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Title: Chains and Afflictions Text: Acts 21:27-36 FCF: We often struggle responding well to slander and persecution for Christ's sake. Prop: Because of the offense of the gospel we will be slandered and reviled, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 21. In a moment we will read beginning in verse 27 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we saw the powder keg situation that Paul and his 8 gentile companions walked into as they brought a gift for the Jerusalem church from several churches in gentile lands. Tension between Jews and the Romans continues to mount and along with that the pernicious rumor that Paul is anti-Mosaic law and advising new Jewish believers to forsake circumcising their children and the laws and customs of Moses. The Elders wisely advised Paul to demonstrate that he is not against the law of Moses by submitting to purity rituals with 4 other men who are doing so. Paul humbly discarded any liberty he may have assumed and willingly submitted to help ease tensions between Jewish Christians and the non-believing Jews. But we know the future. It has been confirmed by many witnesses. Paul will suffer with chains and afflictions in Jerusalem. Although it was wise advice and although Paul humbly submitted, we know that things will implode quickly. But even in this difficult situation, we will find vital lessons for we who claim Christ and face uncertain days. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Mighty God and Lord of Hosts. You are holy, holy, holy. You have sent the Son to claim Your people for Your Kingdom and You have sent Your Spirit to dwell in us and seal us and preserve us until the Day of Judgment. As You are Alpha and Omega, You have written and decreed the end from the beginning. No one can tell You “no” and no one can slap away Your mighty hand from doing as You please. In these truths Lord, we must rest, especially when we are slandered, maligned, ridiculed, reviled, and persecuted for Your name. Without the truth that all this is according to Your Immutable Will, we would surely flounder and fall. Impress upon us, Your Children, the greater truth that when these days of trouble come upon us, we must rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for when we suffer for Your name, we have a great reward in the Kingdom which we will share with a great cloud of witnesses. Help us to see this and be encouraged in this text this morning. And use this encouragement to turn us away from despairing in trouble. Turn us instead to being ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Let us once again dive right into the text this morning. I.) Because of the offense of the gospel, men will falsely accuse us of evil things, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. (27-30) a. [Slide 2] 27 - Now when the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon noticing him in the temple, began to throw all the crowd into confusion and laid hands on him, i. Ok, so right off the bat there are some contextual clues we need to unravel to understand what is happening here. ii. First, the seven days here is referring to the general process of purification that would need to be endured for these men and for Paul. 1. We aren't exactly sure why these men performing the Nazarite vow were going through purification, because that isn't normally part of it, but the process itself took a week. 2. In that week's time, any seeking purification would have to be ritually washed on the third and the seventh day. No doubt Paul is in the temple on the seventh and final day of his purification. 3. This means that generally speaking, people who had ill intentions toward Paul would know on which day he would be in the temple next. iii. Second, we see that there are Jews from Asia present here in Jerusalem. Well, who are these folks and what are they doing here? 1. We might be tempted to think that these Jews have followed Paul to Jerusalem to harm him. This is possible, but there is a far simpler explanation for why these folks are here. Do you remember? 2. Yep! It is Pentecost, the Jewish feast commemorating the harvest. Shavuot (Sha-voo-ot) is one of the three pilgrimage feasts that are required for Jewish males to attend. 3. Anyone who was a Jew that took seriously the law of Moses would have made every effort to be in Jerusalem for this festival. 4. So, it shouldn't be a big surprise for us to find Jews from Asia in Jerusalem at this time. iv. Third, how would they recognize Paul and what had Paul done that infuriated them so much? 1. Although Luke only mentions the province in which they are from, the capital city of the province of Asia was the great city of Ephesus. A city in which Paul spent three years ministering. 2. Later, we find out that these people recognized one of Paul's companions who was from the city of Ephesus. This almost certainly confirms that these Jews were from or at least very familiar with the city of Ephesus and Paul's 3 year ministry there. 3. So why are they so opposed to Paul? 4. Well Paul preached in Ephesus and many Jews became disciples of Christ. He actually lead them out of the synagogue and took them to the hall of Tyrannus where he continued to teach and preach the gospel. 5. Needless to say, the Jews from Asia were not big fans of Paul. v. In Ephesus and in other cities around the empire, it has been clear thus far that the Jews were not always trusted, liked, or respected by the gentile communities in which they lived. vi. Although their faith was granted a special status as being allowed to be practiced within the empire, it still did not mean that the pagans around them respected them. vii. But here, the non-believing Jews clearly had numerical and ideological superiority over the Jewish Christians. viii. If there was ever a chance to stamp out Paul and his teachings – this is it. ix. So, these Asian Jews take this chance, grab hold of Paul and stir up the crowd against him. x. How? b. [Slide 3] 28 - crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches to everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 - For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. i. These Asian Jews bring two charges against Paul. ii. The second charge is far more inflammatory to the crowd than the first. iii. The first charge is the accusation that Paul teaches against the Jewish people, against the law of Moses and against the temple of Yahweh, and he does so throughout the Roman Empire. iv. Ironically, this was the same charge levied against Stephen which led to his execution by stoning. Paul once saw things the same way these folks did. But for the grace of God yes? v. Such an accusation could be easily explained away. In fact, Paul's very presence in the temple that day going about his sacrifices and the end of his purity rituals would actually serve to counter their claim. vi. But the second charge is what gets the crowd stirred. vii. They claim that Paul has brought Trophimus, a man they would know to be a gentile, into the temple with him. viii. [Slide 4] As we know the temple mount could be entered by Gentiles. They could actually get fairly close to the temple itself. But Gentiles could not pass into the court of women or the court of the Israelites. ix. [Slide 5] Many scholars make much of the archeological evidence, like the sign on the screen, that warned gentiles with death if they entered into the temple grounds. And we even have speeches from Roman officials which seem to have allowed for the Jews to execute people who did violate such laws. x. But as I studied this, my mind wondered what Old Testament teaching or law is in view with the prohibition of gentiles entering the temple grounds. xi. Especially since they are under the impression that doing so would defile it. xii. What Old Testament law do they base this on? 1. [Slide 6] The closest thing I could find is Ezekiel 44:6-9 a. In reading this text, we can see very clearly that God judges Israel for allowing worshippers to come into the temple and even serve as priests who were neither circumcised in heart nor circumcised in flesh. b. God issues a command that no one shall enter His temple who is uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh. 2. [Slide 7] But what do we do with the 5th gospel of Isaiah, who says in Isaiah 56:6-8… a. Here we see… explicitly… that Gentiles should not be strictly forbidden to come into the temple to make sacrifices. b. Why? c. Because God will be the one bringing them to do that one day! 3. So how do we harmonize these two texts? a. How can God bring foreigners into the temple if those uncircumcised in heart and flesh cannot enter? b. How did the Jews of this time harmonize this? i. The Jews of this time, completely ignore the Isaiah passage. ii. Even if a Gentile converted and became a Jew, even becoming circumcised… they would still not be permitted, even into the court of women. c. So how do we harmonize it? i. While we could be accused of exploiting a loophole, the fact of the matter is that there are many prophetic riddles throughout the scriptures. God expects us to think as we read His Word. ii. [Slide 8] What two conditions must be met in order to reject a foreigner from the temple according to Ezekiel 44? They must be both uncircumcised in heart and in flesh. iii. Trophimus was a gentile, uncircumcised in flesh, but circumcised in his heart. Therefore, he does not meet the conditions of Ezekiel 44 but DOES meet the conditions of Isaiah 56. xiii. [Slide 9] Added to this – These Jews raise issue with Paul and grab hold of him and will drag him out and attempt to kill him even though… 1. He is a Jew 2. He is enduring purification rights under the Mosaic Law 3. Even if he brought a gentile into the temple… the Gentile is the one that should be killed according to their law, not him. He would certainly be punished perhaps even severely. 4. But Paul should not be killed for this infraction even if it were exactly as they said it was. xiv. The fact of the matter is, the Jews, because of their national pride and racial prejudice, have so perverted the Word of God that they have determined that the exact opposite of what He has revealed is true. xv. And now they are going to kill Paul, an apostle of their Messiah and Everlasting King, because of their rebellion and their racism. c. [Slide 10] 30 - Then all the city was stirred, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. i. As we pointed out last week, this time period was right in the middle of the escalation of hostility between Jews and the Roman Empire. ii. Although we are still 13 years away from the fall of Jerusalem, the conflict begins in AD 66 which is only 9 years away. iii. Not only that but Festus, a character we will meet in a few chapters, will actually spend two years making peace with the Jews and effectively kick the can of the revolt down the road… iv. Adding all this together we can see that even though the fall of Jerusalem is 13 years away, it is not a stretch for us to consider that at the moment Paul walks in the temple of Jerusalem, the divide between Jews and the Romans was nearing its peak. v. Knowing this, we can see quite easily why the crowd would respond to Paul the way they did. vi. Loyalty to the temple was closely tied to patriotism and Jewish Nationalism. An attack on the temple was an attack on Judaism. vii. And Paul is the lightening rod for all of this. viii. They took him out of the temple, because they could not commit violence and shed blood within the temple courts ix. To avoid this the guards close the doors. x. The temple guards could have stopped the violence. Instead, they closed the doors. d. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: Throughout the book of Acts Luke has portrayed the Jesus movement as the next step in Judaism. To confess Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah of God and eternal heir to the throne of David is to take the next and final step in the redemptive history of Israel. In Acts we've seen many Jews embrace this New Covenant, which was ratified in the death and resurrection of Jesus proving Him to be the Messiah. He is the Son of Man prophesied in Daniel. He is the suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah. And yet, as clear as this was to many, it remained repulsive and offensive to many more. The offense of the gospel drives natural man to terrible things. Jesus predicted that the disciple is no greater than the master. Meaning that what they did to Him, we can expect the same to be done to us. Paul is actually living out that experience in the pages of the passage we just saw. They accused Jesus of blaspheming the temple. And here Paul is accused of defiling it. We can expect the same to come to us. If we are to preach the gospel, we should both expect it to be offensive to the world and that we will be falsely accused of doing evil things because of it. So, what is our response? Our text this morning does not include Paul's response to all of this. Mainly because his response is quite lengthy. But generally speaking, we can see as Paul raises his defense of the gospel and his ministry, that we too must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. Transition: [Slide 12 (blank)] But surely someone in the crowd will have the sense to question Paul as to whether these things are true? Surely someone will have the courage to say – yes but Paul is still a Jew and can go into the temple himself. So surely he doesn't deserve to die? Let us see if anyone among them will do this. Perhaps the Romans will if the Jews won't? II.) Because of the offense of the gospel men will revile and persecute us, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. (31-36) a. [Slide 13] 31 - While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 - At once he took along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. i. Luke doesn't tell us who took the report to the commander. Perhaps one of Paul's companions or the church reported this to the Roman officer? ii. A Roman cohort consists of 1000 men. It is roughly 1/6 of a Roman Legion. iii. Within each cohort there were there were Centuries which would be 100 men, and each of them would be lead by a Centurion. iv. As a Roman officer in Judea, your one job is to make sure that these generally rebellious Jews paid their taxes and didn't revolt. v. During festivals, when Jerusalem was full of Jews on pilgrimage, it would be all hands on deck. vi. We see that this commander wastes no time, at once taking soldiers and their centurions down to where the beating was happening. vii. The Anatolia fortress was located on the Western side of the northern wall of the temple mount. Two stair cases down led to the outer courts. viii. So they were probably there quickly. ix. It is hard to know how many men he took with him, but we can assume at least a couple hundred since he took centurions (plural) with him. x. Assuming that is the case, 200 fully armed Roman soldiers running down the steps to the temple would be quite an intimidating sight. xi. No wonder the Jews stopped beating Paul when they came marching down. xii. But if the relations of the Romans and the Jews are so strained, how would the Roman Commander make sure that this doesn't look like the Romans are once again coming in to tell them how they should practice their religion? b. [Slide 14] 33 - Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. i. The Roman Commander has Paul bound in chains, probably to two separate guards. He then asks who the man was and what he has done. ii. The concept of innocent until proven guilty is not a universal ideal. iii. The Romans certainly did not consider prisoners innocent until proven guilty. iv. In fact, as we've seen in the study of the book ok Acts, their subjects especially those who were not Roman citizens, could be beaten and imprisoned, and in some cases even killed without charge. v. This Roman commander shrewdly assumes that the man being beaten is guilty and asks the crowd for the information regarding his guilt. vi. If the answer he got was that clear – that Paul had defiled the temple – the Roman officer probably would have let them kill Paul. c. [Slide 15] 34 - But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. i. This is the very definition of mob mentality. ii. Most of these people had no idea why they were hitting this man, they just knew that he had done something worth hitting him for. iii. When emotionalism and extreme rhetoric wins, the most natural thing we humans do, is follow the crowd of people who scream the loudest. iv. We'll always find something to be outraged about, and if it isn't what the crowd is outraged about – that's ok – we'll just vent our frustration in the convenient opportunity the mob has provided. v. Like when we burn a city when a football team wins… or also if they lose the big game???? vi. Such in the case here. vii. Seeing that the crowd has no idea who this person is or what he did, the commander chooses to escort the man to safety so that they could interrogate the prisoner himself. Which we will see him attempt to do in a few weeks. d. [Slide 16] 35 - And when he got to the stairs, he actually was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36 - for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “Away with him!” i. Even today, tactically speaking, stairs are what are called fatal funnels. ii. They are essentially hallways forcing you to change altitude and keeping you from flanking to safety. iii. These stairs are probably the first flight of stairs up to the Anatolian fortress. They would have been quite wide, but would have been difficult to navigate especially with a large crowd of people following them trying to get at their prisoner. iv. The Roman soldiers are forced to pick up and carry Paul up the stairs because the crowd continued to try to assault Paul on the way up. v. They call out “away with him” which is a great literal translation of the words, but idiomatically this certainly was their cry for Paul to be put to death. vi. We are reminded of the crowds call to “crucify” someone after He too entered the temple offering something that no one wanted. vii. Scholars sometimes press the similarities too far, but I think it is obvious that Luke sees the similarity of Christ's experience in Jerusalem during his passion week and Paul's experience here. Although they do not end the same of course. e. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: Although Luke makes it clear in the book of Acts that the Romans saw no threat posed to the empire by the Christians, we should note that that doesn't mean that the Romans would always ride in and save Christians from persecution. In fact, this particular Roman commander not only arrested Paul without any idea what Paul did, he also, as we will see in the following weeks, intends to beat Paul some more in order to find out what happened in the temple. And these Jews, while not being in agreement as to why Paul was being beaten, all agreed on one thing… he needed to die. Again, we compare Paul's experience to our Lord Jesus'. He too was not rescued by the Romans. And the people cried out for Him to be killed too. Paul is suffering the same way Jesus suffered. If it can happen to Paul, and all the apostles, and countless others throughout the church's history, then it most certainly can… and will happen to us. If we faithfully preach the gospel men will revile us and persecute us. Why? Because the gospel is offensive. But again, what do we do when this happens? We must be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in us. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today and how shall we live? Basic Concepts for Faith and Practice: [Slide 18] The gospel is by nature offensive to natural man. The religiously zealous Jews and the Roman pagans alike, both despise what Paul teaches and seek to silence it. And the world goes about silencing those who speak the gospel in two ways presented in this passage. They falsely accuse those who preach the gospel of evil things. They accused Paul of defiling the temple and teaching against the law of Moses. They will also revile and persecute those who preach the gospel. We see them beat, arrest, and call for the execution of Paul, to silence his teaching of the gospel. What does that mean for us? They will hate us too. Even if we are nice. Even if we are kind. Even if we are loving. They will still hate us. They will falsely accuse us of some of the most terrible things. And they will revile us and persecute us. What then should we do? We must be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in us. Even as they usher us through the door to that hope. These are the basic concepts of faith and practice in this text – but let's us dive a little deeper into them today. 1.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the gospel is offensive to natural man. a. Why is it offensive? b. It teaches that every single person, whether they are moral, immoral, religious, irreligious, wealthy, poor, powerful, powerless, strong, weak, regardless of nationality, tribe, language, political party, every person is spiritually dead in their sin. c. They are… as the bible calls them… children of wrath. d. Slaves to sin. e. Every single person lacks all agency to do anything to save themselves or even to seek God to save them. f. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 3 and this is what Augustine of Hippo defended in his treatise On Grace and Free Will against the Pelagian heresy. g. Mankind is not naturally equipped in their will to choose God or pursue Him in any way. They are given commands by God but are unable to accomplish them without God giving them grace to do so. h. There are two things I have found in my life that seem to be universally true of we humans. i. We hate being told we are wrong ii. And we hate being told we can't do anything about it. iii. Not only do we hate being told these things… we reject these things entirely. i. But the gospel tells us both and to the most extreme degree. i. It isn't just that we are wrong… we are dead wrong. So wrong that we have committed treason against the highest court of the highest kingdom on whose throne sits the highest God, Yahweh. ii. And we not only can't do anything about it… we don't even want to. Men love darkness and hate the light because their deeds are evil and they want to keep doing them. iii. There are none righteous and there are none who seek God. You are children of wrath of your father the devil and slaves to sin. iv. Just to quote a few j. All of this is the preamble of the gospel. k. It's funny – to the world that doesn't sound like good news at all. l. But to we who have been made alive in Christ… To know we are sinners and deserve nothing but judgment and wrath… That truly is good news. m. Why? n. Because Christ died for sinners! Just like you. Just like me. o. But until God gives a new heart and enables a person to see their own wickedness, they will continue to hate the gospel and fundamentally disagree with its accusations against them. p. As Matthew Henry once said, “Men hate Christ because they love their sin.” q. From our discussion last week – fear that the gospel may be right leads them to hate it. And what do we humans do with things we fear? We either flee them or we fight them. r. And that leads us to something we must deny. A lie we must dismiss especially now in the culture we are in… 2.) [Slide 20] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that religious toleration for the true gospel is normative. a. Although it is a much easier sell today than it would have been a few decades ago, because we still have relative freedom to continue to worship God in the way that He has commanded us to, we tend to find it difficult to connect with warnings about coming persecution. b. One other general human trait that I have observed is that we as humans tend to believe that all of life will continue as it has. We assume that because we live in a country where we are free from constant persecution against our beliefs that this will always be true. c. However, we know from the words of Christ that if we are His disciple then we should not expect anything less than the same rejection He experienced. d. If Men hate Christ because they love their sin – it stands to reason that they will hate any who follow Christ and are calling them to repent of their sin. e. This is why the “God loves you and is just wanting you to love Him back” gospel message is so popular today. Because it doesn't actually call anyone to abandon their sin. Instead, the message conveys the idea that God would be really lucky to have you if you would just say yes. f. And because of this message being out there, the real gospel message of God calling all men to repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord – is reviled and despised. g. And just like Paul was accused of blasphemy against the temple and even betrayal toward his own kinsmen, we too will be slandered. i. We spoke last week how the church is seen as homophobic or transphobic because we agree with God about sexuality and gender. ii. We are accused of hating democracy and freedom because we advocate for our laws to be based on God's moral will. iii. We are accused of intolerance because we believe Jesus when He says He is the only way to the Father. iv. We are accused of hating women because we believe God's word when it tells us of gender roles and authority structures within the home. v. In short, the world will rebrand us as arch villains because we have the audacity to see, through the lens of ancient Scripture, that their cherished practices are sin. vi. And we may, in the most loving and compassionate way we can, call them to repent and trust on Christ for the forgiveness of sin and new life… vii. But remember men love darkness rather than light for their deeds are evil. viii. God must give them a new heart in order for them to receive the gifts of repentance and faith. h. And unfortunately, men's hatred of the gospel and those who preach it will not just stop at slander. As it did with Paul, slander was the vehicle used to harm, revile, and persecute Paul. We too should expect the same. i. It is only a small step from where we are to where many other countries are in relation to persecution. ii. We may be tempted to think that such things could never happen in our country or that if they do, we are decades away. iii. But my friends, it would not surprise me to wake up tomorrow and learn that it is no longer legal to preach certain scripture passages or certain interpretations of scriptures passages. iv. It seemed like overnight governors of states were commanding churches not to sing to God in their services. v. And there isn't a party that exists today that has a biblical worldview. So just like Paul could not look to the Romans to save him, so too we cannot look to the Republicans to save us. vi. We will be persecuted on all sides. Not just from liberals. We will be persecuted by people who call themselves Christians. Perhaps even some in this very room will be the ones turning us in to the authorities. i. I don't know when the hammer will fall. I don't know how long God will allow for us to worship Him in peace with the culture around us. But I do know that from where the country started to where we are – our trajectory is on a nose dive headed straight for persecution. j. It does us no good to put our heads in the sand and continue to deny that such things would or could happen. k. We must even now ready ourselves by counting the cost and whether we are willing to pay it. l. But what is our response to persecution? Should we resist? Should we fight back? 3.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must take every opportunity to give a defense of the hope that is in us. a. Interestingly, in this text, there is not a single example positively of what we are to do, nor is there a direct command in this passage associated to what is happening in the text. b. Before the end of this chapter Paul will respond. c. And originally in my sermon planning I did include verses 37-40. d. But in order to understand Paul's response we would need to look into what he says which would mean looking at MANY more verses. e. Paul actually begins his first of 6 defenses of his faith and ministry that are recorded in the last 7 chapters of the book of Acts starting in chapter 22. f. Now without looking at the first defense in its entirety let alone looking at all 6 defenses, we can still draw a very general application from what we know of the remainder of the book of Acts. g. And quite simply that is that we should take every opportunity we are given, in the midst of persecution, in the midst of slander, in the midst of opposition and hardship from all sides, we should take the opportunity we are given to give a defense for the hope that is in us. h. We cannot afford to fight back, resist, or get even when persecution comes. Why? Because we always have a responsibility to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. i. Paul was gravely assaulted by these people, but he will stand before them and 5 more hostile audiences in the next 7 chapters, and will boldly decare the gospel of Jesus Christ. j. We must do the same. k. And maybe you are thinking… wow. I don't think I can do that. l. That is just not my default setting. Someone takes a swipe at me, my natural impulse is going to be to swipe back. m. So, the real discussion is, how do you fight that natural impulse and do what Jesus commands you to do? n. I think it starts with what Jesus says should be our perspective on persecution in general. 4.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are persecuted for Christ's sake. a. Although you'll have to forgive me for going outside of our text this morning to snag this application, because the scriptures are one, I don't think I am doing any disservice to Luke's account by tossing this little aside in. b. [Slide 23] Matthew 5:11-12 c. After reading this text, tell me you don't see Paul's experience all over Christ's teaching here in the sermon on the mount! d. Paul was slandered. Paul was reviled. Paul was persecuted for Christ's sake. So, what should Paul's response be? What should our response be? e. We must rejoice and be exceedingly glad. f. What? Why? g. Because we are blessed. We are favored of God when this happens. h. How does that compute? How does this comfort us? 5.) [Slide 24] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Our reward in heaven is great and we are in good company. a. God's kingdom and His righteousness is constantly opposed by a kingdom that is perishing. b. In the Old Testament, God's prophets were treated this way. And time proved that they were right. c. In the New Testament, His apostles were treated this way and time has proved out that they were right. d. My friends, if you are truly slandered, reviled, and abused for the sake of Christ and His gospel… You are blessed. e. You are blessed because your reward will be great in the Kingdom and in that kingdom there will be many, just like you, who were hated for the gospel. f. So, rejoice and be exceedingly glad. g. You are in good company. [Slide 25 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the English Reformer Thomas Cranmer Merciful God, you grant all peace. You are the giver of all good gifts, the defender of all nations. And you desire us to count all people as neighbors, to love them as ourselves, and not to hate our enemies. Rather, you want us to wish them well, and also to do them good if we can. Look down upon us and see this small portion of earth where the name of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Give to all of us the desire for peace, unity, and calm. Make us weary of all war and hostility, weary of bitterness toward those we call enemies. May we and they praise your holy name with one heart. May we all remake our lives according to your way. Grant, O Lord, that our children's children may know the benefit of your great gift of unity. May you discredit all those who work against it. Diminish their strength and punish those who interrupt godly peace-or rather, convert their hearts to the better way, and make them embrace unity and peace, which will be for your glory. Put away from us all war and hostility. But if we are driven to it, be our shield and protection as we seek peace. Do not look on our sins, Lord, or the sins of our enemies. Do not give us what we deserve, but remember your abundant, infinite mercy. Do this, O Lord, for your Son's sake, Jesus Christ. Amen. Benediction: May the God Who changes not, Who has no shadow of turning, And Whose compassions fail not, Preserve you by His loving kindness, So that you might know, Great are His faithful acts, they are new every morning. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Pastor Bryan shares a lesson from Ephesians 2. When from generation to generation, there is a pervading need and longing for peace, Dr. Chapel points to the writing of Paul who provides the answer to those near and far It is Christ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1286/29

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

In this week's episode of Catholic ReCon, testimonies from reverts and converts, Dr. Ray Guarendi (Drray.com | @EWTNcatholictv ) joins me to discuss his reversion to the Catholic faith. Through reason and humor, Dr. Ray offers an apologetic and thought-provoking masterpiece that should be shared widely and often. Peace be with you all. #Evangelical #Christian #Catholic #testimony #interview #catholicfaith #conversion #catholicchurch #solascriptura #logic #reformation #apologetics #church #christianity #Christ ▶To support this channel, visit eddietrask.com/sponsorship ▶https://buymeacoffee.com/eddietrask

Paul comforted believers, that the sufferings of this world are nothing compared to the glory to be revealed in us at the return of Christ---Paul's personal salvation testimony was intricately tied to the union of Christ with His people in suffering. On Paul's way to persecute believers in Damascus, the Lord Himself confronted Paul with the reality- -Why are you persecuting ME-- Jesus declared that He treated Paul's assaults against the church as a personal afront and attack against Himself---Paul reminded Timothy how much persecution the apostle had suffered during his ministry, yet God had delivered him from them. Indeed, Paul taught that all who live godly in Christ will suffer persecution.--Recall how the Savior warned us before He went to the cross, that the world hated Him, and therefore hated His people also, because we follow and believe on Jesus.--Paul went on to declare his utter assurance of the power of his Redeemer to save him to the end from all persecution. He wrote, that for the cause of Christ and the gospel, -I suffer all these things- nevertheless I am not ashamed- for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day----Paul also assures his converts of their privilege to suffer with Christ---To their adversaries who persecute them, their steadfastness in Christ, and their refusal to back down under terrorist attacks, proves they are doomed and hopeless fools.--But to believers, that steadfastness in faith is a proof, that God will save us as He has promised. --That faith, like the suffering, is a gift from God to all His people who He loves, not of our own making or sustaining-

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 

Notes Lewis was an amateur, not a beginner. Among Christians, this book is highly acclaimed and considered as an extra gospel to the bible Clearing up terminology Gentleman - Coat of arms and owned land. Fact. Gentleman - Honorable and someone who meant well. Opinion Christian means someone who accepts Christ - To say he is not a Christian is therefore incorrect if you do not know what the person thinks and we should not JUDGE. One can more clearly say, they are a bad Christian, but not that they are NOT a Christian. Who are we to judge? Law of Human Nature Why we fight and quarrel - something inside of us tells us something is right or wrong, because we are not taught.

 Advent 4, 2023“Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,…to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  Zechariah (Luke 1:79)As we wrap up our Advent sermon series on peace, we give the last words to Zechariah, as a he foretells the work of Christ: “To guide our feet into the way of peace.”These are lovely words, but how do we get there?  How do we break out of cycles of hatred, resentment and violence that lead to constant retribution?  Zechariah points the way by indicating that the God's mercy has to start a new day before peace can begin.  A reflection of how we live with our hearts open to God's interrupting mercy.Note:  This last Sunday in Advent was to focus on “Peace in the World.”  While the sermon does touch on this, ultimately this is so out of our control, that the focus is on what we can contribute, namely, moving with God's mercy that brings about a new day.

My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone, for He and I have joined in purpose. Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end. A while I work with Him to serve His purpose. Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that Christ is but my Self.- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles, Lesson 353

Pastor Bryan shares a lesson from Ephesians 2. When from generation to generation, there is a pervading need and longing for peace, Dr. Chapel points to the writing of Paul who provides the answer to those near and far It is Christ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1286/29

Do you ever look at the chaos in the world around you and think, "What is taking Jesus so long? When will he come back?" Most of us have felt that longing before. Knowing that God's timeline is not ours, a better question to ask might be this: How do we live with patience and purpose while we are waiting?Every day that Christ delays his coming is His patience on display—it's an opportunity for someone to come to the salvation He freely offers, and for us who have received it to share it with others. Every day is a gift of grace, and we have a purpose in this world. Our assurance in Christ's coming will lead us to action. Listen to this weeks sermon on the second coming of Christ - To support this ministry and help us continue our God given mission, click here: http://bit.ly/2NZkdrC Support the show

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

You are making a way where there was no way.  I Am (is) giving you a glimpse.  I Am (is) multiplying you.  Keep going,  in My Stillness, in My rhythym, at My pace,  not yours.  "He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers." - Deuteronomy 7:13 I Love You I Am You nik  p.s. The movie I mention - 40: The Temptation of Christ  To claim your free gift, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it and send it to me at nikki@curlynikki.com!  Join us on Patreon to support the show, and tune into and participate in live video Q&As with me!  Support the show राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम राम "So many people struggle with trying to know the difference between a voice that is coming from the ego or from the Soul.  A voice that's coming from the ego is trying to feel safe and know that it's loved. A voice that is coming from the Soul already feels safe and already knows that it's Love(d)." - Cory Muscara  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 May the morning bring me word of your unfailing Love. For I have put my trust in you. Show me the way thay I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Teach me to do you will for you are my God. May your good spirit lead me on level ground." -Psalm 143:8 "Remember not the former things Nor consider the things of old Behold I am doing a new thing And now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness  And rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19  

"We forget about the forty years in the wilderness, we forget that if God is calling us, he didn't call us by accident, and the dreams he gave us, he didn't give to us by accident, he's very intentional from when we were in our mothers womb" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews casting director and founder of Christian Casting Laura Mae Poore!  Laura Mae grew up as a Christian and felt called from a very young age to be a missionary. She also has a passion for music and began training to be a music teacher, but quit college to be with her husband. She later found herself taking up music again, only was encouraged to pursue acting as a means of broadening her opportunities, and it was from this that God showed her about a lack of representation for Christians when it came to the entertainment industry - many Christian actors either did not have Christian agents, or knew where to go when trying to pursue roles in Christian entertainment. This was where Christian Casting was birthed, and Laura Mae is passionate about educating, directing, supporting, encouraging and guiding christian actors in their journey to establishing their calling from God in the entertainment industry. Alongside this, Laura Mae is an advocate for mothers to have the opportunity to follow their dreams, and is an incredible example of this herself, being that she does all the above with Christian Casting, alongside singing, comedy and acting, with EIGHT CHILDREN! In this episode Laura Mae shares with us how she does it, first and foremost! and gives some fantastic advice to others, particularly mothers wanting to, or currently pursuing a career in entertainment while following Christ To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Pastor Bryan shares a lesson from Ephesians 2. When from generation to generation, there is a pervading need and longing for peace, Dr. Chapel points to the writing of Paul who provides the answer to those near and far It is Christ To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1286/29

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

This message by Michael Reeves on "Spurgeon and the Christian Life" was given at Bethlehem Baptist Conference 2018.   For more on Spurgeon and the Christian Life, see Michael Reeves' book, Spurgeon on the Christian Life: Alive in Christ   To support or become a friend of Union, visit www.theolo.gy   Delighting in the Trinity with Michael Reeves is brought to you by Union. For more resources visit www.unionpublishing.org   Connect with us on:   Twitter @mike_reeves @uniontheology @unionpublishing   Instagram @drmichaelreeves @uniontheology @unionpublishing   Facebook www.facebook.com/unionpublish www.facebook.com/uniontheology

There is nothing more painful than a broken hope, and nothing more dangerous than a misguided hope. This week on the Limitless Spirit Podcast, our host Helen Todd is joined by Dr. Heather Holleman, a professor at Penn State University and the author of several books, including the topic of this episode: “Sent: Living a Life that Invites Others to Jesus”. In their conversation, Helen and Heather talk about how to develop a healthy hope and how to take practical steps to live a meaningful life that gives hope to those around you.After you listen to this episode, go to our host website: www.rfwma.org and find out how World Missions Alliance can help you connect to your greater purpose and learn more about the Hope Rising Conference. 03:00 - What is hope?04:18 – The core principles of living a sent life07:43 - The great commission: a hope-filled opportunity10:43 – Turning ordeals into opportunities15:38 - Why do some people feel that it is wrong to share their faith?24:28 - God doesn't use you despite your personality, He uses you because of your personality27:08 – How to invite people into a conversation about Christ To learn more about Dr. Heather, visit her website. You can find her book, “Sent: Living a Life that Invites Others to Jesus” on Amazon.  If you would like to learn more about the World Mission Alliance, visit rfwma.org or email us at podcast@rfwma.org. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Limitless Spirit Podcast, click below:Support the show (https://rfwma.org/give)            Email us your questions and comments at podcast@rfwma.orgWorld Mission Alliance is a 501(c)(3), donations are tax deductible.Support the showThanks for listening! Visit our website rfwma.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

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

Christmas: The Questions, the Noise, and the Truth. There are many questions and misconceptions about celebrating our Lord Jesus through Christmas. As children of God, it is important our teaching and learning are proactive and not reactive, hence it's our responsibility: -To fact-check every word we hear and use this opportunity to tell more people about Christ -To always remember that JESUS is the reason for the season Merry Christmas

My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles. Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone, for He and I have joined in purpose. Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end. A while I work with Him to serve His purpose. Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that Christ is but my Self.- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles, Lesson 353

LESSON 353. My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.-- If you are looking for our previous recordings, podcasts, and posts on the Lessons, go to https://acimlessons.org Thank you for joining us!These recordings are created for our Year of Practical Application of the Workbook for 2022. Your Donation Helps to Support our Ministry!Thank you for your generosity so we may continue to bring these videos to you.MiraclesOne - https://miraclesone.orgLessons site - https://acimlessons.org

Do we intend to agree with a liar-- What foolishness are we believing about our position in Christ-- To learn how prevent influential people from distorting and-or- degrading the truth of our status in Christ, please listen to -Complete in Christ,- by Pastor Jamie Hawkins.

Do we intend to agree with a liar- What foolishness are we believing about our position in Christ- To learn how prevent influential people from distorting and-or- degrading the truth of our status in Christ, please listen to -Complete in Christ,- by Pastor Jamie Hawkins.

Bishop Claude R. Alexander Jr. is senior pastor of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He serves on the board of Christianity Today, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and Movement.org. He is the chair of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's board of trustees and a past president of the Hampton University Ministers Conference, and previously served on the board of Mission America Coalition. A leader among both Christian and civic organizations, Bishop Alexander has consistently been listed among the most influential persons in Charlotte, North Carolina, working with government and community officials to address the community's most critical issues. He holds a BA in philosophy from Morehouse College, an MDiv from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Kimberly, have two daughters. Episode Talking Points Claude's growing up years and his missionary mother Is God talking or is it bad pizza? Seeking a place vs. the person of God God's calculus Blindspots and the body of Christ "To get Jesus is to get the Church" Resources Claude Alexander Becoming the Church --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-monday-christian/support

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

FORESEE - His eyes are foresee - be aware of beforehand; predict. The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. Matthew 6:22 For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:12‬ For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:6 πρόσωπον prosōpon face; presence - DBL Greek face; person; surface; appearance; presence; in front of - NASB Dictionaries an eye; face; the face the front of the human head - countenance, look 1. the face so far forth as it is the organ of sight, and by it various movements and changes) the index of the inward thoughts and 2 Corfeelings 2. the appearance one presents by his wealth or property, his rank or low condition 1. outward circumstances, external condition 2. used in expressions which denote to regard the person in one's judgment and treatment of men - the outward appearance of inanimate things Prosopon originally meant "face" or "mask" in Greek and derives from Greek theatre, in which actors on a stage wore masks to reveal their character and emotional state to the audience. When a loss of identity occurs due to persona identification, what we are bearing witness to is an individual becoming a vessel for an archetypal figure. As stated previously, archetypes need a vessel to come into conscious view. “For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NET‬‬ Hillman stated, “persona here no longer means outward show, a staged performance that hides a true self; it now is the true self in its archetypal enactment” The mask of the persona provides the means to be in relation with the Gods, as it provides power. The act of taking up the mask of the persona and not removing it effectively removes a person's identity (ego). In short, these individuals become more like a vessel as they are providing an image for the archetypal figures to manifest themselves. Hillman, J. (1992). The myth of analysis: Three essays in archetypal psychology. New York, NY: HarperPerennial, 46. The Prosopon of the Hypostasis of Christ - To give a direct account of Leontius' probable meaning in speaking of the “prosopon of the hypostasis of Christ” it is worth keeping all of this in mind. One of the problems that Leontius faces is the conviction that since every nature must be hypostatic, the Chalcedonian claim that there are two natures in Christ seems to indicate that there are two hypostaseis in Christ. Leontius accepts the conviction that natures must be hypostatic but argues that this does not mean that the natures in Christ are hypostaseis. For Leontius, the human nature does not introduce a second hypostasis alongside that of the Word, since it is by the union that the human nature become hypostatic. For Leontius to speak of nature is not to identify a particular hypostasis, since one can speak of the nature as that which is shared by many hypostaseis. On the other hand, to speak of hypostasis means to speak of a really existing thing, and as such one includes its nature, both the nature that it shares with others (physis), and those individuating features that belong that that hypostasis alone. In Christ, we are confronted not just by humanity in general, but also by the particular humanity of Jesus of Nazareth. Decrease time over target: PayPal.me/mzhop or Venmo @clastronaut

Continuing with the "Mind Your Mental Health" series, I had the expressed pleasure of interviewing Aristide (Jordan) Soume-BI who is a Substance Use/Abuse Counselor at a Private Residential Treatment Facility as well as Marina Atilano who is a Psychiatric PA. We discussed the importance of reaching out for mental health services, as well as the connection between mental health and substance abuse. This episode brought out some truths that all need to know and share. "life needs a dose of Christ" To connect with Marina, PA-C, MSPAS, MPH: https://siyanclinical.com To connect with Aristide JS (Jordan) Soume-BI: https://awiseretreat.com/a-wise-retreat-facility-photo-tour/ To connect with ME :) Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2_KJ4BOaR8azRFpC44Kq1Q?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/spiritualvitaminc/?hl=en MUSIC: 0-00:27- Intro Music Mix by Ronnie J 00:28-02:21- & 37:28-38:1- Sundress by Timothy Infinite-https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/yf77gFvaEk/ 38:16-38:40- Meander by Jobii- https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/475cvGOwT2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spiritualvc/support

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

How old does one have to be to give his life to Christ- To embrace the very cross of Christ and his own cross- 25- 20- 15-

Welcome to episode 40 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we begin our study in the Book of Mark, covering background information to the book.  The series is called “Get in, buckle up, and hold on!”  Today, we discuss: Interesting facts about the book Authorship Genre Place of writing and initial audience Date Occasion and purpose Structure  Key takeaways: Mark was probably the first gospel written, with Matthew and Luke using much of his content. Although the book does not provide the name of the author, early church historians stated that it was John Mark who wrote the book. The gospels provide written records of the oral accounts of the life of Jesus and are unlike other biblical genres.  The gospels contain history, narrative, parables, prophecy, and end-times material. Mark wrote to a Gentile (principally Roman) audience probably from Rome. The date of the writing is uncertain, with some arguing for an early date (Mid 50's - early 60's), a middle date (Mid 60's), and a later date (late 60's or early 70's). It appears that Mark had several purposes when writing the book: To collect and arrange various individual traditions To develop his Christology (his understanding of the Christ) To record what it means to be a disciple of Jesus To clarify Jesus' teachings about the future Some divide the book along geographical lines while others opt for theological lines.  I argue for three acts: Act 1:  Chapters 1 – 8:26 Act 2:  Chapters 8:27 – 10 Act 3:  Chapters 11-16  Connect with us: Web site:  https://springbaptist.org Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus) https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus) Need us to pray for you?  Submit your prayer request to https://springbaptist.org/prayer/  If you haven't already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider. 

My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles. Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone, for He and I have joined in purpose. Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end. A while I work with Him to serve His purpose. Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that Christ is but my Self.- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles, Lesson 353

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

Preaching for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ann Carr offers a reflection on our need to be opened by Christ: "To hear, to speak, to breathe. What does it mean for us to have our own grace filled, life transforming encounter with Jesus in this time of epochal change? Do we have the courage of the deaf man and his community of companions to approach the Christ and be opened? " Ann Carr is a long time member of the Maryknoll Affiliate movement and has twice served on the Maryknoll Affiliate leadership board. Her undergraduate work at Bucknell University was in Religious Studies. Currently, she works as a pediatrician in Philadelphia, PA with children with special health care needs. She also works part time with the team at a children's home in Macuelizo Honduras. Her areas of interest include liberation theology, the integration of contemplation and mission, evolutionary consciousness theology and trauma informed care for children. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/09052021 to learn more about Ann, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

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

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ: To whom did Christ send us to bring glad tidings to the poor? Our immediate family? Our extended family? Those who are without homes? Those who are hungry? Our business associates? Our parishioners? Those who are sick?

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen! (Ephesians 3:20-21). In our text, Paul prays that God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. The church and Christ Jesus belong together, Jesus died and rose again for the sake of the church. “I will build my church,” he said, after Peter's profession of faith. The book of Revelation shows us that in the end, all glory will be given to God for his great work of redeeming the cosmos. The church is the first fruits of this redeeming work. We are meant to be the first to give him glory! But we resist! And if you are a Star Trek fan, you will know the phrase, “Resistance is futile.” But in the Christian life, resistance is not futile. Let me explain. John expresses God's heart with these famous words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). What does eternal life look like? Jesus explains, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Eternal life is not some future existence. It is life lived by Jesus' Spirit and in Jesus' resurrection power now and here on this earth. This is what we resist. We do not want to live the life of love, its too difficult. It calls for too much sacrifice. That is why Paul's second outrageous and audacious request in Ephesians 3 is, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ… To say that the Christian life is all about love is not an understatement. This is the way of it, like it or not, if you want to be a Christian, life will be about love. First, we are rooted, a botanical image and established, an architectural image, in love. This is our foundation. Nothing else will do except God's love towards us in Christ. It is the bedrock of the Christian life: that we are loved by God out of our sin and death riddled existence into the wonderful life of Christ. Each of us, must have this experience individually. But the Christian life is not an individual life. If we are to truly know this love, we must know it together. Only as we live it out together can we begin to plummet its vastness. This love is not something we just receive, it begins there, but only as it flows through us towards other Christians, that is the church, and beyond, can we say that we know this love. This prayer assumes that the Christian life is not automatic. Life from God comes as a gift, but it is not magic. It is a life of engagement, cooperation with God's Spirit, who makes Christ and his love known. Life is relational, and relations require time and investment. God intended from the first for humans to live in relation to him and with each other. With God's Spirit taking up residence in us, that intent is realized. When the church met regularly on Sundays it was easy to assume we were is relation with each other. Now that we do not meet regularly, how will be live in loving relationship with each other? That is a question each of us must answer. Love is action. What will you do? You can try to resist the Spirit's work, but in the end the Spirit will lead you into the life of love. So, let's stop resisting and let's walk in step with the Spirit.

61 What does it mean to believe in Christ--To trust in Christ alone for my salvation.--Question and Answer 61 in First Catechism https---www.gcp.org-ProductDetail.aspx-Item-020030

Join us on my 1st INTERVIEW with my Mom ❤️ as my guest, Author of “The Lover’s Dance: A Journey Through the Song of Solomon”. Aside from the soft-spoken Intro & Outros, and the background acapella vocals in the beginning of this podcast episode, this one particular episode is out of the norm in that it’s conducted with a “normal-speaking-conversational” volume, as I conducted my first phone (off-the-cuff and unrehearsed) interview with my beloved Mom. Join us as I introduce you to her incredible journey and her book, “The Lover’s Dance: A Journey Through the Song of Solomon,” downloaded from heaven. This book is about a topic I’ve yet to hear in the Christian Mainstream - living with ONLY The Divine Nature. HOW? Listen WITHOUT headphones to find out. We may be turning this into a series as well. Here are links to copy & paste below: ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⌨️ Her book is now on Amazon, Kindle, and Audible: http://amazon.com/author/theloversdance

As Long as You, a Follower of Jesus, Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; It Is Real Work - You Are to Live in Christ and Let Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Follower of Jesus, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a follower of Jesus, 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; it 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, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a follower of Jesus “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.".   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: “As Followers of Jesus, We Will Face Difficult Circumstances; but We Are Comforted to Know that God Will ‘equip you with everything good that you may do his will’", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We might be biased (okay, we’re definitely biased) but we’ve compiled a list of Taylor and Justin’s top reasons to join the LDS Church (otherwise known as the Mormon Church)… and you might find it to be prettyyyyyy convincing! ;) So watch the video to find the things that are taught in the Mormon Church that we LOVE! Below is a list of some of our favorites, a few of which are discussed in the video: - To live with God again - To have a structure for worshiping Jesus Christ - To have the gift of the Holy Ghost - To be sealed - To experience the gift of the priesthood (both males and females) - To be able to enter the temple and make covenants with God - To help others come unto Christ - To know more about (and have greater hope for) the afterlife - To receive a patriarchal blessing Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/saintsunscripted

Talk 17 1 Corinthians chapters 12 to 14   Welcome to talk 17 in our series on 1 Corinthians. Today’s talk will be rather different from usual as I have decided to cover chapters 12-14 in one single talk. This is because I recently recorded five Podcasts on these chapters under the general heading of The most excellent way. These talks are each somewhat longer than those in our current series, but I encourage you to listen to them in addition to today’s talk which will be a brief summary of the content to be found in the five talks in the earlier series. If you visit my website www.davidpetts.org you will find them by clicking on MENU and then on Podcasts. Look for August 2020 and you will find them under numbers 094-098.   1 Corinthians 11 to 14 are the only chapters in the New Testament that deal specifically with the subject of public worship.   Of course the Corinthian culture was very different from ours today. But what principles can we learn that will guide us in our worship today? We’ll begin by outlining Paul’s purpose in these chapters:   To correct disorder in public worship especially at the Lord’s supper To teach the right use of spiritual gifts To demonstrate our dependence on each other as members of the body of Christ To show the overriding importance of love To give clear instructions on the public use of gifts such as tongues, interpretation and prophecy To offer guidelines as to how a believers’ meeting should be conducted.   We’ve already dealt with Chapter 11 in our last two talks. In my series titled The Most Excellent  Way I divide chapters 12-14 into the following sections:   Expect the supernatural 12:1-11 We are all needed 12:12-31 It’s all meaningless if we don’t love one another 13:1-13 Put other people first 14:1-25 Take responsibility for your actions 14:26-40   Talk 094. Expect the supernatural 12:1-11   The major theme of the chapter as a whole is that of:   unity       4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 20, 24–25 and interdependence      21,25,26 in the midst of diversity.    4, 5,6,8-11,12,14,20, 24-25.   This theme is clear in the first 11 verses where Paul talks about the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are various gifts but they are given by the one Spirit. Paul does not want the Corinthians, or us for that matter, to be ignorant about this important subject. It’s vital that we understand how to distinguish between genuine manifestations and those which are false. I go into some detail on this in talk 094.   Talk 095.  We are all needed 12:12-31   In this section Paul compares the church to the human body and shows clearly that every member is needed. The very purpose of our being baptised in the Holy Spirit is for the benefit of the body (13). Please listen to talk 095 for an explanation of why I believe verse 13 should be interpreted in this way.   The basic teaching of the passage is that we are all different but we all need each other and are united by the fact that we are all part of the same body. We are not independent of each other but rather we are interdependent on each other. It is God who has arranged the members of the body just as it has pleased him. We mustn’t think of anyone as useless and we mustn’t think of ourselves as useless. Whether you believe it or not, like it or not, you belong to the body! To say ‘I don’t need you’ is to imply that your gift or ministry is the only thing that matters. Our attitude should be that of the three Musketeers  - all for one and one for all.   In talk 095 I also deal with the question of what Paul means by the greater gifts in verse 31 and the implication of his question in verse 30, Do all speak with tongues?   Talk 096. It’s all meaningless if we don’t love one another 13:1-13   This is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. However it is frequently taken out of context, the surrounding chapters being often ignored.   In talk 096 I covered the following main points:   What does Paul mean by tongues of angels in verse one? I give reasons for believing that when we speak in tongues we are not speaking a heavenly language as is commonly believed. I also answer the question, Can the devil understand tongues?   Another main feature I deal with is the question, What does Paul mean when he says that tongues will be stilled? I dismiss the cessationist view that gifts like tongues ceased with the apostolic age.   But of course the overriding emphasis of this wonderful chapter is the supremacy of love and my talk concludes with a devotional consideration of what this means for us personally.         Talk 097. Put other people first 14:1-25   1 Corinthians 11 to 14 are the only chapters in the New Testament that give an insight into the worship of the early church   Chapter 12 teaches us to expect the supernatural and that we are all needed   Chapter 13 makes clear that whatever we do and whatever gifts we may have it’s all a waste of time if we don’t love one another   That brings us to chapter 14 which may be divided into the following sections:   1-5 prophecy is preferable to tongues 6-11 tongues alone are of little value 12-19 edification is the underlying principle 20-25 the case of unbelievers coming in 26-40 the ordering of spiritual gifts   The main emphasis of verses 1 to 25 is that we should put other people first. That is a natural continuation of the theme of love. If we love one another we will put others before ourselves.   In verses 1-5 Paul shows clearly that in church prophecy is preferable to speaking in tongues because tongues without interpretation does not edify other people. In talk 097 I also deal with what Paul means when he says that the person who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. This is obviously very relevant when we come to the nature of the gift of interpretation of tongues.   Verses 6-11 are fairly straightforward. Speaking in tongues (without interpretation) is of little value in the assembled church because nobody understands what is being said.   Verses 12-19 teach that edification is the underlying principle. Tongues is of great value for private personal edification but in church it is of little value unless it is interpreted.   Verses 20-25 deal with the case of unbelievers coming in. The basic teaching is clear but the details of the argument are difficult in that the verses appear to contain a twofold contradiction. I deal with this suggesting a possible interpretation which does not require us to see a contradiction in scripture.   Despite the difficulties in the passage, what is clear is that all our conduct in our meetings should be determined by what is good for others, not what feels good to us.     Talk 098. Take responsibility for your actions 14:26-40   In verses 26-40 Paul gives specific instructions regarding the exercise of the gifts of tongues, interpretation and prophecy. However the overriding principle in his teaching is that we must take responsibility for our actions.   Verse 26 is particularly important because it is the only verse in the New Testament which answers the question what shall we do when we come together in church. Seen in this way it may be taken as the pattern for a New Testament believers’ meeting. Themes contained within the verse are participation, variety, and edification.   In verses 36-40 Paul summarises his teaching on public worship:   Whatever your spiritual gift may be,  you must submit to the authority of the apostle’s commands  (v 37). This has obvious implications with regard to the authority of scripture. It also implies the authority of ministry gift over spiritual gift   Whatever happens everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way(40).   Please listen to talk 098 to see how I interpret Paul’s specific teaching with regard to the verses I haven’t mentioned specifically today.

My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles. Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone, for He and I have joined in purpose. Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end. A while I work with Him to serve His purpose. Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that Christ is but my Self.- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles, Lesson 353

What does it means to be a soldier for Jesus? To be sold out for the gospel of Christ? To be surrendered to the point that we would choose stoning over physical well-being? We are encouraged to evaluate our own commitment in this challenging message as Bro. Jeff looks at Paul's example.

Vision - To raise up a Joshua generation by bringing connection between the Rod (Joshua) and the Sword (Moses) generations Mission - To empower and encourage youth leaders to know and walk in their true identity in Christ To give young people a space where their voice is heard and their hearts are ministered to To empower young people and youth leaders to go back to their churches with vision and a strategy to reach and disciple their young people

Talk 7: The Privileges and Responsibilities of Church Leadership   Chapter 4 forms the final part of the opening section of Paul’s letter in which he deals with divisions in the church. The divisions have been based largely on personalities and it is with this subject that the chapter opens. Paul is appealing to the Corinthians not to glory in men and to follow his example. But there is much in the chapter that we can learn about the privileges and responsibilities of apostleship, and this is how we will be looking at the chapter today.   Note: Much, though not all, of what Paul says could be applied to all forms of church leadership.   Apostles today? Yes. In NT we find three categories of apostle:   Christ the unique apostle – sent by the Father The Twelve – sent by Christ Later apostles – sent by the Spirit.   Apostles today fall into this third category. For more, see Body Builders   Privileges   To be a servant of Christ   So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ…   To be entrusted with the secret things of God (the gospel)   …and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.   To exercise power and authority in Christ’s name   20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?       Responsibilities   Servanthood   1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.   Huperetes means under-rower or galley-slave   Faithfulness   2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.   The word here means literally a household administrator or the overseer of an estate, one who looks after something on behalf of another as if it were his own. In relation to Christ, Paul is a galley-slave, in relation to the church he is an overseer. He is accountable only to Christ, the Master of the house   Accountability   3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.   The verse is self-explanatory, but what a solemn thought! At the Lord’s coming every secret thing will be made known (cf 3:13). Thus any Christian judgment is premature before the Lord comes, although Paul allows Christian courts in this age for practical purposes (cf Ch. 6)   19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.   Compare James 4:13-15. Everything we do must be subject to his will       Adherence to Scripture   6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.   RSV: that you may learn in us to live according to Scripture. By considering what Paul has had to say about Apollos and himself they will learn the scriptural ideal of the subordination of man. What is written was a catch-phrase of Paul. In the NT church the all-important thing was What does the Scripture say? The phrase may have been included to correct the Everything is permissible slogan of some of the Corinthians (6:12)   A life of sacrifice   9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonoured! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.   v8      Already you have become rich........ kings.....   This section is full of heavy irony. Already is the key word. The Corinthians were behaving as though the age to come had already been consummated, as if the saints had already taken over the kingdom. The Holy Spirit had already been given as a deposit (Eph.1:14), but they must still live by faith. The End has not yet arrived and the time for fulness and wealth is not here!   “They have indeed entered the kingdom, of which the Spirit is the evidence. But they have not yet fully realised the End, of which the resurrection will be the evidence (cf chap.15)” (Fee, p 173).   I wish you really had....   Paul wished that the Kingdom had come! It would make a pleasant change for him!   v9      procession...... arena........ spectacle   In the Roman arena the gladiators came in last in the procession and were in a very real sense condemned to die, the most wretched of men. Paul sees the apostles in this position, while men and angels are the spectators   v10    we are fools ..... but you are wise   He is, of course, referring to their own opinion   v11    to this very hour   The letter seems to have been written from Ephesus (16:8), possibly during the period described in Acts 19. Contrast the spiritual revival in that chapter with Paul’s personal circumstances mentioned in these verses   v12    We work hard with our own hands   The word used here means literally work to the point of weariness. Manual work was despised by the Greeks. It was the work of slaves.             When we are cursed, we bless   The words are reminiscent of the Sermon the Mount, but there is no indication that Paul was aware that he was using the language of Jesus   v13    the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world   What is referred to here is the filth that is left at the edge of the cleaning. Because the word suggested cleansing there is also a connotation of sacrifice. Paul also thinks of himself as scum. To say I  follow Paul is to identify yourself with scum, so don’t boast in me   Fatherhood   In vv 14-21 Paul sees himself as their spiritual father As such he has a responsibility to warn and even discipline them. But to have the moral authority to do so he must set the right example.   14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.   v14    warn   The primary meaning of this word is to try to have a corrective influence on someone, as a father would his children. See below.             as my dear children   Paul was their only spiritual father, for only he had begotten them in the Gospel. There is no contradiction here with the spirit of Matthew 23:1-12. Scripture frequently refers to those whom we lead to Christ as our spiritual children. This is a very special relationship. We should love them as a father loves his children. We have a responsibility to them, but must beware of an over-emphasis on ‘discipleship’ and ‘submission’   v16    imitate me   Children do like to imitate their parents. (Note the connecting word therefore). Compare 11:1 as I follow the example of Christ. Their imitation of Paul was no doubt intended to include the tribulations listed in vv 11-13   17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?   His spiritual authority to discipline them with supernatural power is very important in these verses. Compare 5:5 and Acts 5:1-11.   Summary   Privileges   To be a servant of Christ To be entrusted with the secret things of God (the gospel) To exercise power and authority in Christ’s name   Responsibilities   Servanthood      Faithfulness      Accountability Adherence to Scripture      A life of sacrifice      Fatherhood

Vision - To raise up a Joshua generation by bringing connection between the Rod (Joshua) and the Sword (Moses) generations Mission - To empower and encourage youth leaders to know and walk in their true identity in Christ To give young people a space where their voice is heard and their hearts are ministered to To empower young people and youth leaders to go back to their churches with vision and a strategy to reach and disciple their young people

Questions about whether Jesus could have passed on a contagious virus, initiating conversations with nominally-Christian adult children, and whether God’s grace extends to those who misinterpret the Bible to the point of embracing sin.Could Jesus have unwittingly passed on a contagious virus?How do you initiate a conversation with your nominally-Christian adult children about a closer walk with Christ?To what extent does God’s grace cover those who misinterpret a Bible passage to the point where they’re condoning or embracing something sinful?

Introduction In chapter four and most of chapter five, James answers the question, "What happens when faith fails?" What if you do not exercise faith? What if you are a Christian, but you do not live by faith, believing continually what the Lord Jesus has said and done. What happens? First, wars and fighting break out, and the direct cause is a lack of prayer. Prayer is an example of faith. Prayer is the perfect expression of faith, because prayer is the manifestation of dependence upon God. James traces this whole matter of wars, fighting, arguments, and disagreements among us to a lack of prayer. That is the trouble. We fight with each other because we do not ask God for anything. We do not take from him the nature of love and compassion that he offers us, but we would rather lash out at one another and fight with one another. So it is a direct result of the lack of faith that wars and fighting break out.  A depending on self instead of God. Daniel 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He gives us two reasons for worldliness in the church Our desires and envy. War is a fact of life in spite of treaties and world peace organizations But can you believe wars between believers in Christ He describes three types of conflicts going on in the world WAR WITH EACH OTHER (v1, 11-12)  V1Surely "brethren" ought to live together in love and harmony Ps 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! Yet often they do not Lot quarreled with Abraham Absalom created a war with his father David The disciples of Jesus argued over who would be greatest Paul and Barnabas had great conflict over John Mark Churches in the New Testament often had problems... At Corinth 1) Brethren were suing each other 2) They were competing in the public assemblies In Galatia - brethren were "biting and devouring" one another Even at Philippi - two women were having trouble getting along with each other In this epistle James gives several kinds of conflicts among brethren: Class wars (upper class, middle class, and lower class - 2:1-9 Employment wars - 5:1-6 Church fights - 1:19-20; 3:13-18 Personal wars Notice 4:11-12 we are admonished not to speak evil, nor to judge one another The consequences of worldliness -1. A lack of prayer corporately or individually with God WAR WITHIN OURSELVES (1-3) Our desire for things to satisfy our pleasures (like power, possessions, etc.) is what makes us fight with others Putting it simply, the key problem is "SELFISHNESS" SUCH SELFISH DESIRES LEAD TO... Wrong Actions (2) "you murder...you fight and war" not literally, but certainly so in God's sight – an ongoing attitude of hate towards someone 1Jn 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Wrong Praying (3) The kind of praying that goes unanswered Because the prayers are for selfish motives Man finds it hard to get what he wants, because he does not want the best; God finds it hard to give because He would give the best, and man will not take it. George MacDonald III. WAR WITH GOD (4-10) Here is the root cause of every war! Rebellion against God! ...those at war with others are also at war within themselves... ...because they are first at war with God! HOW DOES A BELIEVER DECLARE WAR AGAINST GOD? By being friendly with God's enemies! James mentions three enemies we must not associate with if we want to be at peace with God: The World (v4) That is, human society that is contrary to God a) Any conduct, belief, thought...which is anti-God, anti-Christ    To be a friend of such...Makes one an enemy of God! Makes one a spiritual adulterer or adultereress! Suppose that in a certain community lives a man and his wife who love each other very much. Across the street lives a man who develops a hatred for the woman's husband. One night he invades their home and kills him. Although he is arrested, a loophole in the law allows him to escape punishment, and he is released to return to the community. Now imagine that in a few short weeks you see the widow and her husband's murderer walking down the street together. Her hand is slipped into his arm and she looks smilingly into his face. She says to him, “I'm so happy.” What would you say about a woman like that? Surely, you would brand her as disloyal to her husband's memory and unworthy to bear his name. We must never forget that this godless world hated Jesus enough to kill Him. One who walks hand in hand with a system headed by our Lord's enemies and becomes friendly with them is disloyal to Jesus Christ. Only those who keep themselves “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27) have a right to bear the name Christian. Let's avoid all unholy alliances. -P.R.V. Quoted from Our Daily Bread 2 Co 6: 17 “Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty'.” The Flesh (v1,5)    1) The unlawful desires that would lead us away from God    2) These desires wage war within us, but we must not give in to them 1Pe 2:11-12 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 3) Such desires are in direct conflict to what the Spirit of God would have us to be and do Ga 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 4) To submit to these unlawful desires (works) of the flesh sets one contrary to God and His Spirit! The Devil (v6-7) v6 parallels Romans 12.1 1) Pride is Satan's greatest temptation 2) When we give into pride, we become friends of the devil and enemies of God v7 HOW TO ENJOY PEACE WITH GOD Submit To God (v7) Literally, "get into your proper rank" Unconditional surrender to God is the only way to victory! Submission is saying: "Not my will, but Thine be done" Luke 22:42 Resist The Devil (v7) He is behind every war that we have But if we just resist, then he will flee! James 4:7“Like many sheep ranchers in the West, Lexy Fowler has tried just about everything to stop crafty coyotes from killing her sheep. She has used odor sprays, electric fences, and ‘scare-coyotes.' She has slept with her lambs during the summer and has placed battery-operated radios near them. She has corralled them at night, herded them at day. But the southern Montana rancher has lost scores of lambs—fifty last year alone. “Then she discovered the llama—the aggressive, funny-looking, afraid-of-nothing llama. 'Llamas don't appear to be afraid of anything,' she said. ‘When they see something, they put their head up and walk straight toward it. That is aggressive behavior as far as the coyote is concerned, and they won't have anything to do with that. Coyotes are opportunists, and llamas take that opportunity away.'” Apparently llamas know the truth of what James writes: “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (4:7). The moment we sense his attack through temptation is the moment we should face it and deal with it for what it is. Barry McGee, Denver Post Draw Near To God (v8) And He will draw near to us! How do we do this?    1) "Cleanse your hands" - Get your sins forgiven!    2) "Purify your hearts" - Be single-minded in your devotion to God! (not double-minded, like a spiritual adulterer) Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. Pr 1:28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:  Pr 8:17 I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.  Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways: as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near unto God.  Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  Ho 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. Humble Yourselves In The Sight Of God (v9-10) It's possible to submit outwardly and not be humble inwardly True mourning for our sins is how we can humble ourselves before God The end result of such humility. God will lift you up! - v10 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, CONCLUSION If we obey these four instructions, then God will draw near to us, cleanse us, and forgive us! ONLY THEN WILL THE "WARS" CEASE! For we will not be at war with God So we will not be at war within ourselves And we will not be at war with others! As Solomon wrote in the Book of Proverbs: When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7) Are we diligent in making sure our ways are pleasing to the Lord? Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?    John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32  Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F   The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

We Bring the Gospel’s Message of Peace, in Our World of Fear and Anxiety, By Letting Others See Jesus In Our Lives MESSAGE SUMMARY:  As a follower of Jesus, 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; it 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, is you have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes, which constantly reflect who and what God in your life. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a follower of Jesus who is “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.". The most effective evangelism a Follower of Jesus can have today, especially in our world full of uncertainty and fear is for others to see Jesus in the way we live our lives.   TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Evil Ways. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Goodness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “America Will Not Survive as a Nation Unless the People of God Stand Up and Plead for Our Survival - Pray for America": at our Website: www.AWFTL.org/listen/. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “Cultural Turmoil and Health Threats Bring Fear, But Your Fear Is Overcome By Following God’s Call and Seeking His Will”:  www.AWFTL.org/watch DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

08 AUG 2020Edified: Episode 17In the past couple of weeks, I’ve shared nine affirmations, and I thought it would be fun to say all nine of them and absorb how it feels to have them flow through our minds. #1 “It is true that there will always be someone more _____ than I am. But I have the seeds of godliness within me, and my journey is uniquely mine. God has called me to a work and He qualifies me for the work through the Atoning power of Jesus Christ. My gifts together with God’s grace makes me not only ENOUGH, but the perfect person to accomplish the work I am called to do.”#2 “It’s true that there are people around me who are facing greater trials than I am. But my God is limitless. He wants me to pray for others AND for the desires of my own heart. When I approach my Heavenly Father in prayer, my greatest desire is that I might align my will with His.” #3 “Experiencing sorrow and hardships are normal parts of mortality and I grow when I choose to lean into my Savior during those times. Because of his Grace, I can be happy even during times of trouble when I choose to focus my life on the Savior and on the things of eternity.”#4 “It is true I am a sinner. It’s also true that I sometimes repeat sins I’ve repented of. But my sins and my weaknesses are swallowed up in the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose atonement on my behalf is both infinite and eternal. I am both amazed by and saved by God’s grace.”#5 “My mistakes and imperfections are part of mortality and they are a necessary part of God’s plan for my progress to become like Him. God is not the author of SHAME and separation; He is the author of FORGIVENESS and UNITY through the enabling powers of Christ’s Atonement. God’s love for me is a gift freely given.”#6 “I have been given spiritual gifts and talents that are uniquely mine to share. Acts of service come in many forms. If I pray for help, the Lord will teach me how to use my gifts to lift, love, and serve others.” #7 “It’s true that I am only one person and there is a limit to how bright or far-reaching my single light can shine. But God didn’t ask me to light the world on my own. He has asked me to hold my light up “that others may see” the path to Christ --- To do my part in helping Him, the true source of all light, to light the world.” #8 “Becoming a gospel scholar doesn’t require me to spend hours a day reading my scriptures. If I consistently spend 20-30 minutes each day immersed in gospel study, and I invite the Holy Ghost to be my teacher, or my spiritual tutor, then I am on the path of a gospel scholar. The Holy Ghost can teach me all things that I need to know.”#9 “It is true that what I feel called to do requires me to spend time away from my family--time that I cannot be available for them physically or emotionally. Therefore, it is important that I designate “protected time” periods during the day and week that I will devote 100% to them. It is important that my spouse and my children know that if they need me, I will push the other “stuff” aside whenever possible to be there for them--and to be 100% present in the moment.”DOT InvitationChoose one affirmation and repeat it every morning before the day begins. If we do this consistently the affirming words will begin to feel familiar. Visit:beckysquire.comnikiolsencoaching.comFollow me:Instagram @melinda.r.morganFacebook @Edified: Insights for LDS Women

The human situation is way worse than we thought. But there’s hope in Jesus - if we’ll “glue” ourselves to Him. Series: UNCERTAIN: Discovering Who We are Through Difficult Times, Speaker: Pastor Jim Groves, Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10, John 14:30-31, 1 John 5:19, John 3:36, Romans 1:18, Romans 5:9, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 1:31, Ephesians 2:1-3, Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 2:4-10, Ephesians 6:12, Video: https://www.facebook.com/avalonchurch/videos/379942916298382/, Sermon page: https://www.avalonchurch.org/sermons/uncertain-glued-to-jesus-my-true-identity-part-11/, Sermon Notes: 2020-06-07_uncertain-part-11_sermon-notes.pdf, Discussion Questions: 2020-06-07_uncertain-part-11_discussion-questions.pdf, Notes: I’m Jim and I am honored to finish the Uncertain series. Debbie and I watch the Today show some mornings. First, they get you up-to-date with all the bad things happening in the world, then they share some “good news” to keep you above water. This message with be a bit like the Today show First, a very dark and ominous reality Then the “morning boost,” some “good news” Ephesians 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. Paul, writing to the Christian believers in Ephesus, holds nothing back – you were dead! Not physically dead – soul separated from body But spiritually dead – spirit dead due to separation from God Dead people have no relation to God Dead people have distorted relations with each other Dead people are powerless to change And what killed them – sin The sin that permeated and controlled their lives when they: Followed their sinful nature that leaves God out of the picture And without God, desires are the lord in control Romans 1 describes lust and desires out of control Followed the ways of the world which are bodies of belief, cultures, patterns of influence (like advertising, media and social media), organizations, and world-wide systems Which either leave God out of the picture or are openly hostile to him Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) But another power is also at work Followed the Ruler of the kingdom of the air – the heavenly places – the very real spiritual world John 14:30-31 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this worldis coming. 1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Satan and the demons are both at work in disobedient people and through a world order over which they have power and influence And Paul says it’s not just the folks in Ephesus – it’s All of us – We all – also lived among them Paul’s concern is not that Christians once lived among the disobedient, but that they also lived like them All people are headed for an encounter with God’s wrath – God’s constant displeasure and reaction against sin Both his present wrath (John 3:36; Romans 1:18) And his future wrath (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 5:6) Dead – Disobedient – Destined for Wrath The picture the text paints is bleak. Because of sins, humans are the living dead. Okay, so here’s the problem. We don’t take this passage seriously. For the most part, we do not believe the picture of ourselves is as bad as Paul says. Are the lives we so carefully manage meaningless – a living death – without God in the picture? At first glance Paul’s description of life without Christ appears too harsh. Is everyone as degraded as he suggests? Does not life also have joy and happiness in it? Are there not many good, ethical people for whom this description does not fit? Is everyone destined for God’s wrath? Unfortunately, Paul’s estimate of humanity without God is NOT unduly harsh—we just tend to see it through a different lens. Our lens is typically very microscopic on our 32828 zipcode experience, rather than the more full and complete view of Paul (or things occurring 10 miles away) To grasp Paul’s perspective, we need only reflect on the evil in our own society, our suicide rate, our divorce rate, human trafficking escapism through alcohol, drugs and social media the challenges all of us experience as we face disease and injustice Well over one billion people live in dire poverty War and terrorism afflict people all over the world. But it’s not just “out there” or “those people.” I have spent years working with couples who argue, demean and mistreat one another and literally fight each other. And in the majority of cases each are adamant that they are “right” and are unwilling to try to understand the other one’s experience and feelings. From the seeds of two people who oppress one another sprout entire world systems of injustice Not just isolated, contemporary moments but decades, even centuries of oppression and violence – because prejudice, racism and marginalizing are ingrained in humanity The word ALL: All black people – all cops – all LGBT – all Chinese over Covid19 – all Jews – and on and on Sometime we are truly ignorant about such things; if so, God demands we get smart. Sometimes we just don’t want it to be true, so to us it is not. This text says we live in keeping with the world and its “ruler,” but we are deluded and deceived into believing that’s not true We tell ourselves we are not susceptible to peer pressure, that we do what we want, without ever asking what or who determines our wants. All of us are children of our time, and the truth is that our time is geared away from God and towards sin   And that incurs the wrath of God – which is another concept that some modern Christians view as archaic or inconsistent with a God of love. However, a third century theologian wrote that “he who does not get angry does not care.” If God can look at the sin and injustice in this world and not get angry, he is not much of a God! The God of the Bible is not some unmovable, unfeeling force, but a God who cares. The story of the Bible is the story of God himself taking action to keep his anger from destroying humanity. After the fall -- in the wilderness, with the sacrificial system -- with the prophets -- in the Exile and Return -- and most of all on the cross, God was at work dealing with his own anger and showing mercy. And just to clarify – Sometimes we have the impression that God is angry at humans but Jesus loves humans and gains God’s favor for us by dying on the cross. But the cross does not gain back God’s favor. Actually, God’s favor is the basis of Jesus’ death. Romans 5:8 reminds us that God demonstrated his love in sending Christ, while we were still sinners. Which brings us to the good news! Ephesians 2:4-10 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. “But God” – the picture was bleak, but God acted because of his love and mercy. Mercy and love are revelations of God’s being, not a response to something that merits love in the individual. God is not an onlooker in the salvation process or in an “angry huff” waiting to be appeased. God is the primary actor, the one who by his love deals with his own wrath and shows mercy to his people. And it is mercy in abundance. We are alive God raised us up with Christ -- God creates life in the midst of death – our spirits are resurrected from death Seated with Christ Believers now have life with Christ, and with that life come privilege, honor, security and In the Heavenly realms Not heaven but in the very real spiritual reality around us where God’s wisdom is made known to the powers (3:10) and the place of battle with evil forces (6:12) In Christ Jesus To Paul, Christ’s death and resurrection are not merely events that produced benefit for believers They are events in which believers are included. We either live in sin and under its influence or in Christ and under his influence. And we are a present (in the real heavenly world) and eternal display of God’s grace. Saved by grace The tense of the word in the Greek points to a past event and its continuing results. Salvation is viewed here are something that has occurred and is currently experienced by those who are in Christ Grace means the completely undeserved, loving commitment of God to us. For some reason we will never understand, but is rooted in his nature, God gives himself to us, attaches himself to us, and acts to rescue us. The initiative always lies only and completely with him. Faith Describes the means by which salvation is appropriated. Christians are saved by grace, not by their faith. Faith is the only means by which grace is received. Faith cannot be limited to mental assent or to believing certain ideas. Faith is relational, describing the reliance on a reliable God. Faith is a covenant word, expressing the commitment and trust that bind two parties together. Paul’s frequent use of phrases such as “with Christ” and “in Christ” show his conviction that faith joins them to Jesus Christ so strongly that they are in him and that what is true of him is true of them. Faith has an adhesive quality to it; it binds the believer to the one who is believed. Salvation does not come from believing ideas or an emotional decision, but from being bound to Christ This is not of yourselves Here, “this” is neuter whereas “faith” is a feminine noun. “This” most likely refers to the whole process of God’s saving people by grace. Not by works – any human condition or accomplishment by which one thinks to gain status or privilege before God. In reality, nothing we do grants standing with God. Praise should only go to God. The only legitimate boasting is in what God has done (1 Cor 1:31) We are God’s workmanship We are the result of his activity. The New Testament assumes that God’s act in Christ is parallel to creation itself. Who is “we”? Be careful not to define that word just in terms of ourselves. The purpose of God’s creative activity is not merely to have a work of art to hang near his throne. Rather, this new creation is to be active and productive and like the Creator. When the early Christians tried to describe Jesus and his work, they did not merely describe him as an individual to whom certain things happened. They saw him as the beginning of a new order, as a new Adam heading up a new race. Consequently, they no longer saw themselves merely as individuals, but as individuals taken up in and involved with Jesus. “Black Lives Matter” is a familiar phrase/ But let me share a different phrase based on this passage: “Dead People Matter” How do we know? Because God showed unmeasurable grace and mercy to people dead in their sins While dead people were will sinning, Jesus died for us At the judgment seat of Christ all colors of the humanity will gather But there will be only two groups of people – alive or dead For those who are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, there are “good works” to be done Of first importance is sharing the message of life with the dead If the dead cannot hear us because of the noise of injustice and the cry for justice, we need do something to first quiet the noise And, God forbid, if we are the source of the noise, we need to repent This is the real war going on – and it is not black and white It is right and wrong, justice and injustice, love and hate For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12) One more thing and then I am done Faith – lost in translation We – especially we who lead – need to be clear about what faith means in this passage (and the rest of the New Testament) and faith in the modern world Paul’s understanding of “faith” includes attachment, union, and solidarity with Christ To much of the modern church “faith” means assent, decision, or the teachings one affirms and embraces. Paul thought “faith” is life-changing and productive of good deeds For much of the church, change is desirable with faith, but not necessary, and “not by works” means one does not have to do anything. A decision, the right prayer prayed, is enough to go to heaven. How did faith in Jesus get perverted into simply thinking about Jesus? How did all the focus get placed on getting into heaven? How can anyone read the New Testament and conclude we do not have to do anything? Faith joins us to Christ and affects the whole reality of our lives. [the Glue illustration] This passage contrasts two ways of living, the former life in sins and the present life in Christ. By implication the text asks, “Where will you live?” Paul tells what life in the world is really like and this is what life with God is really like. The focus is identity. Who are we and who is God? From knowing who we are, we know how to live. If one lives in sin, one’s identity is determined by sin, the old world order, and the “ruler of the kingdom of the air.” Such a person is controlled by sinful desires and reasonings and, consequently, lives under the wrath of God. And it is bigger than the individual and the choices one makes. There is a world order and a power of evil. How did the United States become so distorted with racism? Why does materialism have such a deep grip on modern society? How do cravings become needs? How does sexual practice become idolatrous? The good is distorted by a world system that leaves God out of the picture, which is what sin always does. Sin is personal, individual, and corporate (Nehemiah) The problem for Christians is that two overlapping realms or ages exist. Though a new age exists in Christ, the old age is still with us and at work. Which realm will define us? Paul attempts to describe what was formerly true, but for many Christians that is still their reality. A break with the past has not really occurred. Christians need to be much more aware that the old order still wants to define who we are. Our true identity is not determined by personal characteristics, experiences, and abilities, even though those items are important. It is determined by life in and with Jesus Christ. To be in and with Christ means that ours is not longer an individual identity. We are in solidarity with Christ. Life is relational, and our primary relation is with Jesus. Our true identity – Glued to Jesus   Here are my challenges to us today: Let’s look for the opportunities God is already orchestrating to share life with a dead person Let’s ask the Lord to clearly reveal to us if we are in any way contributing to making sure a dead person stays dead If you are dead and want to learn more about being made alive, text “life” to 407-559-8210 We are simply not going to agree with everyone; in fact, I am pretty confident that some listening today don’t agree with everything I’ve said this morning. But let me invite you to join me in a five-day devotional on You Version: “How to Love People You Disagree With” (please note, it did not say “people who are wrong”) Joe Chau – Friday – Walk of Mourning – 3,000 heartbroken and repenting over the mistreatment of black people in our nation Mike Smith “I pray that in these scary times our Jesus-filled officers will rise up! I have family, friends and a loved one in law enforcement and others that are serving to protect our country. Praying for their spouse and families. These are scary times for them, too! Jesus weed out every evil spirit, expose it! That your light and love may shine!! You always win, Lord!”

Matthew Principle 23 - Witnessing for Christ To present the gospel to those who are lost we are to associate with them, but we must never compromise biblical values.Matthew 9:9-13https://youtu.be/_CALVljEpVISupport the show (http://www.bibleprinciples.org/donate)

MESSAGE SUMMARY:  As a follower of Jesus, 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; it 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, you have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes, which constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a follower of Jesus who is “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.".   TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, God isn’t finished with me yet.  Philippians 1:6). “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. THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Title: “Your Conscience as a Part of Interior Life", at our Website: www.AWFTL.org/watch WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO (“The Holy Spirit Deals with Your Conscience First and Not Your Intellect or Emotion“): www.AWFTL.org/watch, DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

...Isn’t this an accurate description of the completed work of our Christ? To love, to heal, to forgive and to buy our pardon? A NEW PAGE – (The HymnPreaching Mon. Jan. 27 2020)

A Course in Miracles Lesson 353 My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.

What Am I?I am God’s Son, complete and healed and whole, shining in the reflection of His Love. In me is His creation sanctified and guaranteed eternal life. In me is love perfected, fear impossible, and joy established without opposite. I am the holy home of God Himself. I am the Heaven where His Love resides. I am His holy Sinlessness Itself, for in my purity abides His Own.Our use for words is almost over now. Yet in the final days of this one year we gave to God together, you and I, we found a single purpose that we shared. And thus you joined with me, so what I am are you as well. The truth of what we are is not for words to speak of nor describe. Yet we can realize our function here, and words can speak of this and teach it, too, if we exemplify the words in us.We are the bringers of salvation. We accept our part as saviors of the world, which through our joint forgiveness is redeemed. And this, our gift, is therefore given us. We look on everyone as brother, and perceive all things as kindly and as good. We do not seek a function that is past the gate of Heaven. Knowledge will return when we have done our part. We are concerned only with giving welcome to the truth.Ours are the eyes through which Christ’s vision sees a world redeemed from every thought of sin. Ours are the ears that hear the Voice for God proclaim the world as sinless. Ours the minds that join together as we bless the world. And from the oneness that we have attained we call to all our brothers, asking them to share our peace and consummate our joy.We are the holy messengers of God who speak for Him, and carrying His Word to everyone whom He has sent to us, we learn that it is written on our hearts. And thus our minds are changed about the aim for which we came, and which we seek to serve. We bring glad tidings to the Son of God, who thought he suffered. Now is he redeemed. And as he sees the gate of Heaven stand open before him, he will enter in and disappear into the Heart of God.My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles. Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone, for He and I have joined in purpose. Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end. A while I work with Him to serve His purpose. Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that Christ is but my Self.- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles, Lesson 353

Martin tells us of the history of Producer Rick Rubin When It Mattered in these five songs: Slayer – “Postmortem” The Cult – “King Contrary Man” Masters of Reality – “The Candy Song" Trouble – “The Wolf” Danzig – “Snakes of Christ” To connect or learn more about Martin head over to: www.martinpopoff.com

Martin tells us of the history of Producer Rick Rubin When It Mattered in these five songs: Slayer – “Postmortem” The Cult – “King Contrary Man” Masters of Reality – “The Candy Song" Trouble – “The Wolf” Danzig – “Snakes of Christ” To connect or learn more about Martin head over to: www.martinpopoff.comThis show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Martin tells us of the history of Producer Rick Rubin When It Mattered in these five songs: Slayer – “Postmortem” The Cult – “King Contrary Man” Masters of Reality – “The Candy Song" Trouble – “The Wolf” Danzig – “Snakes of Christ” To connect or learn more about Martin head over to: www.martinpopoff.com This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Martin tells us of the history of Producer Rick Rubin When It Mattered in these five songs: Slayer – “Postmortem” The Cult – “King Contrary Man” Masters of Reality – “The Candy Song" Trouble – “The Wolf” Danzig – “Snakes of Christ” To connect or learn more about Martin head over to: www.martinpopoff.com

How are we leveraging our influence for Christ? To continue on from our message last week, we have an incredible opportunity to leverage our influence to help others.

The Bros just keep on talking about the Holy Spirit's work in revealing Christ TO and IN a believer!

What does suffering have to do with the life of the Christian? Is suffering something we just have to endure until that time that we will have the victory in Christ? To address this matter, we turn to a classic article by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., "The Usefulness of the Cross," The Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 41 No. 2 Spring 1979, pp. 228–246. Links Audio of Dr. Gaffin delivering this paper https://vimeo.com/323619930/aa77c219fb

Last night was one of those nights where our kids swiftly re-asserted who’s in charge. You get into these rhythms where everyone is sleeping through the night, in their own beds, going to bed at bedtime, waking up when it’s reasonable to wake up… But last night was not one of those nights. All it takes is one night to remember that we’re at the mercy of these little jerks.    Avi was up a bunch, wanted to sleep in our bed… We let him lay with us for a bit but then brought him back into his room. When I put him down, I noticed Lily was out of her blankets but curled up in a ball, looking cold, so I did the right thing, and simultaneously the worst thing possible, by putting her back under her covers. And then she was up. And then Avi was up.   Long story short, at 4am both kids wanted to be in our bed and I figured it was easier for me to just get up and go to the 5am class at the gym.    The gym was good, then came home at 615 to a quiet house, poured myself some homemade cold brew with some branch-chain amino acids in it and sat down to read more of John Philip Newell’s “Christ of the Celts,” which I can’t recommend highly enough… It’s outstanding. Really amazing…   Then Elyse came down, and we had a great conversation together, about all sorts of things. Friends that disagree with us theologically, and all of the beautiful, life-giving things we’re learning from some of these spiritual giants we sit under. It made the lack fo sleep worth it… to reconnect with her before the day started, to talk about things that matter to us, and to sort of spur one another’s spirits on, into a good day ahead.    Energy works like that, doesn’t it? When we bring positive energy into a conversation, we can transfer that energy to the person we’re with. On a spiritual plain, on a quantum physics level… We can quite literally re-energize the cells and spirit of the person we’re with. Particles are jumping off of us and landing onto them, all seemingly invisible, but we can feel it, can’t we?    You can certainly feel it when it’s the opposite… When someone brings negative energy into a conversation and there’s this transfer of negativity: anxiety, worry, a weight of despair or a feeling of being helpless… These things can just jump from one person to the next… And it might actually make the first person feel better. It typically does. Someone comes in carrying a heavy spirit, they off-load it to you, they walk away feeling lifted, and we walk away burdened.    Whatever language you want to use for this, you know what I’m talking about. Some interactions leave us feeling lighter, some leave us feeling heavier. Other people’s problems thrust onto our shoulders, and we lighten their burden, but add to ours.    Then, the question is… What are you gonna do with all of that negative energy?   You have three choices.    First would be to pretend it’s not there. Ignore it. I don’t really see that as an option because I’m big on awareness and paying attention to what’s going on in my heart. Being unaware of these things is a recipe for disaster. If you’re holding a grenade and the pin has already been pulled, you’d want to know. You don’t want to accidentally blow up on the next person that walks by.    The second option is to transfer that negative energy to someone else… Which is what I most commonly do, and maybe you do too. You have a heavy conversation and you immediately need to call someone ELSE and offload some of it to them, even if it had nothing to do with them… We find the nearest or most reliable scapegoat in our lives (typically a spouse or parent) and we vent. And they catch all of it. We feel great, they probably feel significantly LESS great, but we don’t really notice. We feel good! It worked! Phew, onto the rest of our day! Not great, long-term, to live like this.    The third option is to absorb it. And this is the hardest but perhaps the most Christlike option. This is what Jesus was up to on the cross… He didn’t take all that negative energy and then transfer it BACK to humanity, continuing the cycle of sin and death and “eye for an eye” and violence and retaliation. He absorbed it. He chose not to continue the cycle.    Negative energy tends to spin up and get worse and worse. Like Sonic the Hedgehog but of darkness. It gains steam like a hurricane, everyone’s negative energy feeding into it and escalating again and again until it’s out of control.   In Exodus 21:24 it lays out an “eye for an eye” form of justice, because that WAS actually progressive 3000-4000 years ago. That was a radical form of justice, because people had a habit of escalating things. At that point it was more like, “if you take my eye, I’m going to take your children.” or “You cut me off in the parking lot and I’m going to ram your car.” or “You tweeted a threat to me so I’m going to fire off a nuclear bomb.”    This was Mosaic wisdom, this was Moses trying to keep order amongst his people. "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”    This is what the world looks like if everyone were to choose the second option, TRANSFER. I received this negative thing, I’ll pass it on to you.   This is where the incredible wisdom of Jesus shines. He comes on the scene a millennia into this “eye for an eye” type of justice and flips it on its’ head. In Matthew 5, Jesus says, "38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[a] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”    He introduces the absorption method of dealing with negative energy. Break the cycle, in the face of an enemy, bless them.    The famous quote of Mahatma Ghandi was basically him riffing on Jesus’ teaching, when he said, “an Eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”    During the US Civil War, hatred became entrenched between the North and South. In one instance, President Abraham Lincoln was criticized for speaking of benevolent treatment for the Southern rebels. The critic reminded Lincoln that there was a war going on, the Confederates were the enemy, and they should be destroyed. But Lincoln wisely responded, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”    When an absorber steps in... it changes everything. It disrupts the cycle; throws it off balance. When someone decides to NOT pass that negative energy on, they win. They defeat that energy. It dissipates. The world is quite literally a better place. This little demon that was once alive, jumping from person to person, disrupting God’s shalom, is now dead. And you killed it. Good job.   But how do we become absorbers that don’t eventually get exasperated? Because there is definitely an unhealthy was to absorb other people’s garbage… I see it all the time, and sometime’s I’m guilty of it too. We take a burden off of someone’s shoulders and feel pretty proud of ourselves, but then accidentally might end up feeling bitter or angry or sour towards that person. Or our self-righteousness gets to be too much, we have a little Messiah complex that needs dealing with.    To absorb this negative energy in a healthy way, we have to break it down. We have to process it and properly digest it. We have to break it back down into its’ original ingredients. Deconstruct it from the little demon it had become and recognize all the little puzzle pieces that made it what it was.    “Oh, here’s a little bit of discouragement that paired with confusion. Here’s someone’s dream getting overlooked, here’s some pain from a back-handed comment someone else made… And look, it all manifested into this angry little demon.”    No wonder. It didn’t just come out of nowhere… It was financial stress that came out of a lack of discipline that paired with a lack of sleep and an unhealthy self-image that had some bass note of a bad childhood memory reverberating under it all… That’s how this little demon was born, and you broke it back down into those parts… And what that created in you wasn’t more darkness or anger or negativity…   It was compassion. Compassion.    An empathy for where that darkness came from. An understanding. Not a judgement, but an alignment with the perpetrator. Compassion.    And all of a sudden you find yourself invested. You have skin in the game to actually see this person get healthy, or succeed, or realize their true self in Christ… To find freedom and joy.    “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”    To absorb it doesn’t mean becoming a victim. It means becoming victor. With the right tools and proper perspective, we actually become victorious over the darkness in the world. And we, quite literally, make the world a better place to live. A safer place for our children, a more joyful neighborhood to live in, a healthier church family, a more successful and healthy work environment.    So, today… And hopefully tomorrow, and the day after that: Keep your eyes peeled for this. You’ll inevitably have someone load some sort of burden off on you, and rather than ignoring it, or simply transferring it to someone else to deal with… Process it. Break it down. Dissect it. Absorb it. Understand it. See where it came from, and allow that negative energy to convert into compassion.    I know it’s a lot for a podcast episode, but it’s important. I’ll probably spend the next few weeks processing this idea and seeing how it plays out in the real world. I invite you to do the same.    And if this idea is helpful to you, maybe tell a friend about it and have them give a listen as well.   I love you guys, make it a good day. 

Episode 119 The Battle for Truth and Life There is a battle going on today and eternal issues are at stake. It is a battle for life and within that battle is a battle for truth. On a casual look, the real issues are often not seen for what they are. We dare not be complacent in this battle lest we be deceived and brought down to death. These are the words that came to me as I rose up this last Sunday morning. I share them with the prayer that they may be of encouragement to each one of us in what we are facing today. “We are in a battle for truth. The devil is a liar and the father of lies. He questions God and leads others to question God. If we listen to his lies, we will be brought down to the dust, defeated, and die. If we abide in Christ and listen to Him we will rise up in victory and live with Him forever.” “The devil uses every means he can to deceive us. He appeals to logic, pride, and the desires of the flesh. His goal is that we will move separate from God and rely on our own strength. God wants us to move in union with Him and rely on His strength.” “Each one of us today is facing a critical, life changing decision. Will we believe God and take a step of faith in truth, or will we listen to the lies of the enemy. One leads to life, the other to death. The significance of the choice is critical. It does not seem so important, but the issue is one of life and death.” When Jesus stood for truth at the Cross it cost Him His life but opened the door for us into His life We are brought into the life of God as we believe in Jesus (who is truth) As we abide in Christ and walk in truth, we experience the overcoming life of God in all things If we question God (listen to the lies of the devil), our relationship with God is deeply affected. If we do not repent, turn from our unbelief and disobedience, we are on a pathway then ends in death. A stand for truth must always be coupled with love (relationship) Jesus said that “He is the truth” All truth leads us into union with Christ To walk in truth we must walk in union with Christ Truth cannot be known separate from Christ The danger is that we will try to ascertain truth through human logic Jesus also said that “He is the Life” Jesus came to give us life God’s life is experienced in union with Christ Life overcomes death Christ rose from the dead by the power of God’s life We are called to abide in Christ God is constantly revealing more of Christ to us Every revelation requires a step of faith to experience and apprehend The enemy appeals to the weakness of our flesh Our responsibility is to live every day in constant dependence on God Living out of our own resources leads to defeat and death Living out of God and His resources by faith leads to victory and eternal life with God   Additional resources at  http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com  

A Course in Miracles Lesson 353 My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.

Continuation of teaching on Godly Power, with the focus on identifying "why" we as believers get Godly power: -For possibilities-Prevent difficulties-GOD loves us to keep an oath with us -For our redemption-As a weapon against the stronghold/fortresses that we build-For an indestructible life-To live with Christ-To make known rebellious acts or sin

Continuation of teaching on Godly Power, with the focus on identifying "why" we as believers get Godly power: -For possibilities-Prevent difficulties-GOD loves us to keep an oath with us -For our redemption-As a weapon against the stronghold/fortresses that we build-For an indestructible life-To live with Christ-To make known rebellious acts or sin

Do we really know what it cost to follow Christ? To many are believing in Christ and not knowing what the true cost to be disciples of Jesus. to many are leading people or teens or children to Christ and not explaining the costs to follow Christ.

Brought to you by -Conscious Spirit-Coaching- A ONE-on-ONE Service of SHAMANIC direction, guidance, personal support & inspiration to eventually induce undeniable first-hand spiritual & multidimensional experiences on a consciously aware level. - Learn More about this & A Course in Miracles ACIM @ www.OpenandClear.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ALL THE LESSONS of this program and many others, are available by generous donors, like yourself @: www.OpenandClear.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Looking for Lesson/Episode # One? All past Episodes/Lessons are Here: https://goo.gl/cFKnvh - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - lesson 353 â??My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.â?? â??Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone, for He and I have joined in purpose.Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end.A while I work with Him to serve His purpose.Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that Christ is but my Self.â?? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - READ All LESSONS OF â?? A Course in Miracles â?? HERE: https://acim.org/Lessons/toc.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Have any Questions or Advice? Contact us @: OpenandClear@GMail.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Please Like Us on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/openclear - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Deep thoughts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamacim - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PHISHMANPERSON - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/iamacim - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Looking for Lesson/Episode # One? All past Episodes/Lessons are Here: https://goo.gl/cFKnvh - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - www.OpenandClear.com

A Course in Miracles Lesson 353 My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today Have but one purpose; to be given Christ To use to bless the world with miracles.

It seems that one of the greatest blessings in the Christian life is found in being "in Him" (Col. 1:15-18).  After all, Jesus has "raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).  "Where and when did this take place?" we ask.  Look at the last few words.  We are "raised up together, and made to sit together in the heavenly places— in Christ Jesus"  How?  In Christ Jesus.How can we know we are in Christ?How can we experience being in Christ?And how can we celebrate being in Christ?To find out more, keep listening.The following is a study on being "in Christ".

Abba Father Mk 14:36; Luk 22:44; Gal 4:6-7; Rom 8:15; Heb 5:7; Psa 42:7 Jesus drank the cup of wrath He bore the fury of God for me With drops of blood he cried Abba Father Let Your will be done God has sent the Spirit of Christ To dwell in this heart of mine … Continue reading Abba Father →

What does a win look like for Christ? New disciples, baptisms or people growing in Christ? To be successful in following Christ, we need to define a purpose and a win for our walk. As we discern our true calling, we become aware of those who are far from God. Our hearts are pulled toward the needy and the lost. Open your heart this day so that you can begin to define victory for Christ in your life.

Made alive in Christ - To fully grasp the good news of the Gospel we must first understand the bad news about the sin nature. This in turn makes the gospel all the more powerful and wonderful.

2012-09-16-0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning September 16th 2012 in the 8:30 service.Scripture: I Timothy 4:1; II Thessalonians 2:3; Hebrews 10:26; 6:4-6; I John 2:19; Luke 8:12-15; II Timothy 4:3; 2:12Topic: SalvationNotes:- Death of Ruth Storms, friend and sister in the Lord- In every church there are people on the outskirts; they feel safe but are not saved- There will come a day when it is all over; there will be a departure from the faith- Some have been in church, can talk the talk, but have never committed, sin willfully (habitually), believe but are not hidden in Christ- To be a disciple you must leave everything behind; if you do not then you have rejected the only means to salvation- True believers stay, abide, continue- Parable of the seed and sower... people fall away because they... do nothing, fall to temptation, are neglectful, heed to false teaching (Joel Olsteen, T.D. Jakes, Oprah, Dr. Phil), are worldly... want just enough of God but have never been broken, go back to their old religion (Judaism, Catholicism... religions of works)- If we deny Him, He will deny us-  We must have a death bed seriousness about our spiritual condition

2012-09-16-1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning September 16th 2012 in the 10:30 service.Scripture: I Timothy 4:1; II Thessalonians 2:3; Hebrews 10:26; 6:4-6; I John 2:19; Luke 8:12-15; II Timothy 4:3; 2:12Topic: SalvationNotes:- Death of Ruth Storms, friend and sister in the Lord- In every church there are people on the outskirts; they feel safe but are not saved- There will come a day when it is all over; there will be a departure from the faith- Some have been in church, can talk the talk, but have never committed, sin willfully (habitually), believe but are not hidden in Christ- To be a disciple you must leave everything behind; if you do not then you have rejected the only means to salvation- True believers stay, abide, continue- Parable of the seed and sower... people fall away because they... do nothing, fall to temptation, are neglectful, heed to false teaching (Joel Olsteen, T.D. Jakes, Oprah, Dr. Phil), are worldly... want just enough of God but have never been broken, go back to their old religion (Judaism, Catholicism... religions of works)- If we deny Him, He will deny us-  We must have a death bed seriousness about our spiritual condition