Podcasts about eccl

Welcome to Day 2651 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “The Unseen Realm: God and the Gods” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2651 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2651 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we begin a new focus on this 2nd of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book Supernatural, written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor, the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter two: ‘The Unseen Realm: God and the Gods.' People are fascinated by the supernatural and the superhuman. Just think about the entertainment industry in recent years. Thousands of books, television shows, and movies from the past decade have explored themes such as angels, aliens, monsters, demons, ghosts, witches, magic, vampires, werewolves, and superheroes. Many of Hollywood's blockbuster franchises feature the supernatural: the X-Men, the Avengers, the Harry Potter series, Superman, and the Twilight Saga. Television shows like Fringe, and, of course, Supernatural and The X-Files, have dedicated followings even long after filming new episodes ends. And really, haven't these things always been popular—in tales, in books, in art? Why? One answer is that they're an escape from the ordinary. They offer us a world that's more interesting and exciting than our own. There's something about good versus evil, magnified on a cosmic scale, that thrills us. The epic struggle by the heroes of Middle-earth (Gandalf, Frodo, and company) against the Dark Lord Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy has captivated readers (and now moviegoers) for over half a century now. The more otherworldly the villain, the more spectacular the triumph. On another level, people are drawn to other worlds because, as the book of Ecclesiastes puts it, God has “put eternity into [our] hearts” (Eccl. 3:11). There's something about the human condition that longs for something beyond human experience—something divine. The Apostle Paul also wrote about this yearning. He taught that it comes from just being alive in the world God has made. The creation bears witness to a creator, and, therefore, to a realm beyond our own (Rom. 1:18–23). Paul said this impulse was so powerful that it had to be willfully suppressed (v. 18). And yet we don't seem to think of the epic story of the Bible in the same way we think of our own tales of the supernatural in books, movies, and legend. There are reasons for that, and they go beyond the lack of special effects. For some, the Bible's characters are too ordinary or grandfatherly. They don't feel dynamic or heroic. After all, these are the same people and the same stories we've been hearing since Sunday school as kids. Then there's the cultural barrier. It's hard for us to identify with what seems like an endless parade of ancient shepherds and men wearing robes, like so many actors in your church's nativity play. But I think an even bigger factor in why science fiction or supernatural fantasy captures our imagination more...

Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears, on June 11, 2025.

In this week's episode -- the twenty-fourth episode in our "overcomers" series -- we will discuss how to overcome fear, why we do not need to fear, the dangers of fear and both the truth and lies of fear. Scripture discussed: 1 Samuel 10 and 13, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 23:4, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Psalm 34:4, John 14:1, John 14:27, John 16:33, Proverbs 9:10 and Eccl. 12:13.follow me on instagram! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/braxtenhm⁠⁠⁠⁠follow me on tik tok! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@UCKFDLPcSq_V1LP76Kq4HL1g⁠⁠⁠⁠

.

In this Bible Study, we look at Leviticus 10 and Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons. Why did God kill Nadab and Abihu? What did they do that brought down God's swift judgment? We also look at the story of Korah in Numbers 16 as well as Annanis and Sapphira in Acts 5. Dave also briefly talks about Alcohol and what the Bible has to say about consuming it.Outline:01:31 - introduction, context of Leviticus 1003:08 - Reading Leviticus 10.1-2 05:10 - What did Nadab and Abihu do to deserve death?05:32 - Theory 1 - The wrong guys - they were not authorized to offer incense (that was the role of the High Priest). Exodus 30.7-807:19 - Theory 2: The wrong method - they were using their own personal censers rather than those of the tabernacle. WORD STUDY: Censer, maḥtâ מַחְתָּה (Makh-taw). Ex 25.38, 27.3, 37.23 and 38.3 - all in references to fire pansNumbers 16.17-181 Kings 7.502 Kings 25.152 Chronicles 26.16-2113:11 - Theory 3: They used unauthorized or “other” incense.Exo 30.914:02 - Theory 4: They used “unauthorized” or “strange” fire.Lev 16.12Num 16.4616:36 - Rule of simplicity or the rule of simplest reading. 18:28 - Other examples of God's fast and harsh judgmentNumbers 16Num 16.3Num 16.28-3523:09 - Acts 5:1-11 - Ananias and SapphiraActs 4:32-3627:06 - God had a plan, God had a purposeActs 5.1128:13 - Number 16 - Korah.Who were The “Sons of Korah”Nu 26.11 - Korah's son's were spared (through their line, God did some awesome things):1 - key helpers in the Tabernacle. 1Ch 9.19-212 - Listed among King David's expert warriors: 1 Chr 12.63 - Prophet Samuel is a direct descendant 1 Chr 6.31-38 Note: they are listed under “Temple Musicians”4 - The “sons of Korah” are credited with 11 of our psalms: 42, 44-49, 84-85 & 87-88Psa 42.1 Psa 46.1-3.33:23 - What was God's plan in the case of Nadab & Abihu? We can not know for certain.God's actions with Nadab & Abihu made a clear statement:35:23 - why did Nadab & Abihu bring in unholy, unsanctioned, wild fire?We really don't know. 2 Sam 6.5-738:39 - Reading of Leviticus 10.3-840:36 - Are leaders in the church not supposed to mourn the loss of their loved ones?42:01 - reading Leviticus 10.8-11 - dealing with Alcohol 44:02 - Is it wrong for Christians to drink Alcohol?Verses against Alcohol (against drunkenness)Lev 10.9 Nu 6.3 Deu 29.6 Judg 13.4, 7, 14 Pro 20.1; 23.29-35; 31.4 Isa 5.11, 22; 24.9; 28.7; 29.9; 56.12 Eph 5.18 1 Tim 3.3,8Verses in favor of Alcohol (in moderation)Eccl 9.7Psa 104.15Amos 9.14Isa 55.1John 2.1-11 & Mat 26.291 Tim 5.23Verses of caution: You have freedom, but don't use that freedom to cause anyone else to stumble. Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit and it is right for us to honor our bodies with everything we do.Rom 14.1-231 Cor 6.12-201 Cor 10.23-3345:48 - Reading Leviticus 10.12-20 Why did Aaron and his sons not eat the sin offering as instructed by Moses and by God? Nadab and Abihu died because they disobeyed God, why would you risk his wrath by disabaying the Lord?Aaron knew the motivation God had in the offerings. They were signs of a relationship in the heart. Aaron would have been lying if he had eaten the offering with the wrong heart.1 Sammual 16.7Micah 6.6-850:02 - Why is it important not to take communion unworthily?1 Corinthians 11.27-3253:19 - ConclusionsIsa 55:8-11Support Iron Sheep Ministries: https://Ironsheep.org/donateListen to the podcast: https://anchor.fm/ironsheepContact Dave & the ISM team: info@ironsheep.orgBe notified of each new teaching, join the email list: http://eepurl.com/g-2zAD

Gal 2:15-16 Eccl 7:20 Gal 3:10-15 II Cor 5:12 Rom 4:5 Gen 15:6 Gal 2:17-21 Rom 5:1

.

In today's world, there is an obsession with knowledge but a growing resistance to true wisdom. While knowledge is the accumulation of information, wisdom is the right application of that knowledge, something our society increasingly overlooks. Ecclesiastes 4 echoes this truth by exposing the emptiness of ambition, isolation, and toil without purpose. It reminds us that life's value is not in what we know or achieve, but in how we live in relationship with others and with God.

In today's world, there is an obsession with knowledge but a growing resistance to true wisdom. While knowledge is the accumulation of information, wisdom is the right application of that knowledge, something our society increasingly overlooks. Ecclesiastes 4 echoes this truth by exposing the emptiness of ambition, isolation, and toil without purpose. It reminds us that life's value is not in what we know or achieve, but in how we live in relationship with others and with God.

In today's world, there is an obsession with knowledge but a growing resistance to true wisdom. While knowledge is the accumulation of information, wisdom is the right application of that knowledge, something our society increasingly overlooks. Ecclesiastes 4 echoes this truth by exposing the emptiness of ambition, isolation, and toil without purpose. It reminds us that life's value is not in what we know or achieve, but in how we live in relationship with others and with God.

Dans ce message, le pasteur Daniel décary nous invite à réaliser qu'il y a un temps pour toute chose et nous montre comment trouver le bonheur à la lumière de l'Ecclésiaste. Ce message fait partie de notre série « À la recherche du bonheur ». Dans cette série, on t'invite à une réflexion honnête sur la recherche du bonheur et qui sait le trouver enfin ?

143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD- Hear is often used in the Psalms as an imperative directed to God (17:7; 27:7; 28:2; 30:10; 54:2; 64:1). Give ear to my supplications! Give ear is also an imperative addressed to God in the Psalms (5:1; 17:1; 39:12; 54:2; 55:1; 84:8; 86:6; 140:6; 141:1; 143:1). The fact these imperatives are used together stresses the urgency of the request. For supplications the ESV and NIV have cries for mercy.  Supplications are found in Ps. 28:2, 6; 31:22; 116:1; 130:2; 140:6.Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness- “The psalmist makes his plea for deliverance, not on the merit of his own righteousness (vs. 2), but on that basis of God's righteousness (vss. 1, 11)” Miller, 436. “His only claim is to a covenant relationship with his God (servant, cf. vs. 10), initiated and maintained by divine grace” Laymen 697. “His confidence lies, not in himself, but in the one who promised. He is true, faithful, and righteous” VanGemeren, 856. “Righteousness is an appositive of faithfulness, so that the one word helps explain the other. The use of righteousness with steadfast love (covenant loyalty, vss. 11-12) also tempers the meaning of righteous (innocent) before God's courts (vs. 2). God is faithful to His covenant commitment to His servant (vss. 2a, 12) and He is true to His own righteousness (character) in forgiving the penitent sinner” Miller, 436. 143:2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant- The writer describes His relationship to God as Your servant (2, 12). For in Your sight no man living is righteous- Job 4:17; 9:2; 15:4; 25:4; Eccl. 7:20. “No creature (not even the angels, according to Job) can hope to be blameless before God's inexorable judgment” Alter, 492. “The OT also teaches that God freely forgives because of His grace (cf. Pss. 32:1-2, 5; 51:1-2; 103:3, 11-13; 130:3-4)” Miller, 437. This word righteous is a verb while vs. 1 and 11 are nouns. While God is righteous in the sense that He is faithful to His covenant, we are not righteous.“While the psalmist is aware that no-one is perfectly righteous (v. 2), he does believe that he has grounds for saying that he does not deserve the violent treatment of those who are persecuting (pursuing) him” Longman, 462. “The reference to human waywardness (cf. 130:3; I Kings 8:46) is no shoulder-shrugging excuse but expresses a conviction of the power of sin” Laymen, 697. “The covenant relationship can be sustained only on the basis of continual divine forgiveness (cf. 51:5)” Allen, 281. 143:3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul- “Three metaphors describe the intensity of His suffering” Miller, 437. “Like a hunted beast he has been chased, grounded, caged (3; cf. 142 title)” Motyer, 580. The word enemy or enemies is used in vs. 3, 9, 12.                                   He has crushed my life to the ground- “Like the suffering servant in the book of Isaiah, crushed (see Isa. 53:5, 10; see also Ps. 94:5; Lam. 3:34)” McCann, 1251. He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead- If you need further notes please send a facebook message..                                                                                       

Time is precious. God has given us life. We were born for a reason and a purpose. We often complain that we don't have enough time. It is really not about time, but about priorities. Therefore, we must prioritize the time God has given us and live each moment for Him. To know  God is Sovereign over this world and over our lives. May we learn to understand how precious our time is so that we gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom to live each moment for the glory of God.

Time is precious. God has given us life. We were born for a reason and a purpose. We often complain that we don't have enough time. It is really not about time, but about priorities. Therefore, we must prioritize the time God has given us and live each moment for Him. To know  God is Sovereign over this world and over our lives. May we learn to understand how precious our time is so that we gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom to live each moment for the glory of God.

Time is precious. God has given us life. We were born for a reason and a purpose. We often complain that we don't have enough time. It is really not about time, but about priorities. Therefore, we must prioritize the time God has given us and live each moment for Him. To know  God is Sovereign over this world and over our lives. May we learn to understand how precious our time is so that we gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom to live each moment for the glory of God.

DE INGRESSU IN CONCLAVE. // IN AEDIBUS VATICANIS. // SEPTIMO DIE MAII MENSE ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICESIMO QUINTO. Venerabiles Fratres: Cum sacris litavérimus, nunc Concláve, ad eligéndum Románum Pontíficem, ingrediémur. // Ecclésia univérsa, nobis in oratióne commúni coniúcta, grátiam Spíritus Sancti instánter exórat, ut dignus Pastor univérsi gregis Christi a nobis eligátur. // Ecclésiae tuae, Dómine, rector et custos, infúnde, quaésumus, fámulis tuis spíritum intellegéntiae, veritátis et pacis, ut, quae tibi plácita sunt, toto corde cognóscant et ágnita tota virtúte secténtur. EX MISSA PRO ELIGENDO SUMMO PONTIFICE. EX MISSAE COLLECTA. // Deus, qui, pastor aeternus, gregem tuum assidua custodia gubernas, eum immense tuae pietate concedes Ecclesiae pastorem, qui tibi sanctitate placeat, et vigil nobis sollicitudine prosit. EX MISSAE SUPER OBLATA. // Tuae nobis, Domine, abundantia pietatis indulgeat, ut, per sacra munera quae tibi reverenter offerimus, gratum maiestati tuae pastorem Ecclesiae sanctae praesse gaudeamus. EX MISSAE POST COMMUNIONEM. // Refectos, Domine, Corporis et Sanguinis Unigeniti tui saluberrimo sacramento, nos mirifica tuae maiestatis gratia de illius pastoris concessione laetificet, qui et plebem tuam virtutibus instruat, et fidelium mentes evangelica veritate perfundat. EX CLAUDENDO CAPPELLA SIXTINA SIVE SACELLO SIXTINO. ¡Extra omnes! EX ANNUNTIO DE NOVO PAPA. Annuntio vobis Gaudium magnum; habemus Papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Robertum Franciscum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost qui sibi nomen imposuit LEONEM QUARTUM DECIMUM. EX PRIMA BENEDICTIONE URBI ET ORBI. TRANSLATIONES A CASSANDRA FREIRE, SAID RAIMUNDO DELGADO, FERNANDA SOLÍS ET LUIS PESQUERA VERSAS SUNT. ‘PAX OMNIBUS VOBIS’. // ‘CARISSIMI *FRATRES SORORESQUE’, ‘HAEC’ ‘*EST’ ‘PRIMA * SALUTATIO’ ‘A CHRISTO RESUSCITATORI’, ‘*PASTORE BONO’, [‘*QUI’ ‘VITAM SUAM’ ‘*DEDIT’ ‘PRO GREGE DEI’. // ‘*VELIM’ ETIAM [‘HANC PACIS ‘*SALUTATIONEM’ ‘AD CORDA VESTRA’ ‘*INGREDI’, ‘AD FAMILIAS VESTRAS’, ‘AD OMNES HOMINES’, ‘UBICUMQUE *SINT’, ‘AD OMNES URBES’, ‘AD UNIVERSAM TERRAM’ ‘*PERVENIRE’]. ‘PAX VOBIS’. ‘PAX CHRISTI RESUSCITATORIS’, ‘PAX [‘*QUAE’ ‘*EXARMAT’] ‘*EST’, ‘HUMILIS ET PERSEVERANS’; ‘EX DEO’ ‘*VENIT’, [‘*QUI’ ‘OMNES NOS SIMPLICITER’ ‘*AMAT’]. ‘*AUDIMUS’ ‘ADHUC IN AURIBUS NOSTRIS INFIRMAM’, ‘SED SEMPER FORTISSIMAM VOCEM PAPAE FRANCISCI’, ‘ROMAM BENEDICENTEM!’. ‘*PAPA’ [‘*QUI’ ‘ROMAE’ ‘*BENEDICEBAT’] ‘BENEDICTIONEM SUAM’ ‘TOTI ORBI’ ‘ILLO MANE PASCHALI’ ‘*DEDIT’. // EODEM ‘BENEDICTIONIS SPIRITU’ *PERGAM’. ‘*DEUS’ ‘NOS’ ‘*DILIGIT’, ‘*DEUS’ ‘OMNES’ ‘*DILIGIT’, ET ‘*MALUM’ ‘NON *PRAEVALEBIT’. // ‘*OMNES’ ‘IN MANIBUS DEI’ ‘*SUMUS’. // IDEO ‘SINE TIMORE, UNITI, MANU DEI ET MANIBUS INVICEM TENENTES’ ‘*PROCEDAMUS’. // ‘DISCIPULI CHRISTI’ ‘*SUMUS’. // ‘*CHRISTUS’ ‘ANTE NOS’ ‘*IT’. // ‘*MUNUS’ ‘LUMINE EIUS ET CARITATE’ ‘*INDIGET’. // ‘*HUMANITAS’ ‘EUM’ ‘UT SCALAM AD DEUM’ ‘*INDIGET’. // ‘AD VINCULA AEDIFICANDA’ ‘INTER NOS’ ‘PER DIALOGUM ET CONGRESSUM’, ‘NOBIS’ ‘*AUXILIARE’. // ‘OMNES’ [UT ‘UNUM POPULUM’ ‘SEMPER IN PACE UNITUM’ ‘*FORMEMUS’] ‘*CONGREGA’. // GRATIAS TIBI AGIMUS, PAPA FRANCISCE! ETIAM ‘GRATIAS’ ‘OMNIBUS FRATRIBUS CARDINALIBUS MEIS’ ‘*AGERE VOLO’, [‘*QUI’ ‘ME’ ‘AD PETRI SUCCESSIONEM’ ‘*ELEGERUNT’ (UT ‘UNA VOBISCUM’ ‘ITER *FACIAM’)] ET SIC, SEMPER ‘PACEM ET IUSTITIAM’ ‘UT ECCLESIAM UNITAM’ ‘*QUAERERE POSSIMUS’. // UT ‘*VIRI ET FEMINAE’ ‘FIDELES AD IESUM CHRISTUM’ ‘LABORANDO SINE TIMORE’ ‘*OPEREMUR’ [‘AD EVANGELIUM NUNTIANDUM’ ‘AD MISSIÓNIARIOS’ ‘*ESSE’]. ‘AGUSTINI *FILIUS’ ‘*SUM’. // ‘*IS’ ‘*DICEBAT’ “CHRISTIANUS CUM TE SUM ET EPISCOPUS PER TE SUM”. // ‘EX HOC’, ‘*NOS’ ‘AD DEI PATRIAM’ ‘AMBULARE’ ‘*POSSUMUS’. ‘SALUTATIONES SPECIALES’ ‘AD ECCLESIAM ROMAE!’ [PLAUSUS] // ‘*NECESSE EST’ ‘QUARERE, SIMUL,’ ‘QUOMODO *ECCLESIA MISSIONARIA ‘SIMUS’, ‘*ECCLESIA QUAE PONTES ‘*INSTRUAT’, ‘COLLOQUENS’, ‘OMNIMODO APERTA’ ‘AD ADMITTENDUM’, ‘APERTIS BRACHIIS’, ‘TAMQUAM HAEC PLATEA’. // ‘AD OMNEM HOMINEM’, ‘AD OMNES *QUI ‘CHARITATE NOSTRA, PRAESENTIA NOSTRA, COLLOQUIO NOSTRO ET AMORE’ ‘*INDIGENT’. ‘ET SI LICET MIHI’, ‘BREVI’, ‘SALUTATIONES’ ‘AD OMNES’ ‘SED PRAECIPUAS’ ‘AD DIOECESEM AMATAM MEAM CHICLAYI IN PERUVIA’, ‘UBI *POPULUS FIDELIS CUM EPISCOPO ‘*AMBULAVIT’, ‘FIDEM SUAM’ ‘*PARTIVIT’ ET TOT ‘*COMMODAVIT’, UT ‘PARS FIDELIS ECCLESIAE IESU CHRISTI’ *MANERET’. ‘AD OMNIBUS, FRATRIBUS ET SORORIBUS ROMAE, ITALIAE ET UNIVERSI MUNDI, DICO: [‘ECCLESIAM SINODALEM AMBULANTEM; PACEM ET CARITATEM ET VICINAM AD SUFERENTES’ ‘QUAERENTEM ESSERE VOLERE’]. EX PONTIFICATUS ACCEPTATIONE ET DE NOMINIS IMPOSITIONE. Ego Didacus Ioannes Ravelli, Archiepiscopus titulo Recinetensis, Celebrationum Liturgicarum Pontificalium Magister, munere notarii fungens, attestor et notum facio Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum Dominum Robertum Franciscum titulo Ecclesiae Subvicaria Albanensis Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Prevost acceptasse electionem canonice de Se factam in Summum Pontificem Sibique nomen imposuisse Leonem quartum decimum ut de hoc publica quæcumque instrumenta confici possint. Acta sunt hæc in Conclavi in Palatio Apostolico Vaticano post obitum felicis recordationis Papæ Francisci, hac die octavo mensis Maii Anno Sancto ANNO BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO testibus adhibitis atque rogatis Excellentissimo Domino Ilson de Jesus Montanari, Archiepiscopo titulo Capitis Cillensis et Cardinalium Collegii Secretario, atque Reverendissimis Dominis Marco Agostini et Maximiliano Matthæo Boiardi, viris a Cæremoniis Pontificalibus. SI NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA TRADUCTOR ESSE VOLUERIS, QUAESO LITTERAM ELECTRONICAM AD lpesquera@up.edu.mx MITTAS’. If you would like to collaborate as a translator in Nuntii in Lingua Latina, please send an email to lpesquera@up.edu.mx

Dans ce message, Pasteure Sophie Luiten t'apporte un rappel rempli d'espoir : peu importe la saison que tu traverses :  célibat, parentalité, deuil, transition, combat ou accomplissement, Dieu n'a pas changé, et Son plan non plus. Découvre comment t'abandonner à Son timing, comment rester confiant dans l'attente et comment faire confiance à Dieu peu importe la saison. Bonne écoute!Verset de référence : Ecclésiaste 3:1-11

.

May 11, 2025 Eccl. 12:1-14; Ps. 50:1-6; Prov. 15:1-3; II Cor. 8:10-15

May 11, 2025 Eccl. 12:1-14; Ps. 50:1-6; Prov. 15:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:10-15

In Ecclesiastes Chapter 2, Solomon explores the pursuits of pleasure, achievement and possessions, ultimately finding them all meaningless apart from God. While God wants us to enjoy life, these pursuits become empty when they are self-centered or disconnected from Him. Solomon concludes that true fulfillment—wisdom, joy and purpose—comes only from God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism affirms that “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Let's determine to invest the rest of our lives in the pursuit of what really matters - a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. 

In Ecclesiastes Chapter 2, Solomon explores the pursuits of pleasure, achievement and possessions, ultimately finding them all meaningless apart from God. While God wants us to enjoy life, these pursuits become empty when they are self-centered or disconnected from Him. Solomon concludes that true fulfillment—wisdom, joy and purpose—comes only from God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism affirms that “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Let's determine to invest the rest of our lives in the pursuit of what really matters - a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. 

In Ecclesiastes Chapter 2, Solomon explores the pursuits of pleasure, achievement and possessions, ultimately finding them all meaningless apart from God. While God wants us to enjoy life, these pursuits become empty when they are self-centered or disconnected from Him. Solomon concludes that true fulfillment—wisdom, joy and purpose—comes only from God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism affirms that “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Let's determine to invest the rest of our lives in the pursuit of what really matters - a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus.

May 10, 2025 Eccl. 10:1-11:10; Ps. 49:10-20; Prov. 14:34-35; II Cor. 8:1-9

May 10, 2025 Eccl. 10:1-11:10; Ps. 49:10-20; Prov. 14:34-35; 2 Cor. 8:1-9

May 9, 2025 Eccl. 8:9-9:18; Ps. 49:1-9; Prov. 14:32-33; II Cor. 7:11-16

May 8, 2025 Eccl. 7:1-8:8; Ps. 48:9-14; Prov. 14:30-31; II Cor. 7:8-10

May 8, 2025 Eccl. 7:1-8:8; Ps. 48:9-14; Prov. 14:30-31; 2 Cor. 7:8-10

May 9, 2025 Eccl. 8:9-9:18; Ps. 49:1-9; Prov. 14:32-33; II Cor. 7:11-16

May 7, 2025 Eccl. 5:10-6:12; Ps. 48:1-8; Prov. 14:28-29; 2 Cor. 7:2-7

May 7, 2025 Eccl. 5:10-6:12; Ps. 48:1-8; Prov. 14:28-29; II Cor. 7:2-7

May 5, 2025 Eccl. 2:24-3:22; Ps. 47:1-7; Prov. 14:25; II Cor. 6:3-13

May 6, 2025 Eccl. 4:1-5:9; Ps. 47:8-9; Prov. 14:26-27; II Cor. 6:14-7:1

May 6, 2025 Eccl. 4:1-5:9; Ps. 47:8-9; Prov. 14:26-27; II Cor. 6:14-7:1

May 5, 2025 Eccl. 2:24-3:22; Ps. 47:1-7; Prov. 14:25; 2 Cor. 6:3-13

.

May 4, 2025 Eccl. 1:1-2:23; Ps. 46:8-11; Prov. 14:22-24; II Cor. 6:1-2

May 4, 2025  Eccl. 1:1-2:23; Ps. 46:8-11; Prov. 14:22-24; 2 Cor. 6:1-2

Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon in his old age. Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest person to ever live. He was king over all Israel. Although Solomon started well, he did not finish well. He drifted from God and pursued the things of this world. He writes Ecclesiastes as a warning to those who come behind him to keep God first in their life. Solomon pursued everything this world has to offer and found it all “meaningless.” We all get one shot at life, so let's not waste it on things that are trivial. Invest your life in what matters. Always keep God first.

Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon in his old age. Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest person to ever live. He was king over all Israel. Although Solomon started well, he did not finish well. He drifted from God and pursued the things of this world. He writes Ecclesiastes as a warning to those who come behind him to keep God first in their life. Solomon pursued everything this world has to offer and found it all “meaningless.” We all get one shot at life, so let's not waste it on things that are trivial. Invest your life in what matters. Always keep God first.

Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon in his old age. Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest person to ever live. He was king over all Israel. Although Solomon started well, he did not finish well. He drifted from God and pursued the things of this world. He writes Ecclesiastes as a warning to those who come behind him to keep God first in their life. Solomon pursued everything this world has to offer and found it all “meaningless.” We all get one shot at life, so let's not waste it on things that are trivial. Invest your life in what matters. Always keep God first.

‘SALA STAMPA DELLA SANTA SEDE RECTORIS DECLARATIO’, ‘MATTHAEUS BRUNI’. // ‘VICESIMO PRIMO DIE APRILIS MENSE’ ‘ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO’. // TRANSLATIO A CASANDRA FREIRE VERSAM EST. ‘EMINENTIAE SUAE CARDINALIS *IOSEPHUS FARRELL, SANCTAE ROMANAE ECCLESIAE CAMERARIUS’, ‘MORTEM PAPAE FRANCISCI’ ‘MAEROREM’ ‘*PRONUNTIAVIT’: «‘CARISSIMI FRATRES SORORESQUE’, ‘CUM MAGNO MEO DOLORE’ ‘MORTEM SANCTI PATRIS NOSTRI FRANCISCI’ ‘*NUNTIO’. // ‘TEMPORA MATUTINA SEPTEM TRIGINTAQUINQUE’, ‘*FRANCISCUS, EPISCOPUS ROMAE’, ‘AD PATRIS DOMUM’ ‘*REDIIT’. // ‘TOTAM VITAM SUAM IN SERVITIO DOMINI ET IN ECCLESIA SUA’ ‘*DEDICAVIT’ ‘AC’ ‘VIVERE NOS VIRTUTES EVANGELII’ ‘*DOCUIT’ ‘PRASERTIM BENEVOLENTIA PAUPERRIMOS ET SEGREGATOS’. // ‘EIUS EXEMPLUM IMMENSA GRATITUDINE’ ‘UT VERUS DISCIPULUS DOMINI IESU’, ‘ANIMAM SUMMI PONTIFICIS FRANCISCI’ ‘IMMENSO MISERICORDI DEI TRINI ‘*COMMENDAMUS AMORI’. PAPAE FRANCISCI TESTAMENTUM. // ‘VICESIMO PRIMO DIE APRILIS MENSE’ ‘ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO’. // TRANSLATIO A FERNANDA SOLÍS VERSAM EST. ‘MISERANDO ATQUE ELIGENDO’. ‘*SUMMUS PONTIFEX’ *DIXIT’: ‘IN NOMINE SANCTISSIMAE TRINITATIS. AMEN’. // ‘NUNC SENTIENS OCCASUM VITAE TERRENAE MEAE’ PROXIMUM’, ‘CUM SPE FIRMA’ ‘IN VITAM AETERNAM’, ‘VOLUNTATEM MEAM’ ‘DE SEPULCRO MEO’ ‘CONCEDERE’ ‘*VOLO’. // ‘SEMPER’ ‘VITAM MEAM ATQUE MINISTERIUM SACERDOTALEM ET EPISCOPALEM’ ‘VIRGINI DEI GENITRICE MARIA’ ‘*COMMENDAVI’. // PROPTEREA, ‘UT’ ‘RELIQUAS CORPORIS MEI’ ‘*QUIESCANT’ ‘IN BASILICA SANCTAE MARIAE MAIORIS’ ‘VOLUNTAS MEA’ ‘*EST’, DONEC ‘DIES RESURRECTIONIS’ ‘*VENIAT’. // ‘*OPORTET’ ‘UT’ ‘SEPULCRUM MEUM’ ‘IN TERRA ET SIMPLEX’ ‘*SIT’, ‘SINE MULTA DECORATIONE’ ET ‘CUM EPIGRAMMATE’ QUOD ‘TANTUM *DICET’: ‘*FRANCISCUS’. // ‘DOMUS SANCTAE MARTHAE’, ‘UNDETRICESIMO JUNII MENSE ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICESIMO SECUNDO’. LIBER PRO CELEBRATIO. DE FRANCISCI ARCAE TRANSLATIONE. // ‘VICESIMO TERTIO DIE APRILIS MENSE’ ‘ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO’. Fratres et soróres caríssimi, magna cum ánimi commotióne corpus Papæ nostri Francísci deférimus in Basílicam Vaticánam, ubi múnere Epíscopi Ecclésiæ quæ est Romæ, et Ecclésiæ universális Pastóris sæpe est functus. // Ex hac domo discedéntes grátias agámus Dómino pro multis donis quæ per servum suum Papam Francíscum christianórum plebi est largítus eúmque supplicémus ut, miséricors et benígnus, perpétuam sedem in regno cælórum eídem concédat et famíliæ pontifíciæ, plebi suæ sanctæ, quæ Romæ vivit, christifidélibus toto orbe diffúsis supérnæ spei áfferat solácium. EX CELEBRATIONIS LIBRO DE FRANCISCI ARCAE CLAUDENTE. ‘VICESIMO QUINTO DIE APRILIS MENSE’ ‘ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO’. Fratres et soróres caríssimi, in nómine Dómini huc convénimus ad quædam pietátis offícia adimplénda ante Missam exsequiálem pro Papa nostro Francísco /// Rógitum legémus quod eius commémorat vitam et ópera præcípua, pro quibus grátias Deo Patri persólvimus. // Vultum Defúncti reverénter operiémus, fulti spe eum Patris vultum posse contemplári et beátæ Vírginis Maríæ omniúmque Sanctórum frui consórtio. SANCTAE SEDIS TEXTUS. // ‘VICESIMO QUARTO DIE APRILIS MENSE’ ‘ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO’. // TRANSLATIO A SAID RAIMUNDO DELGADO VERSAM EST. ‘*PAUPERES’ ‘LOCUM PECULIAREM’ ‘IN CORDE DEI’ ‘*TENENT’. // ETIAM ‘IN CORDE SANCTI PATRIS ET IN EIUS MAGISTERIO’ ‘*COMMORANTUR’. // ‘*SANCTUS PATER’ ‘NOMEN FRANCISCI’ ‘*ELEGIT’, ‘NE PAUPERES UMQUAM’ ‘*OBLIVISCERETUR’. // PROPTER HOC, ‘*GREX PAUPERUM ET NECESSITATUM’ ‘IN GRADIBUS AD BASILICAM PAPALEM SANCTAE MARIAE MAIORIS’ ‘*PRAESENS ERIT’. IBI ‘ULTIMUM HOMAGIUM’ ‘PAPAE FRANCISCO’ ‘*RENDENT’. // ‘*HOC’ ‘ANTE SEPULTURAM FERETRI’ ‘*ACCIDET’. EX FRANCISCI FUNERALIS MISSA. SANCTI PETRI FORO. ‘VICESIMO SEXTO DIE APRILIS MENSE’ ‘ANNO DOMINI BIS MILLESIMO VICÉSIMO QUINTO’. Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. ETIAM, EX COLLECTA. Deus, immortalis pastor animarum, respice populum supplicantem, et præsta, ut famulus tuus Papa Franciscus, qui Ecclesiæ tuæ in caritate præfuit, fidelis dispensatoris remunerationem cum grege sibi credito misericorditer consequatur. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. ETIAM, EX MISSAE POST COMMUNIONE. Ad mensam æterni accedentes convivii, misericordiam tuam, Domine, pro anima famuli tui Papæ Francisci suppliciter imploramus, ut veritatis possessione tandem congaudeat, in qua populum tuum fidenter confirmavit. EX MISSAE RESPONSORIO Credo quod Redemptor meus vivit et in novissimo die de terra surrecturus sum; // Quem visurus sum ego ipse et non alius et oculi mei conspecturi sunt // Reposita est hæc spes mea in sinu meo. // Et in carne mea videbo Deum salvatorem meum. SI NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA TRADUCTOR ESSE VOLUERIS, QUAESO LITTERAM ELECTRONICAM AD lpesquera@up.edu.mx MITTAS’. If you would like to collaborate as a translator in Nuntii in Lingua Latina, please send an email to lpesquera@up.edu.mx

.

.

We all know the story of Adam and Eve eating the fruit, but what were the real consequences of that? How did this decision impact creation, man, and woman?In today's episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie answer a listener question around the true consequences of the fall of mankind. We dig through the narrative of Genesis 3 to see how all of the world was impacted by this sin and how it still impacts us and our relationships today. We hope this is a little deeper dive than you're used to taking through the story of The Fall of Man and that you would learn something new!The 17:17 podcast is a ministry of Roseville Baptist Church (MN) that seeks to tackle cultural issues and societal questions from a biblical worldview so that listeners discover what the Bible has to say about the key issues they face on a daily basis. The 17:17 podcast seeks to teach the truth of God's Word in a way that is glorifying to God and easy to understand with the hope of furthering God's kingdom in Spirit and in Truth. Scriptures: Gen. 3:14-24; Gen. 9:2; Rom. 8:20-22; Gen. 1:29-30; Gen. 9:3; Gen. 2:18; 1 Tim. 2:13; Eph. 5; Gen. 5:29; Eccl. 3:20; Rom. 5:12; Gen. 2:16-17; Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:22; Eph. 2:5; Isa. 59:2; John 14:6; Gen. 2:25; Gen. 3:7-8; Rom. 6:16-18; Rom. 7:14; Rev. 21:3-4; Zec. 14:9-11; Isa. 11:6-9.If you'd like access to our show notes, please visit www.rosevillebaptist.com/1717podcast to see them in Google Drive!Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so that we can reach to larger audiences and share the truth of God's Word with them!Write in your own questions to be answered on the show at 1717pod@gmail.com.  God bless!

.

.

My truth... Speaking my truth... Your truth... I have read a number of articles to try and learn what is meant by My truth. There are a number of suggestions such as: The way I see things may be different than the way you see things. Be true to yourself. A pretentious substitute for a non-negotiable personal opinion. The way I see and understand something may be different than the way you see and perceive it. I know some stuff, and its likely that may change over time. In a recent trailer for a show on Hulu titled, Faces of Music, one of the cast members stated what I think is the current understanding of Your truth with the following words: It is not about right or wrong, its about your truth. Maybe there is no real definition of what Your truth really means and maybe that is the point. The reality is that we live in a day and age when truth is determined by ones experiences and feelings which is nothing new, just a different dress. So, is there such a thing as your truth? The good news is that the Bible does address the question of truth. The Unknown but Knowable God Permit me to begin with a story. About 600 hundred years before Paul ever set foot in Athans, there was a plague that came upon Athens that none of their gods could answer or fix. The leaders of that city learned of a man who was a prophet of what they called the unknown God. They summoned a representative of this unknown god from Crete, and he instructed them what was needed for the plague to be lifted. This representative requested two flock of sheep be brought one white flock and one black flock. He prayed to this unknown God and asked that all the sheep that he caused to lay down to graze, would be sacrificed to this god on a new stone alter. Well, there were sheep that did lay down to graze, so they were sacrificed on alters to the unknown God and the plague was lifted as a result. This unknown god was worshiped and then forgotten over time until two of Athens elders found one of the altars and refurbished it. One of the things they had done to this altar was that they etched into it an inscription that read: TO THE UNKOWN GOD. This was the altar the Apostle discovered while walking through Athens. This was the only God the Athens had no idols for whom they did not create or know. This is the God who, according to the Bible, has planted eternity in the human heart (Eccl. 3:11b; NLT). What the altar to THE UNKOWN GOD teaches us is that we grope around for something to make sense of our world and to discover something more than what is visibly before us. The reality is that each of us is born spiritually blind just as the Bible states: ...the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4). It is not all that different with our societys pursuit of truth. This whole business about speaking your truth or standing in your truth reminds me of the six blind people who heard about a strange animal, called an elephant, that had been brought into their village. Because none of them were aware of an elephants shape or form they thought they would inspect the creature by touching it. One of the blind men grabbed the elephants trunk and said, This elephant is like a big snake. Another blind man felt the elephants ear, and said the elephant seemed like the shape of a fan. Another who felt the elephants leg, said, this creature is a pillar like the trunk of a tree. The blind man who placed his hand upon the side of the elephant said it is like a wall that breathes. The blind man who felt its tail, described the elephant as being like a rope. The blind man who felt its tusk, stated that the elephant is like a spear. People trying to figure out what truth is or what their purpose is in life are like those blind men. There may have been some truth to what they felt but could not understand what they were touching unless they understood that what was before them was much greater than individual experiences. We live in a world full of blind men groping in the darkness trying to make sense of it without considering the Creator who made it all. God is Too Big to Be Manipulated (vv. 22-25) There was a god to be worshiped for just about every occasion in Athens. We are told that Pauls spirit, ...was being provoked within him as he observed that the city was full of idols (v. 16). It is important to point out that his spirit was provoked, but it was not because he thought those who worshiped those idols knew better. The provocation that he felt was not unlike the kind of provocation you might feel if a family was asleep in a house on fire, the provocation you would feel in your spirit would be the recognition that you had a moral obligation to do all that you could to wake the family up and get them out of the house before it was too late. What we can learn from Paul in the way he addressed the Athens is that he used their culture as a bridge to introduce them to the God they did not know who was too big to be manipulated like the gods they created. By bringing the gospel to Athens, Paul shared how there was only one true God who was knowable only because He has made Himself known. He alone made the world and everything that is in it and He, does not dwell in temples made by human hands(vv. 24-25). The God who made everything is not served by human hands like the hundreds of idols that filled Athans. What Paul meant is that the God they thought was unknowable did not need to be cleaned up, polished, or fixed, because as Creator... He cannot be manipulated. As Creator and since He made everything, God is in need of nothing. Not only does the One true God need nothing, but He also cannot be treated as an idol because unlike the idols people create, He alone, gives to all people life and breath and all things. What this means is that God does not adjust or yield to what we think truth is. Because He is the Creator, by default... we are the creature; manipulating God is as impossible as it is for a statue to manipulate the artist who made it. Apart from God, we are blind and what spiritually blind people are able to see are the shadows of spiritual truth. People genuinely know that both good and evil exist. The Greek Mythology of the Athenians proves this as do the stories we read and watch. I believe that all humans, although spiritually blind, are able to see and sense the reality of the existence of God and his truth. The Athenians groped in the darkness in pursuit of truth while their only hope was the gospel of Jesus Christ that allows us to know the truth of who God is and how to live in the world He created. Our Purpose Is Too Significant to Be Ignored (vv. 26-29) When God created mankind, He created us with a deficiency that could only be met by Him. Why else would the Apostle write that God created men and women, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us (v. 27). God has created in us a deep longing for Him because He has made us in His image. In verse 28, Paul said to the Athens: for in Him we live and move and exist... Think about that statement for a moment. Our living and moving and very existence is found and experienced in God. In other words, our purpose in life is found in Him. Every study out there that has been done about the importance of finding your purpose in life reveals how important having purpose is. We humans are like the farmer who was seen by his neighbor shooting at his barn. As the neighbor got closer to the farmers barn, he noticed the many targets panted onto the side of his barn, and at the center of every single target was a bullet hole put there by the farmers gun. The neighbor commented to the farmer: Wow! You are an amazing marksman, your ability to hit the bullseye from that distance is impressive! What is your secret, and can you teach me? To which the farmer replied: It is really not that hard, for I first shoot my hole and then I draw the target around it. To live life like the Athens or to make up truth as you go without any consideration of who God really is, is to shoot for what we think is important and then draw the meaning of life around it. We shoot for security and then draw the meaning of life around it. We shoot for relationships and then draw the meaning of life around it. We shoot for what we think truth should be and then draw the meaning of life around it. When we do that, we are like the blind person groping around in the darkness only to left with a creation out of our own imagination! Because the people Paul was speaking to probably had little understanding of the Hebrew Bible, he used the pagan poets of the day to illustrate the truth of God. So Paul told these guys: see, even those whom you respect have said: for in Him we live and move and exist... Which was a statement probably taken from the same guy who 600 years ago introduced the Athenians to the unknown God. The point is that we are not the creator, we are the created. We live and move and have our being in Him because He is the One who fashioned us, not out of necessity, but out of love. The most loving thing God could have ever done for you and me is that He created us that we might find our joy in the One in Whom we live, and move and exist... (v. 28). Paul then quoted one of their poets to show that although such poets groped in the darkness, God was not far from them: for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, For we also are His descendants. Paul did not stop there: Therefore, since we are the descendants of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, and image formed by human skill and thought (v. 29). In other words, God is not what we make of Him, but instead our purpose, joy, and satisfaction ultimately can only be found in and through Him. Conclusion God, the Creator, the Ancient of Day, the One who has and is declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done (Isa. 46:9-10) has invited you and I to know Him and to enjoy Him on a level far above the rest of creation, and He did it through His Son, Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ, the all-sufficient payment who was sacrificed for our sins to reconcile us to God the Father. What Paul said in conclusion to those gathered on Mars Hill is the equivalent of a mic drop: So having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now proclaiming to mankind that all people everywhere are to repent, because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:3031). God did not nor is He currently overlooking sin in the same way a negligent parent overlooks the bad behavior of their child. No! God has and is currently overlooking the sins of people since that salvation is still available to sinners, that the offer of redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ is still offered to sinners everywhere. To suggest truth is what you make it is ignorant, to grope for this religion and that religion is to grope in ignorance. Here is what Jesus said about groping in the dark: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.... And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. (John 3:16-17, 19-20) Today is the day to quit groping in the dark and to take hold of the same Jesus who has declared: I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life (John 8:12). He is Him who said: I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:17b-18). When the people heard this, some believed, but most were dismissive. Think about the message of the cross for a moment. For those of us who consider the gospel to be the power of God because we have experienced it as such, ours is a hope that sounds like it was torn right from the pages of mythology. God got a young virgin girl pregnant by His Holy Spirit so that the child of her womb would be both a god and a man to defeat the forces of evil, fix all the ills of our world, then rule as a King on earth and the way that he would do this is to first allow His god/man child to die the most painful and humiliating death possible. No wonder the word of the cross sounds so foolish to most people. Yet it is through the message of the cross concerning the historic facts that Jesus both died for our sins and rose for the forgiveness of sin, as outrageous as it may sound, that God is rescuing sin-cursed humans from His just wrath. Paul had shared the greatest news in the universe with the Athenians, and some, like those in our day, dismissed it as foolish. Truth is truth! Whatever you think your truth is, if it is not shaped and informed by the God for Whom, we live and move and exist... (v. 28a) is to grope in the darkness of our sin and ignorance. When it comes to those who do not know Jesus, they are still groping in the darkness of their sin and ignorance. You cannot expect people who do not know Jesus to do anything but grope in the darkness, but you can point them to the light of who Jesus is! For the Scripture says, Whoever believes in Him will not be Put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. You, dear Christian, are that preacher God has sent into your home, your neighborhood, into the circle of your friendships, your work, and into your world! The apostle Paul had beautiful feet. How beautiful are your feet? God has called you to bring the light of Jesus into the darkness of your world. That, my dear friend, is your truth.

Psalm 135“Some Jewish authorities include Psalms 135 and 136 as part of the collection of Psalms 120-136, whereas others limit the Great Hallel psalms to 135-136, or even Psalm 136 alone”  135:1 Praise the LORD!- 113:1 The word praise is used as an imperative three times in the verse. “The phrase Praise the LORD (and variations of the phrase) occurs seventy-five times in the Psalter, with no less that fifty-four occurrences in Book Five” NICOT, 944. Praise Him, O servants of the LORD- The first two lines speak of the LORD as the object of praise and the last line mentioned the servants as the ones who give praise. 135:2 You who stand in the house of the LORDIn the courts of the house of our God!- Ps. 92:13; 116:19 “The priests and Levites were charged (v. 19-20) with the worship of the Lord ‘in the house of the LORD'” VanGemeren, 819.135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good- I Chron. 16:34; II Chron. 5:13; 7:3; Ezra 3:11; Ps. 23:6; 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 110:5; 118:1, 29; 119:68; 118:1, 29. “The Lord's name is good (52:9), that He Himself is good (135:3) and that praising Him is good (147:1)” Kidner, 455.Sing praises to His name- Ps. 68:4for it lovely- The word lovely is a rare word in the OT used only 13 times. In the Psalms it is used in Psalm 16:6, 11; 81:2; 133:1; 147:1 besides here. Good and pleasant (or lovely) appear together in 133:1 and 147:1.135:4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself- Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 7:6; 10:15; 14:2; Ps. 105:6. The goodness of God is manifested in the choice of Israel. “If the first ground of praise is the Lord's character (3), the next is His love for us. The word Jacob is emphatic: ‘For it was Jacob that the Lord chose…'” Kidner, 455.Israel for His own possession- His own possession or special treasure is one word used 8 times in the OT- Ex. 19:6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 25:18; I Chron. 29:3; Eccl. 2:8; Malachi 3:16.135:5 For I know that the LORD is great-Ps. 48:1; 95:3; 145:3 I is emphatic. And that our Lord is above all gods- Ex. 18:11; Ps. 95:3; 96:4-5; 97:7-9.135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does- 115:3. The Hebrew word translated does in vs. 6 is translated makes in vs. 7 and make in vs. 18. In vs. 15 the noun form is used and it is translated work.  In heaven and in earth- Jer. 10:13in the seas and in all deeps- The LORD “is not limited to a particular sphere assigned to Him by His creatures, as is the case with pagan deities. The Lord is God over all realms by virtue of being the Creator. VanGemeren, 820.135:7 He causes the vapors to ascend for the ends of the earth- Jer. 10:13; 51:16 “The rainy season with its storms and wind is under His providential control-not, it is implied, that of Canaanite Baal, as his devotees claimed” Laymen's, 646. Since the weather is attributed to the LORD and not Baal, “it is another way of affirming that ‘our Lord is above all gods' (v. 5)” McCann, 1220.Who makes lightning for the rain- Job 38:22; Ps 77:17-18; 104:3-4 “His greatness even extends to the elements and powers of nature and wind (cf. Jer. 10:13; 51:16). The Canaanites believed that these powers belonged to Baal, but the psalmist confesses rightly that only Yahweh has power to ‘the ends of the earth'” VanGemeren, 820-821.Who brings forth wind from His treasuries135:8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt- 136:10; 78:51; 105:36; Ex. 12:29 Verses 5-7 stress the LORD's power in nature while vs. 8-14

CHASING WEALTH for its own sake does not bring happiness. The chapters of Ecclesiastes we read today are unified by this verse:  Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep (Eccl. 5:12, ESV).Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback (https://amzn.to/4esHHgu), Kindle (https://amzn.to/3XR6KnV), and as an audiobook at Audible (https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gates-of-Hell-Audiobook/B0DCX4YNVZ)! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback (https://amzn.to/3YOHZJE), Kindle (https://amzn.to/3UBG1K5), and as an audiobook at Audible (https://www.audible.com/pd/Destination-Earth-Audiobook/B0DDV1ZC8R?qid=1730562326)! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821) Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch Follow us!• X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship JOIN US IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Note: Due to schedule conflicts, Doug Van Dorn, Dr. Judd Burton, and Timothy Alberino will join our tour in the spring of 2026. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site! Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the right-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.