Podcasts about ecc

Our Election in Christ (7)  (audio) David Eells – 2/15/26 I'm going to continue speaking today about election and talk about the children and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that giveth life; … (Joh.6:63). In the Book of Romans, we found out that before Jacob and Esau were even born, Jacob was called God's elect. (Rom.9:10) And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac— (11) for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Well, just as I'm sure you have questions, I had some questions, too, when I got this far in my revelation about election and predestination. What about the children? What about the babies? What about the doctrine of an “age of reason” that the Church has had for so many years? They say every child goes to be with the Lord, if they die before they reach the “age of reason,” and after that age, then they become accountable. Then it becomes their responsibility to accept the Lord and walk with the Lord. And so on. To me, that doctrine seemed contrary to election, according to everything I understood. I really wanted to know for myself, so I began to do some research. I decided to seek out how all of this fits together about children and election, but I want to remind you that both Jacob and Esau went past the stage of childhood; Jacob went on to manifest as a vessel of honor, and Esau as a vessel of dishonor. Neither one of them died as a child or as a baby. Let me share with you what I discovered. We know that, according to election, there are sons of God and sons of the devil, based on what God makes out of the clay and what a person becomes in their life (Romans 9:21). But, according to nature, I'd like to show you another teaching: (Heb.12:9) Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of [our] spirits, and live? Some translations add in the word “our” to “Father of spirits” in this verse, but the word “our” is not in the ancient manuscripts of the Nestle's or Received Text, and there's no numeric pattern for that word to be there. He's the “Father of spirits,” as He's called elsewhere in the Bible. You may be questioning, “So is God the Father of our spirits or is He the Father of every spirit?” The answer can be found here: (Num.16:22) And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? And another place says in (Num.27:16) Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation. That gives us two witnesses that He's “God of the spirits of all flesh.” When God breathed into Adam the breath, or the spirit, of life, the spirit that He gave Adam was a fresh, clean human spirit (Genesis 2:7), and I believe God gives everyone a fresh, clean human spirit. Now I want you to look at something that you may find surprising. Once you understand election and God's predestination of the elect, you can see how there are sons of God and there are sons of the devil. We've seen that the “wheat” are the sons of God and the “tares” are the sons of the devil. The wheat and the tares were sown in the earth, and in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24,36-43), the earth was the hearts of men. Universally, the hearts of men are that “earth” in which God sows His seed and in which the devil sows his seed. But what about that heart before it manifested the seed of God or the seed of the devil? When Paul preached to the pagans at the Areopagus, he told them, (Act.17:24) The God that made the world and all [things] (The word “things” is not in the original; it was added by the translators.) therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all [things]. Again, the word “things” is not in the original. “He giveth to all life, and breath.” The word there for “breath” is the Greek word pneuma, and it's the same word translated as “spirit” in other places in the New Testament. The words “breath” and “spirit” both come from the same word pneuma, which is where we get our word for “air.” As we read on down, we're going to see if this word “all” really means “all” because this word “all” has to be judged by its context in the rest of the Scripture. We read again this text without “things.” (Act.17:25) Neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all; (26) and he made of one every nation of men (God made all men) to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined [their] appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation (Everybody came from Adam according to (Act 17:26) and he made of one every nation of men… And, Eve is called the “mother of all living” in Genesis 3:20, so we know that everybody came from Adam and Eve, contrary to some doctrines of men.); (27) that they should seek God, if happily they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (That shows each person on this earth is individually responsible for seeking God, but not everybody will do that and they are going to be held responsible.): (28) for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Paul is agreeing with what those pagans were saying about us receiving our being in God. He's saying that it's true. (Act.17:28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. “We are also His offspring.” You know, Christians like to correct this theology and say, “For we are all children of God.” That's not true because we are not all children of God, but we are all His offspring in a way. Then Paul goes on to say, (29) Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. (30) The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: (31) inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Well, how are we all the “offspring of God”? (Joh.1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All [things] were made through him (He's talking about people, not things, which is not in the numeric pattern. The Greek word there is the adjective pas, and it simply means “all, the whole, every kind of.”); and without him was not anything made that hath been made. So the Word made everything; He made Adam. We can read a confirmation of this here: (Col.1:16) For in him were all [things] created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him. Everything was created through Jesus and for Jesus. He is the first-born of the creation of God. This is talking about from the very beginning of all creation. It all came to be because it was created through Christ. (Joh.1:4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And over in Proverbs it says, (Pro.20:27) The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all his innermost parts. The Father created all things through Christ, and Christ was the medium through which the Father used to create all things and all men as in these texts. It was Jesus, the Son of God Who created all things and breathed into Adam. (Gen.2:7) And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Or the “spirit.” The Hebrew word there is neshamah and is translated as both “breath” and “spirit” in the Old Testament.); and man became a living soul. The Bible says that the first man, Adam, was a natural being. (1Co.15:44) It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual [body]. (45) So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (46) Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. (47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. His natural man came from the earth, but his spirit came from God. God breathed into Adam, and the breath, the Spirit, came out of God and went into man. Some theologians like to argue that the “breath of life” is the “breath of lives.” I'm not sure about that, but we know that in the loins of Adam, in the seed of Adam, was all mankind (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). And God breathed into Adam a fresh, clean, pure Spirit to be the spirit of man, but it wasn't long after this that instead of following after his spirit, man followed his flesh and corrupted himself on the earth. (Gen.6:12) And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. (17) And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die. Adam started out innocent before God, but in following his flesh, he got further and further away from God, and Adam's children got further and further away from God, until God had to destroy them. Truly, nothing has changed; we're in the same position today. God gives the natural child a fresh, clean spirit, which is the breath of life that He breathes into them. With this spirit, they have an opportunity to follow their spirit, and your conscience is a part of your spirit, so when you're following your conscience, you are following your spirit. We have to choose. You can follow your conscience, or you can follow your flesh, and as we know, everybody follows after their flesh. (Joh.1:5) And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. This sounds very much like what Peter said: (2Pe.1:19) And we have the word of prophecy [made] more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp (We've learned that the “lamp” is the “spirit of man,” according to Proverbs 20:27.) shining in a dark place (The “dark place” is your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions.), until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts. In the beginning, God gave Adam a “lamp” and it shined forth into his human nature, but Adam's offspring, who all started out the same way, began to follow after their flesh more and more, which corrupted their soul and eventually corrupted their spirit. If we follow after the flesh, the soul is going to be corrupted, and then when we follow our corrupted soul, our spirit will eventually be corrupted. Everybody starts out with a fresh, clean spirit, but they also start out with the corrupt nature that was passed down to them through their parents. “The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” The last Adam, or Jesus, is the one who gives us a new spirit when we are born again and become a new creation. (2Co.5:17) Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. Jesus is the second Adam; He is the Father of a new, born-again creation because the first creation corrupted itself. Except for one thing, babies start out in the place of Adam because they are given a fresh, clean spirit from God, one that's not corrupted. However, their soul is corrupted because their parents passed on their blood. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life. That gives the child a lot to overcome. The Bible says of God, (Exo.34:6) And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, (7) keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. So we see that the sins of the parents are also passed down to the children from one generation to another generation and on and on. So, live holy. (Joh.1:6) There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. (7) The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. (8) He was not the light, but [came] that he might bear witness of the light. (9) There was the true light, [even the light] which lighteth every man, coming into the world. This should be turned around because the numeric pattern proves that the sequence is wrong. What it actually says is, “The true light was, which coming into the world, lighteth every man.” Jesus is the true light that “lighteth every man.” (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God. As far as the new creation, Jesus' spirit is that new spirit that comes into every man as their lamp to show them the way. It shines in the dark place of their soul in order to dispel the darkness. You can see the same pattern repeated with babies. Like Adam at the beginning of creation, Jesus breathes into them the spirit of life, and they start out innocent when they are born, but they don't stay that way long. And the Bible doesn't teach that it has anything to do with some so-called “age of reason”; theologians have come up with that doctrine. What the Bible does say is, (Isa.53:6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.... Well, in order to go astray, you had to have been with God in the first place. (Rom.3:9) What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin (Of course, the Greeks weren't under the Old Covenant. Paul is talking about the New Covenant.); (10) as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; (11) There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God (He's talking about the Jews and the Gentiles.); (12) They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one. They all turned aside. Jews and Gentiles all turned aside. That means, in some way, they started out with God. In some way, babies start out with God. (Psa.58:3) The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. This says they start going astray from the time they are born, but at birth, they are with God. They go astray because they follow their fallen nature, instead of following after their fresh, clean spirit, which was given from God. They go astray following after their flesh and become more and more corrupt. If you have a clean spirit, but you follow after the flesh, your soul will die. (Job.36:8) And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of afflictions; (9) Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly. (10) He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity. (11) If they hearken and serve [him], They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. (12) But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. (13) But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them. (14) They die in youth.... “Their soul dieth” is what it literally says in the original Hebrew and your Bible should have a footnote explaining this. Strong's concordance is based on the Received Text and uses noar, which is a different Hebrew word altogether. (14) They die in soul, And their life [perisheth] among the unclean. (15) He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, And openeth their ear in oppression. (16) Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness. (17) But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take hold [on thee.] (18) For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside. Therefore, if a person were to listen to the Lord and follow after the Lord, their soul wouldn't die, but the natural process of degeneration sets in as soon as a person is born. They begin to go astray by following after their flesh, but the point is that they don't start out that way; they start out with the Lord. I don't think responsibility has anything to do with reaching an “age of reason.” I think that responsibility has more to do with the degeneration of the spirit than it does with reason. Children who are raised up with Godly parents, parents who discipline them and teach them the truth, don't become as corrupt as quickly as other children. Their conscience doesn't become as defiled as that of other children because discipline is a motivation to do what is right. It's a motivation to obey your conscience and obey your spirit, and not obey your flesh. If a child is raised with discipline, they don't become corrupted as quickly as a child who is not raised with discipline. Little children go bad and become evil very quickly without any discipline, and that's why I don't think that there is any particular age called the “age of reason,” where God imputes responsibility. It's not an age that makes you accountable; it's truth that makes you accountable. The more truth you go against, the more your conscience is defiled. The Bible is very plain: (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. That doesn't mention any particular age. “To him it is sin,” but where there was no law or, in other words, when they didn't know that what they were doing was sin, then sin was not imputed to them. (Rom.5:13) For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Being held responsible has to do with knowledge; knowledge determines whether God imputes iniquity to you or whether He doesn't impute iniquity to you. Yet, knowledge must be incorporated to bear fruit. I believe that whether a child is raised with discipline or whether they're not raised with discipline, they end up in the same place. Eventually, what happens is that their soul and spirit become corrupt. At that time, they need to be born again. I can't say if there's any particular age for that because the Bible doesn't teach it. But somewhere during that time, I believe that a person whose spirit becomes corrupt must be born again; their spirit must be born again. Adam was pure before God when he was in his innocence, even though he was not born again. That was the natural birth that he had. It was when Adam got away from his innocence that he fell. God gave Adam a clean spirit and He gave Adam only one law, but still Adam failed. He followed the flesh and he fell away. Now there is a place of innocence from childhood on up because of ignorance. Let me show you that in the story of Abijah, the son of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was a wicked king over the northern 10 tribes, and he led Israel into apostasy. God had prophesied to him that he was going to be King over Israel (1 Kings 11:29-37; 12:20), but he led Israel in the wrong way (1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:33,34). When Jeroboam's son was sick, he asked his wife to disguise herself and go to the prophet Ahijah to see what was going to happen to their son. God spoke to Ahijah the prophet, who was blind, and told him that Jeroboam's wife was coming, and God gave Ahijah a word of prophecy for her. (1Ki.14:7) Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, (8) and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee; and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes, (9) but hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: (10) therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child, him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweepeth away dung, till it be all gone. (11) Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat: for the Lord hath spoken it. (12) Arise thou therefore, get thee to thy house: [and] when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. (13) And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. Here, this child's parents were some of the most wicked in all of Israel, yet there was something good in this child toward the Lord. I believe the Lord was saying that the child's spirit was still good. Do you remember what happened when the disciples wanted to know who was the greatest? (Mat.18:1) In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (2) And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, (3) and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. (4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. What was Jesus talking about? Jesus was showing the disciples how a little child is submissive. In every case in the Gospels, it says “little child” (Mark 10:15; Luke 9:47) because, as you know, some older children are not submissive and trusting of their father; they're not clean on the inside. Another place of innocence is a child who is killed by abortion or dies from miscarriage. (Ecc.6:3) If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth (In other words, speaking of a miscarriage.) is better than he. So a man can live a full life, but not live in the goodness of the Lord, and not be a vessel of honor. This is saying it's better to have been born dead. (4) For it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness; (5) moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other: (6) yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place? He's talking about death here, not about going to the same place in Sheol, because this man went to Hades and the child went to Abraham's Bosom, but they both went to Sheol (Luke 16:22-26). This shows us that God at least considers innocency among children or babies. Abijah was a small child and God did not impute iniquity to this small child. That leads me to believe the further we get away from birth, the more dangerous it becomes because we become more responsible as we acquire knowledge. Innocency is not based on some “age of accountability” or “age of reason,” as theologians have told us, because you can't find that in the Bible. Saints, God imputes iniquity with knowledge. (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. God showed His election through Jacob, who manifested a vessel of honor, and Esau, who manifested a vessel of dishonor. This is what they were elected to do. Although every child is born with a fresh, clean spirit, they also receive the nature of their parents, and so they have a choice to make. They can choose to follow after their spirit, or they can choose to follow after the nature of their parents. As we've seen, everyone chooses to go the way of the flesh, and then their soul becomes corrupt, and eventually their spirit becomes corrupt. When the spirit becomes corrupt, that child has to be born again to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. I haven't found that there is any particular age at which the spirit becomes corrupt for all mature differently. Some children are raised with discipline and are more conscientious, while others are raised with no discipline, and they become very corrupt, very quickly, but I do believe that when the spirit dies, that person is responsible before God, and they must be born again. Yes, we are given a fresh, clean spirit from God when we are born, but that spirit dies from following after the flesh, and it becomes corrupt. This is what I'm calling “death” here. It's not a physical lack of existence but the spirit becoming corrupt. When that happens, then we are held responsible. Jesus was the one who breathed into Adam the breath of life, and as the Scriptures tell us, (Joh.1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (Col.1:16) For in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; (17) and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. God the Father created everything through Christ. There is nothing created that wasn't created through Christ. Jesus breathed into Adam the breath of life, but the whole race of Adam fell and became corrupt. Then Jesus, the second Adam (1Corinthians 15:47), breathed again; He breathed His spirit of life into His new creation. And, did you know that you still don't have to follow your spirit after being born again? You can, once again, choose to follow your flesh. A born-again person has the opportunity to follow their spirit and go with God, or they can follow their fallen nature and go the way of the rest of creation. We were given a fresh, clean human spirit from God, like Christ's human spirit, but we have a fallen soul because “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” That means after we are born again, we must overcome the disadvantage of the fallen nature that was passed on to us through our parents. The apostle Paul explains to us about his battle against the fallen nature that was passed on to him. He says, (Rom.7:23) I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? He wanted power over the body of death. Paul was a Christian, and he wanted to serve God. Do you know what God did to give Christians power over the body of death? He gave them the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a person doesn't have that power. I'll prove this to you: (Rom.8:7) Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: (8) and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (9) But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God (that's the Holy Spirit) dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ (that's your born-again spirit), he is none of his. Christ was man in that He had a human spirit, soul, and body. He was God in that the Holy Spirit dwelt in His spirit. (1:3) Concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (4) who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness. This in turn affected His DNA. When we are born again, our human spirit is born again. The Holy Spirit comes to do three things. Jesus said, (Joh.16:14) He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare [it] unto you. First, the Holy Spirit comes to give us the Spirit of Christ, which is our born-again spirit, our fresh, clean spirit. Second, as we follow the Holy Spirit, our soul becomes born again. If we bear fruit in the realm of the soul, we will receive a born-again body. This is the manifestation of Christ in you, spirit, soul and body. Even if you have the Spirit of Christ, if you don't have the Holy Spirit, you don't have power over the body. (Rom.8:9) But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If you don't have the Spirit of Christ in you, or, in other words, if you don't have a born-again human spirit, you don't belong to Him because Jesus had a born-again human spirit. (10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin (That's the situation Paul was in.); but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Before the disciples received the Holy Spirit, even though they had received their born-again spirit, they didn't have the greater power over the flesh. As Jesus said to them, (Mat.26:41) … The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Did they have a born-again human spirit? Yes. Jesus told His disciples, (Joh.15:3) Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. You can't be clean without a born-again spirit, and they had a reborn spirit through the Word that was spoken into them. Paul says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.” So here you have a born-again person who is born-again in their spirit, but they don't have the greater power over their body, “the body of death.” Paul was crying out, “Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Christians didn't have the greater power over their “body of death” until they received the Holy Spirit. (Rom.8:11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you (that's the Holy Spirit), he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. People think this is talking about the resurrection of the dead, but Paul said, “shall give life also to your mortal bodies.” That's talking about this physical body. Where you had death in your mortal body and had no greater power over it, God gave you life through His Spirit that dwells in you. Paul is talking about two different spirits here. Most religions I've experienced teach that when you are born again, that's when you receive the Holy Spirit. Even the Pentecostal denominations say, “When you are born again, you receive the Holy Spirit, but when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you receive more of it.” Again, that's not what the Bible teaches. You can't find a place in the New Testament where the Christians didn't go on to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as soon as they found out about it. It was never supposed to be optional, the way it is today. I'm not saying that a person is lost if they don't have the Holy Spirit because Paul said a person belonged to God if they had the spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9); they just didn't have the greater power without having the Holy Spirit of God. As a matter of fact, back in the Old Testament, we can find the same New Covenant promise of receiving the Holy Spirit, and one of the clearest places to see it is in Ezekiel. (Eze.36:24) For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. (25) And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.... This is what Jesus did with His disciples. He told them, (Joh.15:3) Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. God gave them a born-again spirit through the Word. He said in (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. He spoke life into them. (Eze.36:25) And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. (26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you (Theologians put a lowercase “s” here and I believe they're right. The word “spirit” here should be a lowercase “s” because it's talking about your human spirit.); and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit (They capitalized “Spirit” here, and they're right again. This is talking about the Holy Spirit.) within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.... The Holy Spirit is power from God. (Act.1:8) But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the power to be a witness by walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). (2Co.3:2) Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; (3) being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh. You see, it's how you live your life, not just what you say, that makes you a witness. (Eze.36:27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. (28) And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. As soon as the Church started, the baptism of the Holy Spirit came right along with baptism in water. How did the Church go so far astray as to think that people can live the Christian life without everything that God provided? It was never meant to be that way. We are commanded to be full of the spirit of God. (Eph.5:15) Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (18) And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; (19) speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. If you obey the corrupt nature that's been passed on to you genetically through your parents, you will begin to fall into corruption: first flesh, then soul, then spirit. The “death” is continually taking place because the more corrupt you become, the more dead you become. It's a spiritual death, not a physical death, but it ends in physical death because our spirit is our connection with the Holy Spirit. When our spirit is given to us at birth, it's clean and pure. In Hebrews (10:22,26,27; 11:15-17), the Bible talks about “defiling” your conscience. Your conscience is a part of your spirit, and it tells you right from wrong, but the more you disobey and ignore your conscience, it will become more and more quiet. Eventually, if we don't listen to our spirit, we come to the place where we don't hear it anymore, and that means we come to the place where we aren't led by it anymore. As a child grows up, they become more and more corrupt because they follow their flesh. I believe that the corruption process may be slower if you raise up a child in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6; 23:13,14), but still they are going to fall into corruption. They will need to be born again because they don't have the Holy Spirit to empower them to follow their human spirit. The devil wants to take possession of our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions, and he does this through our flesh. God wants to take possession of our souls, but the way He takes possession is through our spirit. So here we are with our soul, or in other words, our natural life, our nature, in the middle. We've been given a spirit, and we've been given flesh. As a born-again Christian, we have a decision to make: Are we going to follow the flesh and die, or are we going to follow the Spirit and live? If we follow the Spirit, we're following God. If we follow the flesh, we're following the devil. When a child is born, they don't have the spirit of God, so they don't have the ability to make a choice. They always follow the flesh, and they always die in their soul but less so with good parenting. When I say “die,” I'm talking about spiritual death while you are alive because you are held accountable when you know to do good. (Jas.4:17) To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Sin is imputed when you know what's right and what's wrong. (Rom.5:13) For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. The older a child gets, the quieter their conscience becomes because they get more and more used to disobeying and rebelling against it. And so they come to the place where they must be born again. Jesus is not saying that a little child must be born again. A little child doesn't have to be born again to enter the Kingdom because their spirit is not dead yet, but the older they become, the more corrupt their soul becomes, and then the more corrupt their spirit becomes until they must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven. A little child is very open to God. Their spirit is still alive. You can talk to them about God, and they understand, and they easily receive what you teach them, but if you don't teach them anything, they don't have that strength. We have to train our spirit to take the sword of the Spirit. (Eph.6:13) Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Word of God is our sword, Saints. Without the Word of God, your spirit is defenseless. You need to educate your spirit by putting the Word of God in there. When I was a little child in the Catholic Church, they told me certain things were wrong that weren't wrong, and so if I did them, my conscience smote me. Even when I was a little child, my conscience told me when I was doing wrong. The Bible tells us that this is true, and we are never supposed to go against our conscience but rather educate it. (Rom.13:5) Wherefore [ye] must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. And here's another example: (1Co.10:25) Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake, (26) for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. (27) If one of them that believe not biddeth you [to a feast,] and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake. (28) But if any man say unto you, This hath been offered in sacrifice, eat not, for his sake that showed it, and for conscience' sake: (29) conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other's; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience? (30) If I partake with thankfulness, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? (31) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (32) Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God: (33) even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the [profit] of the many, that they may be saved. When I became born again, I had to re-educate my conscience according to the Word of God in order to have the sword of the Spirit. The sword belongs to the Spirit; it doesn't belong to the flesh. The Word of God empowers your spirit to win the battle against your flesh and the devil. (Eph.6:12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood (This is referring to fighting with physical weapons against physical enemies.), but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Did you know that it's possible to have the baptism of the Holy Spirit but still not obey the Holy Spirit? Just because you have the Holy Spirit doesn't profit you. What matters is that you are walking in faith and obeying the Holy Spirit because, if you are not walking in faith, you're not going to get anywhere. People who are filled with the Holy Spirit walk closer to God. They have more faith, and they have power over the flesh. Jesus said, (Act.1:8) But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. But you can offend the Holy Spirit and become reprobate, or rejected, by the Holy Spirit. (Eph.4:30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. How do you “grieve” the Holy Spirit? (Heb.6:4) For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (7) For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected (This is the Greek word adokimos and it means “failing to pass the test; unapproved; counterfeit”; or, in other words, “reprobated.”) and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. You grieve the Holy Spirit by not doing His works and therefore you don't bear any fruit. The ultimate end of this is reprobation. (Tit.1:15) To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. (16) They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Did you know that just because you are filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't mean you are going to stay filled with the Holy Spirit? I know this is contrary to what many Pentecostal denominations teach, but if you look in the Book of Acts, you'll see that the same people who were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost were later filled again with the Holy Spirit. (Act.2:4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. So they were filled with the Holy Spirit and then after Peter and John were released from prison, they prayed, (4:31) And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, (30) while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus. (31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness. The same people were refilled with the Holy Spirit. You ask, “David, why would somebody need to be filled with the Spirit more than once?” Jesus gives us the answer. He said, (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. The power of the Holy Spirit flows out and is used up as we minister according to the command of Jesus. Notice, it's a river, not a pond. (Mat.10:7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give. I'm not saying that the Holy Spirit ever leaves you completely; I'm saying that it takes staying in fellowship with God to stay filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not just a one-time thing, like some Pentecostals believe. We just read, (Act.4:31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. How can you be filled twice, unless you've been emptied once? If Jesus taught that out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of the Spirit,” then this power is imparted to the need around you. It has to come out, and then it has to be replenished. The point is that we have to maintain our relationship with God because, if we don't, we won't stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Even so, the gifts of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). He won't take the gifts back. For instance, He won't necessarily take speaking in tongues back, but you may speak in tongues and yet not be filled with the Holy Spirit. A person has to stay filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Bible clearly teaches in Acts. The people who were preaching in Acts 2 were the same people who were filled with the Holy Spirit again in Acts 4. Personally, I believe you have the capacity to receive more of the Spirit when you are full of the Word of God. Jesus said, (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. Therefore, if you receive more of His Word, you will receive more of His Spirit. That's why Jesus breathed on the disciples and in (20:22) … saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit, even though it wasn't manifested until Pentecost, when the rushing mighty wind came.” Most Pentecostal denominations believe that having the Holy Spirit makes you a shoo-in for the Kingdom of Heaven, but having the Holy Spirit doesn't make you immune to sin. Having the Holy Spirit is not what saves you. Some have the Spirit but don't serve Him.  Obeying the Holy Spirit is what saves you from sin. (Rom.8:11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Life came out of Jesus. Life came out of His Words when He spoke. Life came out of Him when He laid hands on people. Life came out of His garment and healed the woman who touched Him. Life was in Him and that life was imparted to others, but that's not the case with a person who's not filled with the Holy Spirit. It's more difficult to walk with God, without being filled with the Holy Spirit. From the Book of Acts, you can see that the very foundation of Christianity is to repent, receive a born-again spirit, and then be filled with the Holy Spirit. The typology of the Temple in the Old Covenant makes this very clear. We are supposed to be temples “not made with hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1; Acts 7:47-49) or, in other words, without the works of man. (1Co.6:19) Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; (20) for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. When Solomon built the Temple, it represented the house “made without hands,” so there couldn't be the sound of tools, symbolizing man's works, while they were building it (1 Kings 6:7). After the Temple was built and they had sanctified it (1 Kings 8:1-9; 2 Chronicles 5:1-10), it still didn't have the Spirit of God in it. But when they had the dedication of the Temple, the Spirit of God came in the form of the Glory Cloud and dwelt in the Temple (1 Kings 8:10,11; 2 Chronicles 5:13,14). You see, the Temple was designed for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. What good was the Temple without the Spirit? I think in this regard, a lot of people are going to fall away because they will not obey the Scriptures and receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power to do what you have to do. There were times when I just didn't think the Holy Spirit was there, but right when it was necessary, the power showed up and completely awed me. And no matter what situation we find ourselves in, the Holy Spirit can manifest Himself in us and enable us to walk as Jesus walked. The Lord also pointed out to me that it was Judah who dwelt in Zion. The name Judah means “praise,” and so Judah identifies the Spirit-filled people, the full-Gospel people. The name Judah separates us from the rest of Christianity, who haven't received the Holy Spirit. The northern 10 tribes of Israel went further astray and “missed the boat” many more times than the tribe of Judah. The northern 10 tribes worshipped the false “Christ,” the two golden calves which they set up. I believe that the Lord showed me this is a type for our day. The northern 10 tribes represent the non-Spirit-filled groups, and Judah represents the Spirit-filled groups, the ones who inhabit Zion. Zion was the city that escaped when Babylon conquered the people of God. A modern-day example of this is the Armenian genocide. The word “genocide” was first coined by historian Raphael Lemkin in 1943 to describe the systematic murder of the Armenians by the Ottomans. Only the Spirit-filled Christians escaped. They fled when they were warned because they believed in prophecy and they believed the prophets God sent to them, but many, many non-Spirit-filled Christians were killed. Some estimates are that as many as 1.5 million lost their lives in that holocaust. The Happiest People on Earth by Demos Shakarian, and John and Elizabeth Sherrill, published by Guideposts Magazine in 1975, tells the story of Demos Shakarian. His grandfather left Armenia for America when the Russian prophet Klubniken foretold that an “unspeakable tragedy” was coming to Armenia. Well, people, now the same thing is getting ready to happen in America, where most of the people who call themselves “Christian” have not yet been filled with the Spirit of God, and they're not giving any heed to all the prophetic warnings that another holocaust is coming. The Spirit of God makes you respect prophets and prophecies. The Spirit of God opens your eyes to dreams, visions, revelations, and the deeper things of the Spirit. We've seen that when the disciples needed more power from God to stand up to and endure the persecution they were receiving, they came together and prayed, and God filled them again with the Holy Spirit. Not only does every Christian need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but we also need to be continually baptized in the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Title: Building Stronger Families (Part 3) You can also view the service at ECC's Facebook Page or download our church app (Evangelical Christian Church - Waterbury) if you haven't already. Would you please help us out in sharing this information especially with those who are not online. Remember the church is not a building, ~it's the people of God, ~filled with the presence of God, ~set apart to do the works of God. Christ has enabled us to do that in the world and not primarily in a building. Remember the golden rule during this time of uncertainty. Let's use this time to advance the purposes of God and stay connected with each other. Romans 8:28, Pastor Paul Heidt

Mark “Murch” Erhardt, Gustavo Flores Echaiz, and Mike Schmidt are joined by Toby Sharp, Chris Hyunhum Cho, Jonas Nick, and Antoine Poinsot to discuss ⁠Newsletter #391⁠.News● A constant-time parallelized UTXO database (25:40) ● Bithoven: A formally verified, imperative language for Bitcoin Script (44:48) ● Discussion of dust attack mitigations (1:43:33) Changing consensus● SHRINCS: 324-byte stateful post-quantum signatures with static backups (1:30) ● Addressing remaining points on BIP54 (1:10:08) ● Falcon post-quantum signature scheme proposal (20:05) ● SLH-DSA verification can compete with ECC (23:28) Releases and release candidates● LDK 0.1.9 (1:50:27) Notable code and documentation changes● Bitcoin Core #33604 (1:53:10) ● Bitcoin Core #34358 (1:54:58) ● Core Lightning #8824 (1:56:20) ● Eclair #3244 (1:58:17) ● LDK #4263 (2:00:07) ● LDK #4300 (2:01:54) ● LND #10473 (2:03:57) ● Rust Bitcoin #5493 (2:07:36)

Tyler Whittle, Head of Product at Project 11 , joins us to talk about the intersection of quantum hardware and cryptographic security. He explains why current encryption like RSA and ECC are vulnerable , the progress made by Google's Willow in noise reduction , and the specific NIST timelines for 2035. Tyler says the industry can prepare for Q-Day with new standards and why the transition is a race against time for global financial privacy and the Bitcoin network. Notes: * NIST says to deprecate classical crypto by 2035. * Google Willow reduces noise as qubits increase. * 35% of Cloudflare traffic is already PQC. * Quantum hardware could factor numbers in 18 mo. * Quantum signatures will increase Bitcoin fees. * Q-Day risk is mispriced in digital assets. Timeline: 00:02:05 Quantum Cats 00:04:57 Project Eleven 00:07:33 Project Eleven business case? 00:10:44 What's currently happening in Quantum? 00:18:10 Willow chip 00:25:33 Physical space vs digital space 00:29:10 Wen Quantum unlock? 00:29:56 Error correction 00:34:16 What is a red flag event? 00:38:00 Won't the NSA save us? 00:43:18 Costs of new signature schemes? 00:44:41 Proposals for BTC changes 00:46:31 Old coins, wat do? 00:51:49 Economic actors 00:53:14 Nuking price 00:59:13 Bitcoin vs other blockchains 01:00:46 Block size increase 01:05:56 Quantum money 01:11:04 Timelines The Gwart Show is sponsored by Ellipsis Labs. Ellipsis Labs builds the most efficient on-chain markets. Their orderbook and Prop AMM products have delivered price improvement to hundreds of billions of dollars in retail volume. Now, they are bringing their expertise to build Phoenix, the best on-chain perpetuals platform. Ellipsis Labs is hiring New York-based engineers. If you're an engineer looking to work with a proven team in making DeFi better, go to ellipsislabs dot xyz slash careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Message from Andrew Robbins on February 8, 2026

Title: Building Stronger Families (PT 2) Text: I Corinthians 6:19-20 You can also view the service at ECC's Facebook Page or download our church app (Evangelical Christian Church - Waterbury) if you haven't already. Would you please help us out in sharing this information especially with those who are not online. Remember the church is not a building, ~it's the people of God, ~filled with the presence of God, ~set apart to do the works of God. Christ has enabled us to do that in the world and not primarily in a building. Remember the golden rule during this time of uncertainty. Let's use this time to advance the purposes of God and stay connected with each other. Romans 8:28, Pastor Paul Heidt

Our Election in Christ (5)  (audio) David Eells – 2/4/26 I'm going to pick up where we left off about being predestined in Christ and its connection to Election. There are some very important principles here about God's dealings with man. (Exo.33:20) And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live. Remember that Moses put a veil upon his face so the children of Israel couldn't look upon him to know that which was passing away (Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:7-18). Moses represented the Law, and he never got to see the face of God, but we just read a verse in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 13:12) about those who are going to come to know God face-to-face. So, how did Moses come to know God? (Exo.33:21) And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock (There's only one way to get to know God. You have to stand by the Lord, and you have to stand on the Rock.): (22) and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by: (23) and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. The difference in the relationship between the Old Testament and New Testament people is that what Moses saw in a shadow, we see in manifestation. We can come to know God face-to-face. Moses only saw types and shadows, not the real face of God, because Moses represented the Law. The children of Israel knew the Law, but they didn't understand the Law, which is what the veil symbolized. (2Co.3:13) And [are] not as Moses, [who] put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away: (14) but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed [to them] that it is done away in Christ. (15) But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. (16) But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (17) Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, [there] is liberty. (18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. In the New Testament, we are looking at the spirit of the Law (2Co.3:6) … as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Moses received grace because he was known by God, and then he came to know God. That's our relationship with the Lord, too. We have to stand by the Lord, and we have to stand on the Rock in order to see the Lord. It's sanctification, but it's unto obedience. Christians who are not obedient are not known by God. (Joh.10:2) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (3) To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name (“I know thee by name.”), and leadeth them out. (4) When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. God's people have to come out of Babylon (Isaiah 48:20; 52:11; Jeremiah 48:20; 50:8; 51:6; Revelation 18:4) because being in Babylon is following the voice of strangers. Jesus was speaking to a group of people who were following Babylonish Judaism, but the ones God knew, He called by name, and He led them out. (Joh.10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. The ones whom He knows are going to come out of the apostate sheepfold. They are going to come out of Babylon and be delivered from apostate religion because they are not going to hear the voice of strangers. There's a good explanation of this in Romans, where Paul just got through telling the people that only a remnant of Israel was going to be saved (Romans 9:27-29) and how God decided to call them His people who were not His people (Romans 9:23-26; 10:11-13, 20). Paul asks, (Rom.11:1) I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. If you're thinking, “Weren't they broken off, David? (Romans 11:17-24)” Well, God did break off some people, but let's keep reading, and we'll find out who those people were. (2) God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: (3) Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (4) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. All Israel had turned against God, except for 7,000 people in the time of Elijah, because they were the ones God foreknew. When the two witnesses, whom we discovered are not just two men (Revelation 11:3-12), were called up to the throne, there were “names of men seven thousand” that perished. (Rev.11:13) And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons (The Greek there is literally “names of men seven thousand.”): and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. Why would “names of men” perish? That's because God is going to give us a new name (Revelation 2:17). When you die and then are resurrected, you are no longer the person you once were, the old man. You have totally put to death the old man and he's finally gone. So God is giving us a key there when He says “the names of men seven thousand” to show us that He's talking about the elect. When they were resurrected, all of the elect were resurrected. The ones who hadn't “bowed the knee to Baal,” these 7,000 were foreknown. God didn't cast off these 7,000, but He did cast off the rest of Israel. (Rom.11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. In other words, spiritually speaking, in our day there are still 7,000 who haven't “bowed the knee” to the Beast. There are still 7,000 who haven't worshipped the Beast. (6) But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. The reason these 7,000 stand is because of grace. Remember that God gives grace to the ones He knew by name, just as Moses received grace from God because God knew him by name. (7) What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. The “seven thousand” obtained it and the rest lost out. The called who were not the elect lost out, but the called who were the elect obtained it. The rest of Israel was like the foolish virgins: (Mat.25:11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. (12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. They didn't have enough “oil.” The Bible says there is coming a time when the lukewarm are going to be spewed out (Revelation 3:16). You see, there has to come a point where God draws the line, and then those who have not born any fruit will never bear fruit. Even though the five foolish virgins sought to enter in, they sought to do so too late to do what they should have been doing all along. They should have been seeking more oil for their lamps. They were invited to partake of the wedding feast, which, spiritually, is partaking of the body and the blood of Christ. Jesus said, (Joh.6:54) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The carnal Christians among the called are not doing this because they are not part of the elect. We need to be seeking God for all of His grace now. How do we prove, how do we show forth, who it is that God foreknew? It's very simple. The people who are disciples of Christ are listening to Him. Are you following Him? Are you seeking His will or are you just seeking this life? You can't have both. You have to give up your life. “The election obtained it, and the rest were hardened.” And Paul said, “Even so then at this present time.” Yes, even at this time, the election will obtain it, and the rest will be hardened. There's a great falling away coming, and the lukewarm are going to be spewed out. What is the “falling away”? It's the hardening of people's hearts. (Rom.11:8) According as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day. (9) And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: (10) Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always. God does harden hearts, and in this case, He was hardening the hearts of the people who would not bear fruit. They were calling Him “Lord, Lord,” but they were not doing the will of God. (Rom.9:17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power (God raised up Pharaoh to show His power to save His people.), and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. (18) So then he hath mercy on whom He will, and whom He will, He hardeneth. (19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? (20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? (21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? God has the right. Some people protest, “That would make God dishonest!” No, God can make anything He wants with His clay. The Bible tells us that God has this right and so He hardened Pharaoh's heart. You know, everything in the Old Testament symbolizes something and Pharaoh symbolizes the “god of this world,” the devil. The title “Pharaoh” means “the great temple of the sun god” and he was the manifestation of god on earth to the Egyptians. Pharaoh ruled all of Egypt and in many types and shadows, Egypt represents the world. God hardened Pharaoh's heart to not let His people go, and the Bible says this in Exodus 4. Not until we get to chapter 8 does it say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Time and time again, I've heard people say, “No, first Pharaoh hardened his own heart.” They say that because they are trying to get God “off the hook,” so to speak. They want to bring God down to man's level. God is not a man. He can do anything He wants to do. In Exodus, we see God hardening the heart of Pharaoh and the hearts of Pharaoh's people. Do you know who the Egyptians, the people of Pharaoh, symbolize? The Egyptian represents your flesh. (1Co.10:1) For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. In the Red Sea, the Egyptian died, the old man died. When we get baptized, the old man is put to death, and the new man comes up out of the water by faith. The devil represents the god of the flesh. Some people think that God wants to get rid of the devil. No, God doesn't want to get rid of the devil; God wants to harden his heart. God hardened his heart to not let His people go to show that only by His power is anyone saved and delivered. (Exo.4:21) And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. (22) And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, my first-born: (23) and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born. The firstborn of the devil is the flesh, and the firstborn of God is Israel. (7:1) And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh.... Do you know that we've been given authority over all the power of the enemy (Matthew 28:18-19)? Do you know that we are as God to the devil? What we bind and loose is going to be bound and loosed (Matthew 18:18), but we are too often guilty of disagreeing with God and losing the devil to do his works, instead. We are supposed to be commanding the devil to set God's people free. (Exo.7:1) And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. (2) Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. (3) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart (there it is again), and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. God hardened Pharaoh. God didn't make it easy for His people to be set free because then anyone could have done it. God wanted to prove the strength of His salvation, so He hardened Pharaoh's heart, and it's the same with the devil and the flesh. (2Co.4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. He's saying that God put us in bondage to this old man; God put us in bondage to this Egyptian. And God did that so His great power would be proven to set them free from the flesh and the devil. I know that sometimes we see this as an impossible deliverance, and the preachers tell us its impossible, but God made it look that way on purpose. God made the devil mean and hard, and He did it so that His power would have to be manifested to deliver us. This is His plan. We see the types and shadows being fulfilled here. (Exo.7:4) But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. (13) And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken. God spoke it before Pharaoh's heart was hardened. (8:15) But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken. Now it says, “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” Well, Pharaoh did harden his heart because the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. Notice it says, “as the Lord had spoken.” It's very clear; you can see what we call the “free” will of man, and behind that you can see the truth, which is that God uses the “free” will of man. If man had a “free” will he could set himself free. In this case, God hardened Pharaoh's heart so he wouldn't set them free, and He didn't stop there. (Exo.10:1) And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them, (2) and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought upon Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am the Lord. (14:4) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them (He's talking about the children of Israel.); and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host: and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. (5) And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people (They had just driven the people of Israel out of their land because of the misery that had come upon them and then, all of a sudden, God changed Pharaoh's mind again.), and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? This is a very unlikely place for a person to change their mind. We read this and we think, “These are pretty schizophrenic people.” (17) And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. (18) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Your flesh doesn't want to let you go, saints, but it makes the miracle just that much greater when you get set free and it proves that God is doing it because to you, the flesh looks like a giant in the Promised Land (Numbers 13:28,33; Deuteronomy 1:28; 9:2). To you, the flesh looks like someone you can't conquer and God meant for it to look that way. So the devil is not going to let you go and the flesh isn't going to let you go, but God is going to make them let you go. They don't have a choice. When you are too chummy with the ways of the world and the thinking of the world, God will give you some enemies. (Psa.105:25) He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtly with his servants. God sent Moses and Aaron to manifest His signs among His people, but don't forget that God brought the children of Israel down into Egypt in the time of Joseph in the first place. (Gen.50:20) And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Whatever trial you may be going through, folks, you are not there by accident. No, we were put here, and not only were we put here by God, but God is again turning the world to hate His people. In the next few years, we are going to see more of this than we have ever seen. God is going to turn the world to hate His people because His people are so worldly, and this is what's going to separate God's people from the world. God caused the Egyptians to hate His people and drive them into the wilderness, and the wilderness is where they came to really know God because He was their Savior out there, which is what's going to happen again in our day. (Psa.106:10) And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them (First, God is going to cause them to hate you, and then He is going to save you from them.), And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. This is God's plan. This proves God's salvation. This proves God's power. God turned the Egyptians to hate His people because He wanted His people out of Egypt. God wants us out of Egypt, so what's going to happen? The world is going to hate you, and they are going to chase you into the wilderness. That's how God is going to do it, but God is faithful, and He's going to deliver you from your enemies. This is one way God uses hardening; He uses it for the sake of the maturity of His people. Let me show you an instance where God hardens the hearts of His people. Read this riddle and see if you know who God is talking about here: (Isa.63:16) For thou art our Father, though Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us (Who can that be? These are Gentiles. Israel didn't acknowledge the Gentiles and Abraham didn't know them either.): thou, O Lord, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name. (17) O Lord, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? This is talking about the elect among the Gentiles. As we read earlier, (Rom.11:7) What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. The elect entered into God and the rest were hardened. The people who will not bear fruit are the people who are not faithful; they're not running after the Lord. They're serving themselves instead of being obedient and their hearts will be hardened. (Rev.3:16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. There is constantly a spewing out of the lukewarm and this happens by reprobation. Those who are called but do not bear fruit will have their hearts hardened because they don't love God. All of the called have the ability to seek God because they have a born-again spirit. The elect are the ones who take responsibility and seek God. (Php.2:12) … Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The called who don't seek God will have their hearts hardened, and they will fall away. The same thing happened to Old Testament natural Israel. If the called don't humble themselves to God when He speaks, He will turn them over to corruption. He will harden their hearts, and He will put them in bondage to their flesh, so that they are clearly identified to decent people. This example will cause others to say “yes” to God and be obedient. The Israelites went through this; they rebelled against God and He hardened their hearts. And they went through much tribulation until some repented and God gave them an opportunity to obey. God can put people in such bondage that the next time they're free, they have the fear of God. (Isa.63:17) O Lord, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. (18) Thy holy people possessed [it] but a little while (The Jews possessed it for only a little while.): our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. (19) We are become as they over whom thou never barest rule, as they that were not called by thy name. Here is a type for some Gentiles who became as if they had never been born-again, as if they had never been called by the name of the Lord. You see, God gives grace to all of the called, but only some take advantage of this grace to be overcomers. Let me show you another verse in this hardening process because, not only will God harden those who will not bear fruit and refuse to walk in the grace that He has given them, but He will harden us sometimes, if we rebel. And then He will bring us into a place of bondage where we just can't get free. Jesus told us in (Mat.5:25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. (26) Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing. That jail is not a physical jail; this is talking about a spiritual jail. Jesus said, (18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. If you don't forgive your brother from the heart, God will turn you over to the tormentors. People go into places where they are in bondage because of rebellion, but when they come out, they have more fear of God, and they are quicker to repent. You see, the ministry of hardening of hearts was designed by God for our benefit. Another place we find this is in the Book of Lamentations, which is written as though Jeremiah was writing about himself, but he was really writing about Israel. God sent His people into bondage back around 586 BC, when the King of Babylon was destroying Jerusalem and conquering the Jewish people. (Lam.3:1) I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. (2) He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light. (3) Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day. (4) My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. (5) He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. (6) He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. (7) He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy. Israel was in rebellion, and so God sent them into bondage. There's no place where you appreciate freedom more than when you are in bondage. That's when you realize how much you took for granted the freedom that you had in God. (8) Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer. (9) He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked. If you rebel against God and you don't listen to Him, He will make your paths crooked so you will appreciate and pray for His grace. He will make your paths crooked so you will appreciate and pray for the fear of God. I'm not saying everyone will do this but many who are called won't turn because they are not elect. (Lam.3:10) He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places. (11) He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. In 1Co. 5 Paul turned a man in sin over to satan for the destruction of his flesh so he would repent and be saved. You know, this reminds me of what Solomon said in (Ecc.7:13) Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? Only God can straighten out what God has made crooked. If you have relatives or loved ones or other people for whom you are praying who are “crooked,” there's no one who can straighten them out but God. You can try, try, try, but you'll fail, fail, fail every time, unless you first put all your trust in God because He wants you to know He is the only one who has the power to deliver us from our crooked ways. We go to God for His grace and we ask Him to make that straight which is crooked in our lives. We should continually be asking God to do this. (Psa.33:12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (13) The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men; (14) From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth, (15) He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works. It's God who fashions the hearts of all people. (Ecc.3:11) He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Yes, everything is beautiful in its time. Everything that God has made has a good purpose and that includes the evil. Now, let me ask you a question here. If God predestined some to life from the beginning of creation, what is He doing with everybody else? Remember we read, (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Of course God does! (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering (God has endured suffering in order to show His power.) vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction (Or, in other words, “made to be destroyed,” and here's the reason.): (23) that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory. I don't know about you, but when I look out at the lost multitudes in the world, it makes me appreciate grace and mercy. How can you know grace and mercy, except you look out over the world and see all of the people who don't have grace and mercy? That should make you feel blessed: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” The multitudes, the masses who are going down the broad road (Matthew 7:13), should make you appreciate the grace and the mercy of God, who said (Rom.9:15) … I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Well, God had mercy upon us, and we can appreciate His compassion when we look at the lost multitudes. God made Jesus in (1Pe.2:8) … A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. The Scripture says these people were “appointed,” or “designated,” or “preordained,” to stumble at the Word and be disobedient. (9) But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. You were chosen to be obedient to the Word. You were chosen not to stumble at the Rock of Christ. (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed (They were born to be destroyed.), railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed. Their lives are a warning to us. These are vessels who have been raised up to put us on our cross and also to show us God's mercy and grace. You ask, “How so, David?” When you tell them about Christ, and they totally can't understand, they show that what God has done for us is mercy and grace. God gave you a revelation and opened your understanding. Why would God do this for you and not for them? He did it for you only because of election.

Message from Josh Lean on February 1, 2026

Title: Building Stronger Families (Part 1) Text: Psalms 128:1-6 You can also view the service at ECC's Facebook Page or download our church app (Evangelical Christian Church - Waterbury) if you haven't already. Would you please help us out in sharing this information especially with those who are not online. Remember the church is not a building, ~it's the people of God, ~filled with the presence of God, ~set apart to do the works of God. Christ has enabled us to do that in the world and not primarily in a building. Remember the golden rule during this time of uncertainty. Let's use this time to advance the purposes of God and stay connected with each other. Romans 8:28, Pastor Paul Heidt

Send a textWhat happens when the people closest to the patient lead the science that shapes their care? We sit down with guest editors Erik Fausak and Dr. Adesola Odunayo to unpack the first-ever JAVMA supplemental issue authored by credentialed veterinary technicians—and why it matters for outcomes, team culture, and the future of evidence-based practice.Across anesthesia, radiology, ECC, and surgery, credentialed veterinary technicians make thousands of critical decisions every day. That frontline view generates smart research questions: how to secure IV catheters, how long to hang fluid bags, which scrub protocols lower infection risk, and how to standardize monitoring that prevents complications. We explore how credentialed veterinary technician-led studies, from narrative and scoping reviews to original research, turn bedside insight into better protocols that any clinic can adopt.We also address barriers that hold technicians back: limited mentorship, scarce funding, minimal institutional credit, and no protected time to write. Erik and Adesola share workable fixes—establishing research mentors, pooling multi-site data to power studies, rewarding publications for techs, and using social media to both crowdsource questions and fight misinformation. The payoff is real: higher job satisfaction, stronger retention, and a team-wide shift from “evidence-based medicine” to “evidence-based practice,” where everyone participates in decisions that improve care.If you want a stronger hospital culture, safer anesthesia, cleaner lines, and a clearer career path for your credentialed technicians, this conversation offers a roadmap. Read the credentialed veterinary technician-led supplement, share it with your team, and start a study that answers a question from your treatment floor. Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which credentialed veterinary technician-led research your clinic should tackle next.JAVMA supplemental issue: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.263.s2.s4INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ® OR AJVR ® ? JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthorsFOLLOW US:JAVMA ® : Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter AJVR ® : Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter JAVMA ® and AJVR ® LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

In this urgent security assessment from January 30, 2026, the Qubit Value podcast conducts a comprehensive audit of the encryption standards currently securing the global economy, declaring many of them obsolete in the face of quantum advancements. The hosts identify RSA (2048/4096-bit) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC/ECDSA) as "definitively vulnerable," warning that ECC is particularly fragile against quantum attacks due to its smaller key sizes. They flag the ubiquitous Diffie-Hellman key exchange as a systemic risk, noting that it secures nearly 95% of web traffic. To counter the immediate "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" threat, the episode prescribes a mandatory migration to NIST's approved Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards: ML-KEM (formerly Kyber) for key encapsulation, ML-DSA (formerly Dilithium) for digital signatures, Falcon for efficiency in constrained environments, and Sphincs+ (SLHDSA) as a conservative hash-based backup. The discussion concludes by urging executives to adopt a "Hybrid" strategy—pairing classical algorithms with quantum-resistant ones—and to achieve full crypto-agility by the industry's hard deadline of 2030. Want to hear more? Send a message to Qubit Value

Our Election in Christ (4) (audio) David Eells, 1/28/26 We've covered our election in Christ previously pretty well. Today, I'm going to cover more about being predestined in Christ and its connection to Election. (Eph.1:4) Even as he chose (The Greek word here again is eklectos, “elect.”) us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained (or “predestined”) us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Those who are elect are predestined to come into the adoption of sons, which is the same thing we just read. (Rom.8:16) The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: (17) and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified with [him]. Notice that those who suffer the death of their self-life, will manifest their election. What does Paul mean when he says, “Having foreordained us unto adoption as sons”? The answer is found a few verses further down. (Rom.8:23) And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for [our] adoption, [to wit,] the redemption of our body. Those who receive the first-fruits of the Spirit are on their way to the adoption of sons, which is when you receive your redeemed body. Notice that a child must receive the Holy Spirit to manifest sonship.  (25) But if we hope for that which we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for it. The manifestation of our sonship begins when we receive our born-again spirit and then are obedient to receive the Holy Spirit, which enables us to “walk as He walked”. Peter said that your soul is born again through your obedience to the truth. (1Pe.1:22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: (23) having been begotten again (or “born again”), not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. The soul is where we manifest the fruit of Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold. Those who have a born-again soul will be given a redeemed body. A born-again soul is the “fruit” that the Bible talks about. It's the fruit of Christ in you. It's the nature of Christ. Your soul is your mind, will and emotions; in other words, it is your nature and your character. While we are still in this body, we can manifest our sonship in spirit and in soul. Full adoption comes when we receive our redeemed body. The elect were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 13:8; 17:8) and they will manifest Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold, according to what Jesus said (Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20). They will manifest Christ-likeness. I want to talk about what it is to be “foreknown” and who it is whom Christ knows, because there are Christians, using the term loosely, whom Christ doesn't know, and there are Christians whom He does know. You say, “David, that sounds crazy!” No, from out of all the called among the Christians, there are those whom Christ knows and those whom He doesn't know. I'm going to prove this to you. (2Ti.2:19) Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his (From the foundation of the world, they've been His because from the foundation of the world He has foreknown them.): and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. This is what proves who are God's people. The people who depart from willful sin are the ones who are His. If you depart from unrighteousness, you will be manifestly His. (20) Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor. (21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified.... Who is sanctified? The elect, who are the ones whom God foreknew, will be sanctified. We read this earlier in Peter. (1Pe.1:1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (2) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. The Lord knows right now those who are His. (2Ti.2:21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master's use, prepared unto every good work. (22) But flee youthful lusts and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. The Lord knows right now those who are sanctified. Is every Christian His? Well, does God know every Christian? We've seen that those whom He foreknew, He's going to know at the end, but does He know every Christian among the called now? What is it that makes God know you? (1Co.8:3) But if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. God knows those who love Him. Notice, (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. That's not everybody. (29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. The ones whom God foreknew are the ones who love Him. What distinguishes between the Christian who loves God and the Christian who doesn't love God? Jesus said, (Joh.14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. These people are Christians because they have a born-again spirit. All of the called have a born-again spirit, but not all of the called will bear fruit. The called who will bear fruit and be manifested as the elect are the ones who love God. They are going to obey God. They are going to give up their life to have His. They are going to pay the price and the Lord says He knows them. (Jer.1:5) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. God knew us by faith before He even formed us in the womb. Amen! Another example, which is one that's constantly misused by the “once saved, always saved” crowd, is this verse: (Joh.10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (That's not everybody out there who ever professed the name of Christ. It's only those who professed the name of Christ and departed from unrighteousness.): (28) and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. That's true; they will never perish. They will receive eternal life. Nobody will ever pluck them out of the Father's hand because they love God and so they will obey God. I didn't say they all overcome immediately, but they do obey God and they overcome. Notice, Jesus says, “I know them.” Doesn't He know everybody? Of course, God knows everybody in this world. God knows their names, and He knows everything about them, but that's not the kind of “know” He's talking about here. This word “know” is the Greek ginosko and it means the kind of personal relationship Adam had with Eve, in that Adam sowed his seed in her and she brought forth fruit. That's the kind of “know” that the Scriptures are talking about. Let me further prove to you that not every Christian, as we use the term loosely, is known by God or has ever been known by God. Jesus said, (Joh.15:2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away (This is speaking of the Father taking it away.): and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. And now look at this verse: (Mat.7:19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Jesus said, “Every branch in me,” so He's talking about people who are Christians, although we use the term “Christian” very loosely nowadays. (20) Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (These people are calling Him “Lord.” Who else but Christians would have the nerve to do that?); but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say (What “many” is this? This is the “many” who are calling Him “Lord, Lord.”) to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? These are Christians who are doing the “many mighty works,” unless you believe that today Satan casts out Satan, but Jesus tells us Satan doesn't cast out Satan: (Mat.12:25) And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: (26) and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? So these people were casting out Satan and they were doing mighty works by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet in their own lives, they were not being obedient to the will of the Father. (Mat.7:23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. What does He mean by “I never knew you”? He means, “I didn't know you from the beginning. I never knew you from before the foundation of the world and you were not written in the Book.” Yes, they were Christians, but they were not found written in the Book at the end because they were not foreknown. They were physically written in the Book when they were born again, but they were erased out of the Book before the end. In the beginning, the ones whom God foreknew were written in the Book by His faith. They are going to overcome. They are going to bear fruit, and they are still going to be there at the end. Others are going to be written in who will not overcome. They will not bear fruit and they will be erased, so even though they were called, they will not be chosen. (Rev 3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Mat.7:24) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: (25) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. (26) And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: (27) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. Notice, Jesus is only talking about two groups of Christians here. He's talking about those who “heareth these words of mine, and doeth them,” and He's talking about those who “heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not.” These can only loosely be Christians. He's not talking about the lost world. Jesus is talking about Christians who, in their own life, are not being obedient to God. They are not loving God, which is not being obedient, therefore He says, “I never knew you.” His seed was not in them. Let me show you more proof of this in the parable of the 10 virgins: (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (2) And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Obviously, they had to be Christians or they would not have started out with the “oil” of the Holy Spirit in their lamps. (Pro.20:27) The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all his innermost parts. The oil the virgins had in their lamps symbolized the Holy Spirit, which gave them light. (Mat.25:3) For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: (4) but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Obviously some are filled with the Spirit) (5) Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. (6) But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. (7) Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. (9) But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. (10) And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. The five foolish virgins should have been “buying” the oil of the Holy Spirit all along. How do you “buy” the oil of the Holy Spirit? You “buy” it when you give up your life to gain your higher life (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; John 12:25). You do have to buy it. You can be filled with you or you can be filled with Him. We do have to give something for His life. Jesus said we have to give up our life, and they were not doing this. (Mat.25:11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. (12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (13) Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. The 10 virgins were all Christians, but the five foolish virgins were not filled with the Spirit of God and they were not being disciples of Christ in their own lives. Jesus said to them, “I know you not.” This is the second witness. Can you have been born again? Yes, you can be born again in spirit. Some people like to think that they are just a shoo-in for the Kingdom because they are born again in spirit and even have the Holy Spirit. However, remember what the Bible says about the children of God: (Rom.8:17) … If so be that we suffer with [him,] that we may be also glorified with [him]. Only the ones who suffer with Him will be the glorified sons of God. We have to suffer the crucifixion of the old life; that's why we were put here. These are the ones who are going to be glorified. (29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: (30) and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. These are the ones who were foreknown to be conformed to the image of His Son and be glorified. Jesus said in (Luk.13:24) Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. The five foolish virgins wanted to go through the door, too, but found that it was shut to them. (25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door (indicating we have a limited time to bear fruit), and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; (26) then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; (27) and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Again, He's talking to disobedient Christians here. The people in this verse are just like the foolish virgins who didn't bear any fruit to be able to enter through the door. Jesus will say of them, “I know you not whence ye are.” The Amplified Bible says, “I know not of what family, or of what parentage, you are from.” You see, it's only by bearing fruit that we can prove God is our Father. Maturity is coming to know God the way He knows us. (1Co.13:9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; (10) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. Paul is talking about maturity, about growing up and bearing fruit in God, and he's using a little parable here to show us how to do that. (12) For now we see in a mirror, darkly (Some versions have “dimly,” or “indistinctly,” or “obscurely.”); but then face to face (The more you grow in God, the more you truly know Him clearly.): now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. God fully knew the elect; He fully knew those who would come to maturity. God is speaking about one specific group of people here: He's speaking about those who come to see Him face-to-face. Paul says that these people will come to fully know God in the same way God knew them. (13) But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. God knows those who love Him. We are coming to know Him because He first knew us. Those who love God will seek the truth; they will humble themselves to the truth, and they will be obedient by His grace through their faith. An example can be found in the life of Moses: (Exo.33:12) And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name (What is this talking about? Of course, God knows everyone's name.), and thou hast also found favor (The Hebrew word there is chen and it means “grace.”) in my sight. (13) Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. (14) And he said, My presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest. Moses is saying, “You know me by name, and You say that I have Your grace, so now let me know You.” That's the same situation with God and His elect. He has always known them by name since the foundation of the world and they have His grace. Now they are coming to know the one who has always known them. They are coming to know Him fully, even as they also were fully known. (Exo.33:17) And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name. There it is again. Knowing us by name means knowing us by His nature and character in us. (18) And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. We've seen that the ones who were foreknown before the foundation of the world are those who will be glorified (Romans 8:29,30). (19) And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee (God knew Moses by name and now Moses is going to know God by name. The Hebrew word for “name” is shem and it means “nature and character.”); and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. God is talking about predestination and election here and we recognize this from Romans, where God talks about Jacob and Esau: (Rom.9:10) And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac-- (11) for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Before they had done anything, Jacob belonged to God; Jacob was God's before he was born. That makes it obvious that “God so loved the world” means He's only loving worldly Jacob, or Israel, because these are the people who have been given the gift of faith to come to Him and believe on Him. So God had mercy on Jacob, but He gave justice to Esau. (Psa.33:12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (13) The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men; (14) From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth, (15) He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works. It's God who fashions the hearts of all people. (Ecc.3:11) He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Man cannot find the way of God unless He draws them. Yes, everything is beautiful in its time. Everything that God has made has a good purpose and that includes the evil. Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things. The evil gives man a choice and also a crucifier of his flesh. Now, let me ask you a question here. If God predestined some to life from the beginning of creation, what is He doing with everybody else? Remember we read, (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Of course, God does this, but why? (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering (God has done this. In order to show His power, He has endured suffering from.) vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction (Or, in other words, “made to be destroyed,” and here's the reason.): (23) that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory. I don't know about you, but when I look out at the lost multitudes in the world, it makes me appreciate grace and mercy given to the few. How can you know grace and mercy, except you look out over the world and see all of the people who don't have grace and mercy? That should make you feel blessed: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” The multitudes, the masses who are going down the broad road (Matthew 7:13), should make you appreciate the grace and the mercy of God, who said, (Rom.9:15) … I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Well, God had mercy upon us and we can appreciate His compassion when we look at the lost multitudes. God actually does do this. (1Pe.2:8) … A stone of stumbling (This is speaking of Christ.), and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. The Scripture says these people were “appointed,” or “designated,” or “preordained,” to stumble at the Word and be disobedient. (9) But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You were chosen to be obedient to the Word. You were chosen not to stumble at the Rock of Christ. (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed (They were born animals to be destroyed.), railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed. These are vessels who have been raised up to put us on our cross and also to show us God's mercy and grace. You ask, “How so, David?” When you go out there and tell them about Christ and they totally can't and wont understand, they show that what God has done for us is mercy and grace. God gave you a revelation and opened your understanding. Why would God do this for you and not for them? He did it for you only because of predestination and election. There are some objections to election and predestination even though it is clearly in the Word. The one I hear the most from people is that God loves the world but we see that it is a people in the world who believe. (Joh.3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. Of course, when people read this verse, they think it means that God loves the whole world. As we've seen from the Scriptures, the Bible doesn't teach that God loves the whole world and even in this verse it doesn't say that because there is a condition given for God's love. That is, “whosoever believeth on him” and that limits God's love to a very few. The majority are not going to believe on the Son, since the only way to have any hope of believing on the Son is to receive the gift of faith from God. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory. You see, faith is a gift from God; believing on the Son is a gift from God. The people in the world who do believe on the Son are the ones to whom God has given the gift to be drawn to the Son and have eternal life. (Joh.15:19) If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. God did not choose the world; He chose us out of the world. In effect, that means God chose not to choose the rest of the world. And so when we read verses like John 3:16, we have the level of revelation that God permits because of our lack of understanding. I feel as if the Lord showed me that when we are carnal, it's easier for us to understand this as if God does love the whole world, and therefore not attribute foolishness to God. But as we grow in knowledge, the more we see the plan and wisdom of God, and the more we fear God. Jesus didn't claim everybody in the world and here's another good example of that: (Joh.10:16) And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring (So they haven't come to Him yet.), and they shall hear (They haven't even heard of Him yet.) my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. He's talking about a multitude of people that includes us. We are included in this group. So at the time Jesus made this statement, some people didn't know Him, they hadn't heard of Him, and they hadn't even been born yet, but they have been His. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world; therefore, our election has nothing to do with time. (Eph.1:4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained (or predestined) us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. We have belonged to Christ since the time God set His plan into action at the beginning. We were chosen in Him as our Savior at the very beginning. “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold” and they are going to become one flock with one Shepherd. So when He says, “having loved his own,” He's only talking about those who come from God, those who belong to God. He's only talking about the wheat and the sheep. (Joh.15:19) If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. God did not choose the world; He chose us out of the world. In effect, that means God chose not to choose the rest of the world. The Bible says God hates all workers of iniquity: (Psa.5:5) The arrogant shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Jesus told us, (Joh.14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. So, again, we see the love of the Father is shown only to those who love Jesus. Another verse, where the wisdom of God is speaking, says the same thing: (Pro.8:17) I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. The Bible says three times in the New Testament that Jesus is the wisdom of God (Luke 11:49; 1 Corinthians 1:24,30). There is a condition to the manifestation of God's love. I say “manifestation” because God loved us before we were. God loved Jacob before he was born. God loved him even before he had done anything because it's not by works, it's by election. (Rom.5:8) But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God wanted to show us His love in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God, who sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 41:4), loved us for what He knew He was going to create in us from before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:28-30). God loved the end creation that He saw by faith. His love is manifested for those who walk according to His commandments because they love Christ “God commended His own love toward us....” Who is He talking to here? (Rom.1:7) To all that are in Rome (You might think that he's addressing everybody in Rome, but he goes on to qualify this.), beloved of God, called [to be] saints.... That's very, very conditional. He's talking to those who are beloved of God and called “saints.” (Rom.1:7) To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you (The only people who receive grace are the people who are beloved of God, called “saints.”) and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God didn't give grace to anyone else. The Lord promised salvation to those who were in Christ from the foundation of the world because Christ died for us. People always say, “Well, Christ died for the world.” No, the Bible says that Christ died “for whosoever will” (Mark 8:34; Revelation 22:17). God is the one who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5,11; Philippians 2:13), and “whosoever will” is only those who have the gift from Father of being drawn to Christ. (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. They're the ones who have the will. So, it is to “whosoever will” but, specifically, Christ died for us and for everyone in the world who is the called of God. They're the ones who are invited to partake of Christ. (Joh.14:22) Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Why would He want to manifest Himself to these and not to the world? It's because He's very particular; He's revealing Himself only to God's chosen. (23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. And in the next chapter it says in (15:10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. So the manifestation of God's love is for those who are obedient and who walk in Christ. And the manifestation of God's love by faith is for those who have not yet come to Christ, but will come to Him because Jesus said, (Joh.6:37) All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. God loves them, not for what they are now, but for what they will be when they do come to Christ and walk in obedience to Him. Now I want you to look at this next verse again because people like to claim it for just anybody who says they're a Christian. (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. But people don't go on to consider the next verse. (29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. The promise is to work “all things together for good,” and is made to those who love God and we know who loves God because Jesus told us those who keep His commandments are those who love Him. Those who walk by faith are empowered to obey. I'm not saying that they don't ever fail; I'm saying they are able to walk into obedience, getting closer and closer to God, because they walk by faith. We know that power comes from God because of faith (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Peter 1:5). So Romans 8:28 is talking about those “whom he foreknew.” They are the ones He predestined to come into the image of His Son, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. Everything is going to work together for their good; even chastening and the curse work together for the good of those who are called of God to come into the image of His Son. In the prophecy given to Joseph, the husband of Mary, it said, (Mat.1:21) And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. The only ones who are saved from their sins are the ones who are already His people. Only sinners can be saved. They are His people by election, not by manifestation.

Message from Rory Nichols on January 25, 2026

Ecc 7:9  Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.

Ecc 7:8  The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

Ecc 7:6  For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility.

Ecc 7:7  For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart.

Ecc 7:5  It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

ECC 2012 10-31-12 Wed PM “Ministry That Will Match The Time” Rev. Ron Tiller  Ephesians 4:11-15, Luke 6:6-10You can contact us at https://fpcdurham.org

Ecc 7:4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

Ecc 7:2  It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. 

Ecc 7:7  For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart.

Life is Confusing: The first ~5-10 minutes of this recording are missing due to a technical issue. The written notes from the first portion of the lesson are included below:Intro:-       Tonight, being journey into OT, into Ecclesiastes, part of the wisdom literature. Meant to teach us how to live well in this world.o   But this world, this life is confusing as heck. -    Your young adult years are a keypivot point in life—somewhere between the hopeful ideals of youth and quittingon dreams. o   Finding ideal spouse, enjoying satisfying work, being healthy, having good community, knowing spiritual gifts, leaving poverty cycles behind, and therefore, finallybeing happy inside. o   Instead found: singleness/marital struggles, dead end work that slowly kills you, losing your health, feeling alone, wondering if you have any purpose in life or church, still struggling to make ends meet, continuing as sad. -       My question to you: do youthink that that gets better naturally as you get older?o   Ecc. 12: NO! The dark days are ahead, no pleasure in them.o   Desire to avoid being crochety, cynical old people—but do you think they wanted tobecome that? Most do. o  Why think that is? Think of someone who is older upbeat, full of life/purpose—describe and why different?

Ecc 7:1  A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

Ecc 6:11  For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?Ecc 6:12  For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

Adoption: Neither Rejection Nor Abandonment Could Stop God’s Adoption Plan Introduction The Lies We've Let Ourselves Believe The Phrases of Abandonment and Rejection i.      “I’m not good enough and I need to be perfect or successful to be worthy of love.” ii.      “Everyone secretly hates me and no one wants me around.” iii.      “My emotions are too big to control, so I’m consumed by my anger and rage.” iv.      “I should feel shame and fear [about my life or life experiences].” v.      “I need to medicate the deep internal isolation/rejection I feel with [a physical stimulus].” vi.      “I have no worth beyond what I can provide.” vii.      “I’m a victim to circumstances I can’t escape.” viii.      “I cannot find rest in this world.” ix.      “No one else will ever understand me or what I’m going through.” x.      “I’m in competition with other people; there’s not ‘enough’ for all of us.” What We Say About Ourselves Matters i.      Key Scripture: Proverbs 18:21 [MSG] ii.      There's an enemy on the prowl 1.      1 Peter 5:8 2.      John 10:10 iii.      There’s an enemy on the prowl; he is looking to steal, kill, and destroy, but he has no real power over you. His time and power are limited and he’s looking for you to let him in. Your words can be his way in. iv.      Book Recommendation: Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left out, and Lonely by Lysa Terkeurst v.      We have to confront the lies we have allowed ourselves to believe. Jesus did not redeem you so that you can still be stuck believing that your temporary circumstances still define who you are. BUT GOD! Key Scripture: Ephesians 1:5 The Details of Adoption i.      Greek word transliterated into “huiothesia.” ii.      Huiothesia is derived from two Greek words: “huios” meaning “son” and “tithemi” meaning “to place, put, or set.” iii.      Huiothesia literally translates to “placing as a son.” iv.      Additional Scriptures where huiothesia is used: Romans             8:15, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:4, Galatians 4:5 New Testament View on Adoption i.      Roman adoption was almost always something that happened to an adult, not a child Key point: You belonging, your adoption into a new family, was always the plan. Scripture vs. The Lies We Believe Lie: “I’m not good enough and I need to be perfect or successful to be worthy of love” i.      Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 ii.      Key point: You've already been called a masterpiece; the worth is already there. Lie: “Everyone secretly hates me and no one wants me around.” i.      Scripture: Psalm 139:14 ii.      Key point: How can someone shaped by God Himself not be wanted? This is a voice that’s meant to draw you into isolation, don’t follow it… Lie: “My emotions are too big to control, so I’m consumed by my anger and rage.” i.      Scriptures: Romans 12:21; Galatians 5:16, 19-21 ii.      Key point: Hey, all emotions are valid, all behavior is not. The Spirit of the LORD can and will help you not be consumed by your emotions. Lie: “I should feel shame and fear [about my life or life experiences]” i.      Scriptures: Romans 8:33-34; 2 Timothy 1:7 ii.      Key point: It’s okay to leave behind fear and shame. Lie: “I need to medicate the deep internal isolation/rejection I feel with [a physical stimulus].” i.      Scripture: Colossians 2:10 ii.      Key point: You can't find the healing and fulfillment you're craving anywhere else. Every “solution” will be temporary (yes, even healthy ones) when they’re not paired with Christ. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us and this is where healing actually begins. Lie: “I have no worth beyond what I can provide.” i.      Scripture: Romans 5:6-8(MSG) ii.      Key point: We, you and I both, had nothing to offer God. No skill, no talent, no resource, no activity He was interested in, no nothing. He thought and thinks you’re valuable in spite of that detail. We don’t need to beg for “scraps of His love” by presenting Him with our accomplishments, you already are loved and therefore have worth. Additionally, in relationships sometimes you will be the one giving help and other times you'll be the one receiving it, but both times you still have the same worth! Lie: “I’m a victim of circumstances I can’t escape.” i.      Scriptures: Psalm 71:20; 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ii.      Key point: Your suffering hasn’t gone unnoticed and while it can fool you into believing there is no escape, you are not destroyed. Turn your eyes towards God who has created an escape for you, so that with Him you may be able to bear. Lie: “I cannot find rest in this world.” i.      Scriptures: Isaiah 40:30-31(NKJV); Matthew 11:28 ii.      Key point: I want to point out that to grow weary is not a fault of yours; it’s not some defect exclusive to you…it’s okay to be tired. Even the youths get tired, but here’s the Good News: the wait is over. There’s a lighter burden available, but we need to see it in the spiritual. However, there is a choice to be made: we must choose to come. Lie: “No one else will ever understand me or what I’m going through.” i.      Scriptures: Psalm 139:1-2; John 15:18; Hebrews 12:3 ii.      Key point: Please excuse my sense of humor, but you’re not that special…There’s nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1:9); suffering is not unique to you, it's the human condition. The LORD knows everything about you AND our suffering Savior knows exactly how you feel. You’re not crying out to someone who isn’t empathetic. His innocence met hostility and mistreatment, it’s not an experience unique to you…let Him comfort you. Lie: “I’m in competition with other people; there’s not ‘enough’ for all of us.” i.      Key point: Maybe this isn’t one you’ve said out loud or even admitted to yourself, but I wonder if it has shown up in your behavior. Desperate for acceptance and successful relationships we begin to act out of scarcity. Seeing the success of others begins to make you feel like there’s now somehow less success available for you. The success of their relationship means there is now less opportunity for you. Now suddenly you’re in secret competition with the people you should be praying for. A scarcity mindset is unbelief and comparison kills joy. Be the best YOU because that's who God made you! ii.      Scripture: 1st the admonishment — James 3:14-15 iii.      Scripture: 2nd the truth – 2 Corinthians 9:8 iv.      Scripture: 3rd the requirement – Philippians 2:4 v.      There is a God who is big enough to see and provide for all of us and any statement otherwise is a lie from the pit of hell. Still Room for Improvement Key Scripture: Romans 8:1 Am I Part of the Problem? i.      Understanding your identity as a child of God doesn't mean you just become a perfect person. Wearing a Kingdom identity well requires us to do some work. ii.      An Illustration from King David 1.      Innocent David a.       Scriptures: 1 Samuel 18:28-29; 19:1-5, 9 2.      Not so innocent David a.       Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:1-9 3.      Two things can be true at once: 1) we can be innocent and be mistreated and 2) we can behave in ways that produce negative outcomes. We need to be aware of both. 4.      Trauma shaped identities can cause turmoil in our relationships and result in people not wanting to be around us. This is not persecution; it’s the direct consequence of our undesirable behavior. Fooled By Our Sin Nature i.      “God made me like this.” With love, He didn't. ii.      Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24 1.      God can (and will) reveal to us the parts of our identities that we have taken on that are not from Him. Sin has distorted our standard of right and wrong; this means it’s not safe for us to rely solely on our own thoughts. iii.      Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5 1.      Genuine faith should produce obedience and faith and obedience produces Christ-like behavior. 2.      We must repent, turn away from, and make amends when our behaviors cause harm or else we will never maintain and experience the fullness of relationship with others and this is a detriment to our spiritual family and our Kingdom assignment. Conclusion: Taking on a New Identity Key scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 i.      There is no need to identify ourselves by our hurts, struggles, or failures. There is a more important title for you: An heir to the Kingdom of God. Here’s another one: Beloved Child of God. ii.      It has always been God’s pIan to welcome you home to Him. Please put on and live out your proper identity, the Kingdom needs its workers. Closing Scripture: John 1:12-13

Ecc 6:10  Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

Send us a textThis is the ninth in our series of episodes on D2 Lacrosse Conference Previews for the upcoming season. This week, Danny and I give a rundown on the state of play in the ECC. This  is a historic conference in D2 that could be seeing a changing of the guard. Listen in and and hear the latest.If you like what we are doing, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and help us spread the word of the great things happening in D2 Men's Lacrosse! Go to our website: www.inthecreaselacrossepod.com Follow us at: Instagram: @in_the_crease_d2_lax Facebook: In the Crease with Danny and Kevin Twitter: @D2_Lax_podcast

Ecc 6:9  What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.

Ecc 6:8  For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?

Nation-states are already harvesting your encrypted data, betting they'll crack it when quantum computers mature. It's happening now. In CXOTalk episode 904, Anand Oswal, Executive Vice President of Network Security at Palo Alto Networks, explains what business leaders need to understand about quantum security and how to address it. The impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity will be huge.Key timelines discussed:-- Cryptographically relevant quantum computers expected by end of this decade-- RSA and ECC algorithms deprecated by 2030, disallowed by 2035-- Enterprise cryptographic migrations typically take 5-10 years

Ecc 6:7  All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.

Ecc 6:3  If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he,Ecc 6:4  for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.Ecc 6:5  "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.Ecc 6:6  "Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?"

Ecc 3:11. There are many who doubt the existence of God. Although intelligent design is everywhere in our universe, the secular world fails to see God. The Bible points out things that should enchant us. In this study, Evangelist Tim Copeland examines some things that should enchant us about God.

Ecc 3 We all have the same amount of time - rich or poor, great or small. It is a commodity that is finite and how we use it will have eternal consequences. How do you use your time? Do you believe that God cares how you use your time? As we approach a new year, we consider those questions as we take a brief look at King Solomon's words of wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes.

WWIII Begins End of 2025 (1) (audio) David Eells, 12/28/25 Allison Pound 7/31/25 (Davids notes in red) The Lord began to speak to me about what He is doing and what is to come: Be not afraid of what I Am doing in the earth dear one. Draw near to Me. Though none go with you, run to Me. Come right up under My Wings. Just as I tell you in My Word. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High Psalm 91 is in play. I have begun to speak to My prophets about this year of 2025. I have only just begun to say what I want to say. If you will sit with Me, I will tell you much, much more. And you will tell the people. This is how I want it. Remain in My Presence. Write all that I tell you. 2030 is a year I have not spoken to you about. But I have to some. I will tell you about 2030. This is just 5 years away from where you are now. I assure you that you will still be here, on earth, in that year. (That time is pointed out because it brings us to the mark of the beast that most think they will rapture before.) Remember, you are still in the labour pains, pre-tribulation. You shall still be here. And beyond a little while. (Past 2030 to the end of the tribulation.) Yes, I know many are expecting to be raptured this year in September. Or any day before or soon after. They are foolish. I have not told them the day or the hour of My return. And I will not. But as time goes on, the wise who have prepared themselves to endure the tribulation will come to know when to expect Me. They will have this knowing in their spirit. It will build to a climactic point. The wise also know at what time of year to expect Me. This is why My feast days are so important. They teach My beloved to watch, to set a watchman. It will be important to know the time and date in the coming days because the moon and the sun will be dimmed at some point. (Because of war, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.)  It will not be easy to tell by simply looking up. Darkness and thick clouds on the Day of the Lord. Remember My word says this. (There is a Day of the Lord at the end of the Brides tribulation just as there is at the end of the Churches tribulation. If you do not know the difference read Song of Soloman and Esther, which are parables.) I will not set aside My Word and come on a day that is not an appointed feast. Why would I do that? I Am the Lord. My Word and I are one. The World War will begin to get into full swing at the end of this year of 2025. (At the end of the brides tribulation and beginning of the Man-childs reign and Churches tribulation.) Christmas in Europe will not be a happy time. I will have the middle to the northeast of Europe out in the streets this Christmas. (Their paranoia is pushed by the left and NATO that Russia is prepared to attack while their DS Kazarians are the ones trying to make this war happen because they think the U.S. will be forced in on their side. Ukraine and Russia are still bombing each other and taking down ships and oil tankers that belong to other nations. Are we not becoming ripe for a WW? It will not be stopped but pray for good to happen, which I will explain.) (This is Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Czechia) (Will it spread? It appears we are at the time of the Man-child ministries anointing. What happens just after that? Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. (This is Jesus in the Man-child reformers, whose prophetic words and actions will conquer the  World.) 3  And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4  And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. This is a World War. Pray!) Bombs will fall in countries that do not expect war. (Because their DS Kazarian leadership must die; they are a part of Babylon.) No bombs will fall in America. (Because America will not effectually join with NATO to defend their DS Kazarians who will be bundled by the angels as tares to be burned. It is understood that the Europeans and Scandinavians are not our or the Russians enemies; their leadership is.) That (bombing of America) will happen after the WW. (To take down our own bundled tares.) I want you to see the order of things. Something many dont know is that the main forces of the Alliance of Nations headed by Cyrus/Trump are the U.S., Russia, and China. These are held together by NESARA/GESARA dividing up the money taken from the DS Kazarian leadership who rules NATO and its nations. Our old alliance with NATO to defend Europe from the Russians is flimsy at best. Although we dont flaunt it, we have more in common with the Russians, which have also been at war with the DS Kazarians for many years. So, these satanists want a war between U.S. and Russia to take out their strongest enemies. Initially, I dont believe this will happen but later it will.) There has, historically, been an agreement of no bombs (ceasefire), no war on Christmas day, yet this will no longer be the case anymore. (It appeared Russia and Ukraine continued without ceasefire. The Ukrainian Nazis will be conquered by Russia because the people are theirs.) Peace is being taken from the earth. I do not like Christmas. I abhor the practice. I Am making an example of Christmas. This is a purely pagan practice in some of the countries of Europe. I Am targeting these places. I want you to know that there are goat nations and there are sheep nations. I Am causing a separation. Those who want to be sheep will have to leave the goat nations because they will not be safe places for My people to reside. There is going to be a great migration of peoples. The turmoil of this WW will irrevocably affect the whole earth. It will change all the nations. Some nations will not be able to cope or accommodate the people arriving there looking for a safe place to reside. There will be much finger-pointing. (Islaam, as usual, will turn against the nations who are taking them in.) Australia, which has been criticized much for the boat people fiasco, will open its arms and welcome war refugees. But there will be a cut-off point, where leaders will say they can accommodate no more. This will be an overwhelming time for many and it begins at the end of this year of 2025. Safety will be found personally in those who abide in Christs Word. Psa 91:1-16 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. 11 For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation. Joel 2:1 Blow the rams horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come. Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Zephaniah 1:14 The great Day of the LORD is nearnear and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.   We are Now in that Season Where Everything Will Change  Alison Pound- 6/11/25 (Davids notes in red) Tuesday 3rd June 2025 This is to be a year like no other. Many things shall come to pass. Most of them judgment events. The World War will begin in earnest. Europe, all of Europe, will be drawn into this war. As I told you, the French President will draw France into the war. Putin will continue his conquest of lands unabated. (In effect he will liberate nations from the satanic DS Kazarian leadership.) This is why all of Europe will be drawn into the war. Then other nations on other continents will come into the war, sending troops etc. By the end of this year, the world will be a very different place. Much will happen in this second half of 2025. (And even more in 2026.) I want you to understand one thing clearly. When war breaks out later this year, this is not the beginning of the great tribulation. I have told you what kicks off the tribulation. I Am not pleased with what some are saying, leading My flock astray on this matter. Especially those saying the tribulation is behind us. The foolishness I Am seeing in My people is to be stopped. It will be stopped when they are dropped right into the middle of tribulation events. Monday 9th June 2025 Remember what I told you those things you have been awaiting to come to pass, time is speeding up. You will not be waiting long, as you waited 10 years ago. I will speak to you now and say it is time. And it will come to pass. Perhaps in the very day I tell you that it is time. Or it will be weeks, of 7 days rather than months and years. There is no time for months and years now , I will no longer allow matters to resolve over lengthy time spans. I Am bringing all things quickly to pass, quickly to a head. My judgments are in the earth now. This is the time of the end. All things come to pass. In a short span of time, they come to pass. This is why I say to you, do not be afraid. Because you are going to see some things come to pass very shortly. We are there. It is time. Tuesday 10th June 2025 Today is the day. I have spoken and it shall come to pass. This is how it shall be in these days at the end of all things. I will speak to My prophets, My true obedient prophets and say today is the day, and when they speak My words out, they shall come to pass instantly, on that very day when I say today is the day. I have told My prophets that everything is about to change. I have been telling them this, I have been telling you this, dear one, for many months, even many years. We are now in that season, at the end of all time, when everything will change. The landscape, the people, everything. We go from peace to war, from quiet streets to riots in the streets. In America, this will not be in LA only, but riots will be started, they will be organized in many of the cities across America. (This is being fomented by the DS Kazarians.)  This is just the beginning of the riots. Remember, civil war will break out. This is just the beginning. All of the above is taken directly from my journal. These are Gods words, written down as He spoke them to me. They are not my thoughts. If anyone has difficulty digesting them, I recommend going to your prayer closet and waiting there for Him. Humble yourself. Leave your own desires and personal beliefs outside. They will block you from hearing His voice. Confess your sins. Repent. You will not hear from the Lord if you do not. There is a right way and a wrong way to approach the Throne of Grace. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.   War Has Begun Alison Pound - Australia -6/25/25 (Davids notes in red) While I was preparing to publish this, the Lord reminded me of that time when I began hearing military march tunes in my head. It went on for days until Anzac Day, 25th April 2019, when I finally asked the Lord about it: He said: Get ready, America, for war! Get ready to hear military marches, to see military parades, for shows of strength and power from your nation. Prepare to see posturing of such a magnitude you will almost laugh if it were not so very terrifying. For America goes to war. But I Am not with her. I am not with this nation. I have shut the book on this place. For Babylon is fallen. (She is both secular and religious and both are fallen.) She has become the place of crying wolves. Desolation, desolation is upon her. Weep and wail and mourn, you who know what is coming. Anzac Day specifically commemorates the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli in 1915 during World War I.    WAR HAS BEGUN Monday 23rd June 2025 I woke to news headlines this morning: Donald Trump says Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire. (It happened) Apparently, the bombing Mr. Trump ordered his air force to carry out has brought about peace! He promotes himself as a peacemaker. He says!, God bless Iran, Israel, America, and the whole world. Which is NOT AT ALL WHAT THE LORD SAID to me when He woke me in the night! While you have slept, in that short time, much has happened. The Straight of Hormuz has been closed. More bombs have been dropped. War has begun. The war that will take the whole earth to war has begun. These are the final days before I return. Nothing will ever be the same again. But do not think that this is The Tribulation! We are not quite there yet. First, this war between Israel and Iran. (It happened) And now America. Then more nations will come in. Egypt will come out in support of Iran. Britain will come out in support of Israel. And so it will grow. The nations will pick sides. Things will heat up in the Ukraine also. Remember I told you that France will be pulled into the war by their President. And then there is America. America, the brave. With their oh so brave and bold leader. He has put his nation to war and painted a target on himself and the nation. You will not have long to wait, to see My Words fulfilled. Because time is so very short now. Much, much will happen this second half of the year. And there will be cities that are not recognizable, bombed into oblivion. Yes, I speak of Tel Aviv and Tehran. (This happened) And then will come the shot to the head. (This happened) Keep watching dear one. Australia will send troops to war at the end of this year. Britain, the US and France also. There will be patrolling of your coastlines and you will hear more from your air base here. Not test flights anymore but surveillance. Tuesday 24th June 2025 I Am the Lord your God. There is none beside Me. My Son shed His blood for all mankind. He paid the debt of sin. That heavy weight which was upon the whole earth. And still, mankind rejects My offer of Salvation. War! The drums of war are sounding. Mankind wants to wage war. There is hatred and distrust. There is pride and arrogance. There is fear. And all manner of wickedness at work. The hour is late. I Am coming to make recompense. Before I come, the world will go to war. The cup of iniquity must be filled before I can come and make recompense. Because it is written. And all of My Word shall/must be fulfilled. And so, the season you are entering is the season of war. The red horse has ridden across the earth. Peace has been taken from the earth. Whatever nations that have been at peace will no longer feel at peace. All nations will be on alert. People who never had to watch their back before will be watching their back. The news reports and all media will be full of war talk, speculations, fear mongering, false reports. War will dominate the headlines. And very shortly, all eyes will be on America. The eyes of the Arab world, the muslim world, the eyes of Russia, of China. Canada will be watching. Germany will be watching. The Governments of the nations will be paying special attention to America, to their claims, and to their actions. In the end, no one will come to her aid. And she will desperately need aid. In the time to come, America will be under attack from within and from without. And none will come to her aid. Revelation 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. NOTE: When God speaks, He will say a thing is done. Whilst we may see nothing happening, when God speaks, it IS done, it has happened. Because God lives outside of time, He sees the end from the beginning. We must wait for His Words to manifest here on the earth. Some of you may say the Straight of Hormuz is not closed, that there is an agreement to a ceasefire. But wait, watch. If God says that War has begun, it surely has. Watch, wait and pray. Put all fear of man out! Pray for your families and loved ones that their eyes be opened to see Gods purposes and get in line with Him. His ways are higher than man's. Draw nearer to the Throne of Grace.   The Drums of War and the Decline of Nations  Alison Pound 12/14/25 (Davids notes in red) Babylon will fall. I Am the Lord. This is the time of the end. It is time for Babylon to fall. The earth will wage war. War will erupt, like a volcano erupting. What is happening now is nothing compared to what will shortly happen upon this earth. I have told you that Mr. Putin will not stop his incursion. He will advance. He will cross into other countries. And I will allow him. I Am giving him favour to conquer. For a short while. I understand that this is distressing. But these are My Ways. My purposes. The enemy is under My control. I can snuff him out in a moment, in a milli second. But My purposes, My ways are not your ways. Everything written in My Word shall come to pass. There is a time for everything, every season under heaven. And there is a reason for everything to exist, to be born, to die. All of this is not for nothing. Britain will decline. She will continue to decline until she is no more. Prince Charles, who became King Charles, he will be gone. His son William will not reign, but rather he will decline along with Britain. This is the nation that gave birth to America. Her wickedness is known. She will fizzle out. Like a candle, the wick has burned down and is ready to snuff out. Time is up for Britain. She who birthed America will watch her die and be snuffed out herself. The House of Windsor is finished. The Royal line is finished. I Am finishing it. (They were a root of the DS Kazarian empire.) The succession of wickedness , the flow of wealth, I Am finishing it all. I Am exposing all that they are. These people are the filthy scum of the earth. Andrew (former Prince) is only the beginning. Bosnia Herzegovina will not survive as a nation. War, war is coming. The earth will be overtaken by war. Christmas this year of 2025 will be a very uncertain time across the whole earth. Putin will cross into Poland. (It happened by air) I have told you. He will not stop. Poland is next. Peace will not reign in Israel. Gaza will not be at peace. Trump, the peacemaker, will be exposed. He is a liar. (Lies will be told concerning the true nature and allies of this war. His plan to make peace for Gaza will not come to pass.) He is like his father. (So, are we all until we are born of God? Cyrus, like Trump, wasnt a Jew or Christian. But God used both of these men to deliver the people from the Babylonian beast.) Before the year is out, the drums of war will be heard. They will be louder. And who will come to the aid of those countries being threatened by Putin and Russia, the mighty bear? Certainly not Britain. She is in decline. It will not be like WWII. The United Nations is not really united. The NWO is coming down. (through this war) The plan was laid out long ago. The system of the beast. (And believe it or not; each beast is succeeded by the next beast. Babylon was conquered by Cyrus of Medo-Persia.)   Unstoppable LaTonya Canada Christ- 12/24/25 (Davids notes in red) youtu.be/CAQAMoGGp8k I will begin todays prophetic message with Isaiah 26:20-21: Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will also disclose her blood and will no more cover her slain. (From the same text we see: Isa 26:10  Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.)  Over the past two months, the Lord has instructed our group to get tucked away and to brace ourselves in the Word and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, increasing our time praying in the Holy Ghost. As Jude 20 says: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. The Lord gave me a night vision that connected with a dream I had years earlier. I will first share the recent vision. I was in an earthquake that would not stop shaking. This was in Los Angeles, California. The people I saw anxiously waited with anticipation for the shaking to stop, but it did not. It continued for an extended period of time. The people were terrifiedshaken to their core. (I believe the plate/craton in the U.S. is sliding towards the west coast, and faster with the breaking of the New Madrid, which we were shown would be the time of the Man-child bodies anointing. A confirmation.) It was as though I could see different individuals in various parts of the city. Each person appeared to be wondering what was happening, what to do, and when it would stop. Their faces seemed to be silently asking, What is going on? After some time, everyone came to the same conclusion: evacuate as quickly as possible. At that point, the vision transitioned into a portion of an earlier dream, which I will now share. My family and I were having a reunion. We were sitting in lawn chairs on a golf course. It was lush, green, and beautifulvery vibranton a sunny day. We were talking, and the children were playing. Suddenly, we heard a loud noise. A vehicle crashed about 25 feet away from us. We all noticed it, then returned to our conversations and relaxed again. A short time later, it happened againthis time, a truck. It landed closer, about 15 feet away. We looked at it, wondering what was going on, but again we sat back down and continued talking. Then it happened a third time. This time it was a race car, red in color. It flew in the same way but came extremely closewithin a foot or two of where we were sitting. Everyone scrambled in alarm. The next scene I saw, which the Lord connected in this vision, was a U-Haul truck. All of us were throwing clothes, belongings, and whatever we could into it as fast as possible in order to move out. That was how the vision ended, and then I woke up. This prophetic dream is a follow-up to the Lords judgments against California for its continued, flagrant, and abominable sins that have reached to the heavens. Prophets around the world were given numerous messages concerning earthquakes in California. In recent weeks, even secular media have begun warning residents of the West Coastbut not with urgency or a call to evacuate. Rather, it has been presented in a casual, nonchalant, and inconsequential manner. I have personally experienced several earthquakes in my life, and this vision was especially heart-stopping because the shaking never stopped. Anyone who has been in an earthquake knows that it usually lasts seconds to a minute or so, and you wait for the ground to stop shaking so life can return to normal. During those moments, people often feel frozenlike a deer in headlightsmotionless and dumbfounded. That is exactly how the people appeared in this vision. At another time, the Lord gave me a message for a resident of California. I will read portions of what was given: Thus says the Lord: The hour is latevery late indeed. I want your yes without hesitation, regardless of who goes with you. I am judging the nation of California, a Sodom nation. There are no two ways about it. One cannot serve two masters. He will either love the one and hate the other, or love the other and hate the first. Time is very short. I have given this vessel a set period of time for her family to extract themselves from California. It is only a short distance away, but I know I am asking for everythingyour entire life. I mean what I say. Move away from California. She is doomed, and I want you to win. Hurry. It is God alone. As I was concluding this correspondence, the Lord instructed me further: there must be repentance. Those who wish to come must leave sinful lifestyles behind and depart from California. God is a good Father. Many earthly fathers have gone missing, but people often do not want God the way He truly isprotective, corrective, and authoritatively loving. God receives much criticism, yet many people desire Santa Claus rather than Jesus Christ as Savior. God will be vindicated in His judgments when all the books are opened. Psalm 19:9 says: The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. It is the Lords mercy to warn, to wait, and to hold back correction, giving opportunity to repent. Ezekiel 33:11 tells us that the Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. However, to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. This prophetic dream is titled Unstoppable. Once again: Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment until the indignation is passed. Get into the ark of safetyJesus Christand away from the West Coast. The Lord has a controversy with the nation of California. May the Lord bless you.   Great Quake & Tsunami Shirley Hinkle - 9/1/2006 (David's notes in red) Word given on 9/1/2006 - Do You Trust Me? It's with a heavy heart that I write this. God has spoken into my heart again that the day is coming very quickly of a massive earthquake that will cause a great, massive tsunami. There is going to be massive destruction; no place to bury the dead. He said to me again, It's Time! Out of death will come resurrection life! (Resurrection life as a revival comes, more or less, after every catastrophe like this.) We will be surrounded by death and destruction, but it will not come nigh unto us if we dwell in the secret place. Great fear will come, overwhelming even the strongest, but with this God will pour out His peace and His perfect love will come and cast out all fear. He has set us apart to be His voice in the last days. Those who have been obedient to come out from among them and be ye separate. When the flood of destruction comes, remember the words I have spoken in Isaiah 54. (This chapter emphasizes endurance in trial, protection and perfection.) A massive flood will sweep over the land and as in the natural so shall it be in the spiritual, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh! (This also came at the beginning and end of the Gospels. An outpouring of the Former Rain came to the Man-child, Jesus, at the beginning and to the saints at the end, symbolizing the Latter Rain coming before on the first-fruits and after the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation.) The judgment on this state, this nation, is to redeem fallen man, the backslidden church. It is to awake, stir, shake, and change His people! It is the end of all things as you know it; all shall be new. Even though you are reading the last chapters and the end of the book, it is really just the beginning. For I am the Beginning and the End... (Notice once again the Beginning and End are emphasized. He will come as the Latter Rain in the beginning to anoint the man-child ministry and at the end of 3 1/2 years to anoint those raised up by them. He will come after two days or 2000 years, on the morning of the third day or third thousand years. Hos 6:2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. He will begin the last 3 1/2 years with the mark of the Beast to separate the righteous from the wicked, the Latter Rain outpouring and judgment.) There is no time to eternity... Wow, what a thought. His Name will be glorified again. His Word will become flesh again through His Repentant Church! God will be Glorified! He is a Father to the fatherless, so when you can't reach out to man in this time, remember to call upon your Heavenly Father, and He will be an ever-present help in the time of trouble. As with Jesus when he was raised from the dead, the angel rolled the stone away and there was a great earthquake... again God is going to roll away the stone of death in the church, with an earthquake and resurrection life will come forth. Mat 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Jesus will reveal Himself again. Truth will be spoken from the pulpits and in the streets again. The church will repent and cry out for righteousness. She will hunger for His presence. He will be manna from heaven again to His people. Great darkness is here, but God in all of His Glory is going to shine upon His children. The Church, the True, Repentant, will Stand in these final days. We are to remain in the city... (of God) We are going to be endowed with power from on high. We are not going to run away in fear but STAND and be a witness to this final generation, in this final hour. It's Time, and the question He is asking all of us in this hour is... DO YOU TRUST ME?   Earthquakes and Gods Mercy David Eells We have shared warnings of Gods judgments we received from the Lord about earthquakes and other disasters. Because God is merciful and has heard the prayers and intercession for mankind, He is going to lessen the severity of the earthquakes and tsunamis that we know are still coming.   Huge Quakes Bring Man-child I believe there will begin a domino effect of earthquakes that travels across the U.S. and the world. Now we will look at the U.S. portion. I believe the DS has prepared the groundwork for this domino effect of quakes by fracking, tunneling and explosions, HARP, Military Tectonic Weapons, etc., under the U.S.. I believe we have learned that the Lord will use what they have done to make them guilty but He controls how and when and he will lessen the effects of the revelations given below. This threat is likely coming from the DS to cause the Alliance to back down but they are constantly arresting the DS, Kazazians and sooner or later they will take them all down. Either way the Lord said this judgment will happen for the sins of the people.   DS Scientists Conspire to Set Off Huge Earthquakes Sandy Shaw - 10/18/11 (Davids notes in red) I dreamed I was sitting and listening to a group of scientists argue, and they were talking over my head with their scientific words. Half of the scientists were arguing, We should not do that because we don't know what the ramifications of that are, nor do we know what chain reactions will take place. In the dream, I didn't know what that was referring to. The other half of the scientists begin arguing that they do know the outcome of that, as they have calculations and results from the previous times they have done it. One man from the group speaking against it interjected loudly with, Not of this magnitude. (Magnitude, of course, speaks of earthquakes. They set off a chain reaction of faults that all affect one another. Sandy Shaw and Rick Sergent had almost the same revelation that quakes would cross the US in a chain reaction. Eve Brast had a revelation that 7 big quakes would go around the world. I believe they would use a combination of HAARP, fracking, and their underground tunneling and explosions down those tunnels to connect faults, as they have already done. DS will use High Grade Military Tectonic Weapons; they would use their Tesla earthquake machines that we have heard they have underground.) Many scriptures, dreams, and visions speak of Jesus coming in the Man-child body of reformers at the time of large earthquakes crossing the US. From scripture, we see that history always repeats. Ecc 1:9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Jesus was the first New Testament Man-child Reformer, Who was a type for the coming Man-child body of reformers. Scripture shows that Jesus died with an earthquake and was risen to the throne with a great earthquake in three days. Jesus resurrection was also accompanied by the out resurrection of saints who appeared to the people. Php 3:11 if by any means I may attain unto the out-resurrection from the dead. (The Numeric pattern is in the original Greek words out-resurrection.) Isa 64:1-3 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence,(Gods presence is coming with quakes. He is coming in His Man-child body by Word and Spirit, as it was with Jesus, as time will surely tell. This will be a great judgment on the wicked of the U.S. and the world.), 2 that the nations may tremble at thy presence! (A great revival will spring from this. Many lost or apostate will turn to the Lord of the Bible.) 3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence. Psa 97:5 The mountains melted like wax (Volcanic activity follows earthquakes.) at the presence of Jehovah, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. I received this text that points out that when the Lord comes in spiritual Judah as the Man-child, the waters recede. Psa 114:1-8 When Israel went forth out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language; 2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3 The sea saw it, and fled; The Jordan was driven back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs. (The presence of the Lord will cause earthquakes and the sea to flee away.) 5 What aileth thee, O thou (Red) sea, that thou fleest? (Looks like an earthquake and tsunami at the beginning of the wilderness tribulation.) Thou Jordan, that thou turnest back? 6 Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams; Ye little hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters. I received this about a witness with a video showing the Gulf waters receding as far out as you could see out of Tampa Bay and Coral Bay and other areas for over 12 hours. (This is proof that God can do this. This was seen in areas of the world where there wasnt a hurricane, too, like it was at the Red Sea.) - HURRICANE IAN UPDATE - NO WATER AT THE COAST IN THE GULF OF MEXICO We will notice that the great shaking is accompanied by the coming of Jesus in the Man-child and the change of fortunes from the Egyptians for God's people as they go into the wilderness tribulation. It is all coming soon and we need to be ready. Hag2:7 and I will shake all nations; and the precious things (or desired) of all nations shall come (This is Jesus in the Man-child who is typed by Zerubbabel in this chapter, and He comes with the shaking.); and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts (As we have seen Cyrus conquered Babylon and freed Gods people giving a gift of Babylons gold and silver to rebuild the temple) 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place (The true house of God) will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts. This shaking of all nations happens at the birth of the Man-child ministry. It is only to happen once more since the time Paul wrote of it in Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him that warneth from heaven: 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven.) 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made (I.e., by man), that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (The Kingdom of heaven is where God rules and we submit.), let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: Back to Hag 2:3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing? (i.e. The Church, the house of God, is a fake mess because it has departed from His Word.) 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel (meaning: born from Babylon which represents the first fruits Man-child leadership to come out of apostasy to rebuild the Kingdom), saith Jehovah; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith Jehovah, and work: for I am with you, saith Jehovah of hosts, 5 according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt (through the Red Sea where the wicked were judged), and my Spirit abode among you: fear ye not. 6 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations (As we saw this was also spoken of by Paul in Heb 12:25-29 as the great shaking that separated those manmade kingdoms who could be shaken from those who could not for they are in the Kingdom of God.); and the precious [things] (desired) of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. (This is the glory of the Lord's presence in the rebuilt temple of Gods people) 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts. (Cyrus/ Trumps gift, which is happening now.) 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, (Because the Latter Rain is greater than the Former Rain) saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts... 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; 22 and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms (The Deep State Kazarian throne in all the nations is falling now); and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; (The beast army is destroyed as at the Red Sea), every one by the sword of his brother (As when the nations came against Jerusalem, the Bride, and were divided against each other.). 23 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts. (A signet is a sign of Authority such as Mordecai and Joseph received as types of the Man-child body.) (I am convinced that we must be entitled to the Passover of this judgment, which was paid for by Jesus, when it does come. Make sure your heart is right with God and your brethren by abiding in Jesus Christ. But as we have heard, God is going to have mercy because it was asked of Him.)

Ecc 6:1  There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity.

Ecc 5:19  And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.

Ecc 5:18  Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.

Ecc 5:17  Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.

Ecc 5:15  We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can't take our riches with us.Ecc 5:16  And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind.

Ecc 5:12  People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night's sleep. 

Ecc 5:10  Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

Ecc 5:15  We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can't take our riches with us.Ecc 5:16  And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind.

Ecc 5:6  Don't let your mouth make you sin. And don't defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.Ecc 5:7  Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead. 

Ecc 5:8  Don't be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy.

The Chopping Block unpacks crypto's DATpocalypse — NAVs collapsing, volumes drying up, and consolidation on the horizon. Plus: Vitalik sparks a wave of quantum panic, what Q-Day really means for Bitcoin and smart-contract chains, and why “qubits per share” might become the next great crypto meme. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This episode opens with the DATpocalypse: almost every DAT is now below NAV, volumes have collapsed outside Bitmine and MicroStrategy, and the market is finally confronting what happens when issuances outrun demand. We get into consolidation talk, preferred-share experiments, capital-structure pivots, and whether any DAT should actually be selling crypto to buy back shares at a discount. Then we shift into quantum mania. Vitalik's “2028” comment lit up Q-Day fears, and we separate genuine hardware progress from pure panic. We discuss why post-quantum upgrades are simple for Bitcoin but brutal for stateful chains, and how hype alone could trigger a wave of “quantum-resistant” speculation. And yes — the running gag: DATs using quantum machines to steal Satoshi's coins. Tough markets, weird narratives, and institutions quietly holding the line. Let's get into it. Show highlights

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Daemen University head coach Mike McDonald joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on coaching backwards with success.A fixture in the college basketball coaching fraternity, Mike MacDonald is entering his 29th season as a collegiate head coach. He was named the ECC, NABC District and BCANY Division II Coach of the Year last season after leading Daemen to a 28-1 record. He was also the recipient of the Clarence "Big House" Gaines Award given to the top coach in all of Division II basketball by collegeinsiders.com. MacDonald has led Daemen to a 232-84 record over his first 11 seasons, including eight 20-win seasons and five NCAA tournament berths. He enters the regular season just 11 wins shy of 500 for his career.Mike MacDonald has led Daemen University through one of the most successful stretches in program history. Under his leadership, Daemen has emerged as a power in the NCAA Division II. The Wildcats are coming off the most successful season in program history when they posted a 28-1 overall record, won the ECC regular season and tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the fifth time. Daemen rattled off 28 straight victories to start the season, earning the distinction of being the last remaining unbeaten team across all three levels of NCAA basketball. Along the way, they ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll for the first time in program history.With previous stops at Canisius University and Medaille University, MacDonald has worked across all three NCAA divisions. Before arriving at Daemen University, Mike MacDonald spent eight transformative years as head coach at Medaille College (2006–2014), where he turned a struggling NCAA Division III program into a regional powerhouse. Inheriting a team that had gone just 4–46 over the previous two seasons, MacDonald led the Mavericks to an average of 18 wins per year and six postseason appearances. His final five seasons were especially dominant—Medaille recorded 101 wins, the most of any Division III program in New York State during that span, and ranked 17th nationally in total victories. He was named Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year four times and left as the school's all-time leader in wins (149) and winning percentage (.671).Prior to Medaille, MacDonald spent 18 years at Canisius College, including nine seasons as head coach (1997–2006), where he guided the Golden Griffins to 108 wins and earned BCANY Division I Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2000–01. He also served as a longtime assistant at Canisius, helping the program reach the NCAA Tournament and two NIT appearances under head coach John Beilein.