Podcasts about christs

1 John 2:7-11Series: 1 John Preacher: Zac SkillingCongregational MeetingDate: 19th July 2026Passage: 1 John 2:7-11

Connection Card: https://www.vernoniachristian.com/sermonsPrayer Request: https://www.vernoniachristian.com/prayer-requestGive: https://www.vernoniachristian.com/giveSermon Notes: https://tinyurl.com/vcc-notes2Mini-Movies & Graphics: ignitermedia.comCCLI Streaming License #: 20175806Music: www.purple-planet.com

Nehemiah's Godly AmbitionSeries: Christian Living Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 12th July 2026Passages: Nehemiah 1:1-11Nehemiah 2:1-20Nehemiah 3:1-32Nehemiah 4:1-23

Complementary Old Testament Passage:Jeremiah 23:1-8Sermon Outline: The Chief Shepherd Appoints an under-shepherd The under-shepherd lays down his rights for the sheep The Universal Word of the Shepherd strengthens the churches Family Discussion Questions: Who taught Timothy about the Bible? Who told Paul that Timothy would be a good choice for a pastor? When did God give the instructions for how to be a church? How does this passage affirm the importance of the local church in calling elders? What does it mean to be well-spoken of? How does this passage affirm the critical vocation of motherhood? Paul gives rebukes for requiring circumcision for believers. Why then in this passage is Timothy circumcised? How did the circumcision of Timothy actually help in the argument against the necessity of circumcision? When would a pastor sacrificing his rights strengthen the church? Why must we be careful to insist that Christs rule governs the church and not the preferences of those in the church (or outside)? What would be the goal in managing both Christian freedom and sacrificial love for the people of God? Paul and his team travelled to various towns to insist that the churches observe the ruling of the Jerusalem council. How does this passage help us understand true unity in the Universal church? Describe how this passage drives at focusing on both the sufficiency of Christ and the character of Christ.

In this study of Matthew 24, Pastor Brian Gunter examines Jesus' warning about false Christs, the Great Tribulation, and the meaning of the Greek word parousia. By tracing its use throughout the New Testament, Brian argues that Christ's "coming" in Matthew 24 refers to His bodily Second Coming at the end of history rather than merely the judgment on Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Along the way, he explores key passages that shape the debate and offers a historic Christian understanding of one of Scripture's most discussed prophecies.

In this study of Matthew 24, Pastor Brian Gunter examines Jesus' warning about false Christs, the Great Tribulation, and the meaning of the Greek word parousia.By tracing its use throughout the New Testament, Brian argues that Christ's "coming" in Matthew 24 refers to His bodily Second Coming at the end of history rather than merely the judgment on Jerusalem in A.D. 70.Along the way, he explores key passages that shape the debate and offers a historic Christian understanding of one of Scripture's most discussed prophecies.Watch all of our videos and subscribe to our channel for the latest content >HereHere

In this study of Matthew 24, Pastor Brian Gunter examines Jesus' warning about false Christs, the Great Tribulation, and the meaning of the Greek word parousia. By tracing its use throughout the New Testament, Brian argues that Christ's "coming" in Matthew 24 refers to His bodily Second Coming at the end of history rather than merely the judgment on Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Along the way, he explores key passages that shape the debate and offers a historic Christian understanding of one of Scripture's most discussed prophecies.

John 10:19-42Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 5th July 2026Passage: John 10:19-42

July 1, 2026Today's Reading: Romans 12:14-21 or Romans 8:18-23Daily Lectionary: Joshua 6:6-27; Acts 10:18-33“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It's like Paul is saying, “Don't lower yourselves to their level.” Only he isn't wording it condescendingly or negatively. “Win them over by love and goodness.” Yes, that is more like it.When Paul had been the Pharisee of Pharisees, seeking out the supposed heretics - the Christians among the Jews, he had one thing in mind: lock them up, and if they don't recant, we will stone them all to death. He thought they were evil. And he was attempting to overcome their evil by the evil of killing them.Jesus had other plans. He came and stood before this zealous and religious man, and came crashing down with the accusation: “Why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). And then He sent Ananias. But Ananias is not there to punish Paul. He does not come with weapons, a jail sentence, or even more words of judgment. Ananias is sent to call Paul “brother,” to restore his sight, and to baptize him. Ananias overcomes evil with good.Ultimately, that is what Christ Jesus Himself had done. Betrayed by one of the Twelve, beaten, spit on, stripped, humiliated, and then nailed to a cross to die of asphyxiation. You are hard-pressed to find anyone suffering more evil than that. Yet Jesus does not return evil for evil. The King of the Universe could have demanded justice against those transgressors and responded with agonizing punishment. But He did not. He knew the great paradox of His salvation for mankind was in overcoming evil with good. Jesus Christ remained good and holy even in suffering all evil. And the goodness of God is what overcame sin, death, and the devil in His sacrifice.Now, Paul says, you do the same. Not simply as some example that you follow. Not because you are supposed to do it. The Law has been fulfilled by God the Son when He overcame evil with good at the cross. So now, you do this from the love of Jesus that fills you. In faith, the Lord grants that you respond to Him by loving your neighbor and doing good. Doing good can only come from faith in Christ, the One who has truly overcome evil with good. And as “little Christs,” as Luther calls you, you are happy to not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O grant that nothing in my soul May dwell but Thy pure love alone; Oh, may Thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown! All coldness from my heart remove; My ev'ry act, word, thought be love. (LSB 683:2)Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Pastor Jordan launches the new message series The Truth War – exposing counterfeit views of Jesus and the gospel while calling believers to know the true Christ. Discover why discernment begins with Scripture, how false teaching distorts salvation, and how Christians can speak truth with love.

Matthew 6:19-21Series: Christian Living Preacher: TJ FisherCongregational MeetingDate: 28th June 2026Passage: Matthew 6:19-21

Ephesians 6:1-4Series: Christian Living Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 21st June 2026Passage: Ephesians 6:1-4

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

Have a comment? Text us!"People have been saying that for thousands of years!""Nobody knows the day or the hour!"Statements like this pour water on the notion that Christs return may be close. Join Elizabeth and Christine as they talk about the signs of the times in their continuing deep dive into the Book of Revelation.Watch Christine's Revelation Study episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27-yRngOBdkMusic by Good_B_Music from Pixabay==========Check Coffee With Jesus Radio: https://s6.citrus3.com/public/coffeewithjesusradioVisit our Website: https://coffeewithjesus.info/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cwj2011/View us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsQBybBdPxlSxvmWYfcMzQView us on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/CoffeeWithJesusCheck out our Substack: https://coffeewjesus.substack.com/Unless otherwise noted, Intro music written and performed by Todd Uebele. Copyright Coffee With Jesus, 2020, all rights reserved.

John 10:16-18Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 14th June 2026Passage: John 10:16-18

“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asks each one of us that question, and there are a lot of wrong answers out there. By exposing the phony Christs peddled by progressives, Jason Jimenez will explain why the Jesus of the Bible is the one to trust. He will test the progressive version of Jesus against the four canonical gospels, which remain the most credible sources for Jesus’s life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John 10:11-14Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 7th June 2026Passage: John 10:11-14

James 3:1 offers a sobering reminder that church leaders, pastors, and Bible teachers are held to a higher standard because of their responsibility to teach God’s Word. In this devotional, Emily Rose Massey explores the growing concern over moral failures among Christian leaders and why believers should respond with prayer rather than cynicism. As false teaching, spiritual compromise, and public scandals continue to impact the church, Christians are called to support and pray for faithful pastors who shepherd God’s people with integrity and biblical conviction. Highlights James 3:1 reveals the serious responsibility carried by Bible teachers and pastors. Church leaders are held to a higher standard because they influence others spiritually. Moral failures in ministry should lead believers to prayer, not cynicism. False teaching can create confusion and spiritual harm within the church. Faithful pastors need consistent prayer and support from their congregations. Sound biblical teaching protects believers from deception. Church leaders face unique spiritual attacks and temptations. Christians can strengthen their local church by praying for those who shepherd and teach. Join the Conversation How has a faithful pastor, elder, or Bible teacher impacted your spiritual growth? What are practical ways believers can encourage and pray for church leaders facing the challenges of ministry? Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: The High Standard of Church Leaders By: Emily Rose Massey Bible Reading:“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1, ESV). It seems that over the last couple of years, there has been much exposure and shaking in the church regarding leaders who have fallen or gotten caught in scandal and lies. When the news of another pastor’s moral failure makes its way into the public eye, is your first reaction one of sarcasm and jadedness, or does it cause you to weep and hit your knees in prayer? It seems easier to get angry or grow cynical when those in the pulpit fall into grave sin and disappoint those who have attributed much of their spiritual growth from their teaching. Instead of wagging our fingers or shaking our heads in disappointment, it should truly break our hearts when leaders in the church fall. There is a stern warning found in the book of James that should cause us pause and reflect upon the great and weighty responsibility that pastors carry as teachers of God’s Word: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1, ESV). This verse begins a chapter in the book of James that focuses on the importance of the tongue and its ability to either bring encouragement and growth or hostility and destruction. We will all be held accountable for the words we speak, but for those who teach the Bible, there is a higher standard. With a higher standard comes a stronger judgment from God. This should motivate us to pray for teachers, especially those who pastor our own local church. Intersecting Faith & Life: In America (and perhaps even around the world, thanks to television and social media), the gospel of Jesus Christ has become extremely muddied by false teaching full of false gospels, New Age/occult/pagan practices, lying signs and wonders, and distractions from worldly desires that are all leading many to false Christs. For almost half of our marriage, my husband and I were among those believers who were believing lies from the result of the twisting of scripture and emotional, mental, and spiritual manipulation from leaders in ministry whom we trusted. By God’s grace, we were rescued from this deception and now attend a sound and Biblical church that has been such a blessing to our family. Every week, the elders preach the Word of God with such conviction and clarity, and are unashamed about the gospel. Although we finally feel “safe,” we know that these men of God are susceptible to the same temptations as we are, and instead of growing comfortable or letting our guard down, we must fiercely pray for the men in our lives who teach God’s Holy Word because Satan has put a giant target on their backs. The enemy knows how much damage can be done to the Body of Christ if God’s Word is abused or distorted, but the same is true for the carriers of that message; A teacher’s life is held to a higher standard because the Lord uses teachers to help us understand who He is. The weighty responsibility and calling of bringing truth to the sheep of God is one no one should have to bear alone. Let us shoulder Kingdom responsibility with our elders by making it a priority to daily pray for the teachers and pastors who have much influence on our spiritual well-being. In the age we live in, we can know personal details of public figures very quickly and easily. It seems there is always a new Christian leader who has given in to fleshly temptation and taken advantage of the trust of their sheep. When you discover this shocking news of another moral failing, are you tempted to harden your heart or grow cynical towards the church? It should cause us heartache and wake us up to the reality that the enemy wants to cause destruction among God’s people. These moral failings cause distrust among sheep, but they also hurt our witness to the world when they see the hypocrisy and corruption within the visible church. We must ask the Lord to give us a burden to pray for church leaders, but more importantly, the leaders of our very own church who have given their lives to shepherd souls and teach others about God and His ways. We are called to make disciples and need to be equipped by God’s Word to do that. God has called teachers and pastors to a higher standard to equip the Body for the work of the ministry by teaching us what God’s Word says. May we be quick to lift them up every day, knowing the seriousness of their high calling as teachers of God’s Holy Word, and thank the Lord for their role in your life personally, as someone who keeps watch over your soul. Further Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 Titus 1:7-9 1 Peter 5:1-4 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Join host Jeff Shepherd in the opening episode of the series "Mass Deception: The Antichrist Plan for the Church." In this episode Jeff explains the advance toward a one-world church, examines different religions and belief systems, and highlights the surprising commonalities that are being deliberately promoted in our time. He outlines the enemy's strategy of taking truths and twisting them just enough to lead sincere believers off course. Jeff presents clear evidence rather than speculation, showing how subtle, almost invisible deceptions are designed to look close enough to the truth to mislead many. He draws on biblical warnings — including Paul's caution that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light and Jesus' prediction that false Christs and false prophets will arise — to frame the spiritual danger behind these shifts. In the spirit of transparency, Jeff shares his personal convictions and acknowledges past teachings he has reexamined and corrected after returning to Scripture. He invites listeners to follow the Berean example: test everything against God's Word and search the Scriptures daily. What to expect from the series: subsequent messages will pull back the curtain on several areas of mass deception working inside and around the Church, sharpen discernment, and equip listeners to stand firm in the truth. The focus will be on spiritual realities that precede and influence physical developments, because eternal outcomes are at stake. Listen to this episode to understand the opening case for why a unified, deceptive spiritual movement is forming, and to prepare for deeper, evidence-based examination in future episodes. Let's seek truth together and pursue the revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ. Want to Understand and Explain Everything Biblically? Click Here: Decoding the Power of Three: Understand and Explain Everything or go to www.rightonu.com  Thank you for Listening to Right on Radio. Prayerfully consider supporting Right on Radio. Click Here for all links, Right on Community ROC, Podcast web links, Freebies, Products (healing mushrooms, EMP Protection) Social media, courses and more...https://linktr.ee/RightonRadio Live Right in the Real World! We talk God and Politics, Faith Based Broadcast News, views, Opinions and Attitudes We are Your News Now. Keep the F

We take a look at 1 John 2, today in our 1-2-3 series; where we study the later epistles of the apostle John and where we look at what they mean for the foundation of our Christian walk. Our core concept we want to remember is that walking with Jesus means letting Him lead. Part of knowing God better and trusting Him more is letting Him guide our lives. One of the biggest areas that we have to let God lead in is teaching and showing us what it is to love properly. As John moves on in this chapter, we see him draw the connection between loving God properly and have a fruitful, unifying life with other believers. The inverse of which shows that if you hate your brother or sister, then the love of the Father is not in you and you are still in darkness. See, a divided love divides your life. And those who sow division and darkness are called anti-Christs. we need to watch out for anti-Christs. Ultimately, to be lead by Jesus means knowing that He is the way and the destination. - Key Verses // 3 John 1:4, 1 John 2 - For Sermon Notes, the Connect Card, and our other online resources: https://linktr.ee/Celebrationchurchlive

John 10:7-10Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 31st May 2026Passage: John 10:7-10

John 10:1-6Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 24th May 2026Passage: John 10:1-6

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPart 1 — BibliographySecondary worksEncyclopaedia Britannica. “Christianity: The Gentile Mission and St. Paul.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Saint James, the Lord's brother.”Joel Marcus, “Jewish Christianity,” in The Cambridge History of Christianity, ed. Margaret M. Mitchell and Frances M. Young (Cambridge University Press).Carson Bay, “The First Christians of Antioch,” in Antioch on the Orontes, ed. Andrea U. De Giorgi (Cambridge University Press).Clayton N. Jefford, “Didache,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).David J. Downs, “Church, Church Ministry, and Church Order,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Janelle Peters, “1 and 2 Clement,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Jonathon Lookadoo, “The Letters of Ignatius,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Dan Batovici, “The Shepherd of Hermas as Early Christian Apocalypse,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower (Cambridge University Press).Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Ebionites.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Nazarene.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Marcion of Pontus.”Harry Y. Gamble, “Marcion and the ‘canon',” in The Cambridge History of Christianity, ed. Margaret M. Mitchell and Frances M. Young (Cambridge University Press).Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Valentinus.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Valentinian.”Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gospel of Philip.”Bible Odyssey, “Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library Explained.”Bart D. Ehrman, “The Discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library,” in Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code (Oxford University Press).Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Montanism.”Bible Odyssey, “James.”Bible Odyssey, “James and Paul.”Bible Odyssey, “Priscilla and Aquila.”Bible Odyssey, “Lydia.”Bible Odyssey, “Women's Work in the Greco-Roman World.”Primary texts usedActs 15.Galatians 2:11–14.Romans 16:1–7.1 Corinthians 1:22–24.Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 20.9.1 (20.200).Didache.1 Clement.The Letters of Ignatius.The Shepherd of Hermas.Irenaeus, Against Heresies.Tertullian, Against Marcion.The Gospel of Truth.The Gospel of Philip.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. A

We all wear glasses in this room. I am not referring to your contacts or the physical glasses your eye doctor prescribed. I am referring to your worldviewthe lenses through which you interpret everything you see: God, yourself, others, suffering, evil, history, the purpose of life, and the future. In our world today, people use a wide range of worldviews to make sense of reality. Theism holds that a personal God created and rules the world. Naturalism holds that the physical universe is all that exists. Pantheism identifies God with the world or sees God as present in everything. Postmodernism treats truth as personal, socially constructed, or tied to power. Nihilism holds that life has no ultimate meaning, purpose, or moral order. Most people do not wear only one pair of glasses. They switch lenses depending on what suits thema little theism for comfort, a little secularism for control, a little skepticism against authority, and a little self-rule for freedom. It may feel meaningful in the moment, but it cannot finally correct the vision problem. It still leaves reality blurred. One of the clearest symbols of modern humanitys hope was the World Trade Center. It took twelve years, from the earliest design stages in 1961 to the ribbon-cutting in 1973, to complete the Twin Towers, at a cost of about $900 million. The chief architect, Minoru Yamasaki, said the World Trade Center should become a living representation of mans belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his belief in the cooperation of men, and through this cooperation his ability to find greatness. That is a remarkable statement. The towers were meant to say something about us: our greatness, dignity, cooperation, and our ability to build a better world. Yet on September 11, 2001, it took less than two hours for those towers to fall, and nearly 3,000 lives were lost. Brothers and sisters, that is not merely a tragedy in American history. It is a parable of the world we inhabit. We live in a world of conflict, bloodshed, injustice, suffering, and death. We build towers and call them peace. We create systems and call them progress. We trust power, wealth, cooperation, technology, politics, and human greatness to bring stability. Yet again and again, the world proves unable to save itself. What we need is a biblical worldviewa way of seeing the world through the lens of Gods Word. Revelation pulls back the curtain on human historypast, present, and futureso we can see things as they really are. In Revelation 6:18, that curtain is drawn back on the world we know all too well: a world marked by conquest, war, famine, injustice, suffering, and death. Yet Revelation does not show us these things to make us despair. It shows us these things so we will see that the horsemen are permitted to ride only because the Lamb has the authority to open the seals. Before we go any further in this sermon, do not miss who opens each seal. It is not the horsemen. It is not the devil. It is not the antichrist. It is not kings, nations, armies, or empires. The Lamb alone has the authority to open the seals and to allow the horsemen to ride. As the Lamb opens the first four seals, do not think of the horsemen as strange figures waiting to be released in the distant future. Instead, think of them as the symbolic unveiling of the very world Jesus told us to expecta world marked by conquest, violence, exploitation, and death. Yet Revelation 6 shows us something the evening news never can: the horsemen ride only because the Lamb opens the seals, and He alone is worthy to do so. The Horsemen and the World Jesus Told Us to Expect We are now entering a section of Revelation that may challenge how many of us have been taught to think about the end times. For many Christians, passages such as Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 have been interpreted almost entirely as future events, often within a framework known as the seven-year tribulation. Many have also been taught that the church will be removed from the earth before that tribulation begins. I realize that, for some of you, that may be the only framework for understanding the end times you have ever known. Faithful Christians have held different views on these matters, so my goal is not to mock what you have been taught or force you into a different system. My goal is simply to ask you to do what the Bereans didto search the Scriptures and see whether these things are so (see Acts 17:10-11). What I want to show you is that Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 are not describing realities completely disconnected from the churchs present life. Jesus Himself told His disciples what this present age would look like: And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matt. 24:4-8) Revelation 6 is not describing a strange world the church has never seen. It pulls back the curtain on the age Jesus describeda world marked by conquest, violence, exploitation, suffering, and death. The four horsemen symbolize realities that have marked human history since Christs ascension and will end when He returns. Yet Jesus words also keep us from hopeless despair. These things are not the end. They are birth pains. And as painful as birth pains are, they remind us that something is coming: the kingdom of Christ in all its fullness. Until that day, the horsemen ride. Like birth pains, the realities they represent continue throughout this age and increase in frequency and intensity as history moves toward the return of Christ and the birth of the new creation. But understand this: they do not roam at their own leisure. The Lamb reigns, and He alone has the authority to open the seals. So when the Lamb opens the seals and the four horsemen are revealed, we are shown the world Jesus told us to expect. But we are also shown what the world cannot see: conquest, violence, exploitation, and death are not rogue realities, nor do they unfold outside His sovereign will and authority. The White Horse: The Lust for Conquest (vv. 1-2) There is some debate about what the rider on the white horse represents, largely because certain features seem to mirror the way Jesus appears in Revelation 19:1116, particularly the white horse He rides and the crown He wears. Others believe the rider represents a false Christ or even the antichrist because he seems to mimic Jesus appearance. The problem with these views is twofold: first, Jesus is the One who opens each of the seals; and second, the remaining horsemen clearly represent forces of destruction rather than specific individuals. There are other suggestions, but the context of Revelation 6 suggests that the rider on the white horse belongs with the other three horsemen: war, famine, and death. Together, they represent the destructive realities that mark this present age. This connection may be reinforced by the first living creature who announces this horse and rider. Notice that the first living creature has the face of a lion, representing strength, majesty, and power among the wild creatures. It is this creature that introduces the rider on the white horse. If there is a symbolic connection between the creature who speaks and the horseman who appears, then the first horseman fittingly represents conquestthe lust of kings, nations, empires, and rulers to expand their power, secure their kingdoms, and impose their will on others. Unlike the kingdom Jesus will bring, this rider represents fallen humanity grasping for dominion apart from God. This horse and its rider promise peace but never deliver it. Their creed is simple: If we can gain enough territory, enough power, enough influence, enough control, then we can secure the future. But Revelation shows us the truth: conquest does not lead to peace. It prepares the way for the red horse. The Red Horse: The Vandalism of Peace (vv. 3-4) The Lamb then opens the second seal. In response, the heavenly creature with the face of an ox, representing domesticated strength, service, and laborthe kind of creature people use to bring forth life from the earthsays, Come! Then the red horse appears, and its rider is permitted to take peace from the earth so that people may slay one another. If the white horse represents the lust for conquest, the red horse reveals what that lust produces. The world promises peace through power, but Revelation shows that power seized apart from God does not preserve peace; it vandalizes it. When God gives sinners over to themselves, the restraints that hold back violence are removed, and the human heart is exposed as it is and what it is capable of. This is why the rider is given a great sword, symbolizing violence, bloodshed, and the destructive force of war. From the first murder in Genesis 4 to the wars and rumors of wars Jesus said would mark this age like birth pains in Matthew 24, human history has been stained with the blood of those created in Gods image. Nations rise against nations. Kingdoms seek to outdo kingdoms. Brother turns against brother. Neighbor turns against neighbor. When sin-cursed humanity seeks dominion apart from God, even in the name of peace, peace is among the first casualties. Make no mistake: the rider on the red horse is not rogue. He is only permitted to take peace from the earth because the Lamb has authority to break the second seal. He does not seize the sword; he is given a great sword. The breaking of the second seal shows that even the violence of this age is not outside the sovereign hand of the Lamb. While the serpent of old was a murderer from the beginning and is the father of lies (John 8:44), Humanitys propensity toward violence is the result of its fallen nature; it is mankind that robs the earth of the shalom it was created to experience. Yet even this violence remains under the authority of the Lamb. The Black Horse: Exploitation of Need (vv. 5-6) The Lamb opens the third seal, and the living creature with the face of a man says, Come! The irony is that while man symbolizes wisdom, reason, and the stewardship God entrusted to humanity, the black horse and its rider represent the exploitation of creations needs by mankind. The rider is seen holding a pair of scales, and a voice is heard saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine. The scales symbolize measurement, rationing, and scarcity. In Johns day, a denarius was a days wage, so the announced prices of wheat and barley reveal a world where food is available yet barely affordable. A person could work all day and still barely survive. Meanwhile, the command not to harm the oil and wine suggests that while daily bread becomes burdensome for the poor, others comforts and luxuries remain protected. Human need becomes an opportunity for human greed. The black horse reveals that much of the worlds suffering stems from the corruption of human stewardship. Humanity was created in Gods image to cultivate the earth, care for one another, and administer justice for the good of mankind and the rest of creation. But when people seek dominion apart from God, the needs of the earth and those who live on it are twisted into opportunities for profit. When mankind is given over to itself, human beings exploit one another and anything else in creation that offers an opportunity to get ahead of their neighbor. Yet even here, the rider is not sovereign and does not ride beyond the authority of the Lamb. The Pale Horse: The Dominion of Death (vv. 7-8) The Lamb opens the fourth seal, and the creature with the face of an eagle says, Come! Consider what an eagle represents: swiftness, height, watchfulness, and the realm just above the earth. When John hears this single word, he sees a pale horse, and its rider is named Death, with Hades following him. While the eagle soars over the earth, the pale horse gathers what mans lust for conquest, readiness to kill, and greed producenamely, death. The horses color is disturbing. The Greek word translated pale (chlōros) denotes a greenish hue, suggesting the sickly color of decay, disease, and death. There is little left to the imagination with the name given to this rider. He is Death, and Hades follows behind him like a grave, collecting what death has taken. This is the world east of Eden, where sin has brought decay to everything God created good. Death follows kings and nations. Death follows war. Death follows hunger, poverty, disease, and the neglect of creation. Death is the final enemy, and no human kingdom, political system, technological advancement, or amount of wealth or power can ultimately escape it. But while the pale horse and its rider may terrify us, they are not sovereign. The Lamb is the One who breaks the seal. Death rides, yet the Lamb reigns. And all who belong to the Lamb are assured that in a world where the four horsemen are permitted to ride for a time, the One who opens the seals also says to His people: Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Rev. 1:1718). Conclusion What the apostle John and the seven churches likely found most reassuring in the vision of the four horsemen is the reminder that it is the LambChrist Himselfwho breaks each seal and permits the horsemen to ride. The power wielded by rulers and nations is granted by the One who sits sovereignly on the throne. Revelation 6:18 is given so that we might see the world as it really is and see the Lamb as He truly is. The horsemen do not ride because chaos reigns. They ride because the Lamb opens the seals. And when the four living creatures cry, Come! their summons echoes the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: Your kingdom come, your will be done... (Matt. 6:10). The Lamb gives mankind over to its wickedness, not because evil is sovereign, but because He is accomplishing His sovereign purposes until His rule and reign are fully manifested on earth as it is in heaven. The four horsemen reveal to those who belong to the Lamb that Gods kingdom is indeed coming. Gods kingdom comes not only through salvation, but also through judgment upon everything that ruins His creation.

Philippians 1:27-28Series: Christian Living Preacher: Cody ClicknerCongregational MeetingDate: 17th May 2026Passage: Philippians 1:27-28

Happy Mother's Day to all of our amazing moms!  Pamela Picard joins us to share a message about overcoming the adversities of life through Christs.  She is the director of Keep Growing Ministries and owner of House of Life, a counseling service.  We pray you are blessed by this message she shared! Join us in person: 22811 S. Cedar Rd., Manhattan, IL 60442 Learn More: encounterthrive.com Give Online: encounterthrive.churchcenter.com/giving

In C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity he says: “the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time”This idea—that the point of the church is to make disciples is, at its core, not a highly contested one. But ideas about the way disciples are made and the context in which discipleship happens are much more varied.And, in these conversations, the question of a church's size looms large.On the one hand you have the small church. It could be anywhere from just a handful of members to a few hundred, but, in any case, there is a much greater likelihood for congregants to build personal relationships with those leading the church, a greater sense of a tight-knit community where everybody knows one another and oftentimes a wide variety of ages in attendance, with some congregants having attended for the bulk of their lives.On the other hand you have the large church. Maybe its attendance is in the upper hundreds, the thousands or even the ten-thousands. This substantial attendance often means the ability to acquire a large chunk of land and employ a staff of seasoned professionals for everything from worship leaders who sound like pop-stars to trained baristas for their in-house cafes. And, with these resources and this influence, there is a greater ability to quickly raise money for disaster relief or needs in the congregation. There may be more comfort for new believers to not feel like they are standing out in the crowd. And the culture might be one which more naturally attracts non-christians.Criticism from one size of church to the other is not uncommon—the small churches will say congregants don't know their pastors at large churches. The large churches will say the small churches aren't going to reach unbelievers.But, what size is right for a church? Is there one at all? To find out, I spoke with Karl Vaters. Vaters was a pastor for decades, and now he creates resources dedicated to helping small churches thrive. Back in 2024, he wrote a book called “De-Sizing The Church” which investigates the way many churches pursued growth in attendance above all else, often to their detriment. Vaters' book doesn't demonize church growth, but instead asks pastors and congregants to consider what it means to be a healthy christian community, without anchoring that health to merely the number of people in the pews.

systematic and expository Monday Bible Study at The Deeper Life Bible Church, Gbagada, Lagos.https://dclm.org/sermons/bible-studies/2026-bible-study/-purchasing-and-possessing-christs-hidden-heavenly-treasure/

About the same time the book of Revelation was written, a Jewish historian named Josephus, who was not a Christian, wrote about Jesus. Though the wording of the full passage has been debated, the basic testimony is striking: Jesus was known as a wise man, a worker of remarkable deeds, a teacher, one who gained followers, was crucified under Pilate, and whose followers did not disappear: Around this time there lived Jesus, a wise manif it is right to call him merely a man. He performed remarkable works and was a teacher of people who gladly received the truth. He attracted many Jews and many Gentiles. He was the Christ. When Pilate, at the urging of our leading men, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him from the beginning did not abandon him. For he appeared to them alive again on the third day, just as the divine prophets had foretold this and many other wonderful things about him. And the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not disappeared to this day. It is possible to know many true things about Jesus and still miss the weight of His worth. Josephus could describe Him as a wise man, a worker of remarkable deeds, a teacher, and one condemned to the cross. But Revelation 5 pulls back the curtain of heaven and shows us what all creation will one day confess: Jesus is not merely remarkable. He is worthy. The following is a list of twelve windows into the glory of the Lamb and why it is that He is worthy. Jesus is worthy because He is Judahs Lion (v. 5) Judah was a deeply flawed man who sold his younger brother Joseph into slavery, deceived his father, abandoned his daughter-in-law, and hid behind hypocrisy. But God changed Judahs heart, and by Genesis 44, Judah was willing to sacrifice himself to save Benjamin, the youngest son who was dearly loved by their father. Later, Jacob blessed Judah with a promise that the promised serpent-stomping King would come through him: Judah is a lions cub... The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to Him; and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples (Gen. 49:910). That promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus is more than Judahs descendant; He is Judahs promised Lionthe true and better Judah who offered Himself as the sinless Substitute for His people. He is the One to whom the scepter belongs, the One before whom the obedience of the peoples will one day be gathered. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and He has conquered sin, death, and the dragon. Jesus is worthy because He is Gods Lamb (v. 6) We cannot have the Lion as our friend unless we first have Him as our Lamb, for Scripture declares, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22; see Lev. 17:11). This theme runs throughout the Bible. In Genesis 22, Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice and asked, Where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham answered, God will provide for Himself a lamb (Gen. 22:78). In Exodus 12, Israel was sheltered from wrath by the blood of the spotless lamb, and in Isaiah 53, the suffering Servant is portrayed as the Lamb pierced, crushed, and slaughtered for the iniquities of guilty sinners. So when John the Baptist cried out, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), he summed up the promises and the point of the Old Testament. Jesus is the Lamb God provided, the Passover Lamb whose blood shelters His people from judgment, the sacrificial Lamb whose blood makes atonement, and the suffering Lamb who bears our sins. Apart from the blood of the Lamb, the Lion is not our comfort but our Judge. But for those covered by His blood, there is no condemnation. Those of us who have the Lamb know that the Lion is not against us but for us. Jesus is worthy because He can take the scroll (v. 7) He alone has the right to receive and enact Gods plan to judge evil, redeem His people, and restore creation. The scroll contains the sovereign plan of the Lord God Almightythe One who says in Isaiah 46: I am God, and there is no other declaring the end from the beginning saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose (Isa. 46:910). The scroll is in the right hand of this God, and when no one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth was found worthy to open it or even look into it, John wept bitterly. If the scroll remains sealed, Gods promises remain unfulfilled, sin and death are not finally defeated, the saints are not vindicated, and creation is not restored. But the Lion who is the Lamb came forth because He alone is worthy to open the scroll. He took it from the right hand of the Father. This was not theft but triumph. This was not presumption but due to the worthiness of the Preeminent Lamb. Jesus alone has the right to open the scroll because He alone has conquered by His blood. The destiny of creation is in the nail-scarred hand of the Lamb who is the Kinsman-Redeemer. Jesus is worthy because He is the unconquerable King (v. 6) When John turns to see the Lion worthy to open the scroll, he sees a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. The One who knew no sin and became sin for us bears every scar from the cross as a reminder that His sacrifice was once for all: the righteous for the unrighteous (1 Pet. 3:18)! The Lamb stands because death could not keep Him. The Lamb stands because the grave could not hold Him! The Lamb stands even though He was rejected by men, condemned by rulers, mocked by the religious leaders, and nailed to the cross... He stands at the center of heavens throne room, victorious. His wounds testify to His triumph.The Lamb who was slain is worthy because He is the King who cannot be conquered. Jesus is worthy because He is the Omniscient King (v. 6) The unconquerable King is seen with seven horns and seven eyes. As you may recall, in Scripture, horns symbolize strength, power, and sovereign authority, while eyes symbolize sight, wisdom, and knowledge. The number seven points to fullness and perfection, which means the Lamb who was slain is not weak but all-powerful, not limited but limitless, not unaware but all-seeing.He shares the wisdom and sovereignty of the Ancient of Days.Nothing escapes His sight. No enemy can hide from Him. No suffering saint is forgotten by Him. No act of faithfulness goes unnoticed by Him. The Lion, who is the Lamb, sees all and reigns over all by the fullness of the Spirit sent into all the earth. Jesus is worthy because He is the King whose reign is as extensive as His holiness, goodness, justice, love, grace, and mercy. Jesus is worthy because He is creations Lord (vv. 7-8) The living creatures and elders fall before Him because the Lamb is creations Lord through Whom all of creation exists. The four living creatures represent the created order, and the twenty-four elders represent the redeemed people of God. The worship that belongs to the Lord God Almighty is directed to Jesus not only because of what He has done, but also because of who He is. All things were created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16), and now all creation bows before Him as One who is equal with the Father. The Lamb who was slain is worthy because He is the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and rightful Lord over all things. Jesus is worthy because He was slain as the sinners ransom (v. 9) The blood of the Lamb is the price of our redemption. The new song of heaven celebrates this: Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation... The Lion of Judah is the willing Lamb who stands before those He came to save; He is the Kinsman-Redeemer that creation needs. The price was not the religious deeds of fallible man, but the life of the second Adam, who lived the life we could not live and died the death we deserved. We were once enslaved by sin and stood condemned before God as guilty sinners, but Jesus gave His life to ransom us and set us free for God. Jesus is worthy because He was slain in our place, bore the judgment we deserved, paid the debt we could not pay, and purchased us by His precious blood. Jesus is worthy because He redeemed a people for mission (vv. 9-10) Jesus did not ransom, redeem, and save sinners from condemnation merely so they could occupy space in His kingdom; He redeemed them for His kingdom purposes. We are not only forgiven of our sins; we are restored to the purpose for which humanity exists. Jesus saved us to send us into the world as His ambassadors and the Fathers priests. We are priests before God, and we live under the reign of Christ as citizens of His kingdom. This is why Peter says, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Jesus is worthy not only because He rescued us from the wrath of God we deserved, but also because He restored us to what we were created to be. Jesus is worthy because He is the song of the angels (vv. 11-12) After the song of the four living creatures and the new song of the twenty-four elders, John turns his attention to what he hears around the throne. What he hears is an innumerable host of angels resounding with praise: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! The angels erupt in praise after those who represent redeemed humanity conclude theirs. Why? Because the second person of the Trinity took upon Himself human flesh, was born of a virgin, and came to redeem a lost, rebellious, and cursed race (Phil. 2:1-11). This is something angels find baffling, for Peter tells us that our salvation is something angels long to look into (1 Pet. 1:12). What the angels offer in worship is a sevenfold declaration of what belongs only to Yahweh. To give this kind of worship to anyone else would not merely be inappropriate; it would be idolatrous. You cannot see it clearly in English, but in the Greek there is one definite article governing the entire sevenfold list attributed to the Lamb. The point is simple: Jesus is worthy to receivethepower,thewealth,thewisdom,themight,thehonor,theglory, andtheblessing that belong to the One true God. In his commentary on Revelation, Richard Phillips captures the wonder of this angelic worship well: Like that of the glorified church, the angels worship responds to Christs atoning death on the cross. Their testimony therefore shows that what once seemed like defeat for Jesus has been revealed as total victory. The cross was seen as weakness but was actually power; the cross displayed poverty but gained true riches; the cross was foolishness to the world but wisdom from God; the cross represented shame but earned the highest honor for Christ; the cross was a place of deep disgrace, yet revealed the very glory of Gods grace; and the cross stood for the curse of sin but achieved eternal blessing for those on whose behalf Jesus died. The One who was slain is now declared worthy by countless heavenly beings. Jesus is worthy because all of heaven knows what earth so often forgets: the Lamb who was slain is worthy of the glory that belongs to God alonebecause He is God. Jesus is worthy because He is creations celebration (v. 13) The worship does not end with the millions of angels, the twenty-four elders, or the four living creatures. John hears more. He hears every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, declaring in worship: To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! What John witnesses is not universal admiration, but the worship of every creature directed to God and to the Lamb. The One who was rejected and despised by men is celebrated by creation. The One who was crucified and crushed outside the city is praised throughout the universe. Jesus is worthy because He is the Lamb before whom every creature will one day bow in worship. Jesus is worthy because He deserves everything (vv. 12-13) Jesus is worthy to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing that belong to the Lord God Almighty. Every creature appropriately joins the heavenly worship by declaring, To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! Heaven holds nothing back, and creation attributes to the Lamb what rightfully belongs to Yahweh alone. All power belongs to Him because He reigns. All wealth belongs to Him because all things are His. All wisdom belongs to Him because His ways are perfect. All might belongs to Him because He has conquered. All honor belongs to Him because He is exalted. All glory belongs to Him because He is God. All blessing belongs to Him because all praise is His due. Jesus is worthy because He embodies, in infinite measure, all that is good, glorious, powerful, beautiful, and praiseworthy. Jesus is worthy because He is the Amen of the Father (vv. 13-14) Jesus did not need to earn the praise He receives from the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, the angels, and all creation; He is worthy because of who He is. In the same way the Father is unchanging, Jesus is unchanging, for Scripture testifies, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8). In response to the worship and praise Jesus receives as the One worthy to take and open the scroll, the four living creatures respond, Amen!a word that means, Truly, Let it be so, This is true. But do not misunderstand what they are doing. They are not only saying Amen to Jesus as the One who is worthy; they are saying Amen because He Himself is the Amen of God the Father. Jesus is the faithful and true witness, the One in whom every promise of God finds its fulfillment. As Paul writes, For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory (2 Cor. 1:20). Revelation 5 begins with the question, Who is worthy? But after the Lion who is the Lamb takes the scroll, it ends with heaven, earth, and every creature confessing through worship that He alone is worthy. There is nothing left to say but Amen, and nothing left to do but fall down and worship. Conclusion Jesus is worthy before the angels sing that He is.Jesus is worthy before creation celebrates that He is.Jesus is worthy before the elders fall down because of who He is.Jesus is worthy before you and I respond to all that He is! Jesus is worthy. Our worship does not make Him worthy.Our worship simply agrees with what is already true. The question is not whether Jesus is worthyheaven has already declared it, and creation will one day echo that truth. There will come a time when every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, and all creation will acknowledge what has always been true (Isa. 45:23; Phil. 2:9-10): the Lamb who was slain is worthy. The question I leave with you today is whether your heart, your obedience, your faith, your suffering, your worship, and every other part of your life will respond with Amen to the Lamb who is worthy. So, do not wait until every creature sings to join the song of heaven. Sing now. Trust Him now. Follow Him now and may Psalm 119:37 be your hearts cry: Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word (Ps. 119:37; BSB).

John 9:1-41Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 10th May 2026Passage: John 9:1-41

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Gotta Be Saints Podcast, I'm joined by actor Michael Girgenti, who portrays Jesus in the new docudrama That They May Be One, coming to theaters nationwide May 19–20 through Fathom Events.Inspired by Jesus' prayer in John 17, the film explores Christian unity, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the invitation for all people to come to know Christ more deeply. Michael shares about his own return to the Catholic faith, what it was like preparing to portray Jesus on screen, and how the experience transformed his prayer life and relationship with the Lord.We also discuss:The meaning behind Jesus' prayer “that they may all be one”Christian unity and evangelizationMichael's journey back to the Catholic ChurchThe beauty of the sacraments and EucharistWhy Christian media is having a major cultural momentWhat it means for all of us to live as “mini-Christs” in daily lifeHow the Holy Spirit continues to renew the Church todayThis was a deeply encouraging conversation about holiness, discipleship, and the call to boldly share Christ with the world.Featured FilmThat They May Be OneIn theaters nationwide May 19–20 through Fathom Events.Tickets & Information:https://hubs.ly/Q04dqbS30Follow Michael GirgentiInstagram: @michaelgirgentiSponsored by TruthlyWant to grow deeper in your faith and better understand the Catholic Church? Visit Truthly:https://www.truthly.aiTruthly is helping Catholics pursue truth, holiness, and authentic discipleship.Support the PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, share it with a friend, and help us continue spreading stories of holiness. Support the show

John 8:48-59Series: John (2025-2026) Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 3rd May 2026Passage: John 8:48-59

Musical WorshipSeries: Why We Do What We Do Preacher: Jake RiznerCongregational MeetingDate: 26th April 2026Passage: Colossians 3:16

Offices of the Church: DeaconsSeries: Why We Do What We Do Preacher: Nathan RaynorCongregational MeetingDate: 19th April 2026Passages: Acts 6:1-71 Timothy 3:8-13

"Therefore be ye also ready." Jesus warned in Matthew 24: wars, famines, earthquakes, false Christs, and a Great Tribulation like the world has never seen. Then suddenly —Jesus returns in the clouds with power and glory. In such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.” The King is coming. Are you ready? ⭐️: True Gold Republic: Get The Endtime Show special on precious metals at https://www.endtimegold.com 🥤: Ready Pantry: Save an extra 10% your entire order (use code “ENDTIME”): https://www.readypantry.com/endtime 📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream Only Source Network and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices