Podcasts about EPH

von Jan Dürrkopf * Lk 24,13-35; Apg 15,16-40; Lk 10,27; 1Joh 4,20-21; Joh 17,21; 5Mo 32,30; Ri 7; 2Chr 20; Mt 18,19; Mt 18,20; 2Mo 33,18-20; 2Mo 4,14-15; 1Sam 14,6-7; 1Sam 18,1-2; Lk 10,1-2; Apg 3,1; Apg 4; Apg 8,14; Apg 9,26-27; Apg 11,22-26; Apg 13,1-3; Pred 4,9-12; Eph 4,3-6; Ps 75,4; Röm 11,36 * Buchempfehlung: Markus Schmidt - Wachstum ist kein Zufall https://www.wachstumskatalysator.de/

August 7, 2022 - Sunday AM Sermon "Embracing the Truth About God's Grace" - 1 Peter 5:12 Hiram Kemp Introduction: 1. The word ________ appears more than __________ times in the Bible. 2. The ________ of __________ is both an _______ and _________  Testament idea. 3. The _________ of ________ is the ____________ of God ___________ to  ____________ at _____________ expense. 4. In 1 Peter 5:12, Peter mentions the ________ grace of ____________. I. ___________ is for _____________ (Titus 2:11) II. __________ brings ___________ (Titus 2:12-14) III. _________ can be ___________ (Jude 4) IV. We can _________ from ________ (Gal. 5:4) V. We are ____________ by __________ (Eph. 2:5, 2:8-9) Conclusion: 1. Jesus is the _________ of ___________ grace. 2. We need to ________ the _________ of ___________ ______________.   Duration 33:46

Satan as the Ruler of this World      Many think of Satan as the counterpart of God; but this is wrong. God is the Creator, whereas Satan is merely a creature. God is infinitely and eternally good, whereas Satan was created good, but then turned away in rebellion, leading others to follow, both angels and people. Satan is not the counterpart of God; rather, he is the counterpart of those angels who maintained their allegiance to God. To understand this is to contrast Satan with good angels where, as a creature, he properly belongs.      The Bible reveals Satan was originally created a holy angel of the class of cherubim; however, because of pride (Ezek 28:11-18), he rebelled against God (Isa 14:12-14), and convinced many angels to follow him (Rev 12:4, 7). The name Satan is derived from the Hebrew שָׂטָן Satan which means “adversary, opponent, accuser, opposing party…[or] the one who hinders a purpose”[1] The Greek Σατανᾶς Satanas carries the same meaning and is used “in a very special sense of the enemy of God and all of those who belong to God.”[2] Other names for Satan include the shining one, or Lucifer (Isa 14:12), the evil one (1 John 5:19), the tempter (1 Th 3:5), the devil (Matt 4:1), the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2), the serpent (Rev 12:9), and the great red dragon (Rev 12:3). Further, Satan is a murderer and liar (John 8:44), is compared to a lion that prowls about, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8), and one who disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).      Lucifer became Satan at the time of his rebellion when he declared, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  (Isa 14:13-14). J. Dwight Pentecost states, “The desire of Satan was to move in and occupy the throne of God, exercise absolute independent authority over the angelic creation, bring the earth and all the universe under his authority, cover himself with the glory that belongs to God alone, and then be responsible to no one but himself.”[3] Satan seeks to operate independently of God's plan for him, and he leads others, both saved and unsaved, to do the same. Lucifer introduced sin and death to the first humans when he convinced them to turn from God and eat the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-7). At the time of the fall, Adam handed his kingdom over to Satan, who has been ruling this world since (Luke 4:5-6; Rev 11:15).      Satan is permitted, for a time, to rule over the majority in this world. When Jesus began His public ministry, He faced a series of tests from Satan, one of which was an offer to receive the kingdoms of the world without going to the cross. Satan told Jesus, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). Satan took possession of “this domain and its glory” by God's permission and man's sin, presumably, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and follow Satan (Gen 3:1-8). Satan said to Jesus, “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours” (Luke 4:7). Satan's offer had to be true in order for the temptation to be real. At some time in the future, Satan will share his authority with the Antichrist, because he advances his agenda (Rev 13:1-2). Three times Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Other passages of Scripture call Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), informing us “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan rules as a tyrant who has “weakened the nations” (Isa 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9). He personally attacked Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1-7), Job (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-13), David, (1 Chr 21:1), Joshua the high priest (Zec 3:1-2), Jesus (Matt 4:1-11), Judas (John 13:27), and Peter (Luke 22:31-32). He continues to attack God's people today (1 Pet 5:8), practices deception (2 Cor 11:13-15), and has well developed strategies of warfare (Eph 6:10-12). Furthermore, humanity is living in an “evil age” (Gal 1:4), under “the dominion of Satan” (Acts 26:18), whose sphere of influence is called “the domain of darkness” (Col 1:13).      As Christians, we have victory in Christ. At the moment we trusted Christ as Savior, God “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14). As Christians, we have been gifted with God's own righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and will never face condemnation (Rom 8:1). Furthermore, God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3), and called us to serve as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20), sharing the gospel message with others.      God the Father has promised to give Jesus the kingdoms of this world, saying, “I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession” (Psa 2:8; cf. Isa 2:1-5; Dan 2:44; 7:14). This will occur after the seven-year Tribulation; at which time it will be said, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15; cf. 20:1-3). Satan was judged at the cross (John 12:31; 16:11; Col 2:14-15), and awaits future punishment. His judgment is very near when he is cast out of heaven during the Tribulation (Rev 12:7-12); at which time his wrath is greatest against Israel. After the return of Christ (Rev 19:11-16) and the establishment of His kingdom (Rev 20:1-6), Satan will be confined to the abyss for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-3). Afterwards, he is released for a brief time and will again deceive the nations and lead a rebellion against God (Rev 20:7-8), but will be quickly defeated (Rev 20:9), and cast into the Lake of Fire, where he will remain, with his demons and all unbelievers forever (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10-15).   [1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1317. [2] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 916. [3] J. Dwight Pentecost, Your Adversary the Devil (Grand Rapids, Mich., Zondervan Publishing, 1969), 25-26.

Satan's World System      As we discussed previously, Satan is permitted, for a time, to rule over the majority in this world. Three times Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Other passages of Scripture call Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), informing us “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan rules as a tyrant who has “weakened the nations” (Isa 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9). He personally attacked Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1-7), Job (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-13), David, (1 Chr 21:1), Joshua the high priest (Zec 3:1-2), Jesus (Matt 4:1-11), Judas (John 13:27), and Peter (Luke 22:31-32). He continues to attack God's people today (1 Pet 5:8), practices deception (2 Cor 11:13-15), and has well developed strategies of warfare (Eph 6:10-12). Furthermore, humanity is living in an “evil age” (Gal 1:4), under “the dominion of Satan” (Acts 26:18), whose sphere of influence is called “the domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). Though Satan has attacked some people directly, he mainly operates as commander of an unseen realm of demons, through a worldwide system of philosophies and values he's created, through unbelievers whom he energizes to do his will, and through the sinful inclinations of our fallen nature. These all help advance his agenda in which he attacks God and His people. Paul, when writing to Christians in Ephesus, discusses the reality of these things. Paul said: "And you [Gentile Christians, before salvation; see Eph 2:4-9] were dead [νεκρός nekros – dead, corpse; i.e., separated from God] in your trespasses and sins [i.e., acts of disobedience against God], 2 in which you formerly walked [περιπατέω peripateo – to walk, conduct oneself, behave] according to the course of this world [κόσμος kosmos - world, system], according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan – the commander of an unseen realm], of the spirit that is now working [ἐνεργέω energeo – to work, energize, empower] in the sons of disobedience [i.e., sons characterized by their disobedience to God]. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh [σάρξ sarx – flesh, body, i.e., sin nature], indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind [even their reasoning processes were corrupt], and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (Eph 2:1-3)      The Bible recognizes Satan's world-system and warns us not to love it. John writes and tells the Christian, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16). We live in a fallen world, and John's command is intended to warn us of real danger. First, John opens with the negative particle Μὴ Me, which is followed by the Geek verb ἀγαπάω agapao, which is in the imperative mood—the mood of command. The word ἀγαπάω agapao denotes desire or commitment to something or someone. David L. Allen comments on love: "In its essence love is two things: a desire for something and a commitment to something … Whatever it is you desire and whatever you're committed to, that's where your time and resources will go. If you love football, that's where your time and resources will go. If you love hunting or fishing, that's where your time and resources will go. If you love your spouse, you desire to spend time with her and you are committed to her. Love is more than an emotional feeling. Love requires a commitment of time and resources."[1]      John then gives the object we are not to desire or be committed to, namely, the world (τὸν κόσμον). The Greek word κόσμος kosmos is used in Scripture to refer to: 1) the physical planet (Matt 13:35; Acts 17:24), 2) people who live in the world (John 3:16), and 3) the hostile system created and controlled by Satan that he uses to lure people away from God (1 John 2:15-16). It is this third meaning that John has in mind. Hence, the word κόσμος kosmos refers to “that which is hostile to God…lost in sin, wholly at odds with anything divine, ruined and depraved.”[2] Concerning, the word κόσμος kosmos, David L. Allen writes: "Sometimes the word “world” is used to refer to the organized evil system with its principles and its practices, all under the authority of Satan, which includes all teachings, ideas, culture, attitudes, activities, etc., that are opposed to God. A fixation on the material over the spiritual, promotion of self over others, pleasure over principle—these are just a few descriptors of the world system John is talking about. The word “world” here means everything that opposes Christ and his work on earth. Jesus called Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 14:30; 16:11), and Paul called him “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). In Luke 16:8 Jesus referred to all unsaved people as “the sons of this world.”[3]      Satan's world-system consists of those philosophies and values that perpetually influence humanity to think and behave contrary to God and His Word. This operating apart from God is first and foremost a way of thinking that is antithetical to God, a way of thinking motivated by a desire to be free from God and the authority of Scripture, a freedom most will accept, even though it is accompanied by all sorts of inconsistencies and absurdities. Lewis Chafer writes: "The kosmos is a vast order or system that Satan has promoted which conforms to his ideals, aims, and methods. It is civilization now functioning apart from God-a civilization in which none of its promoters really expect God to share; who assign to God no consideration in respect to their projects, nor do they ascribe any causality to Him. This system embraces its godless governments, conflicts, armaments, jealousies; its education, culture, religions of morality, and pride. It is that sphere in which man lives. It is what he sees, what he employs. To the uncounted multitude it is all they ever know so long as they live on this earth. It is properly styled “The Satanic System” which phrase is in many instances a justified interpretation of the so-meaningful word, kosmos."[4]      Many people who live in Satan's world-system exclude God and Scripture from their daily conversations. This is true in news, politics, academic communities, work and home life. God is nowhere in their thoughts, and therefore, nowhere in their discussions (Psa 10:4; 14:1). These are the agnostics and atheists. But there are others in Satan's world-system who are very religious, and these are the worst kind of people, because they claim to represent God, when in fact they don't. In the Bible, there were many religious people who spoke in the name of the Lord (Jer 14:14; 23:16-32; Matt 7:15; Acts 13:6; Rev 2:20), claiming to represent Him, even performing miracles (Deut 13:1-4; Matt 24:24; 2 Th 2:8-9; Rev 13:13). The Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes where this way, and they said of themselves, “we have one Father: God” (John 8:41b). But Jesus saw them for what they really were and said, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44a). The religious—like Satan—are blinded by their pride. Humility must come before they will accept God's gospel of grace, and it does no good to argue with them (2 Tim 2:24-26). These false representatives loved to talk about God, read their Bibles, pray, fast, give of their resources, and spent much of their time in fellowship with other religious persons. Theirs is a works-system of salvation, which feeds their pride; giving them a sense of control over their circumstances and others.[5] These false organizations and their teachers appear as godly and righteous, but Paul described them as “false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Cor 11:13). Though very religious, these are in line with Satan, who operates on corrupt reasoning and is a deceiver. Paul goes on to say, “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2 Cor 11:14-15).      The contrast between the growing Christian and the worldly person is stark, as their thoughts and words take them in completely different directions. The growing believer thinks about God and His Word all the time, as “his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psa 1:2). The word law translates the Hebrew word תּוֹרָה torah, which means law, direction, or instruction. Navigating the highways of this world can be tricky, and the believer needs the direction or instruction God's Word provides. It is our divine roadmap for staying on God's path and getting to the destination He intends.      At the core of Satan's world-system is a directive for mankind to function apart from God, and when obeyed, people produce all forms of evil, both moral and immoral. We should understand that Satan's system is a buffet that offers something for everyone who rejects God, whether that person is moral or immoral, religious or irreligious, educated or simple, rich or poor. Satan is careful to make sure there's even something for the Christian in his world-system, which is why the Bible repeatedly warns the believer not to love the world or the things in the world. We are to be set apart (Col 2:8; Jam 1:27; 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16). Lightner states, “The world is the Christian's enemy because it represents an anti-God system, a philosophy that is diametrically opposed to the will and plan of God. It is a system headed by the devil and therefore at odds with God (2 Cor 4:4).…It is in this wicked world we must rear our families and earn our livelihoods. We are in it, yet are not to be a part of it.”[6] It is important to understand that we cannot change Satan or his evil program; however, we must be on guard, for it can and will change us if we're not careful to learn and live God's Word.      At the moment of salvation, God the Father “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13), and “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). This transference is permanent and cannot be undone. Once this happens, we are hated by those who remain in Satan's kingdom of darkness. For this reason, Jesus said to His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:18-19; cf. John 16:33; 1 John 3:13). Love and hate in this context should be understood as accept or reject, which can be mild or severe in expression. When praying to the Father, Jesus said, “they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14b), and went on to say, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). It is not God's will that we be immediately removed from this world at the moment of salvation, but left here to serve as His representatives to the lost, that we “may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). We are not to participate in worldly affairs that exclude God, but are to “walk as children of Light” (Eph 5:8), manifesting the fruit of the Light “in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph 5:9-10), and we are told, “do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Eph 5:11).      The growing Christian faces real struggles as Satan's world system seeks to press him into its mold, demanding conformity, and persecuting him when he does not bend to its values. The world-system not only has human support, but is backed by demonic forces that operate in collaboration with Satan. Scripture tells us “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). The battlefront is more than what is seen with the human eye and is driven by unseen spiritual forces. As Christians living in the world, we are to be careful not to be taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Col 2:8). Realizing the battleground is the mind, we are to think biblically in everything, which is our only safeguard against the enemy (2 Cor 10:3-5).      As Christians we face situations every day in which we are pressured to compromise God's Word. We face difficulties at work, school, home, or other places, in which we are confronted by worldly-minded persons, both saved and unsaved, who demand and pressure us to abandon our biblical values. There is room for personal compromise where Scripture is silent on a matter; however, where Scripture speaks with absolute authority, there we must never compromise! Wiersbe states, “The world, or world-system, puts pressure on each person to try to get him to conform (Rom 12:2). Jesus Christ was not ‘of this world' and neither are His people (John 8:23; 17:14). But the unsaved person, either consciously or unconsciously, is controlled by the values and attitudes of this world.”[7]      By promoting the gospel and biblical teaching, the church disrupts Satan's domain of darkness by calling out of it a people for God. By learning God's Word, Christians can identify worldly conversations and activities and either avoid them or seek to redirect them by interjecting biblical truth, which should never be done in hostility. When sharing God's Word with others it's proper to know that not everyone wants to hear God's truth, and even though we may not agree with them, their personal choices should be respected (Matt 10:14; Acts 13:50-51). We should never try to force the gospel or Bible teaching on anyone, but be willing to share when opportunity presents itself. At times this will bring peace, and other times cause disruption and may even offend. In this interaction, the growing Christian must be careful not to fall into the exclusion trap, in which the worldly person (whether saved or lost) controls the content of every conversation, demanding the Christian only talk about worldly issues, as Scripture threatens his pagan presuppositions. Having the biblical worldview, the Christian should insert himself into daily conversations with others, and in so doing, be a light in a dark place. He should always be respectful, conversational, and never have a fist-in-your-face attitude, as arrogance never helps advance biblical truth (2 Tim 2:24-26). The worldly-minded person may not want to hear what the Christian has to say, but he should never be under the false impression that he has the right to quiet the Christian and thereby exclude him from the conversation.      As we grow spiritually and walk with God, learning and living His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17), we stand in opposition to Satan's world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan's kingdom when we share the gospel, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). When anyone places their faith in Christ, trusting solely in Him as Savior, they are forgiven all their sins (Eph 1:7), gifted with eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28), and the righteousness of God (Rom 4:1-5; 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). They are rescued from Satan's enslaving power, as God rescues them from the “domain of darkness” and transfers them into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13). The gospel is the only way a person can be delivered from spiritual slavery; “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). Once saved, we seek to influence the thoughts and lives of other Christians through fellowship (Heb 10:23-25), prayer (Jam 5:16), edification (Eph 4:29), encouragement (1 Th 5:11), love (1 Th 4:9; cf. Eph 4:14-15), and words of grace (Col 4:6).   [1] David L. Allen, 1–3 John: Fellowship in God's Family, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 96–97. [2] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 562. [3] David L. Allen, 1–3 John: Fellowship in God's Family, 96. [4] Lewis S. Chafer, “Angelology Part 4” Bibliotheca Sacra 99 (1942): 282-283. [5] There are many church denominations today that call themselves “Christian”, but who come with a false gospel in which human works are added as a requirement for salvation (i.e., Catholics, Methodists, Church of Christ, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.). [6] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, p. 206. [7] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 2, p. 18.

God's Great Special Protections ----- -My Books: Amazon.com/Richard-A-Hardin/e/B09J2YHCVB Schedule: M-F, 7-8AM; Sat-Sun, 6-8AM (CST) gpwf@yahoo.com ****Richard Hardin, POBox 45684, OKC, OK 73145. ****I will give any minister $10,000 for his/her ministry that will go through my programs with me and show from Scriptures that I am wrong about calvinism Reformed Theology, being a lie of the devil. ****Today I am going to show that many times God's people had to have the nerve to speak out His Words of deliverance, then God worked in the lives of His people to protect or deliver them from the hands of the enemy. When we speak some words expecting God to back them up, the Words we speak must be God's Pure Words (Christ) and we must have our heart "fairly" pleasing to God. Like for example, 2 Cor 2:10-11 says to forgive others lest you give the devil advantage. Eph 4:26-27 says to not go to bed angry and give place to the devil. In 'The Lords' Prayer' we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others. So, even as Christians we must keep our fellowship with God better than just going to Church and sometimes carrying a Bible. Also, Proverbs 30:5-6 states God will not back up His Word we have changed or false beliefs just because we are serious and truly believe them in our mind and heart! Proverbs 30:5-6, "Every Word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not unto His Words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." God will only back up His Pure Word! Everything else is a lie and He will not back it up! That is why it is so serious that we all seek God's Pure Word from all the errors being taught in the religious community by groups which profess exactly opposite beliefs and the many differences expressed in the major 26 versions of the Bible. With all these differences in the wording of these versions and the many teachings of the thousands of preachers, we each are left with a great responsibility for seeking God for His Pure Word and like Jesus said we must become able to hear God's voice like sheep following their shepherd. ****These stories should encourage you since we know He could do any of these for us today too. on @KLRNRadio.com 7AM Fri on #GPWF #Christian or anytime at rahardin.com,

God's Great Special Protections ----- -My Books: Amazon.com/Richard-A-Hardin/e/B09J2YHCVB Schedule: M-F, 7-8AM; Sat-Sun, 6-8AM (CST) gpwf@yahoo.com****Richard Hardin, POBox 45684, OKC, OK 73145.****I will give any minister $10,000 for his/her ministry that will go through my programs with me and show from Scriptures that I am wrong about calvinism Reformed Theology, being a lie of the devil.****Today I am going to show that many times God's people had to have the nerve to speak out His Words of deliverance, then God worked in the lives of His people to protect or deliver them from the hands of the enemy. When we speak some words expecting God to back them up, the Words we speak must be God's Pure Words (Christ) and we must have our heart "fairly" pleasing to God. Like for example, 2 Cor 2:10-11 says to forgive others lest you give the devil advantage. Eph 4:26-27 says to not go to bed angry and give place to the devil. In 'The Lords' Prayer' we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others. So, even as Christians we must keep our fellowship with God better than just going to Church and sometimes carrying a Bible. Also, Proverbs 30:5-6 states God will not back up His Word we have changed or false beliefs just because we are serious and truly believe them in our mind and heart! Proverbs 30:5-6, "Every Word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not unto His Words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." God will only back up His Pure Word! Everything else is a lie and He will not back it up! That is why it is so serious that we all seek God's Pure Word from all the errors being taught in the religious community by groups which profess exactly opposite beliefs and the many differences expressed in the major 26 versions of the Bible. With all these differences in the wording of these versions and the many teachings of the thousands of preachers, we each are left with a great responsibility for seeking God for His Pure Word and like Jesus said we must become able to hear God's voice like sheep following their shepherd.****These stories should encourage you since we know He could do any of these for us today too. on @KLRNRadio.com 7AM Fri on #GPWF #Christian or anytime at rahardin.com,

Eph 1:1-6, Romans 9:15-18

The Despair of Atheism And the Hope of Christianity      As we grow and develop mentally, we develop a worldview, which is a biased perspective on life. A worldview is a mental framework of beliefs that guide our understanding of what is. It's the assumptions we employ to help us make sense of the world, ourselves and our experiences. Early in life—when our perception of the world is being shaped—we are influenced by the worldviews of family, friends, and surrounding culture. As we grow older, we are confronted with different and opposing worldviews via religious and educational institutions, literature, movies, music and art. At some point in our development—it's different for each person—we choose what we believe and why. Our worldview is important because it's the basis for our values which influence our relationships, money habits, social and political decisions, and everything we say and do. At its core, there are basically two worldviews a person can have. Either one is a theist or an atheist. Choices have consequences, and the worldview we adopt has far reaching ramifications. The biblical worldview offers value, purpose, and hope. The atheistic worldview—when followed to its logical conclusion—leads to a meaningless and purposeless life that eventuates in despair.      The atheist's worldview denies the existence of God and believes the universe and earth happened by a chance explosion billions of years ago. Rather than intelligent design, he believes in unintelligent chaos, that the earth, with all its complexity of life, is merely the product of accidental evolutionary processes over millions of years. His worldview believes everything is merely the product of matter, motion, time and chance; that we are the accidental collection of molecules; that we are nothing more than evolving bags of protoplasm who happen to be able to think, feel, and act. The conclusion is that we came from nothing significant, that we are nothing significant, and we go to nothing significant. Ultimately, there's no reason for us to exist, and no given purpose to assign meaning to our lives. We are a zero. Some have thought through the logical implications of their atheism and understand this well. Mark Twain wrote: "A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle for bread; they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other. Age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; shames and humiliations bring down their prides and their vanities. Those they love are taken from them and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. The burden of pain, care, misery, grows heavier year by year. At length ambition is dead; pride is dead; vanity is dead; longing for release is in their place. It comes at last – the only unpoisoned gift ever had for them – and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence; where they achieved nothing; where they were a mistake and a failure and a foolishness; where they have left no sign that they have existed – a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever. Then another myriad takes their place and copies all they did and goes along the same profitless road and vanishes as they vanished – to make room for another and another and a million other myriads to follow the same arid path through the same desert and accomplish what the first myriad and all the myriads that came after it accomplished - nothing!"[1] And Bertrand Russell wrote: "Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hope and fears, his loves and beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruin – all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul's habitation henceforth be safely built [bold added for emphasis]."[2]      No God means we live in a purely materialistic universe. Logically, materialism leads to nihilism which teaches that life is meaningless. If there is no God, then each of us are nothing more than the accidental collection of molecules. All our thoughts, desires, passions and actions can be reduced to electrochemical impulses in the brain and body. We are nothing more than a biochemical machine in an accidental universe, and when we die, our biological life is consumed by the material universe from which we came. But this leaves us in a bad place, for we instinctively search for meaning and purpose, to understand the value of our lives and actions. This tension leads to a sense of anxiety, what the German philosopher, Martin Heidegger, called angst. Angst and fear are different, for fear has a direct object, whereas angst is that innate and unending sense of anxiety or dread one lives with and cannot shake. The French Existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre understood this worldview and the despair connected with it. Sartre proposed that individual purpose could be obtained by the exercise our wills, as we choose to act, even if the act is absurd. Francis Schaeffer wrote: "[Sartre] held that in the area of reason everything is absurd, but nonetheless a person can authenticate himself by an act of the will; everyone should abandon the pose of spectator and act in a purposeless world. But because, as Sartre saw it, reason is separated from this authenticating, the will can act in any direction. On the basis of his teaching, you could authenticate yourself either by helping a poor old lady along the road at night or by speeding up your auto and running her down. Reason is not involved, and nothing can show you the direction which your will should take."[3]      I would argue that most atheists really don't want to talk about the logical conclusion of their position, and choose to go about their daily lives ignoring the issue altogether, as it's too painful to consider. This is why Sartre abandoned reason and advocated that we seek for meaning in the choices we make, even if those choices are irrational. Aldous Huxley proposed using psychedelic drugs with the idea that one might be able to find truth and meaning inside his own head. Schaeffer states, “He held this view up to the time of his death. He made his wife promise to give him LSD when he was ready to die so that he would die in the midst of a trip. All that was left for Aldous Huxley and those who followed him was truth inside a person's own head.”[4]      But there is another implication to an atheistic worldview, and that's in the area of morals. If there is no God, then there is no moral Lawgiver outside of mankind, and no moral absolutes by which to declare anything ethically right or wrong. There is only subjective opinion, which fluctuates from person to person and group to group. We're left to conclude that if there are no moral absolutes, then what is, is right, and the conversation is over. Morality becomes a matter of what the majority wants, or what an elite, or individual, can impose on others. Francis Schaeffer wrote:  "If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong. By absolute we mean that which always applies, that which provides a final or ultimate standard. There must be an absolute if there are to be morals, and there must be an absolute if there are to be real values. If there is no absolute beyond man's ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgments conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions."[5]      Ironically, when the atheist states “there is no truth”, he is making a truth claim. And when he says “there are no absolutes”, he is stating an absolute. Logically, he cannot escape truth and absolutes, without which, reasoning and discussion are impossible. The biblically minded Christian celebrates both truth and absolutes which derive from God Himself, in which He declares some things right and other things wrong (e.g., Ex 20:1-17), and this according to His righteousness (Psa 11:7).      The atheistic view regards mankind as merely a part of the animal kingdom. But if people are just another form of animal—a naked ape as someone once described—then there's really no reason to get upset if we behave like animals. A pack of wild lions in the Serengeti suffer no pangs of conscience when they gang up on a helpless baby deer and rip it to shreds in order to satisfy their hunger pains. They would certainly not be concerned if they drove a species to extinction; after all, it's survival of the fittest. Let the strong survive and the weak die off. Evolution could also logically lead to racism, which is implied in Charles Darwin's book, The Origin of Species, which original subtitle mentions the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. Ironically, we teach evolution in public schools, telling children they are just another animal species, but then get upset when they act like animals toward each other. We can't have it both ways. We can't logically teach atheistic evolution and simultaneously advocate for morality. It's a non sequitur. If there are no moral absolutes, then one cannot describe as evil the behavior of Nazis who murdered millions of Jews in World War II. Neither can one speak against the murder of tens of millions of people under the materialistic communistic regimes of Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, or Pol Pot.      It's interesting that people cry out for personal and social justice because they're naturally wired that way. But for the atheist, such inclinations are either a learned behavior based on arbitrary social norms, or a biological quirk that developed from accidental evolutionary processes. Again, we're left with no moral absolutes and no meaning for life. Naturally, for the thinking person, this leads to despair. For this reason, some seek pleasure in drugs, or alcohol, partying and/or sexual promiscuity in order to deaden the pain of an empty heart. Others might move into irrational areas of mysticism and the occult. The Burning Man events are a good example of this. The few honest atheists such as Twain, Russell and others accept their place of despair and seek to get along in this world as best they can. But they have no lasting hope for humanity. None whatsoever.      But the Christian worldview is different. The biblically minded Christian has an answer in the Bible which gives lasting meaning and hope; and this allows us to use our reasoning abilities as God intended. The Bible presents the reality of God (Gen 1:1; Ex 3:14; Rev 1:8), who has revealed Himself to all people (Psa 19:1-2). The apostle Paul argued this point when he wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20). This is called general revelation in which God reveals Himself through nature. God has also revealed Himself to the heart of every person, for “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them” (Rom 1:19). John Calvin referred to this as the sensus divinitatis, which is an innate sense of divinity, an intuitive knowledge that God exists. Calvin wrote, “there exists in the human minds and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity.”[6] He further states, “All men of sound judgment will therefore hold, that a sense of Deity is indelibly engraved on the human heart.”[7] Part of Calvin's argument is based on God's special revelation in Scripture. But part of his observation is also based on human experience. Calvin wrote, “there never has been, from the very first, any quarter of the globe, any city, any household even, without religion, [which] amounts to a tacit confession, that a sense of Deity is inscribed on every heart.”[8] The problem is not with God's clear revelation, but with the human heart which is negative to Him. For those possessed with negative volition have, as their habit, to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). The problem lies in the sinful heart that suppresses that revelation from God in order to pursue one's sinful passions. The apostle Paul wrote: "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures." (Rom 1:21-23)      However, God is a perfect gentleman and never forces Himself on anyone. People are free to choose whether to accept Him or not. But if they reject what light God gives of Himself, He is not obligated to give them further light, as they will only continue to reject it. Of those who are negative to God, three times it is written that He “gave them over” to “the lusts of their hearts” (Rom 1:24), and “to degrading passions” (Rom 1:26), and “to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Rom 1:28). Once God permits a person to operate by his sinful passions, he is given a measure of freedom to live as he wants, but not without consequence.      God does not render final judgment upon the rebellious right away. Rather, God extends to them a common grace, which refers to the undeserved kindness or goodness He extends to everyone, regardless of whether they are righteous or unrighteous, good or evil. God's common grace is seen in His provision of the necessities of life (i.e., sun, rain, air, food, water, clothing, etc.). This grace depends totally on God and not the attitude or actions of others. Jesus said of His Father, that “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). Paul affirmed this grace, saying, “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways [in rebellion]; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:16-17). Here, God's grace is most obvious, in that He provides the necessities of life and even blesses those who are unsaved and hostile toward Him. His love and open-handedness toward the undeserving springs completely out of the bounty of His own goodness. Part of the reason God is gracious and patient is that He “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). However, grace ends when the unbeliever dies, and if he has spent his life rejecting Christ as Savior, then afterward, he will stand before God's judgment seat, and if his name is “not found written in the book of life”, then he will be “thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15), where he will be for eternity. This final judgment is avoidable, if Jesus is accepted as one's Savior. The Bible reveals: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)      To the heart that is positive to God and turns to Christ as Savior, He has revealed Himself in special ways in His Son, Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-3), and in Scripture (1 Th 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16-17). God's special revelation gives us insights into realities we could never know on our own, except that God has revealed them to us in His Word in propositional terms. As we read the Bible in a plain manner, we come to realize that God exists as a trinity (or triunity), as God the Father (Gal 1:1; Eph 6:23; Phil 2:11), God the Son (Isa 7:14; 9:6; John 1:1, 8:58; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:11-12; 2 Cor 13:14). And that all three persons of the trinity are co-equal, co-infinite, and co-eternal, and worthy of all praise and honor and glory. The Bible also reveals that God personally created His universe and earth in six literal days (Gen 1:1-31; Ex 20:8-11). That He created the first humans, Adam and Eve, in His image, with value and purpose to serve as theocratic administrators over the earth (Gen 1:26-28). We have the ability to reason because we are made in the image of God, who also gave us language as a means of communicating with Him and each other (Gen 2:15-17, 23). God also created a host of spirit beings called angels, but one of them, Lucifer, rebelled against God and convinced other angels to do the same (Isa 14:12-14; Ezek 28:12-17). Fallen angels are called demons and belong to Satan's ranks (Matt 25:41; Rev 12:7-9), and they influence the world of people in many ways in their thinking, values and behavior (1 Tim 4:1; Rev 16:13-14). Lucifer came to earth and convinced the first humans to rebel against God (Gen 3:1-7), took rulership over the earth (Luke 4:5-7; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2 1 John 5:19), and expanded his kingdom of darkness to include all unbelievers (Matt 13:36-40; John 8:44; Acts 26:18; Col 1:13-14). Adam and Eve's sin brought about spiritual death (i.e., separation from God) and God cursed the earth as a judgment upon them (Gen 3:14-19). God's judgment also explains why everything moves toward decay and physical death (i.e., the second law of thermodynamics). But God, because of His great mercy and love toward us, provided a solution to the problem of sin and spiritual death, and this through a Redeemer who would come and bear the penalty for our sins (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14; 9:6; Matt 1:23; Luke 1:26-35; Gal 4:4; Heb 10:10, 14; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18; Rev 1:5). This Redeemer was Jesus Christ, God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity who became human (John 1:1, 14), who lived a sinless life (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5), willingly died on a cross (John 10:17-18), was judged for all our sin (Heb 10:10, 14), and was buried and raised to life on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4, 20), never to die again (Rom 6:9). After His redeeming work, Jesus ascended to heaven, where He awaits His return (Acts 1:9-11; cf. John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18). Jesus' work on the cross opens the way for us to have forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), and spiritual life (Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3, 23), if we'll trust in Him as our Savior (John 3:16; 20:31).      When a Philippian jailer asked the apostle Paul, “what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30), Paul gave the simple answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Act 16:31). Believing in Christ means we turn from trusting in anyone or anything as having any saving value (which is the meaning of repentance) and place our complete confidence in Christ to save, accepting Him and His work on the cross as all that is needed to have eternal life. Salvation comes to us by grace alone (it's an undeserved gift), through faith alone (adding no works), in Christ alone (as the only One who saves). Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). God also promises us an eternal existence with Him in Heaven (John 14:1-3), who will eventually create a new heavens and earth, which will be marked by perfect righteousness (2 Pet 3:13), and be free from sin and death (Rev 21:1-5). God has already begun this restoration process, and this starts with the restoration of lost sinners to Himself, and progressing toward the complete and perfect restoration of the universe and earth.      If we accept God and His offer of salvation, we have a new relationship with Him, and this means we are part of His royal family. God also gives meaning to our lives and calls us to serve as His representatives in a fallen world. To reject God and His offer is to choose an eternal existence away from Him in the Lake of Fire. This is avoidable, if one turns to Christ as Savior, believing the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and raised again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). Won't you trust in Christ as your Savior and begin this new and wonderful life? I pray you do. Other recommended sources referenced in this lesson: Francis Schaeffer: Trilogy: https://smile.amazon.com/Francis-Schaeffer-Trilogy-Three-Essential/dp/0891075615 Francis Schaeffer: How Should Then Live - https://smile.amazon.com/Should-Then-Live-LAbri-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B00IFG0AD8 Francis Schaeffer: How Should Then Live Ten Part Video Series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpPMMb50QcE&list=PLP0lSOp9RORx7W0REI8SVK2CNIrMjhS_T James Sire: The Universe Next Door - https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Next-Door-Worldview-Catalog-ebook/dp/B084L3SQDY Jean-Paul Sartre: Existentialism and Human Emotions - https://www.amazon.com/Existentialism-Human-Emotion-Philosophical-Library/dp/0806509023 The Humanist Manifesto - https://smile.amazon.com/Humanist-Manifesto-2000-Planetary-Humanism/dp/157392783X Steve's Blog: https://thinkingonscripture.com/ Steve's Books: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B005FSY6XO Steve's Audio Lessons: https://thinkingonscripture.com/audio-video/   [1] Mark Twain, The Autobiography of Mark Twain, edited by Michael J. Kiskis (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, WI, 2013), 28. [2] Bertrand Russell, “A Free Man's Worship” from Mysticism and Logic (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1917). [3] Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, 50th L'Abri Anniversary Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005), 167. [4] Ibid., 170. [5] Ibid., 145. [6] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 1997), 1.3.1 [7] Ibid., 1.3.3 [8] Ibid., 1.3.1

Guarding the House From Our Enemies (2) (Audio) David Eells - 8/3/22 Factious Infiltrators Steal From God's House Samuel Marychurch - 7/30/22 (David's notes in red)   (This teaching from the Lord will be very important to the Church, which is getting ready to go through this same trial of faction in the tribulation.) (We felt this is a warning dream and cast lots to confirm and got 3 heads for a yes.) I dreamed my wife Tiannah (meaning joy, happiness or follower of Christ, representing a disciple of Jesus.) Tiannah and I were staying at a studio apartment. (A studio is a play on words, meaning a place to study the Word.) (We were both in a one room apartment where we shared all things together, in common. This represents one body in Christ.) (Eph. 2:21 in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.) The apartment had modern and fancy fixtures throughout. (Modern represents our current time we live in and something to be aware of or pay attention to now.) We had 2 black laptops and many items of value inside the apartment. (This represents our spiritual treasures stored up in heaven [and our “studio" materials.].) (The black laptops represent the treasures of revelations of things hidden in darkness in Isa. 45:3 and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.)f Our friend Gerald was staying there with us. (Gerald means, "ruler with the spear”. I believe he represents God.) (God's presence is with His people now that our Savior, Emmanuel, meaning, "God with us" has come and reconciled us to God our Father.) Then suddenly this lady appeared. I am not sure who she was but... we didn't invite her. (As we will see, this woman represents the Judas body of antichrist, "sons of perdition” who are thieves, and like their father the devil, they come to steal, kill, and destroy. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy...) Gerald was concerned about her being there because he didn't trust her. Gerald said “I don't know her”. It felt as if he was trying to warn us. (God warns us through His Spirit about people and situations. His Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and discernment, but, as we will see, there's always big trouble when we ignore the warnings and sear our conscience through self-will or evil-reasonings that are against the commands in His Word.)  We went out, came back from grocery shopping and our hands were full carrying the groceries. (Hands being full of groceries represents distractions that feed our flesh. When this is occurring our discernment is so diminished that we are blind to the spiritual dangers right in front of us.)  When we got to the door to go inside, the lady was there and she offered to open the door for us. She seemed genuine and sincere and it seemed like she just wanted to help us.  (2 Co. 11:14  And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. And Rom. 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.) So, then I handed her our key chain that had a bunch of different keys on it, along with the door key. (The keys could represent the keys to the Kingdom.) She opened the door and let us in and gave us back the keys. (Mat. 16:19  I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Jesus has given us the keys to bind and loose. If we are unwise with this authority we can loose the enemy and open doors for him to steal from us.) Later on, we went out again and came back and when we went to open the door, we realized that the key to the front door wasn't on the key chain. When we checked the front door it was unlocked and the key was left in the door. We went inside and all of our items were gone. I felt upset, and I realized that the lady must have taken the key off the keychain that time that I let her open the door for us. I then woke up. (This reminds me of Hezekiah when he showed all his treasures to the Babylonian embassage and they later came and plundered the Temple and all Jerusalem.) (... I felt the Lord is trying to reveal an imposter may be trying to gain access or has snuck in, to steal, kill, and destroy inside the Body of Christ and to be on guard against it.   Don't Climb the Mountain in Your Own Strength  Kit Gioura - 7/22/22 (David's notes in red) In this dream I saw two men who had barricaded themselves in a shopping center. Their main goal was to kill everyone in sight. (This is similar to Samuel's dream above. The enemy, in the Judas, antichrist, factious body, as merchants of Babylon are seeking to prey upon and steal from and kill those who are feeding the desires of their flesh.) These two men were prepared for war and they were armed to the hilt. Many were slain by these two men. (Many are taken out because they refuse to go any further in the kingdom by continuing to carry their cross and sacrifice their flesh on the altar of obedience to the Word of God, which warns us of these people.) As they were taking people out, a call went out to the cops who came and started to attack these two men. I could hear the two men saying, “These cops are different here!" (Meaning, they are well prepared) (God's ministers are supposed to enforce the Word of God which exposes these people. The faction,  uses slander and criticism to kill, and deceive those who disobey God's commands to separate from them. Tit 3:10  A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse.) Then the scene changed and the two men were now in a house on a country side hill which had green, heathy grass. Inside this house it was dark and these two men were hiding in the darkness waiting to ambush those that were climbing the hill. (The enemy is always targeting those who are seeking to conquer their flesh and climb the hill to Mt. Zion. Jas 3:16  For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. And Psalm 11:2  For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.) Many people took up arms and went up the hill hunting for these two. (This represents our prayers and spiritual warfare that will succeed in taking down these enemies and exposing them. We must not fight in the flesh with anger, retaliation or unforgiveness for then, we too, will fall, as we will see. Eph. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.) One of the men was captured and was taken down. But the other was still hiding out in the corner in the darkness waiting to pounce on people but was later exposed. Many mighty men fell at the hands of these two. (These Judas' have betrayed many and spiritually destroyed and killed many who were weakened through disobedience to the Word and lazy to conquer their flesh and climb the hill to Mt. Zion. Also the devil has authority to come against us, to our own destruction, if we are trying to conquer or fight in our own strength.)           Remember What You Heard from the Beginning       Vanessa Weeks - 4/13/22 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that it was night and I was climbing a grassy hill. (This hill represents climbing Mt. Zion.) (This represents conquering the flesh by putting it under our feet. 1Pe 1:24  For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth). (We are remembering our promise that in Rom 6:11  Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: This faith makes it possible to die to self and conquer our flesh as we climb the hill to Mt. Zion, the Bride.) It was very dark but there was a bright light shining on the area where I was climbing. (Psa. 18:28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.  And Psa. 119:105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path). (Jesus and His Word are what lights our way of obedience.) I knew I had to climb to the top of this hill. It was difficult and I was climbing with my hands and feet. (Representing our works and walk of faith. As disciples of Christ we may walk in His steps and have His works to climb to the top of Mt. Zion.) I heard my husband Barry (Representing the Lord our Heavenly Husband) who was standing by me, but I did not see him. (This symbolizes Jesus always being with us even when we don't see Him.) (Heb. 13:5 ... for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.) Barry was telling me to remember to do the things he had told me to do or to do the things I said I would do. (I think these were one and the same. 1Jn 2:24  As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.)  (Psa. 15:1-5 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart; (Being truly honest with ourselves on everything the Spirit shows us or speaks to us about not hardening our hearts thus searing our consciences.) 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor; 4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not; (i.e. they keep their word even if it hurts them to do so. They don't utter rash vows or promises and then reason away why it's okay not to fulfill them if they truly have the means or the time.) He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.) Also I heard David (representing the David Man-child reformers) saying something to me to the same effect. I did not see him either. (Php 2:12  So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; And Php 2:13  for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.) When I got about half way up the hill, I got very weary and had to rest for a while. (Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.) I remember thinking of Eve at this point in the dream, (Representing the overcoming Bride) and how she has had her trials and was overcoming, and now it was my turn. Then I woke up.    A Rock of Refuge; A Strong Fortress to Save Me Marie Kelton - 7/27/22 (David's notes in red) In the dream, it was night time, and zombies were attacking people. (These zombies, who are the “walking dead" representing those who are possessed with the “stupid demons” of faction.) I got in a car with a couple of other people and we drove to a refuge where the Lord was. (Pro. 18:10 The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.) Then the scene changed and this time I was observing what was happening. The zombies were still attacking people, but then a group of people started using the Word of God. When they used the Word of God, a big square shaped stone came up from under the ground with ancient symbols on it. (This stone is the stone that the builders rejected, which is Christ, who is the ancient Word. The builders became apostate and lost the power of the Word but we must stand on the power of the Word to conquer our enemies. Luk 1:68 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people, 69 And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David ... 71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ... 73 The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, 74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies should serve him without fear.) As the zombies were trying to attack people, they would fall on this square shaped stone that had the ancient symbols on it and couldn't move from it. (These zombies are ministers of the curse of sin and death, which Jesus bore for us. Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus. 1 Pe. 2:4-8  unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, 5 ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. 7 For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; 8 and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.)   Judgment on the Faction  Marie Kelton - July 30, 2022 (David's notes in red) In the beginning of the dream, there was this black teacher, teaching. (This Black teacher represents the leadership of the faction who have usurped the true leadership and drawn many of the spiritually weak away unto themselves.) I saw this black girl in a bright yellow outfit laying down on a couch. (The black girl represents their followers who are walking in darkness.). (The couch represents a false sense of rest because of their doctrine that, “It's all under the blood.” Also, a couch represents people with psychiatric problems.) When I walked up to her I thought of the spirit of fear because she was wearing all yellow. (The factious followers live in a lot of fear and torments because they are under a curse of separation from the Body through their willful disobedience to the Word.) But when I picked up a card that was next to her, it said, “Depression" in bright yellow like the clothes she was wearing. The card was describing symptoms of depression. (The factious body is in fear and depression because there is no life of Christ living in the darkness of witchcraft [which is rebellion.].) The dream changed and I was now in Debbie Fenske's house looking out the door. There were these big tall evergreens. (Representing the mature disciples in the neighborhood who have eternal life.) In front of the evergreens were huge tigers (Representing factious, predatory leaders seeking to destroy disciples.). They were eating the head of another tiger that was already dead. (This represents Gal. 5:15-16  Select Language Afrikaans Albanian Amharic Arabic Armenian Assamese Aymara Azerbaijani Bambara Basque Belarusian Bengali Bhojpuri Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Cebuano Chichewa Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Corsican Croatian Czech Danish Dhivehi Dogri Dutch Esperanto Estonian Ewe Filipino Finnish French Frisian Galician Georgian German Greek Guarani Gujarati Haitian Creole Hausa Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Igbo Ilocano Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Javanese Kannada Kazakh Khmer Kinyarwanda Konkani Korean Krio Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kurdish (Sorani) Kyrgyz Lao Latin Latvian Lingala Lithuanian Luganda Luxembourgish Macedonian Maithili Malagasy Malay Malayalam Maltese Maori Marathi Meiteilon (Manipuri) Mizo Mongolian Myanmar (Burmese) Nepali Norwegian Odia (Oriya) Oromo Pashto Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Quechua Romanian Russian Samoan Sanskrit Scots Gaelic Sepedi Serbian Sesotho Shona Sindhi Sinhala Slovak Slovenian Somali Spanish Sundanese Swahili Swedish Tajik Tamil Tatar Telugu Thai Tigrinya Tsonga Turkish Turkmen Twi Ukrainian Urdu Uyghur Uzbek Vietnamese Welsh Xhosa Yiddish Yoruba Zulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version  

Eph. 4: 25-32: Speaking the truth in love. What does that look like? What does it have to do with being spiritually mature? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bearingwitness/support

Putting garbage into your mind will result in garbage coming out of your heart. In a hardhearted person, the thinking skills in the mentality of the soul become dull. Many in this country are dull to hearing God's Word. This is negative volition. “They scarred their heart from the vanity of their mind” (Eph 4:18). They operate on arrogance skills and believe "my way" is better than God's way. There are a lot of hardened hearts in America. Proverbs 18:2 calls a hardhearted person a fool, “A fool has no delight in understanding but in expressing his own heart.” Anyone who rejects God is a fool. The way to soften a hardened heart is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He convicts. Often it may take a tragedy, disaster or death. Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/hardened-hearts-68f24f --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message

In this weeks message Pastor Travis continues his message on Samson.God will use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.If we are not careful, we can have attitudes and we can be made weak when we are supposed to be strong.Eph 6:10 NJKVFinally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.2 Cor 12:9 NKJVAnd He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.James 4:6 NKJVBut He gives more grace. Therefore He says:“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Relationships (especially in our vocations) are Providentially meant to teach us authentic love - how to give it, and how to receive it. As a matter of charity, aggressive personalities must learn to respect others' proper boundaries, and passive personalities must learn to erect proper boundaries. And all of us must learn authentic forgiveness.  Thank you to my newest Friends of the Show, Julie M; Denise S; and Amanda W, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and monthly meet-ups with Sonja: We're studying the Book of Romans! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja's method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)  O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Hold a crucifix in your hand, and meditate on the differences it teaches you between forgiveness, reconciliation, and relationship, and where repentance is required. V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Tell Him everything in your heart right now. Take the risk, and ask Him to help you discern His message under the anger and hurt.  Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!) Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of Your love, and there shall be a new creation, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Amen. + Connect Take the next step in your healing journey. Join me in Sacred Healing, where I'm offering healing prayer livestreams, Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:12:00 – pop quizzes; back to the Garden; the New Adam and the New Eve Minutes 12:01-24:00 – what is authentic love?; 1 Cor 13 and Eph 5:22-33 Minutes 24:01-36:00 – all vocations are married to God; Ephesians 5:22-33 as model for authentic marriage relationships Minutes 36:01-48:00 – what is forgiveness?; erecting proper boundaries, especially in abusive relationships Transcript Click here for a transcript of the show. 

Many Christians feel stuck in their service for the Lord, wondering what exactly God wants them to do. Using the acronym ABBA, Matthew provides some guiding principles to help you know what the Lord wants YOU to do. Scriptures Referenced: Eccl 9:10; Rom 12:3-8; 1Cor 12; Eph 4:4-16; Col 4:17 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook

Main point: Given what God has done in the gospel (Eph. 1-3) and commanded (Eph 3-6), Paul gives three final exhortations to the church to stand firm in the battle of the Christian life.

Ephesians 3:14-21 is a prayer for spiritual strength. It follows Paul's discourse on doctrine and precedes his section on practical application. Paul knows the believer can live with a head full of knowledge and a shriveled heart. He also knows trying to live the Christian life in our own strength is futile. So, after the doctrine discourse and before the practical application section, Paul prays that our inner being will be filled with Jesus. Paul's prayer has four requests: • Spiritual Strength (Eph 3:16) • Deeper Experience with Jesus (Eph 3:17a) • Grasping God's Great Love (Eph 3:17b-19a) • Experiencing the Fullness of God (Eph 3:19b) Today's Focus: Grasping God's Great Love (Eph 3:17b-19a) Grasping God's love begins with grasping the work of Jesus. • Through the work of Jesus, we have redemption and forgiveness (Eph 1:7) • Through the work of Jesus, we have been brought near to God (Eph 2:13) • Jesus “gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). Grasping God's love begins with grasping the work of Jesus and reflecting on the characteristics of God's love. • God's love for us is eternal (Eph 1:3-6) • God initiates his love for us (Eph 2:1, 4-6) • God's love for us is free (Eph 2:8-9) • God's love for us is guaranteed (Eph 1:13-14) Our Spiritual Identity is rooted and grounded in God's love. In Christ, we are S.S.A.F.E. • Significant: Ephesians 1:3-5a • Secure: Ephesians 1:13-14 • Accepted: Ephesians 1:5 • Forgiven: Ephesians 1:7 • Empowered: Ephesians 1:13-14 DAILY DEVOTIONAL WITH RON MOORE Get Ron's Daily Devotional to your inbox each morning; visit biblechapel.org/devo. LIVING GROUNDED Learn more about how you can grow deeper and embrace the foundational truths of the Christian faith with Living Grounded. Whether you're just starting out in faith or you've been a Christian for years, Living Grounded offers truth, wisdom, and encouragement for every stage. Contact gdevore@biblechapel.org to get connected. CAREGIVING Do you have a need we can pray for? Do you need someone to walk alongside you? Do you know of another person who needs care? Let us know at caregiving@biblechapel.org. CAMPUS FACEBOOK GROUPS You're invited to connect with The Bible Chapel family in your campus Facebook Group. Look for Facebook Groups at facebook.com/biblechapel and click on Groups on the left side. FIND AN ENCOURAGER TODAY! JOIN A SMALL GROUP Community Groups are our easiest on-ramp to community at The Bible Chapel; these groups use sermon-based questions to dive deeper into weekly messages. Visit biblechapel.org/smallgroups to learn more and sign up!

Positive and Negative Volition In this lesson, Dr. Cook continues his study of positive and negative volition as it's revealed in Scripture. Below are examples of negative and positive volition in the Bible.  Examples of negative volition include The antediluvian generation (Gen 6:5-13; 2 Pet 2:5) The city of Sodom (Gen 13:13) The first generation of Israelites after the Exodus (Num 32:10-13; Deut 1:35) Israel during the Judges (Judg 17:6; 21:25) Solomon when he turned away from God and worshipped idols (1 Ki 11:1-10) Israel under the leadership of Jeroboam (1 Ki 12:26-33) Israel under the leadership of Ahab (1 Ki 16:29-33) Judah's pre-exilic leaders (Jer 25:3) Jesus' generation who rejected Him (John 3:19; 12:37; cf. Matt 23:37-38) The last generation of the church age (2 Tim 3:1-5) Unbelievers living during the Tribulation (Rev 9:20-21; 16:8-11). The last generation of the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:7-9). Examples of positive volition include Enoch, who walked with God (Gen 5:21-24) Noah, who obeyed the Lord (Gen 6:22) Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt (Ex 3:1—14:31) Joshua, who led Israel into the Promised Land (Josh 1:1-18) The Ninevites who responded positively to Jonah's preaching (Jon 3:1-10) Elijah, who turned Israel back to the Lord (1 Ki 18:17-40) King Josiah, who delayed God's judgment against Judah (2 Ki 22:1-20) The apostles (Matt 19:27-28) Saul, who believed in Jesus and spread the gospel (Acts 9:1-20). Conclusion      Every person we meet is either positive or negative to God and His Word. Though we are not neutral and try to persuade people to believe the gospel (John 3:16; 20:31; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Eph 2:8-9), and live righteously (Rom 6:11-14; Tit 2:11-14), each person must choose to accept or reject the offer. Those who believe in Jesus will be forgiven all their sins (Eph 1:7), given eternal life (John 10:28), and will spend forever in heaven (John 14:1-4); and believers who pursue righteousness will be rewarded in eternity (1 Cor 3:10-15). Those who reject the gospel have no other way to be saved and will forever be separated from God in the Lake of Fire (John 3:18; Rev 20:11-15).    

This Sunday we pause our study of John to celebrate a special moment in the life of OBC. As 1 Peter 5, 1 Timothy 3, and Titus 1 indicate, elders/overseers/pastors (three terms for the same office) play a crucial role in the life of the church. This is why multiple books in the Bible give elder qualifications—so that local churches can properly recognize and install biblical elders. In our case, OBC has enjoyed the service of our seven current elders for the last seven years. For some of these elders, the service goes back much longer. But since Pastor David came to OBC in 2015, we have not recognized or added a new elder. This Sunday, by God's grace, that will change, as we recognize and install Sean Oxford to the role of elder at OBC. For those who know Sean, you know he has already been ‘shepherding.' In our children's ministry and in many other aspects of OBC life, Sean has demonstrated the qualities of overseer, and in so doing he has blessed our church and built up the saints. This is what elders do. They equip the saints for the work of service (Eph. 4:12), they oversee the flock (1 Pet. 5:1–4), and they multiply ministry (Eph. 4:11–16). And this Sunday we will consider both the role that elders play in the life of the church and the way that healthy churches recognize and install elders. To do that we will look at Titus 1:5–9. In these five verses we find qualifications for elders. Yet, these verses are not for elders only, but for the whole church. As we will see, churches must know the qualifications of an elder, because local churches play the role of appointing elders to service. Moreover, as elders playing the role of modeling the faith, local churches need godly examples of faith. To that end, we will consider the wisdom and goodness of God in having local church appoint elders. To prepare for Sunday, take time to read Titus 1–3. Pray for our service and for Sean as he prepares to receive the call to be an elder at OBC. We, the elders, are thankful to God for him and for all the faithful servants of Christ who call OBC their home. God has been exceedingly good to our church. And on Sunday we look forward to giving him praise and receiving from him the gift of this elder. In prayer for Sunday, The Elders of OBC --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion & Response Questions: Titus 1:5-9 In reading Titus 1:5-9, what reasons are given for these elder qualifications? Why are these qualities prerequisite for being appointed to the office of elder, and essential for those who serve as elders? To what end do these character qualifications serve? What happens to a congregation when these qualities are absent? How are elders made and unmade? Are these character qualities that should be unique to elders? Should members seek these qualities? Why or why not? What is it that sets an elder apart from the rest of the congregation? What is the relationship between the titles of pastor, elder, and overseer? What are an elder's duties to the congregation? What does the Bible and our Statement of Faith teach? What are the congregation's duties to the elders? How does the wisdom of God's design for the church serve the ministry of the gospel? How ought we to respond to these truths?

July 31, 2022 - Sunday AM Sermon   WHAT IS THE CHURCH? Ephesians 2:19-22, 3:6-21 Hiram Kemp Introduction: 1. There are a lot of ____________ and _______________ in our world about    the ________. 2. Many have been _____________ by the ____________ and want   ___________ to do with it. Others have ideas about the ___________ that   are not ___________ and need to be ____________. 3. Since the __________ began with __________ we should let him tell us what  it is and what to __________ from _____________. I. The ___________ of _____________ (Eph. 2:19-22) II. The _____________ of ____________ (Eph. 3:6) III. A ___________ of ___________ wisdom (Eph. 3:9-10) IV. A ___________ of ____________ eternal _____________ (Eph. 3:11) V. ___________ who _____________ God (Eph. 3:21) WHO IS THE CHURCH FOR? (Ephesians) Neal Pollard I. FOR THOSE ________ IN TRESPASSES AND SINS (2:1-5) II. FOR THOSE WHO FEEL _______________ (2:12) III. FOR THOSE WHO FEEL _______________ (2:19) IV. FOR THOSE WHO ARE TIRED OF _____________ (4:17-32) V. FOR THOSE WHO ARE DONE WITH ______________ (5:1ff) VI. FOR THOSE WHO ARE ____________ BY THE WORLD (6:10ff)   Duration 43:35

Ps 139,23+24; Röm 2,4+5; Eph 4,16 Eine Frage des Herzens 1. Eine Frage des Herzens - Im Allgemeinen 2. Eine Frage des Herzens - Im Persönlichen Leben 3. Eine Frage des Herzens - im christlichen Miteinander von Volker Koch Als Videobotschaft auf YouTube: https://youtu.be/TjAj5-5rC0A vollständiger Text: https://bibel-center.de/medien/bibelfocus/eine-frage-des-herzens/

I. The Progression of Covenants in the Bible. The Adamic Covenant. Gen. 1:27 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Gen. 2:15 15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The Noahic Covenant. Gen. 9:1-7 The Abrahamic Covenant. Gen. 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The Mosaic or Sinai Covenant. Ex. 20-24 Ex. 24:7-8 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.” The Davidic Covenant. 2 Samuel 7:8-16 The New Covenant. Text: Jer. 31:31 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Additional References: Ezek. 36:25-26; Jer. 32: 40-41 II. The Prophecy and Fulfillment of the New Covenant. Luke 22:20 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 2 Cor. 3:6 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Heb. 10:11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. The Mediator of the New Covenant. The Members of the New Covenant. I Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. See also: Rev. 1:5-6; Eph. 2:12; Heb. 12:22

A reading of St. John Chrysostom's fourth homily on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. This is St. John the Golden-mouthed “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15) and echoing the divine Apostle who revealed to him the meaning of his letters (see icon of St. Paul speaking into St. John's ear). St. John addresses verses 26 and 27: “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” St. John preaches: “...having dishonored that which was natural, they ran after that which was contrary to nature. But that which is contrary to nature has in it an irksomeness and displeasingness, so that they could not fairly allege even pleasure. For genuine pleasure is that which is according to nature.” “Here in the place of the world he sets the pleasure according to nature, which they would have enjoyed with more sense of security and greater glad-heartedness, and so have been far removed from shameful deeds. But they would not; whence they are quite out of the pale of pardon, and have done an insult to nature itself.” “But if you say, and whence came this intensity of lust? It was from the desertion of God: and whence is the desertion of God? From the lawlessness of them that left Him; men with men working that which is unseemly. Do not, he means, because you have heard that they burned, suppose that the evil was only in desire. For the greater part of it came of their luxuriousness, which also kindled into flame their lust. And this is why he did not say being swept along or being overtaken, an expression he uses elsewhere; but what? Working. They made a business of the sin, and not only a business, but even one zealously followed up.” For more quotes from this reading in text, please check the description for the YouTube upload. Read the full text here: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210... The title of this video is a quote from St. John in this homily. This channel is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

Positive and Negative Volition      Volition is the ability to act within a sphere of freedom and in accordance with one's desires. There are three categories of volition in existence: God's volition (Isa 46:8-11; cf. Gen 1:1-31), angelic volition (Psa 103:20), and human volition (Gen 1:26-28). God's volition is absolute, immutable, and always operates in concert with His divine attributes. And, according to His sovereignty, He created intelligent and moral beings—angels and people—with the ability to obey or resist His directive will. In fact, Lucifer and a third of the angels exercised their volition against God and caused a bifurcation in the angelic realm (Isa 14:12-14; Rev 12:7; cf. Matt 25:41). Two thirds of the angels exercised their volition to stay with God, and these continue as holy angels to do His will (Matt 16:27; 26:53; 1 Tim 5:21; Heb 1:14). As Scripture reveals, Satan persuaded Adam and Eve to disobey God, and this brought sin and death into the creation (Gen 3:1-8; Rom 5:12; 8:20-22), with the result that every person is born with a sinful nature and proclivity to sin (Jer 17:9; Matt 7:11; Rom 7:18-21; Gal 5:16-17; Eph 2:1-3). However, God has dealt with the sin problem through the life, death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus (John 3:16; 1 Cor 15:3-4), who paid our sin debt (Col 2:13-14), and liberates us who have trusted in Jesus as Savior (Rom 8:1-4), so that we might not be controlled by sin, but will pursue righteousness (Rom 6:5-13; 1 Pet 2:24).      The tendency of people who operate on negative volition is to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), and to operate by a worldly wisdom that is not “from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic” (Jam 3:15). The vast majority of humanity will not choose a relationship with God nor a walk with Him (Matt 7:13-14).      When God's Word is dethroned from the mind of the believer, other forces will dominate for the worse. God's desire for the Christian is to develop his/her character so that righteousness, goodness, grace and love flow easily and with continuity of expression. If the character is good then the behavior will be good, for it follows that a person with an honest character will easily and consistently behave in an honest manner, and a person with a loving character will easily and consistently behave in a loving manner. But good character does not automatically occur in the life of the Christian, nor does it happen overnight; rather, it matures over a lifetime as we make many good choices to walk in step with God and let His good Word transform us from the inside out. But we should be aware that it is possible to abuse our liberty and make bad choices with the result that we weaken the will and forfeit our freedoms (the addict knows this to be true). Not only that, but bad choices and abuses of freedom bring harm to others within our periphery; for this reason, Scripture states, “You were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13).      Unbelievers who love their moral depravity will naturally stand against those who are children of God and who love righteousness. This is why Scripture states, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:13). Those who set their wills against God will not listen to the Christian who comes with His message; however, they will listen to their own. The apostle John tells us about those who walk in darkness, saying, “They are from the world; therefore, they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them” (1 John 4:5). That is, there are those who operate from presuppositions and values that are cosmocentric, which exclude or pervert serious consideration and discussion about God, refusing to give Him any say over their lives. When confronted with divine revelation, the person who is negative to God either denies His existence (Psa 14:1), or reduces Him to the status of a creature (Rom 1:22-25). And the person who is negative to God can be simultaneously immoral and religious (2 Tim 3:1-5).  

28: Pre-Christianity “The Seven Things the Lord Hates” Prov 6: 16-19 43: Matt 7:1-6 Judge not 1:06 “The LORD” Exodus 3:14 2:00 Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) 2:57 1. “Haughty Eyes” Prov 6: 16-19 3:50 Leviticus 23:22 “Do not cut the edges…leave it for the poor and foreigners among you” 4:12 2. A lying tongue-keeps you from your blessing and divides people Prov 6: 16-19 6:22 3. Hands that shed innocent blood Prov 6: 16-19 7:29 4. “A Heart the devises wicked schemes” Prov 6: 16-19 8:32 Prov 25:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” 8:50 Law of reaping and sowing: Luke 8:5-15: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 9:08 “Feet that are quick to rush into evil” Prov 6: 16-19 9:58 low vibration country 10:00 “False witness that pours out lies” Prov 6: 16-19 (causes division) 11:14 “A person who stirs up conflict in the community” 11:44 Community is where God dwells-UNITY (all of the aforementioned causes division) 12:12 The power of agreement 12:54 Full armor of God - Eph 6:10-20 13:46 The hierarchy of spiritual forces 15:35 Gird up your loins 2 Kings 4:29 16:40 “breastplate of righteousness” Eph 6:10-20 17:40 Keep your hands clean and your heart pure 18:04 repentance “turn around and agree with God about your actions” 18:35 “readiness with the gospel of peace” 20:06 “shield of faith in which you can distinguish the flaming errors of the enemy” Eph 6:10-20 20:37 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) 20:48 Faith is simply trusting in God-this gives us power 21:15 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and have it in abundance” (John 10:10) 22:35 Helmet of Salvation (renewing our mind) Eph 6:10-20 24:36 Brain Detox-Dr. Caroline Leaf - Switch on Your Brain 24:55 Not Science or God 25:23 Helmet of Salvation which is the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Eph 6:10-20 28:11 Exercising the word like a master swordsman 28:55 Pray in the spirit at all times [Eph 6:10-20] to keep this activated 30:00 “No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper” Isaiah 54:17 30:05 Bonus: Fred Hammond - No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper 30:48 Final Thoughts: Matt 22:34-40 Love God and Love Thy Neighbor Where Can We Find Pastor Omar? Beloved Community - Join Pastor Omar's Bible Studies on Youtube Instagram: the_love-ambassador Facebook: Omar Muhammad - Love in Action Where Can We Find Amy? www.amyperras.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aintgonnabenostupid/support

Heaven on Earth (Part 1)At the conclusion of the book of Revelation, John relates an awesome vision. He gazes upon “a new heaven and a new earth,” which, he says, replace the original of each, which have passed away. Other passages in Scripture indicate that this heaven and earth are not entirely new but are renovations of the originals (Isa. 65:17–25; Rom. 8:21–23), renewed much as believers' bodies will be transformed.Coming down from the new heaven into this new earth, John sees “the holy city, New Jerusalem.” It is, he tells us, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Later in this chapter John mentions this city again, telling of an angel who refers to it as “ ‘the bride, the Lamb's wife' ” (21:9–10). Scripture elsewhere makes clear that the bride of Christ (the Lamb) is the church, the people of God (Isa. 54:5–8; Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 19:7). Thus, John is seeing the entire body of believers from every time and place, made new in the consummation of all things, being placed back on the physical earth to live for eternity in their physical bodies.There are many features to this new earth to elicit our wonder and praise, and we will look at a number of them in tomorrow's study. Today, however, we will focus on one, the most wonderful feature of all. John tells us that he hears a voice declaring, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”During the time of Israel's desert wandering, the sign of God's presence with His people was the tabernacle pitched in the center of the camp. There, in the holy of holies, the presence of God was said to reside. Much later, the apostle John began his gospel by noting that Christ “dwelt [literally “tabernacled”] among us” (John 1:14). Those, however, were essentially “temporary stays.” What John sees is the establishment of God's permanent residence among His people. In fulfillment of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17:7–8), as well as the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 31:33), God settles with His people, to be God to them. As in Eden of old, men and women walk with God in the cool of the day. Here we find the highest blessing man can know—intimate fellowship between creature and Creator. This is truly heaven on earth.CORAM DEO Living before the face of GodThe hints in Genesis about life in the Garden of Eden before the fall are heartbreakingly poignant, especially compared with Scripture's accounts of the terror that fallen man experiences when he encounters God. By God's renewing work, we shall be able to live as Adam and Eve did. Praise God for the beauty of His unfolding redemptive plan.

John 19:1-22 ~ Who is Your King? A teaching from The Bridge Christian Fellowship Whidbey Island through the book of John by Pastor Rick Crawford. References: Gen 3:17-18
Isa 52:14
Mt 16:18
Col 1:18
Rom 8:33-39
Zec 6:12-13
Mt 27:19
Dan 2:21
Eph 1:17-23
1 Pet 2:24
Eph 4:32
Jms 4:4
2 Ki 16:10-17
Jn 8:43-45
1 Cor 5:7
Lk 23:23
Gal 1:10
Rom 5:12,15
Isa 53:12
Mt 27:37
Mk 15:26
Lk 23:38
Ps 96:10
Rev 5:9
1 Pet 1:17-23

EP 93 | God the Spirit Explained (Our Doctrinal Statement) | Redeeming Truth   Pastors Jon Benzinger, Dale Thackrah, and Kyle Swanson discuss God the Spirit. Who is God the Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit?   God The Holy Spirit. We teach that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is personal, meaning He thinks, feels, desires, chooses and acts. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and eternal. He created and preserves the world, was actively involved in Jesus' earthly life (e.g., His conception, empowering His ministry, at His Crucifixion and His Resurrection), was sent by the Father and the Son in fulfillment of the New Covenant as Jesus' comforting replacement, is the Divine Author and Interpreter of Scripture, convicts of sin, restrains evil, grants new life to the spiritually dead, places all believers into Christ and the one true church, convinces them to repent and believe, indwells them permanently, empowers biblical preaching, gives Christians access to God, leads them away from and empowers them for victory over sin, transforms them into the image of Jesus, produces godly character, prays for them, gifts them for ministry, seals and protects them until He raises them from the dead and in all things brings glory to Jesus. We teach that while God can certainly work miracles today, they were prominent only during certain periods in biblical history, being given to authenticate someone's ministry as truly speaking or working for God. The offices of apostle and prophet ended with the Apostle John. The ‘gift' or ability to perform miracles was never intended to be the normal Christian life and no one is performing miraculous gifts at will today (e.g., tongues / languages, prophecy, healing, etc.). Spiritual gifts are ministries given to every Christian for the purpose of blessing and edifying others. No specific ‘gift' is evidence of salvation. No ‘word from the Lord,' feeling or impression will ever contradict or supersede what the Spirit has already said in the Bible He authored. [Gen 1:2; Exod 4:30-31, 7:17; Job 33:4; 1 Kgs 17:24; Pss 33:6, 51:11, 104:30, 115:3, 139:7- 10; Isa 6:9-10 (comp. to Acts 28:25-27) 32:14, 44:3, 61:1, 63:10-11; Ezek 36:27, 39:29; Joel 2:28-29; Matt 3:16, 12:28-32, 28:19; Luke 1:35, 7:15-16; John 3:2-8, 6:63, 10:38, 14:11, 14:16-17, 14:26, 15:26-27, 16:7-15; Acts 1:16, 2:22, 5:3-4, 10:38, 15:28, 28:25; Rom 1:4, 8:2-27; 1 Cor 2:10-11, 3:16, 6:11, 6:19, 12:4-13, 13:8-10; 2 Cor 3:17, 12:12, 13:14; Gal 5:16-18, 5:22-23; Eph 1:13-14, 2:18, 2:22, 4:7-12, 4:30, 5:18; 2 Thes 2:6-8; Titus 3:5; Heb 9:14, 10:15-16; 1 Pet 1:10-11, 1:23-25; 2 Pet 1:21; 1 John 4:13].   Click here to Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCenfIkvDIJa4Qb4WgsH8hkw?sub_confirmation=1   Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/redeemerbibleaz/   For more information about Redeemer Bible Church in Gilbert, Arizona or to help support this ministry, please visit us at https://www.redeemeraz.org   Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/redeemeraz   Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/redeemeraz   Never miss a sermon, find our Redeeming Truth Podcast in your favorite player, and subscribe!

The Final State of ManChristians sometimes imagine themselves spending eternity in an ethereal, spiritual place where they will exist as disembodied souls. Heaven may indeed be like this, but we will not be spending eternity there. Rather, we will live in a place that resembles the earth in bodies that will have significant identification with those we possess now.The Bible makes clear that a separation occurs at death. The body dies, is placed in the grave, and decays. However, the spirit of the person continues to exist. The spirit of a believer goes immediately to the presence of God in heaven: to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). However, the spirit of an unbeliever is immediately cast into hell (Luke 16:22–23). But this is not the final state; instead, it is what theologians call “the intermediate state.” For a believer, being present in spirit in heaven is simply an advancement in the new life he or she began to live at the time of regeneration (John 5:24). In a very real sense, a Christian begins to live the life of heaven even before dying (Eph. 2:5–6). When death does come, his soul is made perfect in holiness, fitting him for the presence of God. Later in time, however, when Christ returns to earth, He will cause the bodies of all those who have died to be raised and reunited with their souls. Then will come the final judgment, when the unrighteous will be cast, soul and body, back into hell (John 5:28–29; Acts 24:15), while the righteous will be placed in the new earth, their souls reunited to their now-perfected bodies (Phil. 3:21).It is the resurrection of the righteous that Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 15. To explain it, he uses the analogy of a seed. In order to produce a plant, we place a seed in the ground and apply water to make it rot. In effect, we kill the seed that a new life might come forth. So it is with our bodies, which go into the ground and decay. When they are renewed by God, they will become like the plant that sprouts from the seed. They will be the same bodies we once inhabited, similar in many ways. But they will be incorruptible. They will be like the body of Christ following His resurrection; perfected and glorified, fitting us for existence in the new earth.What will that existence be like? We will examine that question in our next two studies.CORAM DEO Living before the face of GodIs the idea that you will spend eternity in a physical world in a physical body strange to you? If this seems undesirable, remember that it will differ from your present existence in one monumental way—your spirit and body will be perfect and sin will be gone. As you finish this study, ask God to give you understanding of these things.

     We live in a divided world. I'm speaking about a division between believers and unbelievers, children of God and children of the devil. Jesus gave this picture when He explained the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt 13:24-30). Afterwards, when Jesus was alone with His disciples, they asked for an explanation of the parable (Matt 13:36), and He said: "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matt 13:37-43).      In this revelation we understand: 1) God the Son has sown good seed in the world, which are believers, 2) Satan has sown weeds, which are unbelievers, 3) both live side by side until Christ returns at the end of the age, 4) at which time Jesus will send forth His angels to separate out all unbelievers, 5) which unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire, and 6) believers will enter into the millennial kingdom. We have here a picture of the current state of the world which consists of believers and unbelievers. The current state ends at the return of Christ when He renders judgment upon unbelievers and establishes His earthly kingdom.      For the present time, Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1 John 5:19), and we are all born under “the dominion of Satan” (Act 26:18), into his “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). Our spiritual state changes at the time we turn to Christ and trust Him as Savior (1 Cor 15:3-4). At the moment of faith in Christ, we became “children of God” (John 1:12), are transferred to the kingdom of His Son (Col 1:13), forgiven all our sins (Eph 1:7), given eternal life (John 10:28), the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17; Phil 3:9), and the power to live holy (Rom 6:11-14). And, it is God's will that we advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Pet 2:2), and serve as His ambassadors to others (2 Cor 5:20).      Are Christians called to make the world a better place? As Christians, our primary focus is evangelism and discipleship (Mark 16:15; Matt 28:19-20), not the reformation of society. Christians are to be good and do good (Gal 6:9-10; Eph 2:10; Tit 2:11-14), and in this way, society is better as a result. However, the reality is we live in a fallen world that is currently under Satan's limited rule, and God sovereignly permits this for a time. True good is connected with God and His Word, and His good is executed by those who walk according to His directives. But there are many who reject God and follow Satan's world-system, which system is always pressuring the Christian to conform (Rom 12:1-2). A permanent world-fix will not occur until Christ returns and puts down all rebellion, both satanic and human (Rev 19:11-21; 20:1-3). Those who are biblically minded live in this reality. As a result, our hope is never in this world; rather, we are “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Tit 2:13). We are looking forward to the time when Christ raptures us from this world to heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18). This will be followed by seven years of Tribulation in which God will judge Satan's world and those who abide by his philosophies and values (see Revelation chapters 6-19). Afterwards, Christ will rule the world for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-7), and shortly after that, God will destroy the current heavens and earth and create a new heavens and earth. This is what Peter is referring to when he says, “according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13; cf. Isa 65:17; Rev 21:1). Our present and future hope is in God and what He will accomplish, and not in anything this world has to offer. As Christians, we are “not of the world” (John 17:14; cf. 1 John 4:4-5), though it's God's will that we continue to live in it (John 17:15), and to serve “as lights in the world” (Phi 2:15), that others might know the gospel of grace and learn His Word and walk by faith. This understanding is shaped by God's Word, which determines our worldview.      How are we to see ourselves in this present world? In the dispensation of the church age, we understand people are either in Adam or in Christ (1 Cor 15:21-22). Everyone is originally born in Adam (Rom 5:12), but those who have trusted in Jesus as Savior are now identified with Christ (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Co 5:17; Rom 8:1; Gal 3:28; Eph 1:3). This twofold division will exist until Christ returns. Furthermore, we are never going to fix the devil or the world-system he's created. Because the majority of people in this world will choose the broad path of destruction that leads away from Christ (Matt 7:13-14), Satan and his purposes will predominate, and Christians will be outsiders. And being children of God, we are told the world will be a hostile place (John 15:19; 1 John 3:13). There will always be haters. Until Christ returns, Satan will control the majority, and these will be hostile to Christians who walk according to God's truth and love.      How should we respond to the world? The challenge for us as Christians is not to let the bullies of this world intimidate us into silence or inaction. And, of course, we must be careful not to become bitter, fearful, or hateful like those who attack us. Haters will hate. It's what they do. But the Bible teaches us to love those who hate us (Matt 5:44-45; Rom 12:14, 17-21), and we are to be kind, patient, and gentle (2 Tim 2:24-26; cf. Eph 4:1-2; Col 3:13-14). What we need is courage. Courage that is loving, kind, and faithful to share the gospel of grace and to speak biblical truth. The hope is that those who are positive to God can be rescued from Satan's domain of darkness. We can also live in the reality that God's plans will advance. He will win. His future kingdom on earth will come to pass. Christ will return. Jesus will put down all forms of rebellion—both satanic and human—and will rule this world with perfect righteousness and justice. But until then, we must continue to learn and live God's Word and fight the good fight. We are to live by faith (Heb 10:38; 11:6), share the gospel of grace (1 Cor 15:3-4), disciple others (Matt 28:19-20), be good and do good (Gal 6:9-10; Tit 2:11-14), and look forward to the return of Christ at the rapture (Tit 2:13; cf. John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18).    

Eph. 3:14-21: How high and deep and long and wide is God's love!! Can you SEIZE it and really KNOW it! If so, think how that would change the world!?! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bearingwitness/support

You found the follow-up blog from July 24th's sermon on Ephesians 2:10! You can find the sermon outline below, take-home applications, Scripture references for further study, and re-watch the Skit Guy's video. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." --Ephesians 2:10. Sermon Outline God fashions broken people into a masterpiece displaying His wisdom through Jesus. Glorious Up-Cycle: Although we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ and the believer in Jesus is a new creation—an original masterpiece. Glorious Purpose: God is shaping the believer into the image of Christ to do good works. Glorious Church: God's reveals His grand masterpiece, the church, by uniting believers in Christ. Take-Home Applications Read Ephesians and underline every time you see the phrase “In Christ” or “In Him” Confess your selfishness: How do you disregard the purpose for which you were created and live for yourself? Confess your pride: How do you try to do the work God prepared for you while attempting to maintain control of your own plans? Spend time with the Lord allowing Him to chisel away selfish, prideful thinking and shape you into the image of His Son—Jesus. (Rom 12:2) Confess your worth Ask God to reveal His glorious purpose for you Use the spiritual gift survey to find the ways God has prepared for you. What are God's commands for you? What has God made you passionate about? Write a personal purpose/vision statement: How would you want people to think of you in 3-5 years? Fill in the blanks with the words from the Bible references (download a printable version by clicking here) I have been_________________with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Eph 1:3) He_________________me in Christ to be holy and blameless (Eph 1:4) I am_________________with His glorious grace (Eph 1:6) I have_________________through His blood (Eph 1:7) In Him all things will be_________________(Eph 1:10) I have obtained an_________________in Christ(1:11) I have been_________________with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13) I am_________________up with Christ and_________________with Him in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6) He shows the immeasurable_________________of his grace in kindness toward me (Eph 2:7) I can be _________ in the Lord (Eph 6:10) I have been made_________________in Christ (Eph 2:5) I am created for good_________________(Eph 2:10) I who once was far off have been brought __________ (Eph 2:13) I have_________________through Jesus in one Spirit to the Father (Eph 2:18) I am joined_________________with the church to grow into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:21) I am being built_________________with the church into a dwelling place for God (Eph 2:22) I can have_________________and access with confidence (Eph 3:12) Scripture References Genesis 1:27 1 Corinthians 13:6 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Ephesians 2:1-10 Ephesians 3:6; 9-10 Ephesians 4:29 Romans 3:23 Romans 12:2 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 We would love to pray with you today! https://www.emmauslutheran.org/prayer Fill out our virtual Connection Card: https://emmauslutheran.churchcenter.com/people/forms/152121 Be apart of Emmaus' Mission through giving! http://emmauslutheran.org/give Connect with us online… www.emmauslutheran.org www.facebook.com/Emmausaflc www.instagram.com/emmausaflc www.twitter.com/EmmausAFLC

Eph. 2:11-22: Christ destroyed the dividing wall. Why do we rebuild it? We are no longer foreigners but citizens. There is ONE new humanity through Christ's work. Let us make it so. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bearingwitness/support

     According to Scripture, all mankind is fallen, corrupted by sin, and our natural proclivity is to think and act in conformity with Satan's world-system, which is everywhere and always at odds with God and His plan.      The book of Genesis reveals that God created Adam perfect and assigned him to serve as His theocratic administrator over His creation. This meant Adam was to exercise responsible dominion over the creation (Gen 1:26-30; 2:7-8, 15-17), and Eve was created to help him, to stand with him to do God's will (Gen 2:18-25). But Satan, possessing a serpent—a subordinate creature that would have posed little threat to Adam and Eve—tempted them to act contrary to God and His commands. Henry Morris says, “Demonic spirits evidently have the ability, under certain conditions, to indwell or ‘possess' either human bodies or animal bodies (Luke 8:33); and Satan on this occasion chose the serpent as the one most suitable for his purposes.”[1] The serpent here is identified as “the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9; cf. Rev 20:2).      Satan was shrewd and intentional in his attack as he approached the woman and questioned her understanding of God's command, asking, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?'” (Gen 3:1). And Eve answered, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'” (Gen 3:2-3). According to Allen Ross, “Eve disparaged the privileges, added to the prohibition, and weakened the penalty—all seen by contrasting her words (Gen. 3:3) with God's original commands (2:16-17).”[2]      When Satan heard Eve misrepresent God's instructions (Gen 2:16-17), he boldly advanced his argument, saying, “You surely will not die!” (Gen 3:4), calling God a liar, stating, “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:4-5). Satan's argument was that God was withholding divinity from Adam and Eve, and if they were willing to eat the fruit, they could be like God, which was the same mental attitude sin committed by Lucifer at his fall (Isa 14:12-14). Here, Eve was confronted with an antithetical claim to what the Lord had told her, but rather than seek the Lord about the matter, she let Satan convince her to abandon faith in God and operate independently of Him. The influence of Satan brought an epistemological shift in Eve's thinking, and rather than seeing the tree from the divine perspective as harmful, she saw it as attractive, that is “was good for food…a delight to the eyes…[and] desirable to make one wise” (Gen 3:6a). Being deceived by Satan's argument, “she took from its fruit and ate” (Gen 3:6b; 1 Tim 2:14). Eve then “gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen 3:6c), and Satan's strategy to advance his kingdom of darkness and take possession of the world and humanity was complete.      Adam and Eve became aware of their failure, as “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Gen 3:7). Remembering they were to “multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28), According to Morris, Adam and Eve “realized that the very fountainhead of human life had now become corrupted by their disobedience and they became acutely aware of their nakedness. Their children would all be contaminated with the seed of rebellion, so that their feeling of guilt centered especially on their own procreative organs.”[3]      Spiritual death (i.e., separation from God) brought an irrational shift in their theology as well as their behavior as they sought to hide from the Lord (Gen 3:8-9), saying, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself” (Gen 3:10; cf. Jer 23:24).      When confronted about their sin (Gen 3:11), Adam blamed his wife as well as God, saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate” (Gen 3:12), and Eve blamed the creature, saying, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen 3:13). Hiding from God and shifting blame for sin are common characteristics of mankind's fallenness.      The serpent was judged by God and physically changed to crawl on its belly as a perpetual reminder to mankind about the fall (Gen 3:14). Here, the curse was actually against Satan, who possessed the serpent, as the Lord declared, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen 3:15). Having brought Adam and Eve under his control, it is possible Satan thought he would gain total control over all their children, but the Lord had other plans and made it known to Satan there would be “enmity” between him and the woman, as well as his “seed and her seed; [and] he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” This verse is commonly referred to as the protoevangelium—the first gospel—because God promised there would come a “seed” from the woman's line who would defeat Satan and disrupt his kingdom.[4]      God pronounced judgment upon Adam, Eve and the creation. Eve's judgment was that she would have increased “pain in childbirth” and that her husband would “rule over her” (Gen 3:16), and the ground that Adam was to cultivate would be cursed, and “in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” (Gen 3:17-19).      Though atheists and liberal theologians treat the first eleven chapters of Genesis as myth, the NT writers treat Adam and Eve as historical persons and the fall as literal. Luke traces Jesus' genealogy back to Adam (Luke 3:38), and Jesus based His argument on marriage on the first human couple (Matt 19:4-6). Paul also states, “I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). And Paul wrote, “it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Tim 2:14). Paul argued that through Adam “sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12; cf. 1 Cor 15:21). And all humanity is said either to be in Adam or in Christ, and this determines whether we are spiritually alive or dead, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22). Adam's sin brought corruption and decay into the whole universe, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom 8:20-22). We now live in a very flawed world with sinful people and all sorts of problems. Henry Morris comments: "Things are not 'very good' in the world now! In the physical realm, everything tends to run down and wear out. In the living world, each animal is engaged in a perpetual struggle against other animals and against disease, as well as the universal process of aging and death. Culturally, one civilization after another seems to rise for a time, then decline and die. In the spiritual and moral realm, each individual invariably finds it easier to do wrong than right, easier to drift downward than to struggle upward. The world is full of hatred, crime, war, pollution, selfishness, corruption—evil of all kinds. Something has gone wrong with God's perfect creation."[5] The Effects of the Fall      The historic fall of Adam and Eve fundamentally changed the human race and the world, resulting in disease, decay and death among all living things, and that the tendency of humanity is to behave in a spiritually and morally corrupt manner, suppressing God's truth and rejecting His solutions to life's problems. Understanding this helps us make sense of the world in which we live and why people behave the way they do.      Sin is a dominant theme from Genesis chapter three to the end of the Bible, at which time God will do away with sin and its effects, creating a “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13; cf. Rev 21:1). The word sin is found throughout Scripture, and both the Hebrew and Greek share the same basic meaning. The Hebrew word חָטָא chata means “to miss the target, or to lose the way,”[6] and the Greek ἁμαρτάνω hamartano is defined as “miss the mark, err, or do wrong.”[7] Sin is when we transgress God's law and depart from His intended path.[8] The apostle John states, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Merrill Unger writes, “The underlying idea of sin is that of law and of a lawgiver. The lawgiver is God. Hence sin is everything in the disposition and purpose and conduct of God's moral creatures that is contrary to the expressed will of God (Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:7; Jam 4:12, 17).”[9]      Sin impacts all things including family life, nature, economics, society, law, politics, science, education, etc. All sin and evil exist in connection with the willful creatures who manufacture it, and its effects can be short or long-lasting. Even the creation is cursed because of Adam's sin, as the Lord told him, “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Gen 3:17), to which Paul added, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom 8:20-22). Sin negatively impacts everyone and everything, and no one was impacted or hurt more by sin than God. On several occasions we read, “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” (Gen 6:6), and though God loved Israel, their ongoing sin “grieved His Holy Spirit” (Isa 63:10). As Christians, we are commanded, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). Sin ultimately cost God His Son, who came into the world and died on a cross in order to atone for it (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; 10:14-18; Rom 8:32; 1 John 4:10), and to set us free from spiritual slavery (Rom 6:6; Gal 5:1; Heb 2:14-15).      The Bible reveals we are sinners in Adam, sinners by nature, and sinners by choice. To be a sinner in Adam means we sinned when he sinned, that his fallen position is our fallen position, and his guilt is our guilt (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-24; Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21-22). This is commonly referred to as original sin. Since the fall of Adam, every person is born with a sin nature (except Jesus),[10] and it is this nature that internally motivates people to rebel against all legitimate forms of authority, both human and divine. More so, the sin nature is not eradicated from the believer during his time on earth, nor is it ever reformed, as though it can be made to love God. To be a sinner by nature means it's our innate tendency to sin (Jer 17:9; Matt 7:11; Rom 7:18-21; Eph 2:1-3). To be a sinner by choice means we personally choose to act contrary to God and His revealed will (1 Ki 8:46; Prov 20:9; Ecc 7:20; Isa 53:6; Rom 3:10-12; 1 John 1:10). Cumulatively these reveal that we are totally depraved, which means sin permeates and corrupts every aspect of our being, including our mind, will, sensibilities and flesh. Though we may be moral to the best of our ability and others may applaud us for our good deeds, our best efforts are tainted by sin and have no saving merit before God (Isa 64:6; Rom 4:1-5; 5:6-10; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5).      One of the major areas where sin impacts us is in the mind, which theologians refer to as the noetic effects of sin. This means sin impacts our ability to think rationally, especially about God, who has made Himself known through general revelation (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-20) and special revelation (1 Cor 14:37; 1 Tim 5:18; 1 Th 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16-17). The majority of people throughout history think evil thoughts and are consumed with themselves and their own agendas rather than God's will. Of Noah's generation it is said, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). Later, Solomon declared, “the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives” (Eccl 9:3). And Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). And Jesus Himself spoke of the human condition, saying, “for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, [and] slanders” (Matt 15:19). One would think that when Jesus came into the world that mankind would rejoice in His light; however, Scripture provides a different picture, telling us, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19; cf. 1:4-5). When talking to religious Pharisees, Jesus declared, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word” (John 8:43). This is true of all unbelievers, for “the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor 2:14). Even something as simple as the Gospel message is “foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor 1:18), in whose case “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:3-4). The tendency of fallen people who operate on negative volition is to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), and to operate by a worldly wisdom that is not “from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic” (Jam 3:15).      At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us a new nature that, for the first time in our lives, has the desire and capacity to obey God; however, the sin nature is not removed, and so we experience ongoing internal conflict between these opposing natures (Gal 5:17; Rom 7:14-23). As Christians, we are directed to “lay aside the old self…and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:22, 24). Since we have been “born again” and given new life (1 Pet 1:3, 23), the sin nature no longer has domineering power over us, and we can choose a life of righteousness (Rom 6:5-13). As we grow spiritually, we will be transformed from the inside out and gradually become more and more righteous as we walk with God. Sinless perfection will not be attained until we leave this world, by death or by Rapture, and are “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29), who will “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phi 3:21). Until then, we are commanded to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom 13:14). We do this by choosing to live according to the Spirit's guiding, and starving the monster that is our sin nature. To “make no provision for the flesh” means we stop exposing ourselves to the things of the world that excite the flesh and lead to sinful behavior. The positive action is to grow spiritually with biblical teaching (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), Christian fellowship (Heb 10:23-25), selfless living (Phil 2:3-4), prayer (1 Th 5:17), worship (Heb 13:15), and doing good (Gal 6:10; Heb 13:16). It is only by spiritual growth and drawing closer to God that we learn to glorify the Lord and live in righteousness.   [1] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1976), 108. [2] Allen P. Ross, “Genesis,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 32. [3] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, 115. [4] Of course, we know this to be Jesus, the Messiah (Luke 1:26-33), and His victory occurred at the cross, where “the ruler of this world has been judged” and defeated (John 16:11; cf. Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8). Satan and his angels will eventually be cast into the Lake of Fire (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10). [5] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, 105. [6] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 305. [7] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 49. [8] In Judges 20:16 the Hebrew word is used of skilled soldiers who do not miss their target, and in Proverbs 19:2 of a man who hurries and misses his way. [9] Merrill F. Unger and E. McChesney, “Sin,” ed. R.K. Harrison, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), 1198. [10] According to Scripture, Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21), was “without sin” (Heb 4:15), and “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). His sinless life qualified Him as a perfect sacrifice to go to the cross and die as a substitute for others (Rom 5:6-10; Heb 10:1-14; 1 Pet 3:18).

Pastor Glenn tells us the letters to the 7 Churches still have relevance for us today. He looks at the Church of Pergamum and how they compromised the truth. Rev. 2:12-17; 2Tim. 3:16-17; Eph. 6:10-11; Heb. 4:12

Jeremiah 49:28-39 Steven R. Cook      God, who is “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25), had called Jeremiah to be His prophet, both to the Gentile nations (Jer 1:5, 10) and Judah (Jer 1:15-18; 2:1-2). Because Judah was in a special covenant relationship with God, Jeremiah was commissioned to speak to them first and to pronounce God's “judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands” (Jer 1:16). The first part of the book of Jeremiah was written primarily to Judah (Jeremiah chapters 2-45). But after God judged His people, He fixed His canons against the surrounding Gentile nations (Jeremiah chapters 46-52). God, having already judged Egypt (Jer 46:1-26), Philistia (Jer 47:1-7), Moab (Jer 48:1-47), Ammon (Jer 49:1-6), Edom (Jer 49:7-22), and Damascus (Jer 49:23-27), now renders His judgments against Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor (Jer 49:28-33), and Elam (Jer 49:34-39). Judgment Against Kedar, Hazor, and the Men of the East      Jeremiah opens this pericope with a prophecy “Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD, ‘Arise, go up to Kedar and devastate the men of the east'” (Jer 49:28). The Kedarites were a nomadic people descended from Ishmael (Gen 25:13), who later became known for their archery skills (Isa 21:16-17). They were also shepherds (Isa 60:7), lovers of war (Psa 120:5-7), and lived in unprotected villages (Jer 49:31). According to Radmacher, “The phrase men of the East is associated with the Arameans, Midianites, Amalekites, and other nomadic desert tribes (Gen 29:1; Judg 7:12).”[1] Though this passage refers to Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, it's message is to Nebuchadnezzar, as the Lord instructs him to attack and destroy the men of this region. The word devastate translates the Hebrew verb שָׁדָד shadad, which means “to devastate, despoil, deal violently with.”[2] Keeping God's sovereignty in primary view, the Babylonians never functioned as an independent power to do as they pleased, but were under God's sovereign control to serve as His agent of judgment against others. Interestingly, the same verb is used later to described God's judgments against the Babylonians (Jer 51:48, 53, 55-56).      When God called the Babylonians to come against the Kedarites, we are told, “They will take away their tents and their flocks; they will carry off for themselves their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, and they will call out to one another, ‘Terror on every side!'” (Jer 49:29). And the advice God gave to the Kedarites was, ‘“Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor,' declares the LORD; ‘For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you and devised a scheme against you'” (Jer 49:30). Though the men of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor would run for their lives, they could escape God's judgment upon them. Nebuchadnezzar, whom God had raised up as His instrument of judgment, was unaware of God's invisible hand that would guide him to victory.      The Lord guided Nebuchadnezzar, saying, ‘“Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, which lives securely,' declares the LORD. ‘It has no gates or bars; they dwell alone. 32 Their camels will become plunder, and their many cattle for booty, and I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; and I will bring their disaster from every side,' declares the LORD” (Jer 49:31-32). The picture portrays the Kedarites and their neighbors as overly self-confident, at ease, living securely, not needing gates or bars for protection, and dwelling alone. Nebuchadnezzar would exploit this weakness and take their possessions as plunder.      Most importantly in these verses is the revelation that the Lord Himself is the primary causal agent who brings judgment, saying, “I will scatter to all the winds” and “I will bring their disaster from every side” (Jer 49:32). God controls history according to His sovereign purposes. The end result of God's judgment would be that “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolation forever; no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it” (Jer 49:33). Judgment Against Elam      Next, we are told about God's judgment against Elam, as Jeremiah wrote, “That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: 35 Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, the finest of their might'” (Jer 49:34-35). Elam was located about two hundred miles to the east of Babylon, in what today would be part of Iran. According to Huey, “It was conquered by the Assyrians under Ashurbanipal, ca. 640 B.C., but regained its independence with Assyria's collapse. It joined forces with Nabopolassar to destroy Nineveh in 612 B.C. The Babylonian Chronicle seems to indicate there was a conflict between Nebuchadnezzar and Elam, 596–594. In 539 the Elamites helped overthrow the Babylonian Empire.”[3]      Just as God had declared judgment against Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, so He sovereignly declared, “I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven, and will scatter them to all these winds; and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not go” (Jer 49:36). Here is another reminder that God is the One who sets up kings and kingdoms and determines their duration of existence (see Dan 2:21; 4:25). And the Lord continued, saying, “So I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their lives; and I will bring calamity upon them, even My fierce anger,' declares the LORD, ‘And I will send out the sword after them until I have consumed them. 38 Then I will set My throne in Elam and destroy out of it king and princes,' declares the LORD” (Jer 49:37-38). However, the God who promised to destroy Edom, also gave a promise of a future hope by restoring the nation. The Lord declared, ‘“But it will come about in the last days that I will restore the fortunes of Elam,' Declares the LORD” (Jer 49:39). Here is a message of hope, as the God who chose to bring a nation down, also chose to elevate it again. The truth is all nations are subject to God's sovereign rule, and their moral or immoral behavior will be met with His blessings or cursings. Present Application      The Bible reveals “God is the King of all the earth…He reigns over the nations; He sits on His holy throne” (Psa 47:7-8). It is God “who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings” (Dan 2:21; cf., Dan 4:17, 35). Furthermore, “The LORD is King forever and ever” (Psa 10:16a), for the “LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psa 103:19), and He “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11b), and “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa 135:6). As sovereign God, He judges His world in righteousness.      When individuals, groups, cities, and nations turn away from God, He will judge them according to His righteous character and moral laws. We know from Scripture that “the LORD is righteous, [and] He loves righteousness” (Psa 11:7), and “Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments” (Psa 119:137). For God, righteousness is an attribute, an inherent quality, not the adherence to laws beyond Himself (of which there are none). The righteousness of God may be defined as the intrinsic, immutable, moral perfection of God, from which He commands all things, in heaven and earth, and declares as good that which conforms to His righteousness and as evil that which deviates. Righteousness and justice are related words. The former speaks of God's moral character, whereas the latter speaks of the actions that flow out of His character. Whatever God's righteousness requires, His justice executes; either to approve or reject, to bless or condemn. God is “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25), and He “is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day” (Psa 7:11).      Though God judges, He is not One to judge quickly. It is written, “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15), and “the LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness” (Psa 145:8). Peter reveals that God “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). In this way, God is quick to warn and slow to judge. But God is not patient forever, and there are multiple accounts of judgment throughout Scripture. God judged the antediluvian world (Gen 6:1-7, 11-13; 7:21-24), the rebels at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9), the wicked citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24-25), the Egyptians (Deut 26:6-8; cf. Gen 15:13-14), the Canaanites (Lev 18:25; Deut 9:5), and the Babylonians (Jer 25:11-12). The book of Obadiah was written against the Edomites (Oba 1:1), and Nahum against the Ninevites (Nah 1:1). When Jesus was on the earth at the time of His first coming, He judged the religious leaders of his day (Matt 23:1-36), and pronounced judgment upon the nation of Israel for having rejected Him as their Messiah (Matt 23:37-39). In the future, God will judge Gentiles based on how they treat persecuted Jewish believers during the Tribulation (Matt 25:31-46). And God will judge all unbelievers at the Great White Throne judgment and will cast them into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:11-15). God has also judged Satan (John 16:11), and will punish him in the future (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10). On What Basis Does God Judge Israel and Gentile Nations?      As a nation, Israel was and is unique in human history, for it's the only nation that was created by God as a theocracy. Speaking to Israel, God said, “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King” (Isa 43:15; cf. Isa 43:1). Israel was a theocracy, and God was their Judge, Lawgiver, and King (Isa 33:22). As such, God gave Israel specific laws to direct their lives (Lev 27:34). The Mosaic Law was the standard by which Israel lived rightly before the Lord and was the basis for blessing or cursing, depending on their obedience or disobedience to His directives (Deut 11:26-28). Reading through Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, First and Second Kings, and all the OT prophets, one can see a consistent pattern of God blessing or cursing His people depending on whether they obeyed or disobeyed His written directives. God was extremely patient with His people when they disobeyed, repeatedly warning them about His coming judgments, but the historical trend was that of rebellion (Jer 25:4-7). Because of rampant idolatry, human sacrifice, and other egregious sins, God eventually destroyed the ten northern tribes of Israel in 722 B.C. (2 Ki 17:7-23), and the two southern tribes of Judah in 586 B.C. (Jer 25:8-11). The fear of the Lord and obedience to Him would have prevented their destruction, but the nation chose otherwise.      The Gentile nations did not possess the Mosaic Law as Israel did; however, a Gentile nation could be blessed or cursed, and this depended on at least two factors. First, God would bless or curse a Gentile nation depending on how it treated Israel. God told Abraham, the progenitor of Israel, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen 12:3). According to Allen Ross, “Those who blessed Abram would receive blessing from God; that is, those who supported and endorsed him in his faith would actually find enrichment. Conversely, if anyone treated Abram lightly, he must be cursed.”[4] God's promise to bless or curse was based on the covenant that started with Abraham and extended to his descendants forever (Gen 17:7).[5] Concerning the curse, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states: "The first word for curse is kalal, which means “to treat lightly,” “to hold in contempt,” or “to curse.” To merely treat Abram and the Jews lightly is to incur the curse of God. The second word for curse used in this phrase (him that curses you will I curse) is aor, from the Hebrew root arah, which means “to impose a barrier,” “to ban.” This is a much stronger word for curse than the first one in the phrase…Therefore, even a light curse against Abram or against the Jews will bring a heavier curse from God."[6]      Second, a Gentile nation could be blessed or cursed depending on whether they pursued godly virtues or wickedness. Scripture reveals, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov 14:34). Biblically, there is a sense in which God's laws are written on the hearts of all people. Paul wrote, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom 2:14-15).[7] God has placed within each person a moral sense of right and wrong. Everyone knows it's right to be honest, kind, courteous, patient, helpful to the weak, honoring to parents, faithful to one's spouse, etc. On the other hand, everyone knows it's wrong to murder, steal, lie, commit adultery, etc.[8] And how people behave collectively has results upon their city or nation. The Lord told Jeremiah, “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation [גּוֹי goy] or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it” (Jer 18:7-8). This is what happened when Jonah preached God's message of pending judgment to the Ninevites (Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1-4), and when they believed and repented (Jonah 3:5-9), He relented (Jonah 3:10). There is hope for any nation that has turned away from God, but only if the leadership and people turn to God and pursue righteousness in conformity with His character.      What influence do we, as Christians, have on our country? As God's people living in the dispensation of the church age, He directs us to learn and live His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17), live by faith (Heb 10:38; 11:6), advance to spiritual maturity (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Pet 2:2), share the gospel (Mark 16:15; 1 Cor 15:3-4), make disciples (Matt 28:19-20), live holy lives (1 Pet 1:15-16), and do good (Gal 6:10; Tit 2:11-14). In this way, God may use us to help shape our nation in godly ways, which will influence its educational, political, economic, and social views for the better. We are, after all, to be a light to the world (Matt 5:14; Eph 5:8).   [1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 942. [2] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1419. [3] F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations, vol. 16, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 406. [4] Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 263. [5] To love Israel is not a blanket endorsement of all their beliefs and behaviors. God, who loves Israel and chose them to be His people (Deut 7:6-8), also called them to be holy (Ex 19:5-6; Lev 11:45), and promised blessing or cursing, based on their obedience or disobedience to Him (Deut 28:1-68). Israel can and does fail, often rejecting God's love for them and walking in the ways of the world (see 2 Ch 36:15-16; Jer 7:25-26; 25:4-7; Ezek 16; Matt 23:1-39; Acts 7:51-53; 1 Th 2:14-16). The national rejection and crucifixion of Jesus (Matt 27:22-23; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28), Israel's promised Messiah (Deut 18:15; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7;53; 61:1; Matt 1:1, 17; Luke 1:31-33), was their greatest failure. Did Israel act alone in crucifying Jesus, their Messiah? No! God foretold Israel's Messiah would suffer and die (Psa 22:11-18; Isa 53); and, according to His sovereignty, He used wicked men, both Jews and Gentiles, to accomplish His will (Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28). [6] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2008), 242. [7] The human conscience, when working properly, serves as a moral compass. But because of willful and persistent sin, the conscience can become weak (1 Cor 8:7), callous (1 Tim 4:2), defiled (Tit 1:15), or evil (Heb 10:22). Persistent sin can damage the conscience so that it fails to operate properly. [8] The unbeliever can live morally according to the dictates of a healthy conscience, and though not saved, can receive some blessings in this life. Conversely, a Christian can turn away from the faith and pursue wickedness, and this results in divine discipline and the forfeiture of eternal rewards.