Podcasts about deut

Passing the Baton - Part 5Passing on Loyalty to God | Deuteronomy 6:13-19Big Idea: Loyalty to the Lord guards every generation.What does it mean to be loyal to the Lord?1. Fear the Lord above all (Deut. 6:13-15)2. Follow the Lord in all things (Deut. 6:16-19)

June 14, 2026 Deut. 1:1–46; Ps. 67:1-3; Prov. 17:6; Luke 6:1-11

June 15, 2026 Deut. 2:1-37; Ps. 67:4-7; Prov. 16:7-8; Luke 6:12-19

====================================================SUSCRIBETEhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpffyr-7_zP1x1lS89ByaQ?sub_confirmation=1==================================================== LECCIÓN DE ESCUELA SABÁTICA         II TRIMESTRE DEL 2026Narrado por: Eddie RodriguezDesde: Guatemala, GuatemalaUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchLUNES 15 DE JUNIOSIN FUERZA, PERO CON PODER¿Te preguntaste alguna vez cómo pudo Jesús mantener su motivación para trabajar, sanar, consolar, predicar y enseñar a tantas personas día tras día? Se nos dice que, “al ver a las multitudes, sintió compasión de ellas, porque estaban desamparadas y dispersas como ovejas sin pastor” (Mat. 9:36). Fue el amor y la compasión de Jesús hacia la humanidad lo que impulsó su labor. De la misma manera, el amor de Dios en nosotros debería impulsarnos a sentir el deber de conducir a las almas hacia él y su verdad (2 Cor. 5:14). ¿Contemplaste alguna vez los rostros de las personas en una multitud mientras pensabas en la Eternidad y te preguntaste si conocían a Jesús? ¿Has sentido alguna vez la manifestación del amor de Dios en ti hacia un extraño necesitado? El amor que Dios ha puesto en nuestro corazón nos motiva a sentir y asumir la responsabilidad de conducir almas a él. Jeremías expresó esto cuando dijo: “Su palabra fue en mi corazón como un fuego ardiente, prendido en mis huesos. Traté de sufrirlo, y no pude” (Jer. 20:9). Sin embargo, cuando compartimos a Dios con otros, no debemos tratar de forzarlos a aceptarlo a él o la verdad bíblica. La coerción es contraria al carácter de Dios. Él no obligó a Adán y a Eva a alejarse del árbol del conocimiento del bien y del mal (Gén. 2:16, 17). No obligó a los antediluvianos a entrar en el arca para salvarse del diluvio (Gén. 7:1). No obligó a los israelitas a permanecer fieles a su pacto con él (Deut. 4:29-31). Por el contrario, Jesús satisfizo las necesidades de las personas (Mat. 4:23-25) y luego las invitó a seguirlo. Jesús nunca obligó a nadie a ir en pos de él o a aceptar la verdad que proclamaba. Tampoco lo hace ahora. Sin embargo, nunca nos abandona (Mat. 23:37). Cuando testificamos, nuestro enfoque siempre debe reflejar el de Jesús. Elena de White dice: “No forma parte de la misión de Cristo obligar a los hombres a recibirlo. Satanás y los hombres impulsados por su espíritu son quienes procuran violentar las conciencias. [...] No puede haber una evidencia más concluyente de que poseemos el espíritu de Satanás que la disposición a dañar y destruir a quienes no aprecian nuestro trabajo u obran contrariamente a nuestras ideas” (El Deseado de todas las gentes, pp. 451, 452). Debemos ser un conducto al servicio de Dios. Vivimos en un mundo que odia la verdad, pero eso no debe impedirnos compartirla de manera reflexiva y amorosa. Recuerda que nuestro testimonio personal es lo que a menudo tendrá la mayor influencia, sobre todo en las primeras etapas de la testificación (Apoc. 12:11). Lee 2 Pedro 3:18. ¿De qué manera estás creciendo en gracia y conocimiento? ¿Cómo se manifiesta esto en tus interacciones con quienes te rodean? 

This is the fourth sermon in Christopher's series "Getting to Know God: A Series Exploring the Doctrine of the Trinity". In this sermon, Pastor Christopher talks about the three distinct members of our Triune God along with the definition of the Trinity. He shares with us 'Trinity Truths' within the topics of Divine Conversation at Creation (Genesis), Divine Essence at Covenant (Deuteronomy), and Divine Persons at the Commission(Matthew). Finally, Christopher talks about what it means to be created in 'God's Image', the official commission of the Disciples, and how the Holy Trinity requires us to disciple others. Thanks for Listening...LAKEVIEW MISSIONARY CHURCH810 S. Evergreen Dr.Moses Lake, WA 98837509-765-5270www.LakeviewMissionaryChurch.comPastor Christopher sends a weekly update to our church every Wednesday with an encouraging article, prayer requests, and announcements. Subscribe here, http://eepurl.com/hC7SHDScripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

In the 1870s, Charles Taze Russell began leading Bible classes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a small group that came to be known as Bible Students. In 1879, he began publishing a Bible journal later known asThe Watch Tower.Then, in 1884, he incorporated what became the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Through Russells publishing work, the movement spread beyond Pennsylvania and eventually laid the foundation for what later became Jehovahs Witnesses under Joseph Rutherford. Russell rejected several historic Christian doctrines, including eternal conscious punishment in hell and, most seriously, the doctrine of the Trinity. After Russell died in 1916, Rutherford became president of the Watch Tower Society in 1917. Under his leadership, the movement became more centralized and aggressive in its evangelism, and in 1931 the name Jehovahs Witnesses was adopted. The Watch Tower Society is not merely another Christian denomination. It is a cult that rejects essential doctrines of the Christian faith, including the Trinity and the full deity of Jesus Christ. To be clear, misunderstanding Revelation 7 or using poor hermeneutical principles does not automatically mean someone will develop a cult or reject the core tenets of the Christian faith as Russell, Rutherford, and the Jehovahs Witnesses have done. Many faithful Christians have differed over the meaning of the 144,000. But the Watch Tower Society shows us why careful interpretation matters. When Scripture is mishandled repeatedly and forced into a system, the results can be spiritually dangerous. Revelation 7 is one of the passages central to their teaching. Jehovahs Witnesses teach that the 144,000 in Revelation 7 and 14 are a literal number of anointed Christians who will be resurrected to heavenly life to reign with Christ as kings and priests. They also teach that the great multitude in Revelation 7:912 is a separate group with an earthly hopethose who survive Armageddon and live on a restored earth. I mention this because Revelation 7 shows us why context matters. When this chapter is separated from the question at the end of Revelation 6, it can be made to say things John is not saying. John is not trying to create two separate classes of Gods people. He is answering the question,Who can stand?So as we come to this passage, we need to pay careful attention to what John hears and sees, allowing Scripture itself to serve as our primary commentary before we look to any system to determine the meaning of the text. The People of the Lamb are Sealed by God (vv. 1-8) At the end of Revelation 6, with the opening of the sixth seal and the first description of the Day of the Lord, we are left with one of the books most haunting questions:for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?(Rev. 6:17). The kings of the earth cannot stand. The powerful cannot stand. The wealthy cannot stand. The strong cannot stand. Neither slave nor free can stand, as all hide among the rocks and mountains, begging creation to conceal them from the face of Him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. So who can stand? Revelation 7 gives the answer. Before the seventh seal is opened, John is shown another vision, but do not think of this vision as occurring strictly after the sixth seal and before the opening of the seventh. Instead, if the seals were acts in a theatrical production, what happens in Revelation 7 shows us what is happening behind the curtain sometime during the sixth seal and before the seventh. Throughout Revelation, the visions often pause, circle back, or open a new window to help us understand more clearly what God is doing. In this case, Revelation 7 functions as an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, answering the question raised at the end of chapter 6. John then sees four angels who arestanding at the four corners of the earth,each holdingback the four winds of the earth(v. 1). We are told they do this so that no wind blows on the earth, sea, or any tree. What John sees is not four angels manipulating the weather. Likewise, the four corners of the earth is not a description of the earths shape or design. As you are aware, the number four often points to the created order in Scripture. What you may not be aware of is that the four winds frequently symbolize judgment. Because Revelation is a picture book rather than a puzzle book, the image John sees is one of restraint. The message conveyed is that judgment is being held back. Listen, every day before the final Day is a day of mercy, a day of restraint, and a day for the Lamb to gather His people. What is being shown and communicated to us in these verses is that we are living in a time of divine restraint as we move closer to the Day of the Lord. The world is not free from judgment, but the final winds of judgment have not yet been unleashed. What judgment is being held back? The judgment described in the sixth seal. As to why it is being held back, we do not have to wait long for an answer, because in the very next verse we are told that a fifth angel, ascending from the rising of the sun, declares with a loud voice:Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads(v. 3). Do you now see why context is so important? The angels declaration answers the question,Who can stand?Those who can stand are those who belong to God. Before judgment is unleashed, God marks His people as His own. The earth, sea, and trees are not harmed until the servants of God are sealed. This does not mean Gods people will avoid all suffering, for we have already seen in the fifth seal the souls under the altar crying out in a loud voice,O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long...(Rev. 6:10). What it does mean is that the coming judgment will not sweep Gods people away under His wrath, for He knows who belongs to Him. The four winds of Gods judgment do not descend upon the earth in blind rage. When God executes justice, His wrath is holy, measured, and righteous. He does not fly off the handle. Before the wrath of the Lamb is poured out, the people of the Lamb are sealed by the God who embraces them as His children. This distinction is not new in Scripture. In Exodus 12, God distinguished His people from Egypt by the blood of the lamb. A stronger parallel appears in Ezekiel 9, where God marked those who grieved over Jerusalems sin before judgment fell on the nation. In both cases, God identified those who belonged to Him before judgment fell on the wicked. This is what is happening in Revelation 7. The seal on the foreheads of Gods servants is not a literal, physical mark. It signifies that they belong to the living God. This language appears throughout the New Testament. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1 that those who believe in Christ aresealed with the promised Holy Spirit(Eph. 1:13). This sealing is possible because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross as the Lamb of God, and it is received by faith (Eph. 2:19). The seal is Gods mark of ownership, assurance, and future inheritance. It is not first a statement about the strength of our faith in Him, but about the certainty of Gods possession. He promises never to let His redeemed go (John 10:2730). Those who belong to the Lamb are not hidden from God, forgotten by God, or abandoned in the day of trouble. They belong to God. This all seems clear enough, but the passage can become confusing when it says that those who are sealed are also numbered. Verse 4 says,And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel(v. 4). Here, we must not only pay careful attention to the context of Revelation 7 but also do what Revelation has already taught us to do: pay attention to what John hears and what John sees. What John hears isthe number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel(v. 4). Many have understood this as a literal number of ethnic Israelites, primarily because John goes on to name the tribes in a specific order. Some believe the 144,000 are a specific group of ethnic Jewish Christians who come to faith in Jesus during a future seven-year tribulation and serve as evangelists after the rapture. I understand why many read it that way, but there are some problems with that interpretation. First, Revelation 7 functions as an interludea symbolic pause within the visionrather than a chronological sequence following the great Day of the Lord described in 6:1217. Second, Revelation often follows a pattern in which what John sees clarifies what he first hears. So before we assume the 144,000 is a literal headcount, we need to pay attention to how numbers and images function in this book. Listen, the number twelve is associated with the people of Godthe twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The number one thousand signifies immensity, fullness, and completeness. This is why the psalmist describes Gods ownership by saying,For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills(Ps. 50:10). It is not that God only owns the cattle on one thousand hills and not hill number one thousand and one. The point is fullness. Everything belongs to Him. Likewise, when Moses speaks of Gods covenant faithfulness, he says,Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations... (Deut. 7:9). So, what do you get when you take the twelve tribes of Israel, multiply them by the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and then multiply that by the fullness of the covenant-keeping faithfulness of God (12x12x1000)? You get144,000. In other words, this is not about limiting the people of God. It is about showing us that every one of Gods people is known by God, sealed by God, and secure in God through the blood of the Lamb. This is also why the tribes John lists begin with Judah. Reuben was the firstborn, but Judah is listed first because the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered. The people of God are numbered, sealed, and secure because they belong to the Lamb who came from Judah. Even the list itself urges us to read carefully. John is not simply giving us a standard tribal roll call; he is showing us the complete people of God through the imagery of Israels tribes. The People of the Lamb are Gathered by God (vv. 9-12) Now, if you miss what I am about to say next, you will miss the point of Revelation. John hears the number of the sealed people of God described as 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, but when he looks, he seesa great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages(v. 9). John hears of 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel, but when he looks, he sees a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language. What John sees is not a different people from the 144,000; it is the reality of Gods promise to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to David, and to Mary. What John sees is the promise of God to every generation of His people coming into full bloom. The Lamb who was slain has purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, just as Revelation 5 declared. This should not surprise us, because the salvation of the nations was never Gods contingency plan. It was His purpose from the beginning. When God called Abraham, He promised thatall the families of the earthwould be blessed through him (Gen. 12:13). That blessing comes through Abrahams Seed, who is Christ (Gal. 3:2629). So Revelation 7 does not show us Israels replacement but the fulfillment of Gods promise through Israels Messiah, gathering Jews and Gentiles into one redeemed people before the throne. This is also where Revelation 5 helps us understand Revelation 7. In Revelation 5, the elders sing that the Lamb purchased people for God by His bloodfrom every tribe and language and people and nationand made thema kingdom and priests to our God(Rev. 5:910). In Revelation 7, John sees that kingdom of priests standingbefore the throne and the Lamb. What was promised in Genesis is now seen in glory:a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages(Rev. 7:9). So when John sees the nations gathered before the Lamb, he sees Israels hope fulfilled and expanded through Israels Messiah. The Lamb has gathered a people from the nations, and now they stand where no one in Revelation 6 could: before the throne and before the Lamb. Conclusion I want to leave you with the three As of Revelation 7, and here is why: eschatology does little good in the Christian life unless it affects your ethics. We are called to live each day in light of the Day that is coming. So, here are the three As: Assurance If you believe in Jesus Christ, confess Him as Lord, and desire to follow and obey Him, then you are sealed by God. Here is what the Bible says:if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved(Rom. 10:910). If this is true of you, then you are sealed by God, and if you are sealed by God, then 1 John 3:1 is for you:Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!(1 John 3:1, BSB). If you belong to the Lamb, then you are known by God, sealed by God, and secure in God. Allegiance If you call yourself a Christian, does your life show that you belong to the Lamb? If you are a Christian, your identity is now in and with the Lamb of God. To belong to Jesus means that you are not an acquaintance of Jesus, but an apprentice of Jesus. Jesus said to all who would seek to follow Him:If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple(Luke 14:2627). The seal is not merely about future security; it is about present identity. If you belong to the Lamb, your loyalty cannot ultimately belong to Babylon, comfort, approval, politics, money, or self-preservation. Action We have been saved and sealed, and now we are sent to join the mission of the Lamb as He gathers peoplefrom every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages(Rev. 7:9). The question is: Are we living on mission with the Lamb? We were purchased by the blood of the Lamb not to be passive about the nations, our neighbors, or the lost. Jesus did not suggest that we engage His mission; He commanded us to do so:Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age(Matt. 28:1920). Today is a day of mercy. Today is a day of restraint. Today is a day for the Lamb to gather His people. Today is the day of salvation! We are living in a time of divine restraint as we move closer to the Day of the Lord. So live in the confidence of your salvation, make sure your allegiance to the Lamb is clear, and commit your heart to action by dedicating your life to His mission.

The God Who Goes With His People Preacher: Andrew Southerton Date: 14/06/2026 Series: Choose Life Reading: Deut 31:1-22 What if the greatest danger we face isn't out there, but inside us? As Andrew wraps up the book of Deuteronomy, this sermon explores what Moses' final words reveal about God's faithfulness, our wandering hearts, and how the promise of atonement in Deuteronomy 32 points us all the way to Jesus.

The Shema, Part 1: In Moses' final words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, he told them, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” The listening Israelites, already physically circumcised as a mark of the nation's covenant with God, must have been taken aback. But what God intended for His people went far beyond the act ... Read More The post Loving God with Your Whole Heart: The Shema from Deut. 6 (Part 1 of 3) | June 13, 2026 appeared first on The Friends of Israel Today Radio.

Send us Fan MailPastor SusanGod's image is life* Genesis 1:27 we have a unique capacity for moral and rational awareness Deut 30:19Col 1:16as Gods image bearers we must presence, protect, and promote LIFE!presence to maintain, keep current state, remain as isprotect: to keep, cover and shield them from harm, Guard from destruction promote: actively progress something, to support and advance all murder is a matter of the heart * Genesis 4: 2-12• Gods purpose is life Matthew 5.22 raca: a term of reproach vessach or insect, an inferior or stupid person. Ephesians 4:26if you can claim it, you can clean itGod's actions prove life#Col 3:13 Thank you for listening to the Relate Community Church podcast! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. If today's message spoke to you, share it with a friend or leave us a review to help spread the word. To learn more about Relate Community Church, visit us at www.relatecommunity.com. You are always welcome here, and remember—you are loved

Quel héritage es-tu en train de transmettre?Quand on pense à l'héritage, on pense souvent à l'argent, aux biens ou à ce que l'on laissera derrière nous. Pourtant, les choses les plus précieuses ne se trouvent pas dans un compte bancaire, mais dans ce que nous transmettons aux générations qui nous suivent. Dans ce message de la série Ma Famille & Moi, Pasteur Thomas Dieng nous rappelle que la famille est bien plus qu'un lieu où l'on vit ensemble. C'est le premier endroit où se transmettent la foi, les valeurs et le caractère. Que tu sois parent, grand-parent, futur parent ou simplement une personne qui influence son entourage, ce message t'encourage à réfléchir à ce qui compte vraiment et à et à l'impact que ta vie peut laisser autour de toi. Parce qu'il existe un héritage qui vaut infiniment plus que tout ce que l'argent peut acheter.Bonne écoute!Verset de référence : Deutéronome 6.5-9

16:18 O earth, do not cover my blood- The earth is sometimes called to witness men's sins (Deut. 30:15-20; Isa. 1:2; Micah 6:1-2) but here Job calls upon it to testify of His innocence. Job's longs for the earth not to cover his blood. The phrase cover his blood also appears in Gen. 37:26; Isa. 26:21. In Gen. 4:10 the voice of Abel's blood cried out from the ground. Blood represented life itself (Lev. 17:11), and it is precious. Even an animal's blood was to be covered with the ground (Lev. 17:13; Ezek. 24:7-8). Because life and blood were so precious, taking life demanded one's life be taken (Gen. 9:5-6; Num. 35:29-34). And let there be no resting place for my cry- The law of Moses made provision for an avenger of blood who executed the killer of his near kin (Num. 35:9-34). If the avenger failed to act, God was expected to act. Job begs that his cry find no resting place until he was avenged. 16:19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,- While Job's appearance served as a witness against him in vs. 8, he is confident of a witness in heaven (vs.19). The witness is more than just a man. He is in heaven.But who is this witness, this advocate? Some argue that the witness is God Himself.[1] In this context, the witness seems like a 3rd party who will plead his case before God (vs. 21). And my advocate is on high- The word translated advocate is only used here.  16:20 My friends are my scoffers;- There is question about the translation of key words. The word translated friends is used of Job's friends in 2:11; 32:3; 42:10.The NET translates this phrase “My intercessor is my friend.” This word translated intercessor can carry the idea of scoffer (Ps. 1:1; Prov.1:22; 3:34; 9:7, 8, 12; 13:1; 14:6) or it can speak of a translator or an interpreter (Gen. 42:23; II Chron. 32:31; Job 33:23; Isa. 43:27).[1] [1] Newsome, 460-461, does not believe these words variously translated are from the same Hebrew word but that they are different words. Clines, 371, agrees and has some good notes about the translation. Jesus and Job 16:15-2216:16, 20 Job's face is flushed with weeping. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35), at the triumphal entry to the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), and at Gethsemane (Heb. 5:7). Jesus offered strong crying and tears to the One able to save Him.  16:17 Job was innocence and there was no violence in his hand. Jesus was completely innocent and there was no violence in His mouth on a much greater level than Job (Isa. 53:9; I Peter 2:22).  16:18 Job begs that the earth not cover his blood. While the blood of Abel cries out for vengeance, the blood of Jesus cries out for mercy (Gen. 4:10; Heb. 12:24). 16:21 Compare this to Job 9:32-33; 19:25; 33:23-24. Job is not prophesying of Jesus in the sense of stating what He will do. Job is expressing a longing, a desire for One who will do what Jesus accomplishes. Jesus actually goes far beyond what Job desired. Job's sins, however small, had made him God's enemy (Rom. 5:6-10). All the things Job experienced, and more were endured by Jesus on the cross to bring those who were His enemies back to Him. 

Passing the Baton - Part 4Passing on the Promises of God | Deuteronomy 6:10-12Fulfilled promises must not lead to forgotten faithfulness.  How do we guard against forgetting God's faithfulness?1. Recognize God's provision (Deut. 6:10-11)2. Recall God's redemption (Deut. 6:12)

Raising Up the Next Generation. Ps. 145:4; Deut. 6: 6-7 (Nano Faught, June 7, 2026).

A look at Deut. 31

Deut. 5:16-18

A Heart that Chooses Life Preacher: Andrew Southerton Date: 07/06/2026 Series: Choose Life Reading: Deut 30:1-14 What if trying harder is actually making things worse? Andrew explores Deuteronomy 29-30 and Romans 10, asking what it really means to "choose life." Could the deepest problem we face be something no amount of willpower or effort can fix — and could God's answer be closer than we think?

Transmettre Jésus, ce n'est pas d'abord un programme ou un enseignement bien structuré. C'est ce qui déborde d'un cœur qui vit avec lui — à table, en voyage, au quotidien.Trois femmes de l'église Connect Annecy partagent avec authenticité ce que ça veut dire d'incarner Jésus pour les générations qui suivent : recevoir avant de donner, être présent plutôt que parfait, et s'appuyer sur les promesses de Dieu pour ceux qu'on aime.Versets clés : Deutéronome 6 : 5-7

Throughout the Old Testament, God warns the children of Israel of the consequences associated with their rebellion against Him. As the end of the divided monarchy approached, He said through Jeremiah, “…my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer 2:13). Because of their sin, which included God's commandment to observe a sabbath year, the children of Israel were taken into a 70-year captivity in Babylon (Jer 25:9-13; 27:6; 32:28; Dan 9:2, etc.). Israel was warned that her continual rebellion against her loving Lord would lead to her becoming a proverb and a byword among the nations of the world (Deut 28:15,37; 1 Kings 9:7, etc.), and so it happened. The children of Israel have faced unique persecution, a persecution worse than that experienced by any other people.

There was a fight over the location of Moses' body...but why?In today's episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through an odd passage in the small book of Jude. Satan and the archangel Michael argue over the corpse of Moses, but there isn't much context around the significance of this or why it's included in Scripture. We look at some outside sources as well as some reasons as to why Satan may want the body of Moses and look at applications for Christians today around this passage!The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of Roseville Baptist Church (MN) that seeks to tackle cultural issues and societal questions from a biblical worldview so that listeners discover what the Bible has to say about the key issues they face on a daily basis. The 17:17 podcast seeks to teach the truth of God's Word in a way that is glorifying to God and easy to understand with the hope of furthering God's kingdom in Spirit and in Truth. Scriptures: Jude 9, Deut. 34:1-6; Jude 14-15; Dan. 10:10-14, 20-21; Rev. 12:7-9; Acts 12:21-23; Acts 14:11-15; Rev. 13:11-17; Matt. 23:1-3; Matt. 17:1-3; John 9:27-29; Jude 3-8, 10-16; 2 Pet. 2:1-11; Acts 19:13-17; Matt. 17:19-21; Acts 1:8; 1 John 4:4; James 4:7; Eph. 6:12.If you'd like access to our show notes, please visit www.rosevillebaptist.com/1717podcast to see them in Google Drive!Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so that we can reach to larger audiences and share the truth of God's Word with them!Write in your own questions to be answered on the show at 1717pod@gmail.com.  God bless!

A look at Deut. 30

Moses is about to die, but God will not leave the nation without spiritual witness-leaders. With the advantage of many centuries behind us, we can see that although these were good and helpful they were ultimately not enough to keep the people from falling away. Something more was needed and was provided in the fulness of time.

Importance of understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ; Herod and Pharisees system of Corban; Making the word of God to none effect; Wages of unrighteousness; "Leaven"; Kidneys?; Misunderstood sacrificing; Abraham's way of gathering/government; Tributes; Democracy?; Protection money; Bound by contracts; Altars; Living stones; Melchizedek; Tithings; Well-organized society; Leviticus - how they organized; "Church"; Golden calf?; Using gold?; Jacob/Israel; Bondage of Egypt; Hebrew bible; Traitorous translators; Exercising authority?; Forcing offerings; Modern Christian minister; Leprosy?; Jesus' healing of leprosy; Taking care of the needy of society; Leviticus 11 food laws; Choosing to eat nutritious food; Facing the dangers of your diet; Feel-good information; Pursuing health; Leviticus 12 circumcision; Lessons from bondage; Baptism?; Sons of Jacob; Things Christ said NOT to do; Popular systems of social welfares; The greatest destroyers of liberty; Fleshpots?; Lev 13:1 Speaking to Moses and Aaron; "like" the plague of leprosy; Something wrong; Spiritual path; Song of Moses and of the Lamb; Delivering YOU into bondage; "Wrath of God"; "Unclean"; "Stoned"; Justin the Martyr; Systems of social welfare; Compelled offerings vs charity; Plague?; "Leprosy" tzedek-resh-ayin-tav; from tzedek-resh-ayin (disease, hornet); Ex 23:28; Locust plague?; Aztecs vs Spaniards; Free assemblies; Freewill offerings; Welfare snares and traps; Addiction to benefits; ayin-vav-resh (skin, naked, ); Hab 3:9 related to "bow/arrow"; Deut 32:9; Setting the captive free; Following Holy Spirit; OR following world governments; Ear-tickling; "Eagle" that stirs?; Abundance; Lacerate?; Removal?; Shearing sheep; Trusting in God; biet-shin-resh (flesh, tidings, published); Ps 68:11; Conscience; Sons of Jacob vs Sons of Israel; Counting people; Electing God?; Coming to the aid of Abraham; Manufactured diseases; Isa 60:6; Isa 61:1 Spiritual anointing - good tidings; Mystery Babylon; Allowing your heart to be changed; Christ's command for organization; "Israel"; Drafting?; Family; Quarantine; Understanding symptoms; Tidings = what's being preaching; The soil of the kingdom; Are YOU human resources?

Acts 2:1-4 When the wind and fire came, it got everyone's attention. God had appeared in fire before (Exod 3:2-5; 14:24; 19:18; 40:33-38; Lev 9:22-24; Deut 4:24; 2 Chron 7:1-3). Speaking in tongues is a miracle wherein God's spirit enables someone to speak a foreign language without learning it (1 Cor 14:2, 14). Acts 2:5-11 Pentecost was a major Jewish festival that brought pilgrims in from all over the surrounding regions. Although God always cared about the nations (Gen 10), he confused their languages at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11) and began working with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12). Now that Jesus had brought salvation, God was taking the nations back—all who call upon the name of the Lord. Acts 2:12-21 Peter pointed to Joel's prophecy to answer the question, “What does this mean?” The spirit of God had gone public—and it happened prior to the end of the age! Acts 2:22-24 Finally, Peter gets to talking about Jesus. He tells them two accepted claims followed by two startling claims. Acts 2:25-33 Looking to David's prophecy in Psalm 16, we see that this event was predicted centuries before. That the spirit has been poured out is now proof that Jesus indeed is the messiah exalted to God's right hand in heaven. Acts 2:34-42 When he boldly confronted the people for crucifying their own messiah, they asked, “What should we do?” Peter told them to repent and be baptized. If they did, they would receive forgiveness for their sins and the gift of the holy spirit too!The post God's Spirit Poured Out first appeared on Living Hope.

My friend Shana Reif suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and other organs. It causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the airways, leading to repeated infections, inflammation, and progressive lung damage. In many cases, the disease can advance until the lungs can no longer do what God created them to dobring oxygen into the body and sustain life. Cystic Fibrosis is a horrible and incurable disease, and it was the disease Shana endured all her life. When she was born, her parents were told she would not live much past her twentieth birthday. But Shana lived to be thirty-two. I came to know Shana in high school, not long after I became a follower of Jesus. After high school, we became very close friends. She edited my Bible college papers, and I visited her often during her many hospital stays. I also visited her at home as she recovered from the latest infection. By 2003, her lungs had been so damaged by chronic infections that she was placed on the waiting list for new lungs. She received a double lung transplant in 2004, but even then, her suffering did not fully end. Her body remained fragile. Her fight continued. But Shana loved Jesus. Though she struggled deeply with her disease, she held onto the hope of the gospel. One of the last emails I received from her was signed with words from her favorite hymn: Great is Thy faithfulness. In 2007, Shana died from complications after a procedure to reopen a constricted airway. When someone you love suffers like that, the question How long? is not theoretical. How long will disease ravage bodies? How long will death take those we love? How long will Gods people suffer in a world still broken by sin? How long before Christ makes all things new? Revelation 6:911 brings us to that question. But here, the cry comes specifically from those who have been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained. The Martyrs: The Cost of Their Witness (v. 9) There are three cycles of judgment in Revelation: the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls. These cycles do not unfold in strict linear successionseals, then trumpets, then bowlsbut recapitulate the same period of history with increasing intensity, like birth pains. For our purposes, I simply want you to notice one pattern that helps us understand what is happening in this passage. In each cyclethe seals, trumpets, and bowlsthe first four judgments affect the world in broad, visible ways, but the fifth shifts the focus. The fifth seal shows the saints crying out for justice (Rev. 6:911). The fifth trumpet shows judgment beginning to fall on the enemies of Godthose who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev. 9:112; especially 9:4). The fifth bowl shows judgment reaching the very throne of the beast, whose kingdom wages war against all who refuse to worship him (Rev. 16:1011; cf. Rev. 13:78, 15). This is why the first four seals show us the horsemen riding across the earth. But when the fifth seal is opened, the focus shifts from what is happening on earth to what heaven sees when Gods people suffer because of the word of God and the testimony they maintain. These martyrs are not beneath the altar because they were victims of history. They are there because they belonged to the Lamb and remained faithful to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Their witness cost them their lives. John is showing us what Jesus had already told His disciples: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me (Matt. 16:24; NASB). The fifth seal reminds us that following Jesus is not merely a call to believe certain truths about Him; it is a call to bear faithful witness to those truths, even when obedience is costly. Polycarp is said to have been a disciple of the apostle John and later became the bishop of Smyrna. Smyrna, you may remember, was one of the seven churches Jesus addressed in Revelation. Jesus told that suffering church, Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Years later, Polycarp was arrested and ordered to deny Christ. When pressed to renounce Jesus, he replied, Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour? Polycarps witness cost him his life, but heaven did not see his death as Rome did. Rome saw a criminal to be silenced. Heaven saw a faithful witness beneath the altar. And we do not have to go back to Polycarp to see this kind of witness. You may remember the twenty-one Coptic Christians who were taken by ISIS in Libya and led onto a beach in orange jumpsuits. They were ordinary men who refused to renounce their faith in Jesus. Their blood was shed on earth, but Revelation 6 reminds us that heaven did not miss a drop. The world saw men being led to execution. Heaven saw faithful witnesses beneath the altar. Since 2015, conservative estimates suggest that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed for faith-related reasons around the world. According to Open Doors 2026 World Watch List, North Korea remains the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian, while Nigeria is the deadliest, accounting for 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith during the latest reporting period. The seals describe the birth pains that mark this present age. The first four seals show us a world marked by conquest, war, famine, and death. But when the fifth seal is opened, we are shown what heaven sees when Gods people suffer because of the word of God and the testimony they maintain. The Altar: The Cry Before God (v. 10) Notice that John not only tells us that these faithful Christ-followers suffered and died for their faith, but also tells us where he saw these Christians. They are under the altar. This is a crucial detail that you can only understand if you know something about the Old Testament tabernacle that God told Moses to build. Scripture tells us that the earthly tabernacle was a copy and shadow of the one in heaven (Heb. 8:4-5; Exod. 25-31; 35-40). So when John sees an altar in heaven, he is not seeing something new, but the heavenly reality to which Israels worship had always pointed. Within the tabernacle, there were two primary altars. The bronze altar stood in the courtyard, where sacrifices were offered. The altar of incense stood near the Most Holy Place, close to the ark of the covenant, which represented the throne of God. Both altars help us understand what John sees. The blood of the sacrifice was poured at the altars base, and the incense rising before the Lord symbolized the prayers of Gods people ascending into His presence. So when John sees the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar, he sees their lives as precious before God and their prayers as heard before His throne. In the earthly tabernacle, a veil stood between the priests and God's immediate presence. But in heaven, no curtain hides His throne from His redeemed people. The martyrs are not far from God. They are beneath the altar, before the throne, and in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. Now, picture what is happening before Johns eyes. Those who suffered the ultimate cost for following Jesus are not behind the altar, nor are they on top of the altar. These saints are under the altar, which tells us that they are closest to the throne. Also, the martyrs are not passive, but are actively pleading for vindication in Gods heavenly court. There is no magical language here, for their cries are raw and honest. There is no anger hurled before God, but cries of vindication in light of their understanding of who God is! Notice what these dear saints include in their prayer: O Sovereign Lord, holy and true... Now lets stop there for a moment. The ESV translates the word well asSovereign Lord.The Greek word used here is not the most common term for Lord,kyrios, butdespotēs, and this is the only time it appears in the entire book of Revelation. The word these martyred saints use conveys absolute ownership, supreme authority, and sovereign mastery. We get our English worddespotfrom this word, but whiledespotusually carries a negative meaning in English, that is not the case whendespotēs is used of God in the New Testament. When used of God, it emphasizes His complete authority over creation, His servants, history, judgment, and justice. This matters because these Christians are not merely crying out to God as sufferers, asking whether He cares. They are crying out to the One they know to be the Sovereign Master over all things. They are appealing to the One who has the authority to judge, avenge, vindicate, and bring history to its appointed end. They are not crying out in doubt. They are crying out in faith. They know He is able. They know He is holy. They know He is true. And they know that the Sovereign Lord will do what is right. Notice what the saints attribute to God next. Not only is He the Sovereign Master, but He is holy. These saints who have suffered much understand that their God is utterly set apart from all evil, corruption, compromise, and injustice. He is not like the kingdoms and the kings of this world. He is not indifferent to injustice and the bloodshed at the hands of the wicked. He is not morally conflicted. He is pure in all His judgments, righteous in all His ways, and completely opposed to everything wicked. He is holy and these saints know it! God is not only holy; He is also true. When these saints plead their case before the throne of God, they do so knowing that He is faithful to all He has promised. He does not forget. He does not make empty threats or hollow promises. What He has spoken, He will do (Num. 23:19; Josh. 21:45; Isa. 55:1011; Titus 1:2; Heb. 10:23). So when these martyrs cry, How long? they are not questioning Gods goodness, nor are they doubting that He will keep His word. They are asking when the God who is holy and true will act in perfect faithfulness to His word and to those He has promised never to forsake (Deut. 31:6; Heb. 13:5; Rev). The breaking of the fifth seal and the prayer of these suffering saints teach us an important truth about how we can and should pray. They pray from their understanding of who God truly is. This is the kind of thing we read about in Daniel 11:32: ...the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. These saints know their God, and so they cry out, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? This prayer is not a contradiction of Jesus command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). It is a plea to the holy and true God to judge evil, vindicate His people, and set the world right. Their cry is rooted in the justice of God, knowing that His Word teaches that vengeance belongs to Him and not to His people (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19). The martyrs beneath the altar are asking God to do what only God has the right and authority to do. The Throne: The Completion of Gods Purpose (v. 11) Now, notice what happens next. God responds, meaning He heard their prayer. But He does not respond as we might initially expect. The God who is sovereign, holy, and true responds by giving these Christians white robes as a sign of honor, purity, and vindication. These robes signify the righteousness that is theirs because of Jesus. When we see this great multitude again in Revelation 7, we are told, They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). These martyred saints represent every faithful witness who has been slain for the word of God and the testimony they upheldfrom the earliest martyrs of the church to our brothers and sisters suffering for Christ today. They are not treated as victims of random violence but as saints who belong to Christ and whose witness is precious before God. God responds by giving them white robes and telling them to do the thing we all hate: wait. Verse 11 says they were told to rest a little longer. That word, rest, matters. God is not dismissing their cry. He is not ignoring their suffering. He is calling them to rest in His presence, assured that perfect justice will come in His appointed time and in His sovereign way. Why must they wait? Because other Christians will suffer as they did, and they must wait until their number is complete. This means Gods justice is not delayed because He is indifferent. It is delayed because His purpose is not yet complete. There are still more witnesses to be gathered, more saints to be strengthened, and more glory to be given to Christ through the faithful endurance of His people. Gods answer to their prayer was to wait a little while longer. Conclusion My friend Shana frequently asked the same question you may have asked more than you can count: How long O Sovereign Lord, holy and true... It is the plea of the suffering. Shana was not a martyr, she was not killed by persecutors because of the word of God. She died on the operating table due to complications at the hands of surgeons who were trying to ease her suffering. Let me tell you what Shana did know. She knew what it meant to suffer in a world that is still waiting for Christ to make all things new. She knew what it meant to groan. She knew what it meant to wait. She knew what it meant to hope. I know that God used her life to encourage and strengthen the faith of others. Revelation 6:9-11 teaches us that we need not pretend the pain we experience is small. We need not pretend injustice does not matter. We need not pretend that death is natural. We can cry How long and do so in faith, not despair. We can cry it to the Sovereign Lord, who is holy and true. The Lamb who opens the fifth seal, is the Lamb who sees the suffering of His people. He honors the witness of His redeemed. He gives those who follow Him rest. The Lamb who died for you, is the Lord who will bring His purpose to completion for His glory and for your good! So, my dear brothers and sisters, we wait. But we do not wait as people forgotten by the One who sits upon the throne. We wait as those who belong to the Lamb. We wait as those whose lives are precious before the One on the throne. And we wait with confidence that the One who is sovereign, holy, and true will do exactly what He has promised. We can trust Him to do what is good and right because that is who He is.

Don't boil a goat in its mother's milk...why is this even in the Bible?! Is there any application for us today?In today's episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through a few different passages in the Law that forbid the Israelites to boil a goat in the milk of its mother. We look through a few different principles and beliefs as to why this command was included three separate times in Scripture, narrowing down on one leading belief that is affirmed by the surrounding context of the passage. We then expound upon how the heart behind this command is still applicable for Christians today!The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of Roseville Baptist Church (MN) that seeks to tackle cultural issues and societal questions from a biblical worldview so that listeners discover what the Bible has to say about the key issues they face on a daily basis. The 17:17 podcast seeks to teach the truth of God's Word in a way that is glorifying to God and easy to understand with the hope of furthering God's kingdom in Spirit and in Truth. Scriptures: Exo. 23:19; Exo. 34:26; Deut. 14:21; Lev. 18:26-30; Deut. 22:6; Prov. 12:10; 1 Cor. 9:8-10; Exo. 23:16-19; Exo. 34:19-26; Deut. 14:21-23.If you'd like access to our show notes, please visit www.rosevillebaptist.com/1717podcast to see them in Google Drive!Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so that we can reach to larger audiences and share the truth of God's Word with them!Write in your own questions to be answered on the show at 1717pod@gmail.com.  God bless!

Deut. 28:58-68

Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The Marriage of the Lamb (God's Marriage Covenant Parallels) Introduction: In our studies in Jeremiah, what has stood out to you about God? There is a major contrast between God's relationship with Israel in previous years compared to Jeremiah's time. What stands out is God's anger to the point of lacking any mercy or willingness to relent on the judgment about to come. We might think that God is finally fed up. True. But there is more to it than that. In our Bible studies it is preeminently important that we understand God.  In this lesson we will go back to the beginning of God's purpose for his creation as illustrated in his relationship with Israel. Most Christians recognize that Israel's relationship with God is described as a marriage. But what is often missed is that God is not just using marriage as a comparison to our marriages. The parallels to our marriages go much deeper than that. We begin with how God brought Israel into a marital relationship with him. All Things Leading to Marriage: Courtship There are many characteristics a woman seeks in a husband. The most important of these is a man who will lay down his life for her, love her, and nourish, cherish, and provide for her. And especially, she wants a husband who sees her value above all else. These are all the traits God presents to Israel as he prepares to propose a covenant marriage. Thus, in this courtship stage Yahweh introduces himself to Israel so they can “know him,” a term repeatedly used throughout Exodus and Deuteronomy. Exodus 5:1-2; 9:16 When Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh, his reply was, “Who is Yahweh that I should let Israel go?”  Up to the 8th plague God's miracles were used so that Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the whole world would know Yahweh. However, beginning with the 8th plague Yahweh uses the plagues so that Israel “may know that I am Yahweh” (10:2). You will remember that “Yahweh” is God's covenantal name, which indicates his faithfulness and also his eternal nature. Yahweh demonstrates his uniqueness above anything else or any being that claims to be a god. Just before the 10th plague, Yahweh again makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel just as he did with the plagues of hail and darkness. Thus God proclaims, “…that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel” (11:7). God is announcing to Israel the special place they have with him over all the other nations. Exodus 15:25-27 The Lord begins to tell Israel more of what he will do for them if they will enter a covenant with him: “…for I am Yahweh, your healer.”  In Exodus 16:6 in preparation for the manna, Moses said, “At evening you shall know that it was Yahweh who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”  In Exodus 16:12, God proclaims, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am Yahweh your God.” Thus God shows the people he will provide for them. All Things Leading to Marriage: The Proposal  Marriage offer: “…will you marry me?”  Covenant offer: Exodus 19:5, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”  All Things Leading to Marriage: Proposal Accepted  An excited bride today responds, “Yes!”  Israel responds, “All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.” (Exodus 19:8) All Things Leading to Marriage: Preparation  The bride prepares: hair, makeup, dress, jewelry. Exodus 19:14, “So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments.”  All Things Leading to Marriage: Presentation  The bride walks down the aisle toward the groom Exodus 19:4, “‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.'”  All Things Leading to Marriage: Vows  Present day: “…I take you to be my husband…promise to love, honor, and obey you”  “…love Yahweh your God with all your heart, soul, and might” (Deut. 6:5) “…what does Yahweh your God require…but to fear Yahweh…” (Deut. 10:32) “…obey my commandments that I command you today” (Deut. 11:13) All Things Leading to Marriage: Accepting Vows  Present day: “I do!” Exodus 24:3, “Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”  All Things Leading to Marriage: Pronouncement  Present day: “I now pronounce you husband and wife…” Deut. 26:17-19, “You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.”  All Things Leading to Marriage: Reception  Present day: A time to enjoy the bounty of life together “You shall eat there before Yahweh your God and rejoice.” (Deut. 14:26) The Marriage of Christ to His People  Ephesians 5:22-33 Submission to our Head The love Christ has for his bride Christ, our head, sanctifying and cleansing us (preparing us for the wedding day) Christ presenting his bride to himself “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, holy and without blemish.”  Therefore, groom (Christ) and his bride leave all others and then cling to one another and become one. What is the key to clinging (holding fast)? Love and loyalty to Yahweh our Lord. Warning! It is easy to say we love God, but the challenge is to prove it. James 4:4, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” This is a description of disloyalty, a lack of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. 1 John 5:1-3 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”  Ezekiel 16:1-15 Summation of God's courtship and marriage proposal.  Conclusion: Now we can understand the anger of the Lord in the days of Jeremiah. It would be no different for us if the same things happened in any of our marriages. Most importantly, we see that God is not giving us a marriage “picture” when he describes our relationship with him. This is a real marriage, much greater than what we experience in our marriages. In fact, it is our marriages that are the “picture.” Our marriage to our Savior is the reality.  The post The Marriage of the Lamb appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Defending/destroying "democracy"?; Rights from God?; Declaration of Independence; Which "god"?; Who is YOUR creator?; Truth, and relating to it; Pennsylvania; Social Security "trust"; Voting?; "disciples"; First republic; American Creed; Democracy within a republic; Socialism?; Institutions within the United States; "IRGC"?; Knowing what Christ instituted; Founding fathers on "democracy"; Federalist 10; Social welfare through the state?; Signing up for socialism; Waiving access to rights by obligation; Logos (right reason) of Christ; Democracy - source of tyranny; Obey the Lord, or the majority?; Deut 16:19; Motivation for doing good - affirmation?; "People persons"; Knowing what the bible is really about; "Mystery Babylon"; Welfare snares; Deut 28:1; Reading the bible with Holy Spirit; Meditation; Deut 28:15; Deut 28:27 "botch" of Egypt = Leprosy; Contracting with government; "Israel"; Listening the voice of God; Preferring bondage to liberty; Love of receiving praise; Prov 1:10; One purse; Gathering with kingdom purposes; Seeking His kingdom and righteousness; Christ's "command"; Appetites for benefits; Your consent; Debt obligation; Democracy bad?; Changes during war; Who condemned Jesus?; US Nation of servants; "Vote" = Vow, agree with terms; Tree of Life; Remaining individuals; Binding by righteousness, love, sacrifice; Mt 7:22; Commandments; Blind guides; Accepting lies; Repentance = changing your mind; "Over justification"; Believing you are free; Rewiring your brain; Capgras; Listening to Holy Spirit - step by step; Humility; Admitting you've become merchandise - why?; Covetousness; Idolatry; Take responsibility; Forgiveness; Sacrifice; Intention for voting; Taking the journey back to God's kingdom; Loving truth; Voting in the kingdom; Votive offering; Bible - for government of, for and by the people; God's ministers; Melchizedek; Voting as part of the government; YOU are in the trust fund; No ruling over your neighbor; Only ruling over what you have; Buddy-system times 10; Jud 8:22; What's God telling you?; God is a giver of live; Family = autonomous unit; Undermining family; Your choice; Perfect law of liberty; Defending your right to choose; Covering for covetousness; Waiting upon the Lord; Forming/managing congregations; Listening to God's opinion; Is it a sin to vote?; Are you regulated by approval?; What's important to you?

A look at Deut. 28:1-14

God seeks the lost

"Leprosy"; tzedek-resh-ayin-tav; Modern disease - Hanson's disease?; Destruction of the Temple; Pharisees rejected Jesus; "Religion"; Priests; Spaniard's story; Healing from Priests? Or doctors?; Tree of Knowledge vs Tree of Life; Organizing in Tens, Hundreds and Thousands; Abandoning common purse; Pilgrims; Socialism; Free men under God; "Theos"; Bring ancient scripture into modern time; Degeneration of society; How to use knowledge; Revelation; Bible misinterpretation; Squelching truth; The divine solution; Reserve fund; Gen 2:15; Dress and keep the garden; Dominion; "Eating" of the trees; Organization of knowledge; Caring for others; Loving truth; Two trees; Hiding from God; Substitute solutions; Opened eyes; Treacherous clothing?; Torah vs Torat; Guidance from Tree of Life; Deception; Accepting Jesus?; Mt 7:20 By their fruits; Kingdom of Heaven/God; Foundation on the "rock"; Divine revelation; Foolish men; Not to be that way with you!; Winning back your government?; Becoming merchandise; "We the People"?; Biblical constitutions; Deut 17; Christ's COMMANDS; Voluntaryism; Being doers of the word; Responsibility; Rev 18:11; 1 Cor 16:9; Adversaries; Deut 6:12; Rom 11:9 Welfare snares; 2 Pet 2:3; Covetousness; Sureties for debt; Your relationship to government; Wars and rumors of wars; Debt notes; The rule of force and violence; vs Freewill offerings; Sharing; Charity; US Notes vs Just weights and measures; God of agreements; Allegiance?; Exercising authority; Addiction to benefits; Caring about your neighbor; Usury; License plates?; Use tax; Legal title; Lacking knowledge; Wanting to see the truth; The right way; Government of, for and by the people; "Tens"; Taking back your responsibilities; Love = Charity; Bondage of Egypt; "Israel"; Eating habits; Not wanting to change; Today's "Rome" (image of the beast); Changing of the courts - Equity; The Comforter; Fervent charity; Livestock?; Setting the captive free; "Idolatry"; "Socialism"; Finding God's heart in others; Choose truth!

Reaching out to bless the poor

Moses has reached the end of his long life, he is now 120 years old and his final effort is a final message to the nation.  We read, “then Moses spoke the words of this song  … in the ears of the assembly of Israel.” [Deut.31 v.30].  His words were designed to be memorised.  “When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel” [32 v.45] “he said to them, take to heart these words … that you may command them to your children … for it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live …” [v.46,47]  We can see his final message as a microcosm of all God's words that he has caused to be preserved for humanity for the guidance of those who seek to believe in him and seek to do his will. Such will therefore read his word and apply their minds to understand.Moses final message to the emerging nation of Israel applies, in its basic principles, to all who seek to serve God.  God could see that many in succeeding generations in Israel would lose their vision of God and not remain faithful – and so, sadly, this has also largely been the case with those who say they are following Christ. God says to Israel, prophetically through Moses, “I will hide my face from them … for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.” [v.20] and so it has been – and is equally true in this 21st Century with so many who claim to follow Christ.  Through Moses, God said the people would become “a nation void of counsel and there is no understanding in them.  If they were wise they would understand this; they would discern their latter end.” [v.28,29] Other scriptures give us more details of their latter end but Moses ends his song positively seeing a time when God “avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries and cleanses his people's land” [v.43].  Then Moses “came and recited all the words … in the hearing of the people” [v.44] and added in conclusion the words we quoted at the start; “it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live”  This is parallel with the words of Christ and the apostles by which we must live – and, as a result, live eternally.  “Words” in our world are “empty” of eternal meaning – so let us make God's words our “very life.”

Taking care of the poor and forgiving others

The gift to remember

In this episode of the Sunday Extra podcast, Pastor Matt Sturdevant and the Hope Church team revisit Acts 8, going deeper into the passages they couldn't fully explore on Mother's Day Sunday. The overarching big idea of the sermon was that God advances His mission through ordinary believers who are willing to faithfully follow wherever He leads. Pastor Matt opens by taking a closer look at Acts 8:4, emphasizing that the early believers went out preaching the Word not out of convenience, but out of genuine conviction — they truly believed Jesus had risen from the dead, and that changed everything. They understood the mission, had been personally transformed by the gospel, and even saw suffering as part of following Jesus. As Pastor Matt puts it, "Persecution scattered them geographically, but it did not silence them spiritually." The team then digs into the story of Simon the Magician (Acts 8:9–25), which Pastor Matt uses to illustrate that whenever the gospel is preached, it will inevitably produce both genuine saving faith and false faith. Simon appeared to believe, was baptized, and followed Philip — but when the apostles arrived and the Holy Spirit was given, Simon's true motivation was exposed: he wanted the power of God, not God Himself. Pastor Matt connects this to the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:24–30, where Jesus warns that weeds will grow alongside wheat until the final harvest. The arrival of Peter and John in Samaria, Pastor Matt explains, wasn't just a validation of Philip's ministry — it was a critical moment that kept the unity of the early church, preventing a split between Jewish and Samaritan believers. Perhaps the richest part of the discussion centers on Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Pastor Matt unpacks the enormous significance of who this man was — a high-ranking government official, a eunuch who would have been denied full access to Jewish worship (Deut. 23:1), and a representative of what the Greeks and Romans considered the very ends of the known world. When Philip leads him to faith in Jesus and baptizes him, the Ethiopian continues reading Isaiah and would have soon arrived at Isaiah 56:3–5, a passage that speaks directly to foreigners and eunuchs being given "an everlasting name" in God's house. The team reflects on the goosebump-worthy reality that this man, who had likely left Jerusalem discouraged and excluded, was now not only forgiven and filled with joy, but carried the gospel back to the ends of the earth — fulfilling Acts 1:8 in a way none of them could have fully anticipated.

Does oral sex count as sex? Can you slap a guy if he gropes you? Why didn't Jesus ever get married?In this episode, we answer some of the most awkward, controversial, and honestly fascinating questions Christians secretly wonder about when it comes to sex, relationships, faith, cheating, gaslighting, and marriage.Nothing is off limits.Some of these questions made us laugh. Some got very serious very quickly. And some are the kinds of questions most Christians think about but are too nervous to ask out loud.We'll talk about:What is actually happening when you “get the ick”Whether oral sex counts as sex and what the Bible says about sexual boundariesWhat grace really means and why it is not permission to keep sinningHow to recognize and respond to gaslightingHow to love someone who believes God hates them because they are gayWhether God chooses your spouse and how much weight to give prophetic wordsWhether it is okay to physically defend yourself if someone crosses a boundaryWhy Jesus never got married even though God said it's not good for man to be aloneHow to know when cheating should lead to divorce versus reconciliationWhether you have to take your husband's last nameThis episode is honest, biblical, practical, and definitely not surface level.If you've ever had a question you felt too embarrassed to ask at church, this conversation is for you.Let's talk about it

Today we talk about covenants and our relationship to God.

Today we read the dramatic account of Paul's experience of shipwreck on the way to Rome. It is a first person account as Luke, the author of the book of Acts, is with him.  The point which particularly caught our attention was Paul's way of talking to the crew when they were in utter desperation and the loss of the ship with everyone on it seemed certain.  We read, “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.” [27 v.20]  It was then that Paul stood up and said, “I urge you to take heart for there will not be loss of life among you, but only of the ship.  For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship.”{v.23]Note that Paul, in referring to his God, whom no one except he and Luke would know.  Many gods of human imagination would have been worshipped by the Romans, Greeks and others in the crew; Paul says “the God I worship” and then significantly adds, “to whom I belong.”  We are sure none of the idol worshippers viewed their Gods in that way! Do we view our God in that way?Consider the point Paul makes to the Corinthians after reproving them for their sexual and other immoralities (I Cor.5). “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” [1 Cor. 6 v.19,20]  Those who are baptised commit their lives into the service of God and of Jesus Christ His son.In the same way, the people of Israel under Moses entered into a covenant with the God that had delivered them, they belonged to him!  Moses had told them, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God.  The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession” [Deut. 7 v.6]   Sadly, most of the people in the generations that followed failed to have the sense of belonging to God possessed by those entering the promised land.   If we make no commitment to belong to God, then we belong to the world – a world which is facing an awesome shipwreck!. 

Remembering the Lord

Get your prayers answered by removing satan's legal rights and power! Removing curses as you intercede.You can apply this template to releasing your own destiny or when interceding for others, for nations or upcoming calamities the Lord is revealing. Invisible spiritual barriers which hinder God's promises are contributed to by curses and sins which must be dealt with (Deut. 28:15-68). Yes, Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13). Now we must personally apply that which He jurisdictionally purchased for us.Read more here.Support the show

Deuteronomy is often considered a book of the law, or second law. Why is the law important and what can living it do for us?

Babylon = Iran area?; Towers = bloodlines?; Nimrod's (mighty provider's) protection; The WAY of Babylon - not the WAY of Moses or Christ; Human resources; Error of Balaam = Deeds of the Nicolaitans; Melchizedek; Tithing; Sons of Jacob; Corban; Government of God; PreparingYou.com; Sin to go to the government for benefits; Bondage of Egypt; Cities of blood; Tens, hundreds and thousands; Aristobulus vs Hyrcanus; Libera res Publica; The Market; Giving of yourself; Doctrine; Providing for parents; Psalms 69:22; Welfare snares; The solution; Same message repeated through the bible; Obligations; Deut 23:4; Rom 11:8-10; Mystery Babylon; Your escape from bondage; Prov 23:1; Repentance; Prov 12:11; Freewill offerings alone; Evidence in works; Seed of Abraham; Ex 23:32; Prov 6:2; Your comforter; "Leaven"; 1 Tim 6:9; Loving your enemy; Walking in forgiveness; Rome v U.S.; Guidance from Holy Spirit; Redemption?; Josea 13:14; 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 1:6; Faith; Eph 2:2; Children of disobedience; Just weights and measures; Eph 4:16; Love = Charity; Christ's WAY; Philemon 1:6; 1 Thess 2:13; Receiving the word of God; Doing the will of the Father; Lk 6:46; Join the Living Network.

Special guest Ketty Muhlestein shares how Deuteronomy is Moses summarizing the covenant and the process that Israel has gotten through to be a covenant people and what the covenant is and what they need to do about it. This is really important for them. But it's equally important for us as a covenant people, who are trying to embark on building a Zion society.

To purchase my book, Choosing Glory, visit:https://lilianderson.com/product/choosing-glory/--also available on Kindle and as an audio book To support this podcast and access extra content, subscribe on Patreon where you can submit specific questions:https://www.patreon.com/choosingglory?fan_landing=true&view_as=public

15:2 Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge- The words that Job uses are not typical of a wise man. Eliphaz will hit Job with a barrage of questions. And fill himself with the east wind? The east wind comes off the desert and produces great discomfort (Jonah 4:8), destruction of crops (Gen. 41:6, 23, 27; Ezek. 17:10; 19:12), the tearing apart of ships (Ps. 48:7; Ezek. 27:26), brings locusts (Ex. 10:13), and is a picture of judgment (Job 27:21; Jer. 18:17; Hos. 13:15).Bildad in 8:2 and Zophar in 11:2 speak in a similar way to what Eliphaz says here. Job did describe his words this way in 6:26. Job will describe their words the same way in 16:2-3. The word translated himself is sometimes translated belly (KJV, ESV, NIV, NET) (Jud. 3:21, 22; Job 20:15, 23) or abdomen (Num. 5:21, 22, 27) or even womb (Gen. 25:23-24; 30:2; 38:27; Job 1:21; 3:10-11). This word is also used in vs. 35. Since this was believed to be the seat of emotions therefore Eliphaz accuses Job of speaking more from the standpoint of emotion than intellect.  15:3 Should he argue with useless talk- The word argue was prominent in Job's last speech- 13:3, 10, 10, 15.Or with words which are not profitable?- This word profitable is used in texts where the people pursue idols that could not profit (Isa. 30:5-6; 44:9-10; 57:12; Jer. 2:8, 11; 7:8; 12:13; 16:19; 23:32). Job's words are empty and unprofitable as idols.  15:4 Indeed, you do away with reverence- The word you is emphatic as Eliphaz describes what Job is doing. It is Job, not God, who is in the wrong. The verb do away is the same Hebrew word translated frustrates in 5:12 in which God frustrates the plotting of the shrewd. It is a word that often speaks of covenant breaking (Gen. 17:14; Lev. 26:15, 44; Num. 15:31; Deut. 31:16, 20; Judges 2:1; Ps. 119:126). The LORD uses it of Job in 40:8 saying that Job seeks to annul (NASB) or nullify the LORD's justice. The word reverence is the root word used in 1:1, 8; 2:3 as the text talks about Job as one who fears God. (Also see Job 4:6; 22:4; 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10). Particularly striking is the contrast between this verse and 4:6. In 4:6 Eliphaz seems to acknowledge Job's piety while in 15:4 he says that Job himself undermines it.  Job has questioned God's justice and sought to call Him to court. These indeed are striking words. 15:5 And you choose the language of the crafty- In 5:12 it was difficult to tell if Eliphaz put Job in the company of those who are crafty, but there is no doubt here. The word crafty can be used more positively as prudent (Prov.12:16, 23; 13:16; 14:8,15, 18; 22:3; 27:12), but the context demands a more negative use. It is the same word used of the serpent in Gen. 3:1.  

Deut 34:1 - Josh 2:24, Luke 13:22-14:6, Ps 79:1-13, Pr 12:26

Deut 34:1 - Josh 2:24, Luke 13:22-14:6, Ps 79:1-13, Pr 12:26

Deut 33:1-29, Luke 13:1-21, Ps 78:65-72, Pr 12:25