Podcasts about christ so

There are some people who really like to travel. There are others who really like the idea of traveling, and my wife and I belong to that latter camp. Because though we're certainly interested in other areas of the world — curious about the geography, architecture, and culture of other cities — we're far less interested in paying the cost and taking the time to go to any of them. And so, what we do instead is watch online travel videos.As you could guess, online travel videos often only ever highlight the most beautiful and the most impressive parts of the cities that they feature. And this is not by accident. They are, after all, often sponsored by travel agencies who want to convince you, the viewer, that you really ought to go there. In a way, Psalm 87 is not unlike our modern travel videos. This psalm gives us a look into one specific city. It features some of the rare beauties of that city. And, its purpose is, without a doubt, to convince us that we really ought to go there.And what we're going to do this morning is move through Psalm 87, and do so with the help of three main concepts: City, Citizens, and Celebration. Let's pray, and ask the Lord for his help.Father, you are the maker of heaven and earth. And you are the maker of this great city that we are about to read about. Open our eyes to the wonders that are there. Awaken us to the surpassing splendor of the city called by your name. Call us toward it, and do so through your Spirit to the honor of your Son. Amen.So, once again, Psalm 87 is a psalm about a city. And we're looking at it along the lines: City, Citizens, and Celebration. We begin with the city.CityVerse 1,“On the holy mount stands the city he founded;”Notice how, when read slowly, the sentence seems to pull us upward phrase by phrase. First, we've got a mountain: “On the holy mount.” And, of course, a mountain, by its very nature, requires that we raise our eyes upward to acknowledge it. The path through the mountain is a climb. The entrance in, requires ascension. You must rise in order to reach it. Mountains are not hidden objects, let alone insignificant ones. Mountains epitomize the land in which they reside, and demand their recognition to the north, south, east, and the west of them. You can miss a body of water. You can be blind to a valley or lowland. It is hard to ignore a mountain. And, as we can see, the mountain in Psalm 87 is no ordinary mountain. It is holy.“On the holy mount.”Holy means set apart from what is sinful, unclean and common. Set apart so as to make it fit to be in the presence of God. Holy things are blessed things because they get to be near God.And so Psalm 87 is about a mountain upon which God can rightfully dwell! A mountain upon which God “places his feet,” so-to-speak. A mountain upon which God built a city.Still, verse one, “On the holy mount | stands the city | he founded;” Can you imagine? A city whose designer and builder is God. Follow me on this: The Planning Director for the City of Saint Paul is named Nicolle Newton. And the Planning Director for the City of Minneapolis is named Meg McMahan. The Planning Director for the city is named: I AM, Yahweh, “I am Who I am.” The God who places his footstool upon the earth and sets his throne in heaven. Wouldn't you want to live in the city made by the very one who: “Forgives all your iniquity, heals all your diseases, and redeems your life from the pit,” and “crowns you with steadfast love, and satisfies you with good, and works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. Who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”If the God of the universe had a city, well then wouldn't you want to go there?And in verse two, we're told even more about this city. Namely that,“The LORD loves this city. The Lord loves the gates of Zion, more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.”Note that it's not saying, “God loves no other city but this one.” But it is saying that of all the places, and of all the cities God loves, there is none so loved by God as this one.And, we should ask, in the Bible, what does God typically do when he loves something? When he really loves something? Perhaps some of you might remember from Numbers and Aaron's blessing in Numbers 6:24-27. What does God typically do when he really loves something? He puts his name on it. God puts his name on what he most loves. Said another way, God puts his name where his heart is already.Hence, verse 3,“Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.”God loves this city. He, by putting his name upon it, has committed himself to its flourishing. The city that has God's name upon it is the city that should rest assured, “God is for us, therefore, what could be against us?” So, Psalm 87, is a psalm about a city. That's our first main concept — the city itself. Second, the citizens of the city. CitizensNow what actually sets us up for this next section is that little phrase we see there in verse three: “Glorious things of you are spoken.” It's clearly addressing the city, yes? “Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.” And, so, it begs the question: What are the glorious things being spoken of this city? And, honestly, this is where things get interesting. Remember back in our intro, we compared Psalm 87 to a modern travel video. We said, Psalm 87 is not unlike a travel video in the sense that it highlights the beauties of a city in order to convince people that they really ought to go to that city. Where Psalm 87 differs from a modern travel video however: The beauties it features are not towering buildings and impressive architecture. Not picturesque parkways and pleasant boardwalks. There's no mention of beaches, or blue skies, or even sunshine. Those are the beauties features in modern travel videos — the stuff. The featured beauties of the city in Psalm 87 are people — the city's citizens.Look with me at verse 4, as the psalmist himself takes a back seat, and God himself speaks. Verse 4: “Among those who know me” God is clarifying to whom he is about to speak. To those who know me. Which, in biblical language, means those who have a relationship with God. Those who love and are loved by me.It's to that group of people who know God that God now mentions, or proclaims:“Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush.”And you might think: “What about them? We've been talking about the city of God. The holy mountain. The city he made. The city he loves. Suddenly, God steps into view and says, “To my followers over here, let me tell you about Rahab and Babylon; Philistia, Tyre, and Cush.” What about them?I mean, if you have much familiarity with the Old Testament, then you likely don't need me to tell you that most of these nations were historical enemies to God's people. They had fought wars against God's people. They had lured God's people into idolatry, and many other forms of sin.I mean, you see Babylon in that list, right? Babylon was the nation that broke down the walls of God's city, Jerusalem. Babylon killed the Israelites king, the Israelites killed its high-priest, and exiled most of its people. Babylon even burned God's Holy Temple to the ground (2 kings 25).And Philistia. Philistia was constantly at war with God's people throughout the period of the judges and the kings. At one point, the Philistines even stole the Ark of the Covenant and set it up next to one of its false gods — as if to say that the God over Israel was on par with their god Dagon. And don't let that first one trip you up — you see Rahab? The Rahab here is not the Rahab who hid the Israelite slaves and defended God's people. That'd make for a positive character in this list. Instead, Rahab here actually refers to Egypt. And one way to know that is to simply turn over to Psalm 89, only two psalms after this one, where it says in verse 10: “You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.” Rahab is an enemy. And Isaiah 30:7 makes it even clearer: “Egypt's help is futile and empty; therefore, I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still."And so, we've got Babylon (who destroyed God's Temple), Philistia (who stole God's Ark of the Covenant), and Egypt (who enslaved God's people and, plague after plague, resisted God's will to let his people go).So again, we ask, what about these nations? Why bring them up here in light of God's Holy Mountain and God's beloved city?Is it to clarify that these are the nations who are not welcome in God's city? That these are the peoples who dare not set foot upon God's mountain?Given the background, this is exactly what we'd expect God to say next. But he doesn't! He doesn't! In fact, as the ESV translates it, God doesn't even say anything at this point. Instead, it's the people, those who know him, who speak up. And here's what they say, verse 4,“This one was born there,” they say.”Born there. And again, more emphatically, verse 5,“And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her;”Babylon, born in the city of God. Philistia, born on God's holy mountain. Egypt, born within the gates of Zion. Do you see what its saying?These surrounding nations, most who've historically been enemies to God, and enemies to God's people, are not: Merely going to be visitors in God's city, though that alone would've been shocking enough. They're not going to be temporary residents of God's city. “Here's your pass, expires six months from now.” But they're going to be citizens. They're going to receive a declaration of citizenship so complete, so real, so permanent that it could rightly be said of them, “They were born in this city! Born within these walls.”There is no one — no human being, no political group — who could ever orchestrate such a grand transformation as this. But God could. And God does. Verse five, when read in full, says:“And of Zion it shall be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her;' for [or, because of the fact that] the Most High himself will establish her.”God's going to do it. He's going to make it happen. The God who founded this city is going to fill it with former enemies.And, in verse 6, we get to watch him do it. “The LORD records as he registers the peoples, ‘This one was born there.'” The language is that of a king taking a census. Much like what Caesar Augustus did in the gospels. He, too, declared a census — an official counting of the people. Which meant that all the people, Joseph and Mary included, had to go and be registered, each to his own town.Droves and droves of people flooded the major city-centers in that time. People lined the streets, filled the cities — it's no wonder Mary and Joseph could find no room in the inn. Well here in Psalm 87, God is taking his census. Which means his people are coming to his city, and in that long line of people, we find Babylonians, Philistines, Egyptians, and, I might add, Europeans, and North Americans, and people from every tribe, nation and tongue. They're standing in the line. They're heading toward the gates. And when they finally arrive at the entrance, God is there. Pen and paper in hand. Looks up at them, total foreigners, former enemies, and declares — Born here. Inscribes: Born in my city. It's an amazing story. And, if you are a Christian, it is your story. It is. If you are a lover of Jesus. A follower of Jesus, then God has written over your life — not enemy, not foreigner, not illegitimate, not insufficient, but born here.“Born here.”Hebrews 12:22-23 says, of Christians:“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled [And where are they enrolled? Where's the true city?] in heaven.”“The assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.”Do you see it? Psalm 87 foretells of the King of Heaven's great census, and, if you are a lover of Jesus, you're in it. And Ephesians 2 reasserts this marvelous reality:“At one time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ… So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (Eph. 2:12-13, 19).Do you see it? The story of Psalm 87 is your story. God has always had a city. You've not always been its citizen. But, now you are, thanks be to God — the one who fills his city with former enemies. And he calls that a good thing. Diverse peoples, varying cultural norms, a multiplicity of languages, wide-variety of skin tones and facial features. God loves it all. Do we?So, we've had City, and now Citizens. Last C – Celebration. CelebrationVerse 7,“Singers and dancers alike say, ‘All my springs are in you.'”What's the rightful response to God's great city? How should its newly welcomed citizens enter in? With Joy. With excitement. With leaping, dancing, music and song.These citizens of Psalm 87 are not walking into the city of God, and they're certainly not dragging their heels through its gates. And the reason they're not, is because they know the city's worth. They know they're bound for the city God loves! They think, “I'm a card-carrying citizen of God's holy mount.” And so, they're going to sing because of it. They're going to dance because of it. And they're not going to be the only ones. Everybody whose coming into this city is coming in with joy in their hearts and a song on their lips. Friends, if ever there was a thing worth celebrating, this is it.And now, hear the words that are echoing throughout the city: “All my springs are in you.”Springs. Think rivers. Fountains. Sources of clean, fresh, flowing water. In the Old Testament world, a spring meant life. You needed one to drink. To cook. To bathe. To farm. To keep your flocks and herds alive. No sinks in any of these houses. And so if you find a spring, man, you've found life. And the citizens of this city are saying, “Every spring of water. Every source of life, joy, and satisfaction. Every single one that has ever been found ultimately flows from here. Which means, what?You'd be a fool to search for springs elsewhere.Think about it friends. In Psalm 87, the peoples of Babylon, Philistia and so on — They're not saying “we found some springs back there, but there's ones here just a bit better. Just a bit more plentiful.” That's not what they are saying. And why? Because they had searched for water in Babylon. Had worked for water in Egypt. Had paid for it and dug for it in Philistia. Had even thought for a time that they'd found it. But it all proved empty.I mean, it's just simple logic: If they are saying, “All my springs are in you,” then how many other springs did they find outside God's city? Right? And so, given all that, how much sense does it make for a citizen of God's mountain to go trekking into Babylon in search of other springs? I mean, seriously, we've got to take people at their word when they say: “Look, I've been there, I've done the money thing, I've done the party thing, I've done the hook-up thing, I've done the self-worship and self-exaltation thing and, in the end, none of it made me to sing. None of it made me to dance. None of it made me to say, ‘life can be found here.'” I found no other springs, save the ones I found in God's holy city.”Brothers and sisters, aim all your life toward this city. You will find no other springs elsewhere. God owns all the springs.And so, Christian, what springs are you seeking to drink from, in this season, that do not ultimately find their source in God's city? What sources of joy and satisfaction are you seeking that do not ultimately flow from God's hand? The time has come to walk away from those things. The time has come to leave Babylon. Turn yourself, turn all that still remains to be turned. Turn it toward God's holy city, and sing, by faith: “All my springs are in you.”Lastly, non-Christian: the gates of God's city are currently open. Every day people, from diverse nations, and diverse situations, are saying — “I'm in. I want the springs. I want the city. God, I want to be a citizen.” You can become a citizen today. Like, right now. It can be said of you, in this moment, “Born here.” You can just pray, simply,God, I'm done with my sin.I'm done trying to find life in everything but you.I need your Son Jesus.I need the sacrifice he made for my sins.Receive Jesus. Receive entrance into the city. Now, what leads us to the table this morning is, just that, Jesus' sacrifice. He died for us. His body was bruised, his blood was shed for us. And this table commemorates his sacrificial death, and when we eat from this table, we do so in anticipation of Jesus coming again.Because this table represents Jesus' shed blood and broken body, I gladly invite those who are trusting in Jesus' death on their behalf, to take and eat this meal with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass for now, but encourage you in this moment, turn to Jesus, see his glory, come to him by faith that you may have life.

Our Redemption (1) (audio) David Eells – 6/8/25 I want to encourage you today with a teaching on Redemption because it's so important we understand what Jesus has paid to give us, and it helps us in our faith and our spiritual growth. When we consider what God has given us through knowledge of the promises and then being tried to see if we're going to really be faithful to what they provide. We are tried to see if we will act on what the redemption provides. Let's start in 1Co 6:19-20 Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. And some of you know that the KJV adds there, ‘and in your spirit, which are gods'.  You have nothing to do with the glorifying God in your spirit. God himself lives in your spirit. But you do have something to do, and it's a in that speaks that we should glorify God therefore in our body. This has the numeric pattern  but the added part has no numeric pattern, and it has no place in the Bible; it was added by men. He said you were bought with a price and the word bought there is agorazō and it means redeemed. You were redeemed with a price. And the word agorazō is translated in various ways in the Bible. One way is “bought”. It's translated bought because it actually means that, however, “bought” doesn't cover the whole meaning of the word agorazō or redeemed; it means to purchase a slave with an eye towards setting them free. Well, obviously from that little type and shadow, you can tell that we were all slaves. And we were slaves to sin, slaves to corruption, and slaves to the curse. We were slaves to the devil and slaves to the flesh. And redemption is all about God paying the price for us to be set free from that slavery. And so this word “bought” is the word redeemed. It's mentioned again a little further down in Chapter 7. Let's read 1Co 7:22 For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant (or a slave), is the Lord's freedman: That's interesting. So that's a really good description of what redemption is all about. “Purchasing a slave in order to set him free.” We were a slave to the world, to the flesh, to the devil, to sin on and on and on. So, when the Lord buys you, He buys you out, and you're no longer a slave to these things. You are free in Christ! This redemption was accomplished at the cross already. It doesn't matter what you're in slavery to; whether it has to do with this world in regards to sin or the curse, or the devil, or anything else, the Lord set you free! That's what redemption was all about. He already accomplished this redemption. And of course, if you apply faith to this, it is the solution and he goes on to say in this text …likewise he that was called being free, is Christ's bondservant. Meaning, you were free in regard to righteousness. You were free in regard to serving God. You were free in regard to walking in the spirit, but now you're a slave to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul called himself a slave to Jesus Christ. We are called to serve Him, and as we know, obedience to His word is how we build this house upon the Rock. Everything else is going to get wiped out. Every Christian who hears His Words and disobeys them is building his house on the shifting sands of man's ideas, and it just won't last, because everything that can be shaken is about to be shaken. It's all going to get wiped out. You know, there are so many churches out there that put no premium on obedience. But the Lord saved us so we could obey. In fact, they think for some reason that's works. And of course, it's the work of God. Obedience to Him is the work of God. I mean, we are walking in the steps of Jesus, and He gave us those commands so we could follow in His steps, and He redeemed us so we would have the ability to walk in His steps. And verse 23 says 1Co 7:23 Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men. There's the same word agorazō also, and it means we've been delivered from slavery now. … become not bondservants of men. Does this still happen? Of course, there are many Christians who are bondservants of men. They won't obey the Word, because men told them they didn't have to, or men gave them convenient doctrines so they didn't have to obey. So this redemption is the price that has been paid. We can look in Hebrews Chapter 9 and see that the price has been paid by Jesus Christ. And it is paid through His blood. Let's read that. Heb 9:11 But Christ having come a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. Now this word redemption comes from the Greek word lutrōsis. There's also a word apolutrōsis, which is a strengthened form of lutrōsis, and it's slightly different, but it has a really neat meaning. It means “the release on receipt of a ransom.” Well, you say, a ransom; we had to be ransomed? Yes, the devil was holding us captive legally, because of our sins. Why is that? Because God made statements all through the Bible, and the Bible says God cannot lie, and the devil holds Him to that. It's not that God wants to lie, He can't, but the devil holds Him to what He says. The Bible says, when you do such and such a sin, this is going to happen to you. This is the penalty that you pay for. Then God has spoken a legal word there that the devil will hold it up in His face. And so we had all these penalties stacked up against us for our sins. And we were being held ransom, and the Lord paid the ransom in full. He paid the price for us to be set free from the penalty for our sins. And you know, the devil loves to make sure that we pay the penalty for our sins. But the great thing is, the Lord ransomed us; He delivered us out of the power of darkness. So as we read on here, we'll see this. I'm going to back up just a little bit so you can catch this word, redemption again, verse 12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? This is awesome! You know you can actually walk without sin and walk without a consciousness of sin. You couldn't do that under the law. You had to keep searching out these rules and regulations and see where you did this wrong and did that wrong. But God redeemed us from the law too. And that's what the scripture says, and we'll look at that. So look, He cleanses your conscience from dead works. You are able to have fellowship with God because you don't have a consciousness of sin. But you know, even if you do sin, you go to Him as it says in 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And you believe the Word of God, so you know you're cleansed and you know you can have fellowship with God. So in that way, God has given us a covering and He has redeemed us. And in this case, lutrōsis; meaning, God has released us on receipt of the ransom. Jesus paid the ransom with His blood. Praise God! And Galatians chapter 4:4-5 is just awesome, like all the rest of God's words; Don't you love God's Word? Gal 4:4 but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. So redemption has also provided for us adoption. We are adopted sons of God, and it also set us free from the law, or here, it set the Galatians free from the law. And you know, we don't have to go back under the law because the law was made with the Jews; it wasn't made with the Gentiles. He made the New Covenant with the Gentiles. But to know that you're not under that law is awesome because the law itself is a curse, and you can't convince a lot of people of that because they love self-righteousness. Because the righteousness that comes from the law is self-righteousness. It says, “Look what I'm doing.” “I can do this and I can do that, therefore I'm holy.” No, you're only holy because of what Jesus did when He bought you at the cross. But He says in Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. So if you want to be justified by the law, you've got to keep them all, and nobody's ever been able to do it. First of all, you would have to be a pretty sharp lawyer and you have to have an awfully good memory to remember all those rules and regulations. Thank God we don't have to live like that! Saints, we can live freely by trusting in what Jesus did as far as paying that penalty, and verse 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That is the penalty for being contrary to the law. He redeemed us. Now this is the word exagorazō is a strengthened form of Agorazo, and it means, to buy out a slave with an eye to set him free. Exagorazō is translated redeemed. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That is the penalty for not keeping the law and here is what God did about it. …having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Are you in Christ Jesus? We've talked about that; are you abiding in Jesus Christ through faith in His shed blood? Well, then you're not under the law, and that's great, because if you go back and read Deuteronomy 28 and you look at the penalties for breaking the law, these are the curses that are upon the whole world. All over the world, this curse is upon mankind, and actually the only way you can come out from under that is to exercise faith in the redemption that Jesus accomplished. This is an awesome thing, Saints! Now look, you can't get out from under a curse if you're walking in willful disobedience. There's nothing you can do about the curse because there's no sacrifice for a person who walks in willful disobedience as it says in Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. In other words, if you're willfully rebellious, you need a whipping, and God will give it to you. But if you're not willfully in rebellion and you're walking by faith in Christ, then He's got a blood covering, and He has redeemed you from the curse that comes from breaking all that law. Praise God that we're under grace and not under the law! And if you, as a Christian, go back under the law, then He tells you in Gal 4:30 Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. That is, you don't inherit the same blessings, the same eternal life, and everything that goes with that. And Gal 5:1 For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage. Speaking about going under certain parts of the law, and keeping the Feasts, somebody asked me, “Do we have to keep these Feasts?” No, they're a parable, and we do have to fulfill the feasts. For instance, we keep the Feast of the Passover by eating the Lamb, Jesus Christ and the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 5 that our Passover has already been sacrificed. It's all over. All you need to do is eat the Lamb now. And no, it doesn't make any difference whether you eat physical lamb or not. It means you have to eat the Word of God who is Jesus the Lamb of God. So we're told here in Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, or you can add these other things in there too; all these commands of the law, such as the tithe, the Sabbath, and so forth, we have to fulfill those. These are spiritual types, and they're fulfilled spiritually. But if you go back under the law, you are going to be separated from Christ. He continues to say, Christ will profit you nothing. That's if you go back under these laws in the letter. 3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. You are righteous by faith in your redemption and cannot be justified by keeping the law. See if you break the law in just one point, you are a sinner. If you just break it in one point, you have broken the law. Now you are a sinner and now you cannot go to heaven. Do you understand that? So no matter what you do, you must have a redemption, and that's been accomplished by the Lord if you won't seek to be self-justified by keeping some work of the law so you can say, “Hey, I made it! I've attained to it”. No, it won't work. It's a stench in God's nostrils. Again, Paul says, 3 Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. You're not seeking it by grace, you're seeking it by works and it won't work. God won't accept it, and you'll find nothing but failure in your life if you try it. Now let's go to Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; (There's that obedience to the teaching, building your house on the Rock.) whereunto ye were delivered; You were servants of sin. The word there is bondservants. You were a slave; you were a slave to sin. But you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered and being made free from sin. This is the redemption right here. 18 And being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness. So now you are a servant of righteousness. You're a bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith will give you power from God by grace, which is unmerited favor. Now let's go down to verse 22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life. Notice that not everybody who says unto the Lord, “Lord, Lord”, is going to have eternal life. It's those who are being made free from sin. They're bearing the fruit of their redemption that was given to them in Christ. When you walk by faith in Jesus, He's going to set you free. He is going to fulfill the redemption in you. You're going to be set free. There's no two ways about it. If it's not faith, it won't work. But if it is faith in Christ, it will work. Faith has fruit, right? And another good example is in Psa 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For he will receive me. Now here He's talking only about of redemption of the soul from the power of death. He's not talking about the body, but it says “he will receive me”. The Lord receives all of those who die in Christ. And He has redeemed their soul. That means He has bought their soul from the penalty of the curse. They will be in the rapture or resurrection. Both of these fulfill the redemption that Jesus spoke about the deliverance from the curse. And Psa 56:13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: Hast thou not delivered my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living? Psa 25:22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all of his troubles. That sounds good, doesn't it? That kind of covers an awful lot, doesn't it? I like these kinds of promises. The Lord is going to redeem us from all of our troubles. How does He do that? Well, we believe that He bought us as slaves, as we were in the beginning; we were slaves to sin, slaves to the curse, slaves to the devil, and slaves to the flesh. He bought us out of all of our troubles from the curse that stems from that. But He redeemed us from all of our troubles. And Psa 130:8 And he will redeem Israel From all his iniquities. Now, the way He's speaking of Israel here, He's speaking of Israel the man, but also Israel, the body. He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Do we really want that? Obviously, we do have a part to play here. If we do confess our sins, we're forgiven and cleansed. If we justify our sins, we don't have any of this and there's nothing promised to us. But if we confess our sins, He says He's faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of unrighteousness. (1Jn1:9) But He wants to deliver us from all iniquity. He wants to redeem us from being a slave to iniquities or to sin. In other words, He accomplished this at the cross. We have been redeemed at the cross, but there is also a manifestation of that redemption when we walk by faith in it. Do you really believe that the Lord took away all of your sins, all of your iniquities? Do you really believe that? How about the ones you're doing right now? You know the ones you're failing in right now; the Lord redeemed you from that. He bought you as a slave to sin, in order to set you free from all that. That's His plan and that's what He's going to do. Now let's look at Tit 2:11-14 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,… Well, that's not quite right. You know why? Because in Greek, you can get some words in front of others rather easily, and there is a perfect sequence here according to the Numerics. And what this verse actually says is, …he hath appeared to all men bringing salvation. He didn't appear, bringing salvation to all men, because then all men would have salvation, but he did appear to all men bringing salvation. That's not to say that every one of them accepts it, or can they accept it because they can't. Only those who have a gift of faith and repentance can accept it. So in other words, He's offered it and the people who can partake of it are the people who have that gift of repentance and faith. Tit 2:12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; Wow! So we can really live godly or godlike. He's making a statement here that I would say most of Christianity doesn't consider possible. According to these people, “We're always going to be sinners saved by grace”, but that's not according to God's plan and not according to His redemption. His redemption has no power in the minds of these people; it has no power to save. He redeemed us! He bought us as slaves and He paid the price. He paid the ransom so that we could be set free from bondage to the devil and the curse! And His purpose was so that we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world. Not in the next world; in this present world. Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; You know it's Christ in you, the hope of glory, (Col.1:27). So we're looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory. Where is this ‘appearing of the glory'? Well, the word there appearing is the word epiphania, and it means “a shining forth, or upon, to shine forth, the shining forth” of the glory out of God's people is what he's talking about. So we're looking for this epiphany of the glory of the great God in our savior Jesus Christ; 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, Praise the Lord! What replaces “all iniquity”? The glory of God! Iniquity is your old nature, the nature of the old man, and the glory is the nature of the new man, Jesus Christ; Christ in you, the hope of glory. So, you looking for the epiphany of Jesus shining in you and from you. This is a result of the redemption that He has worked for you. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity. And I guess some people think that God is rather foolish, that He makes a promise that He never really plans to bring to pass. That's ridiculous. He is speaking the truth here about His plan for Christians. This is the truth and what you've heard about people being “a sinner saved by grace the rest of their life” is a lie. That's an “Antichrist gospel.” This is the “Christ Gospel” here; that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. How about that? In other words, the people who are redeemed will be zealous of good works. They're going to love to do the works of Jesus. And no, they're not working their way to heaven. This is the fruit of their redemption. Our faith in this redemption has good works, right? This is what people who are redeemed look like. They love good works and they love to walk in righteousness. Just like it's a sport for a fool to do wrong, it's a sport for God's people to do right. They love to do right. They love to be pleasing unto God. They love the feeling they get when they're pleasing unto God. They desire to please their Father as they serve Him in His kingdom. They're not trying to earn their way to heaven. The Lord already did that. They just love to be obedient, and they love to hear the Words of God and act on those Words to build their house on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ. So His redemption was so that we would be delivered of all iniquity and if you believe it, God is big enough to do it. It's not as though we have to do it, He's already done it. And we're just believing Him. Praise God! That's the Good News! Praise God! Thank you, Father! Thank you, Jesus, for what You've done for us in delivering us and giving us your glory. And I think a good example of this is Genesis 48, where we read how Jacob is blessing Joseph and his sons. In verse Gen 48:16 the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them,... Think about all the stuff that Jacob went through with Laban; who plundered him and was trying to rip him off. And how he kept changing his wages time after time. Then later, when Jacob saw Esau, he was so worried. He was thinking that he was going to wipe him and his whole family out when he saw all the abundance he had gained when he had gone and worked for Leban. And just think about what he said, the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads… Have we been redeemed from all evil? Yes, absolutely. We are like Jacob; we were all like a supplanter. We were unsavory, really, to say the least, but he was shown the salvation of God. He was the Israel of God, and Israel means, “he shall rule as God.” Isn't that neat? He went from Jacob to Israel. “He shall rule as God” because God lives in the person who is redeemed. And He does His works through the person who is redeemed. And we are the body of Christ, Who is God. So God lives in us, and He can do His will in a person who has a renewed mind and has been redeemed from the curse. We can praise the Lord for His great plan. Now, let's go to 1Pe 1:15 but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; 16 because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. Now, if we are His seed through the Word in us we are to be holy too. That is, if the Word is being manifested in us, we also should be holy. Verse 17 And if ye call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear: 18 knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers… Let's go back and look at verse 15, he says, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; So we were redeemed from that vain manner of life that was handed down from our fathers. A worthless and useless life. You can see how the world acts; there's no real eternal value in things that people think and do. The Lord is very practical; if we follow Him as disciples, we're going to be very practical too, because the things we are doing will be most valuable in that they have an eternal result. Now we're here for a very good purpose that ends up in eternal life and perfect holiness, which is separation from the world unto God. And yet we know there are a lot of fruitless things people do. For one thing, they don't redeem the time. They don't act like we have only a certain amount of time here to bear the fruit of Jesus Christ. We're running against the clock here; there is a race going on, as the apostle Paul said, and so he buffeted his body, and he brought it under submission as he served God. He was a bondservant of the Lord. He was a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is quite a happy thing to be! As a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, you receive fruit and have the joy and the peace of serving Him. So again, you're redeemed from a vain manner of life, that is, a fruitless life. It's a life of just pleasing “self”. It's a life that really doesn't have any eternal reward. You remember the things that you used to do in the world just to please yourself, to entertain yourself, to make yourself happy and to keep your mind occupied with things that have no reward. Perhaps you're caught up in sports or caught up in fishing. Now I'm not making a law that you can't do this. But I'm trying to make a point here that if these things aren't an end in themselves, and they're a big habit and distract you from serving the Lord, then you probably need to break them because there are so many more important things to do. Yeah, and a lot of this “vain manner of life” is a life that has no eternal foundation, and you receive no eternal reward for it. If you look at the life of the disciples, the apostles, and Jesus, you will see a self-sacrificial life, not a life of materialism and pleasing “self”. They lived lives of sacrifice joyfully for others. This was anything but a “vain manner of life.” Most people live, whether in peace and prosperity or not, a “vain manner of life,” given over to the corruption of the world. They strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel (Mat.23:24), making little things big and big things little. The truly important things are not important to them. Going on in verse 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ: So we were redeemed with something that is totally and perfectly valuable. And what God is saying is, don't waste it. The Lord has redeemed us from a fruitless life, a worthless life which is quite common even for many Christians. You know, they ‘accept Jesus as a personal Savior' and then they carry on with their vain life ignoring the Great Commission that was so important to Jesus. Their life doesn't reflect being a bondservant of the Lord, serving Him in the important things. Look at Psa 106:10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11 And the waters covered their adversaries; There was not one of them left. So, you can see here that the enemy that He has redeemed us from is the old man of the flesh that went down in the waters of the Red Sea representing our baptism. We are redeemed from the flesh and the demons that use it, and the people who make themselves our enemy. How we hate serving the flesh when we would really enjoy serving God. Well, He redeemed us out of the hand of the old man when we went down in baptism. And guess what? That old man doesn't exist anymore. You were crucified with Christ, and now the One Who lives in you is Jesus Christ. The new man is the only one left. Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.  Now, there's no doubt you can use Psa 106:10-11 and apply it to our spiritual enemies who use the old man; the principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness, or even the physical enemies that are used by the devil to tempt us, and to try to bring us back into bondage to fleshly principles. There's no doubt you can use this verse to mean that too. And Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of Jehovah say [so], Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary, Sometimes we lose track, or we forget to claim this redemption from the adversary. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! We need to confess our redemption. We need to confess it before men. We need to confess it before the principalities and powers, otherwise they're going to take total advantage of you. We were redeemed from all of our enemies! We were set free! We need to confess that we have all of Christ. He was given to us as a gift. He now lives in us and we no longer live as in Galatians 2:20. And the devil takes on flesh sometimes. He's not just a spirit, he takes on the flesh of people around us to persecute us and to try us in our faith, and to try to drag us back into the world and do the things of the world. But the Lord has redeemed us from all of our enemies, spiritual and physical; He has set us free! (Psa.107:2) Let the redeemed of the Lord say [so]…. When we get into a situation involving a curse (something which most of Christianity considers to be quite normal), we know that the normal Christian life is a life delivered from the power of the curse of sin. The Gospel says that the Lord paid for our sins, we've been forgiven; therefore, we are no longer under the curse. Jesus bore that curse for us. We're not supposed to bear it, and it doesn't please the Father that we bear it, yet we will bear it, if we do not confess our redemption. Gal 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  Gal 3:14  that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  Now let's go to Luke chapter 1. One of my favorite verses is so encouraging, where he speaks about our redemption. Verse 68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people, It's a past tense thing; it's already accomplished. You don't even have to talk God into it, and you don't have to beg Him. He's already redeemed you from the enemy, whether it's the flesh, whether it's the devil, or whether it's sin, it makes no difference. He's redeemed you from all of your enemies, and He goes on to say, 69 And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David. This is primarily Jesus Christ. And 70 (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old), 71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; Redemption brings salvation from our enemies. We're saved from our enemies already. 72 To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant; 73 The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, 74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. So we're redeemed so that we can have a good life. Jesus said in Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. We can serve Him without fear of our enemies because of our redemption. This is what God paid for! Oh, glory to God! Now, let's go to Hos 13:11 I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away in my wrath. 12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid up in store. God is holding something against Ephraim here. I've shared before that the Lord showed me that Ephraim is a type of the church because Ephraim was the second-born son of Joseph, whom Israel laid his right hand upon to impart the double portion inheritance. And Ephraim was called “the fullness of nations,” so Ephraim represents the church, and the church is in big trouble right now. That is, the overwhelming majority of the church are going on about their business, just like they're serving God and they're not. And they don't even know what Christianity is all about. But God is going to show mercy in these days. 12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid up in store. In other words, you don't want to reap what Ephraim has sown. You know what the church has sown; if they reap it, they're in big trouble. Well, the thing is, the Lord's going to reap it. Verse 13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: (You recognize that from Revelation 12?) … he is an unwise son; for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of children. In other words, they should have already been bearing fruit, but instead they've had a fruitless life, and they've already come up to the tribulation period, and the Man-child is born, and thank God for that, because the Man-child reformer ministries are going to lead them through the wilderness to learn faith. And he says in verse 14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; You've heard about their covenant with death, that God said He was going to break their covenant with death? So much of the church has a covenant with death because they're in agreement with something besides God. They've made covenants, but it's the wrong covenant and it's not under the Lord. But He says I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues? O Sheol, where is thy destruction? repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. So the Lord is not going to change His mind. He is going to redeem His people. He is going to lead that woman through the wilderness and He's going to bear fruit through them. They are going to bring forth fruit in the days ahead and that is wonderful news! Oh, thank You, Father. And Psalm 103:3 and 4. You probably know it by heart. Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; The Lord's benefits are obviously His method of redeeming our life from destruction. God will bring to pass this redemption in our lives! This is great news! And another one of my favorite texts is in Isa 35:8-10 And a highway shall be there, (He's talking about a highway through the wilderness in verse 6, the Tribulation that's coming upon us.) and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but is shall be for the redeemed: the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err therein. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon (God is showing us here that the only safe way to avoid the beast and fools is to walk in holiness to Zion. Holiness means separation from the world unto God.); they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10 and the ransomed (That is, those who believe their debt has been paid so that they can be free of their captors so..) The ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; This reminds you of Ephraim. God's mercy that He gave to Ephraim so that they could find this redemption. They didn't find it in religion, and now they're facing the tribulation. And it won't be as they thought and hoped, because they didn't fly away in the rapture. So basically, God is going to have mercy. Well, I'm not saying some of them won't fall away because the Bible says that many will fall away. But the Lord is going to have mercy upon His true Church, His “called out ones.”) and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. More good news! Hallelujah! Let me go on with some more scriptures of our redemption in Christ. (Col.1:14) In whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. The word “redemption” as we've seen, means “a release on payment of a ransom.” We owed a debt we couldn't pay, and Jesus paid a debt He didn't owe. A ransom is a price that is paid to release someone who is in bondage. We've been in bondage to the curse, the old man, the devil, the world, sickness and all the bad things that go along with the curse. Yet, Jesus paid the price to set us free; He paid a ransom so the devil would no longer have authority over us because we have the forgiveness of our sins. Praise God! Eph 1:5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: (Notice our grace is in Christ, where we are to abide by faith in the blood.) 7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 12 to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ: 13 in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,--in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (All should be sealed by receiving the Holy Spirit) 14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of the eternal Spirit filled life. God will redeem from earth those who have born His fruit. Eph 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. Pro 23:10-11 Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause against thee. Those who remove the boundaries will be judged. Isa 43:14-17 Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: (The true Church, the Israel of God.) For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. (He is doing it.) 15 I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. 16 Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 17 who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick): (DS Babylon) Isa 44:21-28 Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. 23 Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel. 24 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb: I am Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth (who is with me?). 25 that frustrateth the signs of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; 26 that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof; 27 that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers; 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. (I was told our Cyrus would be Trump before he became president the first time. He is helping to restore the people of God's Kingdom at the expense of DS Babylon just as Cyrus did. He discovered the hidden treasures of darkness just as Cyrus did.) Isa 59:14-21 And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. (A good description of the rule of DS Babylon.) And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it upheld him. 17 And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. (Yes, He has brought down these Edomites.) 19 So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth. 20 And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, (His redemption is moving among His Man-child reformers and His Bride.) saith Jehovah. 21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever. (The Word will go forth from these reformers.) Mic 4:6 In that day, saith Jehovah, will I assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted; 7 and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Jehovah will reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth even for ever. 8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, (The spiritual Bride city and her David Man-childs will be redeemed.)  the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. 9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee, is thy counsellor perished, that pangs have taken hold of thee as of a woman in travail? (With the Man-child ministries of Rev.12.)  10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and shalt dwell in the field, and shalt come even unto Babylon: there shalt thou be rescued; there will Jehovah redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. (And it will be so.) Luk 21:28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh. Now I'd like to share a few testimonies from our site about how God is faithful to answer whatever need we may have because of the redeeming work of Christ.     A Leap of Faith Peter - 10/03/2009 For the past couple of months, I have been weighed down by many things. Through ignorance and confusion, I had neglected a lot of matters that I believe the Lord was placing in my heart. Of primary concern, one of these matters was unconfessed willful sin that I had committed at the end of July; the confusion and my passivity held me in bondage to much reasoning. For months, the conviction lingered in the background and refused to subside. I didn't know how to deal with it; praying and reading dwindled tremendously. I was depressed and discouraged to the point where I began to think I was reprobated. However, I still had the unquenchable desire to serve the Lord. After speaking with a couple of brethren and listening to some UBM teachings on authority and dealing with the cause, I came to the conclusion that the conviction in my heart was coming from the Spirit. On September 30th, I confessed my sin to the Lord and to some brethren. On that same day, I saw the Lord's “unbelievable” grace and mercy upon my grandmother and me. While listening to the Bible study, I was interrupted by my grandmother's cry for help. She had her hands clenched against her chest, trying to bear an extremely sharp, throbbing pain (the pain was coming from the right side of her stomach). The pain had travelled to the right side of her face and head, causing a lack of sensation or numbness. At this point, I didn't “feel” any power or authority to command a healing upon her. Thoughts of condemnation, for my forgiven willful sin, flooded my mind. Yet, all I could rely on was God and His Word; it's all I knew. I remember what I had recently learned about authority over the curse and demons. Having reminded my grandmother about the Gospel, I laid my hands on her chest and thanked God for forgiving me for my unconfessed sin earlier in the day. I confessed the good report and reminded my grandmother of Philippians 4:4-8 and Mark 11:24. (Php.4:4) Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice (5) Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Mar.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. After commanding the pain to leave, I continued to praise and thank the Lord for His grace, coming against doubtful and fearful thoughts. I eventually reached a point of complete boldness. Only a few minutes later, the pain left. God is faithful and His Word is always true. All the glory to Him! I would like to mention that my grandmother has been disturbed by arthritis pain, a few times, in the middle of the night. She has called out to the Lord and every time she's been comforted.     From Death to Life Gary and Robin Florence 11/2/23 I wanted to share with you a power of prayer story. On August 3, 2022, my wife, Robin, suffered a brain aneurysm, while in the ER she fell into a coma and was flown by helicopter 62 miles away. As I was driving there I received a phone call that said, “We are in a fatal situation and are doing everything we can to keep your wife alive on the OR table.” I still had about a 45-minute drive, when something, or should I say someone (Holy Spirit) rose up on the inside of me and this authority came over me and I said out loud, “In the name of Jesus I command the spirit of death to leave that OR room now.” Through prayer and the grace of God my wife survived. The surgeon said they go by a severity chart of 1-5 with 5 being the most severe. He said your wife was at the top of a 5. The next day one of the team members came in and said, “That lady should not be lying there, it was that bad. It truly is a miracle.” She spent the next 42 days in hospitals, 23 in ICU, on and off life support, in and out of comas. I did not sit at my wife's bedside begging, pleading and making deals with God. I sat as a son co-laboring, partnering with my Father, calling those things that be not as if they are. I watched with my own eyes, my wife go from death to life. I saw miracle after miracle take place in her body. I watched all the “But God” moments, the “suddenly of God” take place in her throughout her journey. November 7th she went back to work part-time and even drove herself and then on December 1st she went back full-time. I am so proud of my wife. She never bellyached, ‘Woe is me', or ‘Why did God allow this to happen to me?' Her faith grew stronger and became more resolved. Not only is she my wife and companion but she is my best friend, and I am honored to be her husband. So we know the power of prayer. Thank you for reading this email; may it encourage everyone and lift you and stir your faith to believe in the supernatural interventions of God. Also the 700 Club did a taping that aired 7/14/2023. She had a follow-up visit with her surgeon in May and he said as bad as she was, the death rate is 90%, and in most cases, he is transitioning the individual from life to death, basically making them as comfortable as he can till they pass. He said in Robin's case it was nothing short of miraculous.     Jesus Heals the Mute I am writing to share the story that eventually led to this wonderful testimony for my son, Romeo. The backstory: Romeo had been showing “signs” of autism from around 18 months of age. He had essentially regressed in his speech, and all the words he had learnt, he slowly stopped speaking. Romeo had no understanding of social cues, was not responding to his name and from the frustration of being unable to communicate, was throwing a multitude of tantrums throughout the day. When I first noticed the speech regression, I contacted speech therapists and was quoted an awful amount of money to start him so that he could catch up and decided I would wait it out to allow him time to do his own thing. But not too long after, my close friends and in-laws began to notice and began to observe him and make comments regarding his inability to speak. Calling him a mute etc. On the same day I had spoken to my sister-in-law who had been “observing” my son since he was only sixteen months old. I received a call back from a speech therapist whom I had left a message for weeks prior. Her prices were much cheaper, and she had availability, she was very close to home, and could start Romeo immediately. I took up the opportunity, and he began his speech therapy, which he loves! In the interim, Romeo was going back and forth with hearing tests for fluid that was building up and clearing constantly for a few months straight, which was inhibiting him from hearing properly. We made the decision to book him in to have grommets inserted to clear the fluid. The date was set for 19 November 2024. On to the good news! Eventually, my husband and I decided to go down the path of obtaining a diagnosis, where Romeo received a diagnosis of level 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder, requiring “substantial support” (weekly speech therapy and occupational therapy to catch up). The night we received the diagnosis, I woke around 2:00 am to feed my baby girl, Grace and felt very strongly that the Holy Spirit was prompting me to find stories in the New Testament regarding deliverances. I spent an hour reading up on the stories where Jesus removed demons who made people mute (Mark 9:14-29 and Luke 11:14), scripture where Paul had cast out a demon (Acts 16:18), scripture about being unable to cast out a demon, where Jesus advised the disciples the demon could only be cast out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:28-29), and also the story of where the disciples were trying to stop a person who was not in the group from casting down spirits, but Jesus advised them to leave the man alone etc. (Mark 9:38-41). After reading, I prayed, and I immediately fell into a deep sleep where the Lord gave me a prophetic dream. In the dream, it was Romeo and I looking directly into each other's eyes. I could see that behind his eyes, there was something that was not entirely him. He had been spiritually oppressed by a demon. I immediately quoted Paul and said to my son, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out!” In that moment, my son, for the first time in his life, spoke a full sentence. He said, “Mummy can you help me? There is ringing in my ears!” I knew there was more to do to help my son, and the Lord woke me from my sleep. I called my mum, Josie, after I had woken to tell her of what the Lord had shown me through the scriptures and the dream. Mum said the best thing to do was to have elders David and Michael deliver Romeo, and praise the Lord, we booked the deliverance date, which occurred around early to mid-October 2024. From there, we all stood in faith for the miracle waiting to happen. A reversal of this diagnosis. A son who was no longer mute. At the end of October/start of November, I came across a video on Instagram from a prophetess that really stuck out to me. She was discussing a 25-day fast she was doing with the ministry to remove bloodline curses, and discussed the scripture I had read about where Jesus advised that particular demons could only come out through prayer and fasting. I immediately decided to join this fast and speak to my husband about it. My husband, who is yet to commit himself fully to God, instantly agreed and stuck out the fast in its entirety (6:00 am to 3:00 pm, no food, only water, for 25 days). We began this fast on 2 November 2024. From here, it felt like everything had kicked into gear. My son began saying a few words here and there, and he began responding to his name more, and his tantrums were reducing. Here it was! Our miracle made manifest! Praise the Lord for the process!! We did decide to go ahead with the grommet insertion, which was based on my husband's decision from hearing about my dream where Romeo had said, “Mummy can you help me? There is ringing in my ears!” Romeo is saying not only one word, but up to three or four words at a time. He is responding at all times to his name. He can hear and he can speak! Before he would just stare at people, but now, even if he doesn't have the right words, he will babble nonstop. He is ALWAYS speaking, even if it doesn't make sense to us. No one will be able to call this boy of ours a mute again. He outspeaks even my niece, of the sister-in-law who made the comments regarding his development. Romeo has excelled exceptionally, and we know it will only get better from here. We stand in faith and in gratitude. Romeo is the head, and not the tail. He is ahead and never behind, in Jesus' name. Praise the Lord! Thank you for your faith and encouragement. We are grateful that where we fail, we have committed elders and a faithful God to help us along the way. Our family is very grateful.     Our Heart's Desires Doris Zambrano - April 2007 I had been telling my daughters that we were so blessed indeed, as we all had been noticing that our prayers were being answered recently, often times with just a thought and not actually praying and making a formal request to our wonderful Father. We were just so awestruck and happy that He was so faithful and loved us so much. These prayers were often just little thoughts but big in our hearts. As I was fellowshipping with the brethren in the UBBS room on Paltalk (Paltalk was an interactive platform we used at that time for the brethren to join the UBBS “live”) after communion on a Sunday in April, I felt saddened that I would not be able to spend as much time as I would like with my sisters and brothers. I look forward to communion on Sundays and to spending time with everyone in fellowship! I had so much to do since I have 3 acres of grass, with only a regular lawn mower to mow, and much glorious rain had made tall, beautiful grass everywhere. I knew that if I did not get it done that weekend, it would be even harder with the rain forecast for the whole next six days. As I walked away from the computer for a drink, I thought, “Father, do angels mow grass?” Well, I just smiled and went on about fellowshipping for a bit. Not 30 minutes passed, and I heard a knock on my door, which does not seem so strange except that my 16 acres sat 6 miles from one town and 11 from the other, and there standing at my door were three boys. I opened the door and the tallest one asked, “Would you want us to mow your grass?” “YES!” I exclaimed. I hired them on the spot. Offering praise to our wonderful Father, I ran back to my computer to tell the brethren of this awesome miracle! Everyone joined me in praising our Lord, who loves us so much that He would make a way for us to spend time with one another, just because it was a desire of the heart! YAY! I praise you, Abba, thank you soooooo much! Amen!

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.        Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will live as Jesus would (Philippians 1:27). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Christians in the Church Must Become Christians in the Marketplace of Unbelievers”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

I know many of you know my story and how God saved me. Every year at this time I am more mindful of the miracle of Gods mercy, love, and grace upon my life! When God found me, I was so lost! I was not looking for Him, yet He found me! God got my attention on July 12, 1991, after I stepped in front of a big old car in the middle of Business Rt. 1 (aka West Lincoln Hwy.). My graduating class in 1993 was just under 600, the population where I grew up is currently over 70,000, and the hospital I was taken to after I was hit by that big white car currently has 371 beds. So, the fact that a woman from my fathers church who did not know me decided to pull over to pray for me could be viewed as a coincidence, but then to have the wife of the youth director of that same church assigned to my care is too much to ignore! Not to mention that eight months before my accident, my father had his accident that God used to get his attention by having his hand just about cut off, and shortly after receiving major surgery on his hand and recovering at home, two guys from a little church located not far from where I was hit by that big white car visited our little house to tell him about Jesus! At the same time my friends mom at whose home I ate almost all of my meals and spent almost all of my weekends sleeping in their home because my stepmother was so horrible to me while I was growing up, picked up a Bible and started reading it. So regardless of if I was at home or at my friends house, I was unable to escape from hearing about the God of the Bible and how He sent His Son to die for sinners like me! God orchestrated all of that so that on July 14th while confined to my bed with a major concussion in St. Marys Hospital, I was forced to listen to Darrell Adair, the youth director of my fathers little church, tell me about Jesus while my father sat on one side of my bed and Jackie on the other as they prayed for my soul 33 years ago to the day! Four days after Darrells visit, I finally caved and surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior! So, to say that I am a bit overwhelmed by Gods grace is a bit of an understatement. God knows how my brain works, and it seems to me that ever year there is something new that I have not thought about since God saved my soul. I did not sit down to write my sermon manuscript until this past Friday which was the anniversary of the day I was hit by that big white car! That on the anniversary of one of the most important days of my life, I would be writing my sermon manuscript on Ephesians 5:1-2 is staggering to me! What is even more staggering is that the God I was running from not only chose me before the foundation of the world (1:3-4), but did so out of a great love for this lost sinner: In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace (vv. 5-6). This same God made me alive with Jesus on July 18th in the middle of my living room 33 years ago as a result of His rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace (2:4-5), it is staggering to me! From everything that you have read, studied, and heard from Ephesians so far, can you blame me for being overwhelmed by Gods undeserved goodness upon my life? Think about it, 33 years ago while Darrell shared the gospel with my younger 16-year-old rebellious self, that He already determined that He would so mold and shape that teenage kid laying in that hospital bed that 33 years later he would stand before his church family finally ready to preach on Ephesians 5:1-2 after 20 years of pastoral ministry! Here is what I want to say very briefly before we get into these two verses so you can fully appreciate them. Ephesians 5:1-2 is inserted to make the point of how you can keep from grieving the Holy Spirit (4:30) and why you ought to reject, the useless deeds of the darkness. You, Christian, are beloved by God and you must never forget that! Imitate God Because He Loves You (v. 1) Tim Keller described this verse in this way: Its like putting a radioactive isotope in the middle of your being, and the rays it sends out will shrink your tumors.[1] Another way to state this verse is this way: Because God cherishes you as His dear child, imitate Him instead of the sinful world. The word for imitate is the Greek word mimētēs from which we get the word mimic. Remember what Paul stated in 4:25-32? Get rid of falsehood, get rid of ungodly anger, get rid of coveting and taking what does not belong to you, and get rid of unwholesome talk. Kill it! Make war with it! Get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander! Kill it! Make war with it! Be killing sin or it will be killing you! How you get radical about your sin and how you guard yourself against grieving the Holy Spirit is by remembering who you are, a child of a holy God. When you were dead in your sins, you imitated the life of the prince of the power of the air as the spiritually dead (2:1-3), but now you are alive with Christ and have been adopted as a son and as a daughter of the God you stood against. Now you are a beloved child of God. What does it mean to be a child of God? It means that you who were once dead are now alive with Christ (2:4-5), but that is not all that it means! It means that you who were once an enemy of God are now a friend of God, but it means so, so much more according to Romans 5, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (vv. 8-10). But wait, we are not just reconciled to God and saved by the Life of Christ, we are heirs with Christ: So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the fleshfor if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, Abba! Father! (Rom. 8:12-15) To go from death to life is a miracle! To go from an enemy of God to friendship with God is amazing! But to be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus and now stand before Him as a full-fledged and a legitimate child of a holy God is staggering! I am not the only one who thinks this way; the apostle John felt this way and wrote in his epistle: See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1). Or as it is written in Ephesians 1:11-12, In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. Listen, we were the lost sheep that Jesus left the 99 to find (Luke 15:1-7)! We were the lost coin, that Jesus turns the house upside down to save and all of heaven rejoices over when you were found (Luke 15:8-10)! Christian, you were the prodigal son Jesus described in his parable who wallowed in the sloop and sludge who the Father compassionately runs to embrace and throws a party for and commands all of heaven: Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and lets eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found (Luke 15:22-24). So, as beloved children we are commanded to mimic our heavenly Father. What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what it does not mean: It does not mean to become what God is, for that is impossible. He alone is God and there is none like Him. God is eternal and has always existed; we are creatures made in His image. God is infinitely sovereign and self-sufficient; we are His image-bearing humans who are designed to find our satisfaction in Him. God is all-powerful (Omnipotent), while we are fragile. God is everywhere at once (Omnipresent), while we are finite and limited. God is all-knowing (Omniscient), while we are always learning. God is perfectly holy and is set apart from creation and alone is to be worshiped as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He is the center of all things while we exist to worship Him. These characteristics that we cannot share with God are known as His incommunicable attributes. God also has characteristics that we can demonstrate in a limited way; these are known as His communicable attributes. Gods communicable attributes include His justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. There is not one aspect of His character that He needs to improve upon. While we are called to exercise justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love we are forever needing to get better at being just, exercising wisdom, practicing faithfulness, demonstrating mercy, being good, compassionate, forgiving, and loving. Gods justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love are all character traits we are commanded to imitate in a way that sets apart from the rest of the world. for this is what it means to, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). It also includes the, good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). This is what Peter meant when he wrote, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Pet. 1:14-16). More specifically though, it is the love of God that resulted in our forgiveness that we are to mimic as Gods beloved children. Walk in Love Because Jesus Redeemed You (v. 2) Why mimic God in the way that He loves? Well it is the reason why you, Christian, are beloved by God. Your sins cost God the life of His Son on a cross as an, offering and a sacrifice. The bruised and bleeding Christ, His torn flesh, His pierced hands and feet, His brow piercing crown of thorns, and his agonizing screams upon the cross as our curse is a testament to the horror and seriousness of our sin. As James Boice once said, Gods forgiveness is not a mere overlooking of sin, as though he said, Well, boys will be boys (or girls will be girls). Well overlook it for now; just dont let it happen again. God takes sin with such seriousness that he deals with it fully at the cross, and it is on that basisthe death of Jesusthat we can know we are forgiven.[2] I saw a quote from another pastor the other day that said, On the cross, God looked at Christ and saw you. Now, He looks at you and sees Christ.[3] This is why we are able to sing: Come Thou fount of ev'ry blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love[4] What does the love of God look like that we experienced? It is kindness, it is compassion, it is the type of forgiveness that keeps no record of wrongs! Think about what the love of God has done for you! You who were once cursed and condemned, Jesus was condemned by being cursed: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree. (Gal. 3:13). The apostle John defined it for us this way: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Christs death upon the cross for our sins was motivated by His love for us, and when He gave Himself up for us, He did so as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma that pleased Him. As one commentator said, Jesus sacrifice upon the cross, gave the perfume of grace and glory, the most pleasing aroma of sacrifice ever.[5] To Walk in love, just as Christ also loved is one way to live a life that is pleasing to the One who called us to Himself through His Son. Love is the fuel and fire of worship; it is a love for God and a love for others. It is a love that makes Romans 12:1 possible: Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Amy Carmichael, the famous missionary who spent a lifetime in India and was influential in the outlawing of temple prostitution of children, said of love: One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.[6] A young woman who was considering the life of a missionary wrote a letter asking Carmaichael what missionary life was like, Carmaichael answered: Missionary life is simply a chance to die. To love, as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us is not to atone for the sins of others but to walk in love in a way that you die to yourself for glory of God and the good of others. It is the kind of love that flows out of the crucified life Paul talked about in Galatians 2:19-20, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. To love as Christ loved us is to give ourselves to others so that Christ may be formed in them (see Gal. 4:19). To love as Christ loved is to walk in a way that serves to give to the One who gave Himself for you. To walk in love is to be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10), to build up one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11), to serve one another (Gal. 5:13), to bear one anothers burdens (Gal. 6:2), to seek the good for one another (1 Thess. 5:15), to live in peace with one another (1 Thes. 5:13), to encourage one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), to confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5:16), to act in humility towards one another (1 Pet. 5:13), to walk in truth together (1 John 3:18), and so many other one anothers! This is why we read in our Bible: We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We love because we are beloved children. We love because, Christ also loved you Now, my dear brothers and sisters, we not only can love God and others, but love is also the evidence we are our indeed the children of God. Amen. [1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 174. [3] John MacArthur [4] Come Thou Fount [5] Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman; 2014), p. 121. [6] Ibid.

I know many of you know my story and how God saved me. Every year at this time I am more mindful of the miracle of Gods mercy, love, and grace upon my life! When God found me, I was so lost! I was not looking for Him, yet He found me! God got my attention on July 12, 1991, after I stepped in front of a big old car in the middle of Business Rt. 1 (aka West Lincoln Hwy.). My graduating class in 1993 was just under 600, the population where I grew up is currently over 70,000, and the hospital I was taken to after I was hit by that big white car currently has 371 beds. So, the fact that a woman from my fathers church who did not know me decided to pull over to pray for me could be viewed as a coincidence, but then to have the wife of the youth director of that same church assigned to my care is too much to ignore! Not to mention that eight months before my accident, my father had his accident that God used to get his attention by having his hand just about cut off, and shortly after receiving major surgery on his hand and recovering at home, two guys from a little church located not far from where I was hit by that big white car visited our little house to tell him about Jesus! At the same time my friends mom at whose home I ate almost all of my meals and spent almost all of my weekends sleeping in their home because my stepmother was so horrible to me while I was growing up, picked up a Bible and started reading it. So regardless of if I was at home or at my friends house, I was unable to escape from hearing about the God of the Bible and how He sent His Son to die for sinners like me! God orchestrated all of that so that on July 14th while confined to my bed with a major concussion in St. Marys Hospital, I was forced to listen to Darrell Adair, the youth director of my fathers little church, tell me about Jesus while my father sat on one side of my bed and Jackie on the other as they prayed for my soul 33 years ago to the day! Four days after Darrells visit, I finally caved and surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior! So, to say that I am a bit overwhelmed by Gods grace is a bit of an understatement. God knows how my brain works, and it seems to me that ever year there is something new that I have not thought about since God saved my soul. I did not sit down to write my sermon manuscript until this past Friday which was the anniversary of the day I was hit by that big white car! That on the anniversary of one of the most important days of my life, I would be writing my sermon manuscript on Ephesians 5:1-2 is staggering to me! What is even more staggering is that the God I was running from not only chose me before the foundation of the world (1:3-4), but did so out of a great love for this lost sinner: In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace (vv. 5-6). This same God made me alive with Jesus on July 18th in the middle of my living room 33 years ago as a result of His rich mercy, great love, and sufficient grace (2:4-5), it is staggering to me! From everything that you have read, studied, and heard from Ephesians so far, can you blame me for being overwhelmed by Gods undeserved goodness upon my life? Think about it, 33 years ago while Darrell shared the gospel with my younger 16-year-old rebellious self, that He already determined that He would so mold and shape that teenage kid laying in that hospital bed that 33 years later he would stand before his church family finally ready to preach on Ephesians 5:1-2 after 20 years of pastoral ministry! Here is what I want to say very briefly before we get into these two verses so you can fully appreciate them. Ephesians 5:1-2 is inserted to make the point of how you can keep from grieving the Holy Spirit (4:30) and why you ought to reject, the useless deeds of the darkness. You, Christian, are beloved by God and you must never forget that! Imitate God Because He Loves You (v. 1) Tim Keller described this verse in this way: Its like putting a radioactive isotope in the middle of your being, and the rays it sends out will shrink your tumors.[1] Another way to state this verse is this way: Because God cherishes you as His dear child, imitate Him instead of the sinful world. The word for imitate is the Greek word mimētēs from which we get the word mimic. Remember what Paul stated in 4:25-32? Get rid of falsehood, get rid of ungodly anger, get rid of coveting and taking what does not belong to you, and get rid of unwholesome talk. Kill it! Make war with it! Get rid of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander! Kill it! Make war with it! Be killing sin or it will be killing you! How you get radical about your sin and how you guard yourself against grieving the Holy Spirit is by remembering who you are, a child of a holy God. When you were dead in your sins, you imitated the life of the prince of the power of the air as the spiritually dead (2:1-3), but now you are alive with Christ and have been adopted as a son and as a daughter of the God you stood against. Now you are a beloved child of God. What does it mean to be a child of God? It means that you who were once dead are now alive with Christ (2:4-5), but that is not all that it means! It means that you who were once an enemy of God are now a friend of God, but it means so, so much more according to Romans 5, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (vv. 8-10). But wait, we are not just reconciled to God and saved by the Life of Christ, we are heirs with Christ: So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the fleshfor if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, Abba! Father! (Rom. 8:12-15) To go from death to life is a miracle! To go from an enemy of God to friendship with God is amazing! But to be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus and now stand before Him as a full-fledged and a legitimate child of a holy God is staggering! I am not the only one who thinks this way; the apostle John felt this way and wrote in his epistle: See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1). Or as it is written in Ephesians 1:11-12, In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. Listen, we were the lost sheep that Jesus left the 99 to find (Luke 15:1-7)! We were the lost coin, that Jesus turns the house upside down to save and all of heaven rejoices over when you were found (Luke 15:8-10)! Christian, you were the prodigal son Jesus described in his parable who wallowed in the sloop and sludge who the Father compassionately runs to embrace and throws a party for and commands all of heaven: Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and lets eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found (Luke 15:22-24). So, as beloved children we are commanded to mimic our heavenly Father. What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what it does not mean: It does not mean to become what God is, for that is impossible. He alone is God and there is none like Him. God is eternal and has always existed; we are creatures made in His image. God is infinitely sovereign and self-sufficient; we are His image-bearing humans who are designed to find our satisfaction in Him. God is all-powerful (Omnipotent), while we are fragile. God is everywhere at once (Omnipresent), while we are finite and limited. God is all-knowing (Omniscient), while we are always learning. God is perfectly holy and is set apart from creation and alone is to be worshiped as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He is the center of all things while we exist to worship Him. These characteristics that we cannot share with God are known as His incommunicable attributes. God also has characteristics that we can demonstrate in a limited way; these are known as His communicable attributes. Gods communicable attributes include His justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. There is not one aspect of His character that He needs to improve upon. While we are called to exercise justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love we are forever needing to get better at being just, exercising wisdom, practicing faithfulness, demonstrating mercy, being good, compassionate, forgiving, and loving. Gods justice, wisdom, faithfulness, mercy, goodness, compassion, forgiveness, and love are all character traits we are commanded to imitate in a way that sets apart from the rest of the world. for this is what it means to, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (4:1). It also includes the, good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (2:10). This is what Peter meant when he wrote, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Pet. 1:14-16). More specifically though, it is the love of God that resulted in our forgiveness that we are to mimic as Gods beloved children. Walk in Love Because Jesus Redeemed You (v. 2) Why mimic God in the way that He loves? Well it is the reason why you, Christian, are beloved by God. Your sins cost God the life of His Son on a cross as an, offering and a sacrifice. The bruised and bleeding Christ, His torn flesh, His pierced hands and feet, His brow piercing crown of thorns, and his agonizing screams upon the cross as our curse is a testament to the horror and seriousness of our sin. As James Boice once said, Gods forgiveness is not a mere overlooking of sin, as though he said, Well, boys will be boys (or girls will be girls). Well overlook it for now; just dont let it happen again. God takes sin with such seriousness that he deals with it fully at the cross, and it is on that basisthe death of Jesusthat we can know we are forgiven.[2] I saw a quote from another pastor the other day that said, On the cross, God looked at Christ and saw you. Now, He looks at you and sees Christ.[3] This is why we are able to sing: Come Thou fount of ev'ry blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love[4] What does the love of God look like that we experienced? It is kindness, it is compassion, it is the type of forgiveness that keeps no record of wrongs! Think about what the love of God has done for you! You who were once cursed and condemned, Jesus was condemned by being cursed: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree. (Gal. 3:13). The apostle John defined it for us this way: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Christs death upon the cross for our sins was motivated by His love for us, and when He gave Himself up for us, He did so as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma that pleased Him. As one commentator said, Jesus sacrifice upon the cross, gave the perfume of grace and glory, the most pleasing aroma of sacrifice ever.[5] To Walk in love, just as Christ also loved is one way to live a life that is pleasing to the One who called us to Himself through His Son. Love is the fuel and fire of worship; it is a love for God and a love for others. It is a love that makes Romans 12:1 possible: Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Amy Carmichael, the famous missionary who spent a lifetime in India and was influential in the outlawing of temple prostitution of children, said of love: One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.[6] A young woman who was considering the life of a missionary wrote a letter asking Carmaichael what missionary life was like, Carmaichael answered: Missionary life is simply a chance to die. To love, as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us is not to atone for the sins of others but to walk in love in a way that you die to yourself for glory of God and the good of others. It is the kind of love that flows out of the crucified life Paul talked about in Galatians 2:19-20, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. To love as Christ loved us is to give ourselves to others so that Christ may be formed in them (see Gal. 4:19). To love as Christ loved is to walk in a way that serves to give to the One who gave Himself for you. To walk in love is to be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10), to build up one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11), to serve one another (Gal. 5:13), to bear one anothers burdens (Gal. 6:2), to seek the good for one another (1 Thess. 5:15), to live in peace with one another (1 Thes. 5:13), to encourage one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), to confess our sins to one another (Jas. 5:16), to act in humility towards one another (1 Pet. 5:13), to walk in truth together (1 John 3:18), and so many other one anothers! This is why we read in our Bible: We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We love because we are beloved children. We love because, Christ also loved you Now, my dear brothers and sisters, we not only can love God and others, but love is also the evidence we are our indeed the children of God. Amen. [1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). [2] James Montgomery Boice, Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988), 174. [3] John MacArthur [4] Come Thou Fount [5] Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman; 2014), p. 121. [6] Ibid.

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.        Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will proclaim Him. (Philippians 1:15f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB 

Signs of the Times Week #3 Packed and Ready 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Revelation 20:11-14; Matthew 7:21-23 Are you packed and ready for eternity? TWO END TIME JUDGMENTS: 1. The Judgment Seat of Christ So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 Because of God's grace to me, I […]

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, My citizenship is in Heaven. (Philippians 3:20). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Remembering “he who is forgiven little, loves little”, Is Your Focus Outward in the Love and Service of Others?”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.                            TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be a complainer. (Philippians 2:14). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Our Awesome God -- Part 2: Trinity; Our Father”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will think like Jesus. (Philippians 2:5). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. 12-22. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “It's About Time: Part 1 – Rebuilding Emotional Reserves”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Sunday, 25 December 2022   But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. Acts 13:14   The previous verse spoke of Paul and those with him going to Perga. At that time John departed from them. Now, it continues, saying, “But when they departed from Perga.”   More literally, it reads, “And they, having passed through from Perga.” In other words, it is speaking of the area that is traversed between Perga and the next location. They left Perga, traveled through the land and “they came to Antioch in Pisidia.” Rather, it should read Antioch of Pisidia. Albert Barnes explains the place and the reason, saying –   “Pisidia was a province of Asia Minor, and was situated north of Pamphylia. Antioch was not in Pisidia, but within the limits of Phrygia; but it belonged to Pisidia, and was called Antioch of Pisidia to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria - Pliny, Nat. Hist., 5, 27; Strabo, 12, p. 577 (Kuinoel; Robinson's Calmet). The city was built by Seleucus, the founder of the Antioch in Syria, and was called after the name of his father, Antiochus. He is said to have built 16 cities of that name ("Life and Epistles of Paul," vol. 1, p. 122).”   This area was inland to the north of Pamphylia and Antioch lay at the very northern end of it. Of this area, Cambridge makes an interesting comment –   “Dean Howson (Life and Epistles of St Paul, i. 175) suggests that it was perhaps in this journey that St Paul and his companion were exposed to those ‘perils of robbers' of which he speaks 2 Corinthians 11:26. Pisidia was a mountainous district rising gradually towards the north, and the quotations given by Dr Howson from Xenophon and Strabo shew that there was a great deal of brigand-like life there even in these times, from which Paul and his company may have been in danger.”   Once they arrived in Antioch, it next notes, “and went into the synagogue.” Again, an aorist participle is used, “and having gone into the synagogue.” Each step is detailed methodically by Luke to give the sense of the journey's motion for the reader to join in. Once in Antioch and having gone into the synagogue, it next records that it was “on the Sabbath day.”   The words in Greek more precisely state, “on the day of the Sabbaths.” This is what Paul refers to in Colossians 2 when arguing against observing Sabbath days and other things fulfilled through the work of Christ –   “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17   It is a way of designating the day as the Sabbath as a recurring Feast of the Lord (see Leviticus 23:2). Now, having arrived at the synagogue and entered it on this feast day, it says they “sat down.” Like going into a church, the people would go in, sit and await the word from the leader of the synagogue or whoever was designated to begin conducting the Sabbath affairs.   Life application: As noted above, Paul clearly argues against the observance of sabbaths in Colossians 2. The entire passage there refers to the work of Christ ending the Law of Moses. The words hinge especially on verse 2:14 when speaking of the abolishment of the law –   “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14   The words “having wiped out the requirements” is speaking of the Law of Moses. To wipe out something indicates its removal, like chalk on a chalkboard. To take something out of the way means it was an obstruction that has now been removed. And the metaphor “having nailed it to the cross” specifically speaks of the death of Jesus Christ, the embodiment of the law. In His death, the law is abolished (see also Ephesians 2:15).   The reason for this detail is that people will argue that the word “sabbaths” in Colossians 2:16 is not referring to the weekly Sabbath. This is entirely incorrect. It is, as noted in the commentary above, the plural term used to speak of the fifty-two weekly Sabbaths. The same plural terminology is found in the Old Testament concerning the weekly Sabbath over 100 times.   Exodus 31:31 for example, while speaking of the weekly Sabbaths, refers to them in the plural. The Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews 4:3 says that we rest in Him now. Therefore, a Christian is to not let anyone judge him for not observing a Sabbath Day.   As a point of doctrine: There is no such thing as a Sunday Sabbath. The Sabbath is a Saturday, and only a Saturday. Christian tradition eventually started to claim that worshiping on the Lord's Day (Sunday) had replaced the Saturday Sabbath. The claim is that this day of worship was now the “Sunday Sabbath.” This is incorrect. There is one Sabbath, and it is a Saturday. It is fulfilled in Christ. He is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:3). As such, don't allow anyone to pull a fast one on you and steal the prize from you. Rest in Christ, trust in Christ, and stay away from law observance, including the Sabbath day observance.   Lord God, help us to accept Your word as it teaches us its progressively revealed truths. We are free from the law, we are free from the bondage it imposes on us, and we are at liberty in Christ who has accomplished all things for us. Now, help us to be obedient to faithfully follow You through the New Covenant that came at such a high cost. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

No one here is going to coerce you to give, but when you do give, your giving should be voluntary, cheerfully, and from your heart, and it should be done by faith in Christ- -So, Christ's churches ought to show the same love and graciousness of spirit and giving toward other churches and needy brethren- We were richly blessed in our time of need from many churches who helped us, and God in-turn allowed us to help some other brethren and churches during that time. We've tried to continue to help brethren in their times of need.

The Apostle Paul once said that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ…So why is it that instead of looking for the spiritual blessings that God has promised, we spend a lot of our time chasing after the physical blessings that He hasn't? Why do we often look for the opposite of what God is offering and then wonder why we feel so disappointed when He doesn't come through? Beartownroad.org Beartownroad.org/events Facebook.com/Beartownroad.org YouTube.com/Beartownroadalliancechurch

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will proclaim Him. (Philippians 2:15f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Stop Making Excuses for Not Following Jesus and Follow Him Without Reservations”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.      Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.                          TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will think like Jesus. (Philippians 2:5f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Contemplating the Mighty Acts – Palm Sunday and Holy Week”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.                           Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.                  TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I can do what He asks of me. (Philippians 4:13). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Whose Money Is It, Anyway?”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We have a very special guest McCayla Butler And we talk about: The definition of Dingleberries Introductions Micaela's middle name Today's topics for Micaela Dangerous drivers in our families Dolly learned how to drive at 11 The right way to say “Chauffeur” Erik failed his first driver's test Driving stick shift Stories involving Thunderbirds Walk Hard: the movie Re-watching TV shows Personality types and genres of shows they watch Erik talks about something serious while Dolly laughs uncontrollably Worst or most memorable family vacations Picking your nose while driving People being kind to people they don't know Experiences vs things Dolly was almost the first brown Gerber baby On tour with Candlebox and Erik's van blows a head gasket in the Rockies Places we've been where Hollywood movies were being made Jurassic Park and Bandits Jeff Bridges said hi to Dolly at a concert Widelux camera Perception of buying something vs actual ownership of it When Micaela first become obsessed with Dolly Does she like me or does she hate me? Evidence and stories that support it When inappropriate words are accidentally said in church More reasons why Micaela is obsessed with Dolly Definition of a Chotski? All things through Christ…So jot that down! And much more…

As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life?   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.                                  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.                                                                                       TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I can do what He asks of me. (Philippians 4:13). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “God Says: ‘If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I . . . will forgive their sin and heal their land.'”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

The reality of the resurrection - and why it matters ... 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied We have a faith that relies on the supernatural and miraculous - without that, there isn’t anything … Alternatives to a miraculous, physical resurrection … Jesus didn’t rise - his death is an example of sacrificial love … Jesus isn’t divine - he is an example of a good person and we can be like him … there is spirituality … but we can be just as spiritual as Christ … So we can say he “rose” metaphorically - he “lives on” in his disciples Jesus rose “spiritually” His body is still in the tomb - his spirit “rose” … no resurrection, just a ghost But these leave the essence of the gospel as something else - or non-existent Paul’s words … why is this true? 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God[c] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. What do I want from my faith or “my faith”? If all I want is a better-behaved life, maybe I don’t need the resurrection … the above metaphorical resurrections work … but if I don’t think I really can just “be better” - then I truly believe my faith is in vain without the resurrection … do I believe that? Do I need miraculous help? “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” Because love is costly - because the “good life” isn’t possible or not lasting or without hope … Hope in Christ on a small scale just doesn’t work … --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/roguetabletalks/message

-Sung Psalm- 22---Was Jesus ever tempted like we are- --We don't know all the details, but we do know that Jesus endured all the same sorts of temptations that we do. -He had to be made like his brothers in every respect.- -He himself has suffered when tempted.---I think sometimes we talk as though because Jesus has survived all these temptations, so can we- Just try harder----Is that how it works- Is that what it says---NO----That's not the point here at all- -Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.---What in particular was Jesus tempted to do- Jesus was tempted to bow the knee to Satan, to exalt himself-to take the route of pride and selfishness - instead of the route of humility and service.--Remember that Hebrews has just called us to -hold fast- to what you have heard. Do not forget the great salvation that God has given us in Christ- So when you are tempted to forget your God,-remember Jesus. Because he is able to help---That little lie that you told your friend - maybe it wasn't a big issue.- -It was just a little thing, right- But in that moment when you lied, you said, in effect, I don't want Jesus' help.--Hebrews chapter 1 is all about how Jesus is greater than the angels because he is the one through whom God created the ages, he is the very radiance of the glory of God. And his inheritance is an eternal sonship in which he rules as king forever.--Hebrews 2 is all about how Jesus is greater than the angels because he humbled himself, and became like us, lower than the angels. He is exalted in his very humiliation...

Someone recently mentioned to me that it seems like our country has changed over the past years from one that wanted to be good to one that wants to feel good. I tend to agree. And, quite honestly, as we experience this horrific pandemic with thousands of people dying, the deep divisiveness among people, the acute pain and profound woundedness in our culture, I really do understand the desire to feel good, to long for a feel good sense of hope within ourselves. The truth is, we are a brokenhearted people, and the desire to feel hope is normal. I deeply feel that desire within myself.  In fact, I will confess that is why I will sit and watch a Hallmark movie because there is always a happy ending that evokes a feel-good sense of hope. Yet, that feel good sense of hope is very short lived. Frankly, our culture is very good at offering all kinds of things and stuff that provide a short-lived, feel good hope. But such hope does not last because it is a false hope.  Friends, far too often we try to stem our hurt by running away from our pain to selfishly focus on what makes us feel good. However, we cannot create the hope and peace we so desire by focusing on self. Real hope only comes by facing our pain and opening our hearts to God.  And, real hope is what comes with a broken, vulnerable, open heart that is willing to be mended.  In today’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah is speaking to people who have returned to Jerusalem following political exile in Babylon.  They, too, desired hope and they did not sense God’s presence to them. We hear the prophet Isaiah waiting and calling out for God to break into the peoples’ lives.  Isaiah calls the people to repent, to turn back to God, and he laments and prays to God saying, “No eye has seen any God besides you who works for those who wait.” Isaiah pleads that God would tear open the heavens and break into the lives of the people to bring hope, peace, and a restored life.  As we begin Advent, we begin a time of waiting. Like Isaiah, we wait and we, too, pray that God breaks into our lives, bringing the promise of hope, peace, and restored life. However, Advent waiting is not a form of passive waiting and watching.  It is a time to allow ourselves to turn back to God, to become vulnerable, to open up our lives, our hearts, and our souls with active anticipation as we trust God’s promises to us. It is a time to live with our hearts broken open so that compassion, caring and God’s reckless love can find a way to break into our hearts and the heart of the world.   As we look at today’s gospel reading from Mark, we are given words that ultimately address the brokenness of our hearts.  Initially, the 13th chapter of the gospel of Mark is frightening and chilling to read.  And, while it has sometimes been interpreted as a prediction of the future to frighten future generations, we must look at the historical context and think about what was happening when it was written.  These words are NOT a prediction about the future. It is true, the people were waiting for Jesus to return. However, this writing from Mark follows a long tradition of apocalyptic literature and it is all about providing comforting words to people as they faced their present life and present experience.  Written around 70 CE, Mark is writing to a community of people who were facing horrific situations. Christians were being dragged before local authorities, sometimes by members of their own family. War was on the horizon and, in fact, already happening as they experienced the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 CE, a war that brought the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.  For these early Christians, it felt as if the world had ended, and in some very real ways, it had ended. You see, when people are experiencing fear and going through great pain, you’ve got to acknowledge that pain, that grief, and not bury it or cover it up by simply saying, “Don’t panic, everything will be ok.” As the people wait for Jesus to return, Mark tells them to acknowledge the pain and challenge, but trust God’s promise, stay awake, be alert and be ready for God to break in. When discussing this passage in scripture, theologian, Sarah Dylan, writes that Jesus is addressing the disciples and each one of us by saying: Yes, there is serious pain in the world, in your community. There are wars and rumors of wars. There's strife within families, and even within the family of faith, those called to be one in Christ……So, when you see these horrible things happening, don't think it's a sign that the kingdom of God Jesus promised is late in coming or has been derailed.  We don't know the day or hour, but we know that God is faithful, and Jesus' resurrection from the dead is a sign to us as it was to Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and our own wounded communities: Jesus is coming, and God's kingdom, inaugurated with Jesus' ministry, is being revealed and finding fulfillment. Friends, this word from Mark’s gospel is Good News for us. Yes, there is serious pain in our world. Yet, as we again wait for the coming of the Christ child, we know something that many don't seem to realize: the person we call Lord is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, who has already come. This Jesus taught and healed, he welcomed the outcast and broke bread with anyone willing to eat with him.  It is Jesus, whose way of life and manner of death underscored what his words taught. His life and words were all about love, love for God and all others. He truly lived this every day of his life and we are also called to live it every day of our lives.  When we know Jesus, the Jesus of the gospels, we know that God is love, and love drives out all fear, whatever our present circumstances. The writer of Mark’s gospel is not pointing us to a future apocalyptic event, but rather a very present one in which Christ’s death and resurrection change absolutely everything we know.  For once and for all, in Christ’s death and resurrection, Jesus suffers all that the world and empire and death have to throw at him…and is raised to new life and nothing will ever be the same again!  And, that includes our present lives and even our present painful situations.  So, get ready!  Jesus is here and Jesus is coming!  Do not be afraid!  Stay awake and be alert!  God comes to us now and is still entering into our lives in ways that align with God’s coming in the vulnerability of a baby in a manger and a man dying on a cross.  God comes to us now as we embrace all those we and the world consider “other.”  God comes to us now as we collect food for the hungry. God comes to us now as we work to offer a hope and future to the guys who are living in our Parish House.  God comes to us now as we collect food and goodies for the hospital staff who are caring for Covid-19 patients. God comes to us now as Caring Committee participants check on other members of the congregation. God comes to us now as doctors and nurses lovingly care for our loved ones who are sick. God comes to us now as we walk with relatives of those who are sick or dying. God comes to us now as we see friends and relatives become healed after having this virus. God comes to us now, even as we are only able to gather online for worship. God comes to us now, as we are, in our vulnerability, in our messed-up family lives, in our deep brokenness, in the pain of this pandemic, in our imperfections, telling us we are deeply loved as we are. God is already present, but God’s reign is not yet fully here. And, this is what gives us true hope, a hope that is not just a feel good hope, but real hope, a hope that endures even the pain of life. In the person of Jesus, God is pulling back the curtain of false hopes and the many things in which we unwisely place our trust, to reveal a very present reality, the reality of God’s commitment to enter into and redeem our lives and world just as they are.  And, this is what gives us real hope, a hope that endures and a hope that lasts, even in the depth of this pandemic. Yes, life is messy, there is much pain, and there is so much that is not right in this world.  But, newness and hope are on the way, a hope we can trust. So, as we go through Advent, stay awake, and be aware of the many ways Christ appears in the present!  God is always breaking in through time and space to be present in our lives and the lives of others. Christ is arriving now, in this present moment, meeting us in our pain just as we are, right before our very eyes. And, God breaks in bringing true hope, a hope that lasts and endures.

God Chose YouEphesians 1:4 July 5 - CommunionI. Introduction:A. I have great news for you You’re Richer than You Think! That was the title tothe book Erwin Lutzer wrote regarding the spiritual riches/spiritual blessings thatwe have in Christ!1. Some of you do not even know that you have a heavenly joint account thatyou share with Jesus where He did all the work, made all the deposits into theaccount and we get to make withdrawals on this account!2. Some people know they have an account but really have not grasped the factthat they are already spiritual billionaires as they live in spiritual poverty anddefeat most of the time.3. The name on the account is in Christ.B. We were introduced to this account last week and in weeks to come, we are goingto see and understand a bit more of what is available for us to withdraw from thisaccount!1. Let me read what we learned last week. Read Ephesians 1:32. God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing there is to have andHe did this in Christ.3. We also learned that these blessings have to do with whom we are at thedeepest core of our being, the place where our spirit is.4. These blessings have to do with our past justification, things that became trueof us when we were saved, things that are being worked out in our lives nowas God is sanctifying us, things that will be completed and fully true of us inthe future when we are glorified in Christ’s kingdom!• So today, we will continue our series called “This is us!” as we start to understandbetter just who we are! The first question I hear from many is …II. What does “in Christ” mean?A. It seems so vague, like some kind of abstract spiritual tag on in many verses.B. When a person puts their trust in Jesus, they become one spirit with Him! Read 1Corinthians 6:17.1. We learned last week:a) In John 3:6 – that which is born of the spirit is spiritb) We also learned in John 7:37-38 that the Holy Spirit dwells at the core ofour being!2. So Jesus’ spirit has become one, joined together, and indwelling my spirit atthe core of my being!C. Now listen to John 14:19-20.Read v19 Jesus said that after his resurrection we would know something:1. Read v20 Three things:a) Jesus is in the Fatherb) We are in Jesus = in Christc) I in you – Christ dwelling in us, abiding in us2. So bottom line the same way that Jesus and the Father are one and mutuallyindwell each other, so Jesus and us are one and mutually indwell each other,thus becoming one!3. So our oneness with Jesus - Him in us and us in Him is as easy to understandas the trinity – the Father, Son and Spirit as one!D. So how do I get into Christ – it is something that God did at the moment we putour faith in Jesus Christ to save us!1. Read 1 Corinthians 1:3– it is something that God does, not something we do!2. Ephesians 1:13 – we are sealed, secured, locked in Christ by means of theHoly SpiritE. Illustrate with glass of milk (Jesus) and chocolate (us)1. Before we knew Christ – separate, distinct, apart2. When we believed – pour chocolate into milk and stir together.3. The chocolate is now in the milk4. Identified as one, together, united.5. What is true of the milk is now true of the chocolate!F. We are now in Christ and Jesus’ experience has now become my experience (hisdeath, burial and resurrection has now become my death, burial and resurrection).His possessions (all his riches, inheritance, and future kingdom from the Fatherhave become my possessions as a joint heir with Jesus) and his victories havebecome my victories, etc.G. Our great work here is to believe that all of this is true and already all done by theFather and Jesus and the Spirit. There is not anything we need to do to get inChrist and get all these blessings but rather that battle is to believe it has alreadybeen done and given to youH. This is us if you are a believer – you are already in Christ• So it is true – we are richer than we think because we are in Christ so let’s look at thevery first possession that is oursIII. Chosen in Him to be holy and blamelessA. Read v4 - this verse is not that hard to understand, the battle is believing itbecause it is so mind blowing.B. First God choose you and me to be in Christ. Read 1:4a1. Not only did He do the work of getting us in Christ but even before that Hemade a decision, a choice as to who would be in Christ! Out of all the worldof people that would ever be born He choose you and me that are believers!2. Yes God did prefer you over someone else – mind blowing and raises a lot ofquestions –a) If you want to pursue this a bit further I did two complete messages inRomans on this topic for which you can order the CD.3. This morning I just want to give us some insight into why He choose manyof us.a) I know it is true in my case see if it fits you!b) Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Listenc) This removes all boasting and should turn us to worship and gratitudebecause what we are learning is what Jesus said – “you did not chooseme but I chose you.” Being saved is not the smartest thing you ever didbut the greatest gift you ever received!C. When did God chose you and me to be in Christ? Read 1:4a-b1. He made this decision to include you and me in Christ before God created theworld, sometime before Genesis 1:1!2. Isn’t that mind blowing – before God created the world He chose you to be inChrist? That does not mean you were placed in Christ before the world wascreated, that happened when you believed but rather He made a decision andchoice at that time for you to be one of those to be in Christ!D. Now it even gets better listen to why he chose you to be in Christ – read 1:4c1. Holy (pure vessel, cleaned up and set aside for His use) and blameless (nodefect, without blemish - without fault)2. Before Him – in His eyes in His sight this is the way that God sees you rightnow as holy and blameless because you are in Christ – remember what is trueof Jesus has become true of you3. Read Galatians 3:27– paraphrased – all of you who were placed in Christ(that is what baptized into Christ means) says we are clothed with Christ –a) Grateful for clothing as it covers our blemished and defective body.b) Illustrate - put paper (you and me) in Bible (Jesus)! - You do not see(paper – me); you see the Bible (Jesus) and that is how God sees us rightnow!E. The problem is that most of us look at others and ourselves, as we were apartfrom Christ, as unclothed and not hidden in Christ. Thus, we focus on our faults,weaknesses and sins rather than the holy and blameless people we really alreadyare at the level of our spirit.F. Remember from last week:1. Our identity relates to our spirit and was dealt with in the past when we werejustified – we are holy and blameless at the core of our being2. In the present time God is at work in our souls to make us more holy andblameless in our daily walks – we call that sanctification3. And in the future when our entire spirit and soul and body will be completelyholy and blameless – we call that glorified!• As we go to …IV. CommunionA. Consider this - read Jude 24.1. V24 a – God’s present work in our sanctification – keep us from stumbling2. V24b – God’s future work in our glorification!B. As you take communion consider this:1. When Moses stood before God’s glory, God told him he could not look onthe fullness of God’s glory because to see the fullness of God’s glory wouldinstantly kill him2. When Isaiah saw God’s glory while He sat on his throne his response waswoe is me, for I am ruined – PBP paraphrase – man I am in deep trouble for Iam going to die because I am a sinful man and my eyes have seen the king!3. Now consider this verse – when you stand in the presence of God in thefuture, you will stand there blameless with great joy.4. The only response to that is this – read v 25!

Why can't everyone be saved? Do you have to have family members who are lost? Is it written somewhere that most of your friends won't be saved? NO! The message of Christ is for all men. God wants to save all men. The Gospel has the power to save everyone! Our attitude towards evangelism ought to be optimistic and hopeful.Every single person who comes to the realization of the foolishness of their choices is ready to be saved by God. His grace is refreshing to all who have experienced life without Him... and that's a lot of people! Will you and I be the messenger of hope for people who suffer? We can and we should. Let's look at an amazing story in Acts 27, where everyone was saved, and draw strength to share that message with everyone we know!- Is it true that most of the people we know will not be saved?- Is God's message more optimistic and hopeful than that in Christ?- So who can be saved? And what must they realize to actually find salvation?- How were 276 people saved in Acts 27 and what does it teach us about God's grace?- Are you ready to find the hurting and tell them about the mercy of the Healer?

In 2008, the United Methodist General Conference added "witness" to the vows that a Christian makes when he or she joins the local church. Witness is an important part of our Christian walk, but the vast majority of Christians are reluctant to talk about their faith to unbelievers. Even so, everything we do as Christians is our witness - the way we live and the things we say bear witness to who we are as Christians. The question is, what does our witness say about us? And what does our witness say... about Christ? So grab your Bible, turn it to Matthew chapter 28, and join us as we wrap up our series and look at how we support the local church by our witness. Matthew 28:16-20 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on November 2, 2014 (first published November 6, 2014) S.D.G.

Pastor Andy Davis preaches a verse by verse expository sermon on Luke 24:44-53. The main subject of the sermon is the sacrifices of God's people that lead to the accomplishment of the Great Commission. - Sermon Transcript- Turn in your Bibles to Luke 24. And as I mentioned in my prayer, this is the time of year that we focus on unreached people groups, on missions. We have something called The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering named after a woman named Charlotte Moon, shortened to Lottie Moon, who was a missionary that served in China for many years, 39 years. She ran a school for girls in Tengzhou and also in Pingdu, and she burned with a strong passion to reach girls, those girls for Christ and women, to bring them to faith in Christ and anyone that she could talk to about the gospel. She regularly baked fresh cookies, and the aroma, as it would waft from where she lived, from the kitchen would be attractive to people. You talk about the aroma of Christ, it was initially the aroma of cookies and it brought people in. But as she would share those cookies, she would also share with whoever partook share the gospel. She was especially known for writing moving and passionate letters to Baptists in the US to support missions. That more people would go out as missionaries, that those that didn't go would support with more money, and her letters home detailed China's hunger for truth and the struggle of so few missionaries taking the gospel to almost half a billion at that point, Chinese, in her day. And so she pleaded for more workers and for more money, and she once wrote home to what was called the Foreign Mission Board at that point, "Please say to the new missionaries that are coming that they are coming to a life of hardship, responsibility, and constant self-denial.” A life of sacrifice, disease, turmoil, lack of co-workers threatened to undo Lottie's work but she gave herself consistently to the work of the Lord, and she worked with others to help lay a foundation for a church of Christians in China that is really uncounted. We don't have any idea how many Chinese Christians there are, but we will know on Judgment Day what her labors, her sacrifices, and that of many others have done in the lives of the Chinese. She died as a direct result of her self-denying, self-sacrificial life, as there was a famine in that part of China at that point, and she denied her own food to the point where it was beyond help as people knew that she was dying, but they knew it too late. The Woman's Missionary Union started The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in 1918 to honor her sacrifices and to move Southern Baptists to similar sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering makes up more than half of the annual budget of the International Mission Board, so every dollar that we give to The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goes directly overseas to winning lost people. Now, FBC's goal this year is $150,000. And it's our desire that every man, woman, and child, as a member of this church or involved in this church should weigh carefully what God is calling him or her to do, that we would pray about it, think about it, what level of sacrifice. It's easy... It's kind of out of sight, out of mind. It's easy for us to forget about missionaries, and it's easy for us to forget about people like we just saw in the video, who have no access to the gospel. They're living in countries where it's very, very hard to hear of Christ and we are called on to be people of faith. Who see invisible things and they press on our minds, we see not only those folks who are in different parts of the world, but we see ahead in time to what Judgment Day is going to be like, and we yearn that people be made ready to stand before God, having been cleansed from their sins through faith in the blood of Christ. And so, our desire is to focus, and what I wanna do is root this Great Commission in the Scripture that you just heard Bob read for us, that we would understand that this is not some new thing that was thrown together, but it's been going on not just for 2000 years, but even before that, as Jesus says in Luke 24, it was founded on the Old Testament Scriptures. And so we're gonna walk through that today, and I want you to see how it's rooted in Scripture, and to understand the sacrifice, the central sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it's the center of the gospel. But then the lesser sacrifices that are essential to the spread of the gospel that our brothers and sisters have done who are willing to suffer and deprive themselves and go through difficulties so that lost people may hear of the gospel. And then thirdly, that each of us would weigh our own involvement in that and see what God is calling us to do. I. Central Sacrifice of the Great Commission: The Death of the Christ So let's zero in this morning as we begin on the central sacrifice of the Great Commission, the death of Jesus Christ. Now, the Great Commission is found in five different places at the end of each of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; each has their own version of the Great Commission. So he gave it multiple times slightly different language, and then again in the Book of Acts, that the disciples are responsible to move out from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth with the gospel. But we're gonna look at Luke 24 and look at verses 44-47, “And he said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled, that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, This is what is written, that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” So the centerpiece of the Great Commission, the centerpiece of the gospel is the death of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Now, picture in your mind this powerful poignant scene there in the upper room, Christ had died on the cross, the third day he came to life again. The women had just come back from the empty tomb. And they had declared it to be empty, they said that they had had an encounter with the resurrected Christ, and Jesus had told them to go to report to his brothers what they had seen and that he was risen, and they did so. The upper room where they were meeting together was the place where Jesus had had the last supper with his disciples just days before that. And so they were there in the Upper Room in Jerusalem with a tiny church, and now they were assembled there in fear and bewilderment. John's Gospel tells us that they were in there with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. So they were afraid of dying, they were afraid of being arrested, they were afraid of suffering the same faith that Jesus had being crucified. Now, in Luke's Gospel, the reaction is emotional and powerful. Look at verses 36-43. “Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, but they were startled and frightened, thinking that they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? Why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet, it is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see, I have’. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their presence.” So Jesus is offering them what Luke tells us in the Book of Acts, in Acts chapter 1, many convincing proofs that he was alive. And why did he have to do this? Because they couldn't seem to believe their eyes. It was too good to be true. You ever heard that expression before? It's just too good to be true. You realize how essentially pessimistic that is. I mean, anything really good can't be true, but that's effectively what the text says. They could not believe it for joy. I mean, joy means it can't be true. “Friends, let me tell you something. Beyond your wildest dreams, God is gonna lavishly bless you for eternity in the new heaven and new earth. It's going to be greater than anything you can possibly imagine. In one sense, you could say the whole thing is turned around, it's too good not to be true. That's how good God is.” " God is gonna lavishly bless you for eternity in the new heaven and new earth. It's going to be greater than anything you can possibly imagine." But they couldn't believe it, and so he's got to give them all these convincing proofs. People just don't die and come to life again. It just doesn't happen. When somebody's dead, they stay dead. And so he's got to do all these things. He says, Look at my wounds, touch me and see, look at my hands, look at my feet. Do you have anything here to eat? So he eats some broiled fish. All of this physicality to prove that he had really physically been raised from the dead. That's the centerpiece. His death and his resurrection from the dead is the centerpiece of the gospel. And then Jesus explains all of this and roots it in the prophetic writings. He roots it in Scripture. And why is that? Because none of us can touch him and see. We don't get to watch him chew and swallow broiled fish. We don't get to put our fingers in the nail marks. We're going to get it from Scripture or we're not gonna get it at all. And what Jesus shows us is that the Scripture's predated his birth. These things have been predicted, they'd been written about in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms. This was not new, any new thing, but the Lord had told ahead of time what he would do. Look at Verse 44, he said, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, everything must be fulfilled about me that is written in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.” Now, without the direct work of almighty God on their minds and on yours and mine, we'll never believe it. We'll never believe it. Our hearts are so hardened in sin. We are so far from God. We are so, so corrupted and twisted, but because of our sins and the sins of the people we live around, it's hard for us to believe God's Word. We need him to work directly on our hardened hearts. And so look what it says in verse 45, what a marvelous verse. “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” I think that's something we should pray about as we have our quiet times, don't you think? As we go before the Lord and we open up the Bible, say, O God, through your Holy Spirit, would you just open my mind that I might understand the Scriptures? Help me to see what's written here so it's not just some empty words that don't mean anything to me. He opened their minds, and isn't it marvelous that he has that kind of power? He actually has access to your mind, he has access to your heart, and he can open it up to his working through the Word of God. And so, he then roots his atonement in Scripture. Look at verse 46, “This is what is written, that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” So all of this thing had been predicted in Scripture, God had planned it before the foundation of the world, but he had begun to pay out the truth little by little, right from the beginning in the Garden of Eden, how the serpent came and deceived Adam and Eve, and God cursed the serpent. And in Genesis 3:15, he said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head and you'll bruise his heel.” And so that was the prediction of how Jesus, by his death, would crush Satan who held the power of death. Genesis 3:15, that's right from the beginning, and then right after that comes the animal sacrificial system. Even that same day, as their eyes are open, they realized they were naked, God clothed them with animal skins so that in the next chapter, Abel began offering animal sacrifice. And so throughout the Old Testament, we have animals sacrifice, the blood of bulls and goats and sheep offered under the command of God, but all of them as a picture of Christ's blood sacrifice on the cross. And the lessons are very plain and clear. All sin deserves the death penalty. The death penalty can be paid by a substitute, but the substitute can't be an animal. It's just symbolic. Those were the lessons of the animal sacrificial system, but it was all written there in the Law of Moses. And we have the story, of course, of the Exodus. Remember the 10 dreadful plagues that persuaded Pharaoh to let the Jewish people go out of bondage into the freedom of the promised land? And the last plague was the most dreadful, the most terrible, the plague on the firstborn. And God commanded the Jewish people that they should sacrifice the Passover Lamb, they should kill the lamb and paint its blood on the doorpost and on the lintel of their doors, and the angel of death would see the blood and pass over and would not bring the righteous judgment of God on the sinners inside that house. For all have sinned, the Jews had sinned too, but God had provided for an atoning sacrifice. And so that taught a very important lesson, and it's important for the Great Commission, that our salvation comes in two basic steps: Redemption accomplished and applied. The redemption is accomplished by the blood sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world once for all, never to be repeated. Never needs to be repeated. That's why it's different than the animal sacrifices that had to be repeated endlessly year after year. But Jesus once for all died in our place. That's redemption accomplished, and Jesus said, It is finished, and that's it. Nothing more needed. But then step two, the blood has to be spiritually painted on individual sinners, the redemption has to be applied, and that happens by the Great Commission, it happens by evangelism and missions, by people who have the message of the gospel traveling, it might be just across the office, it might be across the street in evangelism, or it could be to the ends of the earth in missions, and take that message of the gospel and apply it so that people hear it and believe, and the blood gets spiritually applied to us and we are forgiven of our sins. And he said All of that was predicted in the Law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms. II. The Great Commission Stated Plainly You heard the text that Jason read, Isaiah 53, “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him, on Christ, the iniquity of us all.” That's written seven centuries before Jesus was born. So Jesus lays out these Scriptures for them. Everything that was planned and then written about in the Scriptures had to be fulfilled. And so that is the deliverance of the world from sin, the shedding of the blood of Christ once for all, and then the application of that message to the Great Commission. And the Great Commission stated plainly, look at verse 46-48, he told them, “This is what is written, that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” So Christ has entrusted to his disciples the proclamation of the gospel message. Look carefully at the words, repentance, and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations. There is one Savior, one redeemer, the Christ whose blood alone atones for sin, but this one message of the one redemption has to be taken to distant parts of the earth. And Jesus says, You are witnesses of these things. Now, witnesses, they were eyewitnesses. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there in the upper room with the early church. And I think a lot of that information we get that we... This time of year, as we read in Luke chapter 2 about the birth of Jesus probably came humanly speaking through Mary, as she shared the experiences that she had as a virgin, bringing the only begotten Son of God, fully man, fully God into this world. You're witnesses of these things, of how he lived a sinless life among them, and how he did great signs and wonders. There was no healing he could not do, there was no... Nothing too difficult for him. He gave great displays of power like stilling the storm and feeding the 5000, all these incredible miracles. You are witnesses of these things. You saw them with your own eyes, and you saw me die on the cross, you saw me dead, and you saw me now, you're seeing me now physically raised from the dead. You are witnesses of these things. These facts are essential to the gospel, and repentance and forgiveness of sins proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. Oh, what glorious good news that is for all of us. All of us, if we repent of our sins, turn away from darkness, turn away from wickedness and turn to God; if we repent of our sins, forgiveness of sins will be ours through faith in Christ. Not by works, but by simple faith. That's the gospel, and that message will be preached in his name to the ends of the earth. That's the Great Commission. Now, the Great Commission was written in the Old Testament, not just that Christ would die, but that the message would be carried by messengers from Jerusalem through Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. That was predicted too. From the original call of Abraham, where God says, I will bless those who bless you. I'll curse whoever curses you, and through your offspring, all peoples on earth will be blessed. Peoples means nations. So from the calling of the Jewish nation, God had intended to bless all nations on earth. And then Psalm 2 in verse 8, “Where God the Father says to the Son, Ask of me and I'll give you the nations as your inheritance. The ends of the earth, your possession.” That's in the Psalms. And then at the end of Isaiah 66. I love this verse. This is one of these Great Commission verses. Listen to this, Isaiah 66:19, "I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive," some of the remnants, "to the nations, to Tarshish," that's in Spain, "to the Libyans," North Africa and Lydians, Central Asia, famous as archers, to Tubal and Greece. And listen to this, "to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory among the nations." Isaiah 66:19, the Great Commission was written. Jesus said, "This is what is written, repentance and forgiveness of sins we preached to the ends of the earth." So only as this gospel is proclaimed can people in those distant lands, like we saw in that video, hear the Gospel message and believe. But the power of the Great Commission always has been the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. We wouldn't have moved... As a church, we would not have moved out of the upper room if it weren't for the power of the Holy Spirit. Even after seeing evidence of Jesus's conquest of death, a week later, they're still in the upper room with the doors locked. And Jesus said, "You must stay in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high. You're gonna receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. Again and again, our brothers and sisters that have stepped out in faith and have traveled through the centuries to distant lands to share the gospel have testified it was only by the compulsion of the spirit in their hearts that they left behind their friends and family and went to dangerous places. III. The Subsequent Sacrifices of the Great Commission The Spirit moved them. Now, you may say, "I don't feel like I'm called to be a missionary." Maybe you're not. Not many are called to actually go to cross-cultural settings and do that, not many, but some. But we are, all of us, called to travel from point A to point B. Like I said, it could be across an office to an unsaved co-worker. And you may feel, "I don't think I can do that." Well, it's the same feeling. It's the same fear. It's the same Holy Spirit that enables us, driven and compelled by love to share the Gospel with people. You receive power, and you'll be my witnesses. Since that time, it's been a river of sacrifice. Brothers and sisters have been willing to lay it on the line to take the Gospel from Jerusalem, through Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. They've been willing to sacrifice. It's amazing, Jesus was a prophet. He made predictions. And he said, "This thing here, 120 in the upper room, is not gonna stay here. It's going to go to the ends of the earth." Now, a prophet has to be vindicated by his predictions coming true. Well, that prediction has famously come true. There is not a political nation on earth represented at the United Nations in which there is not a church of Jesus Christ with people assembling to meet and worship Christ. There are hundreds of millions of Christians spread all over the Earth. His words have come true. It's not done yet, but His words have come true. His prediction has happened. In every generation, the Holy Spirit sees to it that Jesus's name is the most famous human name on earth. There is no more famous human being than Jesus in every generation. The Holy Spirit sees to it. Better than any PR department getting the name of some rock star out, that fades like grass within two or three generations. Every generation, Jesus is the greatest name because the Holy Spirit sees to it. This has happened. Now, when I look at the prediction of the distant islands, I thought, "I wonder what the most distant island is." So bear with me for the next few moments as I Googled, "Where is the farthest place from Jerusalem on planet Earth?" Remember, it's a globe, so if you go around too far, it goes back the other way. So I've asked numbers of friends. Some of them said "LA" for a lot of reasons. Others, "Alaska," different things. Well, are you ready? The most distant island on planet Earth are the Pitcairn Islands in the South Pacific. The Pitcairn, you say, "What is that?" Have you ever heard of "Mutiny on the Bounty"? It was a movie. And some mutineers went and they overthrew Captain Bligh, and they took over. And they knew that they were gonna get hunted down by the British Navy, and so they were looking for someplace. They stumbled upon some uncharted island about 1500 miles southeast of Tahiti. It is 11,305 miles from Jerusalem. Now, you'd say, "Well, that doesn't count, Pastor, there were no people there when they landed." But they landed there, and they had some battles within themselves. There was some murder that took place. And the few that were left repented of their sins and started reading the Bible and set up a flourishing, strong Christian community that's still there. And a whaler came 18 years later, just saw this uncharted island, went ashore to see if there's any water, and found a church and Christians there praising God. You just say, "Alright, but that was inhabited. What about any habited islands?" Yes, New Zealand is the farthest inhabited island. And the history of the Gospel in New Zealand is fascinating. How it was first discovered by an explorer named Tasman, and he eventually gave his name to Tasmania. And he prayed over those islands, that God's purpose would be done there. James Cook came over a century, more a century and a half later, prayed about the same prayer. Eventually, God sent some missionaries. And they took on the fierce Maori people, who were war-like cannibals, and won many of them to faith in Christ. A marvelous story. And so you have Christ's church there in Auckland and those areas. That's as far as it gets from Jerusalem. And God's Word has been fulfilled. Now, in every generation, the church has advanced the Gospel at very high cost. It's been a trail of blood, brothers, and sisters, a trail of blood. And Paul saw it coming. It was already happening in his own life. In Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 24 and 25, he said, "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the Word of God in its fullness." That's my commission. And he's fulfilling it by writing the letter to the Colossians. But he had not been there. He didn't plant that church. And he said, "I rejoice in what was suffered by the men and women that did come with the message of the Gospel. And they suffered, and I rejoice in that suffering. And I'm filling up in my flesh what's lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body." What does that mean? Careful of blasphemy here. There's nothing lacking in redemption accomplished. It was accomplished once for all. But what's lacking is the second step, it has to be applied. And that takes suffering. And Paul says, "I rejoice in that suffering. I rejoice in it." Now, the Gospel spread. Initially, the persecutors were unbelieving Jews who had not yet crossed over to faith in Christ, and so they kick people out of their synagogues, and they wouldn't buy and sell from them. They arrested them, even beat some of them. Read about it in the Book of Acts. But then the Romans took over and began persecuting. And for a couple of centuries, there was on and off persecution by the Roman emperors and by the Roman authorities. Even spilling our brothers' and sisters' blood in the sands of the Colosseum until at last that ended with Constantine's conversion, hope it was genuine, in 312. And Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Remarkable proof of the spread of the Gospel. Whether he was genuinely converted or not, he saw it at least politically expedient to declare himself a Christian. Incredible, in a very short amount of time. But the Gospel didn't stop there. It continued to spread among the barbarian tribes, tribes of Germania. They're terrifying, militaristic. And missionaries went out and were willing to suffer and even die to bring those Germanic-speaking people to faith in Christ. And up to the islands of what we call the British Isles, Britannia, and again, the fierce peaks in the Scottish Highlands, being willing to take on courageously tribal chieftains that would have and were ready to slaughter them. But they won many of them to Christ. This has been going on in every generation.As it says in John 12:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself a single seed. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." And so that has been the principle, Christians willing to lay down their lives, willing to die for the spread of the gospel. Now, for me, I love missionary hero stories. I just love reading about people like Lottie Moon or others. I especially like stories I haven't heard. So that's hard to Google. "Stories Andy Davis hasn't heard yet on missions" came up empty. But there is one book I was reading recently of a number of missionaries I had never heard of. And one of them, amazingly, was a man named James Gilmore in the 19th century, who was a missionary to Mongolia. I really believe we just saw mission work among the Mongolians. They just said Central Asia, they didn't say exactly, but those yurts are Mongolian style. And I wonder if those brothers and sisters are from Mongolia. I don't know for sure, but I know this, that James Gilmore, a Scottish missionary to Mongolia, suffered as much as any, just the physical deprivations of working in such a hostile land. The land itself is vast. It's about the size of the American West. And this man just went on foot, sometimes walking, hiking up to 40 miles a day on foot. He originally began as a missionary in China, but then went into the northern regions, to the Mongolians. And they're very spread out. They're herdsmen, and they move around. Their yurts, their tents travel. And so he went from place to place. It's a cold land. Sometimes the temperatures plummet as low as 40 degrees below zero. He endured long spells of hunger and thirst on his treks. His target people, the Mongolians, dwelled in filthy, vermin-infested yurts. They were very nasty places. And he would go in there, and he would share the Gospel. He would seek to win them from animism and Buddhism, Lamaistic Buddhism. And they were very... A lot of them struggled with drunkenness, with violence, with thievery. And as he would witness to them, he would do rudimentary medical care, basic medical things like extracting bad teeth and other things like that. He was not a trained medical worker, but he knew some basic things, and people would come and he would care for them. And he would share simple Bible stories and the simple life of Jesus, His death on the cross, His resurrection. And he was there for four years of diligent sacrificial labor, James Gilmore. In 1874, he could not count a single convert, and he went beyond that. There was not even a single person that he felt was interested in the Gospel. Imagine doing that kind of work for four years. But he was concerned that no Mongolian he ever talked to did not come to faith in Christ because of a lack of clear, passionate proclamation of the Gospel. That's what he said. He wanted to be certain no Mongolian would be justified in pitching into us for not pitching into them more savagely. Listen to that, pitching into them savagely, for not, in fact, taking them by the cuff of the neck and dragging them into the kingdom. Sounds a little like a frustrated missionary after a while, but sharing the Gospel, it's like, "I'm gonna drag you into the kingdom." But there's no physical place to go. It has to be by hearing and believing. And after four years, no response. He left for a short time and then came back in 1884. And he finally won his first convert. He was in a dirty Mongolian tent. There was a fire in the center of the tent. There's generally smoke in there, but this was unusually bad because an outsider came in and started stirring up the smoldering log, filling the yurt with noxious smoke. And so he was getting as low as he could to just get some air in the tent. But then out of the cloud... He couldn't even see the man. Out of the cloud, this man spoke, "I have for months been a learner of Jesus Christ, and now I am ready to trust Him." Gilmore said of that moment, "The place was as beautiful to me as the gate of heaven, and the words of the confession of Christ from out of that cloud of smoke were as inspiring to me as if they had been spoken by an angel from out of the cloud of glory." They left the yurt. They walked together for 23 miles, talking about Christian theology. You have a 23-mile walk with a man, what are you gonna tell him? So he did basic Christian follow-up. They hugged each other. They knelt together and prayed. And then as far as I know, James Gilmore never saw that man again. Gilmore continued to travel in native fashion. He walked everywhere. He ate porridge. He lived on equivalent of about six cents a day. During one eight-month stretch, he preached to almost 24,000 people, sold 3000 Christian books, saw about 6000 patients with rudimentary medical treatments, distributed 4500 tracks, traveled almost 1900 miles, spent about $200 on himself for his own needs, and reported that in all of that, only two individuals came to faith in Christ. So as I look at that, I think, "Pastor, couldn't you have chosen a more triumphant story?" There are many more triumphant stories, but do you not see the grace of God in that? His relentless commitment to share even if he doesn't get the response. That's all we're called to do. You can't grab someone by the scruff of the neck and drag them into the kingdom, but we can, at great cost, be willing to take the message to them. He reminds me of what it says in that hall of faith in Hebrews 11:37-38, "They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground." IV. The Heavenly Celebrations Awaiting These Sacrifices Now, I believe when we get to heaven, we're going to celebrate brothers and sisters that sacrifice like Lottie Moon and like James Gilmore. We're gonna celebrate them. And you have, and so do I, a massive education waiting for you on the history of missions. And you're not gonna be bored at all because I really believe God's gonna not just tell you about it, but show it to you. And you're gonna get to know them, these heroes, and all of them are going to testify that whatever glory they have for their sacrificial service belongs to Christ. And they're going to lay their crowns before Jesus. As I was doing leaves a couple of days ago, I was thinking about these hero stories and brothers and sisters and the honor that's gonna come in heaven to them. But I was also thinking about that song "God and God Alone" by Steve Green. And I was thinking, "All the glory goes to him." And these heroes and heroines are gonna say that. They're gonna cast their crowns, all of them, before the Lord. And I thought about that scene in Revelation, chapter 5, where the scroll is in the right hand of God Almighty. He sits on the throne. And a search is made in heaven and earth and under the Earth, and no one is found who is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, except Jesus. And so we're gonna celebrate and honor the sacrifices that were made. We're going to rightly celebrate them. We're gonna learn. We're not gonna feel jealous of them. We're gonna honor them, even if they are greater sacrifices than our own. And many of them will be greater than our own. And they'll have a greater place of glory than we do. But all glory goes to Christ, so there is no one like him, and his alone is the glory of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He alone had the right to take the scroll and open its seals. Now, I read other stories, and they're exciting. You wanna hear some of them? Come to me afterwards, and I'll tell you more. One particular man in Japan left during the period in the middle of the 19th century, when it was illegal for Japanese to leave Japan. They couldn't leave their own country. He had come across the track, had become a Christian. He wanted to get theologically trained. His name is Joseph Nisima. He was in the bottom of a boat that was a junk, that was traveling to China, and he hid under some ropes. And he eventually went to Andover Seminary, right near where I went to seminary, was theologically trained, went back to Japan and set up a school for boys, and led hundreds of Japanese boys to faith in Christ. I can't wait to meet him. I was a missionary, my wife and I were missionaries in Japan. And it's hard work there, very slow, not a lot of converts. Then there's George Mackay, who worked in Formosa, now known as Taiwan, among some headhunters who collected the heads of their victims. This guy went up into the mountainous regions of Formosa, Taiwan, and shared the Gospel in tents in which their heads strung together, all around there. And they liked him because, like James Gilmore, he was good at extracting bad teeth. So that's very painful, and so he's able to pull it out and alleviate their pain, they're willing to listen to the gospel. And he led a number of them to faith in Christ. So those were sacrifices that have been made. People that are willing to go into dangerous places and share the gospel. The question that's in front of us now, this month and really year-round, not just because of the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, but because we're Christians, because we read the Scripture, we see it. We can feel what it was like to be in the upper room. What are we called to do? V. A Call for You to Sacrifice for the Great Commission And it always must begin with prayer. Start by presenting yourself as a living sacrifice and saying, "Lord, what am I to do for unreached people groups? What involvement do you want me to have?" One of the benefits we have of being in this church is we have a number of friends that are serving amongst unreached people groups right now. If you wanna know their names, come to any of the elders or church members, we'll tell you who they are and what people groups they're working with. You can pray for them. And in this day and age, we can even stay in contact with them and ask how we can pray for them this week. The home fellowships have adopted missionaries. Be faithful in praying for them. Find out what their needs are, so we can be praying and lifting them up. You know how Paul says that we should join our brothers and sisters that are in prison as if we were in prison with them. Well, I think the same mentality, we can join people in their struggles for missions as if we are fellow missionaries with them through prayer. “We can join people in their struggles for missions as if we are fellow missionaries with them through prayer.” Secondly, financial giving. I'm very well aware that a couple of weeks ago, I urged you to consider your involvement in the More than a Building campaign, and that continues to be a need. We borrowed money, and we're going to pay it back at interest. The sooner you can give, the less money and interest we'll pay. It'll be better for the Kingdom. And that's still true, but I think we have enough bandwidth, don't we, to also think about missions. We have enough bandwidth to say, "There's that, but there's also unreached people groups." And we have the chance, as Southern Baptists, to give money directly to brothers and sisters that are gonna go and serve into the distant most parts of the earth. We can share through them financially in giving. So just go before the Lord and say, "Lord, what do you want me to give to unreached people group missions?" And then finally, go. So what does this mean? It means look for opportunities to go. We have a mission trip going to Taiwan. I don't know if there are any openings on that, but we're gonna be regularly going overseas on short-term mission trips. But there may be some of you that God may be calling. No matter what stage of life you're in, it's amazing how many opportunities there are, how many pathways there are to go and serve overseas. One family, the Hausons, were sitting in pews just like you folks. He had a successful consulting business, consulting job, and was doing very well, but God called him out of that to go do business missions in North Africa. And he's serving now. I talk to him every other week and get prayer requests from him. God called him out of a situation just like you guys are in, sitting there in the pew, to serve in cross-cultural missions. So what is God calling you to do? What will you be glad that you did when you get to Judgment Day? What will you be eternally glad that you did in heaven? What can we celebrate for the glory of God? What sacrifices are you willing to make? Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for the Word of God. We thank you for what it does in our hearts and our minds. Thank you for how the Great Commission is a timeless work. It is something that you planned before the foundation of the world, that Christ would be slain for the elect. From before the foundation of the world, that plan was made. And now, the call on us, that central sacrifice has been once for all made, now you're calling us to other sacrifices, that the gospel might be applied to those who, right now, as I speak, are not yet Christians. And so I pray, O Lord, that you would please call us to willing, cheerful sacrifice for the spread of the gospel. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Did you know that every believer has an office in the Body of Christ? So, maybe you’re not called to the fivefold, but you still have a function! Watch this video as Torema uncovers what your office might be. --------------------------------------------------------------- **NOTE** The Lord has given more teaching clarity and so we no longer use the terms "heavenly kingship" and "heavenly priesthood" but the principles remain the same. Please visit our website for more understanding regarding, kingship, priesthood office, sonship and priesthood calling. --------------------------------------------------------------- For more free resources visit our website: www.pura-t-international.org.uk You can also connect with us via social media: https://www.facebook.com/PuraTInternational https://twitter.com/puraTIntl https://www.instagram.com/puratinternational/

Why are you here? Why do you follow Christ? So many "Followers" of christ chose to follow him for the free meal, for the miracles, or for what they can get from Christ. But when it comes to the hard stuff, when Christ Jesus asks us to lay down our own lives, our wants and desires, so many walked away. They could not submit to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Can you? Why are you here?

There is a true theological balancing act that is able to handle two very different sentiments that are both found in Scripture. The first is the response of a humble servant of Christ—“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). We are to say that we are unprofitable servants, and when we do that, we are doing no more than what we were told to say. But what does the Lord say to us? “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21). How do we reconcile the two? To paraphrase Spurgeon, we don't need to reconcile them. Why reconcile friends?

Proverbs 14:19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous. In the world even today, wickedness cannot stand tall, confident and true in their heart in the presence of godly people walking in Christ. They run from Christ, remove themselves from the exaltation of Jesus or from the hearing of Gods word. Or if they stay, they are flooded with the Light of the Lord and who can stand firm in their own self righteousness before him? And so in our daily life we see this verse play out in some context… Those who reject Jesus will seek to remove themselves from the presence of believers who exalt Christ or they will begin seeking God and as they see his glory submit themselves to the Lord. In this context they do bow down to God before those who are righteous in Christ. 1st Corinthians 6:2 seems to indicate something related in some fashion. It says: Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?... So Believers will judge people like Adolf Hitler, Nero and even our neighbors who rejected Christ… So, here we find that the wicked will at least come before the righteous and abase themselves in the presence of those who have received the righteousness of Christ through faith. Although that is quite amazing, there is something even much more profound and which seems perfectly synced with our text. Let me read it again: Proverbs 14:19 says: The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous. There is only one who is good; correct? Philippians 2:10 says: so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The fact is that we will all bow at the name of the only true, righteous one; Jesus. If not now, then along with all at his return. For all who worship Him; bowing before him will be our greatest joy and delight.

Radical Faith – What is Faith – Part 2   Caroline: Hi everyone. I’m Caroline Springer. Welcome to this next session of Get Sellers Calling You with Beatty Carmichael. This is actually one of our Radical Faith calls and these are little bit different. A quick little intro about Beatty and I will let him explain our Radical Faith calls are. Beatty is the CEO of MasterGrabber, the creator of Agent Dominator and he’s one of the top marketing experts in the real estate field. He also is a Christian and loves the Lord and really has walked out his faith in an inspiring way in the business world. Beatty, I’m going to pass it over to you if you’d like to share just a little bit about what these Radical Faith calls are and how they are different than our typical marketing calls. Beatty:  Sure, well, you know in California they have a law that’s passed that says anything that’s sold in California that has any ingredients or chemicals that could cause cancer, you have to put a warning label on it. What’s really funny is my children and I were at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s years back and one of my sons bought one of these really sharp military grade knifes.  These were meant to hurt people and to hurt animals or cut wood or whatever, and there’s this warning label on it: Warning. This knife contains chemicals that are known to cause cancer and I’m thinking here we have a weapon and they’re putting this warning sign on it. I want to give my little warning for those out there that this may be your first time with a Radical Faith call.  This has nothing to do with marketing a real estate business, this particular call. The Radical Faith call has everything to do with how do you live your life for Christ? So, if you’re not interested in my Christianity, if you’re not interested in Christianity at all, you are fairly warned and you can press delete on your podcast or you can hang up on the call. Otherwise, I’m not trying to push my belief onto you, but I’m trying to share my beliefs with those who want to hear them. That’s our little disclaimer up front. So, I’ll turn it back over to you now. Caroline: I love it. It’s a little less scary than cancer-causing…. Beatty:  But this is cancer free. This will be cancer free. Caroline: This will be cancer free. This is a cancer free zone. Only things that will benefit you, benefit your health. Beatty:  Can I share a quick story?  I’ve got to share this story. So, I get out and I pray for people. That’s just part of what I do. I remember I was over at Walmart and I had seen this 50 something year old lady, and she caught my eye as I was talking to someone at the entrance to Walmart, but I didn’t do anything about it. About 30 minutes later, I see her again in an isle on the other side of the store and I just felt the Holy Spirit saying, I need to go pray for her. So, literally, I walked over to her and said, excuse me ma’am. The Holy Spirit just kind of highlighted you and I think there’s something I need to pray for you about. “Is there anything I can pray for you?” She looks at me with this blank stare, almost with the expression like, who are you. She then kind of broke a little bit and said, “Yes.” I said, “How can I pray for you?” She says, “I have really bad back pain. I have degenerative discs in my back and I have neuropathy in my legs.” I was asking about the neuropathy and if there was a real tight constriction on her legs.  The feeling was a real tight constriction and a lot of pain up in the thigh area on both of her legs.  So, I said, “Let me pray for you.”  So, I prayed for her healing and I said, “Do you feel anything?”  I literally prayed 10 seconds or less and she goes, “Yeah, all the pain in my back is gone.” I said, “Great, but how about your legs?” She said, “I feel release. I feel release. They don’t feel quite as tight.” I said, “Well, good.”  Let’s pray again. And so we prayed again and five or ten seconds later after praying, I said, “Do you feel anything?” She said, “Yes, I feel heat in my back.” I said, “That’s great. That’s the Holy Spirit healing your back and let’s just give it time. Tell me what you feel now.” She says, “Well, that heat is now in my legs. All through my legs.” I said, “That’s great. The Holy Spirit is healing you there.” I said, “Now tell me what’s going on.” She said, “The heat is now up in my stomach area.” “Okay, let’s just keep giving it some time.” Now, all this is over maybe like two minutes, maybe three at most. Then I said, “Now tell me what you feel.” She said, “The heat is going away.” I said, “That’s perfect.” I said, “Tell me about your back.” “No pain.” I said, “Do something that you could not have done without a lot of pain.” She bends all the way over and touches her toes. Degenerative discs could never have done that. Then, I said, “What about your legs and she said, all of the pain is gone. I said, “Fantastic.” I said, “Now, is there anything going on in your stomach area?”  She said, “Yes, I’ve had an ovarian cyst for about a year and I don’t feel that either.” Caroline: Wow. Beatty:  Yeah and it’s really cool talking about these warning labels that can cause cancer, but the reality is Warning: This stuff with the Lord can cause the healing of cancer. It can cause healing of all kinds of things and restoring of our lives. As Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have life to the fullest. To the fullest is not to be bound by sickness and disease. Some of us are and sometimes God doesn’t heal, but I’ve seen such a consistency in that, that I’ve got to believe that the heart of the Father is truly what Jesus said. That we would have life in its fullness in all areas. So, I’m excited to share a little bit more about what we’ve started on the last Radical Faith call and continue that process in understanding this thing called faith and kind of what it all is. So, can we kind of jump on in now that we’ve spent about five minutes here. Caroline: Yes, I love it.  Let’s go. Beatty:  Let me give a real quick review of where we were last time. We’re going through a step-by-step process in understanding what faith really is, understanding it from a Biblical perspective. What does the scripture say that faith is and what do the scriptures show how the faith is lived out and manifests itself in everyday life? What we’ve found is that faith is, from Jesus’ perspective, one of the most important things. Not only is it one of the very few things, as a matter of fact, there’s only three things I know that Jesus ever rebuked his disciples for. One was when the disciples wanted to call fire down from Heaven and consume the people like Elijah did. One when he rebuked Peter and said, get behind me Satan. Every other rebuke that Jesus gave his disciples, which was over and over again, was oh you of little faith. Why did you doubt?  So, he makes a big deal out of faith. The other thing Jesus did is He prays and says, when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the Earth. It’s such a big deal that He’s asking will He find faith. We find that faith. We’ve talked about Hebrews 1. That faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. It is a title deed, meaning it’s the evidence of things being real that you cannot see. It’s the same evidence of things being real as when you’re on your cell phone. We have complete faith that there are radio waves out there and that we can talk on that cell phone. We have no idea how it works, but we have evidence that it’s real. Therefore, that’s what the Bible is talking about. The faith that we do not see, but we have the evidence that it is real. What we started to do is we started to talk about how faith manifests itself. We talked about Moses parting the Red Sea. God told him to basically stop whining. Tell the people to move forward. Forward was directly into the Red Sea and we find that Moses acted by God’s direction before he saw and God performed.  Then we talked about Elijah and the widow during the drought during the reign of Kind Ahab and how that happened. Now I want to pick up on a couple of more stories as we continue to talk about how faith gets manifested into our lives. I want to talk about Biblical stories and some current day stories, sort of like the healing. That’s actually an expression of faith that I was sharing. If we go back to the Bible, there’s a passage. I’m not going to ask you where that passage is and put you on the spot, Caroline. But there’s a passage where Peter is walking on the water and it’s in Matthew 14 and I just want to read you part of this passage and then ask you a couple of questions. Let me set the stage. They have, just the day before, fed the 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish and that was 5,000 men, so we know there’s probably ten or fifteen thousand people by the time you add women and children. Then, Jesus goes up to the top of the mountain to pray, and as he goes up to pray, he sends the apostles and disciples back across the lake in the boat. So, they’re out there and it says that they’re straining at the oars all night because there’s a headwind against them and then Jesus, during the early dawn hours of the morning, He now walks across the lake and they see him dimly and they think He’s a ghost and everyone gets afraid. Are you familiar with this passage? Caroline: Yes, absolutely. Beatty:  Okay, good.  So, He says, don’t be afraid, it’s just me. What does Peter blurt out at that point, do you remember? Caroline: Lord if it’s you, tell me to come to you. Beatty:  That’s right. Lord if that’s you, tell me to come walk on the water too. So, now we pick up Matthew 14 verse 22 and it says, and He, meaning Jesus, “And He said, come and Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But, when seeing the wind, he became frightened and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord save me. Immediately, Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him and said, you of little faith.” Here’s one of his rebukes. You of little faith, why did you doubt? So, here’s my question to you. Who acted in this story? Caroline: Peter acted. He had the faith and the risk to step out of the boat. Beatty:  There you go. Did he see before he acted? Caroline: No. Like you mean see himself successfully walking? No. That was definitely a leap of faith, if you will, just to step out onto that water. Beatty: Correct. So, why did he act? Caroline: To me, I love that Peter, to his reply to the fear of them all thinking that it’s a ghost, that he says, tell me. Like, tell me to come and your question is why? I feel like just that trust in knowing the Lord’s voice. If you tell me, I’m willing to go, I’m willing to take that step even if I can’t see. Beatty:  That’s right. He acted because God told him to act. Make sense? Caroline: Absolutely, yes. Beatty: Okay, so let’s review. Peter acted before he could see, but he acted because he’s stepping out on the command or the word of the Lord, and then who performed? Caroline: Well, I guess, Peter was acting, and so it was his act, but really it was the Lord. I mean, but we, in our own flesh cannot walk on water. But with the Lord providing, I guess, he’s the one that performed in response to Peter’s faith. Beatty:  And so we see this pattern. Go throughout scripture and you’ll see this all the time.  Man acts before he can see, but he acts by the clearly delineated will of God, trusting that truth and God then comes in and performs. So, this is how faith is manifested all the time. Think about me healing that lady. Who acted? I did. Why did I act? Because God said, go do what I do. It says, truly, truly whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and I actually just believe Him that we’ll actually do the works that He does and so we go out. When I went out and I prayed for that lady, I couldn’t see it. I had no idea how it happens, but I expected to happen and who performed? The Holy Spirit came and performed a healing work on her body. Why? Because He loves her and He wanted to demonstrate His love to her. We see this process. Let me read a couple more stories that are more modern day. Modern day, this is back in the late 1800s, early 1900s, but there’s a guy named, George Mueller. If you’re not familiar with him, he ran an orphanage of twenty thousand children over in England back in the turn of the early 19th century and this is a story of one thing going on. I’m just going to read it to you just to make sure all the data is there. One morning, all the plates and cups and bowls on the table were empty. He was in the breakfast room and they were about to have breakfast. The plates and the cups and the bowls are empty. There is no food in the pantry and no money to buy food. The children were standing waiting for their morning meal when Mueller said, “Children, you know we must be in time for school.” Then lifting up his hands he prayed, “Dear Father, we thank you for what you are going to give us to eat.” Pretty bold, don’t you think? Nothing there. No food in the pantry and he prays and says, “Thank you for what you are going to give us to eat.” I love these stories. There is a knock at the door. The baker stood there and said, “Mr. Mueller, I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you didn’t have bread for breakfast and I felt that the Lord wanted me to send you some. So I got up at 2:00 in the morning and baked some fresh bread and brought it.” Mr. Mueller thanked the baker and, no sooner had he left there was a second knock at the door. It was the milkman. He announced that his milk cart had broken down right in front of the orphanage and he would like to give the children his cans of fresh milk so he can empty his cart and repair it. Isn’t that cool? So here’s a question. Who acted? Caroline: George. Beatty: That’s right. He acted by praying and thanking the Lord for the food that they were about to eat. Did he see or have any knowledge of that food before he acted? Before he prayed? Caroline: No. I love that. I love that the thankfulness is the act in this too. Beatty:  Yes. So why did he act? Caroline: Just trusting the Lord and His goodness and His promise to be a Father who takes care of His kids. Beatty:  That’s right. He is acting on God’s promises that can never fail. And then, who performed? Caroline: The Lord, through the obedience of that baker. The Lord prompted them to provide. I think that’s the Lord acting on George’s behalf. Beatty:  I think so too. Here is kind of a question we don’t fully know that answer to, but I think we can piece it together by understanding scripture. If Mueller did not pray and thank the Lord and fully expect that the Lord would provide provision for them, would God have delivered the food? Caroline: Most of me wants to say yes because God’s goodness is not contingent upon us. That’s what His grace is. But there is part of me too that has seen the Lord perform, if you will, or act in response to our faith, in response to our thankfulness. Thankfulness can open the door for something that maybe would not have happened otherwise. I don’t know if that is a direct answer because I’ve seen it both ways. I’d love to hear your examples and scripture. Beatty:  I’m going to show you another example then I’m going to come back to that question. But let me ask you, based on this scriptural example. If Peter had not seen Jesus walking on the water. If Jesus has not told him to come. But if Peter just got this crazy idea to just step out of the boat and try walking on the water on his own, what do you think would have happened? Caroline: He would have drowned maybe. Beatty:  Exactly. So there is something here that says, it’s not just the act of doing it but the Lord has to be involved. There has to be, what I’ll call, a level of belief. Let’s look at one more story of George Mueller. This one is cool. Let me set up the environment. In Mueller’s later life—in the 1860s and 70s—he started to speak. He lived in Bristol, England. He was invited to go speak in Quebec, Canada, I believe it was. So he gets on a steamer and comes across the Atlantic. The scheduled date is on a Saturday coming up. As they get closer to the North American continent, the steamer runs into a really thick fog. It’s so thick that they literally turn the engines off. They put them in complete idle because—and this still happens today—you can’t see through it and therefore it’s extremely dangerous to try to power through the fog in case you run into something. You are totally blind. So they can only do it when they can see. That then brings me to this story. This is a first-hand account. There is a guy named Mr. Ingles writing his interactions with the captain of that ocean liner that Mueller was on. So here’s the story. This is the captain speaking:   "Mr. Inglis, the last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, one of the most extraordinary things happened which, has completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. Up to that time I was one of your ordinary Christians. We had a man of God on board, George Müller, of Bristol. I had been on that bridge for twenty-two hours and never left it. I was startled by someone tapping me on the shoulder. It was George Müller: "'Captain, he said, 'I have come to tell you that I must be In Quebec on Saturday afternoon.' This was Wednesday. "'It is impossible,' I said.   [And watch this confidence George Mueller has.]   "'Very well, if your ship can't take me, God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an engagement in fifty seven years.' "’I would willingly help you. How can I? I am helpless.' "'Let us go down to the chart-room and pray.' "I looked at that man of God, and I thought to myself, what lunatic asylum could that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing. "'Mr. Müller,' I said, 'do you know how dense the fog is?' "'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.' "He got down on his knees and prayed one of the simplest prayers. I muttered to myself: 'That would suit a children's class where the children were not more than eight or nine years old.' The burden of his prayer was something like this: 'O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement you made for me in Quebec Saturday. I believe it is your will.' "When he finished. I was going to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will; and second. I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.' I looked at him, and George Müller said. "'Captain. I have known my Lord for forty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone!”   This is just another story of faith manifesting itself. So here is a question. Who acted in this story?   Caroline: Definitely George. That kind of faith changes the world.   Beatty:  Right. Did he act before he saw?   Caroline: No.   Beatty:  Why did he act?   Caroline: Even at the end just there you said that he’s known the Lord for 47 years. He has seen him act before and he knows the character of the Lord. He knows that is something you can trust. That is why. That is something worthy of putting your faith in.   Beatty:  It is. He acted because he was confident in the truth and validity of the word and the word to him was God was going to get him there because God has done it all before.   There is one other element and we’ll talk about this later but it is the level of belief. Who performed?   Caroline: The Lord. It’s like that story of Jesus calming the storm. A little fog? A storm? That’s nothing.   Beatty: Absolutely. Now let me put one other thing in perspective because we didn’t cover this. The captain had been on the bridge for 22 hours. These fogs last for usually ten days to two weeks before they dissipate. So this was an absolutely miracle from that perspective.   So here is what we find. We also find this in scripture. Jesus says, “Pray believing that you have received and it shall be granted you.” That’s just what Mueller did.   So let me go back to the question I asked you on the previous one. If Mueller did not pray for provision of the food you say, “I think God would have still provided it.” If Mueller did not pray for the lifting of the fog, would the fog have still lifted?   Caroline: No, it would not have.   Beatty:  No, it would not, and, therefore, I believe—back to the provision of the food—had Mueller not have prayed, the food would not have arrived.   I did a study on prayer throughout all the Old Testament and New Testament. God acts upon prayer, not in the absence of prayer.   So let’s look at a few more things about this story on Mueller. If it be Your will. Have you heard people pray, “Well Lord if it’s Your will, please do this.” Then it doesn’t happen and someone says, “Oh, it must not be God’s will.” Have you ever heard people pray like that?   Caroline: Yes, many times.   Beatty:  I see it a lot in healing. “Oh, thank you for your prayer but, you know, I’ve had a lot of people pray for me and God hasn’t healed me. It’s just not His will.” I say, “Well let me pray” and they get healed. This doesn’t happen all the time, but about two-thirds of the time. What is it about, “if it be Your will”? Here is what Mueller said, “If it is consistent with Your will, lift this fog in five minutes so I may make my appointment. I believe it is Your will.” So the question is, how did Mueller pray differently than most of us pray?   Here is what I would to suggest. When people pray, “If it’s Your will,” for the most part, it’s a copout. “I don’t really believe you are going to do it God, but I know You are sovereign. I know You can do it. Therefore, if it is Your will, I’m going to trust You to do it.” But what they lose sight of are the other passages in the Bible. “Pray believing you have received and it will be yours.” “Say to this mountain be taken up and cast into the sea and if you believe in your heart and do not doubt, it will happen.” Command this mulberry tree to be taken up and cast into the sea and if you will do it without doubting, it will happen.” James says, “Let not a man receive anything from the Lord if he doubts.”   So we have all of these passages focused on this concept of believing it to be true. I would submit to you that Mueller absolutely believed it was true. That’s why he says, “I believe it is your will.” So let me ask you one other question as we are talking about prayer. Had Mueller not prayed, but the captain did pray, would that fog have been lifted?   Caroline: I would think not because he didn’t believe. It’s like what you are saying, he’s not coming before the Father with faith. He is coming begrudgingly. It’s a different heart.   Beatty: Yes, with a different heart. So here we have one final element on how faith gets manifested. You have to have faith if you want God to work in your life. That faith, we are going to find in our next session, is rooted in the word of God and specifically in His promises and commands. It’s not just rooted in that, it’s rooted in those and when we believe on those. Mueller did not simply believe on his own willpower. That is not what Jesus talks about. When we believe, the only thing we can believe in is what is truth. Jesus says, “They word is truth.” The only truth that exists is His word. So the only thing we can believe in being truthful is His word. So simply trying to have the willpower of our own, “I believe, I believe”—the harder you try to believe, the less you really believe because you are trying to fool yourself.   So we will talk about all of these. Is this pretty interesting?   Caroline: Oh, I love this. This is definitely inspiring and kind of solidifying too, even challenging belief systems that I think are easy to float around. Even what I was saying earlier, it’s easy to think, “Well, even if I don’t pray, God is good.” But the Lord invites us to partner with him and to believe and to pray. He wants us to experience that. I think it’s a really good challenge to remember our positions as children, that He invites us to be risk takers and to have radical faith. I love this.   Beatty:  Cool. I know we are out of time, so let’s close out.   Caroline: I love these calls, I’m sorry. Sometimes I tend to get so enthralled I’m not even looking at the clock. But yes, we are about out of time.   Beatty, thank you for your time and sharing your wisdom and experience and stories and scripture. I think it’s a really great call and I hope all of our listeners really enjoyed it also and were inspired. That’s all we have for today. Thank you again Beatty for sharing. I look forward to continuing on next time.   Beatty:  Me too. Y’all be blessed. P002

Have Questions or Comments? Please ask your questions in the comments section below. We attempt to respond to ALL questions or comments.   Transcript: Radical Faith – What is Faith – Part 2   Caroline: Hi everyone. I’m Caroline Springer. Welcome to this next session of Get Sellers Calling You with Beatty Carmichael. This is actually one of our Radical Faith calls and these are little bit different. A quick little intro about Beatty and I will let him explain our Radical Faith calls are. Beatty is the CEO of MasterGrabber, the creator of Agent Dominator and he’s one of the top marketing experts in the real estate field. He also is a Christian and loves the Lord and really has walked out his faith in an inspiring way in the business world. Beatty, I’m going to pass it over to you if you’d like to share just a little bit about what these Radical Faith calls are and how they are different than our typical marketing calls. Beatty:  Sure, well, you know in California they have a law that’s passed that says anything that’s sold in California that has any ingredients or chemicals that could cause cancer, you have to put a warning label on it. What’s really funny is my children and I were at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s years back and one of my sons bought one of these really sharp military grade knifes.  These were meant to hurt people and to hurt animals or cut wood or whatever, and there’s this warning label on it: Warning. This knife contains chemicals that are known to cause cancer and I’m thinking here we have a weapon and they’re putting this warning sign on it. I want to give my little warning for those out there that this may be your first time with a Radical Faith call.  This has nothing to do with marketing a real estate business, this particular call. The Radical Faith call has everything to do with how do you live your life for Christ? So, if you’re not interested in my Christianity, if you’re not interested in Christianity at all, you are fairly warned and you can press delete on your podcast or you can hang up on the call. Otherwise, I’m not trying to push my belief onto you, but I’m trying to share my beliefs with those who want to hear them. That’s our little disclaimer up front. So, I’ll turn it back over to you now. Caroline: I love it. It’s a little less scary than cancer-causing…. Beatty:  But this is cancer free. This will be cancer free. Caroline: This will be cancer free. This is a cancer free zone. Only things that will benefit you, benefit your health. Beatty:  Can I share a quick story?  I’ve got to share this story. So, I get out and I pray for people. That’s just part of what I do. I remember I was over at Walmart and I had seen this 50 something year old lady, and she caught my eye as I was talking to someone at the entrance to Walmart, but I didn’t do anything about it. About 30 minutes later, I see her again in an isle on the other side of the store and I just felt the Holy Spirit saying, I need to go pray for her. So, literally, I walked over to her and said, excuse me ma’am. The Holy Spirit just kind of highlighted you and I think there’s something I need to pray for you about. “Is there anything I can pray for you?” She looks at me with this blank stare, almost with the expression like, who are you. She then kind of broke a little bit and said, “Yes.” I said, “How can I pray for you?” She says, “I have really bad back pain. I have degenerative discs in my back and I have neuropathy in my legs.” I was asking about the neuropathy and if there was a real tight constriction on her legs.  The feeling was a real tight constriction and a lot of pain up in the thigh area on both of her legs.  So, I said, “Let me pray for you.”  So, I prayed for her healing and I said, “Do you feel anything?”  I literally prayed 10 seconds or less and she goes, “Yeah, all the pain in my back is gone.” I said, “Great, but how about your legs?” She said, “I feel release. I feel release. They don’t feel quite as tight.” I said, “Well, good.”  Let’s pray again. And so we prayed again and five or ten seconds later after praying, I said, “Do you feel anything?” She said, “Yes, I feel heat in my back.” I said, “That’s great. That’s the Holy Spirit healing your back and let’s just give it time. Tell me what you feel now.” She says, “Well, that heat is now in my legs. All through my legs.” I said, “That’s great. The Holy Spirit is healing you there.” I said, “Now tell me what’s going on.” She said, “The heat is now up in my stomach area.” “Okay, let’s just keep giving it some time.” Now, all this is over maybe like two minutes, maybe three at most. Then I said, “Now tell me what you feel.” She said, “The heat is going away.” I said, “That’s perfect.” I said, “Tell me about your back.” “No pain.” I said, “Do something that you could not have done without a lot of pain.” She bends all the way over and touches her toes. Degenerative discs could never have done that. Then, I said, “What about your legs and she said, all of the pain is gone. I said, “Fantastic.” I said, “Now, is there anything going on in your stomach area?”  She said, “Yes, I’ve had an ovarian cyst for about a year and I don’t feel that either.” Caroline: Wow. Beatty:  Yeah and it’s really cool talking about these warning labels that can cause cancer, but the reality is Warning: This stuff with the Lord can cause the healing of cancer. It can cause healing of all kinds of things and restoring of our lives. As Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have life to the fullest. To the fullest is not to be bound by sickness and disease. Some of us are and sometimes God doesn’t heal, but I’ve seen such a consistency in that, that I’ve got to believe that the heart of the Father is truly what Jesus said. That we would have life in its fullness in all areas. So, I’m excited to share a little bit more about what we’ve started on the last Radical Faith call and continue that process in understanding this thing called faith and kind of what it all is. So, can we kind of jump on in now that we’ve spent about five minutes here. Caroline: Yes, I love it.  Let’s go. Beatty:  Let me give a real quick review of where we were last time. We’re going through a step-by-step process in understanding what faith really is, understanding it from a Biblical perspective. What does the scripture say that faith is and what do the scriptures show how the faith is lived out and manifests itself in everyday life? What we’ve found is that faith is, from Jesus’ perspective, one of the most important things. Not only is it one of the very few things, as a matter of fact, there’s only three things I know that Jesus ever rebuked his disciples for. One was when the disciples wanted to call fire down from Heaven and consume the people like Elijah did. One when he rebuked Peter and said, get behind me Satan. Every other rebuke that Jesus gave his disciples, which was over and over again, was oh you of little faith. Why did you doubt?  So, he makes a big deal out of faith. The other thing Jesus did is He prays and says, when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the Earth. It’s such a big deal that He’s asking will He find faith. We find that faith. We’ve talked about Hebrews 1. That faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. It is a title deed, meaning it’s the evidence of things being real that you cannot see. It’s the same evidence of things being real as when you’re on your cell phone. We have complete faith that there are radio waves out there and that we can talk on that cell phone. We have no idea how it works, but we have evidence that it’s real. Therefore, that’s what the Bible is talking about. The faith that we do not see, but we have the evidence that it is real. What we started to do is we started to talk about how faith manifests itself. We talked about Moses parting the Red Sea. God told him to basically stop whining. Tell the people to move forward. Forward was directly into the Red Sea and we find that Moses acted by God’s direction before he saw and God performed.  Then we talked about Elijah and the widow during the drought during the reign of Kind Ahab and how that happened. Now I want to pick up on a couple of more stories as we continue to talk about how faith gets manifested into our lives. I want to talk about Biblical stories and some current day stories, sort of like the healing. That’s actually an expression of faith that I was sharing. If we go back to the Bible, there’s a passage. I’m not going to ask you where that passage is and put you on the spot, Caroline. But there’s a passage where Peter is walking on the water and it’s in Matthew 14 and I just want to read you part of this passage and then ask you a couple of questions. Let me set the stage. They have, just the day before, fed the 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish and that was 5,000 men, so we know there’s probably ten or fifteen thousand people by the time you add women and children. Then, Jesus goes up to the top of the mountain to pray, and as he goes up to pray, he sends the apostles and disciples back across the lake in the boat. So, they’re out there and it says that they’re straining at the oars all night because there’s a headwind against them and then Jesus, during the early dawn hours of the morning, He now walks across the lake and they see him dimly and they think He’s a ghost and everyone gets afraid. Are you familiar with this passage? Caroline: Yes, absolutely. Beatty:  Okay, good.  So, He says, don’t be afraid, it’s just me. What does Peter blurt out at that point, do you remember? Caroline: Lord if it’s you, tell me to come to you. Beatty:  That’s right. Lord if that’s you, tell me to come walk on the water too. So, now we pick up Matthew 14 verse 22 and it says, and He, meaning Jesus, “And He said, come and Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But, when seeing the wind, he became frightened and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord save me. Immediately, Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him and said, you of little faith.” Here’s one of his rebukes. You of little faith, why did you doubt? So, here’s my question to you. Who acted in this story? Caroline: Peter acted. He had the faith and the risk to step out of the boat. Beatty:  There you go. Did he see before he acted? Caroline: No. Like you mean see himself successfully walking? No. That was definitely a leap of faith, if you will, just to step out onto that water. Beatty: Correct. So, why did he act? Caroline: To me, I love that Peter, to his reply to the fear of them all thinking that it’s a ghost, that he says, tell me. Like, tell me to come and your question is why? I feel like just that trust in knowing the Lord’s voice. If you tell me, I’m willing to go, I’m willing to take that step even if I can’t see. Beatty:  That’s right. He acted because God told him to act. Make sense? Caroline: Absolutely, yes. Beatty: Okay, so let’s review. Peter acted before he could see, but he acted because he’s stepping out on the command or the word of the Lord, and then who performed? Caroline: Well, I guess, Peter was acting, and so it was his act, but really it was the Lord. I mean, but we, in our own flesh cannot walk on water. But with the Lord providing, I guess, he’s the one that performed in response to Peter’s faith. Beatty:  And so we see this pattern. Go throughout scripture and you’ll see this all the time.  Man acts before he can see, but he acts by the clearly delineated will of God, trusting that truth and God then comes in and performs. So, this is how faith is manifested all the time. Think about me healing that lady. Who acted? I did. Why did I act? Because God said, go do what I do. It says, truly, truly whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and I actually just believe Him that we’ll actually do the works that He does and so we go out. When I went out and I prayed for that lady, I couldn’t see it. I had no idea how it happens, but I expected to happen and who performed? The Holy Spirit came and performed a healing work on her body. Why? Because He loves her and He wanted to demonstrate His love to her. We see this process. Let me read a couple more stories that are more modern day. Modern day, this is back in the late 1800s, early 1900s, but there’s a guy named, George Mueller. If you’re not familiar with him, he ran an orphanage of twenty thousand children over in England back in the turn of the early 19th century and this is a story of one thing going on. I’m just going to read it to you just to make sure all the data is there. One morning, all the plates and cups and bowls on the table were empty. He was in the breakfast room and they were about to have breakfast. The plates and the cups and the bowls are empty. There is no food in the pantry and no money to buy food. The children were standing waiting for their morning meal when Mueller said, “Children, you know we must be in time for school.” Then lifting up his hands he prayed, “Dear Father, we thank you for what you are going to give us to eat.” Pretty bold, don’t you think? Nothing there. No food in the pantry and he prays and says, “Thank you for what you are going to give us to eat.” I love these stories. There is a knock at the door. The baker stood there and said, “Mr. Mueller, I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you didn’t have bread for breakfast and I felt that the Lord wanted me to send you some. So I got up at 2:00 in the morning and baked some fresh bread and brought it.” Mr. Mueller thanked the baker and, no sooner had he left there was a second knock at the door. It was the milkman. He announced that his milk cart had broken down right in front of the orphanage and he would like to give the children his cans of fresh milk so he can empty his cart and repair it. Isn’t that cool? So here’s a question. Who acted? Caroline: George. Beatty: That’s right. He acted by praying and thanking the Lord for the food that they were about to eat. Did he see or have any knowledge of that food before he acted? Before he prayed? Caroline: No. I love that. I love that the thankfulness is the act in this too. Beatty:  Yes. So why did he act? Caroline: Just trusting the Lord and His goodness and His promise to be a Father who takes care of His kids. Beatty:  That’s right. He is acting on God’s promises that can never fail. And then, who performed? Caroline: The Lord, through the obedience of that baker. The Lord prompted them to provide. I think that’s the Lord acting on George’s behalf. Beatty:  I think so too. Here is kind of a question we don’t fully know that answer to, but I think we can piece it together by understanding scripture. If Mueller did not pray and thank the Lord and fully expect that the Lord would provide provision for them, would God have delivered the food? Caroline: Most of me wants to say yes because God’s goodness is not contingent upon us. That’s what His grace is. But there is part of me too that has seen the Lord perform, if you will, or act in response to our faith, in response to our thankfulness. Thankfulness can open the door for something that maybe would not have happened otherwise. I don’t know if that is a direct answer because I’ve seen it both ways. I’d love to hear your examples and scripture. Beatty:  I’m going to show you another example then I’m going to come back to that question. But let me ask you, based on this scriptural example. If Peter had not seen Jesus walking on the water. If Jesus has not told him to come. But if Peter just got this crazy idea to just step out of the boat and try walking on the water on his own, what do you think would have happened? Caroline: He would have drowned maybe. Beatty:  Exactly. So there is something here that says, it’s not just the act of doing it but the Lord has to be involved. There has to be, what I’ll call, a level of belief. Let’s look at one more story of George Mueller. This one is cool. Let me set up the environment. In Mueller’s later life—in the 1860s and 70s—he started to speak. He lived in Bristol, England. He was invited to go speak in Quebec, Canada, I believe it was. So he gets on a steamer and comes across the Atlantic. The scheduled date is on a Saturday coming up. As they get closer to the North American continent, the steamer runs into a really thick fog. It’s so thick that they literally turn the engines off. They put them in complete idle because—and this still happens today—you can’t see through it and therefore it’s extremely dangerous to try to power through the fog in case you run into something. You are totally blind. So they can only do it when they can see. That then brings me to this story. This is a first-hand account. There is a guy named Mr. Ingles writing his interactions with the captain of that ocean liner that Mueller was on. So here’s the story. This is the captain speaking:   "Mr. Inglis, the last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, one of the most extraordinary things happened which, has completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. Up to that time I was one of your ordinary Christians. We had a man of God on board, George Müller, of Bristol. I had been on that bridge for twenty-two hours and never left it. I was startled by someone tapping me on the shoulder. It was George Müller: "'Captain, he said, 'I have come to tell you that I must be In Quebec on Saturday afternoon.' This was Wednesday. "'It is impossible,' I said.   [And watch this confidence George Mueller has.]   "'Very well, if your ship can't take me, God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an engagement in fifty seven years.' "’I would willingly help you. How can I? I am helpless.' "'Let us go down to the chart-room and pray.' "I looked at that man of God, and I thought to myself, what lunatic asylum could that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing. "'Mr. Müller,' I said, 'do you know how dense the fog is?' "'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.' "He got down on his knees and prayed one of the simplest prayers. I muttered to myself: 'That would suit a children's class where the children were not more than eight or nine years old.' The burden of his prayer was something like this: 'O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement you made for me in Quebec Saturday. I believe it is your will.' "When he finished. I was going to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will; and second. I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.' I looked at him, and George Müller said. "'Captain. I have known my Lord for forty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone!”   This is just another story of faith manifesting itself. So here is a question. Who acted in this story?   Caroline: Definitely George. That kind of faith changes the world.   Beatty:  Right. Did he act before he saw?   Caroline: No.   Beatty:  Why did he act?   Caroline: Even at the end just there you said that he’s known the Lord for 47 years. He has seen him act before and he knows the character of the Lord. He knows that is something you can trust. That is why. That is something worthy of putting your faith in.   Beatty:  It is. He acted because he was confident in the truth and validity of the word and the word to him was God was going to get him there because God has done it all before.   There is one other element and we’ll talk about this later but it is the level of belief. Who performed?   Caroline: The Lord. It’s like that story of Jesus calming the storm. A little fog? A storm? That’s nothing.   Beatty: Absolutely. Now let me put one other thing in perspective because we didn’t cover this. The captain had been on the bridge for 22 hours. These fogs last for usually ten days to two weeks before they dissipate. So this was an absolutely miracle from that perspective.   So here is what we find. We also find this in scripture. Jesus says, “Pray believing that you have received and it shall be granted you.” That’s just what Mueller did.   So let me go back to the question I asked you on the previous one. If Mueller did not pray for provision of the food you say, “I think God would have still provided it.” If Mueller did not pray for the lifting of the fog, would the fog have still lifted?   Caroline: No, it would not have.   Beatty:  No, it would not, and, therefore, I believe—back to the provision of the food—had Mueller not have prayed, the food would not have arrived.   I did a study on prayer throughout all the Old Testament and New Testament. God acts upon prayer, not in the absence of prayer.   So let’s look at a few more things about this story on Mueller. If it be Your will. Have you heard people pray, “Well Lord if it’s Your will, please do this.” Then it doesn’t happen and someone says, “Oh, it must not be God’s will.” Have you ever heard people pray like that?   Caroline: Yes, many times.   Beatty:  I see it a lot in healing. “Oh, thank you for your prayer but, you know, I’ve had a lot of people pray for me and God hasn’t healed me. It’s just not His will.” I say, “Well let me pray” and they get healed. This doesn’t happen all the time, but about two-thirds of the time. What is it about, “if it be Your will”? Here is what Mueller said, “If it is consistent with Your will, lift this fog in five minutes so I may make my appointment. I believe it is Your will.” So the question is, how did Mueller pray differently than most of us pray?   Here is what I would to suggest. When people pray, “If it’s Your will,” for the most part, it’s a copout. “I don’t really believe you are going to do it God, but I know You are sovereign. I know You can do it. Therefore, if it is Your will, I’m going to trust You to do it.” But what they lose sight of are the other passages in the Bible. “Pray believing you have received and it will be yours.” “Say to this mountain be taken up and cast into the sea and if you believe in your heart and do not doubt, it will happen.” Command this mulberry tree to be taken up and cast into the sea and if you will do it without doubting, it will happen.” James says, “Let not a man receive anything from the Lord if he doubts.”   So we have all of these passages focused on this concept of believing it to be true. I would submit to you that Mueller absolutely believed it was true. That’s why he says, “I believe it is your will.” So let me ask you one other question as we are talking about prayer. Had Mueller not prayed, but the captain did pray, would that fog have been lifted?   Caroline: I would think not because he didn’t believe. It’s like what you are saying, he’s not coming before the Father with faith. He is coming begrudgingly. It’s a different heart.   Beatty: Yes, with a different heart. So here we have one final element on how faith gets manifested. You have to have faith if you want God to work in your life. That faith, we are going to find in our next session, is rooted in the word of God and specifically in His promises and commands. It’s not just rooted in that, it’s rooted in those and when we believe on those. Mueller did not simply believe on his own willpower. That is not what Jesus talks about. When we believe, the only thing we can believe in is what is truth. Jesus says, “They word is truth.” The only truth that exists is His word. So the only thing we can believe in being truthful is His word. So simply trying to have the willpower of our own, “I believe, I believe”—the harder you try to believe, the less you really believe because you are trying to fool yourself.   So we will talk about all of these. Is this pretty interesting?   Caroline: Oh, I love this. This is definitely inspiring and kind of solidifying too, even challenging belief systems that I think are easy to float around. Even what I was saying earlier, it’s easy to think, “Well, even if I don’t pray, God is good.” But the Lord invites us to partner with him and to believe and to pray. He wants us to experience that. I think it’s a really good challenge to remember our positions as children, that He invites us to be risk takers and to have radical faith. I love this.   Beatty:  Cool. I know we are out of time, so let’s close out.   Caroline: I love these calls, I’m sorry. Sometimes I tend to get so enthralled I’m not even looking at the clock. But yes, we are about out of time.   Beatty, thank you for your time and sharing your wisdom and experience and stories and scripture. I think it’s a really great call and I hope all of our listeners really enjoyed it also and were inspired. That’s all we have for today. Thank you again Beatty for sharing. I look forward to continuing on next time.   Beatty:  Me too. Y’all be blessed.   P016

When Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome after being chosen by the conclave of cardinals as Pope John Paul II, he made history. That night, he hand-wrote his first papal homily, which set the tone for the next 26 years of his papacy. In it he said: Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power… Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ… So often today man does not know what is within him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this earth. (Homily, 22 October 1978) “Be Not Afraid!” That is the title of this Retreat Guide, which will give us a chance to reflect on what made this Polish Pope so holy, inspiring, and spiritually fruitful.

Anxiety vs Assurance Dear friends, we live in a distracted, fractured, turbulent world, a world I think that's desperate for rest. Ecclesiastes chapter 2:22-23 says, "what does a man gain for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun. All his days, his work, his pain and grief even at night. His mind does not rest. This too, is meaningless." Over 172 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, insomnia, in some sense or another. Since 9/11, the sale of sleeping pills has increased by 25%. People are disturbed. People are restless, like the churning waves of the sea, unable to sleep because of their labors and their anxieties. Struggling with fears about the future. What will happen tomorrow? What if my husband dies? What if the stock market crashes. What if I lose my job? Even worse are the restless anxieties that go really to the center of our souls, people's guilty consciences tormenting them with their sins because they don't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Satan accusing. Judgment Day looming people then try to play tricks with their minds, and with theology try to convince themselves that there's no heaven, there's no hell, there's no accounting, there's no day of reckoning, no standing before a holy God, but in their minds, there's a nagging suspicion, an overriding sense that God may be angry with them because of their sins and so, they lie awake at night plotting and scheming, and reasoning, and planning and worrying and waiting for sleep to come and it doesn't. Not so the righteous says the scripture King David spoke for the entire family of God, when he described how easy it was for him to rest, to fall asleep at night. Psalm, 3:5-6, "I lie down and sleep. I wake again because the Lord sustains me, I will not fear the tens of thousands, drawn up against me on every side." And then in the very next psalm he says the same thing again. Psalm 4:8, "I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." And why is that, because by faith he knew that God was at peace with him. How much more dramatic then would the confidence be of the Apostle Paul, as he faced his own death, his imminent death, in the last epistle, he ever wrote 2 Timothy 4:7-8 in which he says, "I have fought the good fight. I finished the race, I've kept the faith. Now there is laid up in store for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord himself will award to me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." What incredible peace of conscience, and confidence he had as he faced his own death. So I ask you today dear friend have you entered into God's rest by faith in Jesus Christ? Persevering in the Profession of Faith Are you experiencing the fullness of that rest right now by faith? That's what this sermon is all about. Now we've known the context here, it bears repeating the author of this book, is writing to first century Jews who had made an outward profession of faith in Christ and had testified to that by water baptism, but were being harassed, and attacked every day, perhaps, by neighbors and relatives and government authorities and religious leaders to give up their faith in Jesus Christ. And to go back to old covenant worship, back to where it was safe. And so the author writes a strong word, an epistle of warning to them that they need to continue in their profession of faith in Christ right to the end to finish the journey of faith that they begin. He doesn't want them to drift away or turn away or fall away from Jesus. The last sermon we saw in Hebrews 3:15-19, he reminds them of the history of the Jews their forebears, their ancestors who came out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses, during the exodus, but through unbelief came short of the promised land, and the lesson was very clearly told at the very end of that chapter, in Hebrews 3:19. So we see, so we are able to conclude that generation of Jews was not able to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Now, as we look at Hebrews 4:1-5 the author is renewing this persuasion. He's going to meditate for a while on what it means to enter into God's rest. The clear idea is, that to enter God's rest is to come to faith in Jesus Christ, to see striving. And to come to rest and at peace with God through faith in Christ, that's what it means to enter God's rest and the ultimate consummation of that rest is to enter heaven when you die to enter into the very presence of God and to know His rest through face-to-face fellowship. This will only happen through faith in the Gospel, but this is going to be a very difficult journey. We're still alive in this world, it's still today the era of hearing God's word, hearing with faith. And so we are on a fight. We're in a journey, and we have got to continue to believe in Jesus. It's not enough, merely to hear the Gospel, we've got to continue to combine that hearing with faith. So that's what he's saying it's not enough to just hear the message of a future Promised Land, it's not enough to hear the message of entering into God's rest. You've got to combine that message, with faith or it will do you no good at all. And so he's going to give them a warning. There is a healthy fear in this passage, the word fear is in the passage though not in every translation but it's there. We need to fear, less we come short of the rest of God unless any of us come short of the rest of God. So there's both a personal fear and then there's a corporate fear as well that we're concerned about other people, whether they are entering into the rest. That's what this passage is about. I. The Promise of God’s Rest Still Stands And so we begin with this statement in verse 1, "Since the promise of entering His rest still stands…" the promise that God has made us of a rest it still stands over us even today. Now, what do we mean by God's rest? Well, first and foremost, we need to begin with God Himself, God within himself is a being at rest. He's at perfectly at rest and at peace within himself. This is what I believe, when I think about the unity of God, God is one. Not just Father, Son and Spirit, but within himself, he is one with His purposes, His attributes aren't warring with each other, His love isn't fighting against His wrath, which isn't fighting against his peacefulness, or any of these attributes of God these are not at war, but everything's at peace within the heart of God. How much do we sinners need to hear that? We're not at peace within ourselves. But God is at peace in himself, he's not troubled, or tossed about by doubts or fears or concerns or second thoughts. God is a peaceful being and nothing can trouble his rest. Secondly, what is God's rest? Well, God's perfected labors and the text mentions this, you look at verses 3-4, and yet it says his work has been finished since the creation of the world, "For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words, 'and on the seventh day God rested from all his work.'" So the idea is one of a set of labors of works being perfected, completed, accomplished. God's initial work of creation, was perfect as God could make it but the author makes it plain that that could not be the final resting place of history. Redemptive history had to follow, leading to a final perfected rest with God, and with the redeemed. From the very beginning of the world. Then after the sixth day of creation God declared the universe perfect in Genesis 1:31, it says, "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good and there was evening and there was morning the sixth day." Then, in Genesis 2, God declares His final act of physical creation, the Sabbath rest, the seventh day look in Genesis 2:1-3, it says, "Thus the heavens and earth were completed in all their vast array by the seventh day God finished, from all the work he had been doing and so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work, and God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that he had done." so God's physical work was all complete, it was perfect, didn't need any improvement. But the author goes on from there. In Hebrews 4 he says "And yet His work has been finished since the creation of the world." Why does he say "And yet"? Well it shows a contrast, between the rest that he's offering us in the gospel and God's Seventh-day rest at the end of creation. That Seventh day rest is just a picture of the final rest we're going to have in Christ. God still had work to do as Jesus himself says in John 5, "My Father is always at His work. To this very day and I too am working," and yet in some mysterious and beautiful way when God deemed his works completed when he deemed them perfect he rested. And so in the same way God's rest is a finishing of a set of works that God considers complete and perfect. Answer to number three then is God's final dwelling place, his resting place, with the redeemed. God's rest, then is the place where he will dwell with redeemed people from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation and in that place, his people will no longer be tormented, or troubled by anything, at all. That's God's rest. Psalm 132:13-16, it says, "For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for His dwelling. This is my resting place forever and ever here, I will sit enthroned. For I have desired it I will bless her with abundant provisions. Her poor will I satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation and her saints will ever sing for joy." That's a picture of God's future final heavenly resting place with His people. What he calls the Heavenly Zion there in Psalm 132. Think of it then as a place of security and full provision. As God said very famously, through David in Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul." That's a picture of that perfect heavenly rest that God intends quiet waters, by the way, are waters that are no longer churning they're not churning and turbulent but they're at rest, and at peace. Like the Crystal sea in Revelation 21, everything at peace. And so God makes us lie down at peace with himself, and with one another and with creation, that's a picture of that heavenly rest. It's a place where there are no enemies any longer who can threaten us. Heaven is that true place. A final place of rest. What Does It Mean to Enter God’s Rest? Well, that's what God's rest is. What then does it mean to enter God's rest? Well, the context of Hebrews 3 and 4 is the promised land as we've mentioned, to the Jews entering God's rest, meant physically crossing the Jordan and going into the Promised Land. It was a physical thing, it meant taking up residence in this land and it would be their home and they would live there. It was the land that God had promised to Abraham made it very plain as he looked through the breadth and length of the land in Genesis 13, after Lot went down to Sodom. I will give this land, to you and to your descendants. It was the Promised Land. Abraham, as you remember wanted to know how he would receive it, and God promised him in Genesis 15, with a very serious covenant with the animal sacrifice with the fire pot that moved between the pieces that God would most certainly give him that land, Promised Land. But he said there's going to be a delay of 400 years where his own descendants will be enslaved and mistreated, but afterward God would come and take them out of that bitter bondage and slavery and lead them into that beautiful Promised Land and so for the Jews, it meant to come out of bondage go through the desert and then cross the Jordan and go into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 26:6-9, it says, "The Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer putting us to hard labor." So there's a picture of labor of work for no reward at all for no salary. They were slaves, they got no benefit out of their labors. "Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression, so the Lord brought us out of Egypt, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders and he brought us to this place, and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey." So simply put, at that point in redemptive history, to enter God's rest meant for the Jews by faith to cross the Jordan river and by conquest, to take their inheritance, to take the Promised Land and settle, and dwell there in peace. Again and again then the Lord spoke of this Promised Land as the place as their place of rest and His. As though God Himself was going to be wandering with his own nation until at last, they came into their place of rest. So, you see this kind of language in Numbers 10:33-36, it says "So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went before them during those three days to find them a place of rest. The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp. And whenever the Ark set out, Moses said, 'Rise Up a Lord, may your enemies be scattered, by your foes, flee before you.' But whenever it came to rest, He said, 'Return O Lord to the countless thousands of Israel.'" That's a very significant statement. So is there a people in pilgrimage as they're on journey going to the Promised Land, the Lord is going to go out before them searching out for them a place of rest, but at the end of the day, when they haven't quite come into it yet, the Lord will symbolically, come back surrounded by the tribes with the Ark of the Covenant symbolizing His presence "Return O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel." So, it pictures a God on pilgrimage who wasn't yet come into his rest, he's living in a tent, a movable tabernacle pillar of cloud, pillar of fire moved out and when they conquered the Promised Land, the symbolic rest was nearer but still not achieved. Solomon built the temple thinking it would be permanent. And we know it wasn't, it was more permanent than that tent that moved from place to place, but it wasn't permanent. And at the prayer of dedication Second Chronicles 6:41, He prayed, "Now arise O Lord, God and come to your resting place you and the ark of your might." And so, you know the Shekinah Glory of God came and gave a symbolic dwelling there, but again, it was just temporary. Dear friend, the Promised Land, the physical land and the tabernacle and the temple these were all just shadows and types, of God's true promised rest. The author will make it plain in the next passage. Next time we preach on this book of Hebrews that Joshua did not really give the Israelites rest. It wasn't it, it was just a symbol, it was a picture of God's final rest. The Promised Land was a shadow of the reality, the reality is that eternal heavenly rest that He intended for us in the new heavens of the new earth, the true rest that God gives us in Heaven, and it must be eternity in Heaven resting in God's very presence with a resurrected soul in a resurrected body surrounded by other resurrected souls and resurrected bodies in a resurrected world with no troubles left. That is the promised rest and the only way to enter that promised rest is salvation in Jesus Christ. He is the doorway, he is the entry point into the rest of God, he is the door of the sheep, he is the new and living way into the very presence of God. He is, the way by which we enter into the rest faith in Jesus Christ, Jesus and can't you just see him standing there as the door with his arms open wide and saying so beautifully in Matthew 11: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Salvation in Christ So coming to salvation in Christ is like entering God's rest, like entering the Promised Land you will find rest for your souls. And so, since the promise of entering his rest still stands well what is that promise? Well, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that's what the promise is and it still stands because it's still being preached all over the world today, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached in every time zone on Earth. 24 time zones, 24 proclamations of the gospel, all around the church of Jesus Christ and messengers are going out to proclaim rest in Jesus' name, promise of entering God's rest still stands today. And what is that message? It's very simple. God the Creator of the ends of the earth is Holy. He is a king, He's a law-giver, He has the right to rule over His creation. He created man in His image, but man through rebellion fell into sin, turned away from God the Creator and God the King, and went his own way. We, the descendants of Adam, are born into that wretched rebellion. We stand guilty in Adam and guilty because of our own transgressions of God's law and as a result God is against us because of our transgressions of His law. But God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, born of a woman, born under the law, He lived a sinless and perfect life under the law. He died a redeeming death, an atoning death on the cross, the sins and the guilt of the people of God put on Jesus and the wrath of God poured out on Him and Jesus died, the death penalty that we deserve for violating God's loss. But God didn't leave Him dead. On the third day, He raised Him from the dead. He send him to heaven, He sits at the right hand of God. And some day, he is going to come from there to judge the living and the dead that is the promise of God's rest that by faith in Jesus Christ, all of our sins can be forgiven, that our conscience can be cleansed, that we can set our hearts at rest in God's presence and know for certain that when we die, we're going to be with Him in heaven. And God will not accuse us on judgment day, but He will welcome us as His sons and daughters. And through repentance and faith, we can enter through Jesus into the rest of God. That's how the promise of entering God's rest still stands. Well, what should we do about it? Well, positively, we should believe it. We should embrace Jesus, we should trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Negatively, not like these, the Jews here that refused to enter, we should not be unbelievers who do not trust in the promise of God, who find fault with it, and who will not enter the promised land. II. Fear Falling Short... Yourself, or Any of Us And so there is a fear in this passage and this fear is that we who have heard the Gospel, will in some way fall short of entering God's rest. So look at verse 1 again, "Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest till stands, let us be careful." The NIV says "That none of you be found to have fallen short of it." So therefore looking back at Israel's failure, back to Hebrews 3:19, we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief, "Therefore, since the Promise still stands over us, let us be careful," the NIV says. So do not be unbelievers in this promise. But I think that "let us be careful" is not a great translation. The ESV gives us this, "Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest till stands, let us fear, lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it." So this is a fear, we are to be afraid of something, be very afraid of something in this passage. The fear is that after we have heard the Gospel, after we've heard it clearly proclaimed that we will end up coming short of the heavenly rest that God intends that we will not end up in heaven, but rather be condemned to hell, but it's fear that any of us be found to have fallen short of it. The whole point of this passage, I think indeed of the whole book is to press upon the hearers of this promise, to press upon those who have heard the Gospel, the need for ongoing faith in the message for the rest of your life to keep believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to keep believing that God is offering you rest in Jesus. That we should fear lest we not finish what we started. Now, any of us who have genuinely begun this race will most certainly finish it. I believe in the sovereignty of God over salvation. If God has given you faith, He is going to sustain it every day until you don't need it anymore, when you trade it in for face-to-face fellowship. He's going to sustain it every day. But I tell you, who uses this godly fear to help you sustain that faith. And we need these warnings and so we are commanded, Let us fear that we not fall short of entering God's rest. Let us fear that we not finish what we started. You Must Finish the Course Now, one of my favorite sports memories, 1980, The Men's Olympic Hockey team defeated the Russians. You have to have lived in those days to know what an incredible upset that was. The Russians were a monster hockey team, they destroyed everybody that they played, they destroyed all-star teams from the NHL, they took on all comers, they won the gold medal every four years without fail. We had a bunch of college kids, the odds were, they were picked fifth in the Olympics, it was in America, so maybe had home ice advantage, but... And you know the story, perhaps, you've seen the movie Miracle and The Men's Olympic Hockey team shocked the world by beating the Russians 4 to 3, unleash the wildest on ice celebration in history, gloves flying, sticks flying, American flags waving, all of that sort of stuff. But the problem was there was still one more game to play, there was one more game that had to be played and under the rules of that time, at that point, the American hockey team had not won a single medal. Different rules now, but back then it was still possible that if they lost that final game, they would have finished in fourth place, no medal at all. How foolish with that wild celebration have looked at that point. And as it turned out, this team seemed to love to fall behind. And after the second period they're losing to Finland 2 to 1. Herb Brooks, the coach, master motivator got their attention, the place was so quiet, that locker room between the second and third period was so quite, you could hear a pin drop. He said, "If you lose this game, you will take it with you to your graves." He walked out of the locker room, and they're just stunned. He turns around, comes back in 30 seconds later, he said "To your graves" and he walks out. Well, thankfully they didn't have to do that, they didn't have to take the bitter memory of a loss to Finland of all things to their graves, they went and scored the requisite goals and won the gold medal. They did it to gain a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. There's still game to play here friends. There are still challenges to meet, there are still wars to fight, there are still people to lead to faith in Christ, we still have the world, the flesh and the devil against us. We're not finished yet. And let us fear that we don't finish. That's what the author is telling us here. And fear for yourself first, look after yourself, how is your faith, how is your sense of heavenly things through the Gospel? Is it more vivid now than it was a year ago, or less so? Are you more worldly or more faith-filled now than you were a year ago? Are you more enamored with the things of the world now or with the things of Christ than you were a year ago, or when you first believed compared to that? Are you growing in your faith? If not, you're in danger. So fear for yourself first. Now, don't misunderstand. I feel like I'll need to say this the rest of the time I preach in Hebrews. You can't lose your salvation. I think I already said that once today, didn't I? What God began, he's going to finish. I just want to ask you, how do you know that God began something in you. How do you know you're included? I tell you, keep believing, keep perpending, keep trusting, keep walking. That's how you know. So fear for yourself. But this text actually goes beyond you. Let us fear lest any of you be found to a fallen short of it. Again, we're supposed to care about each other, we're supposed to be praying for each other. Have you gotten one of these? If you have gotten one of the phone books, are you praying, some of you going to be on praying to phone calling? That's great, that's great. I was going to do that... A little discipline... No keep making the calls, but maybe you'll get three or four calls in one day, but at least know this, you are being saturated in prayer if indeed the church is praying for you. Ask yourself, have I gotten a phone book? And have I begun praying for the people of the church. If you don't want to use the phone book, then do it from memory, that's fine if you want to do that. I think the phone book's helpful to remember who our fellow members are. But we're just obeying Hebrews 3 and Hebrews 4 that says that we should be watching out for one another in brotherly love. And that doesn't just mean in economic hard times, it means in spiritual hard times which is every day, let's pray for each other, let any of us be found to a fallen short of this, that's the fear that the author is talking about here. III. The Gospel Promise is Worthless Unless Combined with Faith And why is that because the Gospel promise is worthless unless it is combined with faith. Now, that's a shocking thing to say. He looks back to that generation that failed to enter the promised land, and he says in verse 2, we also have had the Gospel preach to us just as they did but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Notice that the author calls what the first... What those Jews back in in 1500 BC heard, he calls it the Gospel. In other words, the message of the physical Promised Land was Gospel for them and their souls depended on whether they believed it or not, just like Abraham believed God and was credited him as righteousness. What they heard concerning the physical Promise Land that was the gospel they got. Friends, we have a better Gospel now. We have the clear Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fulfillment of the ages has come on us and we have heard this Gospel but I tell you, this gospel which is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, this Gospel is of no value to those who do not combine it with faith, it's worthless, it does nothing for you. I would contend it actually harms you because it hardens your heart, if you don't combine it with faith, you're actually worse off than if you'd never heard it. And the word combine is interesting, it's almost like the chemistry of salvation, the KJV puts it this way, but the word preach did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. So there's a mixture here like two compounds that get mixed together to form a chemical reaction. There's this blending, this uniting together. The word must be preached, the true Gospel must be preached, false gospel does nothing for the kingdom but the true Gospel of Christ crucified must be preached and the hearer must respond with faith, there must be faith in the hearer or else it's of no value. IV. Everyone Who Believes Enters God’s Rest So everyone who believes enters God's rest, verse 3, "Now we who have believed enter the rest." There's no mystery here about those that enter. God's not holding out on us, so we don't know who's going to make it or not, those who believe the Gospel and continue to do so, year after year, decade after decade of walking with Jesus by faith, they are the ones that enter God's rest. Now, there is a difference between the state of God's rest, and the experiencing of that state. You can be or God can be at rest with you through faith in Jesus. It says in Romans 5:1, "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." God can be at peace with you through Jesus Christ, and you still churned up and turbulent and distressed about certain things going on in your life that is possible. It doesn't have to be that way, but it is possible, but there is the status of peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ that the author is focusing on here that you should enter into God being at peace with you through faith in Christ. But the experience of the peace of God, which transcends all understanding is vital too. The reason that these first century Jews were being tempted to go back to old covenant Judaism is because things weren't going well for them, and they're getting beaten on and persecuted by their surrounding generation and they were churned up and turbulent inside and distressed because they cared too much about man and what people think and care too much about their earthly lives, and their earthly comforts and pleasures and ease, and being tempted to forsake Christ and go back. So we must have both, the objective state of peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ and an ongoing experience of entering into God's rest through faith to be healthy in this world. And do you have both friends? Is your heart at peace in God's presence? 1 John 3 says "This then is how we set our hearts at rest in his presence." Because God knows our hearts, He's greater than our hearts. Is your conscience clear? Are you violating your conscience? And if you are, are you bringing it quickly to God and having your conscience cleansed and your bodies washed with pure water, and entering into the Holy of Holies again, into the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. That is the blessing of the Gospel, it's offered to all of you. V. Everyone Who Does Not Believe Perishes But this passage also has a hidden warning. Actually, it's not hidden at all, it's openly stated... Twice. "I declared on oath in my anger, 'they shall never enter my rest.'" Frankly, the rest is negative in this passage. A warning that you'll not enter it, if you don't believe. The alternative to rest then is wrath. Revelation 14:10, it says "He too will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath." Satan is a restless being, Satan's followers are restless beings, Satan roams to and fro throughout the earth, filled with rage because he knows his time is short, his demons are going through arid places seeking rest and not finding it. And the children of the devil are living the same kind of life. It says in Isaiah 57, 20-21, "The wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud, there is no peace says my God for the wicked." And therefore, the place of condemnation, the place of wrath is a restless place. It says in Revelation 14:11, "The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, there is no rest day or night for those that are condemned there. It means at least that there's no respite. There's no break in hell. But I think it also means more than that, I think it's a place of mental and psychological restlessness as well. Imagine what it's like to be in hell and have a memory of your life buffeted by troubling thoughts, ripped apart by regrets by bitter and painful memories. Forever, the damned are sighing with regrets, they're blaspheming the name of the God who set them there, they are buffeted by new waves of torment, they're remembering especially the times that they heard the gospel and chose not to repent and believe, thinking about those times. I swore on oath in my anger says the Lord, they will never enter my rest. Revelation 14:11: There is no rest, day or night. Two verses later though, Revelation 14:13 says, "Then I heard a voice from Heaven say, 'Write: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'they will rest from their labor for their deeds will follow them.'" Do you see how clear is the contrast? There is no rest for them, but these folks are going to rest forever because of the work of Christ. And so I just want to apply this very plainly to you. VI. Application To unbelievers, I just want to plead with you, please combine the words you've heard today with faith. Maybe it's already happened. Oh, I pray, so. Maybe while you were hearing me proclaim Jesus dead on the cross, empty tomb resurrection, you believed inside your heart, you believe, at that moment you're forgiven of all your sins. Already, God's at peace with you and you're going to start enjoying the fruit of that peacefulness. If not, I just plead with you don't walk out of this room knowing that God is at war with you because of your sins. And believers, I just urge you, enter into God's rest today by faith. Come again to the cross, ask forgiveness for whatever ways that you violated your conscience. Let the blood of Christ cleanse you once again of your sins, let your conscience be at rest and at peace in God's presence. Delight in God's present rest. And can I urge you, have compassion on those around you who aren't at rest with God yet, go to work tomorrow and find some restless soul and tell them the Gospel. And don't mind what they might do with you or do to you if they don't believe. They might treat you badly, they probably won't kill you. But preach the Gospel. We are surrounded by people. Ephesians 2 says, "Without hope, without God in the world." It's our responsibility to tell them how they can be at rest and at peace with God and cultivate a healthy fear of apostasy both in your life and in the lives of others, be afraid of drifting away, turning away and falling away from Jesus, ask friends to pray for you that you'll stay strong and get stronger in Jesus year by year. And ask your brothers and sisters in Christ, how's it going with your soul, do it tonight at home fellowship. Ask real questions of each other, say, "How are you doing? You're walking well with the Lord, how can I pray for you?" And finally long for your future rest in heaven, long for it. Stimulate your hopes, and have a look forward to the day when you'll sit at banquet table with Jesus and just be at peace. Enemies are dead. The world, and the flesh, and the devil is gone. Your conscience is perfect and at peace with God. Do you see the look on Jesus' face and it's warm and welcoming. You look around, brothers and sisters from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, they are knowing the same peace you are, that is your future in Christ. Close with me in prayer.