Podcasts about cush

Nahum 2:1-3:19 The scatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; dress for battle; collect all your strength. 2 For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches. 3 The shield of his mighty men is red; his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots come with flashing metal on the day he musters them; the cypress spears are brandished. 4 The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning. 5 He remembers his officers; they stumble as they go, they hasten to the wall; the siege tower is set up. 6 The river gates are opened; the palace melts away; 7 its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts. 8 Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry, but none turns back. 9 Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things. 10 Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale! 11 Where is the lions' den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to dis- turb? 12 The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh. 13 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. 3:1 Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! 2 The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! 3 Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! 114 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your na- kedness and kingdoms at your shame. 6 I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. 7 And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you? 8 Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall? 9 Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers. 10 Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains. 11 You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy. 12 All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. 14 Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold! 15 There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper! 16 You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away. 17 Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. 18 Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the moun- tains with none to gather them. 19 There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?

Psalm 7 reminds us that a Song, a Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite:“O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge;save me from all my pursuers anddeliver me,lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.O LorD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy withoutcause,let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,and let him trample my life to thegroundand lay my glory in the dust.”1-5

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

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 1:30PM Session   Scott leads a bible study of the political climate of Judiah during the book of Isaiah.   Isaiah 7-12 - Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind. 3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field, 4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established.” ' ” The Immanuel Prophecy 10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” 13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.” 18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. 20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. 21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land. 23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns. 24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns. 25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam. Assyria Will Invade the Land 8 Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father' and ‘My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The Lord also spoke to me again, saying: 6 “Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's son; 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks. 8 He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel. 9 “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For [r]God is with us.” Fear God, Heed His Word 11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. 13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. 14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness. The Government of the Promised Son 9 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. 5 For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Punishment of Samaria 8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” 11 Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Assyria Shall Be Broken 10 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Arrogant Assyria Also Judged 5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?' ” 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.” 13 For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them. The Returning Remnant of Israel 20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land. 24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt. 27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 28 He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment. 29 They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. 32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One. The Reign of Jesse's Offspring 11 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” 11 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. 13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them. 15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt. A Hymn of Praise 12 And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' ” 3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6T9IGrUlv4   Duration 41:36  

April 26, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 3 - 10:00AM Session   Brandon directs a bible study of the book of Isaiah. He shows how the book is somewhat a mini summary of the entire bible. Looking at Isaiah 11, Brandon reflects on how Jesus is prophesied.   Isaiah 11 - The Reign of Jesse's Offspring 11 There shall come forth a [a]Rod from the [b]stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall [c]grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” 11 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the [d]islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will [e]assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four [f]corners of the earth. 13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the [g]people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them. 15 The Lord will utterly [h]destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over [i]the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over [j]dry-shod. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.   Video: 2025 Equipped Workshop 4-26-25 "A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR GOD NOW"-Brandon Watson - YouTube   Duration 42:01

In this episode, Kyle and Mark are joined by Ron Mack and Chelsea Ball from the Ohio State Fair, Marissa Cush with the Wilmington Classic, and Nancy Jeske, who brings a wealth of experience in both light horse and draft horse shows. We're talking all things draft horse—what it really takes to put on a show, the unique challenges behind the scenes, and why it's all worth it when the teams hit the ring. From heavy lifting (literally) to proud traditions, this roundtable gets into the grit and the heart of managing these unforgettable events.Thank you to our sponsors of Episode #123!Shipshewana Harness & Supplies Glenwood Snacks Pennwoods Equine Products INC. The Draft Horse Journal Saginaw Valley Equine ClinicDo you have suggestions for future episodes? Do you have ideas of someone we should have join us? Please send us any comments or questions to the Rinehold Tack & Western Wear mailbag at podcast@naclassicseries.com!

Friday Bible Study (5/16/25) // *2 Kings 19:1-13* // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.org *Follow us to remain connected:* Facebook: https://facebook.com/mbc.chicago Instagram: https://instagram.com/mbc.chicago TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mbc.chicago Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others *To support this ministry, you can donate via:* Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AA74AC7V5WYMJ *2 Kings 19:1-13* (ESV)*Isaiah Reassures Hezekiah*19 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” 5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'”*Sennacherib Defies the Lord*8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'”#mbchicago #2kings | #BibleStudy | #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #livechurch | #churchlive | #chicagochurch | #chicagochurches | #versebyverse | #church | #chicago | #sermon | #bibleexplained | #bibleproject | #bibleverse #versebyverse #oldtestament #explained

In this episode of The Rumors Are True, we sit down with multi-talented drummer, vocalist, and songwriter Wayne Everett—a key figure in some of the most influential alternative and indie rock bands to come out of the 1990s and early 2000s.Wayne reflects on his time with The Prayer Chain, one of the foundational bands in the Christian alternative rock scene, known for their emotionally charged music and atmospheric sound. We also dive into his role in Starflyer 59, where he helped shape their early shoegaze-influenced output on Tooth & Nail Records.The conversation continues with his work in The Lassie Foundation, a band that took West Coast sunshine pop and drenched it in reverb and fuzz—a signature “pink noise” sound that won them cult status. Wayne also opens up about Cush, the mysterious, ever-evolving musical collective, and how the ethos behind that project differs from his previous bands.Wayne discusses his musical influences, recording processes, band dynamics, and what it's like to revisit some of these beloved projects decades later. For fans of '90s alt rock, shoegaze, and underground Christian music, this is a deep and heartfelt conversation with one of its most respected contributors.Produced by Wesley Hill @thebigwesArtwork by Jared Chase Bowser @jaredchasebowserMusic by Brian Jerin R.I.P.

1 Samuel - David Spares Saul's LifePsalms 7- The LORD Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked., A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.Psalm 27 - A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.Psalm 31 - A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.

There is Push before the CushIn this episode of the Honest Property Podcast, Becky and Ruth sit down with digital entrepreneur Polly Lavarello to talk all things business, growth, and finding freedom on your own terms.Polly shares her incredible story of being made redundant, navigating single motherhood, and growing a thriving business through smart systems, time audits, and a whole lot of self-belief.We dive into the realities behind those glossy 'success stories' you see online, how to balance hustle with self-care, why delegation is key, and how to create offers that actually move the needle.Polly also introduces us to her Cushy Framework — a powerful structure to help entrepreneurs commit to their goals, uplevel their businesses, and harness consistent momentum (without burning out).If you're looking for honest advice, inspiration, and practical tips to take your business to the next level — this is the episode for you.Listen now on all major podcast platforms.

More prophecy against more nations ....

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to outcomesrocket.com Healthcare providers thrive long-term by moving beyond transactional marketing to build brand authority and patient relationships before urgent care needs arise. In this episode, Bryan Cush, CEO of Tidal Health Group, explains how his agency helps care delivery brands navigate the online patient journey through authority building and patient acquisition. He warns against over-relying on short-term tactics, stressing the importance of trust-building in healthcare decisions, especially for specialized care. Bryan advises providers to focus on 1-2 core internal business metrics, such as net new patient visits, rather than short-term marketing ROI. He also shares how Tidal Health's specialization, custom marketing analytics, and emphasis on reputation management set it apart in the evolving digital landscape. Tune in and learn effective strategies for building provider authority, acquiring the right patients, and understanding the modern healthcare marketing landscape! Resources:  Connect and follow Bryan Cush on LinkedIn. Learn more about Tidal Health Group on their LinkedIn and website. Fast Track Your Business Growth: Outcomes Rocket is a full-service marketing agency focused on helping healthcare organizations like yours maximize your impact and accelerate growth. Learn more at outcomesrocket.com

The boys talk with the wonderful Kelsea Ballerini

In this episode, The Rumors Are True podcast welcomes the legend Jyro (Xhan) Lavilla, a pioneering musician best known for his work in bands such as Mortal, Fold Zandura, Juggernautz, Lucena, Le Monde Bear, and Cush. The conversation dives deep into Jyro's journey through multiple musical projects, his creative evolution, and the influences that have shaped his signature sound.Jyro shares stories from the early days of Mortal, one of the most groundbreaking bands in alternative and industrial music, and how his transition to Fold Zandura introduced a fresh, melodic approach to his songwriting. He reflects on his experiences with Juggernautz, Lucena, and Cush, offering insights into how each band allowed him to explore different sonic landscapes.The discussion also touches on Le Monde Bear, a more recent creative endeavor, and the ways in which his artistry continues to evolve. Jyro opens up about the creative process, the shifting dynamics of the music industry, and the personal and professional challenges he has navigated over the years.For longtime fans and new listeners alike, this episode offers a rare and intimate look at the mind of a musician whose work has left a lasting impact on alternative and underground music.Produced by Wesley Hill @thebigwesArtwork by Jared Chase Bowser @jaredchasebowserMusic by Brian Jerin R.I.P.

Hunter talks about how Cush printed out a whole book of stuff...without knowing.

Cush talks about his life hacks

Cush talks about his retro jeans.

Cush defends his clothes choices.

Cush defends his clothes choices.

Cush defends his clothes choices.

Hunter talks about how Cush printed out a whole book of stuff...without knowing.

Hunter talks about how Cush printed out a whole book of stuff...without knowing.

Mardi Gras and Cush don't mix

Hunter talks about the way he can tell when Cush doesn't take his meds

Return of the Man-Child (4) (audio) David Eells – 3/26/25 Dear Father, we thank You so much for being our Savior. Thank You for guiding us with Your Word. Thank You for encouraging us and for showing us wonders and revelations concerning the times to come. We want to be in agreement with You and You said, “How shall two walk together, except they be agreed?” We thank You for revealing to us Your Word so that we can cooperate with You in the principles that You abide by and we thank You for drawing us, giving us wisdom and opening our understanding. We thank You for giving us eyes to see and ears to hear that this may be possible. Thank You so much, Lord. Amen.  We've been studying out of Matthew some things that show us the truth, That which hath been is that which shall be (Ecc.1:9). We have been looking at the principles of what we know to be not only literally true, but a parable of things to come; and we've been reading in Matthew 2, where we discovered that the Messiah appears as a type and shadow of the coming Man-child Ministry, in whom He will live as the first-fruits.  The Messiah showed up and Herod and all of the people in Jerusalem were troubled concerning this, which is amazing unless you understand that people who are walking in the flesh and enjoying this world really do not want to be disturbed by a Messiah, or by a coming Kingdom, and they don't want their sins to be revealed. God's people have no business being troubled about the coming of the Lord. It should be a joyous thing and it is for all disciples of Jesus Christ. We left off here in (Mat.2:7) Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared. (8) And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Goand search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found [him,] bring me word, that I also may come and worship him. (9) And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.Notice that He wasn't a baby anymore; at this point Jesus was a “young child.” (Mat.2:10) And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  (11) And they came into the house (He was not in the cave. He was in a house at this time.) and saw the young child with Maryhis mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (12) And being warned [of God] in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. (13) Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Sounds very much like what we know from the Scriptures in Revelation 12, where the dragon was awaiting the birth of the Man-child to devour him, but the Man-child escaped and was caught up to the throne.  In the same circumstance here, we see that Jesus is about to escape the clutches of Herod. (Mat.2:14) And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; (15) and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son. The Lord has called His Son, and all of His sons, to come out of Egypt, and if we don't come out of Egypt, we cannot be useful in bringing other people out of Egypt. Herod was seeking to destroy the Messiah. The Bible says that Joseph took the young child and His mother and departed into Egypt. Going into Egypt from where they were in Bethlehem would have entailed them going into the wilderness and God said that they were to stay there until the death of Herod. Then He called His Son out of Egypt to come through the wildernessand go to the Promised Land. This fits very well with all of the histories of the Man-child back through the Bible. Moses went into his personal wilderness when fleeing from Pharaoh, only to return after the death of Pharaoh and become a leader of God's people. Now we see the same thing of Jesus going into His own personal wilderness in fleeing from Herod until the death of Herod.  Then, when Jesus came out from His wilderness, He started His ministry very quickly. We're not speaking physically, but you'll see as we continue this study that there is a seeming jump in time and suddenly the child grew up. The Man-child ministry is the same. Many people have had visions and dreams of what occurred here, that the Man-child was born and immediately started walking, talking, and acting in the Kingdom. He grew up very quickly, as we will see. The narrative jumps from the time He was a young child until the time when His ministry started and that's about to be fulfilled. But notice that all the Man-child types went into their own personal wilderness until the death of the king who ruled over God's people and then they came out of the wilderness and started their ministries. Now Herod wanted to make sure he killed this Messiah; he did not want any competition from any other kings. (Mat.2:16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Wisemen. As we have learned, the word “Bethlehem” means “house of bread” or “house of food.” Notice that Herod slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem. That's very interesting because Herod was seeking to destroy the Man-child by killing all the people who were in the “house of food.”  I know that some people think that this murder of all the children applies only to something like abortion, but I think it's the other way around. Abortion is just a physical sign of what is really happening in the Spirit. Herod represents the Beast and Pharaoh represents the Beast kingdom. The beasts attempt, like the Dragon, to destroy the promised seed. How is that fulfilled in the earth today? How does the Beast destroy people in the first place? Well, the Beast represents all mankind that walks in the flesh because it is at enmity with God. If a person walks after the flesh, the Bible says he must die (Romans 8:13). If you walk after the flesh, the Beast has destroyed you. The Beast is making a war on the people who are receiving the Word of Life, the “house of bread.” In these days, God is revealing His promise to raise up His first-fruits in His image. There are a lot of people who understand, who know, who want to be a part of this, and are seeking to be full of the food of God so they can grow into maturity. The fact that God uses a child does not mean that He is not seeking maturity. To be mature in the Kingdom is quite the opposite ofthe way it is in the world. (1Co.14:20) Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men. So, according to the ways of the world, we are children, but in mind and soul we are mature.  Jesus said, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mat.18:3).We have to be a child in trusting our Father, in being submissive to Him, and that is what maturity is. The Man-child as a corporate body, is very small, so you could see him as a child in that way. We're seeing that Jesus was what the Bible says in Isaiah 7:14. He was “a sign,” an uwth, a sign of something to come; and the Lord has shown us that, as history repeats, it repeats on a larger and larger scale, with larger and larger groups of people. The Man-child Jesus represents an end-time Man-child of a large number of people, but it's still a relatively small corporate body.  Let me say, there are more people called to this first-fruits ministry than are attaining to it. One of the reasons is that some of them are being put to death by the flesh, the Beast. They're being taken out and I've seen myself that people who desired to be in the first-fruits were tricked by their flesh into succumbing to the lusts of the world and so were removed from taking part in this first-fruits ministry. They're slain by the Beast and carried away from the “food” to Babylon; they're carried into bondage. I've seen people who started out with Christ but were taken out by the world. They were taken into bondage in Babylon, bondage to the Beast, and that's what Herod wanted to do – he wanted to capture the Christ-child. This fits with what follows in (Mat.2:17) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, (18) A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not. This text quoted from Jeremiah 31:15 fits with what I just described, which is going into bondage to the Beast is death. The Bible says, for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die (Rom.8:13). Being in bondage to the flesh, to Babylon, to Pharaoh, is death. That's when the old man is ruling over the spiritual man like it was in Egypt.  So who is Rachel? And what does she represent here? Rachel was the second bride of Jacob, the second, favored bride of Jacob, who was Israel, the father of the 12 patriarchs. Can you think of another father of 12 patriarchs? Yes, that would be Jesus. In this case, Jacob, or Israel, represents Jesus, the father of the 12 patriarchs. The second, favored bride represents the Church, and not only that, Rachel bore Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph represents the Man-child, as you know. He was the one who was taken to Egypt and was basically “crucified,” sent to prison (Genesis 39), where he preached to the butler and the baker about who was going up and who was going down (Genesis 40) and came out of prison to be the king over everything, second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:40). Jesus did the same thing as a type. So Rachel was the one who brought forth the Man-child, but some of these people were being slain; people who lived in the same “house of bread” as Jesus did were being slain. Rachel was also the mother of Benjamin, who is the last fruit of the Church. You see, there is another fruit after Joseph, who is the first-fruits. The Bible says, But many shall be last [that are] first; and first [that are] last (Mat.19:30). We know that natural Israel is coming back into the Kingdom, but they are coming in last. When the brothers of Joseph came to meet him in Egypt, Benjamin was the last-fruits of Rachel, and I believe that this is referring to the fruits of natural Israel that are coming into the Kingdom at the end. Let's pay attention to Joseph here. What does Rachel and the death of her children represent, and how can we avoid it?  Let's look at the original text in Jeremiah that's quoted in Matthew: (Jer.31:15) Thus saith the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuseth to be comforted for her children, because they are not. They have in some way died and the rest of the text will reveal to us in what way they've died. In the text, Jeremiah speaks of Ephraim and he refers to the children of Rachel, but how is Ephraim of the children of Rachel? Well, Ephraim was the second-born son of Joseph, and the first-born was Manasseh. When Israel came to bless Joseph's sons, who followed in Joseph's steps, Israel took his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, then he took his left hand and put it on Manasseh's head and he began to bless them (Genesis 48:14). The right hand is always placed on the son of the double blessing, so Joseph was displeased when he saw his father doing this and he tried to move his father's hands. But Israel refused, and said, I know [it,] my son, I know [it;] he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations (Gen.48:19). It says “the fullness of nations” in the original text, so Ephraim represented the fullness of nations. Not only did Rachel represent the Church, in that she was the second and favored bride of Israel, who represents Jesus, the father of the 12 patriarchs, but also her son was the second-born son who received the first-born's blessings. You remember that Jesus came first to give that blessing to the first-born son, Israel, and they refused it, so He turned to the Church, which was made up of both Jews and Gentiles, to receive this blessing. But, by and large, the first son did not receive the double blessing. Instead, the right hand was upon the second son. Joseph's second son (or his born-again son) is God's first-born.  How is that? Because Israel was not born-again. They should have entered into that blessing and they did not. They were not born-again, but the Church was and is born-again. So Joseph's second son was God's first-born. How do I know that? (Jer.31:9) They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Why wasn't Manasseh, who represented Israel, the first-born? Because he was the first-born son of Joseph, who represented Jesus. Everything that happened to Joseph happened to Jesus. So, once again, the doctrine that the Church has about the relationship of the Church to natural Israel is totally wrong. God has from the beginning planned to have a born-again people and the “letter people” were a type and shadow of the born-again people. If you don't understand that, you're going to go around worshipping Israel, which failed. If the Church doesn't have any better sense, they will walk in the steps of those people and fail as well. Now we can continue and find out what is meant for Rachel to lose her children. How did they die? What did it represent? (Jer.31:16) Thus saith the Lord: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. Wow! What is it for them to be dead? It's the same thing we were talking about; it means they were in bondage to the Beast, they were walking after the flesh and so they were dead in the eyes of God. I'll prove it just a little further down. “They shall come again from the land of the enemy.” In other words, they were taken into captivity, serving the old man, like Israel was doing in Egypt or in Assyria when they were taken captive. They were no longer living in their Promised Land.  (Jer.31:17) And there is hope for thy latter end, saith the Lord (Israel must come out of captivity in the latter end and so will the Church.); and [thy] children shall come again to their own border. The Lord calls it “living” when we come back to live in the Promised Land, or live on the promises of God, or live in right relationship to the Presence of God, which was in Zion. That's what He calls “living.” To be in bondage, walking after the flesh in the world, in bondage to your flesh, that's what being “dead” is, according to the Lord. (1Ti.5:6) She that giveth herself to pleasure is dead while she liveth. God calls that “death” – spiritual death. For us to come out of this bondage is God's plan. Why did God raise up the Man-child? To bring His people from death into resurrection life. (Jer.31:18) I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus,] (Notice, we're seeing Rachel's children here as Ephraim and he represents the “fullness of nations,” the Church, the second-born son.) Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed [to the yoke:] (You know how a calf is if it's unaccustomed to the yoke – they buck and snort, trying to get loose, wanting to do their own thing.) turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. This is grace. Ask the Lord to turn you, to grant you repentance. It's His gift to give. (Jer.31:19) Surely after that I was turned, I repented (That shows grace, doesn't it? If God turns you, you will be turned. Repentance means “turn and go the other way.”); and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.  (Jer.31:20) Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. The Lord has a heart to deliver His people out of bondage. Ephraim went into bondage before their enemies. They were taken captive by the Beast. They were reckoned as the dead by Rachel. So, we see this in Jeremiah chapters 30 and 31 where it speaks of this. The whole story is there of God delivering His people out of bondage. Why did Jesus come? He came to deliver His people out of Babylonish, or beastly, bondage so that they could serve God. You cannot serve God while you are serving the Egyptian, while you're in bondage to the old man. God started the story in Jeremiah the same way He did in Matthew. Looking at the previous chapter in Jeremiah, we find where He talks about the woman in travail with the Man-child. (Jer.30:6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Why? Because this is where the whole sequence of events is going to begin. (Jer.30:7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. So we're told that it's during the time of “Jacob's trouble,” the Tribulation. Not only that, but He goes on to say of His people that during this time, strangers shall no more make him their bondman (Jer.30:8). In other words, they are going to come out of bondage for the last time. God says they will never again be in bondage. When? The end time.  Then He says, but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them (Jer.30:9).There is the end-time David that's being raised up because Jesus came to sit upon David's throne (Luke 1:32). (Jer.30:10) Therefore fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. That is being “saved,” not being in bondage to your flesh anymore, not being in bondage to the Beast anymore, not serving the world anymore. That is what the Lord has promised for us. So you're either saved or you're dead. The Bible calls it being “dead in your sins,” and “dead in your trespasses.” Rachel was weeping because her children had been taken away into bondage and were no longer free to serve God. (Jer.30:21) And their prince shall be of themselves (We read that in Matthew 2; then it was Jesus coming and it's also the Man-child coming in the end time.), and their ruler shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is he that hath had boldness to approach unto me? saith the Lord. (22) And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. The Lord is going to draw these first-fruits unto Himself and that will be the beginning because their job is like Moses' job, which is to bring the people out of Egypt. Moses went through his own wilderness, as we have seen, and then his job was to go back and bring the people through the same wilderness to meet the Lord in the Mountain of God. (Jer.30:24) The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it. So this is a latter-day revelation. God's judgment is part of what brings God's people out of bondage and into their Promised Land, which is the place of safety.  Jeremiah 31 tells us this story of Ephraim coming out of bondage and we saw that was because God raised up the Man-child to lead them out of bondage. We see here the same sequence of events. The prince will be raised up from the midst of the people. (Jer.31:1) At that time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel … “All Israel,” as we know from Romans 11, includes everybody who's abiding in the olive tree. Natural Israel rejected Jesus, and were broken off of the olive tree and the Church was grafted into the olive tree through faith in Jesus Christ. Those true disciples who followed Jesus in the Gospels, who were natural Jews who came into the Kingdom, remained in their olive tree. But it says, “all the families of Israel,” referring to all Jews, Gentiles, and all those who through faith in Jesus Christ are members of the olive tree, which in Romans 11:26 is called “all Israel.”  (Jer.31:1) At that time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. This includes the remnant of natural Jews that is to come back in, which I am calling “Benjamin,” who was the last fruit of Rachel. (Jer.31:2) Thus saith the Lord, The people that were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness … There was a sword that came upon Egypt, representing the world, to motivate God's people to be willing to leave the fleshpots of Egypt, to come out from among them and be separate and to worship God in the wilderness. Egypt had to suffer the plagues, while God's people in Goshen were separated from Egypt and delivered from those judgments. Then He moved them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, where God could once again deal with them and teach them faith. (Jer.31:2) Thus saith the Lord, The people that were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. God planned to bring Israel into His rest.  (Jer.31:3) The Lord appeared of old unto me, [saying,] Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (4) Again will I build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel … You might think that He's referring to the Bride here when He says the “virgin of Israel,” like the virgin Mary, who brought forth the Man-child and also went into the wilderness to be instructed of the Man-child. In Revelation 12, the Man-child was birthed and then he was caught up to the throne of David, which is God's throne on Earth, where He rules over Israel, according to the Scripture. And from that place of authority, He led the woman, who brought forth the Man-child, through the wilderness. (Jer.31:4) Again will I build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: again shalt thou be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.When God's people are led out of bondage, it will be a time of rejoicing. (Jer.31:5) Again shalt thou plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy [the fruit thereof]. There is going to be freedom for people who have escaped the bondage of the Beast in the days to come. That's what Moses came to do, that's what Jesus came to do and that's what the Man-child is coming to do: escape the bondage of the Beast and help the Church do the same. Not everyone is going to escape that bondage. (Luk.21:36) But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the son of man.  (Jer.31.6) For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the hills of Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. In other words, the second son is coming out of bondage. (7) For thus saith the Lord, Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. That's a good thing to cry today because here we are again. The Beast is about to bring God's people into bondage and the overwhelming majority of God's people have been in bondage all along. The bondage that we're talking about is more severe persecution, death, and destruction.  (Jer.31:8) Behold, I will bring them from the north country … The “north country” is the place of bondage. That's where Babylon brought them into captivity, that's where Assyria brought them into captivity and that's where the Medes and the Persians ruled over them. It represents the beast in the north. (Jer.31:8) Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth … This is because now God's people are in bondage to the beast all over the world. We are not talking about only little Israel, who is God's people, but worldwide spiritual Israel, who is circumcised in heart and not just in flesh. They're in bondage to the nations in which they live and God is calling them out of those nations to be a part of “all Israel,” one holy nation. (Jer.31:8) Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame (Yes, God's people who are in bondage are quite often blind and lame, and God is calling them to be able to see and to be able to walk straight before the Lord.), the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together (In other words, those who have already borne fruit and those who will bear the fruit of Christ.): a great company shall they return hither. They're going to come back to their “borders,” inside the borders of their Promised Land. The borders could represent the outline of the way you live and you want to stay within the boundaries of God's Word, so to speak.  (Jer.31:9) They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters … Amen! Rivers of living water, which Jesus spoke about in (Joh.7:38) 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 … Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. Jesus Himself brought to His people rivers of living water. That's where their life came from – the Word that came out of His mouth. (Joh.6:63) It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.  (Jer.31:9) They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born. (10) Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off … (We are one of those “isles afar off” here in America.); and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as shepherd doth his flock. In other words, the Lord, Who sent His people into bondage in Egypt or in bondage to the nations, is going to draw them out now. This is a time of rejoicing. People are so fearful of the Tribulation, but they don't understand that the Tribulation is the judgment that's coming upon Egypt so that God's Israelites can come out and go into the wilderness to serve God. This is a good time. (Jer.31:11) For the Lord hath ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Which is which? It's the Beast entity “that was stronger than he.” We are not talking about a man when we say “the Beast.” We're referring to the whole body of the Beast. You're either a part of the Body of Christ or you're a part of the body of anti-Christ. The anti-Christ is the Beast kingdom. (Jer.31:12) And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion … God is drawing His people to come into His very Presence on His holy hill. God told Moses, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain (Exo.3:12).  (Jer.31:12) And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow unto the goodness of the Lord, to the grain, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden(Praise the Lord! This is talking about the Tribulation and God is going to raise up His people to bear fruit and they're going to be blessed.); and they shall not sorrow any more at all. (13) Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. (14) And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord. Then it goes into the text we studied earlier, where Rachel was weeping for her children and God was comforting her by telling her not to worry, as they would return to their borders. They are coming back. Yes, they have been taken into bondage and are serving the flesh and are dead to the spiritual world, dead to the Kingdom of God, but He's going to change all of that. That's what God is saying in (Jer.31:21) Set thee up waymarks, make thee guide-posts; set thy heart toward the highway, (This refers to the highway of holiness that Isaiah 35:8 said leads to Zion.), even the way by which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities. (22) How long wilt thou go hither and thither, O thou backsliding daughter? In other words, while they're out there wandering around in the world, this is where they are supposed to dwell. These promises are the ones they are supposed to live upon.  …for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth: A woman shall encompass a man. God is bringing the virgin into the wilderness to be led by the Davidic Manchild. The woman encompassing a man is the Bride encompassing the Man-child. Zion was the Bride, according to Revelation. God told John, Come hither, I will show thee the bride (Rev.21:9). And He showed him the New Jerusalem coming down, being born from above (Revelation 21:10). The Man-child David ruled in the midst of Zion, but he also ruled in the midst of the rest of the Church outside of Zion. So there is the larger Church, there is the Bride and there is the Man-child. This is the new thing that God is going to do: “A woman shall encompass a man.” It's not a new thing as far as history is concerned; it's a new thing as far as we are concerned, in our lifetime, because this is an end-time prophecy. (Jer.31:23) Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Yet again shall they use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity …It's an old English way to say it because it sounds like just the opposite in our modern ears. If you would translate that today, you would say, “I will bring them again from the land of their captivity.” It's a good thing to come out of captivity and into the Kingdom of God. There are only two places you can dwell in this world: you are either in Babylon or you are in Zion. We are coming out of Babylon, which is this world. All of the nations of the world were at Babel. They all came from Babel and they're all part of Babylon, but Zion is separate.  Zion is that holy place that we're all going to. God enjoins them to find this highway to Zion. (Jer.31:23) Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Yet again shall they use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity: The Lord bless thee, O habitation of righteousness, O mountain of holiness. Zion represents the place of holiness, the place of separation from the world. That's what “holiness” or “sanctification” means. It's the same word and it means giving up your sins in obedience to following the Lord. If you're obeying the Lord, you're walking in servitude to the Lord and you have matured in that obedience to the Lord. That is what Zion is. (Jer.31:24) And Judah and all the cities thereof shall dwell therein together, the husbandmen, and they that go about with flocks. (25) For I have satiated the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul have I replenished. (26) Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me. (27) Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. (28) And it shall come to pass that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, saith the Lord. While in Babylon, they were living under the curse. Zion is where the curse is done away. So, spiritually speaking, you cannot physically go to Zion because obviously there is no physical Zion. We are not physical Israelites; we are spiritual Israelites and we can spiritually go to Zion. It is the place of holiness, the place of God's presence, and the place of His temple. When we come into the presence of God, that is that place of holiness. Those who were slain by the Beast, by Herod, by Pharaoh, by Nebuchadnezzar, by whatever Beast conquered them, they're going to return to their Promised Land. And living in the Promised Land represents resurrection life, the resurrection of God. This same story is found in Isaiah. (Isa.11:1) And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit. This is the Branch that in Jeremiah chapters 23 and 33 speak of an end-time David ministry that God is going to raise up. We've spoken about this already. This Branch represents the Man-child ministry in the end time, the one in whom Jesus lives, because Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).  I knew a brother years ago who had a dream and he called me about it. His name was Tubby and he said, “David, I had this dream and I was talking to you, and in the dream, I said, ‘David, you remind me of someone I read about in the Bible.' You quoted those verses from Isaiah 11:1-5 and you said, ‘Yeah, I know that person.' Then you quoted these verses.” He was saying that these are going to be an end-time people who are going to come into this image, walking in the Spirit of God as the Branch. (Isa.11:2) And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (3) And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; (In other words, this is a people who are walking in the Spirit and not walking in the flesh, nor ruled by the fleshly senses. They have their senses exercised to discern good from evil, as in Hebrews 5:14.) (Isa.11:4) but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (5) And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins. (6) And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. A little child, the Man-child, is going to lead them. Why these beasts? Well, if you remember Noah's Ark and the people who were saved in the Ark, the beasts were also saved in the Ark and they represented the Gentiles. When Peter saw the sheet come down out of Heaven with all the unclean beasts on it, God told him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat (Act.11:7). And Peter said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth (8). But the Lord answered, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common (9). This was when Cornelius had sent his servants to Peter to get him to come and preach to them the Gospel (Acts 10:1-8) and Peter got the revelation of, “Oh, God has cleansed the Gentiles (Acts 10:46,47),” who became the Church. These were people who were members of the body of the Beast – different beasts around the world, as a matter of fact. They had come out of this beast and out of that beast. They were members of those bodies, but now they had come into the Kingdom and they were at peace with one another.  There is nothing that can bring the world together in peace except God's Kingdom. So here you see that God is going to raise up the Man-child. He's going to draw His people out of all nations, out of all beast kingdoms. By the way, they were all called beast kingdoms by Daniel, just as they are in Revelation 7. God was going to draw His people out of bondage and out of all these beast kingdoms to come and dwell in their land, which He called the land of rest, the land of milk and honey, the land of blessings, provision, and everything. Is a little child really going to lead all these beasts to be at peace and go back to the Promised Land? Yes, that's what He's talking about. (Isa.11:7) And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. At the end of 2007, I saw a vision of this happening. In the vision, the Lord was giving me a piece of property and there were all these beasts that were fleeing onto this property from the judgments that were happening outside the boundaries of this property. I saw it. They were all in total peace with one another, all these creatures that normally bite and devour one another, like the nations do. They were at peace and God's Kingdom was there; His peace was there. The Lord gave me a house and money to prepare and provide for these beasts that were coming to this refuge. (Isa.11:8) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. (In complete safety!) (9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain … So where are these beasts? They are at God's holy mountain and a little child, the Man-child, shall lead them. When all the beastly people of the world get saved, when they come out from under the bondage of the Beast and come into God's holy mountain, then what this refers to will be fulfilled. These are Rachel's children about whom she did not have to worry anymore. They are going to be restored. (Isa.11:9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (10) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek (Of course, this is the Lord.); and his resting-place shall be glorious. Amen! That's where they're going – to this holy mountain, His resting place. (Isa.1:11) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people (Praise the Lord!), that shall remain, from Assyria … That's one of the “beasts” that conquered God's people and brought them into bondage. God is saying, “Come back out of bondage! Come back out of the north! Come back to your Promised Land!” God is telling us to come and dwell in Zion in the Presence of God on His holy mountain. You cannot dwell on His holy mountain without being holy because the highway that goes there is also called the “Highway of Holiness.” (Isa.11:11) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam(These were all the nations that were round about Israel.), and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (12) And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.  The Lord will gather them out of all the beast kingdoms to come back and dwell in their Promised Land. God is going to do this in the Spirit in the days to come. There is going to be a people who will dwell in safety and be blessed of the Lord. All their provision is going to be sure because they are a holy people. They are not under the curse. Those who walk in rebellion to God are under the curse because the curse was pronounced on the people who walked in their stubborn ways. (Isa.11:13) The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. (14) And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they despoil the children of the east: they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. Judgments are going to fall all over this earth where God's people are being persecuted. When they were in bondage in Egypt, the judgments that we see in the Book of Revelation fell upon Egypt, to deliver God's people out of Egypt and into their Promised Land. (Isa.11:15) And the Lord will utterly destroythe tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind will he wave his hand over the River, and will smite it into seven streams, and cause men to march over dryshod. (16) And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria; like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.   Praise God!

Mike "C-Roc" welcomes Elizabeth Cush—also known as Biz—an experienced Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, life coach, and host of Awaken Your Wise Woman podcast.Biz shares her journey into podcasting, the evolution of her work from focusing on anxiety to helping women find balance and energetic alignment, and how her show has transformed her life both personally and professionally. She and Mike discuss the power of podcasting in building authentic connections, how the pandemic shifted her practice to 100% virtual, and the impact of childhood experiences on adult emotional well-being.Tune in as Biz offers insights into self-care, healing from trauma, and staying open to new approaches in mental health and personal growth. If you're looking for ways to connect with your inner wisdom and build resilience, this episode is for you!Website-https://www.elizabethcushcoaching.com/Social Media Links/handles-https://www.instagram.com/awakenyourwisewoman/https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-cush-88a39121/https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethcushlcpc3220

This episode of Across The Margin : The Podcast features an interview with Brooklyn-based musician and Garcia Peoples bassist/vocalist Andy Cush. Cush, under the moniker Domestic Drafts, has recently released his debut album entitled Only The Singer (Glamour Gowns Records) — the focus of this episode. Many years in the making, Only the Singer is an ambitious and dramatically engaging debut that spotlights the distinctive songwriting sensibility that Cush has leant to Garcia Peoples (as bassist, co-composer, and vocalist). It bursts with inspired ideas, with lyrics and arrangements ranging from the intimate to the windswept and cinematic. Its songs sketch richly personal, romantic narratives with a brainy sense of humor, demonstrating Cush's singular prowess as a storyteller, while the musical treatments take cues from country music, '90s indie-rock, outré folk, smooth '70s pop, progressive jazz, bossa nova, and more. In this episode hosts Michael Shields and Andy Cush discuss the bevy of talented musicians who helped Andy bring the album to life while exploring how many of the songs on Only The Singer have lived with Andy for some time, and others are freshly crafted, yet they uniquely co-exist harmoniously. They dig into the specifics of a few of the songs on the album, expounding how the title track was inspired by an interview with Leonard Cohen and how others are inspired by relatable life struggles and hardships, and so much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Share with us what you think about UncommonTEEN! I do read your fanmail, but can't message you back! Chat with me at UncommonTEEN.com!Can God Really Use Me? It's time to get rid of excuses!So many times, we disqualify ourselves from being used by God, saying things like, “God could never use me. I'm a mess up. I don't even have friends. I'm afraid to talk to people. Or whatever other excuse we come up with. God doesn't want to use you because you're perfect and have everything together. He wants to use you because you are available and because you know that the only way you can win is with God.Isaiah 43:1-5- Last part: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6 1.    God Knows You By Name (Isaiah 43:1)2. God Is Our Protector, You don't need to Fear (Isaiah 43:2)3. God Has a Purpose for You (Isaiah 43:5-7)4. You can trust God!Ladies, we have some exciting news! The SOAR Community is now FREE!! All you have to do to see if SOAR is right for you is grab your parents, tell them why you are excited about SOAR, and while you still have them with you, go to uncommonteen.com/coaching and click on the application under SOAR and fill it out! **There are limited spots available. ***At this time, SOAR is only open to teen girls 13-17 in the United States. You are beautiful! You are valuable!Your beauty and your value don't change, Even if someone fails to seeHow incredible God made you!Don't forget to head on over to uncommonTEEN.com/coaching and fill our your SOAR Application today!The UncommonTEEN App is still in review on both the Apple Store and the Google Play Store! It looks like Google is going to take a bit longer, but the Apple App should be coming very soon!To ask questions for an upcoming podcast episode or if you need prayer, go to UncommonTEEN.com.For the Ask Me Anything Questions, click on the RED BUTTON at the top of the screen. These questions may used on a future episode of the UncommonTEEN Podcast!For any prayer requests or more personal questions, click on the YELLOW CHAT TAB at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. These will not be used on the podcast. Connect with Us!Website: UncommonTEEN.comInstagram: @uncommon.teen

The chapter highlights how David responded to the false accusations of Cush.

“God's Defense of His Chosen Servant and the Consequences of Jealousy and Rebellion.” This chapter highlights themes of divine authority, humility, leadership, punishment for speaking against God's anointed, and the power of intercession. It teaches that God defends those He appoints, humbles those who challenge His order, and disciplines with justice and mercy. Numbers 12 is a striking account of jealousy, leadership, divine justice, and mercy. It tells the story of Miriam and Aaron challenging Moses, God's appointed leader, and the severe consequences that follow. This chapter highlights a critical theme in Scripture: God defends those He calls, and He does not tolerate rebellion against His anointed servants. While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn't He spoken through us too?” But the Lord heard them (Numbers 12:1-2, TLB). Miriam and Aaron, the older siblings of Moses, begin to speak against him. The first issue they raise is that Moses has married a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman. There is some debate about who this woman was--whether she was Zipporah, his Midianite wife (Exodus 2:21), or another wife from Cush (modern-day Ethiopia/Sudan). Regardless, their criticism of Moses' marriage is only a cover for a deeper issue: jealousy over Moses' spiritual authority. Miriam and Aaron challenge Moses' leadership, essentially saying: “Is Moses the only one God speaks through? Aren't we also prophets?” Their complaint suggests a power struggle, as they resent Moses' special relationship with God. Miriam, who was called a prophetess (Exodus 15:20), may have felt entitled to equal authority. Aaron, as high priest, may have also desired more influence. Their words reveal pride and a failure to respect God's appointment. What they fail to realize is that their rebellion is not against Moses--it is against God Himself, who chose Moses as His servant. The last phrase of verse 2 is key: “But the Lord heard them.” God does not ignore this attack on His anointed leader. Now Moses was very meek, more so than any other man on earth. So immediately the Lord summoned Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the Tabernacle: ‘Come here, the three of you,' He commanded. So they stood before the Lord (Numbers 12:3-4, TLB). Moses does not respond to his siblings' attack. Instead, the text emphasizes his humility--he is called “more meek than anyone on earth.” This shows that Moses does not defend himself, but God steps in to defend him. God immediately summons Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the Tabernacle, where His presence visibly descends in a pillar of cloud. This divine intervention underscores the seriousness of their challenge. When God personally calls someone to judgment, it is never a small matter. God speaks directly to Miriam and Aaron, explaining why Moses is different from all other prophets: If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as He is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses? (Numbers 12:6-8, TLB). This is a powerful declaration. While prophets typically receive visions and dreams, Moses has a unique relationship with God--he speaks to Him directly, face to face. God calls Moses the most faithful in His house, a phrase later echoed in Hebrews 3:5. God is asking: “How dare you speak against the man I have chosen?” The anger of the Lord burns against them, and His presence departs--a sign of judgment. As the cloud moved from the Tabernacle, Miriam suddenly became white with leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened, he cried out to Moses, ‘Oh, sir, do not punish us for this sin that we have so foolishly committed. Don't let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth' (Numbers 12:10-12, TLB). As soon as God departs, Miriam is struck with leprosy--a severe skin disease that turns her “white as snow.” This is an ironic punishment because she had complained about Moses' Cushite wife, possibly due to her darker skin tone. Now, Miriam herself is stricken with a disease that makes her own skin appear unnatural. Aaron, seeing his sister's suffering, immediately repents and pleads with Moses to intercede. It is significant that Aaron is not punished in the same way--likely because Miriam was the instigator of the rebellion (her name is listed first in verse 1). Aaron, as high priest, also had sacred duties that required ritual purity, and leprosy would have made him unfit to serve. In a beautiful act of mercy, Moses intercedes for his sister, praying: “Oh God, I beg You, please heal her!” (Numbers 12:13, TLB). Even though Miriam spoke against him, Moses does not seek revenge. Instead, he prays for her healing, demonstrating the same humility and grace that Jesus would later model. But the Lord said to Moses, ‘If her father had spit in her face, wouldn't she be defiled for seven days? So let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and after that, she may be accepted back.' So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again (Numbers 12:14-15, TLB). Although God hears Moses' prayer, He does not immediately heal Miriam. Instead, He imposes a seven-day banishment outside the camp--this was the required punishment for lepers (Leviticus 13:46). This public humiliation serves as both a discipline for Miriam and a lesson for Israel: God will not tolerate rebellion against His chosen leaders. Significantly, the entire nation must wait until Miriam is restored before moving forward. This highlights her importance as a leader but also shows the consequences of sin affecting the entire community. Once Miriam is brought back, the Israelites resume their journey toward the Promised Land. God chooses whom He wills. Miriam and Aaron thought they deserved equal authority with Moses, but God had chosen Moses for a unique role. We must be careful not to challenge God's appointed leaders out of pride or jealousy. God defends His servants. Moses did not have to fight for himself; God stepped in to vindicate him. This is a reminder that when we walk in obedience, God is our defender (Romans 8:31). The danger of speaking against others is clear. Criticism, especially against God's anointed, has serious consequences. Jesus warns in Matthew 12:36 that we will give an account for every idle word we speak. The power of humility is demonstrated by Moses, who is called the most humble man on earth (Numbers 12:3). True leadership is marked by humility, not pride. God disciplines those He loves. Miriam's punishment was severe, but it was meant to restore her. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that God disciplines those He loves so they may return to Him. Intercession brings healing. Moses' prayer of intercession saved Miriam from further suffering. This points to Jesus Christ, our ultimate intercessor, who prays for us (Hebrews 7:25). Numbers 12 is a powerful warning against jealousy, pride, and rebellion. Miriam and Aaron's actions remind us of the importance of respecting God's authority, while Moses' response teaches us about humility, mercy, and intercession. Ultimately, this chapter reminds us that God sees all things, hears every word spoken, and will uphold His divine order. As believers, we must walk in humility, obedience, and trust in God's leadership rather than seeking power or position for ourselves.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

Hunter and Cush talk about Guiness World Records.

Hunter is fed up with Cush...again

Isaiah 43:1-7 | Israel's Only Savior But now, this is what the Lord says—     he who created you, Jacob,     he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;     I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters,     I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,     they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,     you will not be burned;     the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God,     the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom,     Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight,     and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you,     nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you;     I will bring your children from the east     and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!'     and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar     and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name,     whom I created for my glory,     whom I formed and made.”

Top chef Dan Guerin tells PJ it's onwards and upwards as he moves his restaurant to Midleton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

God Provides A Way! Esther 8:9 9At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai's orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. a These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.

Hunter is fascinated with how Cush is easily entertained (and we blame Brenna for showing this to Cush).

Transcript:Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. Our God is a God of abundance and generosity. This is seen in who He is and in all that He does. Just consider something as common as the earth God created, the ground we all walk on. It's made of dirt and rock. It's so cheap and mundane we trample it underfoot without thought. It's just “dirt”! Yet, that dirt is so rich and diverse in its elements that we can dig into it and draw out materials to produce stunning works of art and powerful supercomputers. We can fashion its elements into cars and smartphones. We can use it to construct buildings so tall they literally reach the clouds. We can split the atoms of some of these elements to create power for modern civilization. We can use other elements to make spaceships that explore the outer reaches of our solar system. This inherent abundance is why in Genesis, God commanded humans to “cultivate” the earth (Genesis 2). The word cultivate implies a generous potential hidden in the dirt under our feet—that God created the earth in such a way it can be developed and fashioned into something greater than it is. In this we see we need not have a scarcity mindset with the resources God has given to us. We can have a generosity abundance mindset, giving our stuff away to the glory of God, “cultivating” it, knowing God is able to return it multiplied to meet our every need. Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.'”~Jeremiah 32:16-19 (ESV) “Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”~Genesis 2:10-15

Hunter and Cush talk about a new job with the National Archives.

Cush gives a health update.

Cush talks about the invasive species war in america.

Hunter and Cush talk about the ongoing traffic problems.

Cush talks about how he was shaving while driving to work.

Hunter and Cush talk about the Gulf possibly having a name change.

The boys talk about Cush's wife Andrea.

Audio Recording Audio Block Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 20:1-6 (ESV)1 In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.3 Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?'”Sermon OutlineAs we step into this new year, let's ground our hope in something lasting and true, avoiding the disappointment that often comes from trusting in things that fade or fail.1. Misplaced Hopevv1-2 “In the year… at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah…” v6 “Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria!” 2. Dismay and Shamevv3-5 “…so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles… they shall be dismayed and ashamed…”3. The Servant Who Is a Signv3 “my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign”Prayer of ConfessionAlmighty and merciful God, we humbly confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. We have sought life, security, and salvation in things that cannot satisfy, and we have trusted in our own strength rather than in Your unfailing love. Our hearts have strayed, and our affections have been divided. Forgive us for our misplaced hopes and the ways we have turned from You. Purify us, O Lord, and renew us by Your Spirit. Clothe us in the righteousness of Christ, that we may live faithfully and reflect Your grace to the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.Questions for ReflectionAs you enter 2025, have you made any resolutions? Why or why not? What are your hopes for this year, and where does your hope ultimately rest?Why is it risky to place our deepest hopes in people, possessions, goals, or ideologies? How might this shape our lives and expectations?Can you recall a time when you placed your hope in something that ultimately failed? How did that experience affect you—emotionally, spiritually, or mentally? What lessons did you take away from it?Isaiah was called to walk “naked” for three years as a prophetic sign. How does this strike you? If you lived during his time, how might this affect your ability to trust his message? Would it clarify or complicate things for you?When you feel afraid, where do you instinctively turn for comfort, guidance, or distraction? Who or what consistently gives you hope during difficult times?How can Christians faithfully live “in the world but not of the world”? How do we avoid being consumed by worldly pursuits, while also resisting an escapist faith that disconnects from real life?The Bible presents Jesus as the only secure foundation for our hope. What do you find compelling about trusting in Him? In what areas do you find it challenging to place your trust fully in Christ?How can you begin to shift your hope from temporary things to Christ? What practical steps can you take to realign your thoughts, habits, and commitments with Him?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 20:1-6 (ESV)1 In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.3 Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?'”Sermon OutlineAs we step into this new year, let's ground our hope in something lasting and true, avoiding the disappointment that often comes from trusting in things that fade or fail.1. Misplaced Hopevv1-2 “In the year… at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah…” v6 “Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria!” 2. Dismay and Shamevv3-5 “…so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles… they shall be dismayed and ashamed…”3. The Servant Who Is a Signv3 “my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign”Prayer of ConfessionAlmighty and merciful God, we humbly confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. We have sought life, security, and salvation in things that cannot satisfy, and we have trusted in our own strength rather than in Your unfailing love. Our hearts have strayed, and our affections have been divided. Forgive us for our misplaced hopes and the ways we have turned from You. Purify us, O Lord, and renew us by Your Spirit. Clothe us in the righteousness of Christ, that we may live faithfully and reflect Your grace to the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.Questions for ReflectionAs you enter 2025, have you made any resolutions? Why or why not? What are your hopes for this year, and where does your hope ultimately rest?Why is it risky to place our deepest hopes in people, possessions, goals, or ideologies? How might this shape our lives and expectations?Can you recall a time when you placed your hope in something that ultimately failed? How did that experience affect you—emotionally, spiritually, or mentally? What lessons did you take away from it?Isaiah was called to walk “naked” for three years as a prophetic sign. How does this strike you? If you lived during his time, how might this affect your ability to trust his message? Would it clarify or complicate things for you?When you feel afraid, where do you instinctively turn for comfort, guidance, or distraction? Who or what consistently gives you hope during difficult times?How can Christians faithfully live “in the world but not of the world”? How do we avoid being consumed by worldly pursuits, while also resisting an escapist faith that disconnects from real life?The Bible presents Jesus as the only secure foundation for our hope. What do you find compelling about trusting in Him? In what areas do you find it challenging to place your trust fully in Christ?How can you begin to shift your hope from temporary things to Christ? What practical steps can you take to realign your thoughts, habits, and commitments with Him?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

Isaiah 11:1-14 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. 12 He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them.

Highlight presentations from ACR 2024 in Washington, DC Covered abstracts include: - Dr. Kavanaugh 1679 Amplified & biomarkers 0082 Enthesitis Pathology & IL-23 1553 TLR 7/8 inhibitors in SLE 995 Carbon footprint to injectables L20 ARTHUR DIANA Automated US 1132 VEGA (Combo Rx – see also 2640, 1460, 1393) 1745 Statin use in Oral Surveillance - Dr. Cush 458 Seronegative RA fate L19 Emapalumab in Stills disease ACR 2024 updated guidelines on lupus nephritis 2580 Ianalumab in SLE 2259 Anti-Obesity Meds in RA 2657 Mortality with starting/stopping steroids 0774  TAPIR study in GCA 1697  PMR MODE study

Zephaniah 2Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the NationsJudah Summoned to Repent (v 1-3)Philistia (v 4-7)Moab and Ammon (v 8-11)Cush (v 12)Assyria (v 13-15)**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.  Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show

Our Patron Book Club joins us to discuss Charles R. Saunders's "The Quest for Cush", the Swahili glossary, the shame of the King County Library system, fiction as gaming supplements, inversions of traditional sword and sorcery, Burroughs's Mythic Africa, the Mary Sue problem, Greeks in Egypt, a dungeon under quicksand, responsible and dilligent city guards, Imaro as a demigod,, and much more!