Podcasts about Father Abraham

Series: N/AService: Sun PMType: SermonSpeaker: Emerson, Kris

Series: N/AService: Sun AMType: SermonSpeaker: Emerson, Kris

December 4, 2022 | Genesis 21:1-34 | The Everlasting God | Father Abraham | Zack Yarbrough

With family: 2 Chronicles 1; 1 John 1 2 Chronicles 1 (Listen) Solomon Worships at Gibeon 1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. 2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. 3 And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there. 4 (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5 Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the assembly sought it1 out. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. Solomon Prays for Wisdom 7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13 So Solomon came from2 the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel. Solomon Given Wealth 14 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 16 And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders would buy them from Kue for a price. 17 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels3 of silver, and a horse for 150. Likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. Footnotes [1] 1:5 Or him [2] 1:13 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew to [3] 1:17 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) 1 John 1 (Listen) The Word of Life 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our1 joy may be complete. Walking in the Light 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Footnotes [1] 1:4 Some manuscripts your (ESV) In private: Micah 7; Luke 16 Micah 7 (Listen) Wait for the God of Salvation 7   Woe is me! For I have become    as when the summer fruit has been gathered,    as when the grapes have been gleaned:  there is no cluster to eat,    no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.2   The godly has perished from the earth,    and there is no one upright among mankind;  they all lie in wait for blood,    and each hunts the other with a net.3   Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;    the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,  and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;    thus they weave it together.4   The best of them is like a brier,    the most upright of them a thorn hedge.  The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;    now their confusion is at hand.5   Put no trust in a neighbor;    have no confidence in a friend;  guard the doors of your mouth    from her who lies in your arms;16   for the son treats the father with contempt,    the daughter rises up against her mother,  the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;    a man's enemies are the men of his own house.7   But as for me, I will look to the LORD;    I will wait for the God of my salvation;    my God will hear me. 8   Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;    when I fall, I shall rise;  when I sit in darkness,    the LORD will be a light to me.9   I will bear the indignation of the LORD    because I have sinned against him,  until he pleads my cause    and executes judgment for me.  He will bring me out to the light;    I shall look upon his vindication.10   Then my enemy will see,    and shame will cover her who said to me,    “Where is the LORD your God?”  My eyes will look upon her;    now she will be trampled down    like the mire of the streets. 11   A day for the building of your walls!    In that day the boundary shall be far extended.12   In that day they2 will come to you,    from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,  and from Egypt to the River,3    from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.13   But the earth will be desolate    because of its inhabitants,    for the fruit of their deeds. 14   Shepherd your people with your staff,    the flock of your inheritance,  who dwell alone in a forest    in the midst of a garden land;4  let them graze in Bashan and Gilead    as in the days of old.15   As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,    I will show them5 marvelous things.16   The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;  they shall lay their hands on their mouths;    their ears shall be deaf;17   they shall lick the dust like a serpent,    like the crawling things of the earth;  they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;    they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God,    and they shall be in fear of you. God's Steadfast Love and Compassion 18   Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity    and passing over transgression    for the remnant of his inheritance?  He does not retain his anger forever,    because he delights in steadfast love.19   He will again have compassion on us;    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.  You will cast all our6 sins    into the depths of the sea.20   You will show faithfulness to Jacob    and steadfast love to Abraham,  as you have sworn to our fathers    from the days of old. Footnotes [1] 7:5 Hebrew bosom [2] 7:12 Hebrew he [3] 7:12 That is, the Euphrates [4] 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel [5] 7:15 Hebrew him [6] 7:19 Hebrew their (ESV) Luke 16 (Listen) The Parable of the Dishonest Manager 16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures1 of oil.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He said, ‘A hundred measures2 of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world3 are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,4 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Law and the Kingdom of God 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.5 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. Divorce and Remarriage 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” Footnotes [1] 16:6 About 875 gallons or 3,200 liters [2] 16:7 Between 1,000 and 1,200 bushels or 37,000 to 45,000 liters [3] 16:8 Greek age [4] 16:9 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions; also verse 11; rendered money in verse 13 [5] 16:16 Or everyone is forcefully urged into it [6] 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23 (ESV)

A message by Pastor William Shifflett. Pastor of Reasoning Tree Church, Edinburg, Virginia. Matthew 7:15-23 A Tree and Its Fruit 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. I Never Knew You 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' 2 Timothy 4:3-4 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. False prophets: A. Hucksters. B. People in error - possibly a sincere believer who holds to wrong belief that doesn't rise to the level of heresy. Often the belief is related to orthopraxy not orthodoxy. PREMISE: A true false prophet doesn't know he is a false prophet. Matthew 25:45-46 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Revelation 20:12-13 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him Philippians 1:21-23 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Luke 16:22-24 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' False teachers; Word of life, charismatic movement, Paula White, Kenneth Copeland. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biblebulldog/message

330 In this episode, I try to help you get a better picture of faith by looking at what Father Abraham went through waiting for the promise of Isaac.

November 27, 2022 | Genesis 20:1-18 | The Lord Keeps His Promise | Father Abraham | Craig Fortunato

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Matthew 1:1-17BIG IDEA: Jesus is the offspring of Abraham through whom all nations will be blessed.OUTLINE:1) Jesus Brings The Longed-For Blessing2) Jesus Is The Promised Offspring3) Jesus Came To Bless All NationsRESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; Matthew, Disciple and Scribe: The First Gospel and Its Portrait of Jesus by Patrick Schreiner; Preaching the Word: Galatians by Todd Wilson

Genesis 15

Overcoming to be in the Bride (2) (Audio) David Eells - 11/27/22 God Is Not in a House of Unforgiveness  Winnie Osegueda - 9/27/22 (David's notes in red) Before I fell asleep I asked the Lord for a dream to help the body. In this dream I was in a hallway area beside the UBM ministry and on a table there were the basic components and plans for a building structure such as: a foundation, floors, walls, beams, columns, roof, stairs, etc, and you could take these components outside and build a house. (This represents building your own house apart of "David's house”.) I picked one that people call a "tiny house" and it was made out of unfinished wood and was not painted. In my mind, I was going to use this house to spend some personal time with the Lord and seek Him in prayer. (I believe the Lord was correcting me for missing fellowship  because of some trials I was having.) (We can't use times of trial as an excuse to skip fellowshipping with the body of Christ. Heb. 10:24-25  let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another ; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins) This small house had large cracks and even a gaping triangular shaped hole in the wall. (Cracks and holes represent openings that allow the enemy to come in.) There was also a very tiny key to use to enter the door, however, the keyhole was in the wrong spot, well below where the keyhole was supposed to be. So this was a terrible job done on a house with a bad foundation. (The tiny key represents an inferior version of the key of David. The inferior version will not allow us to bind and loose the enemy, as we will see. Rev. 3:7 And to The Messenger of the assembly in Philadelphia write: 'Thus says The Holy One, The True One, he who has the key of David, The One who opens and there is none who shuts, and he shuts and there is none who opens.'   If the foundation is faulty then the whole rest of the house will not be right. We must build our house on the foundation of Christ and obedience to the truth of His Word. 1Co. 3:11 ...For  other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.) I took these building materials and went outside. It was a very dreary day and cloudy with no sun. (Apart from the sun/Son we can do nothing. John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.) I built this tiny house very quickly and I went in. (Representing being hasty. Pro. 21:5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want.) When I opened the front door of this tiny house, there was a wooden staircase leading downstairs to a basement. (A basement is underground and represents descending to the earthly flesh nature.) I went downstairs to pray, but then I heard someone trying to come in and I was immediately startled. (Our prayers are ineffective if we are in some form of disobedience or separated from the Body in some way and the enemy gains easy access to our spiritual house.) I looked up the stairs and saw that two men had opened the door to the tiny house to enter; one black man and the other Hispanic looking. (This represents the enemy who is submitted  to darkness. Rom. 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?)   I knew they were trouble and were there to harm me, and so I distracted them by running up the stairs yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!" as I ran outside and to the right. (Gal. 4:6 And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.) I did this so that they would think twice before they attempted to attack me because I had someone around to protect me. (When we repent and get back on the “right" and call out to God, we will have His protection once more. Psa. 34:6  This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.) As I yelled out “Daddy", in the dream, I thought about my husband Chuc. (Although he is my husband, I believe yelling out Daddy represented me crying out to the Lord who is our heavenly Husband. This was showing that the Lord was not in this tiny house, but outside of it. Any other house with any other foundation not rooted in the Word of God is a house where the enemy is able to break into.) End of dream. When I woke up I asked the Lord what was this about and was there a disconnect in my spiritual walk that I was not understanding or was not aware of and asked him for a verse by faith at random and received: Eph. 4:31  (In context 31-32)  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you I believe the Lord was warning me and reminding me not to entertain any thoughts of offense towards anyone. (This will result in faction which separates us from Christ and His Body.) During the last meeting we had, I was being attacked pretty heavily. It was fiery dart after fiery dart, and so I just praised the Lord through it and was fighting and casting it down. It did not feel like my own thoughts, but an attack. I asked the Lord for chapter by faith at random and landed on Colossians 3, which also speaks of forgiving one another: Colossians 3:1-25  If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. 5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: 7 wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things; 8 but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: 9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged. 22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: 23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. And the last verse I received by faith at random was: Deu 8:6 And thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.   Playing the "Game" in a Dump and Smashing the Competition Claire Pienaar - 6/27/22 (David's notes in red) (In this dream, Claire represents the Bride because her name means “brilliant” and the Bride's garments are bright and pure as is spoken of in Rev. 19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.) I dreamed that my family was on our way to a tennis match. (A Tennis match represents spiritual warfare and the ability to effectively return the fiery darts of the enemy in competition for our eternal salvation. ) We parked our car, and we were called up to go play on top of a rubbish dump. (As we will see, the Apostate Churches' foundation is built upon a big pile of garbage.) It was rather sad. (Riaan: I think this dream is about a type of “face-off” or “battle” between the true church that has been practicing doing spiritual warfare for a long time and is very prepared versus the apostate churches who built their “church” on the rubbish of the world.)   We were clean and properly clothed for the occasion and we had practiced. (Heb. 12:11 All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness.) It seemed our whole family was playing, so we had strength in numbers. I don't know what “group tennis” would look like in the natural, but in the dream my family was divvied up to play doubles and triples, so that we beat more opponents more quickly. (Eph. 4:15-16 ...but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; 16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.) It was easy because the other families were fragmented.  (Luk. 11:17 ...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.) There were many “weekend dads” who did not understand their daughters' non-verbal or body language clues of unhappiness, embarrassment, or frustration. (These “weekend dads” represent the the false shepherds who “climb up another way.” Joh. 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.) There were many moms who were very judgmental about the surroundings. (Representing Jezebel the mother of the apostates.) One family lived right next to this rubbish dump. ... They deceived many into thinking their home was worth so much more than it was. (The apostate churches deceive many into thinking their religion is valuable with their fancy buildings, but they are founded on the rubbish of false religious doctrines and their “stinking' thinkin'.) Everyone had to walk through their home to get to the rubbish dump to play tennis. (Many have passed through the garbage house of apostate Christianity on their way out to maturity in Christ.) I remember looking at the house as I walked through and I was thinking, “It's like a giant sinkhole. It'll collapse any minute”. (Religion is a “sinkhole” that keep people buried in their earthly or fleshly natures. Many never escape dead religion.) It was perfectly decorated inside but it was hollow, and the foundation had crumbled away due to neglect. (Heb. 2:3 ...how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?) … (Riaan: The apostates are not prepared, they don't see what is coming. They are not looking after their fruit, and have no idea how to have faith.) We finished the games, and I think our family wiped out all the opponents. I walked back to the car, so excited for us to move on. The coach gave us a plastic, laminated piece of paper that detailed all the next tournament's events. (The laminated paper represents being saved and protected from the waters of judgement meant for the apostates and the world) I was holding onto it. (These are the promises. We must hold onto them by faith). Everyone else from my family was at the van waiting for me. ... I passed a man who had his daughter for the day and when he saw me, he yelled to another single dad, “I am so glad you don't make any effort mate. I hate these types with their laminated sheets and water bottles. They're so prepared for everything”. (Many who are critical in their minds, throw their words around and vail their hatred in sarcasm. (Pro. 26:18-19 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows and death, 19 So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?”) … These men were dressed completely in black, and their daughters were dirty and unkept. (The factious apostate Church leadership has “dirty children and their churches are the “dirty daughters of the Harlot.) …One started mouthing off about how pathetic people like me are. (Riaan: They walk in darkness and are coming against the Bride with witchcraft and slandering.) He finished by saying, “Our kids don't need structure or care; they just need to get out there and get dirty”. (Eze. 34:2-5 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. 5 And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd;  and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.)   I walked back to the van, saddened that these people thought I was “too prepared”. I asked Riaan about it, and he said, “We're the ones getting out of the dump. They're stuck here. Now let's go”. Then I woke up. (Riaan: The Bride and her fruit easily overcome these spirits.) I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random, and my finger landed on Est. 8:2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. Cleaning up the Garbage Leads to the Anointing Claire Pienaar - 11/17/22 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was watching David teach in a little white home. ... (Representing the house of David who are the pure and righteous first fruits which is made up of a small group of people.) I was sitting on a white bench with Riaan and another person. David was doing a “live” talk. (Representing speaking the "rivers of Living Water.” That give life to the hearers.) Riaan and I then started cleaning and sorting out everything in this little house. Then we went outside and I saw David's son (Representing those who are born of the David Man-child reformers.) He drove a white garbage truck and he was picking up everyone's refuse in the area. He pulled his truck into David's yard and stopped. … (The Man-child David reformers will first clean up the house of David and then the 'sons' of that house will clean everyone else up in the Body of Christ. Jesus sent out His spiritual seed to do this.) Many people then left this residential area and there was so much to clean. (As Jesus' spiritual sons were sent out to clean up the Body of Christ, so it will be that the Man-child reformers and their disciples will work to clean up the Body of Christ. Part of this cleaning process is not only sanctifying the people but also separating the tares from the wheat.) David's son left then, and we had to use the truck. We were also given David's son's home, which was right next to David's house. (Because they, too, were sons of David.) Riaan was given the truck by David and I sat in the passenger seat. I then saw a golden oil over Riaan, David and I. David said, “Because you have cleaned, you are anointed. Because you have served, you are anointed”. (The anointing comes when the garbage is purged from the house of David.) Then the dream ended.   I received by faith at random: Mark 10:19, (in context 17-23)  And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother. 20 And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth. 21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 22 But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! (We have no time left to indulge in the world or its pleasures. We only have time to bring in the harvest and go home.)   Escaping Apostasy to be Chosen for the Bride Samuel Fire - 11/17/22 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that Tiannah and I were separated in our own rooms far apart from each other. (Representing the factious, apostate church system that we start out in which keeps believers separated through denominational divisions.) We were in a very strict and oppressive place; like a prison. (Apostate religion is a prison with many rules and regulations that prevent people from being free to be led by the Spirit.) It had a factory in the center. (Factories churn out many “cookie cutter” items. They all look alike.) The water was so polluted and green and very poisonous and hazardous. It was channeled by a man-made canal. (The polluted water represents perversions of the Word in man-made apostate religion. Eze. 32:18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?) Everywhere had concrete flooring and metal walls and roofs; no plants or animals. (Everything in the apostate church systems is man-made, dead and has no life in it.) The only people around were workers and there was no supervisor or higher-ups. (This represents justification by works with no supervision from the Holy Spirit.) No-one was happy. (The apostates have no joy of the Lord because they are in bondage to self-works.) The sky was overcast and the sun/Son could not shine through. (2Co. 4:3-4  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.) Everything was automated where possible. (Representing the mindlessness of rote religion, which is a mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned.) Security was with drones and check-points with very high walls with barbed wire and metal doors which only opened at certain times with a unique code. (This place represents the spiritual prison of apostate religion.) (They do everything to make you believe that they have the truth and that you really can't go anywhere else.) This place was so horrible and we wore hazmat suits ... with a helmet ... gloves and boots all the time unless we were in our rooms. (Yes. Religion provides a toxic environment that causes spiritual death.) The rooms had a code lock and the doors were like a submarine and the size of the room was so tiny it could barely fit a bed, shower, and toilet with a locker for the hazmat suits. Nothing else would fit in the room. There were no comforts and no windows just an artificial ceiling light. (There is no comforter there. The Holy Spirit is not allowed. They do not believe in the good news of the Gospel which comforts us. Their light of the Word is artificial because it is not the real thing.) The sleeping areas were divided into sections and there was a center area for work. ...The entire facility felt like a prison with a work factory in the center. (They don't understand the “continual Sabbath rest” and they are divided up into sects and are separated from Christ. Justification by works is the central theme of apostate religion. Gal. 5:4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace.) We had to leave our rooms for the assigned job at an exact time or miss out on any chance for food or water and even risk being forced onto the streets. (Many apostate churches and their leadership are so rigid in their belief systems that, if you start asking questions about what the Bible says, refuting their doctrines, they will kick you out of their churches.) I was assigned to work as a pump operator for the water and liquid waste. (They want everyone to propagate their toxic waters and pump it out to others to try and ensnare more people into their religious system.) I pressed switches and pulled levers and checked gauges with cameras and a computer giving out data. (They manipulate people, especially with the tithe.) I had no breaks and had to stand in a tiny area where I could barely move or stretch. (The Nicolaitan preachers don't want people to grow up into maturity in Christ because they will lose their control over them.) When my time was completed for the job, I had to race to the open, concrete courtyard to an automated chute where the daily rations were distributed and then the door quickly shut. The first ones there got fed but many more people would miss out. (Representing that they swallow the Word like a pig without ruminating on it and don't really take the time to meditate on it so they miss out on what God is trying to show them.) The food and water were so basic; completely flavorless and odorless and looked grayish. (This represents lifeless food and not living water.) There were break-outs of many people being infected with something and acting mindless, like zombies (Most of these people have no faith in God to preserve them or heal them and as such they have taken the vaccines which ultimately brings one to this exact description of mindless zombies.)  They would be in very large groups swarming different areas and breaking things and over running buildings into the dangerous and polluted water. These infected people were once workers who were exposed to something that kept spreading. (A little leaven leavens the whole lump.) So many times, the infected would cause forced lockdowns and everyone who could, would run for safety to the next section in the facility. (Many who recognize that something is off in today's churches flee to other churches or fellowships trying to escape the “infection”, only to find more of the same. 2Ti. 3:5-7 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. From these also turn away. 6 For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, 7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.) There would then be a type of clean-up which was some sort of automated system that basically destroyed all with a giant fire.(If anyone attempts to bring in truth, they stamp it out and change the subject. Nothing to see here! Like the Pharisees.) Whenever I could, I would meet up with Tiannah and we would discuss and pray on any way possible out of this place or for a better type of living arrangement. I heard there was an opportunity to work in a better position and have my room in the same building as Tiannah, so I applied and was accepted. (If you petition the Father and seek after the Truth you will find it. But many times this happens in stages and not all at once. Religion is like the playpen of Christianity; once you begin to mature and recognize the spiritual dangers of apostate religion you can be promoted to better “living conditions”. Mat. 7:7-8  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.) I was then working in my own office and had more room. I could sit down and do much more computer work and could see more details of the facility. (When we understand the good news of the Gospel, it sets us free and we have more room to grow in Christ and we have more discernment to see all the flaws of man-made religion.) After what seemed to be over a year of this, I met with Tiannah and we heard of a secret meeting; where people would be in a type of clan where new members would be selected to their group and given a much better living environment. (The hidden or secret clan represents the family of the Bride of Christ who dwells in heavenly places and not on the earth. This is the much better living environment.) The offer was good and we had to find this secret meeting room. (In the Bible Esther was a type of the Bride and her name means "hidden".) (Representing Mount Zion or secret Place of The Most High.) (Rev. 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.). It was a very big challenge. (We enter the Kingdom through much tribulation.) Tiannah and I snuck out, climbed over various walls and over barbed wire areas with automated sensors. (The demonic enemies puts up many spiritual road blocks and snares to prevent us from coming into the Bride Body.) We crawled through ventilation shafts. (The word for spirit is “breath” and Jesus compared the Spirit of God to wind. Going through ventilation shafts represents being filled with the Holy Spirit and led into closer relationship with God.) We had to shimmy through pipes over the green lethal water and into the other sections of the facility. (This represents overcoming the false doctrines and beliefs that we learned in the apostate religious system.) We did this for days with no sleep and no food or water besides that which we had brought with us. (This represents intercessory prayer with fasting and death to self. All this is necessary to reach the Bride. Heb. 12:14  Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord:) We managed to locate the secret meeting room and had to get on top of the building's roof and swing into a specific window to get in. Once inside, there were about 50 people crowded together and there were 4 lines of people. (As we will see, these 4 lines of people represent the 4 types of ground that the Sower's seed fell upon.)   Tiannah spoke to me and felt a certain one to choose. I agreed and we lined up behind 3 others. Those 3 were denied and not allowed into the clan and it was now our turn. (Many are called but few chosen).   A muscular and tall man tested both of us with pats across the shoulders and back and all over; squinting at us. Then suddenly, a lady (a representative of the corporate Bride Body) behind him told him to stop. She motioned to both of us to come over to her.   She said, "I feel you both are good and you are to come with us. Something in my spirit tells me to.” (The Bride has good discernment which helps her to recognize true “Bride material.”) I replied, "Oh really? You know about the spiritual?” (The Bride is very acquainted with the Spirit of God because she only receives the seed of her husband, Jesus.) Then Tiannah and I went with them to their building.   It was a communal living environment. (Representing everything in common like the first century Book of Acts Church and being One in Christ's Spirit.) They had tables and chairs and a fridge and much better comforts than what we had before. We both were so thankful to God and knew from then on everything was going to be way better. (2Co. 13:11 Finally, brethren, ... Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.) I then woke up.   Be of Good Cheer; I Have Overcome the World Vanessa Weeks - 2/19/22 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that my husband, Barry, and I, were asleep in bed at night. (Representing being at rest in trials and tribulations).  I was awakened in the dream by the loud sound of a white supersonic jet flying above our area. (An example of overcoming the world.) I thought it was very unusual for this kind of jet to fly ... this late at night. (Overcoming seems unusual and feels difficult in the dark trials of our lives.) I knew in the dream that it was a fighter jet and going to help others who were already fighting. I prayed, "Lord, be with them to bring about what is best for your people.” (The overcomers are fighters who overcome in their personal trials so that they can help others overcome in theirs.) Then I thought Barry was awake also because of the noise, and he got up but as he was leaving the room, I realized it was not him but Lakeisha. (Barry represents our heavenly husband, Jesus, who dwells in His Bride and helps her to overcome joyfully.) (Lakeisha means happy or joyful. John 16:33 These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Also, Keisha is most likely a variant of Keziah. (Keziah originates in Hebrew language and means "cassia tree". Cassia is an evergreen tree. Representing eternal life.) Keziah was one of Job's daughters that the Lord gave him after his tribulation. Job 42:13-15  He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14  And he called the name of the first, Jemimah: and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. 15  And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.) Father, help us to be of good cheer in our tribulation because you have overcome the world! Thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.   Abraham's Example to the Bride   Claire Pienaar - 10/26/22 (David's notes in red) I had a vision that I was in a large undercover training pool. (We are under the covering of Jesus' blood [being washed in the water of the Word.]) Father Abraham was in the lane next to me. (Gal. 3:26-29 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. 28 There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.) I was in the pool, swimming laps in a weightless, white garment. (1Jn 1:7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. My garment is weightless because it says in Mat 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.) My hair was turning grey, but my face still looked young. (The Bride is growing in wisdom [represented by the grey hair] but still retaining her beauty.) Abraham was encouraging me to continue. I was sweating and breathing hard, even though my body seemed to do the swimming strokes with ease and proficiency. (Christ's nature becomes our “second nature”, familiar and easy. Like Php. 3:12-14  Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.) (The Bible points us to father Abraham as an example of great faith in the promises of God. Gal. 3:6-9  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. 7 Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. 9 So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.) I said, “This is so hard!” because I was out of breath and tiring (We need refilling of the Holy Spirit; the enemy will wear us down by getting us into self works). (True. We must not focus on our own ability to please God and live righteously or we will fall into self-works and self-justification and we will fail.) Abraham replied, “Yes, but keep going. Just keep swimming. Your reward will be made full!” (Gal. 6:9 And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.) He got out of the pool then, and he was wearing the same light pink tunic and sandals he wore when he visited me in a vision in 2018. (Light pink represents the love of Christ). I knew then that it was Abraham for sure. He said, “Don't get out until you're done”. I said, “Why are you getting out?” And he replied, “My faith is complete, and my race is finished”. (Heb 6:13-15  For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself, 14 saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.) (Riaan: We must each run our own race and endure unto the end). I asked the Lord for a word by faith at random for this dream, and received Mat. 13:32, (in context 31-32)  Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Even though we feel our faith is small or ineffective, according to what we see, if we endure to the end, we will produce much fruit for the Kingdom of God.)   Praying in Tongues Re-writes Our Spiritual Code Samuel and Tiannah Fire - 10/28/22 (David's notes in red) This is a vision I got while driving with Tianna and little David and we were praying in Holy Spirit tongues. He showed me how, not many understand [how tongues work in the spirit realm.] It is like how I can [alter things] through computer coding. I saw us re-coding the imperfections and corruption [in us and our situations] as we drove [along] and spoke in tongues. (The gift of tongues is powerful to effect postive change in our lives and situations. Not only is it our “spoken word” but it's a heavenly language that prays the perfect will of God into existence.)   We were updating and patching all the areas [of our lives] with what we speak; clearing out the corrupted and vulnerable [codes] and the abuse from all witchcraft [and curses sent against us] and replacing them with His ultimate security; reclaiming it back for His Kingdom. (In this way we overcome the darkness with the light.) I saw how everywhere we went on the drive, the whole time speaking [in tongues], wrote a blessing and returned it upon the enemy; blocking and destroying the witchcraft. When we speak His Holy language, His power goes out and is eternal, unstoppable, infinite, and perfect. This encouraged us to do this not only to get in His presence and praise Him, but also to restore and be His conduit for power; for Him and His glory.   We have an Open Heaven Vanessa Weeks -10/19/22 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was standing on our deck outside our apartment. (This deck, in other dreams, is where I've prayed.) It was much bigger than in real life. (Whether we realize it or not, our prayers, when mixed with the faith of God, are much bigger and more powerful than we understand.) The deck  was made all of wood, like it is, but went out much farther, and there was a semicircle shaped extension to the deck, on the right. It had different colors of wood in it and was very attractive looking. I walked over to it and stood there looking out. It was like an observation point. (Representing discerning what we see in the world and then we are able to pray about those things as we enter into heavenly places.) Then I saw there were wooden stairs in the middle of the deck. These were going up, and I saw Michael on the stairs so I followed him up. (Michael's name means, “who is like God” and he represents those who have the nature of Jesus and who have an open heaven to their prayers.) There were flights of stairs and at the end of each set, there was the semicircle balcony landing on the right, for observation. As I climbed higher, I was shown a bird's eye view of the whole scene. The flights of stairs went way up into the sky, and Michael remained ahead of me. (This represents that as we draw closer to God in faith and prayer, the more discernment and maturity we have to see the “bigger picture” of His plan.) I asked the Lord what He wanted to say about this dream and received by faith at random Mat. 7:7-8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (As we see a bigger view of the need, we should always pray.) As I thought on this scripture, I remembered Michael always saying, "We have an open heaven." I believe the Lord was showing me that as we ask in faith, we are climbing into the open heaven and when we persevere, we receive. As I was listening to David's audio, Advance or Lose Ground, at the 17:34 mark, David speaks of Mat. 7:7, and then I remembered this dream above. Below is a portion of the transcript of,  Advance or Lose Ground: At the 14:35 mark, David said, "A life time of prayer mounts up. People who pray, get a lot of answers. People who don't pray, do without. It says, You have not because you ask not. (James 4:2) Think about that, ... The Lord says for this reason, 'Pray without ceasing.' Some people's idea of prayer is wrong. (i.e. they have a wrong idea about what prayer looks like.) But prayer can be anywhere from in your thoughts; continually praying about the things you see around you, the things that come to your mind, the people that come to your mind, etc. Why would God tell us to pray without ceasing if He was not going to answer the prayers? And why, if we believed that He would answer prayer, would we not pray without ceasing? He said, "You have not because you ask not."(James 4:2) Meaning, just ask! Jesus told His disciples to ask so that their joy would be made full. (Joh 15:11) Eph 6:18  with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. That's a pretty broad statement, that He wants us to pray always for all the saints. And persevere, meaning, pray, believe you have received, pray for other things, believe you have received and persevere in prayer. Don't take no for an answer. Php 4:6 says, In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Thanksgiving is important because thanksgiving is believing you have received. The Greek word "deesis" is translated supplication and means to seek, ask, entreat. It's not just a prayer, it's an effectually fervent prayer, right? Seek, ask, entreat, which reminds us of the promise of Jesus in Mat. 7:7 He says,  Ask, and it shall be given you; Wow! think about that. Does that not give you faith? Faith comes of hearing and hearing by the word (Rom. 10:17) That's right out of the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ! Seek and you shall find! The reason people don't pray is that they don't believe this. Believers have special privileges with God for themselves and for others and one of these privilege is that they can come boldly before the throne and ask for help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16)  And the reason they do that is because they're believers. Non- believers can play the religion game, but they wouldn't pray. Because they don't believe what Jesus said here Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."   Overcomers Put on Bridal Garments Anonymous - 5/11/12 (David's notes in red) A little while back, David taught on what was beautiful to the Lord. It brought to my remembrance a dream I had back in 2010, where the Lord was giving me understanding about what is pleasing and beautiful to Him. (This is criteria for the choosing of the Bride.) I dreamed that an angel of the Lord took me to Heaven. We were going down a long hallway and at the end of the hallway I could see a door. I could barely see that something was written on the door, but I was still too far away to make it out. As we got closer, I could see that it had my name in big, bold letters on the door. The angel said, “This is your room. Go ahead and open the door". I stood there for a few seconds while it registered in my brain that the angel said this was MY room. "WOW! I have a room!" I said. The angel said again, "Go ahead. Open the door and go in". So I opened the door and took a few steps inside the room. Directly in front of me I saw a row of drawers with handles. It reminded me of a post office where they have all the little cubbyholes for the mail, except these cubbies were drawers that had handles. I stood there looking at these drawers for a few minutes, as I wasn't sure what to do next. The angel of the Lord said, "Go ahead and open the drawers; they are your drawers to open". So I opened the first drawer and reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper that was rolled up. I unrolled the paper and up at the top of the paper it read, "Certificate of Completion". So I read down a little further and it read, “You have successfully overcome anger." and there was a stamp that read COMPLETED across the certificate, making it a formal document; it reminded me of a high school diploma. I thought to myself, WOW! I've overcome anger! How cool is that?! I was so excited by this that I turned around and showed it to the angel. He just laughed, since he was happy that I was so excited. He said to me, “There are more drawers. Go ahead and open them all; they belong to you". So I proceeded to open the drawers and when I opened the last drawer and pulled out the rolled certificate, it read, "Incomplete. Needs more work". I very slowly read the certificate to see what it contained. It read, "Self Condemnation - incomplete, needs a little more work". I knew this was true. Even as a child, I had a way of punishing myself more than anyone; I took so much to heart and had so much guilt and suffered from lack of love and self-worth. The angel cheered me up; He said, "Look, it says you need “a LITTLE more work". He was so nice to me and instantly I felt better. I said, "Oh, thank you, Lord, for showing me what I have overcome and what I still need to work on". After I finished opening all the drawers, I looked around the room and saw a treasure chest. It was beautiful and had all kinds of different jewels on the outside. I got down on my knees and ran my hands across the treasure chest; I just wanted to touch those beautiful jewels. The angel had been standing behind me and I turned around to look up at him and he was smiling down at me. He said, “That is YOUR treasure chest. Go ahead an open it". I was so overwhelmed. I just wrapped my arms around the chest for a few minutes. The angel seemed to understand and just stood patiently waiting. Finally, I carefully opened the lid and looked into the chest; it was full of beautiful garments. (Which represent righteous hearts and works of purity.) I reached in and pulled out the first garment; it read, "Anger has been overcome". I held it up to my body and as soon as I did, it conformed itself to my body and fit like a glove. The angel told me that I looked so beautiful in that garment. He said to me, "Go ahead and try on the next one". So I did. As I tried on each of the garments, they all fit because they were made JUST FOR ME! How humbling this is! We really do have treasure in Heaven. (Notice that our treasure is for those who dwell in heavenly places in Christ and put on the life of Christ.) The Lord loves us so much! God will dress in beautiful garments those who overcome sin by His grace. Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city (The Bride - Revelation 21:9,10): for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. No one unclean or uncircumcised or sowing flesh will be in the Bride. Jude 1:23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. The righteous hate to be displeasing to the Father. Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Overcoming is represented by white garments and eternal life. 3:4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. Those whose works are pure and undefiled walk in white. 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame. Like being in the wedding feast and not having a wedding garment on. 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. Nakedness represents sin, as does dark spots on a white garment. We must give our old life to receive our new life. Zechariah 3:3 Now Joshua (representing the body of Jesus) was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel. God has accomplished our perfection through Christ and now we must take advantage of this by faith and repentance. Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. The white garment is the garment of manifested salvation. 59:6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. The wicked "Christians'" works of righteousness are not enough to cover their nakedness. Ecc.9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil. Psalms 45:8 All thy garments [smell of] myrrh, and aloes, [and] cassia Exodus 29:29 And the holy garments of Aaron [Representing our High Priest, Jesus] shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them. 19:10 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments. In the text, this was so they could meet the Lord on the third day. Genesis 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, And his ass's colt unto the choice vine; He hath washed his garments in wine, And his vesture in the blood of grapes. Meaning, wash your garments in the blood of Jesus, signified by wine. 27:15 And Rebekah took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son. Jacob was given the anointing and double portion of Esau. 35:2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments. Turn from idols of religion and change your garments. Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God. Beware of putting on the nature and acts of the opposite sex. God describes this as an abomination. Psalms 73:6 Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; Violence covereth them as a garment. Pride, judging, criticism, railing, are spiritual violence against others: it is a polluted garment. 109:18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones. They reap what they sow. Isaiah 50:9 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Persecutors' garments will be destroyed by the curse. 59:17 And he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle. Before God we wear what we do. 61:3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified. 64:6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. The unclean and polluted in actions are taken away by winds of doctrines and tribulations. We can wear the nature of evil spirits. Micah 2:8 But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye strip the robe from off the garment from them that pass by securely [as men] averse from war. The wicked among God's people pervert souls and destroy garments of righteousness. Malachi 2:16 For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Many divorce without the scriptural reason of fornication or the unbeliever departing. They are spotting their garment.. Matthew 22:11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment: 12 and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots. The wicked criticize and despise the actions of the righteous. Mark 2:21 No man seweth a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment: else that which should fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent is made. Righteous acts on a sinner's garment are useless and cannot cover them. 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, sprang up, and came to Jesus. We must cast away our old life and come to Jesus. Jude 1:23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. We must hate the garment spotted by fleshly works and repent. Revelation 16:15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walked naked, and they see his shame.) Get your garment ready; Jesus is coming soon!   Prayer for Enemies Thwarted Debbie Fenske - 9/30/22 (David's notes in red) Thank you Lord that you are accomplishing your purposes in ... your elect, and in their troubles and persecutions you will cause many to turn to you, to seek you and acknowledge you. We know that our enemies are your enemies, and as they work to cut us off, to keep us from manifesting your glory, you Lord, will scatter and consume them and silence them, no matter how many are set against us. Thank you that you've shown us that we have a part in using our authority to cast down every enemy that rises up against us. And we thank you that many of the people who come against us ... will turn to you, and seek your name. Thank you for the victory we have over our spiritual enemies that we face each day. Thank you for your great mercy in helping us to overcome all the things that come against our minds, spirits and bodies. I thank you that we can believe and confess that we are more than conquerors through faith in Him that loved us and gave Himself up for us. Thank you Father.   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  

Genesis 15

328 In this episode, I turn to Father Abraham to teach about why he is called the father of faith.I use Galatians 3:5-9Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.Therefore know that only those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham.And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.alsoRomans 4:17-22(As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations) in the presence of Him whom he believed, God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able also to perform.And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.The Bible gives you and me examples to study and imitate if we are going to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. 

November 20, 2022 | Genesis 19:23-38 | The Destruction of Sodom | Father Abraham | Dale Williams

Download the Sermon Outline Salvation is the Same Father Abraham has many sons and you're one, when you're saved by faith  Galatians 3:6-9 Do you know it? Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham; and I am one of them, and so are you, so let's all praise the Lord! Do…

There are a large number of people today that are under the illusion that they can gain a right standing with God through their good behavior. Ask them a question like, Are you going to heaven when you die? And they might say something like, I think so, I'm a pretty good person. Today we open our Bibles to Romans chapter four, and see the truth about our salvation. We're all made righteous through trust in Christ alone, and not by anything we have done. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

One of the most fascinating and well-known persons in the Bible is Abraham. Yes he lived long ago but his story still speaks to us today, providing great encouragement to trust in Jesus alone for salvation. In Romans chapter four the argument for salvation by grace through faith is made by using the historical account of Abraham. Pastor John Randall will explore this liberating truth of how God not only saved Abraham by faith apart from works but really all of us! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

Romans 4:1-11

November 13, 2022 | Genesis 19:1-22 | In His Grip | Father Abraham | Wes Moore

Proper 28 First Psalm: Psalm 89:1–18 Psalm 89:1–18 (Listen) I Will Sing of the Steadfast Love of the Lord A Maskil1 of Ethan the Ezrahite. 89   I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever;    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.2   For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”3   You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;    I have sworn to David my servant:4   ‘I will establish your offspring forever,    and build your throne for all generations.'” Selah 5   Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!6   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?    Who among the heavenly beings2 is like the LORD,7   a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,    and awesome above all who are around him?8   O LORD God of hosts,    who is mighty as you are, O LORD,    with your faithfulness all around you?9   You rule the raging of the sea;    when its waves rise, you still them.10   You crushed Rahab like a carcass;    you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.11   The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;    the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.12   The north and the south, you have created them;    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.13   You have a mighty arm;    strong is your hand, high your right hand.14   Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.15   Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,    who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,16   who exult in your name all the day    and in your righteousness are exalted.17   For you are the glory of their strength;    by your favor our horn is exalted.18   For our shield belongs to the LORD,    our king to the Holy One of Israel. Footnotes [1] 89:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 89:6 Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 89:19–52 Psalm 89:19–52 (Listen) 19   Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one,1 and said:    “I have granted help to one who is mighty;    I have exalted one chosen from the people.20   I have found David, my servant;    with my holy oil I have anointed him,21   so that my hand shall be established with him;    my arm also shall strengthen him.22   The enemy shall not outwit him;    the wicked shall not humble him.23   I will crush his foes before him    and strike down those who hate him.24   My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,    and in my name shall his horn be exalted.25   I will set his hand on the sea    and his right hand on the rivers.26   He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,    my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'27   And I will make him the firstborn,    the highest of the kings of the earth.28   My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,    and my covenant will stand firm2 for him.29   I will establish his offspring forever    and his throne as the days of the heavens.30   If his children forsake my law    and do not walk according to my rules,331   if they violate my statutes    and do not keep my commandments,32   then I will punish their transgression with the rod    and their iniquity with stripes,33   but I will not remove from him my steadfast love    or be false to my faithfulness.34   I will not violate my covenant    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.35   Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;    I will not lie to David.36   His offspring shall endure forever,    his throne as long as the sun before me.37   Like the moon it shall be established forever,    a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah 38   But now you have cast off and rejected;    you are full of wrath against your anointed.39   You have renounced the covenant with your servant;    you have defiled his crown in the dust.40   You have breached all his walls;    you have laid his strongholds in ruins.41   All who pass by plunder him;    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.42   You have exalted the right hand of his foes;    you have made all his enemies rejoice.43   You have also turned back the edge of his sword,    and you have not made him stand in battle.44   You have made his splendor to cease    and cast his throne to the ground.45   You have cut short the days of his youth;    you have covered him with shame. Selah 46   How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?    How long will your wrath burn like fire?47   Remember how short my time is!    For what vanity you have created all the children of man!48   What man can live and never see death?    Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah 49   Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,    which by your faithfulness you swore to David?50   Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,    and how I bear in my heart the insults4 of all the many nations,51   with which your enemies mock, O LORD,    with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. 52   Blessed be the LORD forever!      Amen and Amen. Footnotes [1] 89:19 Some Hebrew manuscripts godly ones [2] 89:28 Or will remain faithful [3] 89:30 Or my just decrees [4] 89:50 Hebrew lacks the insults (ESV) Old Testament: Habakkuk 2:1–4; Habakkuk 2:9–20 Habakkuk 2:1–4 (Listen) 2   I will take my stand at my watchpost    and station myself on the tower,  and look out to see what he will say to me,    and what I will answer concerning my complaint. The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith 2 And the LORD answered me:   “Write the vision;    make it plain on tablets,    so he may run who reads it.3   For still the vision awaits its appointed time;    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it;    it will surely come; it will not delay. 4   “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,    but the righteous shall live by his faith.1 Footnotes [1] 2:4 Or faithfulness (ESV) Habakkuk 2:9–20 (Listen) 9   “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,    to set his nest on high,    to be safe from the reach of harm!10   You have devised shame for your house    by cutting off many peoples;    you have forfeited your life.11   For the stone will cry out from the wall,    and the beam from the woodwork respond. 12   “Woe to him who builds a town with blood    and founds a city on iniquity!13   Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts    that peoples labor merely for fire,    and nations weary themselves for nothing?14   For the earth will be filled    with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD    as the waters cover the sea. 15   “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—    you pour out your wrath and make them drunk,    in order to gaze at their nakedness!16   You will have your fill of shame instead of glory.    Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision!  The cup in the LORD's right hand    will come around to you,    and utter shame will come upon your glory!17   The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,    as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them,  for the blood of man and violence to the earth,    to cities and all who dwell in them. 18   “What profit is an idol    when its maker has shaped it,    a metal image, a teacher of lies?  For its maker trusts in his own creation    when he makes speechless idols!19   Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;    to a silent stone, Arise!  Can this teach?  Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,    and there is no breath at all in it.20   But the LORD is in his holy temple;    let all the earth keep silence before him.” (ESV) New Testament: James 2:14–26 James 2:14–26 (Listen) Faith Without Works Is Dead 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good1 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Footnotes [1] 2:16 Or benefit (ESV) Gospel: Luke 16:19–31 Luke 16:19–31 (Listen) The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.1 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” Footnotes [1] 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23 (ESV)

Father Abraham had many sons; I am one of them, and so are you, if we share Abraham's faith in the promise of God that his Offspring would bless all the nations of the earth. That Offspring is none other than Jesus, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. This is the second sermon in our Lessons and Carols series. (We had recording problems.  We apologize for the audio quality.)

Genesis 21

Luke 16–18 Luke 16–18 (Listen) The Parable of the Dishonest Manager 16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures1 of oil.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He said, ‘A hundred measures2 of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world3 are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,4 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Law and the Kingdom of God 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.5 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. Divorce and Remarriage 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” Temptations to Sin 17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin7 are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.8 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,' you must forgive him.” Increase Our Faith 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. Unworthy Servants 7 “Will any one of you who has a servant9 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,10 and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;11 we have only done what was our duty.'” Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers 11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,12 who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”13 The Coming of the Kingdom 20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!' or ‘There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”14 22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!' or ‘Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.15 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”16 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse17 is, there the vultures18 will gather.” The Parable of the Persistent Widow 18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” The Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed19 thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Let the Children Come to Me 15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” The Rich Ruler 18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers20 or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time 31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar 35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Footnotes [1] 16:6 About 875 gallons or 3,200 liters [2] 16:7 Between 1,000 and 1,200 bushels or 37,000 to 45,000 liters [3] 16:8 Greek age [4] 16:9 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions; also verse 11; rendered money in verse 13 [5] 16:16 Or everyone is forcefully urged into it [6] 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23 [7] 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks [8] 17:2 Greek stumble [9] 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9 [10] 17:8 Greek gird yourself [11] 17:10 Or bondservants [12] 17:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [13] 17:19 Or has saved you [14] 17:21 Or within you, or within your grasp [15] 17:24 Some manuscripts omit in his day [16] 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left [17] 17:37 Greek body [18] 17:37 Or eagles [19] 18:11 Or standing, prayed to himself [20] 18:29 Or wife or brothers and sisters (ESV)

November 6, 2022 | Genesis 18:16-33 | Bold Prayer | Father Abraham | Zack Yarbrough

Father Abraham had many sons, but why do we care? The biblical authors were obsessed with the story of Abraham and his family. In fact, you can't really understand what's happening in the New Testament if you don't understand the story of Abraham. When we study his story, we find God's call for Abraham (and for us today) was never regional or exclusive but always global and inclusive—for everyone.

Father Abraham had many sons, but why do we care? The biblical authors were obsessed with the story of Abraham and his family. In fact, you can't really understand what's happening in the New Testament if you don't understand the story of Abraham. When we study his story, we find God's call for Abraham (and for us today) was never regional or exclusive but always global and inclusive—for everyone.

Luke 16–18 Luke 16–18 (Listen) The Parable of the Dishonest Manager 16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures1 of oil.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He said, ‘A hundred measures2 of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world3 are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,4 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Law and the Kingdom of God 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.5 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. Divorce and Remarriage 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” Temptations to Sin 17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin7 are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.8 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,' you must forgive him.” Increase Our Faith 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. Unworthy Servants 7 “Will any one of you who has a servant9 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,10 and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;11 we have only done what was our duty.'” Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers 11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,12 who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”13 The Coming of the Kingdom 20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!' or ‘There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”14 22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!' or ‘Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.15 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”16 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse17 is, there the vultures18 will gather.” The Parable of the Persistent Widow 18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” The Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed19 thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Let the Children Come to Me 15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” The Rich Ruler 18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers20 or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time 31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar 35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Footnotes [1] 16:6 About 875 gallons or 3,200 liters [2] 16:7 Between 1,000 and 1,200 bushels or 37,000 to 45,000 liters [3] 16:8 Greek age [4] 16:9 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions; also verse 11; rendered money in verse 13 [5] 16:16 Or everyone is forcefully urged into it [6] 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23 [7] 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks [8] 17:2 Greek stumble [9] 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9 [10] 17:8 Greek gird yourself [11] 17:10 Or bondservants [12] 17:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [13] 17:19 Or has saved you [14] 17:21 Or within you, or within your grasp [15] 17:24 Some manuscripts omit in his day [16] 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left [17] 17:37 Greek body [18] 17:37 Or eagles [19] 18:11 Or standing, prayed to himself [20] 18:29 Or wife or brothers and sisters (ESV)

October 30, 2022 | Genesis 18:1-15 | With Jesus, All Things Are Possible | Father Abraham | Craig Fortunato

October 23, 2022 | Genesis 17 | El Shaddai, the God Who Keeps His Promise | Father Abraham | Dale Williams

This week's message from Pastor Chris brings us to the topic of justification. He breaks down how Abraham was justified by faith apart from good works, apart from religion and apart from the law. Check it out!

October 16, 2022 | Genesis 16 | What To Do With Waiting | Father Abraham | Zack Yarbrough

After singing "Father Abraham had many sons" (not included): a message on Abraham as an example of relating to grace, faith, & resurrection power.

October 9, 2022 | Genesis 15:1-21 | Faith Over Fear | Father Abraham | Craig Fortunato

October 2, 2022 | Genesis 14:1-24 | Abraham, Faithful Servant of God | Father Abraham | Dale Williams

I'm one of them! And so are you! As an example of faith, Abraham is the father of many nations.

Luke 16:19-31   Jesus said, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, `Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Luke 16:19-31   Jesus said, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, `Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Luke 16:19-31   Jesus said, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, `Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

View the bulletin for Sunday September 25, 20228:00 a.m. - Worship with Communion9:15 a.m. -Adult/Teen Bible Study & Children's Sunday School10:30 a.m. - Worship with CommunionAll are welcomeArchive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”Old Testament Reading – Amos 6:1–7 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” Epistle Reading – 1 Timothy 6:6–19 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the sixteenth chapter. [Jesus said:] “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'”

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 53 Psalm 53 (Listen) There Is None Who Does Good To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil1 of David. 53   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;    there is none who does good. 2   God looks down from heaven    on the children of man  to see if there are any who understand,2    who seek after God. 3   They have all fallen away;    together they have become corrupt;  there is none who does good,    not even one. 4   Have those who work evil no knowledge,    who eat up my people as they eat bread,    and do not call upon God? 5   There they are, in great terror,    where there is no terror!  For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them. 6   Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!    When God restores the fortunes of his people,    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Footnotes [1] 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms [2] 53:2 Or who act wisely (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Samuel 13 2 Samuel 13 (Listen) Amnon and Tamar 13 Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate1 me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her. 15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.”2 But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves,3 for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. 20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.4 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar. Absalom Murders Amnon 23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled. 30 While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.” Absalom Flees to Geshur 34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him5 by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly. 37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king6 longed to go out7 to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead. Footnotes [1] 13:12 Or humiliate; also verses 14, 22, 32 [2] 13:16 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 13:18 Or a robe of many colors (compare Genesis 37:3); compare long robe, verse 19 [4] 13:21 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn [5] 13:34 Septuagint the Horonaim Road [6] 13:39 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Hebrew David [7] 13:39 Compare Vulgate ceased to go out (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 13 Ezekiel 13 (Listen) False Prophets Condemned 13 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!' 3 Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. 5 You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD. 6 They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. 7 Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the LORD,' although I have not spoken?” 8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,1 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?' 13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 15 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD. 17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies. 20 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. 21 Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, 23 therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.” Footnotes [1] 13:10 Or plaster; also verses 11, 14, 15 (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Luke 16–17:10 Luke 16–17:10 (Listen) The Parable of the Dishonest Manager 16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures1 of oil.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He said, ‘A hundred measures2 of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world3 are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,4 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Law and the Kingdom of God 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.5 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. Divorce and Remarriage 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” Temptations to Sin 17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin7 are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.8 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,' you must forgive him.” Increase Our Faith 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. Unworthy Servants 7 “Will any one of you who has a servant9 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,10 and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;11 we have only done what was our duty.'” Footnotes [1] 16:6 About 875 gallons or 3,200 liters [2] 16:7 Between 1,000 and 1,200 bushels or 37,000 to 45,000 liters [3] 16:8 Greek age [4] 16:9 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions; also verse 11; rendered money in verse 13 [5] 16:16 Or everyone is forcefully urged into it [6] 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23 [7] 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks [8] 17:2 Greek stumble [9] 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9 [10] 17:8 Greek gird yourself [11] 17:10 Or bondservants (ESV)

Father Abraham Had Many Sons (Genesis 25:1-18) by Edgington EPC

Lazarus, a poor sick man covered in sores is ignored by the rich man living near him. They both die. Who gets the royal treatment in heaven? Listen to Fr. Jim's gospel teaching to find out.from Luke 16:19-31Jesus said to the Pharisees:"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linenand dined sumptuously each day.And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scrapsthat fell from the rich man's table.Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.When the poor man died,he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.The rich man also died and was buried,and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far offand Lazarus at his side.And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,for I am suffering torment in these flames.'Read the full scripture package: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092522.cfm

How do we stay true to God's story that all of life is gift when we live in a world that expects us to be takers? The Bible identifies two competing narratives around wealth. This week, we watch Father Abraham courageously decide to hold to God's story and learn how we too can remain faithful to God with our wealth.

Daily Devotionals with Religionless Christianity are a quick walk through the word. Each day we look at either a verse or two from scripture a meaningful commentary or other inspirational writing. Also, we include a daily Psalm, Proverb and a prayer. In today's show, September 8th 2022, we are looking at Luke 16:19-25, Psalms 130:3-4, Proverbs 8:4-5 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. Luke 16:19-25 Daily devotionals Monday-Friday Religionless Christianity Podcast every Saturday If you enjoy the content, please leave us a review and join us on social media through the links below. Check out the website: www.religionlesschristianitypodcast.com PLEASE COME JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE MINISTRY: DISCORD- https://discord.gg/W5nACNcVUx FACEBOOK- https://www.facebook.com/ReligionlessChristianityPodcast TWITTER- https://twitter.com/ReligionlessC PARLER- https://parler.com/user/ReligionlessChristianityPodcast SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: AMAZON AFFILIATE- https://amzn.to/3lV4cBP BUY ME A COFFEE- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RCPodcast Listen to other Podcasts on the Christian Podcast Community Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Old Testament: Job 20–21 Job 20–21 (Listen) Zophar Speaks: The Wicked Will Suffer 20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2   “Therefore my thoughts answer me,    because of my haste within me.3   I hear censure that insults me,    and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.4   Do you not know this from of old,    since man was placed on earth,5   that the exulting of the wicked is short,    and the joy of the godless but for a moment?6   Though his height mount up to the heavens,    and his head reach to the clouds,7   he will perish forever like his own dung;    those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?'8   He will fly away like a dream and not be found;    he will be chased away like a vision of the night.9   The eye that saw him will see him no more,    nor will his place any more behold him.10   His children will seek the favor of the poor,    and his hands will give back his wealth.11   His bones are full of his youthful vigor,    but it will lie down with him in the dust. 12   “Though evil is sweet in his mouth,    though he hides it under his tongue,13   though he is loath to let it go    and holds it in his mouth,14   yet his food is turned in his stomach;    it is the venom of cobras within him.15   He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;    God casts them out of his belly.16   He will suck the poison of cobras;    the tongue of a viper will kill him.17   He will not look upon the rivers,    the streams flowing with honey and curds.18   He will give back the fruit of his toil    and will not swallow it down;  from the profit of his trading    he will get no enjoyment.19   For he has crushed and abandoned the poor;    he has seized a house that he did not build. 20   “Because he knew no contentment in his belly,    he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.21   There was nothing left after he had eaten;    therefore his prosperity will not endure.22   In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress;    the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.23   To fill his belly to the full,    God1 will send his burning anger against him    and rain it upon him into his body.24   He will flee from an iron weapon;    a bronze arrow will strike him through.25   It is drawn forth and comes out of his body;    the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder;    terrors come upon him.26   Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;    a fire not fanned will devour him;    what is left in his tent will be consumed.27   The heavens will reveal his iniquity,    and the earth will rise up against him.28   The possessions of his house will be carried away,    dragged off in the day of God's2 wrath.29   This is the wicked man's portion from God,    the heritage decreed for him by God.” Job Replies: The Wicked Do Prosper 21 Then Job answered and said: 2   “Keep listening to my words,    and let this be your comfort.3   Bear with me, and I will speak,    and after I have spoken, mock on.4   As for me, is my complaint against man?    Why should I not be impatient?5   Look at me and be appalled,    and lay your hand over your mouth.6   When I remember, I am dismayed,    and shuddering seizes my flesh.7   Why do the wicked live,    reach old age, and grow mighty in power?8   Their offspring are established in their presence,    and their descendants before their eyes.9   Their houses are safe from fear,    and no rod of God is upon them.10   Their bull breeds without fail;    their cow calves and does not miscarry.11   They send out their little boys like a flock,    and their children dance.12   They sing to the tambourine and the lyre    and rejoice to the sound of the pipe.13   They spend their days in prosperity,    and in peace they go down to Sheol.14   They say to God, ‘Depart from us!    We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.15   What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?    And what profit do we get if we pray to him?'16   Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?    The counsel of the wicked is far from me. 17   “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?    That their calamity comes upon them?    That God3 distributes pains in his anger?18   That they are like straw before the wind,    and like chaff that the storm carries away?19   You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.'    Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it.20   Let their own eyes see their destruction,    and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty.21   For what do they care for their houses after them,    when the number of their months is cut off?22   Will any teach God knowledge,    seeing that he judges those who are on high?23   One dies in his full vigor,    being wholly at ease and secure,24   his pails4 full of milk    and the marrow of his bones moist.25   Another dies in bitterness of soul,    never having tasted of prosperity.26   They lie down alike in the dust,    and the worms cover them. 27   “Behold, I know your thoughts    and your schemes to wrong me.28   For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince?    Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?'29   Have you not asked those who travel the roads,    and do you not accept their testimony30   that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity,    that he is rescued in the day of wrath?31   Who declares his way to his face,    and who repays him for what he has done?32   When he is carried to the grave,    watch is kept over his tomb.33   The clods of the valley are sweet to him;    all mankind follows after him,    and those who go before him are innumerable.34   How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?    There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.” Footnotes [1] 20:23 Hebrew he [2] 20:28 Hebrew his [3] 21:17 Hebrew he [4] 21:24 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 52 Psalm 52 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of God Endures To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 52   Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.2   Your tongue plots destruction,    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.3   You love evil more than good,    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah4   You love all words that devour,    O deceitful tongue. 5   But God will break you down forever;    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah6   The righteous shall see and fear,    and shall laugh at him, saying,7   “See the man who would not make    God his refuge,  but trusted in the abundance of his riches    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”2 8   But I am like a green olive tree    in the house of God.  I trust in the steadfast love of God    forever and ever.9   I will thank you forever,    because you have done it.  I will wait for your name, for it is good,    in the presence of the godly. Footnotes [1] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction (ESV) New Testament: Luke 16 Luke 16 (Listen) The Parable of the Dishonest Manager 16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures1 of oil.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He said, ‘A hundred measures2 of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world3 are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,4 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Law and the Kingdom of God 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.5 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. Divorce and Remarriage 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” Footnotes [1] 16:6 About 875 gallons or 3,200 liters [2] 16:7 Between 1,000 and 1,200 bushels or 37,000 to 45,000 liters [3] 16:8 Greek age [4] 16:9 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions; also verse 11; rendered money in verse 13 [5] 16:16 Or everyone is forcefully urged into it [6] 16:22 Greek bosom; also verse 23 (ESV)

Revelation 2 and 3 reveal that the Lord is walking in the midst of the local churches and speaking to each church according to its condition. At the same time, these messages given to the different churches are what the Spirit is speaking to all the churches as the Body of Christ. In this series of podcasts, we bring you the Lord's speaking in local and regional conferences so that we may hear what the Spirit is speaking to all of us today. This week, we conclude with message three from a regional conference with brother Ed Marks from April 23-24, 2022 in the church in New York City. The general subject of this conference is "God's Economy in Faith". The title of this message is “Walking in the Steps of That Faith of Our Father Abraham.” The original recording and outlines can be found at: https://livingtohim.com/2022/06/ed-marks-nyc-april-2022/

Father Abraham vs Nick Cannon...

Are you on the VIP list? Neither am I, thank God. Look at what the VIPs get and what it causes them to do. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1G8m98VyVnMOxLrBDv4PMs_FdYP2RoGxj THE THESIS: The world can seduce us gradually, over time, in the same way it has almost entirely seduced D.C. and Hollywood. Being VIPs is a part of the enemy's clever, subtle scheme.  THE SCRIPTURE & SCRIPTURAL RESOURCES:  Luke 9: 46-50 46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”   49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”   50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”   John 13: 3-17   3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.   6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”   7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”   8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”   Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”   9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”   10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.   12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher' and ‘Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.   Luke 16:19-31   The Rich Man and Lazarus   19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.   22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'   25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'   27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'   29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'   30 “‘No, father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'   31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”   THE NEWS & COMMENT:   The VIPs think they get to look into anyone who disagrees with them, belittle them and, in this case, label them terrorists and act accordingly   Reuters: U.S. Democratic lawmakers asked social media platforms to turn over data regarding an increase in online threats aimed at law enforcement following a search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home and asked how they planned to respond    Andy Ngo asks: “But why not in 2016 when there was a spike in threats against law enforcement because of BLM? There were several mass casualty attacks on police that year by black nationalists inspired by BLM. Why not in 2020 when Antifa used Twitter to announce arson attacks on police stations?”   The VIPs get to be wrong every-single-time, they get to be completely corrupt every-single-time and every-single-time we are forced to pay their penalties . . . but, God is watching and His justice will not be stopped, delayed or watered-down    Bankers have failed us again; Our economic elites are making every wrong call By Philip Pilkington, Unherd.Com   [AUDIO] - Brian Deese, Biden's Director of Gaslighting, blames "global challenges" for the Fed's inflation crisis & says despite being the most bankrupt country on Earth, "the United States is better positioned than almost any major economy to weather" the current recession.   The VIPs are doing even more to rig the game. They can buy cars for cash, most people cannot. So, most people will need loans from the corrupt bankers to get cars and, in Australia, that will mean driving electric cars that the government can turn off whenever it likes   Australian bank announces it will BAN loans for petrol or diesel cars in order to fight climate change and encourage electric vehicles   VIPs get to fly into D.C. or Louisiana on private jets and pressure politicians into putting us further in debt, all to serve the economic and psychological desires of people like Bill Gates   Bill Gates and the Secret Push to Save Biden's Climate Bill; The billionaire philanthropist was among those lobbying Joe Manchin, starting before Biden took the White House. A look at the influencers who secured a rare climate win.   The VIPs get to police speech while they go around giving speeches    Gab Received A Letter From Congress Today   Facebook announces plot to “protect” the 2022 midterms; Facebook will censors posts "questioning the legitimacy" of the election and more.   World Economic Forum makes big push for digital identity programs around the world; Says that governments need to develop "digital trust" to make people accept the rollout of digital IDs.   [AUDIO - LONG] - 'The Online Harms Bill is a senseless charter... online is where blasphemy laws are in our contemporary society. Secular blasphemy laws that are enforced across the internet.' Director of the Free Speech Union, Toby Young and Mark Steyn discuss the state of free speech online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.