Podcasts about Christians

Questions about whether to attend the wedding of someone who is into the New Thought movement and will have New Age items at the wedding location, whether one should not listen to hymns sung by Latter-day Saints, and how to respond to the Buddhist “Walk for Peace.”   Should I attend the wedding of my sister, who is into the New Thought movement and will have a meditation yurt, a drum circle, and other New Age items at the wedding location and is very outspoken against Christianity? I've found that Latter-day Saint singers sing hymns that I like, and I get disturbed by that. Should I not listen? How should Christians respond to the Buddhist “Walk for Peace” and the people and churches excited to see and support it?

Original airdate 4/10/26: Mary welcomes Dr. Tim Chaffey to discuss the controversial Hebrew Roots Movement. Far from simply trying to understand the Jewish roots of the Bible, this movement seeks to answer the question about what happens when Gentiles and Jews get saved: do Gentiles become Jews?  For centuries, the people of God were Jews, with the exception of some Gentiles who came to faith in the God of Israel. The early church consisted mostly of Jewish believers in Jesus, but when the gospel went to the Gentiles, there was a new dynamic that, unfortunately, even led some to believe that Christians were the new Israel and now received all the promises of God solely. This teaching continues today across the church spectrum. Why is there so much confusion about who is who, when the epistles clearly address these things head on? But with the HRM, there is even more confusion regarding the Mosaic Law, the feasts of Israel, who is a Jew, and what is Israel. Here to help us sort it all out is Dr. Chaffey, whose comprehensive article on the subject can be found here.   Stand Up For The Truth Videos: https://rumble.com/user/CTRNOnline & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgQQSvKiMcglId7oGc5c46A

En este episodio nos relajamos y nos reímos de esas pequeñas frustraciones diarias que todos compartimos sin importar de qué país seamos. Aprende vocabulario súper útil de la vida real mientras nos quejamos.

The Lord Almighty is with us. And this week on The Bible Study Hour, we'll take a closer look at that in what may be a familiar psalm, psalm 46. As Christians, we often hear that God is our refuge and our strength. But what do those words really mean? We can say that we trust God at all times and in all circumstances, but what does that look like when the hard times come? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111

I talk to a lot of Christians who are unsatisfied with their prayer life. They even feel guilty, knowing prayer should be a more consistent part of their Christian life. But sometimes, it feels difficult to get going again. It seems hard to restart your prayer life. Here are some things that will help.Main Points:1. First, ask God to give you a renewed passion for his presence. It's a prayer God will answer because He wants to spend time with you, too.2. Second, decide on a place and a time. Set a reminder on your phone. This is half the battle.3. Third, use a prayer journal/list to help you stay on track. Each morning, I use the 5-minute discipleship journal to walk through my time with God. The journal provides a simple strategy for engaging with God in His Word and prayer. I really enjoy using the “Pray First” App that was designed by the Church of the Highlands.4. Finally, recognize that prayer is your lifeline. Everything we need, God can provide. Today's Scripture Verses:Acts 3:1 - “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.”Mark 11:24 - “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”1 Thessalonians 5:17 - “pray continually”Colossians 4:2 - “devote yourselves to prayer”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Toxic Relationships: Recognizing Narcissism in a Spouse, Parent, or Child with Kris Reece (Episode 288)   *Disclaimer* This episode contains mature content and user discretion is suggested.    Proverbs 27:6 AMP “Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].”   *Transcription Below*   Kris Reece is a Christian Author, Toxic Relationship Coach, and Manipulation Tactics Specialist. Kris equips believers to escape the grip of toxic relationships—especially those shaped by guilt, confusion, or spiritual distortion. Her work empowers Christians to set biblical boundaries and walk in emotional and spiritual freedom. Connect with her on Instagram or through her website.    Thank you to our sponsor for today's episode: Midwest Food Bank   Topics and Questions We Cover: In your opinion, can you be a Christian and a narcissist? Will you share a few of the toxic tactics narcissists use for power and control in relationships?  Will you define codependency for us and also reactive abuse and trauma bond?   Other Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce Podcast: 146 Biblical Response to Emotionally Destructive Relationships with Leslie Vernick 148 Overcoming Evil with Good: Recognizing Spiritual Abuse with Dr. Diane Langberg 263. Domestic Violence and Abuse: Identifying and Healing from Abusive Relationships with Stacey Womack   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “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.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:10)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 1:29) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.   My captivating guest for this week is Kris Reece. She has an abundance of resources available online, and she's actually recently had this book published, Breaking the Narcissist's Grip. I cannot recommend this episode enough to you to find out about toxic relationships, whether that's with your parents or your adult children or your spouse. She's going to do a deep dive into narcissism. Help us understand it, help us identify those people in our lives, and most importantly, offer some hope, which is only possible through Jesus Christ. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Kris.   Kris Reece: (1:31 - 1:34) Thank you so much for having me. I am so blessed to be here.   Laura Dugger: (1:34 - 1:48) Well, I am so grateful to have you, and you are in a unique line of work that is so needed. How did you get into this work of offering Christian advice for toxic relationships?   Kris Reece: (1:50 - 4:16) Well, I'll give you the short version of that story. So, I had been in the fitness industry for a good 20 plus years, and I went back to school for counseling and theology because I really wanted to be able to help people emotionally and mentally as opposed to just physically, right?   So, as I started to counsel people, there were women that were coming to me from all walks of life and all ages. I'm talking 16 years old all the way up to 86 years old. And no matter what their issue was, no matter what they were struggling with, they were coming to me for purpose or just growing in their faith. It all came down to one thing. And Laura, I think this might surprise you just as much as it surprised me. Toxic mothers. I was floored. And this wasn't the kind of thing where now we're just blaming mom for everything. No, this started to get revealed on all of the dysfunctions that were taking place within their relationship with their mother and how it had impacted them in so many areas of their lives. So, I said, “Lord, I need to dive deeper into this.” Now, I had already come out of, unfortunately, several toxic narcissistic relationships, not with my mother. So, that was very foreign to me. So, I started to dive deeper into how those same traits applied. And it was sad and it was very scary. So, I started teaching more on that.   And then they started coming out of the woodwork. But what about my husband? What about my daughter? What about my boss? What about my... And it was just like a flood. And it reached a point where, Laura, I got to confess to you. I took this to the Lord and I said, please don't send me. I don't want to do this. This is toxic. It's like you're just dealing with this toxicity all day long. And once I began to rest in, not just talking about the toxic relationships, but understanding where His heart was in it and the healing that He wants, not only for the toxic people, but those weren't the ones that were coming to me, the ones that were affected and infected by it, is when my heart started to shift. I said, “okay, God, all right, send me.” And here we are. Many, many years later.   Laura Dugger: (4:16 - 4:41) Well, you've done some incredible work. And I am shocked by that answer. Can you clarify too with the toxic mothers? That's not speaking to the mom who's trying her best asking the Lord for help and yet making mistakes. Would you consider them as mothers who are narcissists or does toxic embrace a wider?   Kris Reece: (4:41 - 6:01) Toxic can embrace a much wider spectrum. It could be borderline personality disorder, even a lot of codependent traits. If they're not harnessed properly or surrendered to the Lord, it can be very toxic to our relationship. You know, you're dealing with the guilt and the manipulation. No, we are not in any way talking about a mother who's made some mistakes, hands up, who's surrendering all this to the Lord and really just trying to find her way, you know, regardless of whether it's a newborn, an infant, a teenager or an adult child.   That's not what I'm referring to as a toxic mother. And some of them do struggle because it's so common for, I guess, young adults at this point to just be like, my mom's toxic because your mother had an opinion, because your mother is trying to get a little bit more time with you. Now, all of a sudden she's toxic. So, the label is unfortunate, but no, we're not referring to that type of mother. We're talking about the ones that have been approached lovingly and gently and are still standing firm in their manipulation, their guilt, their no, this is my way or the highway, their distorted view of scripture. I don't care if you're two or 42, you're called to obey me. That's the kind of toxic mother we're talking about.   Laura Dugger: (6:01 - 6:13) That is helpful. And then just to zero in on that term, narcissist, can you just help us understand what characteristics define a narcissist?   Kris Reece: (6:14 - 8:00) Yeah, absolutely. So, at its core, narcissism is less about confidence and it's more about this distorted sense of self. And that distorted sense is what damages relationships. Psychologically, narcissism can actually be marked by three pillars.   Number one is an exaggerated sense of self-importance. They quite honestly believe that the world revolves around them. Two is a deep need for admiration. They crave validation and praise, and we call that supply. So, if you're giving it to them, you're on their good side. You're not, you're on the bad side. And then lastly is their lack of empathy. This is a true hallmark of narcissism. But I know you didn't ask this, but we kind of go down a little bit of a rabbit trail.   Now that narcissists are starting to catch on to what these traits look like, they're doing what we call performative empathy. So, they're looking and they're saying all the right words. One of my, I love to say is they got the words, they ain't got the music. So, you really have to understand what true empathy looks like, but they lack empathy. So, and then what happens is from those traits are going to flow three roots, entitlement, arrogance, and manipulation. They twist everything and it's all about them. And one of the things that we need to understand is that a one-time selfish act doesn't make someone a narcissist. I've said some things that, oh boy, that I need to repent of. It doesn't make somebody a narcissist, but a lifestyle of self-protective empathy, lacking behavior at the expense of others. Yeah. Raise the red flag.   Laura Dugger: (8:01 - 8:22) That's helpful. That even shows us the difference between a little self-absorbed or mistakes made and a narcissist. But then I'm also curious as we're raising children, do these traits show up early in life or when are they usually identifiable?   Kris Reece: (8:23 - 10:25) That's a great question. One that I don't think you're ever going to be able to get a solid answer from anyone on, because narcissistic traits, while they don't just appear out of nowhere, we can say that they're formed in childhood. And we can say that probably almost every child is a bit narcissistic. I mean, we don't get like the terrible mind, mind twos from nowhere. I mean, as children, as human beings, I mean, even scripture tells us we are innately selfish. Our heart is deceptively wicked. So, the point of childhood is for the parents to now pull that out of the child, to grow that out. Right. And a lot of times that doesn't take place. So, what we have to understand is that the roots usually form in childhood, but the fruit shows up later in life.   So, in childhood, you may notice things like entitlement, this extreme sensitivity to criticism, but kids, like we said, are naturally self-focused. So, that's actually going to be part of their normal development. So, kids are self-centered by nature, but narcissism becomes very concerning when someone never grows out of it. So, when we start to see by the teen years, you see that pattern take place and how they handle correction, how they handle empathy and accountability. And if empathy isn't growing, but entitlement is, oh, we've got a pretty big sign. So, now by adulthood, those narcissistic traits, they just become unmistakable.   You see the manipulation, the blame shifting, the lack of accountability, the control, especially when life requires any type of humility. So, immaturity says, I messed up. Narcissism says, you made me do it.   Laura Dugger: (10:25 - 11:04) Oh, that's helpful. And I guess just to put parents at ease, if they are parenting, let's say tweens and teens, I'd love to hear your take on this, but something we learned in grad school was that they said, “don't freak out when your child, even when your teen does this, because a lot of times teenagers could be fitting all of the description in the DSM for multiple things.” And that is part of adolescence and going through puberty and everything. But what I hear you saying is then if that pattern continues into adulthood, especially as you're developing certain things, but lacking empathy, that's one big concern. Is that correct?   Kris Reece: (11:04 - 12:07) That is correct. That is why they don't diagnose teenagers with narcissism, because quite honestly, I would say about 98% of them would be diagnosed. So, no, that's why we don't, because a lot of teenagers are that way. So, yes, don't panic if your teenagers are acting that way. But the other thing that I would also say is don't chalk it up to a phase. It's a great opportunity to speak the truth in love. You may not think they're hearing it. You may not think they're receiving it, but we are responsible as parents for obedience, not outcome. Of course, we want the best outcome for our children possible, but we can't just chalk up those traits as, ah, they're just being teenagers. Ah, it's just a phase. No, as your parent, I need to teach you and train you out of that phase, not force you out of the phase, but I need to train you out of that phase. And then the rest is going to be up to them.   Laura Dugger: (12:07 - 12:22) That's good. Knowing who's part to own. And would you say part of that then is disciplining them and discipling them, training them in the ways that we would think of or anything that you would add for how to help train our children out of these characteristics?   Kris Reece: (12:23 - 13:39) Absolutely. So, we do want to train them in the way they're supposed to go. So, when there is entitlement, we don't chalk it up to a phase. We don't continue to give what they're expecting. So, there needs to be consequences for behavior. And I'm not talking harsh punishment, but there's two sides. So, if there is really bad behavior that needs to stop, then there needs to be a consequence for that. On the flip side, if it's behavior that could kind of be borderline, and I don't mean borderline personality, I just mean borderline in terms of is this bad or is this a phase, then it's a talking too.   Hey, why did you decide to handle your classmate in this way? What do you think could have been a better way? What was the point of your outcome? What were you hoping the outcome would be, I should say? And then starting to really guide them through that, because they're still in their very formative years in terms of processing, in terms of how to cope with things. So, if they're now going to start defaulting to patterns that maybe that was taught or caught, we really want to take that opportunity to train them out of that. And we can do that with gentleness and love. And then, of course, use consequences when necessary.   Laura Dugger: (13:40 - 13:52) That is so well summed up, Kris. I appreciate that. And then what are some types of narcissism that make it especially difficult to recognize at first?   Kris Reece: (13:53 - 16:40) Oh, my favorite one. And I say that with seeping sarcasm. Is the covert narcissist. We would call that one the quiet one. And now if you want to add another layer of complexity, the Christian covert narcissist. This one is going to be the hardest type to detect because they don't look confident. They look wounded. They use self-pity. They use guilt. They use this emotional fragility. But they're using it to control others. And what we have to recognize is covert narcissists, they don't dominate the room. They dominate your emotions. They play the victim. So, you now feel responsible for their feelings, their life, their outcome. That's a scary one.   The other one is what we call the communal or we could refer to them as more of the spiritual narcissist. This is what we would refer to as the helper or the holy one. So, they appear really generous. Big servant's heart, maybe in a serving profession. They're spiritually devoted, but it's all about image. And they're going to use the good deeds. They're going to use the faith, the ministry, or their morality as proof of their superiority. And they may quote the Bible, but they will use shame, silence, and scripture to control others.   And the other one is, this is a little bit more of the obvious one, but we often disguise this in our society. And that's the overt. This is your classic narcissist. This is the one that people recognize. They're loud, they're attention seeking, they're boastful, they're arrogant, and they are just outwardly entitled. But we often, depending on the position that they're in, in business or politics, we're like, oh, they're confident. Oh, they're good leaders. They could be classic overt narcissists. And a lot of times these narcissists really go unrecognized because they always, always start with the charm or the kindness. My favorite is the connection. They establish this connection with you. They're gonna mirror your values, your interests, and yes, even your faith. And a lot of times they appear very wounded or generous, and the whole intention is to now just disarm you. Bottom line is a lot of narcissists, they're gonna wear different masks, but at the core, they're all the same.   Laura Dugger: (16:41 - 18:35) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   With over 1,700 apartment units available throughout Pekin, Peoria, Peoria Heights, Morton, and Washington, and with every price range covered, you will have plenty of options when you rent through Leman Property Management Company. They have townhomes, duplexes, studios, and garden style options located in many areas throughout Pekin. And make sure you check out their newest offering; the McKinley located in Pekin is a new construction addition to their platinum collection. Featuring nine-foot ceilings, large spacious layouts, beautiful finishes such as quartz countertops and garages, you won't want to miss this outstanding new property.   In Peoria, a historic downtown location and apartments adjacent to OSF Medical Center provide excellent choices. Check out their brand-new luxury property in Peoria Heights, overlooking the boutique shops and fine dining on Prospect. And in Morton, they offer a variety of apartment homes with garages, a hot downtown location, and now a brand-new high-end complex near Idlewood Park. If you want to become part of their team, contact them about open office positions. They're also hiring in their maintenance department. So, we invite you to find out why so many people have chosen to make a career with them. Check them out on Facebook today or email their friendly staff at leasing@lemanprops.com. You can also stop by their website at lemanproperties.com. Check them out and find your place to call home today.   Do narcissists recognize or ever admit to being narcissists? Can they ever see that in themselves?   Kris Reece: (18:36 - 20:20) That's a great question. And that's actually two-sided. So, the one where I would say no, they don't see that in themselves. They see themselves truly as entitled, as somebody who's been given the short straw, somebody who is owed something, the victim. They honestly don't see themselves as narcissistic.   Then there's another side where they sort of see it and they actually will use that now to their advantage. See, this makes me somebody who is self-reflective. This is somebody who is, I'm willing to recognize where I've gone wrong. But the problem is, there's no depth there. You'll get generalities like, oh, I know I'm not perfect, but, and then you'll get a litany of justifications or you'll, I know I'm not perfect, but all of your sins are now laid out in detail. So, they will, if they do recognize it, they will use it to their advantage.   Now there is that final subset that does start to recognize and they see, I don't want to be this way. Wow, I've caused a lot of destruction to relationships. I do want to change. And that road is really long, really long. But I'm not, I'm not of the camp that believes that narcissists don't change. They can, if they want to. It takes a lot to recognize it. And I've seen some do.   Laura Dugger: (20:22 - 21:11) I appreciate that hope. You don't always hear that very often with this type of personality. But I think one more piece that has always been so confusing to me when loved ones have shared that they're in a relationship with someone who is a narcissist, whether that's their spouse or their parent is where I've been in friendship with people before. But they, all of their stories, no matter where they live in the world, the narcissist seems to struggle with the same things. They seem to act the same way. They're master manipulators. And I just don't understand how they all have the same playbook. And like you say, they lie even when they don't have to. So, as you've thought about this, are there any reasons why it's so similar across the board?   Kris Reece: (21:14 - 23:27) Yes, because by nature, they are, they're lazy. They don't want to put in an effort. And they're also, what word would I use to describe this? It's almost like they're aliens to empathy. So, if you could imagine an alien coming from, I don't believe in aliens, so please don't hear what I'm not saying, but let's just imagine for a moment, you know, they come on this earth and they're like, oh, I got to adapt myself to these people. I got to fit in. What do I do? So, they're going to start listening. They're going to start mimicking behaviors and they're going to start testing to see what works and what doesn't work. So, for them, now we go back to that whole childhood thing. If they've learned that the only way to get what I want is to lie, the only way to get people to see me as XYZ is to manipulate, that's what they're going to do. And they're going to do it by default.   And that's what people don't understand is that default mechanisms are so powerful that even a master manipulator could turn around and say, “you know, I really, I recognize, yeah, I do manipulate a little bit.” And then when push comes to shove, if they have not done the hard work to begin to dig and really understand where it came from, why it's there and start to develop the patterns to override it, they're going to default to the same way every single time.   And that's why they lie so easily. It's just a default. Now, I'm not saying that as an excuse, but it's a default. And what they also don't realize is that this is not just psychological. This is spiritual. Narcissism is fueled by pride, deception, and control. Is that describing anybody we know? That's the enemy to the core. So, it's not that they're all just studying the same playbook. It is that they're all influenced by the same spirit. And that's what we're struggling with.   Laura Dugger: (23:29 - 24:00) Wow. And that really, there was an aha moment, and I wrote this down, kind of what you're saying. But on page 133, you said, “it's like they're demonically inspired or at the very least, influenced.” And I think that makes so much sense. Even the insidious ways that they are cunning or crafty, that they're influenced by our enemy. That makes a lot more sense. Anything else that you would want to add to that?   Kris Reece: (24:02 - 25:36) Yes. When we look at, I hate to, I don't like to label people. But when we look at how the enemy operates, let's look at how Satan operates. Kill, steal, destroy. Control, pride, deception, manipulation. If he is now influencing these people and they are not putting up any of the barriers, they're continuing to give him a foothold. They are now walking in his purpose. So, if Satan is looking to do this to you, why wouldn't his ambassadors? They are highly influenced by his behaviors, and they don't even realize it. So, yes, we can have compassion. We can take this to prayer because any stronghold can be broken. But that's got to be done by the power of Christ.   So, we pray for their eyes to be open. We pray for them to see the wickedness of their ways and give them a desire to turn from it. But you're not going to change that. It's not going to happen, especially when it is so deeply spiritually rooted. Because a lot of times we get caught in the, well, I'm a good person. Well, I would never behave that way. If I knew I was doing that, I'd want to change. So, we think that our explanation alone is really just going to be the aha moment for the narcissist, right? So, we explain, we re-explain, we over-explain. And then what we don't realize is that now we just got caught in that trap as well. We're now playing that game on their turf and we're not going to win. We have got to hand over this spiritual battle to the Lord.   Laura Dugger: (25:37 - 25:54) Okay, so then that makes me wonder, you said that there is hope. So, how is this treatable? You've kind of let us in on a little bit of it, but also can you just share if you have ever seen someone repent or change their ways?   Kris Reece: (25:56 - 28:30) Yes, more than one. I've seen it on more than one occasion. It is a journey. It does not come from you just over loving them and just giving them passes and excuses and being more like Christ. It's usually from what I refer to as a two-by-four moment.   When God just clunks them over the head, everything is lost, everything is gone, and everything that they held so dearly, meaning everything that was holding them up. So, if you can think about narcissists, they can't function on their own. They don't have their own self-identity. They don't have their own self-discipline. They don't have any other self-regulation. They have no sense of self. So, everything is external. So, when God is looking to change somebody, guess what's going to happen? He's going to start kicking out those crutches one by one, and then they're going to get the two-by-four moment, which is that knock over the head, like that road to Damascus experience that Paul went through. It's like, hello, are we going to wake up here?   And that is when they start to have their awakening, and that is when they begin to pursue, hey, I think change might be possible. This is what happens to me. And then in that environment, if they're able to get met with then the love and the compassion, again, not the enabling, then you'll start to see that change begin to unfold. Narcissism is treatable, but not in the way people often imagine. It's not this surface-level behavioral issue. It's not getting somebody to say, I'm sorry, or getting somebody to validate you. It is a deep identity and a heart issue that is rooted in pride. And I don't know about you, there is not enough experience on the planet. I could never take somebody through that. That has got to be a God moment.   And that's where I want to just caution people sometimes, especially if we struggle with codependency, thinking that we are now responsible for these people, that maybe God planted me in their lives for such a time as this. Stop, stop, stop. Guard your heart. Allow God to heal you of what's driving you now to want to fix this person. And truly, truly, if you really love this person, pray for them, go into warfare for them, but hand them over to the Lord.   Laura Dugger: (28:32 - 28:48) Okay, so then another spiritual question, Kris, in your opinion, can someone be a Christian, a true born-again believer, and a narcissist? Ah, I love and I hate this question.   Kris Reece: (28:52 - 32:44) Hilary, you're going to love and hate my answer. Yes and no. So, in one sense, yes. In the sense that somebody can actually profess faith and faith in Christ but still live in a way that looks absolutely nothing like him. And we see this all throughout scripture. But claiming Christ and following Christ are not the same thing. And that's where I believe that there are times where it's no. You know, just because you had an altar moment where some way, somehow your belly was full, you were well rested, the music was just right, and you came to this place of, okay, I'm going to give my life to Christ at the altar, but you continued in your iniquity for the next 30 years. I really have to seriously question your salvation. But it's not my job to question someone's salvation. But I can question your walk. If I'm not seeing the fruit of that walk, I don't know that I can call you a brother or a sister. If you continue to walk in that route of pride and self-exaltation and manipulation, it's not of God. So, there's a difference between a Christian who's struggling and a Christian who's just refusing to admit any of the error of their ways. One of the questions that we really have to ask is, can a narcissist be saved? And the answer to that is absolutely. Jesus came for the broken, the blind, the hard-hearted, every single last one of them. But that transformation is going to require repentance.   So, yes, I think our hope always needs to be in, Lord, you can save them. If you saved a wretch like me, you could save them. So, now what happens is our prayer needs to now shift. Lord, give them a heart of repentance, a willingness to see themselves truthfully and surrender to your work. That's where our prayer now needs to shift. Not, Lord, get them to stop doing this, get them to stop doing that, get them out of here, move them on. Because if it is God's heart that none should perish, it should be our heart that none should perish. But all should come to repentance. So, that's where our prayer needs to be. So, yes, while there is hope, we're not mini-Jesuses. It's not going to happen. It's not our responsibility. Sometimes our responsibility is actually to step out of the way and allow them to suffer their own consequences, because that is what starts to bring a narcissist to themselves. Not always, but oftentimes. You know what it's reminding me of is the scripture in 1st or 2nd Corinthians, I can't remember, is when Paul commanded the young man who was sleeping with his stepmother to be cast out of the church, get rid of him, to send him out. And here's what he said, “Give him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh.” So, it wasn't like, get rid of him. He's a piece of dirt. We don't want anything to do with him anymore. It's like, okay, if that's the lifestyle he wants to live, then let him live it. And let Satan have his way. So, his flesh is now destroyed. Not him as a person, but his flesh is destroyed. And that's really what narcissists are. They're very fleshly people. I want what I want when I want it, and I'm going to do whatever I can to get it. So, we really want to change our prayer to the Lord, lead them to repentance.   Laura Dugger: (32:49 - 34:01) Updated website, thesavvysauce.com, so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living when you read all the recommended questions in the articles or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes as you read through the transcriptions. Because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them or watch them now that we're offering video rather than just audio. So, we heard all of that, and we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes. Just visit thesavvysauce.com. All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website. Happy reading.   Will you also share a few of the toxic tactics that narcissists typically use for power and control in relationships?   Kris Reece: (34:02 - 36:33) Yes, actually one of their favorite ones is gaslighting. And I think it's just a word that is so overused and abused, but it is so accurate because it's not just lying, it is denying, it is distorting, and it is rewriting reality with the intention to make you doubt yourself, your memory, your feelings, or even your sanity. Tell me that's not wicked. I don't know what it is. It's manipulation at its finest. And the same with love bombing, which is another one of their tactics. At the start, or not even just at the start, maybe when they recognize that you've had enough, like that's it, I'm putting my foot down, I'm setting boundaries, sometimes they'll come in with that love bombing. And what they do is they start to overwhelm you with the affection and the attention and the promises and the chores and all those things that you've been just fighting for all those years. What they're looking to do is to recreate or recreate that emotional dependency, because it's not about love to them, it's about bait. So, in their mind, they're not going, oh no, I'm losing this relationship. Let me get my act together. It's, oh no, I'm losing control. Let me get him or her back into my clutches. So, those are two of the very common ones.   Another one is projection. You want to know what a narcissist is doing? Listen to what they're accusing you of. That will tell you clearly what they've got going on. Lying, selfishness, anger, cheating, hiding, whatever it is, they want to put you on the defensive instead of facing their truth. So, what it does is it puts the spotlight on you and keeps it off them. So, those are some of the most common tactics that they're going to use. And it's on a spectrum. They will do it to different degrees. They'll do it in different ways to different relationships. But they're always going to do what has worked in the past. So, again, once your eyes start to open, now it becomes more difficult. And now their tactics start to change just a little bit. Remember, they're the alien. They're here. They've now got to figure this out. They're like, oh, this isn't working anymore. So, they're going to try to figure out what does work. And that's where you need to be very careful. Know them by their fruit. Fruit takes time to develop.   Laura Dugger: (36:35 - 36:45) Okay. Even that term gaslighting, I think it can be hard to understand. Can you give an example of what that would look like in a relationship?   Kris Reece: (36:46 - 37:50) Yeah, absolutely. So, you can go to, let's say, your spouse and you tell them, you know, when you said this to me, it really hurt my feelings. An obvious form of gaslighting could be, I never said that. You're misunderstanding me. Now, a lot of times people become savvy enough to have proof. No, no, no. You did say that. See, it's right here. Well, that's not what I meant. And you should know that. If you were a good Christian, you would know that that's not what I meant. You know that I get a little confused. You know that I mix up my words.   And what they're doing is they're trying to distort your feelings instead of just owning. Wow. I didn't intend to make you feel that way, but I could see that it left an impact on you. They will skirt around all of that. They will make you question yourself. They will even deny, they will flat out deny that they said or did anything.   Laura Dugger: (37:52 - 38:26) And I see where this gets so confusing for the person in relationship with them, because there's extra layers that you talk about and even extra tactics, like pathological lying that are added in there too. Yep. But they will flat out deny it. Yeah. Well, there's also a few more terms that I'd love for you to explain, just because they may come up throughout our conversation this week and next week. So, will you define codependency for us and also reactive abuse and trauma bond?   Kris Reece: (38:27 - 43:41) Oh, absolutely. These are all very powerful and they are issues that can leave. I hate to use the word victim because we may be victimized, but if you're in Christ, you are not a victim. You have a hope and a future. God can meet you and do exceedingly abundantly above what you could ask, hope or think. But codependency, reactive abuse and trauma bonds are all very real and they often travel together. But they're different pieces of the same trap.   So, when we look at codependency, this is where your sense of worth or peace now depends on someone else's mood or approval. It's like saying, if you're okay, I'm okay. If you're not okay, I'm not okay. So, I need you to be okay. Okay. And you start to manage other people's emotions instead of your own. And that's when we start to confuse enabling with loving because at the core of it, we want to feel okay and they're not okay. So, we have to get them okay. And that's where that caring now turns into control.   So, now we get into reactive abuse. This is often very misunderstood because this happens a lot in churches. So, I want you to picture this. You have a married couple. Let's just say he is for the, just for the sake of our conversation. There are, there are a lot of female narcissists out there, but let's just say the male is the narcissist and he is gaslighting and he is abusive at home, but it's borderline. It's like, you know, he's a little insulting. He's a bit harsh. He's not loving. He's not nurturing. But boy, when he's at church, oh, he's everybody's pal. He's serving all the time. So, now when they go to counseling, they're sitting in front of the pastor, and she's got years and years and years of this abuse that has taken place. And she's now reacting to it. She's elevated. She's yelling, she's screaming, she's crying. And guess what happens? He's sitting there cool as a cucumber. I really don't understand. I mean, I know I've not been perfect and that's where the reactive abuse is taking place because she's now reacting to all of those years of manipulation and provocation and now questioning her own sanity because she knows what's going on. So, she's got that, what we refer to as cognitive dissonance going on.   She's like, well, wait a minute, he's done this, saying this, this isn't making sense. I know I'm not losing it, but I feel like I'm losing it. And that's what's taking place. So, she just explodes because she has no idea what's going on. Her sanity is in question right now. So, to that pastor, guess who looks like the problem? She does. So, if you would just react a little bit more gently when he brings something to you, you may not have this problem. And if she's a Christian, she's going to go back and recognize the error of her ways, which that is a problem. You know, we are responsible for how we react, but she's owning now all of it. So, now let's take a step back.   What is reactive abuse? It happens when you finally explode after those long periods of manipulation and provocation. The abuser then points to your reaction as the proof that you are the problem. And that keeps the guilt train going.   The trauma bond is what happens with trauma bonds is they form when your brain gets hooked on the cycles of fear and relief. And we also go back to that cognitive dissonance. We're like, oh, wait a minute. Okay, he's this way one minute and he's this way another minute. So, is he good? Is he bad? I don't, I don't, instead of the brain being able to say, he's both, you've got both of this going on and we need to deal with this. We're trying to put either a bad blanket on it or a good blanket on it. So, we get hooked in these cycles in the relationship. And what we're chasing is that constant good time. Maybe we had a great time at the gala and he was so wonderful. He was even kind to me after we got in the car, and those small moments of kindness start to release the dopamine, and they convince you to stay even though the big picture is you're being hurt long term.   It's like the frog in the boiling pot. They don't even realize it. But the good news, codependency, reactive abuse, and trauma bonds, once you recognize these patterns, you can begin to renew your mind, break the cycle and allow the Holy Spirit to retrain your heart towards peace instead of that counterfeit connection.   Laura Dugger: (43:43 - 44:06) Wow. That is so well summed up. And if somebody is recognizing that they're in that cycle or if they're identifying they're in a relationship with a narcissist, do you have a practical first step as we're starting to wind down our time together today? Anything that they could do before they tune in next week?   Kris Reece: (44:07 - 45:13) Absolutely. So, the first thing you're going to want to do is to release these feelings of shame and bringing this before God. Your time right now with the Lord can be precious and incredibly restorative. My hope would be that we take our focus off of them. Yes, I get it. We're starting to identify. We're recognizing. And all that can be very enlightening. But be careful not to fall into the enemy's trap of now overanalyzing, over fixing, over controlling.   Take this before the Lord and say, “God, what are you trying to do in me?” Because for whatever reason, He's allowed this relationship. For whatever reason, He's not allowing you out of it. There's a lot of work that He's going to want to begin to do in you. And this is not to say this is your responsibility, but I promise you at the end of this road, if you walk this with Him, there will be a life that is beyond your imagination. Whether it's in the relationship or not, I'm not sure, but it will be beyond your imagination.   Laura Dugger: (45:15 - 45:24) Thank you again for sharing the hope, Kris. And where can we go in between these weeks if we want to continue learning more from you?   Kris Reece: (45:25 - 45:43) Oh, that'd be great. I would love if you'd jump on over to my website. It's krisreece.com. That's Kris with a K, Reece with a C. And you're going to find a wealth of content and resources, some of them free resources. And it's also where you can find my new book. It's called Breaking the Narcissist's Grip. Or you can just jump on Amazon for that as well.   Laura Dugger: (45:44 - 46:01) Wonderful. We'll add links for all of that in the show notes for today's episode. And you're familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, as my final question for you today, Kris, what is your savvy sauce?   Kris Reece: (46:02 - 47:06) My savvy sauce is going to be very practical. I'm a really practical gal. And this may sound like a cliche, so I want you to kind of stick with me a little bit, but it has changed my life. And that is practicing the pause. In these difficult relationships, whether you were reactive before or not, you are now. And we want to begin to practice that pause because toxic people really want to dictate the emotional temperature of the conversation.   So, before you respond, before you react, before you decide anything, just one pause. And you got to ask yourself this one question. This is what I do. I say, is this led by peace or pressure? And that question has saved me from countless toxic conversations and impulsive decisions. So, before you respond, pause, because peace is always going to tell you the truth faster than pressure ever will.   Laura Dugger: (47:08 - 47:37) Well, so well said. I love that. And you are, I'm just so grateful that you were called to this work and that you did surrender to the Lord. Here I am. Send me with your book and the way that you're communicating today and all of these resources that you put together. I think a lot of people are going to find healing and hope. And that's my prayer as we conclude our time together. But I'm just very grateful for you, Kris. So, thank you for being my guest.   Kris Reece: (47:37 - 47:41) Thank you. Thank you. It's been such a blessing and an honor. I am so appreciative.   Laura Dugger: (47:43 - 51:25) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Spiritual gifts have been a matter of controversy in the church since the beginning of Christianity. How quickly the body of Christ forgets the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the distribution of the gifts. From this error arises all manner of sin and abuse of gifts given by God. In sermon on Romans 12:3–5 titled “Gifts in the Church,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses two particular follies the church falls into when it forgets the sovereignty of the Spirit and the diversity of the gifts. On the one hand, he says, the Christian thinks more highly of themselves than they ought. Following the apostle Paul, he demonstrates how the Scriptures teach humility and particularly the most profound demonstrations of humility in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul's call for the church to think is key as this connects with his previous teaching on the renewal of the mind. On the other hand, Christians can underestimate the importance of any gift. There are two equal dangers, warns Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to overestimate a gift, becoming puffed up, or to despise another gift and thus denigrate the Spirit's work. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches on the gifts in the church, a topic in which Christians consistently need clarity and direction. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Why should Christians study classical literature and ancient languages? Today I chat with Dr. David Noe about Greek, Latin, pagan authors, and why classical education is worth the effort.Show Notes and Full Transcript: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/dead-languages-living-education-david-noeGetting Started With Shakespeare Guide: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/exploring-shakespeare-children/FREE 5 Day Gentle Homeschool Reset: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/gentle-homeschool-reset/While you're here, would you take a minute to leave a rating and review in your podcast app? Send me a screenshot of your review and I'll send you a $15 gift certificate to my shop! Just email me your review screenshot at Amy@HumilityandDoxology.comJoin Made2Homeschool for exclusive content and community: HumilityandDoxology.com/M2H ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2147529243/KNcPGL3t⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE Homeschool Planner Calendar: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/free-homeschool-planner-calendar/FREE Homeschool Planning Guide: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/homeschool-planning-guide/Year of Memory Work: https://humilityanddoxology.com/year-of-memory-workFollow Humility and Doxology Online:Blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/HumilityAndDoxology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/humilityanddoxology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube.com/humilityanddoxology⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amy's Favorites: ⁠⁠⁠https://humilityanddoxology.com/favorites⁠⁠⁠This podcast and description contains affiliate links.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Jimmy Carr - yes he needs to be listened to in small bites, but he is way more than just a comedian, he is a political assassin and has an incredible and unique way of looking at life. I saw a short clip where a young man asked him for advice on how to be a comedian. He said something… and maybe it just hit me more than most but he said - don't try to be the best, try to be the only. Get it? Be you. But when he said it the way he said it - it reverberated in me. Yes, be the only - because God made us all uniquely individual and we are all ONLYS. Most people spend their entire life trying to be like others… and never feel complete and never hit the mark for what God has created them for… but if you try to be the ONLY - you most likely will fall into place where God can use you most, best and completely.      "OG" stands for Original Gangster, a slang term originating in the 1970s/80s to describe someone who is authentic, old-school, or a pioneer in their field. It is now commonly used to mean simply "original," referring to the first or classic version of a person, item, or concept. They are truly themselves, copying no one and not caring what anyone thinks.      Here are a few OGs (Original Gangsters / foundational legends) from the Bible—pioneers who set the tone, faced impossible odds, built legacies, and influenced everything that came after them:   Old Testament OGs: - Noah – The ultimate survivor and boat-builder. When the whole world went wicked, he stayed faithful, built the ark, and restarted humanity. OG of "prep and persevere." - Abraham – The father of nations. Left everything behind on God's call, pioneered monotheism in a pagan world, and became the root of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. True OG patriarch. - Moses – Delivered an entire enslaved nation from the world's superpower (Egypt). Parted the Red Sea, received the Ten Commandments, and led through the wilderness for 40 years. OG liberator and lawgiver. - David – Went from shepherd boy to giant-slayer to king. Warrior-poet who unified Israel, established Jerusalem as the capital, and laid the foundation for the Messiah's line. Ultimate underdog-to-legend story. - Elijah – Fearless prophet who called down fire from heaven, confronted corrupt kings and false prophets, and was taken to heaven in a whirlwind. OG of spiritual warfare and boldness.   New Testament OGs: - John the Baptist – The wild desert preacher who prepared the way for Jesus. Lived on locusts and honey, baptized crowds, and fearlessly called out hypocrisy (even Herod). OG forerunner. - Peter – Impulsive fisherman turned "Rock" of the church. Denied Jesus once but became the bold leader of the early church, preached at Pentecost, and helped spread the faith. OG of redemption and leadership. - Paul (Saul of Tarsus) – Former persecutor of Christians who became the greatest missionary and theologian of the New Testament. Wrote half the New Testament letters, planted churches across the Roman Empire. OG of radical transformation.   Bonus "Ride-or-Die" OGs: - Joseph (son of Jacob) – Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, rose to second-in-command in Egypt through integrity and God-given wisdom. OG of forgiveness and divine comeback. - Esther – Orphan who became queen and risked her life to save her people from genocide. OG of courage and strategic influence ("for such a time as this").   These are the originals who walked by faith in hostile territory, changed history, and left blueprints for generations. Who's your favorite Bible OG, or do you want more in a specific category (warriors, prophets, women, etc.)?   Eph. 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.   Workmanship/Masterpiece… not really - more like divine craftsmanship.  It speaks of Gods specific and unique intentionality for each creation/person- his precision i.e. nothing as was before or will be. Like snowflakes…   Be the OG of your life and your walk - and watch what God can do! 

Ephesians 6:1-4 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss the shift in the relationship between children and fathers when the Gentiles became Christians.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=25050The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Welcome to the Audio Podcast of VIA Church! VIA exists to build a community that knows, loves, and lives for Jesus. No matter your story, your background, or where you're at in your faith journey, there is a place here for you! We welcome you to experience Jesus through VIA! Visit www.via.church for more information.

What are you connecting your hope to right now? In this episode, Mike Hess teaches from 1 Peter 1:3 and answers the question that Peter wrote to first-century Christians who had lost jobs, land, and family for their faith. Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is the confident expectation that God will be true to his promises, grounded in the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This was true in the first century. Mike makes the case it is just as true in 2026.   Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com

The waiting season during infertility can be so hard. As Christians we know we SHOULD trust God's timing, but it's harder to put into practice.  That's why in today's episode we are going to talk about how to strengthen our faith and trust in Christ! I'll share my  3 tips for learning to trust God while waiting to conceive.    Watch the FREE Masterclass Unexplained Infertility Breakthrough   Grab the Low Progesterone Playbook Get it here   Shop my favorite fertility boosting supplements Rise + Source   Let's work together: Work with me    DM me on Instagram: @fruitfulfertilityco

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 29, 2026In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Romans 13. In this chapter, Paul teaches that a Christian's outward life should be marked by willingly submitting to governing authorities as an act of submission to God, while still prioritizing obedience to Christ above all. It emphasizes that believers carry an ongoing “debt” of love toward others, fulfilling God's law through love rather than obligation. Finally, Paul urges Christians to live with urgency in light of Christ's return—“putting on Christ” and rejecting sinful behavior so that their actions align with their identity in Him.

In this 500th episode, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis talks with David about declining birth rates and the increasing support for abortion from Christians. Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/ Defending God's Existence: https://a.co/d/0eTiGnKY Register for the Worldview Matters Conference: https://davidfiorazo.com/worldview-matters-conference/ www.worldviewmatters.tv © FreedomProject 2026

What does jihad really mean — and why does the answer matter for every Christian in America right now? In this episode, Pastor Daniel Hayworth and Pastor Nate Brown walk through the real definition of jihad, the critical distinction between "greater" and "lesser" jihad that's being used to mislead the West, and the four-phase conquest strategy that Islam has used for 1,400 years.You'll Learn:✅ Why the "inner struggle" translation of jihad doesn't hold up✅ The four phases of Islamic expansion — from victim status to full conquest✅ Where the United States currently sits in that timeline✅ What Europe's experience reveals about what's coming if we don't act✅ What the Quran and Hadiths actually teach about violenceThis is essential listening for Christians who want to understand the spiritual and political threat at our doorstep. Listen on your commute, at the gym, or wherever you start your day — and share it with someone who needs to hear it.Hit follow so you never miss an episode — new episodes drop Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 AM CT.

Buried in the writings of a first-century Jewish philosopher is a description of a community that most Christians have never heard of. A group of men and women living on the outskirts of Alexandria, Egypt who abandoned everything, their wealth, their status, their former lives, to pursue one thing: a vision of God's light. They were called the Therapeutae. And the women among them, known as the Therapeutrides, were not silent observers. They were philosophers. They were mystics. They were equal participants in the spiritual life. For centuries, their story has been overlooked, misunderstood, and even claimed by early Christian writers as their own. Then Dr. Joan Taylor, one of the most respected scholars in the world, traveled to Egypt and found the place where they lived.Dr. Joan Taylor is Professor Emerita of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King's College London, a Fulbright scholar, former Visiting Lecturer at Harvard Divinity School, and the author of what has been called the best commentary ever written on Philo's account of this community. In this episode, she takes us inside the world of the Therapeutae, reveals the political firestorm in Alexandria that forced Philo to write about them, and exposes the powerful role of women that history tried to bury. This is one of those conversations that will change the way you read your Bible.In this episode you will learn:What Jewish life looked like in first-century Alexandria, one of the most important and overlooked cities in the biblical worldWho Philo of Alexandria was and why his testimony is so significant for understanding Judaism and early ChristianityThe brutal conflict between Jews and Greeks in Alexandria and how it shaped everything Philo wrote about the TherapeutaeWho the Therapeutae actually were and what their radical daily life of contemplation, fasting, and Scripture study looked likeWhy the Therapeutae are completely distinct from the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls communityThe mystical spiritual practices that drove this community, including trance-like experiences of divine lightThe Therapeutrides: the women in this community who were educated philosophers and full participants in the spiritual lifeHow the existence of these women should reshape the way we read New Testament passages about women in the early churchDr. Taylor's trip to Egypt where she identified the actual location of this community near Lake MareotisWhat happened when early Christianity collided with the Therapeutae in AlexandriaCheck out Dr. Taylor's books: Women Remembered: Jesus' Female Disciples - https://a.co/d/0bJltOiA Jewish Women Philosophers of First-Century Alexandria: Philo's 'Therapeutae' Reconsidered - https://a.co/d/0hXKfwoSSubscribe and follow The Dig In Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejohnnyova Follow all things Johnny Ova: https://johnnyova.comGrab Johnny's book, The Revelation Reset: https://a.co/d/hiUkW8H

Rob and Vinnie continue their series on Church Health…and sometimes the lackthereof.    In this replay episode (July 2021), they bring on special guests Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer to discuss their book, A Church Called Tov.    Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches…Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church.   We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.   How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov.   In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov―unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus. This is part of a multi-episode conversation where we talk about cultivating a healthy church environment and how to understand church hurt and church abuse.    Check us out: https://www.determinetruth.com/ Great Resources on the topic of Creating Healthy Churches   Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? (Timothy Keller) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PQ9DSHF/?bestFormat=true&k=forgive%20time%20keller&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-v2_k0_1_12_de&crid=1XUHTNIDQ6OST&sprefix=forgive%20time A Church Called Tov (Scot McKnight) https://www.amazon.com/Church-Called-Tov-Goodness-Promotes/dp/1496446003/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4lBAQzf3oJglpTj_7R8NbAeOg0H2oH4CTgx81Cm9okZZVtD9VFcS1uSUfVV2EQm5KZL1himBpHsyFB4D_Gifo4cf1QusTB-POg2TVGG7LdGmQvQa0IB928VE-Lzebn0QaYbWTVGVFLpXeUIBI_xAwisMWdvmpzjWJxaEPeX_KDzkLcEidFqxV9x2KN137nu9_VqW_lpT5_tSt6oq8-Jdy9yqaU0SHRxzumNuhx47RWQ.FqeuaDuA2RxUSi8NLD1Eu9aVNCvxijZDHQxchJMDJm0&qid=1772398542&sr=8-1 Something's Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse--and Freeing Yourself from Its Power (Wade Mullens) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496444701/ref=mes-dp?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=DfllH&content-id=amzn1.sym.476b1b7d-c787-4147-8a3c-fdef209103a1&pf_rd_p=476b1b7d-c787-4147-8a3c-fdef209103a1&pf_rd_r=0KK0SC6CEWNJ2Q64975X&pd_rd_wg=GCNhP&pd_rd_r=79c691b9-0dac-456b-bda2-afdb8d5268e5 When Narcissism Comes to Church (Chuck DeGroat) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514005093/ref=mes-dp?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=zdSwU&content-id=amzn1.sym.476b1b7d-c787-4147-8a3c-fdef209103a1&pf_rd_p=476b1b7d-c787-4147-8a3c-fdef209103a1&pf_rd_r=WKKWWGSF6Y2GYRHQ8926&pd_rd_wg=mFZQA&pd_rd_r=a6182de3-e16f-4416-9ef7-e30aa5043369 When the Church Harms God's People (Diane Langberg) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587436450/ref=mes-dp?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=uVPPK&content-id=amzn1.sym.476b1b7d-c787-4147-8a3c-fdef209103a1&pf_rd_p=476b1b7d-c787-4147-8a3c-fdef209103a1&pf_rd_r=CAM1FBFN0J7Y0RS0HF0V&pd_rd_wg=KaJ0d&pd_rd_r=a0246e35-7d3f-4feb-89db-facae6fa4a8a The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse (David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen) https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Power-Spiritual-Abuse-Manipulation/dp/0764201379/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gamBi63TclRIVPBxTv-pRuqjLaCH6zHxJg7mfafeeNQBvHmjWjEtqqHFSIN_1Lj7VWyTfWk3PpybZzNXngB61PQXnxSnfqwfEiGYLvolpnFi8EasbYpnJqtfKUbkk1ARz_KF4VVFTdbEaBTGSwwcfvaeU3_MIi3li7ZZ6--eqBOXWaM4f-sakjMeasOH23AhwB4GO4BQg8ffW7LrDWqxeqz_wcKGtWdyDGGWo8G8ixw.QTPRygGaPdlSZ2GR8GtEyG3rlxVNoI9q-tRr0tjybsI&qid=1773085465&sr=1-1 FOLLOW THE PODCAST Subscribe to be notified of our new episodes (each Monday).  Want to help us expand the Gospel of the Kingdom? Leave a review, “like” the podcast, or share it with others.   CONNECT WITH DETERMINETRUTH MINISTRIES The Determinetruth Podcast is a ministry of Determinetruth Ministries. We offer free resources to equip pastors, leaders, and the body of Christ in the US and worldwide for service in the kingdom of God. You can visit us online at https://www.determinetruth.com   SUPPORT DETERMINETRUTH MINISTRIES Determinetruth is a non-profit 501(c)(3), and relies completely on the financial support of our partners around the world.  Please consider partnering with us and making a tax-deductible donation https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/3648601   Want a FREE CHAPTER from Rob's latest book? Sign up for email updates from Determinetruth.   https://mailchi.mp/5672d33f2b95/dt-podcast Music: “Love is Against the Grain” (Dime Store Prophets) #megachuch #churchgrowth #churchhurt #abuse #trauma #deconstruction #exvangelical #thechurch #ecclesiology #Fellowship #Mutual encouragement #Service #Corporateworship #pastors #authority #housechurch 

Guided Question When conflicts arise with other believers, do I rely on worldly methods of self-preservation, or do I trust God's Spirit and His people to help me walk in love, humility, and faith? Summary In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 6, Dr. Robert Lewis addresses the problem of lawsuits among Christians in Corinth. The issue was not simply about legal disputes but about a deeper spiritual problem: the Corinthians had forgotten their theology and were living with a worldly spirit of survival rather than the Spirit-filled life. Paul reminds the church that theology is not abstract or academic; it shapes everyday life and decisions. Believers are called to live out their future destiny now—managing disputes with wisdom, humility, and a focus on God's Kingdom rather than possessions or personal rights. Instead of taking one another to court, Paul calls for Christian arbitration or, if necessary, Christian resignation, following the example of Christ who surrendered His rights for the sake of love. Ultimately, Paul urges the Corinthians to remember who they are: washed, sanctified, and justified in Christ. Forgetting this truth leads them backward into a lifestyle of hopelessness, while remembering it moves them forward toward their destiny as Spirit-filled heirs of the Kingdom. Outline I. The Problem Identified (vv. 1–6) Christians were suing Christians in secular courts. Root issue: living as if theology has no place in daily life. Lawsuits reflected greed, selfishness, and immaturity in the faith. II. The Theological Reminder (vv. 2–4, 9–11) “Do you not know?” repeated six times—calling them back to forgotten theology. Believers will one day judge the world and even angels. Christians must live now in light of their eternal destiny. To sue one another is to live like those outside the Kingdom. Remember your identity: washed, sanctified, and justified. III. The Practical Solutions (vv. 5–8) Christian Arbitration — seek resolution through wise believers and church leadership. Christian Resignation — if necessary, yield rather than destroy relationships or Christ's reputation. IV. The Call to Move Forward (vv. 9–11) Do not retreat into sin and hopelessness. Live as Spirit-filled people who display God's love and forgiveness. Theology must inform daily relationships and decisions. Key Takeaways Theology is for life, not just the classroom. Biblical truth is meant to shape our daily decisions and relationships. Conflict among believers must be handled spiritually, not through worldly systems. The church is equipped with God's Word and Spirit to resolve disputes. Possessions are never more important than people. Giving in for the sake of love protects unity and honors Christ. Remember your identity. We are washed, sanctified, and justified—called to live as heirs of God's Kingdom. Moving forward requires Spirit-filled living. Retreating into selfishness and greed leads to defeat; surrender to the Spirit leads to peace and maturity. Scripture References 1 Corinthians 6:1–11 – Lawsuits among believers and reminder of our identity in Christ. Matthew 5:40 – Jesus' teaching on surrendering possessions rather than fighting. Revelation 20:4–6 – Believers' future destiny to rule with Christ. Proverbs 18:19 – The difficulty of restoring an offended brother. Acts 18:8 – Corinthians' baptism as a sign of leaving the old life behind. Recorded 9/6/81

Christians believe that God doesn't just care about human suffering, but that in Jesus, God actually enters into human suffering. In today's sermon, we'll meditate on that powerful truth and the difference it makes for our lives and our world.  Scripture Reading: Psalm 22:1, 16-18 Share: Know someone who needs this message right now? Send them the link! Connect: https://rb.gy/0gguyc Give: https://pushpay.com/g/kindredumc Prayer: https://rb.gy/xwmuok Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kindrednc.church/kindreds-latest-3-29-2026

God is watching over me. God's got this. The Lord will take care of it. These are all expressions of faith in God's overruling care for us. While this kind of faith is something we should all strive for, the question remains as to what makes these statements true. Just because I say, “God will take care of it,” does that mean it is absolutely going to happen? Are there things that I personally need to have in place for God's providence to be reality, or does saying this with conviction qualify as having enough faith? Is there a difference between our believing in God's attentive care and His actual giving of His attentive care? The quiet way God leads us The episode explores these questions by reminding us that God's providence (His holy and wise supervision of all things) is not something we activate with confident phrases. His care unfolds within His character, His timing and His purposes—not our expectations. Israel's 40 years in the wilderness becomes a vivid example. God fed them, sustained them and disciplined them, but none of it happened on their preferred schedule. Much of His care was quiet, even unnoticed, until they looked back and realized how thoroughly He had carried them. Providence, in other words, often feels ordinary while it is happening and only becomes obvious in hindsight. When God's providence arrives as hardship Jesus' preparation follows the same pattern. Before his ministry began, he faced hunger, misapplied Scripture and the lure of an easier path. None of these experiences looked like “providence” in the moment, yet each one shaped him for the work ahead. The episode emphasizes that God's providence sometimes arrives as difficulty rather than relief—not because God is distant, but because He is forming something deeper in us than comfort. Jesus refused shortcuts, refused to manipulate God's promises and refused to step outside his Father's will. Only after the testing did the angels come to minister to him. That order matters. Christians do not command providence; we receive it. We don't decree outcomes or speak miracles into existence. Instead, we place ourselves where God's guidance can reach us—by obeying what we already know, by waiting when the way is unclear and by trusting that God's care is active even when it feels hidden. Key Takeaways God's providence follows His timing and purposes, not our declarations. Israel's wilderness years show that God's care is often quiet and recognized later. Jesus' temptations reveal that hardship can be part of God's preparing grace. We receive providence through obedience and patience, not by forcing outcomes. True providence shapes us to follow God's will, even when the path is difficult.

There is a reason why lost men mock Bible prophecy, and there is a reason why lukewarm Christians avoid preaching on the Day of the Lord. It is because the Day of the Lord strips away every refuge of lies, every fake peace plan, every apostate sermon, and every smooth-talking promise that man is going to fix this world and bring in some shining golden age. He is not. This world is not evolving upward, it is collapsing downward, and the Day of the Lord is God's appointed answer to the rebellion of men and nations.“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.” Isaiah 13:6On this episode of Rightly Dividing, for nearly 2,000 years in the Church Age, God has been extending mercy through the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God. He has been saving sinners by the blood of Jesus Christ, building the Body of Christ, and making a way of escape for anyone willing to come to Calvary. But mercy rejected does not mean judgment canceled. It means judgment delayed. And one day that delay ends. The Day of the Lord is that day. It is the day when the proud are brought low, when the nations are shaken, when the false christ, the false prophet, and the whole satanic system that has seduced the world are dragged into the blazing light of divine justice. Men today swagger across television screens and political stages as if they own tomorrow. They do not own the next breath in their lungs. The Day of the Lord is coming, and when it comes, every king, every banker, every general, every media propagandist, every Christ-rejecting celebrity, and every religious fraud will discover that God was not bluffing. Last week, we gave you the rundown on the Day of Christ and the Pretrib Rapture, tonight we give you everything you need to know about the Day of the Lord and the time of Jacob's trouble.

This is a week to remember! The events of Jesus' last days on Earth are full of meaning for Christians. In this edition Ed welcomes his pastor and ministry partner Mike Fabarez who is pastor of Compass Bible Church and speaker on the Focal Point radio program. Pastor Fabarez will help us gain an eternal perspective on life by seeing how Jesus demonstrated his love for us by going to the cross. You'll want to listen as we help you prepare your heart to commemorate Jesus' death, and celebrate the victory of the resurrection… Until All Have Heard. 

In the conclusion to our series on stewardship, Roger Morris teaches that giving is an investment into your future, not something that "leaves" you, and challenges the "old sinner saved by grace" identity by emphasizing believers are the righteousness of God in Christ. He warns that a spirit of mammon keeps Christians from trusting God's Word, pointing to Luke 6:38 and the principle that you set the measure of return in your sowing.   Using Mark 10's rich young ruler, Roger explains the issue isn't having riches but trusting in them, and highlights Jesus' promise of a hundredfold return for those who leave and give for the gospel. He shares a personal testimony of giving $500 toward an ORU dorm project and later seeing God provide college scholarships for his sons. He notes research that many Christians cut giving during the 2008 recession, calls that a mistake, connects Philippians 4:19 to being a giver, then leads you in a prayer to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:   00:00 Offering as Investment 00:35 Identity in Christ 02:23 Kingdom Law of Giving 05:09 Rich Young Ruler 10:44 Trusting Riches vs God 12:14 Hundredfold Return 14:26 Scholarship Seed Story 22:58 Recession and Giving 25:03 Breaking Mammon by Giving 26:16 Salvation Invitation   Connect with Bill & Roger Ministries: www.billandroger.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064668460680

What if the path Jesus walked to the cross was something you could actually walk today — and what would it teach you about Him?On this week's special Easter episode, we bring back Dr. Trina Boyce to share more about the Via Dolorosa — an ancient 2,000-foot path winding through the Old City of Jerusalem that traces the final hours of Christ's life, from His condemnation by Pontius Pilate to His burial in the tomb. Christians around the world have been making this sacred pilgrimage for centuries, yet most Latter-day Saints have never heard of it.Trina walks us through all 14 stations of this powerful journey, uncovering stunning parallels between the sacrifice of Isaac and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and diving into the rich symbolism hidden inside the Jewish Passover Seder. She also shares what it was actually like to be there — walking ancient stones, hearing hymns sung in dozens of languages, and feeling the Spirit in one of the most spiritually charged places on earth.Whether or not you ever make it to Jerusalem, this episode will bring the Savior's final hours to life in a way that's both deeply moving and surprisingly accessible — a perfect listen for the Easter season.*** Please SHARE Trina's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/6c6zl-uDKr8-----To LEARN MORE about Trina, visit: https://www.TrinaBoice.comTo LEARN MORE about Trina's author coaching services, visit: https://www.frombook2business.com/To READ Trina's book, "Via Dolorosa," visit: https://www.cedarfort.com/products/via-dolorosa-christs-path-to-the-cross?srsltid=AfmBOoriQlGGDu7ngEuLrfu0GN38cg1FUe-z7ovPv7bYXO6i-NCc9pD6To READ Trina's book, "The Language of Heaven," visit: https://a.co/d/4j5b4kXTo LISTEN to Dr. Trina's podcast, "Daily Inspirational Quote," visit: https://open.spotify.com/show/17RPUlzByZQVu4zmqktoZ0?si=86c6033495a048f1-----To READ Scott's new book “Faith to Stay” for free, visit: https://www.faithtostay.com/-----Keep updated with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latter.day.lights/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latterdaylightsAlso, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.#LDSPodcast #ChristianStories #LatterDayLights

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 2,000 years ago, Jesus asked his disciples a deconstruction question. He wanted to get to the bottom of the opinions, biases, and inconsistencies people had about him. In this Palm Sunday message, we explore the "origin story" of Jesus to move past our assumptions. Whether your view of Jesus was shaped by your parents, your childhood church, or the Christians you've met along the way, it's time to ask the most important question: "But what about you? Who do you say I am?".   We discuss: * The "Crocs" vs. "Jesus" analogy—how we form opinions based on others. * What it actually means to "deconstruct". * Why everyone has an opinion on Jesus, from your grandma to your favorite politician.

This sermon teaches that although Christians often fall back into the same sins and struggles, God calls them to break that cycle and live in freedom. It reminds believers that the struggle with sin is real, but through Jesus they are made new and no longer defined by their past. The message gives practical steps—knowing God, being transformed, living differently, staying accountable, and depending on His grace—to help people walk in victory and move forward.      

William Taylor - James ends his letter with a sobering but hopeful picture of church life: Christians are often weak and wobbly, and some will wander. But none of this has to be the end of their story. God's answer is not isolation, but honesty—confession, prayer, and a church family that takes responsibility for one another. These verses challenge our instinct to hide and instead call us to step in, speak up, and bring each other back. Because in God's kindness, wandering is not terminal—and through ordinary Christians, he works to save and restore.

As the holiest week for Catholics and Christians around the world begins today on this Palm Sunday, the first American Pope had some powerful words for U.S. and Israeli leaders: “Cease Fire!” Pope Leo told his faithful that it’s absurd to claim that problems and disagreements can be resolved through war, while Hegseth prayed for “overwhelming violence” to our enemies. Meantime, significant preparations have been made to escalate the conflict with Iran, the U.S sending 2500 more troops to the region before President Trump makes his decision whether to begin a ground invasion.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover why the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is Christianity's most important doctrine and how it changes everything about life, death, and eternity. The apostle Paul taught the Corinthians that denying the resurrection undermines everything we believe about God, salvation, and eternity. In this sermon from 1st Corinthians 15, Pastor Greg Sukert shows that without the resurrection, Christians are liars without hope.

Just like some of the Christians in Corinth, we are those who fight for our personal rights and freedoms. Paul here in 1 Corinthians 8 teaches that for those who love God, Gospel love trumps and must shape the exercise of our rights freedoms.

Episode Summary: Jesus commanded us not to be preoccupied with what we will eat or drink or distracted by what we are going to wear. Rather, we are to seek first the kingdom of God. But how do you seek something you can't describe and don't know how to define? Modern Christians are not the only ones confused about what this means. Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus spent his last forty days on earth explaining this concept to his disciples, and they still got it wrong, asking “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” But Jesus' teachings about the kingdom of God are puzzle pieces that do fit together and can make a huge difference in understanding our mission. This episode puts some of those pieces together and illustrates how Christ-followers have sought and prayed for the kingdom of God to advance over the earth. For Further Prayerful Thought:What is the most helpful thing you have ever learned about the term kingdom of God?Do you agree or disagree with the argument that Christians fail to understand what it means to seek first the kingdom of God because they don't go back to Adam and Eve's original creation as rulers of kingdom earth and calling to spread shape culture FOR the High King?How does understanding the ALREADY/NOT YET aspects of the kingdom help you understand it. What is still confusing to you?What examples of kingdom discipleship stood out most to you?For the printed version of this message click here.For a summary of topics addressed by podcast series, click here.For FREE downloadable studies on men's issues click here.To make an online contribution to enable others to hear about the podcast: (Click link and scroll down to bottom left) 

Have you ever wondered how Christians can claim that they know God? After all, isn't God beyond our human understanding? According to the Gospel of John, not only can we know God, and become God's children, but also, God's friends. Part 11

Journalist Daoud Kuttab examines how Israel has used global attention on Iran to intensify settler violence and expand the seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank. He also describes how attacks and harassment by the Israeli government and settlers against Palestinian Christians have increased, targeting their towns and villages as well as churches, schools, and other religious institutions. Kuttab is a former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University and the publisher of Milhilard.org, a platform dedicated to the Christian community in Jordan and Palestine. He currently serves as Senior Communications Officer for the World Evangelical Alliance. He is the author of several books, most recently State of Palestine NOW.

Main Theme The power of God's Word and its ability to transform lives. Focus: “Powerful lessons from another cross” (the thief on the cross in Luke 23:39–43). Context and Setup Reference to Charles Spurgeon: God's Word defends itself. Connection to previous message on the cross (Galatians 6:14). Illustration: church member misusing the “thief on the cross” story. Introduction of three crosses: Cross of redemption (Jesus). Cross of rejection. “Another cross” (the repentant thief). The Passage (Luke 23:39–43) One criminal mocks Jesus. The other: Rebukes the first criminal. Acknowledges guilt. Declares Jesus' innocence. Asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus promises him paradise. Observations About the Thief Demonstrates deep spiritual understanding at the end of life. Possible unknown background (religious or sudden revelation). Encouragement to grow spiritually and keep learning. Initially mocked Jesus but experienced a change of heart. Key idea: “While there is life, there is hope.” Theme of Transformation Warning against false or limiting belief systems. Emphasis on truth as the source of freedom. Call to “come to your senses” spiritually. Sin described as destructive and deceptive. Illustration: prodigal son and consequences of sin. Lesson 1: The Fear of God Based on Luke 23:40: “Do you not fear God?” The thief understood reverence and accountability before God. Clarifying the Fear of God Not terror בלבד, but reverence, respect, and awe. Balance: गलत view: harsh, cruel God. Opposite गलत view: only love, no judgment. Biblical Support Matthew 10:28 – Fear God, not man. Hebrews 10:31 – Fearful to fall into God's hands. Hebrews 12:28–29 – God is a consuming fire. Proverbs 16:6 – Fear of God leads to turning from evil. Warnings and Applications Modern culture minimizes or distorts God's holiness. Danger of creating a “God in our image.” Example: evangelist who loved Christ but lost fear of God → moral failure. Key point: spiritual passion without reverence leads to compromise. Practical Implications Fear of God establishes moral boundaries. Christians should not live habitually in sin while claiming faith. Call to raise standards according to Scripture, not culture. Lesson 2: Recognition of Personal Sin Based on Luke 23:41: “We are punished justly…” The thief admits guilt and responsibility. Core Idea Acknowledging sin is the first step to salvation and healing. Key Teachings Humans resist admitting wrongdoing. Modern tendency to blame others (culture, family, society). Biblical truth: all are guilty before God. Biblical Support Romans 3:10 – None righteous. Romans 3:19 – All the world guilty before God. Romans 3:23 – All have sinned. Illustrations Prison story: only the guilty man was freed. Parable of Pharisee vs. tax collector: Self-righteous man vs. repentant sinner. The humble sinner is justified. Practical Implications You cannot receive salvation without admitting need. “I'm a good person” mindset blocks repentance. Sin leads to destruction (James 1:14–15). The cross is the solution to human guilt. Closing Emphasis Two key lessons from the thief: Fear God (reverence and accountability). Admit personal sin (humility and repentance). Message of hope: Jesus saves sinners. Transformation is possible even at the last moment. Invitation to respond: Repent. Return to God. Embrace grace and salvation.

Taste and See that the Lord is Good UOL Retreat in Philadelphia PA on 3/28/2026 In this episode, we look at how the Church's pre- and post-Communion prayers prepare us not just to receive the Eucharist, but to be changed by it. They help us see our need, turn us toward God, and then teach us how to carry His presence into daily life. Communion becomes not just something we receive, but something we learn to live. --- PRE-COMMUNION PRAYERS (UOC-USA PRAYER BOOK) Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Glory to You, our God, glory to You. Prayer to the Holy Spirit О Heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things. Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, O Good One. Thrice-Holy Hymn Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Small Doxology Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Prayer to the Holy Trinity All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. The Lord's Prayer Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our Daily Bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Invocation to Jesus Christ Come, let us worship God, our King. Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ our King and our God. Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God. Psalm 22 The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He settles me in a place of green grass; beside restful water He leads me. He restores my soul; He guides me on the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. For even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. Behold, Your mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord for the length of my days. Psalm 23 The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and all who live in it. For He has founded it above the seas and prepared it above the waters. Who will ascend into the mountain of the Lord and who will stand in His holy place? One whose hands are harmless and whose heart is pure, who has not received his soul in vain and has not sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior. This is the kind who seek the Lord, who seek the Face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, you rulers and be lifted up, you eternal doors and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Psalm 115 I kept my Faith even when I said I am greatly afflicted. I said in my amazement: "Every person is a liar!" What shall I give to the Lord for all that He has given me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord, in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Lord, I am Your servant – and the child of Your handmaiden. You have burst my bonds apart. I will offer to You the sacrifice of praise and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, Jerusalem. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluiа, alleluia, glory to You, our God. (3 times) Tropar, Tone 8 Lord, born of a Virgin, overlook my faults, purify my heart and make it a temple for Your Spotless Body and Blood. Cast me not from Your presence for You have infinitely great mercy. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;How can I who am unworthy, dare to come to the Communion of Your Holy Things? For even if I should dare to approach You with those who are worthy, my garment betrays me, for it is not a festal robe and I shall bring about the condemnation of my sinful soul. Lord, Lover of mankind, cleanse the pollution from my soul and save me. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.Great is the multitude of my sins, Birth-Giver of God. To you, Pure One, I flee and implore salvation. Visit my sick and feeble soul and intercede with Your Son and our God, that He may grant me remission of my sins, for You alone are blessed. First Prayer – Saint Basil the Great Lord and Master, Jesus Christ our God, Wellspring of Life and Immortality, Maker of every visible and invisible thing, Co-eternal and Co-everlasting Son of the Everlasting Father: in the abundance of Your Goodness, You were incarnate in these latter times, and crucified and buried for us ungrateful and graceless people. Through Your own Blood You have renewed our nature corrupted by sin. Immortal King, though I am a sinner, accept my repentance, incline Your Ear to me and hearken to my words. I have sinned before heaven and before Your Countenance and I am not worthy to gaze upon the immensity of Your Glory. For I have provoked Your Goodness, I have transgressed Your commandments and I have not obeyed Your ordinances. But, Lord, since You do not remember evil, but are long suffering and have great mercy, You have not given me over to destruction for my lawlessness, but have continually awaited my conversion. For You, Lover of Mankind have said through Your prophet, "I desire not the death of sinners, but that they may turn from their evil ways and live." Because You do not wish, Master, that the work of Your Hands should perish, neither, do You take pleasure in the destruction of humanity. Rather, You desire that all people should be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth. Therefore, even I, though I am unworthy of heaven, earth and of this transitory life, having given myself completely to sin becoming a slave to pleasure and defiling Your Image – yet being Your creation – I despair not of my salvation in my wretchedness. But, emboldened by Your infinite Compassion, I draw near. Therefore, Loving Christ, receive me also as You received the harlot, the thief, the publican and the prodigal. Take away the heavy burden of my sins, You Who take away the sins of the world, Who heal all human infirmity, Who call to Yourself those who are weary and heavy-laden, granting them rest. You came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Cleanse me from every stain of flesh and spirit and teach me to achieve perfect holiness in fear of You, that receiving my share of Your sacred things, I may be united to Your Holy Body and Blood and may have You dwell and abide in me with the Father and Your Holy Spirit. Yes, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, may the partaking of Your Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries bring me not to condemnation, nor may I partake unworthily of them. Grant that I, even to my final breath, may receive my share of Your sacred things without condemnation and thereby receive communion with the Holy Spirit as a provision for the journey to eternal life and an acceptable defense before Your Dread Judgment Seat. Lord, grant that I, together with all Your elect, may also be a partaker of immaculate good things which You have prepared for those who love You, with whom You abide and are glorified to the ages. Amen. Second Prayer — Saint John Chrysostom Lord my God, I know that I am not sufficiently worthy that You should come under the roof of the house of my soul, for it is entirely desolate and fallen in ruin and You cannot find in me a worthy place for Your head. But, as You humbled Yourself from on high for our sake, humble Yourself not to the measure of my lowliness. As You took it upon Yourself in the cave to lie in the manger for dumb animals, so take it upon Yourself now to enter into the manger of my ignorant soul and into my defiled body. Since You did not disdain to enter and eat with sinners in the house of Simon the Leper, so take it upon Yourself to likewise enter also into the house of my humble, leprous and sinful soul. As You did not cast out the harlot, a sinner much like me, who came and touched You, so have compassion on me, a sinner, coming to touch You. Since You did not detest the kiss of her sin-stained and unclean mouth, detest not my mouth, which is stained even worse and more unclean than hers as well as my sordid, unclean and shameless lips, nor my even more unclean tongue. Let the fiery coal of Your Most Pure Body and of Your Precious Blood bring me the sanctification, enlightenment and strengthening of my humble soul and body, a relief from the burden of my many transgressions, protection against every operation of the Devil, an aversion and hindrance of my base and evil habits, a mortification of my passions, an accomplishment of your Commandments, an increase in Your divine Grace and an entrance into Your Kingdom. For I do not come to You, Christ my God, in presumption, but having been given full confidence by Your Ineffable Goodness, I approach, lest I stray far from Your communion and become the prey of the wolf of souls. Therefore, I pray, Master Who alone are Holy; sanctify both my soul and body, my mind and heart and my emotions and affections. Renew me entirely, implant Your Fear in my members and make Your sanctification indelible within me. Be my helper and foundation, govern my life in peace and make me worthy to stand at your right hand with Your saints. Through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, the pure and immaterial Powers that always serve You and of all the saints who have been well pleasing to You from the ages. Amen. Third Prayer – Saint Simeon the Translator Only Pure and Spotless Lord, Jesus Christ, Wisdom of God, Peace and Power: moved by Your ineffable mercy and love for all mankind, You took up our whole nature from the chaste and virginal blood of the one who wondrously conceived You through the coming of the Holy Spirit and by the favor of Your Eternal Father. In that nature you took it upon Yourself to undergo Your life-giving and saving Passion – the cross, the nails, the spear and death itself. Mortify in me the soul-destroying passions of the body. As you despoiled the dominion of Hades in the tomb, bury in me the spirit of evil. You raised fallen Adam through Your life-bearing Resurrection - so raise me for I am immersed in sin and counsel me in the ways of repentance. You made divine the flesh You assumed and honored it on Your Throne at the Right Hand of the Father in Your Glorious Ascension. By the communion of Your Holy Mysteries make me worthy of a place at Your Right Hand with the saved. You made Your sacred disciples precious vessels by the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit – confirm me also to be a receptacle of His Coming. You promised to come again to judge the world in righteousness – grant that I shall go to meet You in the clouds with all Your saints. For You have made and formed me that I may unceasingly praise and chant hymns to You with Your Eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Fourth Prayer – Saint Simeon the Translator Christ my God, as though standing before Your Dread Judgment Seat which does not regard personalities awaiting judgment and rendering an account of the evils I have committed: so today before the day of my condemnation appears, I stand before Your Holy Altar in Your Sight and in the Sight of Your awesome and holy angels. Bowed low by my own conscience, I offer my wicked and lawless actions, triumphing over them by declaring them. Lord, I know my iniquities have increased beyond the number of hairs on my head. The multitude of Your loving kindness is immeasurable and the mercy of Your Goodness and Forbearance beyond description and there is no sin which overcomes Your love for all mankind. Therefore, all marvelous King and merciful Lord, cause Your wondrous mercy to touch even me, a sinner. Receive me, a sinner, as I return to You, as You received the prodigal, the thief and the harlot. As You received those who came at the eleventh hour unworthily, so receive me also, a sinner. I know that You will set these sins I have committed before me and require an accounting of the sins which I have knowingly and unpardonably committed, but neither convict me with fitting judgment, nor chastise me in Your Anger. Lord have mercy on me for though I am weak, I am also the work of Your Hands. You have granted me to revere You, Lord, but I have done evil in Your Sight. Against You only have I sinned, but I beg You, Lord, judge not Your servant for if You will severely mark iniquity, who will survive it? For I am in a sea of sin and am neither worthy nor sufficient to behold and gaze upon the height of heaven for the multitude of my innumerable sins. Who will raise me up? Who has fallen into such evils and transgressions? Lord God, in You have I hoped. Have mercy on me, God, according to Your great mercy and do not reward me, as my deeds deserve. Rather convert, uphold and deliver my soul from the evils implanted in it and from fearsome designs. I will praise and glorify You all the days of my life. For You are the God of those who repent and we glorify You with Your Father without beginning and Your All Holy, Good and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Fifth Prayer – Saint John of Damascus Lord and Master Jesus Christ our God, You alone have the power to absolve sin. Because You are Good and love all mankind, forgive all my iniquities committed in knowledge or in ignorance. Make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your divine, glorious, pure and life creating Mysteries, that I may incur neither punishment nor an increase in my sins, but receive cleansing, sanctification, a pledge of the Life and the Kingdom to come, protection, an aid, a turning aside of my adversaries and the blotting out of my many transgressions. For You are a God of Mercy, Loving Kindness and Love for all mankind and we glorify You Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Sixth Prayer – Saint Basil the Great Lord, I know that I partake unworthily of Your Pure Body and Your Precious Blood, my Christ and my God. Yet emboldened by Your Loving Kindness I come to You for You have said, "Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood abide in Me and I in them." Therefore, be merciful, Lord and do not rebuke me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy. And let these Holy Things afford me healing, cleansing, enlightenment, protection, sanctification of soul and body, the averting of every fantasy, evil practice and operation of the devil which works within me. Let them give me confidence and love for You, amendment of life and perseverance, an increase in perfection and virtue, the fulfillment of Your Commandments, communion of the Holy Spirit and a provision for the journey to eternal life and an acceptable answer at Your Dread Judgment Seat, but neither for judgment nor condemnation. Amen. Seventh Prayer - Saint Symeon the New Theologian From lips besmirched and heart impure, from unclean tongue and sin stained soul, receive my pleas, my Christ. Neither overlook my words, my way of speech, nor my annoyingly persistent cry. Grant me the boldness to express all the things for which I long, my Christ, and teach me all that it is fitting for me to do and say. More than the harlot have I sinned. When she learned where You were visiting she brought myrrh, boldly came there and anointed Your Feet. As You, Divine Word, did not cast her out when she came in eagerness of heart, detest me not. Rather give me Your Feet, I pray, for my embrace and my kiss. With the torrent of my tears, as with an ointment of great price, let me dare to anoint them. Purify me, O Word, in my own tears and cleanse me with them. Forgive my errors; grant pardon, for You know the multitude of my sins. You also know the wounds I bear. You see the bruises of my soul. Yet You know my faith, You see my eager heart and hear my sighs. From You, my God, Creator and Redeemer, not one tear is hidden, nor even part of one. Your Eyes know my imperfection, for in Your Book are found those things which are yet unfashioned. Behold my lowliness; behold how great is my weariness. Then God of the entire world, grant me release from all my sins, that with a clean heart and conscience filled with holy fear and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your most pure and spotless Mysteries. The one who eats and drinks with a pure heart has life and divinity. For You have said, my Master, that "those who eat of My Flesh and drink of My Blood do indeed abide in Me and I am likewise found in them." My Master and my God, this saying of Christ is completely true. For one who shares in these Divine and Deifying Graces is not alone, but is with You, Christ, the Triple Radiant Light Who enlightens the whole world. You see that for this I have drawn near to You with tears and contrite soul. Thus, I dare to hope in Your good deeds for us, I partake – both rejoicing and trembling – for I am but grass in fire and behold, a strange wonder! I am refreshed with dew, beyond all words, just as in ancient times the bush burning with fire was not consumed. Therefore, thankful in mind and heart, thankful with all my body and all my soul I worship You, magnify and glorify You, my God for You are blessed both now and to all the ages. Amen. Eighth Prayer - Saint John Chrysostom Lord Jesus Christ, my God, absolve, remit, forgive and pardon me, of all the errors, transgressions and trespasses which I have committed before You – whether in knowledge or in ignorance, in words, deeds, thoughts or intentions. Through the intercession of Your All-Pure Mother, Your heavenly hosts and all the saints, who through the ages have been faithful to You, count me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your Holy and Precious Body and Blood for the healing of both soul and body and for the elimination and the cleansing of my evil thoughts. For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory, the Honor and the Worship of the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Ninth Prayer – Saint John of Damascus I stand before the doors of Your temple and I refrain not from evil thoughts. But You, Christ my God, justified the tax collector: You showed mercy to the woman of Canaan and opened the Gates of Paradise to the Thief. Open to me the depths of Your love for all mankind and receive me as I draw near and touch You, even as You did the harlot and the woman with the issue of blood. The latter merely touched the hem of Your garment and immediately received healing and the former, clinging to Your Pure Feet, obtained the release from her sins. But, I in my pitiful state, dare to receive Your Whole Body. May I not be consumed, but receive me even as You received those others and enlighten the feelings of my soul, cleansing my sins; through the prayers of the one who gave You birth without seed and of the heavenly powers, for You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. POST-COMMUNION PRAYERS (UOC-USA PRAYER BOOK) Glory to You, O God! (3 times) Lord my God, I thank You that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have allowed me to be a partaker of Your Holy Things.  I thank You that You have permitted me, though unworthy, to have a share in Your Most Pure and Heavenly Gifts. Master and Lover of Mankind, Who for our sake died and rose again and gave us these Awe-inspiring and Life-giving Mysteries for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies: let these Gifts be for the healing of my own soul and body, for the averting of every adversary, the illumination of the eyes of my heart, the peace of my spiritual powers, an unashamed faith, an unfeigned love, the realizing of wisdom, the observance of Your Commandments, the receiving of Your Divine Grace and the inheritance of Your Kingdom. Preserved by them in Your holiness, may I always be mindful of Your Grace, no longer living for myself, but for You, our Master and Benefactor.  May I then pass from this life in the hope of Eternal Life and attain to the Everlasting Rest where the voice of those who feast is unceasing and the unending delight of those who behold the beauty of Your Face is inexpressible. For You, Christ our God, are truly the ineffable joy and desire of all those who love You and all creation sings Your praise to the ages of ages. Amen. Second Prayer following Communion By Saint Basil the Great I thank You, Christ, Master and God, King of the Ages and Maker of All Things, for all the Good Gifts You have given me and especially for the participation in Your Most Pure and Life-creating Mysteries. Therefore, I pray, Gracious Lord, Who loves all mankind, that You preserve me under Your protection and beneath the shadow of Your Wings. Grant that even to my final breath, I may partake worthily and with a pure conscience of Your Holy Things for the remission of my sins and for Eternal Life. For You are the Bread of Life, the Wellspring of Holiness, the Giver of all Good and we glorify You, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Third Prayer following Communion By Saint Simeon the Translator You Who willingly give Your Flesh to me as Food, Who are a Fire burning the unworthy; let me not be consumed, my Creator. Rather, enter into all my members – my joints, my inner being and my heart. Burn the thorns of my iniquities. Purify my soul and sanctify my reasoning.  Strengthen my joints and bones. Enlighten my five senses. Bind me completely with reverence for You. Always shelter, guard and keep me from every soul-corrupting word and deed. Cleanse, purify and harmonize my being. Beautify me, grant me understanding and enlighten me. Show me to be the Habitation of Your One Holy Spirit and no longer the abode of sin, that having become Your Dwelling Place because of the Communion of Your Holy Mysteries, every evil deed and passion may flee from me as from fire. As intercessors, I bring all the Saints: the leaders of the Bodiless Hosts, Your Forerunner, the Most Wise Apostles and with them, Your undefiled, Most-pure Mother. Accept their prayers Christ, my Merciful One and make me a Child of Light. For You, Good One, are the only Sanctification and Enlightenment of our souls and to You, as God and Master, we worthily render glory day by day. Amen. Fourth Prayer following Communion May Your Holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ our God, be for me Life Eternal and Your Precious Blood for the remission of my sins. May this Eucharist grant me joy, health and gladness. At Your Dread Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the Right Hand of Your Glory, through the intercessions of Your All-pure Mother and of all Your saints. Fifth Prayer following Communion To the Birth-Giver of God All Holy Lady, Birth-Giver of God, light of my darkened soul – my hope, my shelter and refuge, my consolation and joy; I thank you for accepting me, the unworthy one, as a communicant of the Most-pure Body and Precious Blood of your Son. In that you gave birth to the True Light, enlighten the intellectual eyes of my heart. As the one who carried the Fountain of Immortality in your womb, enliven me, slain by sin. Merciful Mother of the Most-merciful God, full of loving kindness, have mercy on me, grant me contrition and compunction of heart, humility in my thoughts, and the ability to recall my reasoning from its captivity. Make me worthy, until my final breath, to receive the sanctification of the Most Pure Mysteries without condemnation, for healing of soul and body. Grant me tears of repentance and confession, that I may chant hymns and glorify You all the days of my life, for blessed and glorified are You to the ages. Amen. Master, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our Daily Bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Depending upon which Liturgy was celebrated, one of the following Tropars and Kondaks are said.Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom Tropar, Tone 8 Grace shining forth from your mouth like a beacon has enlightened the universe, disclosing to the world treasures of generosity and showing us the heights of humility.  Since you instruct us by your words, Father John Chrysostom, intercede with Christ God, the Word Himself, to save our souls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Kondak, Tone 6 From heaven you received divine grace and by your lips you teach all to worship the one God in Trinity, All-blessed and Venerable John Chrysostom. Worthily do we extol you, for you are an instructor who reveals things divine. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Liturgy of Saint Basil the GreatTropar, Tone 1 Your voice has gone out to all the earth and it has received your word. By it you taught divine doctrine making the nature of things, which exist, clear and giving good order to human behavior. Venerable Father and Royal Priest Basil, intercede with Christ our God, that He may save our souls. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Kondak, Tone 4 You appeared as an unshakable foundation of the Church passing down an inviolate dominion to all mortals, sealing it with your teachings, Venerable Basil, revealer of Heaven. Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.Bohorodychnyi, Tone 6 Protection of Christians not put to shame, unwavering Mediation before the Creator; despise not the prayer of sinners, but because you are good, quickly come to help us who call on you in faith. Be swift to intercede and make haste to supplicate, Birth-Giver of God, who always protects those who honor you. Lord, have mercy. (12 times) More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim. You, Who without defilement did bare God the Word, true Birth-Giver of God, we magnify You. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen Lord, have mercy. (3 times) Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.    

Pastor Blaine explains that true Christians are defined by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, not by knowledge, works, or experiences, and this gives believers real confidence in their relationship with Christ. Through a Trinitarian lens, he highlights that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in believers, guaranteeing both spiritual life now and physical resurrection in the future. While death is still a present reality and brings real grief, Christians have hope because death is ultimately defeated and leads to eternal life. Blaine warns against placing hope in temporary things like politics, comfort, or personal control over health, emphasizing instead that true Christian hope is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of eternity. He concludes by calling believers to live faithfully as ambassadors for Christ, trusting God with their lives and finding confidence and hope in the gospel.  

Sunday, 29 March 2026   “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. Matthew 18:15   “And if he should sin against you, your brother, you withdraw, and you confute him – between you and him alone. If he should hear you, you gained your brother.” (CG)   In the previous verse, Jesus finished the parable of the lost sheep. He now enters into a new type of possible loss. Unlike a brother in the faith who has wandered from the fold, this one is in the fold, but has caused turmoil, as Jesus says, “And if he should sin against you, your brother.”   The statement is as broad as it gets. No particular sin is mentioned, only that it is something a brother (meaning a fellow believer) has done to offend another. Should this be the case, Jesus continues with, “you withdraw, and you confute him.”   It is a new word, elegchó, to confute or admonish. HELPS Word Studies says, “to convince with solid, compelling evidence, especially to expose (prove wrong, connect).” The reason for this is at least two-fold. The first is to maintain harmony with others. The second follows naturally from the first point. In Leviticus 19, it says –   “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.” Leviticus 19:17   Under the law, there was to be fellowship with others of Israel. They were commanded to love their neighbors as themselves (Leviticus 19:18). As this is a point of law, to not do so by hating one's brother resulted in bearing sin.   In the epistles, Paul says –   “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10   Doing good to others includes maintaining fellowship and not hating one another. As for how to approach the matter Jesus refers to, He continues with, “between you and him alone.”   A conflict between two people should start with a one-on-one presentation of what one did to the other to harm the relationship. Again, no example of what the sin is has been mentioned. These are guidelines to cover all such instances. The offense has been made, the offended has identified it, and he has done so in private between the two. Jesus next says, “If he should hear you, you gained your brother.”   The matter was handled properly, and nobody else needed to be bothered with the offense. It is a simple, straightforward, and expected way of handling such things. In the end, reconciliation was made, and life will go on without further sin being the result.   Life application: In Romans, Paul gives continued advice concerning such things –   “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord.” Romans 12:17-19   Notice how Paul says, “as much as depends on you.” It is similar in thought to what lies ahead in Jesus' continued words to the disciples. Some things are beyond our ability to mend, and this can be for a limitless number of reasons. We can only do what we can do.   These matters are addressed in the word because they are matters that have arisen in human hearts since the very beginning. Cain's jealousy turned into murder. That was just the start of unhappy interactions between people, even among Christians. So don't beat yourself up too much when disputes, even irreconcilable disputes, arise.   Hand your cares and disappointments over to the Lord after you have done what you can to resolve a matter. He has been handling humanity's problems for millennia.   Glorious Lord God, help us to be people who are willing to resolve conflicts with others when it is possible. Give us the wisdom to take the proper steps to do so, reminding us of what Your word says concerning such matters. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

March 25, 2026 - Wednesday Bible Class This episode is a verse-by-verse study of 1 Peter chapter 2, building on an introduction by Neil about the book's central theme of hope amid persecution. The speaker walks listeners through Peter's call to spiritual growth — laying aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speech — and emphasizes feeding on the word of God like newborns craving milk. Key scriptures quoted include Isaiah, Psalm 118, Galatians, Romans, Philippians, Acts, and Isaiah 53, connecting the early Christians' context of mounting Roman persecution to practical Christian living today. Topics covered: the temporary nature of flesh vs. the enduring Word, the image of Christ as the living stone and believers as living stones, the church as a holy priesthood, spiritual sacrifices, honorable conduct among Gentiles, submission to governing authorities (with limits), the employer-employee application of servant-master teaching, and persevering in suffering as Christ did. The episode offers pastoral encouragement, historical background on first-century persecution, and practical admonitions for personal growth and witness.   Duration 45:13

Scripture Reading: Revelation 19:6-10 Revelation 19 contains a stirring image of the relationship between Christ and His people.  The imagery is of a joyous wedding ceremony.   "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready." What a beautiful picture of the relationship between Christ and His own.  A marriage calls to mind Christ's love for His people.  "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). A marriage calls to mind the union Christians have with Christ, as they are frequently referred to as being 'in Christ'. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor 5:17). A marriage calls to mind the beautiful wedding gown the bride wears.  Christ dresses His people with His own righteousness.  "It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev 19:8).  "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). The relationship Christ has with His people is intimate, satisfying, meaningful, joyful, and everlasting.  Indeed, to be loved by Christ and to belong to Him is the very life of life ... of greater splendor and majesty than any wedding we ever saw on this earth.

We're all pretty aware there is something off with all of us, even if we might not be able to put our finger on it. For centuries, psychologists, philosophers, sociologists, artists and more have been trying to figure out what it is. Christians have always understood the problem to be that we have become enslaved to our “flesh”—our primal, deepest and–yes–most most authentic desires for self-gratification. But so often we are told the real problem we face is actually that we haven't given ourselves over to our deepest and most authentic desires as much as we should!  In this message, Pastor Joel walks through the tension between the Christian view and the worldly one and explains Jesus's answer for what to do about what is wrong with us, and how his answer makes us salt for a world hat badly needs it.

Most of our lives are spent trying to avoid making a "scene", but as Christians it's time for us to make a "seen" with our faith. Our faith is what makes Christ is us seen in this world. In today's message, Pastor Jeff Ables discusses 3 ways that faith makes a "seen".Prayed to accept Jesus? Congratulations! Text SAVED to 337-222-3210 or click here https://bit.ly/CC_saved New to Crossroads Church? Learn all about us at https://mycrossroads.org 

Scriptural Background for Palm Sunday: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19. Palm Sunday is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It holds deep religious significance for Christians around the world. Listen as Larry shares some of his insights into Palm Sunday and the deeper meaning within it.Follow the link below to share a gift of appreciation for our podcasts.Support the show

Jesus in Prayer MESSAGE SUMMARY: In this powerful exploration of Jesus' identity, we delve into the profound High Priestly Prayer found in John 17. This prayer reveals Jesus not just as a teacher or prophet, but as one who shares in the divine nature with God the Father. We're challenged to consider: Who is Jesus to us personally? The prayer showcases Jesus' unique relationship with the Father, calling Him 'Father' over 160 times in the Gospels. This intimacy extends to us as believers, inviting us into the very fellowship of the Trinity. As we contemplate this, we're reminded that our unity as Christians is rooted in our union with God Himself. The prayer also reveals Jesus' eternal existence and His role in creation, emphasizing His divinity. This understanding transforms how we view the cross - not as a tragedy, but as our salvation. Let's reflect on how this deeper knowledge of Jesus' nature can impact our daily walk with Him and our relationships with others.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): James 1:21-25; John 17 (entire chapter); John 10:30; John 10:27-33; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:19; 2 Peter 1:4 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “JESUS MEETS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross (VIDEO)”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Prepared to Feed the Church (1) (audio) David Eells, 3/29/26   Meats or Empty Sweets? K.H. - March 2011 (David's notes in red) The dream began as I arrived at this large convention center. (This represents the corporate church.) I walked through the glass front doors and went over to where a group of people were standing. As soon as I walked over to the group, a young woman came and asked if I wanted to help serve food. I agreed, as I enjoy serving others, and followed her into the kitchen area. (This dream is feeding the Church.) When I entered the kitchen, I saw many other volunteers lined up to get trays of food to take to the two different rooms, so I got in line. I was first given a tray and was told to go into the first room out of the kitchen door. In the first room, there were rectangular tables of people along the walls and two rows of tables down the middle; the room was filled with very hungry people. I noticed that the men, women, and children in that room had very worn clothes and were gaunt-looking. (Most of the church is starving for heavenly food.) I went to the first table in the middle of the room and started putting down the plates of food on my tray. (If we are partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we will be dressed up with Him as our wedding garment, and we will spiritually be healthy and strong. Rom.13:12 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]. Notice that if we are putting on Jesus, we are putting on truth and not letting the flesh have its way.) After I finished passing out all the plates I had, I noticed that all of them had a slice of pie. (Pie is sweet and can fill you up if you eat enough of it, but you will have a sugar high and then a sugar low, and there is no substance to it.) As I watched the people begin to eat their pie, I realized that the pie slices were hollow -- there was no fruit in the pie. I was very disturbed by this and understood why they were so skinny, as they were not being fed properly. (Teaching what is sweet to the flesh is fruitless and will not make you strong in the Lord.) There were some people in the room who seemed to understand that there was no substance to their meal, but there were some who searched all over the plate and inside the crust to try to find the fruit that was supposed to be in the pie. (Some people in the apostate church are satisfied with the emptiness that they have grown accustomed to, but some are searching for the truth because they know there is more to Christianity than what they have been taught or fed.) (Man's opinions and traditions have no spiritual fruit or nourishment and do not clothe one's nakedness, so that spiritually their sin is revealed. Many don't know they are in this condition because those whom they consider spiritual seem the same way. Rev.3:16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. Those who do hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled. Matthew 5:6) I didn't want to continue because I began to feel so sad for those people who were still starving and not receiving what they had come for, but I felt in my spirit that I needed to deliver food to the next room. So, I went back into the kitchen and got another tray of food, and walked to the second room. As I entered the room, the tables were all set up the same way, but the people in that room had less-worn clothes and looked much healthier than the people in the other room. When I passed the plates of food out to the people in the second room, I realized that there were slices of meat, like a meatloaf. (Unlike the pie, you can become full by eating the meat and you will stay full longer without having the sugar high/low effect.) This meal seemed to satisfy all of the people much more than in the other room. (This second room represents those Christians who eat the meat of the Word and are getting fed by the true Word, not the empty gospel.) (Also, they are not just hearers of the Word deluding themselves, but doers of the Word. Jesus said that His meat was to do the will of His Father. He said that only those who hear and do the Word would have a house that would survive the waves and winds of life. Mat.7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. It would be far better for some to stay home and read their Bible than to go to a spiritually poverty-stricken and starving church only to be fed leaven.) As soon as I woke up from this dream, the Lord reminded me of this passage in Joh.6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. 54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever. (Jesus is the Word made flesh, which we must eat. It is plain that a person cannot just blindly go to “church”, as the Jews did, and not partake of the Word for himself and expect to have life.) There are so many Christians who are spiritually starving under the apostate church, and I am thankful for the Lord giving me this reminder to pray for His children who are still searching for Him so that they find the truth sooner rather than later. Only when Christ is in us through eating the Word do we bear His fruit, 30-, 60- and 100-fold, and are strong to withstand the attacks of the enemies who come to plunder us of our heritage.   Transformed to Bear Fruit in Others Judy Fahrnow - 06/12/2016 Notes: [David | Debbie Horton ] In a dream, I was in the living room, feeding a small baby boy a bottle of milk. (This represents feeding her spiritual man of “Christ in you”. 1Pe.2:2 As newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation. Mat.12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. We are the mother of Christ if we feed our spiritual man the Word of God. In the parable of the seed of the sower, the seed of God is His Word, and our heart is the womb to bring forth the fruit of Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold. When the baby is born, this fruit of Christ is revealed to the world for we are to look like our Father. Luk.1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. And Elizabeth said unto Mary, who like us was to bear the fruit of Jesus, 45 And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.) The neighborhood kids kept coming into the house and getting out all of the baby boys toys. (Other Christians try to distract our born-again man with the things of the world so we don't grow up in Him. Eph.5:15 Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.) Col.3:2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. Manifested here is phaneroo, and it means “to make visible” [as in a birth]; “to cause to shine” [as the shining forth of the glory of Christ].) I didn't want all that chaos, clutter and noise as I was feeding the baby. (Because we must concentrate on the milk of the Word so our spiritual man will grow up into the meat and image of Christ. 2Co.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.) Then I told all the other children to pick up the toys and put them away and that they had to leave. I ushered them out the door, closed it, and locked the door so they could not try to come back inside. Mat.6:33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Luk.10:41 But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: 42 but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Jos.1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Gal.5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.) Then, as I was going back to where the baby was to feed him, I couldn't find him. Then I noticed he was bigger and walking around the room, and I thought, “Well, I can't feed him anymore from a bottle; he needs more grown-up food or a jar of baby food”. (Judy's fruit of Jesus grows quickly from the milk of the Word to the meat because she is concentrating on the spiritual and not the carnal; the Word and not the world. Heb.5:12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. Notice that experiencing the Word and not just knowing it is going from milk to meat: 14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. We must use the Word to experience it and grow to maturity. Jas.1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.) Then I was also wondering where I was going to find clothes to fit him because he was growing so fast, and he just kept growing and growing until he was very tall, maybe seven feet tall. (Our spiritual clothes are our works of righteousness and show our maturity, as in being a member of the Bride. Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [Lampros, meaning “radiant”; i.e., glory] and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. He also had wide shoulders. Isa.9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Then I felt I needed to find my husband to tell him what had happened. (Our spiritual husband is Jesus, Who is the Word, which is the seed that brings forth His life in the womb of the natural man. Judy here represents the natural man who brings forth the spiritual man of “Christ in you”. All of God's people are called to bear the fruit of Jesus. The first-fruits of these sons of God is the Man-child who will lead God's people through the wilderness tribulation in the days to come. This Man-child will be caught up to the throne of God's authority to do this work.) He then said he needed to go to his father, and we got into the car, and he backed the car out of the driveway and drove to a big open field. Mat.13:38 The field is the world. He got out of the car and looked up, and I saw the heavens open up and he ascended into Heaven, just like Jesus did. (Our personal Man-child will live with our Father in heavenly places. Eph.1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.... The first fruits Man-child company will now be caught up to the throne to minister to the Woman Church in the wilderness. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.) The seed is in the fruit. Those who have the fruit now have the seed. The next thing I knew, I was back home in my living room. (Ready to go to work in the Kingdom.) I didn't drive back. I was just “there,” back in my home. I was feeding another baby, and he also started to grow really fast. (Once our spiritual man is grown, we are capable of feeding and raising other spiritual men so that they, too, can bear fruit quickly and live in heavenly places in Christ. Luk.6:42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.) As I watched him grow, I had another baby in my arms, feeding him, and again he grew really fast, and another baby appeared in my arms, and I was feeding him. It was like the babies just kept coming and coming and growing up very fast. ... And then the alarm clock went off. (The time will come when the time is up to bear the FIRST-fruit in others but in the wilderness many will bear the fruit of Christ through them. Just as the disciples of Jesus, the first-fruit, grew up to bear His fruit so it will be with many others. This is what Jesus taught in Joh.12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. We must die to our own will and the toys of this world and seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The catching to the throne of the FIRST-fruit is near.) I asked the Lord for a verse regarding this dream and opened the Bible and put my finger down on Eze.37:4 again he said unto me, prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. (This is the way the revival will bring in the dead religious multitudes and give them life in Christ. Even as Satan's minions fight to stop us. Many have been diligent to get the Word out to others so they can grow up quickly.) (I also asked for a Word by random computer and received Pro.14:23 In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.) (Meaning, let's talk about it less and feed the spiritual man more or we will end up spiritually poverty-stricken.)   Man-child / Bride Feed Apostate Baby Believers Missy Pollock - 04/24/2012 B. A. notes in green | David's notes in red In a dream, I was walking on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere (the wilderness tribulation), following a young man. I had a love for this young man whom I had never felt before. (In type, Missy is following Jesus in the Man-child who will lead the Bride and under her the Church through the wilderness tribulation.) This young man went into a field (the world) and when he came back out of the field, he had a baby in his arms. He was now dressed in shepherd-like clothing that was multicolored. (Having this multicolored clothing on when he came out of the field means he was anointed to be the Man-child.) (Joseph's coat of many colors represents the attributes of the light of Christ, the Man-child.) I asked him with great concern for the baby, “Where did you get that baby?” (Which represents believers in the worldly church who have not yet matured.) He didn't say anything. I kept following him with this baby. The next thing I knew, we were on the second floor of a house, walking into a room. (No longer walking on earth, walking in the first stage of the spiritual realm, walking in the light, walking in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.) In this room was a crib full of babies. I asked the young man again with great concern for these babies, “Where did you get all these babies?” He didn't answer, but I knew he had rescued these babies because he loved and cared for them. (The Man-child will rescue many baby Christians from the apostate leadership.) I was holding one of the babies, and it was cute with very dark skin. (They are very dark because they have been walking in the apostasy of the church.) I also noticed the baby had sharp claws on its hands and feet (meaning they have beastly works and walk). I asked the young man, “Are you sure this baby is human?” He said, “Yes, I'm sure”. I felt funny asking this. I said, “I hated asking that, but I wasn't sure”. (The beast nature in the spiritual land of their life keeps the believers from maturing. Exo.23:29 I will not drive them (meaning, the carnal man) out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee (meaning the spiritual man), until thou be increased, and inherit the land.) After that, I felt this dark presence of a man (representing the apostate leadership) come up from behind me, and he tried to seduce me (by speaking leavened words which are doctrines of demons). I said, “Leave me alone; get away from me”. Then, all of a sudden, I realized where the young man got the babies. I said to him, “I get it. I know where you got these babies”. He got these babies from carnal women who couldn't take care of them (because they don't have the unleavened Word of God to feed them). (Isa.4:1) And seven women (the seven churches, representing the sects of Christianity) shall take hold of one man (Jesus in the Man-child) in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.) I said, “You bought them from him”, meaning the dark-presence man. (The Man-child paid the price to receive the Unleavened Bread and feed the babies who were under the false prophet, apostate leadership.) Then the dark presence of this man was gone. (When you expose the darkness by speaking the light of the truth, it must go.) (When you reject the seduction of leaven, he has no power.) I then went over to the crib full of babies. With each of the babies was a birth certificate-type document showing ownership (born of God, purchased by the blood of the Lamb). I noticed one of the babies was a little chubbier than the rest and it didn't have any hair (representing, overindulging in the world and no submission to God). I picked this baby up and started taking care of it. I immediately loved this baby. I took the baby with me out of the room, into another room where there was a set of stairs that went down to the first floor. A man was standing on the stairs, almost at the bottom, keeping guard. (Watching for thieves, like the Pharisees, stealing God's sheep.) Joh.10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.) I would tell the baby, “Mommy loves you,” and I would just kiss and kiss the baby and tell it that I loved it over and over again. (I was feeding the baby with kisses, which are the Word of God. Son.1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.) (Love of the brethren is one of the most common themes in the Word, and “Love never faileth.” Love them into the kingdom.) This room looked like the reception area of a doctor's office. A woman was standing by a desk, looking at some files in her hands. She asked me, “Didn't you use to wear glasses?” (Seeing the world's way.) I said, “Yes, but not anymore because I can see now”. She then took a card out of one of the files and put it really close in front of my face, and it was all blurry. (She is not near-sighted but far-sighted, like those with faith who see things far off as already in their possession.) She then took it away quickly and said, “You can see”. (I used to wear glasses but stopped wearing them, believing that my eyes are healed in Jesus' name. The card, blurry when I looked at it, was showing that I had learned to walk by faith and not by sight. I represent the Bride, and the test was to see if I was qualified to be in the Bride and take care of the baby.) (Only those who walk and see by faith for the babies can teach faith to them.) These are the verses that the Lord gave me: 1Co.15:27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. (28) And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. (“Things” in this verse is italicized in the Numerics because it is the chosen people who are being brought into submission and subjection to the Father, like the overindulgent and under-submissive baby Christians that the Man-child and Bride were caring for in the dream.) 2Ch.33:3 For he (Manasseh, the dark presence leadership) built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem (the Bride) shall my name be for ever. 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven (He caused God's people to sacrifice their lives to demons) in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. 6 He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom (his leadership sent his spiritual children to hell); and he practiced augury, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits (all forbidden knowledge and false prophecy demons), and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he set the graven image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God (he raised up the golden calf in God's house), of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name (Hebrew meaning: “nature, character and authority”) for ever: 8 neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances [given] by Moses. (Because of this dark leadership, the people were driven from the land of milk and honey into captivity to the beast.) 9 And Manasseh (meaning “causing to forget”) (This apostate leadership of God's people caused them to forget His Word and ways. He) seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (as the apostate leadership), so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel. Dan.2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (The beast will destroy the harlot as Revelation says. He will destroy all the apostate leadership [or dark presence man] by bringing them under submission to it. In Revelation 17, the beast is a corporate body of spirits from the abyss who enter perdition or destruction, as in the corporate body of the sons of perdition.) Psa.80:18 So shall we not go back from thee: Quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Turn us again, O Jehovah God of hosts; Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. (Father will grant grace to many apostate babies to turn to Him because they are not as responsible as their leaders are for their sins.)   Bride to Feed the Tribulation Church Eve Brast - 01/12/2011 (RS and David's notes in red) I dreamed I was at my dad's parents' old house in Highland Park in Dallas, Texas. Their home had been built during the Great Depression in the 1930s (the world is coming to a great depression) and was surrounded by million-dollar mansions when I was young. (Eve here represents the Bride, for she was the bride of Adam, and Jesus was the last Adam. The house that Eve was raised in represents the Church, which is overshadowed by this world. The Church is returning to the depression era in the Tribulation, while being completely outclassed and encircled by the world beast.) They had refused to sell their lot. (Like Naboth, they will refuse to sell their inheritance land [their lives] to Ahab, representing the beast.) I was on what appeared to be a transparent racetrack in the air above their house. (We are running a spiritual race, which is unseen, in heavenly places, above the church which is earthly.) I was running around on this track, preparing all sorts of healthy fruits and salads for God's people. (The Bride is preparing the Word from heaven for the people.) The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me to go downstairs and feed the people. (She was to feed them the true Gospel.) I went downstairs into the kitchen and dining area and set the food I had prepared near the double sink on the right side of the kitchen. I had a small plastic container of dried cranberries that I had prepared for myself that I set down with the other food. (Cranberries are a very healthy fall fruit, but when dried, they are preserved so they can be eaten any time of the year, like the Word that will go forth from the first-fruits Man-child ministry, preserved by many methods of recordings, so many can partake of them any time. The Bride will be first to partake of this ministry. Cranberries are the color of blood, representing those who are washed in it and have lived the crucified life.) I didn't charge anything for the food I had prepared. (The Bride gives the clean Word of God freely as Jesus comanded.) There was another fruit stand in the dining room with a sign on it that read $1.00 each. (The harlot church merchandises the Word.) Nobody was at the stand. It was deserted. Nobody was running it, and nobody was buying the fruit. (An abomination of desolation. The Holy Spirit and the righteous will be leaving the apostates who make merchandise of the Word. God's true people will not buy the harlot's food anymore.) There was a huge, polished, wooden statue of the Babylonian king standing in the center of the fruit stand. (The harlot church is united with the beast and worships its image.) It was as tall as a large tree, with a bald eagle in front of it with its wings spread back against its sides. It was all carved out of the same piece of wood. (The one world order is being carved out. The large tree was the Babylonish head of gold in the image of the beast in Daniel 2 and 3 that was hewn down and conquered.) As I was looking up at the head of the statue, I heard a faint rumbling. I became disoriented, or it seemed as if the statue was about to fall over on me. I quickly looked away from it and the fear left me. (Babylonish U.S. is about to incur devastating earthquakes; the rumblings are already being heard in fault zones. As long as we look at the physical when things begin to fall apart, we will be fearful, but if we turn to the Word, the fear will leave and we will not fall in these judgments. Isa.26:3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]; because he trusteth in thee.) I remembered my cranberries and went back to the sink area to get them. (The Bride will remember the Man-child teachings and will be able to feed many.) Three women who looked like my mom came and received my food joyfully and thankfully. (When the shakings above begin, many from the church who have scoffed at the Man-child teachings will receive them with joy from the Bride because they are answers and deliverance in tribulation.) I was glad they appreciated it, but I noticed my cranberries were gone! I was disappointed because I cherished eating them because they were sweet and sour at the same time. (In reality, I don't care for cranberries that much.) (The cranberries represent the Word through the Man-child: sweet in your mouth but bitter to your belly, representing death to the flesh.) I then went back over to the fruit stand, and a woman appeared in a white and black maid outfit. She was violently stirring a bowl of ingredients and resentfully preparing the “king's dainties” for him and his household, she said. I then looked over to the left of the fruit stand and saw two kings sitting and dining together. They were dressed in royal robes with their crowns on their heads. The Babylonian king was on the left, and the Persian king was to his right. Servants waited on them as they dined. As I looked at the Babylonian king, his image alternated with that of Obama's. He was pretending to be the Persian king's friend (Cyrus Trump) but secretly was intending to destroy him and the Persian kingdom (The new Republic. Alexander the Greats Grecian Kingdom conquered this. History must repeat.). (My notes here are not prophecy but an attempt to put a puzzle together.) (Obama and the D.S. who are covertly “violently stirring” the Middle East nations of factionalized Islam and, in effect, delivering them over to unceasing war, which is how they make money. The powers that be who own the capped wells in the U.S. will soon open them because of the high price of oil elsewhere. The destruction of these nations was predicted in Jeremiah 25:20-26, where at the end of this list of nations Babylon (U.S.) overthrows Iran. Along this list we can see the Philistines and Gaza (the Palestinians), Elam (Persians - Iran), Medes, and Sheshach (Babylon) falls last. History must repeat according to Ecc.1:9.) As I came up behind them, I saw my cranberries in a decorative clear glass candle holder sitting in front of the Persian king (Trump). I reached in between them and quickly took the candle holder and emptied the cranberries into my right hand and placed the candle holder back in front of the Persian king. Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere and replaced my cranberries with a crimson (Blood) candle in the candle holder, escaping the notice of the kings. (The Man-child ministry served under both of these kings in Daniel, as they will today. The Bride, Eve, will partake of the fruit, but they will partake of the light, as they did in Daniel's revelation. He, as the Man-child ministry of his day, gave much light from God to the rulers.) (This reminds me of the handwriting on the wall in the book of Daniel to the Babylonian king (Obama and his puppet) that his kingdom would be given to the Medes and the Persians (Trump).) (Trump is conquering Babylon D.S. America. The Man-child, Daniel, pronounced the judgment that the Persian king, Cyrus Trump, would conquer the Babylonish eagle, but history shows he would later be conquered by Alexander the Greats Grecian kingdom. Obama is attempting his second run now. The U.S. is at the very bottom of the list in Jeremiah 25 to fall as Sheshach (Babylon) .) The candle's wick had been lit in the past and was burnt, but was not currently lit, but was soon to be lit again. (Obama's two separated terms. Jesus will soon return in the body of the Man-child to bring the light to the Church and the rulers, once again, as persecution also returns.) I then turned and walked away, eating the cranberries out of my right hand. Then I woke up. (Those who increasingly come into the Bride will feed on God's Word through the Man-child and Bride.)   Bride Not to be Captive Shelly Lynch - 01/22/2013 - 5:55 AM (Grace Multiplied) (David's notes in red) I had a brief dream this morning, the day following my trial in which I fell into sin and repented and received the Lord's forgiveness! I believe He gave me this dream to encourage me that I would be restored and content to be a doorkeeper in the Kingdom! Hallelujah! I saw the Marriage Feast banquet hall. (The Marriage Feast represents tribulation, for it is the last seven days before the Bride is taken to the Groom's home while escorted by the virgins.) I saw food served and cake for dessert, too. I saw busloads of people getting off the buses (Revival!) coming into the banquet hall, and I was helping hang up their coats and looking for more hangers, as there were so many coming in the door. (Hanging their coats is resting from their old works) I was running from the kitchen to the dessert table, taking out more cake (God's Word is sweeter than honey), as the food (truth) was disappearing rapidly. The people were very hungry (having come from a famine of hearing the Word)! (Shelly is a type of the Bride here who feeds the immature saints during the marriage feast, just as in Song of Solomon.) Then I saw a black man stand up at the podium and begin to speak to the crowd in the banquet hall. Then I woke up. (Not sure why he was a black man.) (To those unfamiliar with the sovereignty of God to teach His people with vessels of dishonor, it would come as a shock that the beast is one of the primary teachers to create sons of God. He will bring tribulation in the form of fiery trial on the apostate church to turn them to God.) Scripture given after prayer by random: Jer.52:13 and he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. (Father will use the beast to purge out unregenerate Jerusalem leadership from among regenerate, heavenly Jerusalem leadership.) I was also given: Jer.52:16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. (The Lord always chooses the poor in spirit to keep and raise His vineyard.) 17 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. (The brass is the least mature, 30-fold, of the three metals representing the people of God: gold, silver and brass. The brass will go to Babylonish captivity.) The new leadership is the Bride. She is also black, but for a different reason: persecution from the false brethren. Son.1:5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me .... (I also got Lamentations 4:22 by random, I believe this is a promise to me personally and for the Bride. Lam.4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no more carry thee away into captivity : (The bride will be purified in spirit before tribulation and will escape Babylonish captivity, but the Edomite Christians will go under the beast for crucifixion and to reap what they have sown against their brethren.) He will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover thy sins. Another I got by random after prayer: Lam.4:12 The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. 13 [It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. (The world and the apostate leadership do not believe that they and their followers will be taken into bondage by the beast for their sins.) Still another I got by random after prayer: Jer.52:31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; 32 and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 33 and changed his prison garments. And [Jehoiachin] did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: 34 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life. (This is showing that some of the apostate leadership that is not spiritually killed will repent and be given favor by the beast, for God is able to make our enemies to be at peace with us, if we please Him, as he says.)   Original Word Restores Original Church Eve Brast - 12/13/2015 (David's notes in red) When I woke up this morning, I had been dreaming of a harvest of restoration and when I looked over at the clock, it was 5:55 AM. (5 is the number of grace, which is the only way the Church will receive the restoration it does not deserve. Remember when Jesus, as a type of the Man-child ministry of our day, came and started the restoration at a time when the people were blind, sinful, sick spiritually and physically, following evil apostate leaders. They deserved nothing, but He gave everything to them; He met all their needs by grace as He is about to do in our day. “The things that have been are the things that shall be”. Hallelujah!) I dreamed that my husband and I and our boys went back to Texas (meaning: “friends”) to reclaim my Father's land that he had willed to me and that my mother had signed over to me the deed of ownership. (We are a gathering of friends whose ambition is to reclaim our Father's land willed to us through the New Testament or will. It was deeded to us by the early mother Church. The Promised Land is everything He gave us in His will, the New Testament. Joshua was told that every place in this land that we put the soles of our feet, He will give to us. Every place in the New Testament where we stand on His Word will be given to us.) This has all been stolen by a great army of plunderers, but restoration is coming by grace. Joe.2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame. 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. We had come to reclaim it from a cruel landlord who had swindled it away from me through deception and trickery. He was well known for his reputation for dishonest practices in stealing properties away from people. (Satan and his ministers have come to steal what was willed to us through the New Testament from our Father. These thieves have been talking many out of the promises because they have no faith, rather than teaching us how to live on them. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. Joh.10:8 All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.) What shall we do about this theft of our land for the last 2000 years? Let's go back to our text in Joel: Joe.2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19 And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith (Our land shall once again bear fruit unto us by promise.); and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations; 20 but I will remove far off from you the northern army (He will get rid of the army of thieves.), and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea (They will be driven totally out of our land, meaning reprobation); and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things. 21 Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Our land shall once again bear fruit unto us by believing the promises. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. (This thief of a landlord looked just like our current landlord, whose name is Doug. The name Douglas is an Anglicized form of the Scottish surname Dubhghlas, meaning “dark river” from Gaelic dubh “dark” and glais “water, river”. Douglas was originally a river name, which then became a Scottish clan name (belonging to a powerful line of Scottish earls). It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.) (This dark water river represents the deceptions that stole the promises from God's people. Jesus spoke to us a river of living water, which we also must speak. Joh.7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. 39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified. 40 Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, This is of a truth the prophet. But the apostate leaders speak a river of the waters of darkness and death. 2Pe.2:17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved. The worldly will receive their river of lies, but the true Church will not. Rev.12:16 And the earth(ly) helped the woman (Church), and the earth(ly) opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. If the worldly swallow it, the righteous know it is no good. The Harlot church is a member of the body of the Beast and rides on his back. 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman (Harlot) sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, 5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. As members of the Beast body, they and their leadership, the False Prophet body, speak the deceptive doctrines that rob God's people of their promises, their land. Rev.16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: Let us agree with and speak the Word to live on our Promised Land. 1Pe.4:11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God (i.e., say what God says); if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever, Amen. Isa.8:20 To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them (meaning only darkness with no new day and no light of the sun/Son). Gal.1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema (Meaning: “devoted to destruction” or “cursed”). 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema. Those who preach the dark river of lies, rather than the truth of the Word, are cursed and to be destroyed by the coming destroyer if there is no repentance. 1Jo.2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. It was their last hour, for the Beast came and destroyed their nation, and now it is our last hour and, once again, the antichrist leaders are multiplied and separated from us by the Word. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. When the Word is preached to the wicked, they can no longer hide in the Church but depart, for they do not love the Lord and keep His commandments. In this way, the Church is sanctified. God's solution is to believe only the Word to abide in the temple of God, Jesus Christ. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. The original Word is the only model to create the true Church, meaning “called-out ones”. Back to Eve's dream: My husband (representing our Bridegroom, Jesus), was an excellent negotiator and He walked the entire property with me. (Jesus will lead us on the walk of truth.) There were corn stalks on the entire property from border to border, as tall as we were, surrounding the two mobile homes in the center of the property. (Mobile homes represent tabernacles in the wilderness. Corn stalks represent the people of God, in which individual kernels must fall to the ground to bear much fruit, as Jesus said.) These corn stalks were covered with ripe honeydew melons growing in clusters of five on each stalk, like giant grapes, instead of corn. (These corn stalks have a very sweet and large fruit on them.) My husband was very pleased with the crop. It was morning, and the sky was so blue, and the sun/Son shone on the crop like bright white light. It wasn't yellow like the usual morning sunlight. (Without the pure sunlight of God's Word, Jesus Christ, there will be no fruit. All disciples who love the Lord will devour His Word.) When my husband and I came to the back of the property, we saw a large pile of rusted-out car bodies lying next to the back fence line. (Vessels representing the way and works of God's people having come under the curse of death and being rejected.) He became angry at the cruel landlord, Doug, and went over to where he was standing next to the left mobile home. My husband then began to argue my case for me (Jesus is a paracletos, meaning a lawyer) to the landlord and told him that because of the rusted pile of cars that he had piled up at the back of the property, he had no legal right to it. (According to our law, because the apostate leaders have not brought forth fruit in the people, God would give the vineyard to those who would bring forth the fruit.) He then ordered him to return the property to me and to remove all the rusted cars from the property. (Remove their fruitless people from the Promised Land.) The landlord knew that what my husband had said was right. (Because it's in the Word.) He acted ashamed and fearful and agreed to give my father's land back to me and hurriedly left. Mat.21:33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. 34 And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner. 37 But afterward he sent unto them his Son, saying, They will reverence my Son. 38 But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance. 39 And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. Just as the wicked leaders do today. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone (Jesus, the WORD) which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? The hated and persecuted ones will be the head, just like Joseph, David, Jesus, and the Man-child. 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust. 45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. And so it speaks of the apostate leaders today. 46 And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet. After this, David showed up. (Representing the David Man-child company, who are the coming reformers to bring forth the Lord's fruit.) He had with him his personal assistant, Allison. (Who is a recovery room nurse that I currently work with at the hospital. Allison's name used to be masculine and means “son of the noble one”. Recovery room nurses help the surgery patients to recover from their surgeries until they are stable enough to return to the nursing units on the hospital floors.) (The Lord is raising up many who are gifted to help the sick Church in the restoration process.) Allison had been David's personal assistant for many years, in this dream. She knew everything about David and his family. (This is a good description of many who are doing this work now, but after the coming anointing, they will be very much more successful.) She was telling me all the details about his wife and children and everything they had been through together over the years. (The Church in the past has fallen away and persecuted the Davids, as it was with Joseph and his brethren before their restoration.) (UBM has helped many people over the years recover what the enemy has stolen from them [and the greatest days are just ahead].) I walked with David and Allison into the kitchen of the left mobile home, and I saw David's wife standing near the kitchen sink. The mobile home had been extremely run-down, but now the kitchen had been completely restored. (This is a picture of the restoration of the spiritual family of the Davids. His wife here represents the restoration of the Church that once brought forth the fruit of Jesus.) She was young and beautiful, and she was wearing a white knit top with sleeves that went down to her forearms, a long skirt, and a white head covering. (Representing restoration of the Church from the curse, in righteousness, purity, and submission to her head.) She was standing with her hands clasped together and had a peaceful smile on her face. She watched with pleasure as her and David's children ran in and out of the kitchen, playing and running among the ripe crops of honeydew melons. (The individual children of the Church will come forth from the kitchen, representing them having partaken of the good spiritual food prepared by the reformers and Allison, and bear the sweet fruit.) Their laughter filled the air, along with the smell of the ripe fruit. (There is great joy in bearing the fruit of the Word.) I looked up at David, who was standing to my left in the kitchen, and I smiled at him. I felt so much joy in my heart at this restoration that was taking place. He was very tall and had a serious look of wisdom and radiance about him, but there was a sparkle in his eyes. He said, “It's time for the harvest.” (In the harvest will be the Great Reformation, even in the midst of a religious world falling apart. This is so people will have examples by which to make their decisions about who they will follow and who is the Lord. When they see the fruit, they will know who is of the Lord.) As we walked out of the mobile home, there was an old forest green farm truck with wooden slats on the sides. A carpenter was driving it. There were a bunch of other carpenters in the truck bed who jumped out with tools to restore the rest of the left mobile home, and also to help with the harvesting. (Restoring the Church to its former glory.) Some of them started to work on the mobile home, while others helped David and me and the recovery room nurse, Allison, pick the honeydew melons. We took them to an outdoor processing area behind the mobile homes. Then I heard the voice of the Father say, “You must cut off the rinds”. (The rinds are the external body or flesh that carries the fruit. This vessel is just for keeping the fruit and seeds to feed the saints. Those who bear fruit will be able to richly feed others. Whereas the apostate church only sees that their bad education and titles are the qualification.) So I went back into the kitchen, got a paring knife out of the drawer, and came back out to help cut off the rinds from the melons. David had his own special pocketknife that he used for this purpose. As we were all working together to harvest the fruit and cut off the rinds, Allison was explaining to me that David had recently gotten his car restored, and she pointed over to where it was parked behind the right mobile home. It was a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse. I was amazed and said, “That looks exactly like the very first new car I ever owned! It too was a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse!” (The car or way of progress and rest must look just like the  original way 2000 years ago.) (The meaning of the name Mitsubishi is “programmable logic controllers”.) (And this will “Eclipse” the old worldly religious programming and logic that brought forth no fruit. Rom.12:2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.) This is when I woke up. I asked Father for a verse or text for this dream and when I flipped open my Bible and was going to put my finger down, I heard the Spirit say to turn back a page, so I fumbled to flip back exactly one page and I put my finger down on Isa.60:16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. The whole chapter is a wonderful promise to God's elect. (Isaiah 60 is all about the restoration of the original, glorious Church. This text shows that Beast kingdoms will ultimately serve God's true Man-child and Bride. As Beast kings of the past kingdoms saw the glorious God of the true disciples of God, they feared and bowed to Him and served His Kingdom representatives like Pharaoh of Joseph, Ahasuerus of Mordecai and Esther, Nebuchadnezzar of the three Hebrews and Daniel, Darius of Daniel, Darius of Zerubbabel, Cyrus of Sheshbazzar, etc.

In this episode of Spiritual Appointment, the preacher teaches that most suffering in life is imposed on us, not willingly chosen. While people naturally try to avoid pain and hardship, he explains that avoiding trouble often leads to greater problems. As Christians, suffering and trials are part of our journey of faith. God uses difficult seasons to strengthen us, build our character, and deepen our trust in Him. Instead of running from challenges, we should embrace them and remain faithful. The message ends with hope and encouragement: after every trouble comes growth, breakthrough, and promotion from God.

Pastor Nick - Sunday 03/29/2026

The Christians' Hope With Brother Sydney Sawyer

If You Have Love for One Another (1 John 3:11-24)1. We ought to love one another 2. Don't be surprised the world hates Christians 3. As we love other Christians, we are reassured

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