclitus, a native of Ephesus and philosopher, spoke with open contempt of his citys moral corruptionso severe that later writers summarized his viewby saying no one could live in Ephesus without weeping.1 The fact that the church was able to endure for forty years in a city known for its sexual promiscuity and demonized idolatrous worship, while holding on to biblical orthodoxy, is staggering! Because of their orthodoxy and fidelity to the Word of God, the church was intolerant of evil, refused to ignore false teachers, and shared Jesuss hatred of the Nicolaitans. Forty years earlier, Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian church: I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears (Acts. 20:29-31). This is what the church did well, and Jesus praised them for it. Now, notice what Jesus does not say to the church in Ephesus. He does not say they were being too orthodox. He does not say they were too truthful, or that their intolerance of evil, false teachers, and the works of the Nicolaitans was too extreme. Jesus does not tell the church to dial it back but instead celebrates these as examples of what they were doing well. What the church did well was refusing to yield to the pressures from their city to conform. Before we look at what the church got wrong, we need to address who the Nicolaitans were and why Jesus hated their teaching. From what we know, the Nicolaitans were a heretical Christian sect associated with the teaching of Balaam (Rev. 2:14-15). They taught that the grace of God permitted freedom to engage in the kinds of things their pagan neighbors enjoyed, such as sexual immorality and full participation in pagan temple feasts. Why? Because grace covered it all. We will come back to Balaam when we look at the church in Pergamum, but for now what you need to know is that Balaam is known for his false teaching that served to seduce the men of Israel to engage in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab that also resulted in the worship of their gods in place of obedience and worship of Yahweh (see Num. 25). The Nicolaitans did not deny Jesus, they just reinterpreted what obedience to Jesus really meant, in that you could both be loyal to Jesus and actively pursue and participate in the kinds of things the Word of God commands the people of God to flee from. The Ephesian church was rightfully commended for their hatred and intolerance of the works of the Nicolaitans because Jesus shares their hatred for the same reasons. Listen carefully. Jesus does not merely disagree with teachings of the Nicolaitans He hates them. He hates any belief that suggests a person can remain loyal to Him while willfully embracing the very sins He died to free us from. The cross was not a license to make peace with sin; it was Gods declaration of war against it. To claim Christ while pursuing what nailed Him to the tree is not freedomit is self-deception. Christ did not die to make sin safe, but to make His people holy. 1 Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR Publishing, 2017), 91. What the Ephesian Church Got Wrong So what was it that the church in Ephesus lost? Well, we know it wasnt the churchs orthodoxy. It was the love they had at first. What love did they have at first? I believe the love the church lost was a combination of their love for Jesus and others. I believe this because of what the apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians and what Jesus said the church needed to do to regain the love they had lost. First, lets look at Jesus criticism in verses 4-5, But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. The way back to regain what they had lost was to first remember where they had fallen or had lost sight of their love, then to repent by doing the works they had done at first. What were the works they had done at first? We are given a few clues in Ephesians about the church from what Paul says at the beginning and the end of his epistle to the Ephesians. 1st Clue: For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers... (Eph. 1:15-16) 2nd Clue: Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (Eph. 6:24) I believe that the love the Ephesian church lost had to do with the love they had for Jesus and for one another. The New Living Translation captures this in their translation of Revelation 2:4, But I have this complaint against you. You dont love me or each other as you did at first! When a group of religious leaders asked Jesus to identify the most important commandment, His response was clear: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:3739). Genuine love for God leads to love for othersyou cannot claim to love God while refusing to love those who bear His image. As our love for God grows, it overflows into love for those around us, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. If you find this hard to accept, consider the words of the apostle John: If someone says, I love God, but hates his brother, that person is a liar; for anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20). I believe the Ephesian church, first known for their faith in Jesus and their incorruptible love for Him, became the catalyst that fostered in them a love for one another, which they were known for in the early days of the churchs existence. Their love infused their faith in Jesus, and their love for all the saints was the cocktail God used to push back evil and transform lives! What Revelation 2:1-4 teaches us is that Jesus wants our obedience, but He also wants our hearts! In fact, if Jesus has your heart, He will have your obedience. Conclusion I believe the Ephesian church is listed first among the seven churches because of the danger we face when what we believe and what we do are no longer tethered to a living love for Jesus and His people. Listen carefully. Rather than criticizing the Ephesian church for its zeal for the truth of Gods Word, Jesus praised them for it. Orthodoxy is essential to the spiritual health of both Christians and the church as a whole. When believers abandon orthodoxy, spirituality does not become freer or deeperit becomes hollow and lifeless. So do their churches. But love keeps orthodoxy from hardening into something Jesus also hated. When truth is severed from love, orthodoxy collapses into legalism. And legalism is not holiness; it is a corruption of orthopraxyright living. Christian, we are called to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. Scripture commands us: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Pet. 1:1416). But the way we pursue holiness is not through cold precision or moral superiority. It is through the kind of love the Ephesian church once hadand then lost. This is the first of seven ways Christ calls His people to cleanse His house of leaven. What is that love? Scripture defines it plainly: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth Love never ends (1 Cor. 13:48). This is the love Jesus spoke of that must be true of His followers: By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). We live in a nation deeply fracturedso fractured that many believe we are in a cold civil war. Civil conversation between the left and the right is nearly impossible. But it must not be that way in the church Jesus redeemed from the world. Our love for Christ must overflow into genuine love for one anotherstrong enough to allow disagreement without division, conviction without contempt, and truth without hatred. Let me take this one step further. If you love the Jesus who died to ransom people from every tribe, language, people, and nation, then you must be liberated from the partisan blindness that grips both the left and the right. Christian, you belong to another kingdom. Your allegiance is not to a political ideology but to King Jesus. Please hear me: the world will not see, hear, or receive the gospel from the left or the rightbut only from Jesus Christ Himself. By Gods design, His gospel is not entrusted to government but to His church. The mess in the White House, ournation, and the world is evidence that what people need is the One who makes the Gospel the Gospelnamely, Jesus! If you cannot see thatif you cannot believe that while still calling yourself a Christianthen you are in danger of the very thing that threatened the church in Ephesus. You have lost your first love. So I leave you with the same words Jesus spoke to them: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

By Andrew Lausted - Gentleness is not weakness; it is strength under control, modeled by Christ Himself.

In this Faith Friday edition of Morning Manna, the focus centers on John 6:47–48, where Jesus makes one of His clearest and most powerful declarations: “He who believes in Me has everlasting life… I am the bread of life.” Eternal life is not earned through works or rituals but received through belief in Christ alone. Just as bread sustains physical life, Jesus alone sustains spiritual life. Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart explore what it means to truly believe, why faith is the only doorway to eternal life, and how Christ Himself is the essential nourishment for every soul that longs to live. Lesson 25-2026 Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting MannaNation.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It's the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary This conversation explores the end of fixed ministry roles and the emergence of a fluid, Spirit-led divine order centered entirely in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Rather than assigning titles such as apostle, prophet, pastor, or teacher through human designation, the discussion emphasizes that Christ Himself manifests through His body as needed, moment by moment, by the Holy Spirit. Rigid structures often limit spiritual flow, while humility, flexibility, and recognition of Christ in one another allow true divine order to function. Jesus modeled the fullness of ministry, showing that ministry is not a position to hold but Christ to be lived. Show Notes Ministry roles are expressions of Christ, not static titlesDivine order is fluid and Spirit-ledThe Holy Spirit determines function and timingJesus embodied all expressions of ministryHumility and flexibility protect against prideRecognition of Christ replaces formal designationThe fivefold ministry becomes a shared realityFocus shifts from identity to union with ChristLove and intimacy with Christ release authentic ministrySpeak Christ, Live Christ becomes the posture of the body Key Quotes “Divine order is fluid. A human doesn't designate it—the Holy Spirit does.”“Christ isn't in pieces. He's all in one.”“You do not have to have recognition to function in what God puts in your heart.”“When the emphasis on ministry disappears, Christ flows naturally.” “Speak Christ,...

In today's Tent Talk episode, Nancy shares a raw and revelatory message on the duality of our days and the deep work God is doing in His people. Drawing from decades of walking with the Lord, she speaks on the separation of man's goodness from Christ Himself, the futility of self-effort, and the need for total dependence on the finished work of the cross. From Genesis 3 to 1 John 2, Isaiah 4, and Colossians 1, Nancy challenges us to release every stopgap method and fully yield to the fire that exposes, judges, and protects. God is not asking for improvement—He's initiating a holy separation and reordering His house for His name's sake. Are you willing to be deeply dealt with, so you can deeply dwell in Him? Here we go. Thanks for Listening! I hope that after listening to The Tent Talk Podcast, you'll want to start discussions with your team or small group. These resources can help guide your discipleship journey to maturity and destiny with the Father: Episode Notes & Conversation Guide DOWNLOAD HERE https://nancymccready.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EPISODE-1028-House-In-Order-4.0.pdf LINKS The Devotional Podcast with Nancy McCready https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2hHjwQ_3Qrp1rhbR9nu68wnBtQY0IHzc The Producer's Way School theproducersway.com Nancy's book, From Trauma to Trust www.amazon.com/dp/B096ZML6R3/ JOIN THE CONVERSATION Every journey begins with a conversation, join us on social media to get started! Facebook: www.facebook.com/nbmccready Instagram: www.instagram.com/nbmccready/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@nancymccreadyministries SUBSCRIBE Like what you hear? Subscribe to Tent Talk with Nancy McCready so you don't miss an episode! nancymccready.com/podcast/ ABOUT NANCY MCCREADY Nancy McCready is redefining discipleship across nations, cultures, and denominations. Through Nancy McCready Ministries, she partners with leaders to build deep, transformative discipleship cultures that provoke people to walk in freedom and live as mature sons of the Father. Her powerful message comes from her journey of overcoming abuse, addiction, and self-destruction to walk in true freedom. She now dedicates her life to helping others grow in intimacy with the Father and live unto Him. ABOUT TENT TALK PODCAST Tent Talk with Nancy McCready is a listener-funded podcast dedicated to helping Christians along their journey of a deeper walk with Christ. With the support of donors like you, we are able to help our listeners gain a deeper spiritual understanding and connection with the Father. Thank you for your support of the Tent Talk Podcast! nancymccready.com/giving/ Brought to you by Nancy McCready Ministries nancymccready.com/

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 3:10-11. Everyone's building something— a career, a reputation, a family, a future, a legacy. But Paul reminds us that the foundation matters just as much as the construction. Actually—more. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians 3:10–11 Paul is clear: There is only one true foundation—Jesus Christ. Everything else looks strong for a while, until life leans on it. Success, relationships, security, money, comfort, reputation— none of them can hold the weight of a real life. Only Jesus can. But Paul makes a second point we often miss: You don't choose the foundation, but you do choose how you build. Your habits, decisions, reactions, desires, disciplines— all of them are construction materials. They determine whether your life is: Sturdy or unstable. Aligned or crooked. Lasting or temporary. Paul says, "Let each one take care how he builds…" Because not all building is equal. You can build fast—but sloppy. You can build big—but weak. You can build impressively—but not wisely. The foundation is perfect—Christ Himself. But the structure you build on top of Him is being shaped every day. And here's the accurate truth: If your foundation is firm—and you build on it correctly—your life will stand firm. Not because you're strong but because Christ is solid and your building aligns with Him. Storms don't destroy what's built on Jesus with care. Pressure doesn't crack what's anchored in Him. Time doesn't weaken what's formed by His wisdom. So today isn't just about believing in the right foundation. It's about building on it with intention. DO THIS: Write this somewhere you'll see it today: "I'm building on Christ." Then identify one habit that needs to be rebuilt with Him at the center. ASK THIS: What part of your life is being built quickly instead of carefully? Which habits reflect Christ—and which don't? What will building "correctly" look like today? PRAY THIS: Jesus, You are the foundation of my life. Teach me to build with wisdom, humility, and strength that aligns with You. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Firm Foundation (He Won't)"

Daily Word As leaders, creators, and builders, we often pour everything into vision, people, and purpose while quietly neglecting the very vessel God uses to carry out the assignment: our bodies. Scripture makes it clear that our bodies are not incidental, disposable, or secondary to spiritual work. They are temples of the Holy Spirit, designed to host God's presence and execute God's will. Using the imagery of athletic discipline, biblical context, and the example of Christ Himself, this message calls leaders to reframe health not as vanity or self-focus, but as faithful stewardship. __________ 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIV, Romans 12:1 NIV, 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NIV, Daniel 1:8–16 NIV, John 1:14 NIV __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

The Evergetinos does not offer us inspiring stories. It offers us a blade. These elders do not behave reasonably. They do not protect their reputations. They do not appeal to due process. They do not defend themselves. They kneel. They ask forgiveness for crimes they did not commit. They accept punishment. They allow their names to be dragged through the dust. And this is exactly where modern religious people begin to choke. We admire Christ until His way threatens our dignity. We praise the Cross until it begins to cost us something that feels personal. We speak of humility until it asks us to surrender our right to be seen as innocent. Then the mind rises up. The lawyer wakes. Natural reason sharpens its pen. We start dissecting the text. Surely this is symbolic. Surely this is exaggerated. Surely there must be limits. But the Gospel has no interest in preserving your image. The divine ethos revealed in Christ is not reasonable. It is cruciform. Look at the Elder who accepts blame for theft. He knows he did not steal. He also knows something far more dangerous. He knows that Christ Himself was accused, beaten and condemned while innocent. So he chooses to stand where Christ stands rather than where the ego demands to stand. He does not argue. He does not clarify. He does not try to control the narrative. He bows. He becomes small. He lets truth be carried by God rather than by his own voice. This is not weakness. It is terrifying strength. In the second account the Deacon accepts public disgrace, penance and exclusion from communion for a crime planted in his cell by envy. He allows his spiritual father and the entire community to think him a thief. Why. Because love of God is worth more than the right to be seen as virtuous. And because hatred of slanderers is more deadly than slander itself. Notice what breaks the demonic power. Not investigation. Not confession extracted by pressure. But the prayer of the one who was falsely accused. Only the slandered man can heal the slanderer. This is the law of the Cross. Wounds heal wounds when they are offered in love. The story of Abba Nikon goes even further. He is beaten, excommunicated and isolated for three years for a crime he did not commit. He stands outside the church every Sunday begging for prayer like a criminal. When his innocence is finally revealed, he does not remain to receive praise. He leaves. He knows that glory is as dangerous as slander. Both feed the ego. Both can poison the soul. This is what divine discernment looks like. Not clever arguments but crucified love. Abba Isaiah gives the rule that offends every modern religious instinct. If you are slandered make a prostration and say forgive me even if you do not know what you did. This is not moral confusion. It is spiritual clarity. It is a refusal to let the heart harden. It is the choice to stand with Christ rather than with self justification. St Maximos explains why this cuts so deeply. The demons cannot always trap us through money or pleasure. So they use slander. They try to provoke hatred. They want you to burn with indignation. They want you to lose love. They want you to step off the Cross and into self defense. To endure slander without hatred is one of the highest ascetical acts. It requires that you look to God alone for vindication. St Ephraim then gives the final warning. Even when the truth comes out do not become proud. Do not feast on your vindication. God delivered you. You did not save yourself. This is why we want to soften these stories. They leave no room for spiritual narcissism. They strip away our moral theater. They expose how deeply attached we are to being right, to being respected, to being seen as good. The Cross does not negotiate with your ego. It kills it. Slander reveals what we truly love. If we love Christ we will accept being misunderstood. If we love ourselves we will fight to be cleared. The Evergetinos does not ask whether this is fair. It asks whether you want to belong to the Crucified. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:41 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 349 number 2 00:03:19 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Philokaliaministries.org/blog 00:04:07 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.youtube.com/@philokaliaministries 00:09:55 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Two possible Philokalia Novice Conference Series 00:11:58 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 349 #2 00:12:46 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: 1. The Inner Grammar of the Eastern Christian Life How the Church actually heals the human person This would be a 10 to 12 week arc that shows how Eastern Christianity is not merely a set of beliefs or practices but a therapeutic and mystical way of being human. Each session takes one essential dimension of the ascetical and sacramental life and shows how it works together with the others. 2. Urban Asceticism: A Prelude to the Way of Hidden Fire These reflections are for those who are trying to live a real spiritual life in the middle of ordinary, complicated, and often exhausting circumstances. Not as an escape from the world but as a way of becoming inwardly still within it. Here we explore the ancient wisdom of the desert fathers and the lived experience of the Church as a way of healing the heart and learning how to dwell with God in hiddenness. This is not a program or a method. It is a way. Two possible Philokalia Novice Conference Series 00:12:56 Janine: Oh those look great! 00:13:18 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 349 #2 00:13:27 Jacqulyn Dudasko: Reacted to "Oh those look great!" with

In this heartfelt episode of the Double Edged Sword Podcast, we journey into the wisdom and grace of the early church as revealed in Acts chapter 16. Beginning with a beautiful prayer to the Holy Trinity, we reflect on the parting of Paul and Barnabas over John Mark—a moment that, though marked by honest disagreement, bore no lasting bitterness and ultimately bore fruit for the Gospel, as John Mark later became useful even to Paul.The heart of the message centers on Paul meeting young Timothy in Lystra, a faithful disciple born of a believing Jewish mother and a Greek father. In a striking act of prudence, Paul circumcises Timothy—not to uphold the old law for salvation, but to remove any barrier so the Jews in the region would receive their message without offense. This echoes Paul's own words: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews” (1 Corinthians 9:20). Far from hypocrisy, it shows masterful wisdom: Paul gives a little to gain much, becoming “all things to all people” so that some might be saved.We marvel at how the churches strengthened in the one holy, apostolic, catholic faith, growing daily as they obeyed the decrees from the Jerusalem council. This reminds us that the true Church stands firmly on the foundation of the apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, not human opinion.Beloved, may this episode stir your heart to emulate the prudence of Paul and Christ Himself—who went the extra mile, paid the tax to avoid offense, and met people where they were to draw them to eternal truth. Whether facing division, cultural barriers, or the call to share the Gospel wisely, let us pray for grace to give a little in love so that many might come to know the only Savior, Jesus Christ.Join us as we continue this journey through Acts, trusting the Lord who turns every circumstance for His glory. God bless you richly until next time.

Pastor Lance unwraps Scripture's definition of meekness: strength under self-control, modeled by Christ Himself and commanded of His people. For more messages and resources, visit us at www.ccc-online.org.

Read OnlineJesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” Mark 4:21–23What guides your life? What influences your decisions? Many are motivated by worldly desires, such as wealth or status. Others seek fulfillment in fleeting pleasures. Some take their inspiration from cultural icons or those deemed successful by society. But as Christians, we are called to draw our inspiration and motivation from one source: the Light of God's Truth.In today's Gospel, the lamp symbolizes Christ Himself, Who illuminates our minds and guides our decisions, just as a lamp lights up a dark room. A lamp cannot fulfill its purpose if it is hidden under a bushel basket or bed. Similarly, Christ must enlighten every aspect of our lives and shine forth in our words, deeds, and witness to others.If the lamp symbolizes Christ, Who is divine Truth, then the lampstand represents the means by which we elevate and share that Truth. Though God, His grace, and the Truth of the Gospel are the light, that light comes to us in various ways. Our first goal as Christians is to make sure that God's Light is the center of our lives. This means that when questions arise in our lives, we turn first to the Light as the one and only Source of Truth and guidance. We do this by turning to the Scriptures, the Catechism, the lives of the saints, and the inspiration of other holy people.Just as a lampstand supports and elevates a lamp, it also provides a firm foundation, ensuring the light remains steady and visible even amid the winds of life's challenges. Similarly, prayer, sacraments, and good works help stabilize the Light of Truth in our lives, enabling it to shine brightly and consistently.Once our lives are enlightened and we clearly see the path God has chosen for us, we naturally begin to radiate that light to others. This is the essence of evangelization. By our daily prayer, sacramental life, acts of charity, and courage in witnessing to the Gospel, we become the lampstand that lifts high the Light of Christ. As others encounter that light through our example, they too are invited to draw closer to its Source, allowing the Truth of the Gospel to illuminate their lives.Sometimes we can struggle in our efforts to evangelize. When we encounter others who express no interest in the Gospel, it is tempting to remain silent and cover up the Light of Christ. But that leaves others in darkness. The evil one often deceives us into thinking that we shouldn't act as a lampstand for the Light of Christ if others prefer the darkness. We might fear offending them or sounding “holier than thou!” This is a dangerous trap.Charity demands evangelization. All people need Christ in their lives, even if they do not know it or are hostile to Christ's light. If you struggle being a lampstand for Christ, reflect on Jesus' next words: “For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.” In other words, we all will stand one day before the judgment seat of Christ when every hidden thought and action will come to light, visible to us and all who stand before Christ at the Final Judgment. On that day, will we regret having done everything possible to be a lampstand for Christ's light to others? Certainly not. Instead, we will rejoice in every effort we made, even if our words and actions seemed futile. The light we shine might not immediately brighten someone else's path. Yet, like seeds planted in the soil, it has the potential to grow and bear fruit in God's perfect timing. Reflect today on whether you have allowed fear, complacency, or self-doubt to hide the light of Christ in your life. Consider the people God has placed in your path who need His light but have not yet encountered it through you. Resolve to be a lampstand for Christ, courageously and lovingly lifting His truth high for all to see. Jesus, Light of the World, You came to reveal Yourself as the Truth that sets all people free and the Light Who dispels all darkness. Please shine brightly in my life and be my guide always so that I, in turn, may act as an instrument upon which You rest and shine forth in the lives of others. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

The sermon you are about to hear comes from Saint Hilary of Poitiers, one of the great bishops and doctors of the early Church, often called the “Athanasian of the West” for his fearless defense of the divinity of Christ. Saint Hilary was a careful reader of Scripture and a master at drawing out its deeper meaning without losing its clarity. In this reflection on the first Psalm, he teaches us how to read the Psalms rightly, not hastily or sentimentally, but with attention to who is speaking, and why. What begins as a meditation on happiness becomes a profound catechesis on the Incarnation, judgment, and the destiny of the righteous and the ungodly. Saint Hilary shows that true happiness is not found in avoidance alone, but in a will shaped by God's law and a life rooted in Christ Himself, the true Tree of Life. His words invite us to examine not only what we believe, but how we live, and where our lives are truly planted. We'd love your feedback on this series! podcast@sspx.org – – – – – – View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glKZIYr7KCk  – – – – – – – The Society of Saint Pius X offers this series and all of its content free of charge. If you are able to offer a one time or a small monthly recurring donation, it will assist us greatly in continuing to provide these videos for the good of the Church and Catholic Tradition. Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> – – – – – – – Explore more: Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodesSubscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and SermonsFSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.newsVisit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ – – – – – What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  – – – – – – What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org