Podcasts about eve god

Eve - God's Grace is Greater than Our Sin | Advent 2024 | Bob Jennerich by Grace Redeemer Community Church

The night before He was crucified Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with Peter, James, and John. Jesus instructed them to watch and pray with Him: “Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:38-41).   Remember we mentioned how Jesus was praying after His baptism (Luke 3:21) in preparation for His public ministry. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to pray to fulfill the Father's will for His life, how much more do we need to pray! When the great temptation came to avoid the cross, Jesus prayed and accepted the Father's will and drank the cup of our sins. Jesus was ready and prepared for the suffering of the cross! Peter didn't pray but was sleeping and when he was tempted to deny Jesus he failed miserably and wept bitterly. Peter must have learned his lesson because later he wrote: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”  (1 Peter 5:8-9).   In this first temptation in verses 3-4, Satan suggested that there must be something wrong with the Father's love since His "beloved Son" was hungry. In years past Israel hungered in the wilderness, and God sent them bread from heaven; so surely Jesus could use His divine power to feed Himself and save His life. Satan subtly used this same approach on Eve: "God is holding out on you! Why can't you eat of every tree in the Garden? If He really loved you, He would share everything with you!"   But the test was even more subtle than that, for Satan was asking Jesus to separate the physical from the spiritual. In the Christian life, eating is a spiritual activity, and we can use even our daily food to glorify God (Rom. 14:20-21; 1 Cor. 10:31). Whenever we label different spheres of our lives "physical," "material," "financial," or "spiritual," we are bound to leave God out of areas where He rightfully belongs. Christ must be first in everything, or He is first in nothing (Matt. 6:33). It is better to be hungry in the will of God than satisfied out of the will of God.   When our Lord quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, He put the emphasis on the word man. As the eternal Son of God, He had power to do anything; but as the humble Son of man, He had authority to do only that which the Father willed. (Note carefully John 5:17, 30; 8:28; 10:17-18; 15:10, 15.) As the Servant, Jesus did not use His divine attributes for selfish purposes (Phil. 2:5-8). Because He was man, He hungered; but He trusted the Father to meet His needs in His own time and His own way.   You and I need bread for the body (Matt. 6:11), but we must not live by physical bread alone. We also need food for the inner person to satisfy our spiritual needs. This food is the Word of God (Ps. 119:103; Jer. 15:16; 1 Peter 2:2). What digestion is to the body, meditation is to the soul. As we read the Word and meditate on it, we receive spiritual health and strength for the inner person, and this enables us to obey the will of God.   My friend, it is absolutely necessary to take the time to pray and meditate on God's Word in preparation for the challenges each day brings! Jesus taught us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread…, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Hello and Welcome to Silverdale Baptist Church's Podcast! We hope this episode is helpful to you in your relationship with Jesus. We would love to connect with you! To contact Silverdale, click the link to our website below, then click Connect at the top right. ABOUT SILVERDALE BAPTIST CHURCH Silverdale exists to lead people into an authentic relationship with Christ so they will worship God, grow in their faith, and serve the Lord in our community and world. Silverdale's Lead Pastor is Tony Walliser. FIND US ONLINE Website http://silverdalebc.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/silverdalebcInstagram https://www.instagram.com/silverdalebcFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverdalebc

Join us as we celebrate the greatest gift ever, the One who changes everything… His name is Jesus.For this week's Outline and Community Group questions, download our app or visit hillsidefellowship.org, click on Resources and find today's sermon.Support the show

In this message Pastor Vern teaches on God's Awesome Plan. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pacbible.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vern-frank/support

"God is One God" was the prevailing revelation of God for centuries. But then whispers begin to emerge of a Son, and this Son has a major part to play in God's Master Plan. What is His name, and what is the name of His Son?!

  Merry Christmas! No one likes waiting. Sometimes waiting can build anticipation. Other times, it feels like torture. No matter what we are waiting for, God is with us.   First Time? We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our online connect form and let us know you're worshipping with us! https://avenueumc.churchcenter.com/people/forms/207811   Do You Want to Support Avenue Church Financially? Your financial support helps enable ministries like the livestream and our outreach. Follow this link to securely give. https://pushpay.com/g/avenueumc?src=hpp   Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram: @avenuechurchde

Christmas Eve: God Made Known - Chris Dillon, Lead Pastor 12 24 23 by New Life of Asheville

Christmas Eve: God as a Baby Zephaniah 3:14-17God is with us, as a baby. He is ours to hold, enjoy, and adore. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Service - God With Us with Austin Delgado. Broadcast on Sunday, December 24.

Pastor Troy shares a Christmas message on how we can take comfort in the fact that God is always with us; He will never abandon or forsake us, despite our feelings or emotions.

Pastor Troy shares a Christmas message on how we can take comfort in the fact that God is always with us; He will never abandon or forsake us, despite our feelings or emotions.

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Part 5 - SERIES: Mary's Christmas We wrap up our series turning our attention toward not only Mary but Joseph. Joseph's biggest claim to fame is who he wasn't. We just know him as “not the real dad” of Jesus. Did you also realize that he never speaks a word in the text? In any case, Joseph and Mary both were facing a lot, and God men them in all of it. Christmas reminds us that no matter what we're facing, Almighty God is with us!

Speaker: Pastor Nick Ressler Date: December 24, 2022 Synopsis: Good Evening and welcome to our Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at Conoy Church. We genuinely hope that your time with us tonight in song, scripture and a short message helps you to cherish and celebrate the birth of the Christ child, our Lord and Messiah - Jesus. The Brethren in Christ are an Anabaptist denomination that began in Lancaster County, PA almost 250 years ago. We take scripture, fellowship and doing our best to live like Jesus taught us to do so. We hope that you enjoy our time together today! Intro Music: Inspire And Motivate by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Outro Music: Inspiring Beat by Alex Menco | https://alexmenco.net Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

Tonight we gather to worship on Christmas Eve, the most sacred night of the year, to rejoice in the marginless nature of God's love and salvation.  Come and hear. Rejoice in the good news: our God has come to bring us boundless love, forgiveness, peace, and joy. Want to chat about what you have heard? … Continue reading "Born Among Us-Christmas Eve // God's Marginless Love // Pastor Kate Murphy"

Jesus was referred to as Immanuel - meaning God with us. God's promise to the world was not that bad things wouldn't happen...in fact, Jesus told us that tough times would happen. But God will always, always be with us. Will we be with Him?

Jesus was referred to as Immanuel - meaning God with us. God's promise to the world was not that bad things wouldn't happen...in fact, Jesus told us that tough times would happen. But God will always, always be with us. Will we be with Him?

The origin of Christmas was foretold long before Jesus arrived as a baby... "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"(which means "God with us"). Jez Reynolds shares the good news of the promise, the person, and the purpose of Jesus.

Though Eve sinned and womankind paid the price, God allowed his son to be born of a woman.No matter what you've done, God in his mercy, offers redemption. Though our sins be as scarlet, he washes us white as snow.All God's Women is a women's Bible study podcast and internationally syndicated radio show where we journey through the Bible one woman at a time. If you enjoy learning about women in the Bible, tune in each weekday for bite-sized Bible stories about Bible women.

Though Eve sinned and womankind paid the price, God allowed his son to be born of a woman. No matter what you've done, God in his mercy, offers redemption. Though our sins be as scarlet, he washes us white as snow.All God's Women is a women's Bible study podcast and internationally syndicated radio show where we journey through the Bible one woman at a time. If you enjoy learning about women in the Bible, tune in each weekday for bite-sized Bible stories about Bible women.

In this episode, Rob leads a study of Gen 3 and the judgment on the Serpent, the woman, and the man. Rob notes that as a consequence of their sin Adam and Eve will not rule as one but will each try to usurp authority over the other. Genesis, of course, is not prescribing that the man should be in authority over the woman but is describing the way it is going to be. The study finishes by looking at the NT where Jesus says that we have authority to trample on serpents (Luke 10) and where Paul says that the crushing of the serpent's head happens under the feet of the Church (Rom 16).    Here are some links to Rob's blog posts on women in the Church  https://www.patheos.com/blogs/determinetruth/2021/05/does-genesis-teach-the-subordination-of-women-gen-218-25-316-women-injustice5-justice16/   Gen 3:11-13 God asks of Adam: Who told you that you were naked? (11): Woman, whom you gave me, she gave me the fruit (12) God asks of Eve (13): What is this that you have done? (13) The Serpent deceived me   3:14-19 Judgment on the Serpent, the Woman, the Man God's words are more __________________ than ______________________ This is the way it is going to be: it is not a punishment but a declaration of fact Focus now is on the ________________ of the woman vs the ______________ of the serpent God does not curse Adam and Eve: God curses ________________________ and ____________________ Serpent: Eat dust; in accord with his sin of forcing them to eat (14; Ezek 28:17; Is 14:11-12, 15) Enmity between serpent and the woman (15): the ‘Protoevangelium': the first announcement of future redemption Enmity between your seed and her seed ‘Seed' most often refers to an immediate descendant (Gen 4:25: Seth) ‘Seed' can refer to a distant offspring or even a group of descendants (as a collective) He will bruise your head; you bruise his heal To the woman (16) “I will multiply” your pain: in childrearing/child conceiving Word here refers to ­_______________________: the circumstances in which children are conceived will be fraught with painful and complicated relationships that cause emotional and physical toil 3:16: ‘Your desire will be for your husband . . .': (Heb teshuqah appears only in 4:7 and Song of Sol 7:10) He shall ‘rule' over you: He will rule as a tyrant (See NLT) To the Man (17) Cursed is the ground: in toil you shall eat of it   3:20-21 Adam names “Eve” (20) God makes clothes for them (21)   3:22-24 Expulsion from the Garden God says: ‘Man has become like one of us' (22) Expelled (driven out) from the garden (23) Salah: Language of exile and being driven out like Canaanites: cp Exod 33:1-3; Lev 18:24; 20:23 Garas: (24): same word for expulsion of Canaanites (Ex 23:28-31; 33:2; Deut 33:27; Josh 24:12, 18; Judg 2:3; 1 Chr 17:21; Ps 78:55; 80:8) East of the garden Cherubim are placed (24) Cherubim guard the presence of God: embroidered on the curtains of the temple (Exod 26:1; 36:8; 26:31-33; 1 Kings 6:32) 2 Cherubim have outstretched wings to cover and protect the Ark! (Exod 26:18-22; 37:7-9; Num 7:89; 1Kings 6:23-28) Samar: to guard or keep watch: the very thing Adam was to do (cf Gen 2:15)   Gen 3 and the rest of Scripture Entrance into the Garden! Jesus: “I am the door” (John 10:7); “an open door” (Rev 3:8; 4:1) Rev 22:14: enter by gates into the city   Enmity between the woman and the serpent Authority to tread on serpents (Luke 10:17-20) Paul identifies Satan with the Serpent; Agent of destruction is the Church (Rom 16:20) Satan is the ancient serpent (Rev 12:1-17) Seed is Christ (Gal 3:16) Christ must reign until all His enemies under His feet (1 Cor 15:25) destroy the work of the Devil (1 John 3:8-12)   Conflict between male and female Reversed (Col 3:18-19)   Please "follow" this podcast and give a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your review will go a long way towards helping others find this podcast. Then share it with others so that we can get the word of the Gospel of the Kingdom to more people!   NB: our goal is to keep these episodes free of charge. I do not intend to ever hide them behind a paywall. I can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or more/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link.     Good news: If you wish to view these podcasts on your smartphone through the Determinetruth app simply download the “tithe.ly church” app on your smartphone and insert “determinetruth” as the church name you wish to follow. Once it is loaded, simply click on the “blog” icon and they will automatically load.    If you would like to have Rob and/or Vinnie speak at your church or organization in person or via zoom, please let us know by filling out the contact info on the Contact me tab on this Rob's determinetruth site.   If you have questions that you would like addressed in future episodes, you may submit them in the Contact me tab on this site.   

Introduction: The Origin and the Pattern of Sin (Genesis 3:1-13): Sin starts when we Disregard God's Word. (Gen 3:1-6) You Doubt the Authenticity of God's Word. (Gen 3:1-3) You Deny the Accuracy of God's Word. (Gen 3:1) You Disobey the Authority of God's Word. (Gen 3:4-6) Sin brings shame when we try to Disguise . (Gen 3:7) Sin causes us to Disengage from God. (Gen 3:8-10) Sin makes us want to Deflect guilt. (Gen 3:11-13) Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Genesis 3:1-13What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Define sin, in your own words, how you would to an unbeliever.In Gen 3:5, what did the serpent tell Eve God was withholding from her? In other words, “why was God restricting them”?Why do you think we tend to blame others for our sin (Gen 3:12)?Why did Satan first cast doubt on God's Word (Gen 3:1), instead of just flat-out denying God's Word from the beginning (Gen 3:4)?BreakoutPray for one another.

Most people overlook the most basic reason for the creation of the opposite sex. We are quick to take Dvuce from love gurus and coaches when God has aready told us His own reason and thereby provided a manual for us all to use. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lela-winston/support

He's with you through the pain. He comforts you in the waiting. When you're anxious about your future, He gives you courage. As you climb the mountain, He keeps you safe in His arms. You're not alone. In every moment, we have God With Us.Join us as we discuss how God is with us in the Storm.Support the show (http://crossviewcov.org/givenow)

On this sacred and magical night a beloved service of lessons and carols has been celebrated at King's College in Cambridge, England for nearly one hundred years. Though our version will have different music we honor this grand tradition by reading from the original  lessons, and beginning and ending our service with a version of King's College prayers.

Before Augustine, Christians saw in the story of Adam and Eve God's gift of wisdom and self-determination. We read the story of Adam and Eve, provide commentary followed by a panel discussion. Our panel includes Rich Procida, Professor Joseph Dowd, human rights activist Cet Cetivies, Rev. Tom Eggebean, author Bert Newton, and guests.  To Support Rich Procida and Bible Study for Progressives. 

Isaiah 9:2-7 Luke 2:1-14

Welcome to Bethlehem's Christmas Eve celebration: God is with Us.On this sacred and magical night a beloved service of lessons and carols has been celebrated at King's College in Cambridge, England for nearly one hundred years. Though our version will have different music we honor this grand tradition by reading from the original lessons, and beginning and ending our service with a version of King's College prayers.

We'd all kind of want to think of God as a loving, gentle God … and of course He is. But God is also a God of anger and ultimately of judgement.  And if we don't get that, then the whole Christmas thing becomes pretty meaningless.   We Need Peace It is fabulous to be with you again this week, leading up to Christmas. Now Christmas is this time of, well supposedly, peace and goodwill to all men. Peace can be hard to come by. So many lives are in turmoil, day by day, step by step, there's conflict. In a sense, it's the way of the world, yet so many lives are in so much turmoil – in the home, between husband and wife, in families, in the workplace. I mean, people get "feral" in the workplace – and of course, in ourselves. Some people have a lot, some people don't have very much, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Some people believe in Jesus, other people don't, yet still, they don't have peace. Conflict rages on! Life is always bringing along things to rob us of our peace. Have you noticed that? It happens to all of us. That's why in these weeks leading up to Christmas – this Christmas that is supposed to be about peace and goodwill to all men and women and kids and everyone else. We are doing a series called, "A Peace Beyond All Understanding". I believe we need to unzip our souls and pour God's Word into us and get some great teaching on the peace that Jesus came to give us. I believe that God's plan for your life and God's plan for my life is to give us a peace and a joy beyond all human understanding and that's why we are doing teaching on "peace" in these weeks leading up to Christmas. The whole problem of the human condition, the whole thing begins with our rebellion against God. You can read about it in the first couple of chapters of Genesis, when Adam and Eve – God blessed them, God put them in the garden, God provided for them and they rebelled – they did the one thing God said "don't do". And you might say, “Come on, Berni, what's this got to do with Christmas?" It's got everything to do with Christmas because the moment that they rebelled and the moment that we first rebelled in our lives against God, we initiated a war between us and God and that's what we looked at last week on the program. If you missed it, visit our website at ‘Christianity works.com' and you can listen to it again. We need to understand the anatomy of that battle because it is that battle, that war that you and I initiated in our rejection of God that is the whole reason behind Christmas. We were looking at the Book of Ezekiel – now the Book of Ezekiel was written by a prophet called Ezekiel, not surprisingly, to Israel just a few years after they were exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. These were God's people. God had promised them the land of Israel, He'd given them Jerusalem, He'd given them Judea, He'd given them all of this land and He'd blessed them and they turned their back on Him. They worshipped other gods; they worshipped other idols; they did abominations in God's sight, so ultimately God's judgement fell on them. He used the King of Babylon to bring his armies into Israel, he destroyed the land, he killed most of the people and those that were left went into exile as slaves in Babylon and Ezekiel writes to them – I'm just going to read a very short passage from the fifth chapter. If you've got a Bible, grab it. We are going to be spending a bit of time in Ezekiel and a few other books today. Just to explain where we're at, so we'll recap. This short passage about God's judgement of His people because they rebelled against Him: This is what the Lord God says: “This Jerusalem, I've but she has rebelled against me again; against my ordinances; against my statutes, becoming more wicked than all the nations and all the countries all around her, rejecting my ordinances; not following my statutes. Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Because you are more turbulent than all the nations that are around you and you haven't followed my statues or kept   my ordinances, but you have acted according to ordinances of the nations that are around you. Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “I myself am coming against and I will execute judgements among you in the sight of the nations. And because of all your sin and your abominations, I will do to you what I have never yet done and the like of which I will never do again.” And so He then goes on to talk about all of His anger being spent on them and letting countries come against them to destroy them and wild animals and famine and then pests and God brings His judgement on Israel – why? Because Israel rebelled against God – Israel rebelled, God expelled! Remember these were God's people; God's chosen people! Now some people reject God altogether and they have this sense of emptiness and something missing. Other people who believe in God; who believe in Jesus, hold part of themselves back, maybe they carry around some un-forgiveness, maybe they have some secret sin, maybe they have their own idols. Whatever, but we all need peace in our lives. Amen? We all need that deep, satisfying fulfilling peace and the biggest thing that robs us of that peace – the number one issue – is our rebellion against God; going our own way, as Israel did. You and I are hard-wired for a relationship with God. Let me read you this short passage from Psalm 139 verses 14 to 18. This is what it says: God I praise you for it was you who formed my inner parts. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works that I know very well. My frame wasn't hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth; your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me when as yet none of them existed. How weighty are your thoughts O God, how vast is the sum of them. Isn't that a beautiful passage, of God's involvement right from our conception when we were in our mother's womb? Our substance, our frame wasn't hidden from Him. He is the one who has made you and me what we are, and when we reject Him. When we reject the one who created us, the one who loves us, we declare war on God and ultimately, we kindle His anger and judgement. We get all proud and we set up our own throne, our own rule, our own kingdom, our own life and God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And that's the beginning; that's the essence of our turmoil and our discontent. Unless we understand that, Christmas doesn't make sense and today we are going to particularly look at God's anger. It's not a picture of God we like to think about, but the anger and the judgement of God is kindled by our rebellion and strangely, it lies at the heart of Christmas.   Angry God We are looking today at the anger of God. “My goodness, Berni, it's almost Christmas time and you're talking about an angry God, what's the matter with you?” Well, we've got to understand God's anger and why He gets angry with us, for us to understand Christmas. It's a good question: “Why does God get angry with us?” If you have a Bible – we are working our way through the Book of Ezekiel – go to chapter 14 of Ezekiel. This is a book that was written by the prophet Ezekiel to Israel, at a time when God's judgement had fallen on the nation. When the Babylonians had come and destroyed Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, killed many of the inhabitants – these are God's chosen people – and taken the remnant as slaves into Babylon. The people are going, "well, my goodness, what's going on?" Ezekiel the prophet is explaining God's judgement to God's people and this is what he says in chapter 14: Certain elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me and the Word of the Lord came to me, “Mortal, these men have taken their idols into their hearts and they've placed their inequity as a stumbling block before them. Shall I let myself be consulted by them? Therefore speak to them and say this: “Thus says the   Lord God: “Any of those in the house of Israel who take their idols into their hearts and place they're inequity as   a stumbling block before them, and yet come to the prophet, I the Lord will answer those who come with their multitude of idols in order that I may take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, all of whom are estranged from me through their idols. Therefore, say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God, “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations, for    any of those of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside in Israel, who separate themselves from me, taking their idols into their hearts and placing their   inequity as a stumbling block before them and yet come to a prophet to enquire of me, by him, I the Lord will answer them myself. I will set my face against them; I will make them a sign and a byword and I will cut them off from the midst of my people and you will know that I am the Lord your God.” They're pretty strong words! God is saying, here are these elders of the house of Israel coming to the prophet to enquire of me, because of course, the prophet speaks on behalf of God, and these guys have got idols and not only are they worshipping idols, but it's a beautiful phrase and it's a telling phrase, "they have taken their idols into their hearts". Idols are other gods that the other nations worshipped and so these leaders of Israel have put their idols before God. Do you remember the Ten Commandments; the first one? Let's just quickly go to it – Exodus chapter 20, if you have a Bible. This is what it says: You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water or under the   earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the inequity of their parents to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. Jesus said it Himself, when someone asked Him, He said: The first and the most important commandment is to love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first and the greatest commandment. God reached out to His people through Moses, through a promise and a relationship that you can read about in Leviticus chapter 26 – it's called the "covenant". it's like a marriage promise. God said: If you love me and you obey me, you honour me, I will bless you abundantly, but if you rebel against me, I will punish you, so that you know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Because God is God! God has made us – has hard-wired us to have a relationship with Him and this anger; this judgement; this punishment – is not some petulant, tyrannical god. This anger is born out of His great love for us. He wants our hearts. Look at chapter 14 of Ezekiel again, verses 4 and 5: Therefore speak to them and say to them, “Thus says   the Lord your God, “Any of those of the house of Israel who take their idols into their hearts and place their inequities as a stumbling block before them, and yet come to the prophet, I the Lord, will answer those who come with their multitude of idols in order that. Listen to this: In order that I may take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel. All of those whom are estranged from me, through their idols. And further down in verse 11, he says: "So that the house of Israel may no longer go astray from me, nor defile themselves any more with all their transgressions, then they shall be my people and I will be their God,” says the Lord. God's anger isn't like our anger. Our rejection of God is kind of like an adultery – God wants us. He's made us to have a relationship with Him but we reject Him and push Him away. In adultery, in human terms, marriages often tear themselves apart, but God's not like that. People tear each other apart but God's anger is different. God's anger has a purpose in mind – "I will be their God and they will be my people". God's anger is redemptive anger, it's meant to bring us back. God's anger isn't like ours – we reject and don't forgive – but God's anger has a purpose to bring us back. God is true to God. He's a God of justice and a God of love and He looks on our hearts. He's interested to know, have we put other things before Him in our hearts? Because God wants to be first in our hearts, He wants to be our God; He wants us to be His people and when reject Him, we kindle the anger of God. We can have all sorts of idols. I say, “I don't worship idols!" – wealth, position, status, sex, self, career – in and of themselves all of those things are not inherently bad. In fact, most of them are a blessing from God, but when we take one or more of those things into our hearts, above God; displacing God. That becomes an idol and that kindles the anger of God because we have declared war on God and there will be no peace. That brings the wrath of God and the wrath of God – let me tell you – is a fearsome thing. If you doubt me read the first twenty four chapters of the Book of Ezekiel and see what God did to His people when they rejected Him. It is the central problem of humanity and there will be no peace on earth when we reject God and we kindle His anger and His wrath but God does have a road map for peace and we are going to see that now.   God's Roadmap for Peace Well, we have been looking today on the program, at the fact that when we reject God, we effectively declare war on Him and we kindle His anger and His wrath. When people rebel against a good and a perfect and a loving and a holy God, there are consequences. In a sense that's the bad news but the good news is God's love – His heart for a relationship with us. The whole of the Old Testament is Israel's struggle with God. In fact, "Israel" literally means "to struggle with God". God made a covenant; a promise with them that you can read about for yourself, in Leviticus chapter 26. He starts off by saying: I love you and if you follow me and honour me, I'll bless your socks off. My heart is for me to be your God and for you to be my people, but if you don't honour me I will punish you. And He lists the punishments and those punishments are the exact same ones that have come to pass here, that we read about in the Book of Ezekiel that we have been going through. The whole of the Old Testament serves to tell us something about ourselves. We can never meet God's standard; we can never be the perfection that we need to be, to be accepted by a holy God. But if God's heart-beat is that "I will be your God and you will be my people", how's it going to be realised if we can't hold up our end of the bargain. How is God ever going to realise His dream? Well, He sets out in the Book of Ezekiel – if you have a Bible, flick over to chapter 34 of Ezekiel. He sets out in the Book, a road map for peace; a real road map for peace; a new approach; a new covenant; one that doesn't depend on what you and I do. This is what it says, Ezekiel chapter 34 beginning at verse 25: I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish   the wild animals from the land so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. I will make them and the region around my hill, a blessing and I will   send down the showers in their season and they will be showers of blessing. The trees of the field shall yield fruit and the earth shall yield its increase. They shall be   secure on their soil and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yolk and save them from the hands of those who have enslaved them (that's the Babylonians). They shall no more be plunder for the nations nor shall the animals of the land devour them. They shall live in safety and no one shall make them afraid. I will provide for them a splendid vegetation so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land and no longer suffer the insults of the nations. They shall know   that, I the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God. You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture and I am   your God, says the Lord God. Isn't that beautiful? What a beautiful picture of God's peace. Three things: firstly, safety. Safety from wild animals and safety from other people attacking them. Secondly, the blessing. The rain showers, the land will yield its fruit and there will be abundance. And the third thing, knowing that God is with them. .Isn't that peace, knowing that we're safe; being blessed by God and knowing that God is with us? This is a beautiful picture of the heart of God, of His peace and of His blessing and He talks about it again – just flick over the page, if you have a Bible – in chapter 37 beginning at verse 26. I will make a covenant of peace with them. See, it's a promise of peace. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them and I will bless them and multiply them and I will set my sanctuary among them for ever more. My dwelling place shall be with them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I, the Lord God, sanctify Israel when my sanctuary is among them for ever more. See, God is promising an everlasting promise and unlike all the other gods that the other nations worshipped, that are on the top of hills, God is saying, “Now I will put my presence right in the middle of my people." The heart of God is to be in close, tender relationship with you and me, even though we rebel. He knows the problem of our rebellion. He dealt with Israel for over a thousand years, between when He took them out of Egypt and when Jesus came, but the problem is, on the one hand you have the old covenant, "if you do good I'll bless you, if you do bad, I'll curse you," and that reflects who God is – it reflects His justice. And you have the new covenant, "heart of love and forgiveness," but how do you deal with the fact that you and I can't uphold our end of the bargain? How does God deal with that fundamental problem of the human condition – our sin and our rebellion and our declaration of war against God? The answer is Christmas; the answer is Jesus and we'll look at that next week on the program. The apostle John in chapter 1 verse 14 says: And the Word became flesh (the Word is Jesus) the Word became flesh and tabernacle among us. Just as God promised. The tabernacle of God; the sanctuary of God; the very presence of God revealed to us right in our midst and He came to pay the price of our sin. You and me, we have rebelled just like Israel – we are in enmity to God, we've declared war and kindled God's anger but God's heart is that He will be your God and mine and we will be His people and that's what Christmas is about; that's why Jesus came. Jesus is God's declaration of peace and we will look at that on next week's program.

IMAGE MAKERS  How do we become who we are - how do we see ourselves as that person that we think we are. That is an image – that is an idea in our head – where did it come from?A person does not make up an image all by themselves. The image we have of who we are is an already formed idea of what gets reflected back to us through our life that we accept and act out from.  The image of who we are comes originally from God’s idea of who we are, Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… Then came the devil’s idea – his idea of who we are was fist proclaimed by Satan when he said to Adam and Eve ‘God has told you not to eat of that tree because he knows that when you do you will become like Him and God does not want you to have that experience.’ So they believed him, and rebelled against God and were deceived into believing that it was too tempting to throw that short cut of being like God away. They had accepted the idea of darkness which was the actual image that the devil had of himself who also wanted to be like God and that image was now being imprinted onto them. They accepted the idea of who they were as being somebody separated from God competing with God for their own autonomy as an independent person apart from God.  This idea of being able to fashion their own idea and way of being like God which was a lie was sown into the hearts and minds of humanity and made its permanent imprint upon this world. This became the mindset of the human race that in wanting to be so much like God that they made themselves to be their own God, an then made themselves into that image 1John 5:19 ..whole world lies in darkness… TOWER OF BABEL That grew to a point that they were not just individuals who had their own individual idea but there grew upon the earth an entire population of people who had one idea and language and under the leadership of a man, Nimrod, who said let us make a city and build a tower that will reach to heaven, and that became the first collective human idea, an identity of humanity that had enormous power in the earth. The tower of heaven reaching heaven is not only man’s idea of being independent and making himself like God but being able to build the city of God and to create your own utopia, your own heaven on earth. That became the lie that as cultures developed became imprinted upon the people that developed that culture. God realized that if all of mankind had one idea in common and pursued that into the fulness of its darkness and deception humanity would eventually destroy itself by giving itself to the devil and become the expression of that darkness.To save them God decided to bring confusion into their language to communicate to one another and he scattered them on the face of the earth and they all became different cultures in different places in their behaviour, language morality and values.  So that is three big ideas of the making of the image of humanity upon the earth- God’s idea, the’ devil’s idea and the collective culture’s idea, with spiritual powers of darkness influencing them. And then there is a fourth idea which is of our own invention and imagination, our voice to ourselves which comes about because of all the different ideas that have had an influence upon us and reflect back to us the image telling us what they want us to be.This is always the way. A person does not begin in their formative years , say from 3 to 7, to sit and analyse what kind of person they are and who they plan to be what they want to pursue as a career and to adopt certain values that they aspire to.It starts with parents who believe what this little person should be like, what they should think and believe and how they should behave and what they should value, and this is different from culture to culture – a self image is being formed. The childhood experience can e positive or negative, helpful or harmful, harsh, provoking the child into reaction ( Ephesians 6:4).As a child grow beyond age 7)A child then also gets influenced by the peer group and decides to form in their mind how they want to behave in that group in order to belong. That group image begins to define them. This goes on into adulthood in the formation of self-image. No matter how radical or weird or extreme that brand of thought and behaviour is. That doesn’t matter because that’s where they feel at home and where they belong. That is their tribe, whether religious, political, cultural or ideological, or weirdly personal.So four image making ideas have come into that life. BUT there is a way that we can respond to the best idea of who we are - God’s idea, and that is found in the Bible. In the Old Testament we can say for the sake of clarity and brevity that that is reflected in the core values of the ten Commandments which reflect back to a person the picture of God’ wisdom and care for relationships, His wisdom and integrity, so that if people as individuals embrace these core values they will be a community of people that not only survive but they will flourish and be the best kind of community that they can be.In the NT those very same values of love and truth, honesty, productivity in relationships, caring for and honouring one another are imprinted on us by the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus died for us and rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit, who lived a human life in and with Jesus he made way for us now to be in that same empowering relationship with the Holy Spirit. So there are two things happening within every human being today – there is still that instinct to form your own image of who you want to be in the current day world in which you live that is reflecting its values back to you saying ‘this is how you are going to make it in this world. This is what the Bible calls being conformed to this world.  However to summarise so far - God is the primary image maker. In the Old Testament the Commandments were the primary model of the image of God because they reflected the nature of the wisdom and the ways of God. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit works upon our hearts to transform us into the image of Christ. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,The renewal of the mind takes place when a person accepts the truth of who they were created to be and allows God to do that transforming work. Then comes the question - What is that world out there? Just as the Tower of Babel was a community of people with one mind and one language, That tried to build their own heaven, there is in the world today a new progressive collective identity that has a lot of other group identities arrayed within it that is seeking to build its own idea of heaven on earth. They see themselves as an enlightened empowered group of individuals with the freedom to do what they want to do and behave how they want to behave and have want they want to have, and they are being told mostly by one another who they should be what they should think and how they should talk and what they should believe and what rights they should demand in order to be an acceptable member of contemporary new order of society (the internet makes it possible to get all that information in minutes or seconds). This collective identity is based on not having to conform to Biblical and traditional core values and their restraints - and it means fighting for the freedom and autonomy to set up a new set of values, virtues, and entitlements, to be committed to and championed as a social construct – an ideological political system – a new utopia, a repeat of the tower of Babel. This clashes head on with a conservative traditional value system based on biblical Judao-Christian values – two value systems. But both of these value systems are falling short of producing an expression of an intact and effective ordered human family in these times. Just as Israel in the Old Testament Israel couldn’t obey the Commandments and Christians don’t live perfect lives. There is a lot of veering off the mark. But at least God’s core values remain as the pillar and ground of truth and are there for people to come back to when they fail, and they fail consistently through the self serving human attitudes that we all have in common no matter what our values are. God is dealing with this state of affairs right now this very moment. This is a recurring theme in the Bible. At one stage of Israel’s history they were taken captive by a man called Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, which was the most powerful and glorious city in the world (Babel/Babylon – the same word - confusion). Israel were placed in bondage under the religion and culture of that place. At one point the king decided to build a huge statue of gold, almost as tall as a ten storey building (Daniel 3:.He made a decree that at any time when his chosen music was played everyone had to bow down and worship that image. If they did not bow down to the image they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. There were three young Jewish men who had been given high honour in the political and administrative courts of Babylon, and they had been given the Babylonian names of Meshach, Shadrack and Abednego. It was reported to the king by some other Babylonian court leaders that these three men had refused to bow down to the image. They were called before the king who was furious with them and told them to recant, but they said that their God was able to deliver them from the fire and even if He didn’t, they were prepared to serve Him to the death.So the furnace was heated up seven times hotter than usual and the king had some of his toughest senior military leaders throw the men into the furnace. However the soldiers were burned to a crisp trying to cast the men into the fire, and when the king stood to inspect the destruction of the three Jewish men he was astonished;Daniel 3:24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered “True, O king.” He said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like the son of God.”Nebuchadnezzar then proclaimed to the entire Nation that anyone who speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.He then declared;’ It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. It says in the Bible that the fourth person with those men in the fire was like the Son of God – That was Jesus with them in the fiery trial.A true Witness is seen in God’s people today through the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, even as we go through the fiery trials of faith in these days that purify our hearts. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses… (Not just talking about God but having God on display in our lives…)This work of becoming the expression of our true selves in Christ involves going through the trials of faith to trust God’s love and mercy and truth to us in the transformational process (1Peter 4.12… don’t think it strange when the fiery trials come… Peter also says this is the goal of your faith 1Peter 1:9.). Holy Spirit is reflecting back to you who you are, joined to the Lord as one Spirit. We recognize our shortcomings and obtain mercy and find grace to help.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           All of this is happening in real time now no matter what we see happening in the midst of all the emotional confusion and deception and conflict and rage going on in what we see around us. We are being preserved in the midst of fiery trials being made into the image of God, and he will be seen there with us, that is the witness of his presence with us finding meaning and purpose in all that happens.It takes place when you are still, knowing that He s God, and as you behold Him in this way the Bible says (2Corinthans 3:18) you are being transformed into His image by the Spirit of The Lord    

This morning we are going to look at Genesis 2. I wasn’t going to.I was going to skip it and go to chapter 3 because chapter 2 is a retelling of the creation account.But there is something in chapter 2 that needs to be unpacked.In verse 18 we heard this morning that God said “It is not good for man to be alone…”There is a lot in this statement and I call this the Doctrine of Togetherness.The synonyms for togetherness, according to thesaurus.com, are:affection, intimacy, closeness, friendship, fellowship, close, feeling, inseparableness…Togetherness encompasses all of these, so, the Doctrine of Togetherness.God speaks a deep lesson in this phrase.It is not good for us to be alone.God creates another human being so the first human being will not be alone.I know this verse is most often used in the context of marriage,But I believe it is much broader than that.See, God is sovereign and knew/knows what will happen in the history that is to come.And knew/knows all of this before the earth is ever created.Along with that, two human beings, male and female, goes along with God’s created order (that we talked about last week).God created the earth in such a way that is sustains itself,And with two humans that can reproduce, that creation can sustain itself,In that we will never have to be alone.The beauty of this is it wasn’t just Adam and Eve God was looking at here.God was looking at forever.God was looking to you and I.God was ensuring we (all of us; you and I; future generations),Would not be alone.When God spoke the words - It is not good for man to be alone,God was speaking for that moment and every moment to come after,From that moment until now and future moments.Can you see how wide and how deep God’s creative process is?God deals in eternity as much as God deals in right now.And when God speaks something, then we need to look to then, now, and ahead.And when we limit this verse to the context of marriage,We are missing so much of what God is doing here.Don’t hear what I am not saying here.This verse is 100% relevant to marriage,It is just not limited to marriage.We were created to be in relationship, friendship, in intimacy, in love.God created us to experience togetherness,And being alone too much will have negative effects on us.Now - being alone sometimes is a good thing because we need that reset.If there had never been any sin, we wouldn’t need that reset and could be around everybody all the time.But as it is, being alone too much is not good for us.Take stock of the times you were lonely…or maybe you’re lonely right now.Think about your emotional state during loneliness…during times you are separated from people.I know some of my lowest times were in loneliness.When I thought that I had no one.There was this feeling of no one caring enough about me to be with me.One of the loneliest times in my life (and I was surrounded by friends),Was when my best friend in high school was killed in a car accident.I was at a really low point and in fact had thought about just driving my car into oncoming traffic at full speed.I felt like I was alone in this world.The

Proverbs In 365 Devotions For more go to braggingonjesus.com Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. People bear some kind of witness with their life. They proclaim something about who they are to others. We could even think about satan himself. He proclaims his own glory… He says his way is best for us. He says sin satisfies. In the Garden of Eden he told Eve God was a liar… and that the fruit of the tree God said would bring death would actually make her like God. But satan is a false witness. Solomon says that a false witness breathes out lies. In John 8:44, speaking of satan Jesus said this: …When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. That’s who satan is… even when he tried his hand at quoting scripture when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness his intent was deceit and he came to Jesus as a liar. What about us? Are we a faithful witness or a false witness? Of course a witness is someone who has actually saw something. They were there and can testify because they experienced something. But as broken people in a broken world… and speaking practically that includes Christians because although we are 100% righteous positionally… practically we are still a work in progress as the Lord is conforming us to his image… As broken people then… we have to fight against the temptation to say we are more than we are. I mean, no one wants to be thought of as less than others… not smart, not clever… We rather want to be looked up to and sought out for council… We even want to look good while we stand in the spotlight. But we have to fight against that because it is a false witness of who we really are. Even in the church there are so many I fear that claim to walk close to the Lord and want to be seen as leaders or role models… The Apostle John talks about this very thing: 1st John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. So if we stray from walking close to the Lord, (which we all do in some fashion from time to time) we are tempted to put on a self righteous front instead of humbling ourselves to the Lord in repentance. Not only are we tempted to bear a false witness to others but we can lie to ourselves also. 1st John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. All this lying is something we should flee from… If we truly know the Lord… and we do not call our sin what it is… rebellion against our Creator and Lord… our hearts can be seared hard like a stone so that our sweet fellowship with the Lord disappears… And that is a scary place to be… It is a red flag as to whether we have ever turned away from sin towards Jesus in the first place. But for those who will turn… there is some amazing good news. John continues: 1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So in closing… #1; don’t trust the lies of satan. Dont believe the promises for satisfaction and life he spurts out of his mouth. And #2; don’t live your life bearing a false witness of who your are. Even as believers we must humble ourselves instead of seeking our own false exaltation. James 5:16 says: …confess your sins to one another… #3; don’t rationalize your own sin… call it what it is. #4 Always keep returning to the Lord… Confess your sin to him and trust him for 100% forgiveness because of Jesus. Finally #5; get up and walk in the sweet joy of the Lord as a faithful witness on the mission of sharing not our own glory; but the glory of God in Jesus to a broken world.

Here on the next lesson presented by the Ecu-Men, we are going to cover the topic: Creation and the Fall of Man. This discussion opens the door on why Jesus Christ is necessary in our lives. And will span from Adam & Eve until the present day and judgment to come. Thanks for listening! 48. What is man? Man is a creature composed of body and soul, and made to the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 2:7) 49. Is this likeness to God in the body or in the soul? This likeness to God is chiefly in the soul. 50. How is the soul like God? The soul is like God because it is a spirit having understanding and free will, and is destined to live forever. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) 51. Who were the first man and woman? The first man and woman were Adam and Eve, the first parents of the whole human race. (Genesis 3:15) 52. What was the chief gift bestowed on Adam and Eve by God? The chief gift bestowed on Adam and Eve by God was sanctifying grace, which made them children of God and gave them the right to heaven. 53. What other gifts were bestowed on Adam and Eve by God? The other gifts bestowed on Adam and Eve by God were happiness in the Garden of Paradise, great knowledge, control of the passions by reason, and freedom from suffering and death. (Ecclesiasticus 17:5) 54. What commandment did God give Adam and Eve? God gave Adam and Eve the commandment not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree that grew in the Garden of Paradise. (Genesis 2:16-17) 55. Did Adam and Eve obey the commandment of God? Adam and Eve did not obey the commandment of God, but ate of the forbidden fruit. And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold; and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband who did eat. (Genesis 3:6) 56. What happened to Adam and Eve on account of their sin? On account of their sin Adam and Eve lost sanctifying grace, the right to heaven, and their special gifts; they became subject to death, to suffering, and to a strong inclination to evil, and they were driven from the Garden of Paradise. (Genesis 3:19) 57. What has happened to us on account of the sin of Adam? On account of the sin of Adam, we, his descendants, come into the world deprived of sanctifying grace and inherit his punishment, as we would have inherited his gifts had he been obedient to God. (Wisdom 2:24) 58. What is this sin in us called? This sin in us is called original. 59. Why is this sin called original? This sin is called original because it comes down to us through our origin, or descent, from Adam. (Romans 5:12) 60. What are the chief punishments of Adam which we inherit through original sin? The chief punishments of Adam which we inherit through original sin are: death, suffering, ignorance, and a strong inclination to sin. 61. Is God unjust in punishing us on account of the sin of Adam? God is not unjust in punishing us on account of the sin of Adam, because original sin does not take away from us anything to which we have a strict right as human beings, but only the free gifts which God in His goodness would have bestowed on us if Adam had not sinned. 62. Was any human person ever preserved from original sin? The Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin in view of the merits of her Divine Son, and this privilege is called her Immaculate Conception. (Genesis 3:15) ======= Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 5: https://www.catholicity.com/baltimore-catechism/lesson05.html Restoring the Faith, interviews Dr. Sammut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMf1Kq7dDRg Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Jewish-Roots-Mary-Unveiling/dp/0525572732 Don’t put good wine into old skins: https://biblehub.com/matthew/9-17.htm Mary: The Second Eve: https://catholicism.org/second-eve.html Mary vs Eve: https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/charts/Virgin%20Mary%20and%20the%20Virgin%20Eve%20Contrasted.htm

We celebrate the fact that through Jesus, God came down and dwelt among us. He is Immanuel: God with us.

We aren't just celebrating something that happened 2,000 years ago. Jesus is with us in our lives, in our hearts, in our church, in our communion. John 1:1-5, 14

Check out this week's sermon from Pastor Austin on John 3:16-21 titled, "God Gived Us Jesus". "Christmas is the proclamation that God so loved dead, guilty, hateful, and darkened people that He sent His Son to save us from death to life, free us from guilt to innocence, transform us from hate to love, and deliver us from darkness to light." You can also find audio from our past sermons on our website, Citylightlincoln.org, and on the Citylight Lincoln Church App.

God is WITH US! Not just at Advent, but always. Therefore, we have no need of fear or worry. Pastor Nathan illustrates this truth with the story of the Birth of Christ.

Welcome to worship this Christmas Eve. We trust that God will bless you in this service of lessons and carols/hymns. Our focus, “God so loved the world,” is found in every lesson and song. Christmas is not about a sentimental, warm, and fuzzy kind of love—although these ways that we show love to each other, especially in families, are certainly important. But the heart of Christmas is about God’s redeeming love—God’s rescue plan for a humanity alienated from him despite all claims of reform, goodness, or morality. The human condition of sin separates us from God, and only his action could have solved that problem. The life, death, and resurrection of his Son has solved the problem. By trusting what Jesus has done for us, heaven awaits us and we live life this side of heaven in loyal thanks for rescue. Our opening hymn puts it this way: ”But our eyes at last shall see him Through his own redeeming love, For that child, so dear and gentle, Is our Lord in heav’n above.” Service Program Want to hear more? Check out our sermon archive. Sermon Archive

Christmas Eve - God Came Near by The Covenant Church - Shreveport/Bossier

Sermon by Fr. Mike Boone at St. Charles Anglican Cathedral, Bremerton, WA. December 24, 2019 Christmas Eve Luke 2:1-20

The post Christmas Eve (God With Us) appeared first on THE BRIDGE.

Preacher: Christian Coon Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Our Christmas Eve candlelight communion service. Join us for this sermonette.

In this episode, Pastor Adam Ericksen & Lindsey Paris-Lopez explore Luke 2:1-14. “Jesus Unmasked” seeks to remove the masks of exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses that obscure the truth of Jesus’s unconditional love. Scripture passages are read from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. “Jesus Unmasked” is a Raven Foundation production.

Eve - God's First Woman. Truth of the Spirit episode, Eve - God’s First Woman with host Patti Brunner, reminds us that Adam needed a helper who, like him, was also in the image of God. Eve's story is told to us in two different stories in the Old Testament book of the bible, Genesis. The first man was made from the dust of the earth but the first woman was made of the perfect genetic material of God’s creation of humanity. Isn't it interesting that the first sign of the effect of sin, the first sign of imperfection is the need to cover up? We could guess that Eve's first clothing line was named "fear". Before they sinned they were covered by the glory of God. Discover how God covered them after the first sin.

Pastor Fran shares the last message of 2018!  For more info about Hope Center visit:  myhopecenter.org instragram.com/myhopecenter facebook.com/myhopecenter   Pastor Fran Chavez:  @franchescapchavez   Audio Engineer/Producer:  Donovan O. McKenzie

December 24, 2018 | Christmas Eve | God With Us by Browncroft Community Church

God The Father - Adam & Eve - God is Relational - 4th Nov by Oasis Church Perth

This is message number two of the You asked for it series. In this message you’ll find out that ever since Adam and Eve God has had the same mandate for your life. God wants to help you beautify the world around you and be part of bringing the solutions to the problems around you.

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RADIUS Church - Lexington Mon, 25 Dec 2017 00:30:36 +0000 http://radiuschurch.org/?p=10630 119

Matthew 16:15-18 Who do you say that I am? The church is not built by human effort. God builds His church, and He does it His way. He uses pictures to reveal the church to men. These pictures reveal something about God – this shows that He is our God and we are His people; that His church declares His glory. “You are the Christ” - this declaration is where the church is built. Doing things, being places, attending meetings, having habits do not add you to the church. When God interacts with people, the interactions often involve the Land: Garden, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos. The pattern is God heals the people, and THEN He heals the land. A healed people are designed to steward a healed land. This is purpose. With wounded people in the presence of a wounded land, we are trying to fabricate stewardship. The PEOPLE are bigger than the individual. The LAND is bigger than the people. Church life is not any kind of meeting, no matter how elaborate or simple. But ecclesia is a life lived in a land with others and God. Current church structure is focused on the Sunday morning meeting. All the energy is ramped up for the Big Show. But most people are not satisfied with that, so we add sunday school, specified small groups, events, ministries, etc. We organize things to focus on the meeting at a set time, inside a set building, and then bemoan the fact that people are not out in the community, so we try to manufacture programs to get them “outside the walls.” We craft a system that focuses on a once-a-week meeting, and when that proves lacking, we try to add events and concerns to people's already full lives. This is not what they signed on for. This was not the original deal. The Good News of the Kingdom is a transformational reality for your whole life. It is by its nature self-sacrificial and all-encompassing. We should be encouraging a community of people who are sharing life together, working and ministering together, who then gather to celebrate this life, praise our God, testify to His deeds, share our joys and concerns. We should not use physical things to birth spiritual things, but use them as a tool, and use them properly, and use them alongside spiritual weapons. The church, God's people, should have compassion, as Jesus did. Jesus is building His church also on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and not simply the biblical ones, but those living today. The Bible is immensely important, but we cannot simply stare at it, study it, and miss the bigness of God, the vastness of the Kingdom, the immensity of our call. If we merely dissect the word, we will be like those of whom Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” We should be motivated and moved by the Bible to LIVE, and to walk with the Holy Spirit in the world. Do you hate the church? Do we hate the church? What is the church? God's church is the collection of saved sinners living life in a fallen world, with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The religious systems of man are not the church, but merely a counterfeit. That doesn't mean spirit-filled believers can't be involved with them, or lead them, or that the traditional church system can't do good things in the world. But they are two different things. The foundation of the church is the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. This is in 1 Corinthians 3:11 – for no man can lay a foundation, other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. The only way a person can be added to the church is through the Holy Spirit revealing them the truth of who Jesus Christ is. This is the only way to get fruit that lasts. What is the most effective way to communicate the Gospel? Is it to gather people for an activity? Is it by making them your friend? Is it a game night, movie night, car show, hunting trip, bike ride, concert, bounce house? Or is it by obeying Christ? To prove that we believe who He says He is, that we have been pierced by His grace, that we live in a Kingdom that forgives sin and gives you what you could never earn by your performance? Is it to love because we first were loved? Why should anyone be motivated to come to Jesus if your thoughts, words, and actions communicate that you never did? This is not a matter of being perfect or the most righteous; it's a matter of changing what you treasure and acting like Christ is your King. If you don't live what you preach, you negate what you preach. What do you preach? What is the loudest part of your gospel? Is it your political beliefs? Is it your work ethic? Is it your purity codes? Is it your religious festivals? Is it your concerts? Or is it your love borne out of the immensity of grace? What is it we're supposed to be proclaiming? The mystery of the Church – Christ in us. The church is the fellowship of the mystery. God in man. The Kingdom in our midst. The transformation the Holy Spirit brings is not a cessation of sin. It is a total heart transplant. It is forsaking the world. It is humility. It is serving others. It is submitting to God. It is laying down our rights, dreams, defenses, and taking up our cross. It is following the Master. To become Christ-like, you must lay down your life for people who hate you. The Gospel changes how we interact with people. It changes how we view the world. It changes where our hope is placed. It should change your interactions with the rest of creation. Let's Recap The decline of the church – its health as an institution and its status in our culture The way we see our church – using physical tools to try to get spiritual results Trying to get purpose out of function instead of allowing purpose to define function The Church is primarily spiritual in nature Physical things should only be midwives; tools to loosen satan's grip. Not using things of the world to attract people to the Gospel. What you draw them with is what you draw them to. Do you see your church the way Jesus sees your church? How does Jesus see your church? Jesus' church has a design defined by Him. Here are some of His patterns from scripture: Creation and marriage of Adam and Eve – God's purpose came before people's function; intimate fellowship; grace-covered state; stewarding over creation in obedience to God; this brings glory to God. Tabernacle of Moses – demonstrates God's work in the sacrifice of Christ. The tabernacle was symbolic of God's presence with the people, and of the impending appearance and sacrifice of Christ. The church today should also be representing God's presence and the sacrificial nature of Christ. The Tabernacle of David – God's grace manifested in salvation to the Gentiles Temple of Solomon – God's glory revealed through His presence amongst His people Temple of Ezekiel – pattern of priesthood in service and ministry. We must examine our purpose and our function, and discern which is leading. If we adopt an incorrect purpose, it will lead us to bad functioning. If we try to create purpose by functioning, we are performing a transaction. We don't do nice things for our spouses so that they will love us. We love them, and so do nice things for them. When we have a false purpose, or attract with functioning, and let our tasks and activities lead, we will attract people to those things. They will never find real purpose. They will not find intimate fellowship found in unity in the Spirit. Songs: David Crowder Band – A Beautiful Collision Audio Adrenaline – Jesus Movement This episode originally broadcast live on September 11, 2015 on KXEN 1010AM in St. Louis, MO For more info: www.sunministries.org www.sunministries.blogspot.com Theme music: “The Resistance” by Josh Garrels (www.joshgarrels.com) licensed by Marmoset Music (www.marmosetmusic.com)

If you haven’t already done so go check out our awesome brand new digital magazine for CWIB. Sign up to have them go straight to your inbox.Our Early Bird tickets are available for our First CWIB community conference, we have partnered with The Deborah Conference to give you a business conference combo special.The Deborah Conference will be 11th Nov 2017 in Brisbane the CWIBCC2018 will be on Saturday 17th Feb 2018 on the Gold Coast.Deneen Troupe-Buitrago, is a Motivational Keynote Speaker; Trainer relieving the guilt from Faith-based Businesswomen by Linking Faith & Business. Her organization is called Grow From Your Overflow, LLC. She is a Development Strategist that connects you to Professional, Personal, and Spiritual growth opportunities through Speaking, Workshops, Online Courses, plus, one-on-one consulting and coaching. Some areas of expertise include Developing Goals, Writing Action Steps and Time Management as well as personal areas such as Developing New Habits, Procrastination and Presentation Skills. She weaves everything she does with Faith and has created the Personalized Faith Plan for your success in Faith Business.Her background in Education mixed with her experience in Drama gives her a unique Speaking style that is truly a ‘hands-on’ experience. By linking all of it to her Faith, she has combined all the best parts of her life to give back and serving others.Her StoryHaving been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis added a layer of challenge in doing the things she was passionate about. After quitting a teaching job after just two weeks, she cried out to God and His answer was go into the direct selling business. She didn't she waited months before finally heeding God's word.This started her on the path she is now, the things she learned in the direct selling business of selling to women and working with other business women from all walks of life. This experience opened her heart to women and discovered that she really liked working with women. That, coupled with her passion to teach was what God wanted for her all along – to work with business women, to listen to their hearts, to ease their guilt based on their own view of how a Christian woman should be in the world of business. Deneen helps women see that while you're serving in your Christian community, your business can also be your service to God.Business Women in the BibleDeneen has also been doing research on 11 women in the Bible plus the Proverbs 31 woman and in this podcast, we go over some amazing women from the bible:Each woman has a principle in their business and that's where we are focusing on today.Eve – God has a plan for my business. She didn't have a mentor, mother etc. She had to directly work with Adam and God. She was designed to come along and help and work with Adam. It's not about doing work separate of God's purpose for you, it's doing your work because you are called to do it.Esther – Step up and do what He wants us to be. Under threat, she does not make plans on her own or make a to-do list, she leads her people to prayer and goes to God and asks “what do we do?” Then she serves a banquet and works on the King's curiosity allowing her people the chance to protect themselves against the edict that means death to them. Esther's story teaches us how to be royalty in the market place, to be who we are – we are God's royal Kings and Priests (1 Peter). Being true to who we are in the market place allows us to do things in alignment with God's purpose for us being in here in the first place.Lydia – It’s ok to make money. When Paul meets her, she was already a believer. At the time, there were not enough men to build a synagogue, so she was down by the river working while also worshiping with other women – combining her work and her faith. When Paul came along, she invites him to her home and the church actually starts from her home. She never apologized for making money and for being in business – because she was in business, because she earned money and had a big enough house – it allowed many others to be saved.Priscilla – The importance of supportive relationships. She and her husband were partners with Paul, they made tents and she appears to be the relationship building type based on how Paul refers to her often in the Bible. In business, it is important to build these kinds of relationships, be friends with other like-minded individuals, share your story and give and receive support. We see this constantly with Priscilla, she moved from town to town, speaking about God and mentoring. Her story also reminds us that although as a Christian woman in business, we may be pursuing our passions and building relationships, to remember that relationships with family and our husbands are just as important. Bring them into our business lives, they don't have to be business partners, still, we should be united as a couple and strive to be closer together like Priscilla and Aquila instead of being driven apart.More on Deneen's New BookDeneen have now released her book and you can grab yours from Deneen's website >> or Amazon >> if you'd like to read it on Kindle.Deneen Troupe-Buitragowhere to find Deneen Website Linkedin Facebook Instagram The post #26 Business Women in the Bible with Deneen TB appeared first on Christian Women in Business. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Message from Nick Scott on Dec 24, 2016

Message from Brad Young on December 24, 2015

Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

Pastor Jon Morris shares a Christmas Eve message with us about how Jesus is Emmanuel.Support the show (https://harvesttime.churchcenter.com/giving)

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Pastor Jerry at the Eve Eve Tent Service- God With Us

THE BIBLE IN A YEAR DAY 1 GENESIS 1-3 Genesis is a book of the law; it is not a science book or a history book, although it does tell us a lot about history and science belongs to God. While scripture is 100% true, it isn't always 100% literal. It's important to be openminded with our scientific conclusions or opinions that we may hold. It's even just as important to hold our questions with an open mind, because the Bible isn't necessarily here to answer our questions, although it will. The Bible is God revealed and that is the reason we have it. The Bible is to reveal God and God is Life. Genesis chapters 1-3 is a good example of this. Some people believe the days of creation were prolonged periods of time lasting tens of thousands of years. This is called the day age theory, end it is held by many old earth creationist. Most young earth creation is believe God created the earth in six literal days. But the world was not even created in 6 days, it was actually restored in 6 days. There was a pre-Adamic race in known as angels in which 1/3rd were in opposition to God. (You can learn more about this in our MP3 Study Series: Angelic Conflict, aka. Kingdom Conflict.) They lived on the earth but no one knows for how long. There is nowhere in the Bible that teaches that the earth is 6,000 years old, there's proof that mankind is around 6,000 years old but there's even greater proof, - even Biblical proof that the world has been around for thousands of more years. In fact, in Genesis 1:2 we see that there was a time when angels were on this earth without humans ever being here. Ezekiel talks about the fact that Satan was in the Garden of Eden, as the anointed cherub, worshiping God. And there was times on this earth before you and I, or any human being was ever here. And that's what Genesis 1:2 through 1:27 is all about. It's about the restoration of the earth, not the creation. A lot of people think that the world was created in seven days, it was not, it was restored, it was not created. The Bible tells us in Colossians 1:16, that Jesus Christ created all things by the Word of His power. COL 1:16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. Anything that has been created has been created by Jesus Christ. He even says, In Isaiah 45:7 I create all things I create darkness, I create evil, I make peace and create evil. And it's not that He makes evil happen, but He creates the ones who produce evil such as Satan and the fallen angels. Remember this statement “All sin is evil but not all evil is sin.” What is clear in this scripture is that God is the creator; none of that was an accident. In Genesis 1:26, God refers to Himself in the plural form: “let us make man in our image”. All three persons of the trinity are present and active at creation: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father gives the creation commands, the Son does the manual labor of creation (John 1:3), and the Holy Spirit hovers over creation, sustaining and approving of it. All three members of the Trinity work in tandem towards the same goal. It's important to note that Jesus doesn't just show up on the scene when he's born in a manger in the New Testament. Before God the Son took on the name Jesus, He resided in heaven with the Father. He's been here all along. In fact, will see Him a lot in the Old Testament. Be on the lookout for Him as we navigate through the Bible in a year! In Genesis 2:4, the word “LORD” is in all caps. This is different from when we see the word spelled “Lord” or “lord”. All lowercase “lord” can refer to anyone who is in charge, like your landlord. When it's capitalized as Lord, it means “Adonai” the Hebrew word for Master, which is a proper name of God, not just a general term. When you see LORD, it represents an ancient Hebrew spelling of “YHWH”. It has no vowels, so when we try to pronounce it, it sounds like “Yahweh” or “Jehovah”. This is God's personal name. By telling us His personal name, he's showing us right up front that He wants to be personal with His creation. He's not setting Himself apart as one not to be known or spoken to. He tells mankind His name! Despite that, it doesn't bring Him to our level. YHWH is still Lord (Master), after all. Later, we see the fall of mankind in the sin of Adam and Eve. Because God is sovereign and isn't confined to time, nothing surprises Him. They sin doesn't prevent His plan. No, His plan accounted for there sin. He knew in eternity past that they would do just what they did and we see this in Genesis 2:17. God tells them “in the day that you eat of the tree of [the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die.” He didn't say “ if ”. He said when and that my Royal Family implies certainty. The rest of scripture supports this, letting us know that God wasn't relegated to Plan B after they ate the fruit, it was always plan A. When Eve questions God's goodness, she buys the lie that He's holding out on her and decides she'd make a better god. That's when mankind was first fractured by sin, and the world is still fracturing. Not only do many still believe and act on the same lies, but the curses is pronounced over Adam and Eve still resonate in our world today. One part of Eve's curse that often get's overlooked is that her desire will be to control and rule over Adam. Sorry ladies, faithful are the wounds of a friend who tells truth… and part of Adams curse is that what he's in charge of cultivating - will work against him. We see this strain still alive today. God's mercy has come far and wide now but someday it will be too late for His mercy for those who do not believe in the only begotten Son of God who came to abolish the old law and save us from this thing we call sin. And that is why His grace is what keeps us. The old law has been dealt with at the Cross of Christ, we are no longer to live under the old law. Jesus Christ brought us the new law and that is GRACE! Grace is a free gift to us, it came with a cost and that cost was paid in full, “Tetelestai” it is finished, paid in full and there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it, it is given freely to every single person born with the breath of life, neshama (soul life) , no matter what they may have done or will do, no matter where they come from or where they will go. With Adam and Eve God was merciful. Mercy was such a gift to them, and to us that He doesn't give up on pursuing us, because He's where the joy is. God is our Creator and He is Lord over everything, but despite His lordship and His perfection, He's merciful toward the sinners that He's in a relationship with, if fact, He calls us His children. He said they would die if they eat of the fruit, but He let's them live! He doesn't strike them down on the spot. Anytime we see God hedge on His promises, it's always on the side of mercy. He doesn't break promises; He exceeds them. We see it again in Genesis 3:9-10, when they were hiding from Him and lying to Him. Before they even repent, God pursues them out of His great love. At the height of their sin, He continues to show them both mercy and discipline. God's mercy and His grace is shown throughout the bible and throughout our lives, it is such a gift to us that He doesn't give up on pursuing us, because He's where the joy is! *You may read this to accompany your Bible reading passage before or after you read the scriptures, or both