Podcasts about father yes

Text: John 18:33-37 Description: God's coming reign is the good news Jesus and his disciples proclaimed when they walked on earth. But sometimes that kingdom of peace seems so far removed from our reality as we walk on earth. How do we avoid despair and share our hope with a broken world? To view the Facebook video Pastor Beth Ann shared during this sermon, go to: https://www.facebook.com/jrous92/videos/10156190732035487 Video transcript below: Interviewer: Do you understand what happened? Do you understand why those people did that? Boy: Yes, because they're really really mean. Bad guys are not very nice. And we have to be really careful because we have change houses. Father: Oh no, don't worry. We don't have to move out. France is our home. Boy: But there are bad guys, Daddy. Father: Yes, but there's bad guys everywhere. Boy: They have guns. They can shoot us because they're really really mean, Daddy. Father: It's okay. They might have guns, but we have flowers. Boy: But flowers don't do anything, they're for… Father: Of course they do. Look, everyone is putting flowers. It's to fight against guns. Boy: It's to protect? Father: Exactly. Boy: And the candles, too? Father: It's to remember the people who are gone yesterday. Boy: The flowers and the candles are here to protect us. Father: Yes. (Both smile.) Interviewer: Do you feel better now? Boy: Yes, I feel better.  

Boy: Hi, Dad. Father: Hi, how's it going? Boy: Did you have a good day at work? Father: Same as usual, really. What about you? Good day at school? Boy: Yeah, pretty good. Except for one little thing … Father: Why do I have a sinking feeling in my stomach? Boy: Do you remember you lent me your phone? Father: Yes? Boy: Well, I was standing just outside school, texting Jack, and somebody ran past and grabbed it. Father: You let someone steal my phone? Boy: I didn't let them. Father: No, I suppose not. But did you know that that might happen? Is that a dangerous spot? Boy: Well, I had heard of that happening, but I'd forgotten. Anyway, I didn't think it would happen to me. Father: No, OK. Did you see who it was? Boy: No. It was someone in a blue tracksuit, and there are loads of people who wear those. But there's a CCTV camera on the entrance. It might have got a shot of the thief's face. Father: You reported it then? Boy: Well, not yet, but I will tomorrow. Father: All right. Don't forget to report it tomorrow. I'll have a look at the insurance and see if it's covered.

Father? Yes. Noooooooo. We talk about Star Wars and how big the galaxy is from far away.

June 28, 2020 "The Test" Genesis 22. 1-14 Psalm 13 Matthew 10. 40-42 The Rev. Dr. Randolph (Randy) Harry 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. 40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Today's Takeaway: We will come back! Genesis 22:1-14 Abraham Tested 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Genesis 22 Abraham Tested22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.Nahor’s Sons20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

John 1:25-28 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.   John 1:29-34 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”   Matthew 3:13-15 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.   Luke 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.   Matthew 3:16-17 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”                   Joshua 4:9 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.   2 Kings 2:15 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.   Matthew 3 “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.   Exodus 12:12-13 12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.   Genesis 22:6-8 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.   Isaiah 53   2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin... 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.   1 Corinthians 5:7 For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.    

Radical Faith Series Part 4 Radical (Crazy) FaithPastor Bruce DavisGenesis 22: 1 – 18 NIV   Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.” Radical Faith happens with a personal encounter with the Lord (The Holy Spirit touches you)  Radical Faith is the standard of faith that the King and the Kingdom requires!  All other levels of faith lead to this Level! Baby – Little – Great – Radical Faith: you have obtained many blessings through your process of building faith but on the level of Radical Faith, what you have accumulated must be put to death. Men and Women who have a personal encounter with the presence of God are never the same; we need to own our “God Experience”! We seek what we desire; Jerimiah 29: 13 NIV  13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.   This Level of faith requires giving up All your will/desires!  Hebrews 11: 19 NIV Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.This is what stops most believers from building faith (Giving Up what God Blessed you with)  Radical Faith: Radical Obedience - Delayed obedience can cause you to miss your moment to become Radical.The world can only see the stature of God that We His children allow them to see (When you see us you see the Father) The Believers' faith reveals the Father to the World!  Hebrews 11: 8 – 12NIV   8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith, even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.Conclusion:  Hebrews 11: 7 – 12NIV  7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith, he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.Obedience is a prerequisite to entering into Radical Faith (your reputation cannot be your interest on this Level of faith)  Even when you look foolish in the eyes of others, The Kingdom of God rejoices over your obedience.  Note: Abraham took 120 years to build the ark and preached every day and NO one listened beside his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law!   Action Plan: Go over each teaching in this series 7 Days of Fasting & Prayer 

Southridge Church is on a mission to be the perfect place for imperfect people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ--impacting lives around the corner and around the world. Experience impactful teaching and incredible music at Southridge Church Sunday mornings at 9:00 and 11:00, plus experience Catalyst on Wednesdays at 6:30pm! Connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: SRCWV www.southridge.org We Before Me. We Are Better Together. We Never Stop Growing. Contact a pastor: @PastorScottBeha @michaelcoker85 Sermon Notes Luke 2:1-20 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:10 NIV 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. WHY? Mary had a little lamb His fleece was white as snow. John 1:29 NIV 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! The lamb of God theme runs throughout the whole of scripture. It starts in Genesis and goes through Revelation in one way or another. Genesis 22:1-2 NIV 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Could you imagine being Abraham in this situation? Genesis 22:3 NIV 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. Genesis 22:4-5 NIV 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” We will come back. Genesis 22:6-7 NIV 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father? “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Where is the lamb? Genesis 22:8 NIV 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. vs.8 NASB Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. God has a lamb. God will provide that lamb. The lamb is as much for God as it is for us. Genesis 22:9 NIV 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. How did Abraham get Isaac on that wood? We have a son who carries wood on his back up a mountain. Then he lays down voluntarily on the wood to be the needed sacrifice. Sound familiar? Genesis 22:10 NIV 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Genesis 22:11-12 NIV 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Isaac was as good as dead and now is quite alive. Genesis 22:13 NIV 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham said, God will provide a lamb. But, what he found was a ram. Luke 2:11-12 NIV 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Bottom Line: Jesus is the long awaited Lamb of God and that is good news for everyone. The Christmas story would not be good news if it were not for the death of Jesus.

Genesis 22 New International Version (NIV) Abraham Tested 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.” 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. Nahor’s Sons 20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

Durante nuestro recorrido a lo largo de esta década prodigiosa de los 60, hemos visto, de pasada, detalles de la actividad artística de algunos de los más influyentes actores del mundo de la música y la literatura. Entre ellos, el Sr. Robert Allen Zimmerman, o lo que es lo mismo: Bob Dylan. Talkin' New York, una de las dos canciones propias de su primer disco titulado Bob Dylan. Sus composiciones más celebres datan de la década de 1960, en la que se dio a conocer como cantautor folk con composiciones como «Blowin' in the Wind» y otras, todas ellas con un importante contenido de protesta social. Blowin' in the Wind» fue publicada en el álbum de estudio The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan en 1963. Aunque ha sido descrita como una canción protesta, posee una serie de preguntas retóricas sobre temas como la paz, la guerra y la libertad. El verso «The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind» —en español: «La respuesta, amigo mío, está soplando en el viento»— ha sido descrito como «impenetrable y ambiguo: o bien la respuesta es tan obvia que está justo en tu cara, o la respuesta es tan intangible como el viento». Tras dejar atrás la música folk, Dylan modificó la música popular en 1965 con el álbum Highway 61 Revisited, uno de los trabajos musicales más influyentes del siglo XX, en el que combinó la música rock con composiciones complejas y literarias influidas por imaginería surrealista. Su primer sencillo, «Like a Rolling Stone», fue elegido como la mejor canción de todos los tiempos por la revista Rolling Stone y alcanzó el segundo puesto en la lista estadounidense Billboard Hot 100. Tras Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan consolidó su interés por el rock y el blues con trabajos como Blonde on Blonde. Este disco es el séptimo álbum de estudio del músico, publicado por Columbia Records en mayo de 1966. Las sesiones de grabación del álbum comenzaron en Nueva York en 1965, con el respaldo de un elevado número de músicos, entre los que se incluyeron miembros de la banda The Hawks, que cuatro años después se convirtió en The Band. La grabación continuó hasta enero de 1966, pero solo pudieron cerrar una canción. Por sugerencia de los músicos, y con la compañía del teclista Al Kooper y el guitarrista Robbie Robertson, Dylan se trasladó a los CBS Studios de Nashville, Tennessee para continuar con la grabación. Estas sesiones, que contaron con la participación de músicos de sesión locales, fueron más fructíferas en comparación con las de Nueva York, y en dos meses se grabó el resto de las canciones. Ente ellas, ésta: Just Like a Woman. El álbum, uno de los primeros discos dobles en la historia de la música moderna, completó la trilogía de rock que Dylan comenzó con Bringing It All Back Home en 1965 y continuó con Highway 61 Revisited un año después, y gran parte de la crítica musical lo consideró de forma casi unánime como uno de los mejores álbumes de rock de todos los tiempos. Combinando la experiencia de los músicos de sesión de Nashville con la sensibilidad literaria modernista de Dylan, las canciones del álbum fueron descritas como una operación a gran escala musical, mientras que la lírica fue descrita como «una mezcla única entre lo visionario y lo coloquial». En términos comerciales, Blonde on Blonde alcanzó el puesto nueve en la lista estadounidense Billboard 200, y la RIAA lo certificó como doble disco de platino, mientras que en el Reino Unido entró en la posición tres de las listas UK. A lo largo de la década de 1970, después de sufrir un accidente de motocicleta en 1966 y no salir de gira durante ocho años, obtuvo un mayor éxito comercial con discos como Planet Waves, Blood on the Tracks y Desire, todos números uno en EEUU. Del primero de estos discos, extraemos el corte Forever young A finales de la década, abrió una nueva etapa musical con la publicación de Slow Train Coming, con una profunda temática religiosa. Aunque el trasfondo religioso y su interés por la Biblia se mantuvo a lo largo de los años, después de Infidels comenzó a grabar discos con un mayor peso de temas seculares como Knocked Out Loaded y Down in the Groove, que obtuvieron peores resultados comerciales y de crítica. La carrera musical de Dylan resurgió a finales de la década de 1980 con el lanzamiento de Oh Mercy, producido por Daniel Lanois calificado por la prensa como el «regreso a la formalidad musical». De este álbum es Everything is Broken, que ya estamos escuchando. Entre los años 1988 y 1990, Bob Dylan formó parte de una super- banda, The Traveling Wilburys (Los Wilbury viajeros) integrada por el propio Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison y Tom Petty, junto con el acompañamiento a la batería de Jim Keltner. Solo sacaron dos discos al mercado: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 y Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3. Los músicos había disfrutaron mucho trabajando juntos en otros proyectos y decidieron grabar un álbum completo. Bajo el título de Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 y compuesto entre los cinco miembros del grupo, el álbum fue grabado en un periodo de diez días en mayo de 1988 en el jardín y la casa del miembro de Eurythmics Dave Stewart. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 fue un éxito comercial y de crítica que alcanzó el estatus de triple disco de platino en Estados Unidos y fue nominado a los premios Grammy en la categoría de mejor interpretación rock. El 6 de diciembre de 1988, apenas dos meses después de la publicación de Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, Roy Orbison falleció de un ataque al corazón. En su homenaje, el videoclip de «End of the Line» incluyó la guitarra eléctrica de Orbison balanceándose sobre una mecedora mientras el resto del grupo tocaba la canción. Esta canción. Las letras de Dylan incorporan una variedad de temas sociales, políticos, filosóficos y literarios que desafiaron la música pop convencional existente y apelaron generalmente a la contracultura emergente en la época. Influido por gente como Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson y Hank Williams, Dylan amplió y personalizó géneros musicales a lo largo de cinco décadas de carrera musical, en las que exploró la tradición musical estadounidense con el folk, el blues, el country, el gospel, el rock and roll y el rockabilly, así como la música folk inglesa, escocesa e irlandesa, pasando por el jazz y el swing. Dylan toca la guitarra, la armónica y los teclados, y respaldado por una alineación de músicos cambiante, ha salido de gira anualmente desde finales de la década de 1980, en lo que se conoce como Never Ending Tour, en español: La gira interminable. A lo largo de su carrera, Dylan ha sido reconocido y honrado por sus composiciones, interpretaciones y grabaciones. Sus discos le han valido varios Grammys, Globos de Oro y premios de la Academia, y su nombre se halla en el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll, el Salón de la Fama de Compositores de Nashville y el Salón de la Fama de los Compositores. En enero de 1990, fue investido Caballero de la Orden de las Artes y las Letras por el Ministro de Cultura de Francia Jack Lang. En 1999, fue incluido en la lista de las cien personas más influyentes del siglo XX elaborada por la revista Time. En el año 2000, ganó el Premio de Música Popular de la Real Academia Sueca de Música, y en 2004 alcanzó el segundo puesto en la lista de los cien mejores artistas de todos los tiempos elaborada por la revista Rolling Stone, después de The Beatles. El 13 de junio de 2007 fue premiado con el Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Artes, y un año después recibió un reconocimiento honorario del Premio Pulitzer por su «profundo impacto en la música popular y en la cultura norteamericana, marcado por sus composiciones líricas de extraordinario poder poético». Por último, el 13 de octubre de 2016, la Academia Sueca le otorgó el Premio Nobel de Literatura por «haber creado una nueva expresión poética dentro de la gran tradición de la canción estadounidense». Que más se puede decir de este artista? Larga vida a Bob Dylan. Y otro mito de la música en los 60, nada más y nada menos que Jimi Hendrix James Marshall «Jimi» Hendrix nació el 27 de noviembre de 1942. A pesar de que su carrera profesional solo duró cuatro años, es considerado uno de los guitarristas más influyentes de la historia del rock. El Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll lo describe como «Indiscutiblemente uno de los músicos más grandes de la historia del rock». A finales del 66 se trasladó a Inglaterra. Alli conoció a Chas Chandler, bajista de The Animals que se convirtió en su mánager. En cuestión de meses, Hendrix ya había obtenido tres sencillos Top 10 en el Reino Unido con su banda The Jimi Hendrix Experience: «Hey Joe», «Purple Haze» y «The Wind Cries Mary». Saltó a la fama en Estados Unidos después de su actuación en el Monterrey Pop Festival de 1967. Al año siguiente, en 1968, su tercer disco de estudio, "Electric Ladyland", llegó al primer puesto de la lista estadounidense de éxitos; fue su éxito comercial más grande y único número uno en su país. En su momento fue el artista mejor pagado por su concierto en el Festival de Woodstock (1969) y el Festival de la Isla de Wight (1970)., Las influencias musicales de Hendrix se inspiraron en el rock and roll y blues eléctrico de Estados Unidos. Es conocido por usar amplificadores con distorsión, alto volumen y ganancia, además de que fue un innovador en aprovecharse de los acoples generados por la guitarra. También ayudó a popularizar el uso del pedal con wah-wah y fue el primero en utilizar efectos phaser estereofónicos en sus grabaciones. Holly George-Warren de la revista Rolling Stone comentó: «Hendrix fue pionero en el uso del instrumento como una fuente de sonido electrónico. Los guitarristas anteriores a él habían experimentado con acoples y distorsión, pero Hendrix convirtió esos efectos y otros en un vocabulario controlado y fluido igual de personal que el blues con el que comenzó». Su imagen también dio que hablar: plumas de colores, sombreros, ropa de fantasía, sedas, pañuelos, chaquetas con chorerras (a la moda de 1967). No solo fue su música, también el componente sexual y provocador que Hendrix daba a su vida pública. Fue el primer artista negro que se metió de lleno en la Inglaterra multiétnica. Vivió cinco años en la cima, Quemó su guitarra en el Festival de Monterrey y tocó un dramático himno americano en el de Woodstock. Recibió varios premios durante su vida y también de forma póstuma. En 1967, los lectores de Melody Maker le votaron como el mejor músico popular del año, en 1968, Rolling Stone lo nombró músico del año, Disc and Music Echo le distinguió con el título de mejor músico de 1969, mientras que, en 1970 Guitar Player le otorgó el voto de mejor guitarrista del año. Murió el 18 de septiembre de 1970, ahogado en su propio vómito, a los 27 años de edad. Una nueva alta en el desdichado club de los 27. The Doors, otro grupo genial y maldito en las mismas proporciones. Esta banda se formó en Los Ángeles (California), en julio del año 1965 y se disolvió el año 1973. Junto a Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead y Pink Floyd, se convirtió en uno de los exponentes de la psicodelia de los años 60. Su trayectoria empezó en 1965, cuando Jim Morrison se encontraba en la playa de Venice, California, y se encontró a un viejo compañero de la UCLA, Ray Manzarek. Hablando, hablando, Morrison aprovechó para leerle a su viejo amigo la letra de «Moonlight Drive», un poema que acababa de escribir. Impresionado por la calidad de estos versos, allí mismo decidieron formar un grupo. La banda quedo configurada definitivamente por cuatro músicos, los ya citados Morrison y Manzarek, voz y teclados respectivamente y Krieger, a la guitarra y Densmore a la batería. La banda tomó su nombre de un verso del poeta William Blake: (Si las puertas de la percepción fueran depuradas, todo aparecería ante el hombre tal cual es: infinito.) The Doors se diferenciaba de muchos grupos de rock de la época, porque no usaban un bajo en concierto, en vez de esto, Manzarek tocaba las melodías del bajo con la mano izquierda en su piano Fender, y las melodías del órgano con la mano derecha. Muchas de las canciones originales las hicieron en conjunto. Morrison aportaba las letras y parte de la melodía, y el resto contribuía con el ritmo y el sentimiento de la canción. Una de ellas fue la que acabamos de oir, Hello, I Love You y lo cierto es que, en este caso, la composición les dio unos buenos quebraderos de cabeza. La canción en cuestión es igualita a otra de The Kinks. Y claro, los demandaron. Aunque, ciertamente, este tipo de demandas, por lo menos a Morrison, les traían al fresco. Eran tantos los problemas que generaban a su paso que los escándalos pasaron a ser cotidianos. Como ejemplo, y para no regodearnos en el asunto, en 1966, el grupo tocaba en el club Whisky a Go Go. El 21 de agosto este año, el club despidió a la banda por un incidente en una presentación de "The End", que vendría a anunciar toda la controversia que seguiría al grupo en sus años de historia. Morrison, gritó, en la parte "edípica" de la canción: "Father? Yes son?, I want to kill you", "Mother? I want to fuck you" ("¿Padre? Sí hijo?, Quiero matarte", "¿Madre? Quiero follarte"). Y no sentó bien. Bueno, esta es esa canción The End en una versión especialmente editada para la película Apocalypse Now. El LP homónimo de The Doors, lanzado en enero de 1967, causó sensación en los círculos musicales. En este disco aparecían muchas de las grandes canciones de su repertorio, incluyendo el famoso "The End". Su segundo single, de este LP, "Light My Fire", puso al grupo junto con Jefferson Airplane y The Grateful Dead entre los mejores nuevos grupos estadounidenses de 1967. Rápidamente la banda ganó reputación. Con su buena pinta, presencia magnética y sus pantalones de cuero, Jim Morrison se volvió un ídolo del rock y un "sex symbol", aunque se veía limitado con las restricciones morales del estrellato. Antes de su presentación en el "Show de Ed Sullivan" , 15 minutos antes de empezar el programa, los censores de la CBS exigieron a Morrison que cambiara la letra de Light My Fire, en la línea (Nena, no podríamos habernos elevado más), por la posible referencia a las drogas. Morrison les preguntó qué es lo que debería decir , y le contestaron que él era el poeta y que algo se le ocurriría. Bueno, pues como cabía esperar, Morrison cantó la línea original y se presentó en la televisión en vivo, con una CBS sin capacidad de pararlo. Ed Sullivan, furioso, se negó a estrechar las manos a los miembros de la banda, y nunca más fueron invitados. Morrison siguió fomentando su fama de rebelde cuando fue arrestado en New Haven, por hablar mal sobre la policía al público. Morrison dijo que un celoso oficial le había lanzado gas lacrimógeno al sorprenderlo con una chica en los bastidores. En 1971, después de la grabación de L.A. Woman, Morrison decidió tomarse un tiempo libre y se mudó a París con su novia, Pamela Courson, en marzo. Lo había visitado el verano pasado y, por un tiempo, pareció contento con escribir y explorar la ciudad. Pero luego volvió al alcohol y hasta se cayó de un segundo piso en una ocasión. Morrison falleció en confusas circunstancias el 3 de julio; su cuerpo fue encontrado en la bañera. La conclusión fue que murió por un ataque al corazón, aunque se reveló que no se le había hecho la autopsia antes de ser enterrado en el Cementerio Père-Lachaise el 7 de julio. Una versión bastante difundida menciona que el deceso de Morrison se produjo por sobredosis en un bar Parisino llamado "Rock n' Roll Circus", concretamente en los baños del bar después de encerrarse para ingerir cocaína, y que su cuerpo había sido trasladado por algunos amigos a la bañera de su casa. Por añadidura, el forense, en su informe oficial, describió el cadáver del cantante como el de "alguien de más de 50 años y 1.90 m. de altura" (Jim en realidad tenía 27 años y su talla oscilaba entre 1.78 m. y 1.75 m, sin sus botas tejanas puestas), lo que nos plantea la duda de la capacidad profesional del forense. Jim Morrison murió a los 27 años. Otro a la lista. Por cierto, En 1974, tres años más tarde, la novia de Morrison, Pamela Courson, también murió a la edad de 27 años. Bueno, hoy si que hemos conocido un poco mejor a tres grandes estrellas. Sin ellos, y a pesar del poco tiempo que algunos estuvieron en el negocio de la música, los derroteros del rock and roll hubieran sido otros. Lo malo del asunto es que el talento no siempre viene unido al equilibrio mental, deberían ajustárnoslo de serie. A mi me hubiera venido muy bien, sobre todo en lo tocante al talento. En fin, gracias a todos por vuestra atención, espero os hayáis divertido oyendo el programa tanto como nosotros haciéndolo. Volvemos la próxima semana, con que haced lo que sea pero estad ahí, al otro lado del receptor. Hasta entonces… BUENAS VIBRACIONES.

TRUST FALL   Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.   God in this verse calls us to do something none of us have been trained to do - to LEAN NOT...But to LEAN ON Him.   But how do we actually do this? Let’s take a look at a guy named Abraham.   Abraham Life Background Gen 12...LEAVE LAND - God appears to Abram while he is living in Haran with his family. God speaks life over Abram and gives him a purpose and call. He tells him to leave his native country to a “land that I will show you.” Gen 15...COVENANT - God promises to make Abraham the “Father of many nations.” He declares that through Abraham's seed a nation would come. Cue: Father Abraham. Gen 21...ISAAC’S BIRTH - Years later (while Abraham was 100 years old) God fulfills his promise and gives him a son named Isaac. God says this is THE SEED that the nation would come.   3 Decisions Of Trust…   1 - Set Out   Genesis 22:3 (NLT) 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.   This is the first decision Abraham had to make. He had heard God’s voice. He knew what God wanted him to do. Now, he had a decision to make.   Abraham had to decide if he was going to obey or not.   James 2:21-22 (NLT) 21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete   Trusting is NOT sitting on the couch waiting for something to happen! Trusting is a step of action!   James 2:26 (NKJV) “...faith without works is dead...”   What is something in your life that God has asked you to trust him with that today you need to choose to “SET OUT” and actually do?...   2 - Walk On   Genesis 22:8 (NLT) 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.   It is one thing for Abraham to “set out”...but it is an entirely different thing for him to stick with it for the long haul and finish.   This walking on is what I call the “In Between”   It’s in the inbetween that we are most tempted to quit, let our dreams die, second-guess our decisions, get distracted, get bitter, get offended - let worry sink in.   Psalm 37:3-5 (NLT) 3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.   We get to decide - will worry distract us or will we walk on in trust?   Genesis 22:5 (NLT) 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”   Genesis 22:8 (NLT) 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son...   While Abraham “walked on” he knew WHAT he was “WALKING ON.”   Abraham was not just blindly walking in trust but he was consciously walking on God’s covenant to Him and to Isaac. He was reminding Himself of God’s promise. We can do the same! We have the strength to walk on through any circumstance because we can WALK ON GOD’S PROMISES (HIS WORD)!   You will have the grace to walk on when you WALK ON GOD’S WORD!   1 John 4:16 (NLT) 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.   3 - Look Up   Genesis 22:13 (NLT) 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”   While Abraham was walking, God was working!   Unlike Abraham we do KNOW about the RAM!   Philippians 4:19 (NLT) 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.   While you set out and walk on be prepared to look up because God is on the move working in your favor more than you even see.   Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG) Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!   Final Challenge - Locate one are in your life that God is asking for you to trust him...where are you at in trusting God with that? Do you need to set out, walk on or look up? Whatever it is can I encourage you today that life is best lived when we are trusting in Jesus!!

Today we are ending our 4 week journey with Abraham and Isaac. I hope you all had fun on this journey and will join me again when we travel to a completely different story and we go on a completely different journey. Today we learn that Abraham was being tested to see what he would do to his son Isaac. In Genesis 22 we learn that is where Abraham is being tested. 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Speaker or Performer: Pr. Mark D. Lovett Scripture Passage(s): Matthew 8:23-27 Date of Delivery: January 29, 2017 In the name of theFatherand of the +Sonand of theHoly SpiritSurely those men of Galilee were praying fervently for rescue as their little boat was being tossed to andfroby the wind and waves, threatening to be overcome by the sea. Surely they were praying for their lives, for even the unbeliever and heathen prays to the unknown God when disaster is being heaped up on him and he feels the crushing weight of chaos.In fact, the unbeliever, though he does not believe, will often ask you, his Christian friend or relative to pray for him or for his family. He’ll say something like, “Well you know I’m no Christian, but I could use some prayers.” So pray. And do not be afraid.But how shall you pray? Shall you stand then and there and speak words to your heavenly Father? Yes. Shall you wake up in the morning and make the sign of the Holy Cross, confess the Creed, pray the Our Father, and also pray for your friend? Yes, you shall. Shall you, when night falls and your eyes are heavy, not again make the sign of the Holy Cross, confess the Creed and pray the Our Father, and then pray again for your friend? Yes, you shall.It is written, “Bless, for to this you were called”(1 Peter 3:9).“But,” you say, “the Lord does not hear me. He seems to be otherwise occupied or asleep. My friend’s troubles continue to press on him and nothing seems to be getting better and now he is even cursing God because he blames God for his troubles.” And you begin to fretand to be afraid. Not that you don’t believe that God can heal or can rescue your friend from his plight, or even rescue you from yours, but the eyes see only trouble and chaos and the body only feels the weight of sin and disaster.Here our faith is revealed. Here in the tension between the promises of God our savior and the chaotic, death-filled world that surrounds us.Here your faith is revealed and fashioned.No doubt the disciples were praying for themselves and for their wives and families as surely death had come upon them. But Life was with them. And even had death come and taken them to the place of the dead, Life would still be with them. For those who fall asleep in Christ fall asleep in the lap of the Lord and Giver of Life who will raise them from the dead.Beloved, our prayers, though they are for healing and life now in this life, they are all the more for the life of the world to come. Your unbelieving friend does not merely need your prayers for healing, as though the stripes of Christ have not already healed him or his family or you or your family. By His stripes we are healed. All will be raised from the dead, which is the healing of the body. Those who have done evil will go off to the place prepared for the devil and his angels,where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,but the righteous to eternal life.No doubt those wind and wave-tossed men of Galilee were praying for salvation. “Lord, do you not care that we are perishing?” And the Lord saved them, though the wind and waves were no real threat. That is why the Lord said, “O you of little faith.”The Lord rebuked the winds and the waves, thoughtheywere not thereal threat.The real threat was that the disciples thought that wind and waves could steal them from the Life of the World. Why else be afraid?Your Lord has overcome death. Do not be afraid. You will rise from the dead and be with the Lord, even as the Lord is with you today.Your prayers, though they seem to be small and nearly pointless, have been heard and answered. Jesus is the answer to your prayers, even as He was the answer to the prayers of those men of Galilee. He is the answer because your prayer is always, “Lord, have mercy.” He is the mercy ofGod. Your prayer is answered because you always pray, “Lord, letuslive!” He is the Life of the World. You shall live.Though now it seems as though you are perishing. Asit seems toyour friend who beckons you to pray for him. But you are not as one who has no hope. Your hope is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. You have the Spirit of the living God to say to your friend, “Why are you afraid? See what sort of Man the Lord is. He has overcome your sickness, your disease, your poverty; He has overcome your sin and your guilt. He is risen from the dead. Do not be afraid.”Don’t get all wrapped up in convincing your friend– or yourself –that Jesus is real or that there is a God or any such philosophical arguments. They do little good and often lead to false faiths such as Gnosticism and the theology of glory where the cross is emptied of its power.What does a world ofgoodand what does the world a lot of good arethe prayers of the Church, the Body of Christ;your prayers that are joined to the prayers of all God’s holy peoplein the mystical union of the Body of Christ.What does your friend good is you coming here to receive the blessing and benediction of your God, the Lord Jesus Christ, for then you are filled with the Spirit to bless and not curse, to raise up and not tear down, to heal not to hurt.To love your neighbor and do him good.The Lord has heard your prayers, even answered them. Don’t be afraid, you little ones of faith, for the Father loves you because you love the Son, and they have made their home with you.Say to your friend, as I say to you now, See what sort of Lord this Man is?+ In Nomine Iesu +

Through the story of Abraham, Adam Barnett illustrates how trust in God was established and how we still continue to fight against letting go of control. Trust is Born Born | Week 2 December 4, 2016 | Adam Barnett Matthew 1:1 (NIV) A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham… My desire for control, despite my faith in God, is arrogance…and inevitably leads to impatience and fear. Genesis 22:1-4 (NIV) 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” "Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Genesis 22:5-8 (NIV) 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:9-10 (NIV) 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Genesis 22:5 (NIV) We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV) 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. Genesis 22:11-18 (NIV) 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time. 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the equities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Speaker or Performer: Pr. Mark D. Lovett Scripture Passage(s): Luke 17:11-19 Date of Delivery: September 6, 2015 In the name of the FATHER and of the +SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT.How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord. (Ps. 84). That’s part of Psalm 84, and today’s Introit that we sang as we entered the presence of the Lord.Make no mistake: we are in the dwelling place of the Lord; we are in the courts of the Lord. And we offer right sacrifices. That is, we offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Our hymns and the petitions we will speak in a few minutes, our sermons and responses; all of these are our sacrifice of thanksgiving. These are right sacrifices because they speak rightly about the Lord, saying of Him what He says of Himself, worshiping Him for what He has done and is doing and will do for us. That’s why we have to be as careful about what hymns and liturgical responses we use as much as we are about our sermon content. Not just any hymn will do. Not just any liturgical response will do. Not just any sermon will do. They must say of the Lord what His word says of Him, what the Spirit of the Lord says of Him. Not that they must use the exact same words, phrases, and sentences all the time – though that is certainly meet, right, and salutary; but that the words and sentences of a hymn or of a liturgical response or of a sermon, must be conformed to what the word of the Lord actually says. Then they are right sacrifices of thanksgiving and are as pleasing incense to the Lord.If they do not say what the word of the Lord says – if our services add things to highlight us or our children, if we substitute the Lord’s Service to us with our talents and tastes – then we are on shifting sand and are offering abominable sacrifices and unauthorized incense before the Lord. This is the dwelling place of the Lord, His courts, so it is His word and His word alone that is heard, preached, and sung.That’s why churches shouldn’t be treated like businesses. Not only in finances but in the way that some people say of pastors and churches that they’re “in the funeral business” or “in the wedding business”. We’re not in the funeral or wedding business. We’re not in the children entertainment business or the youth activities business. The Church is about the business of our heavenly Father, to give thanks to Him for all His benefits to us and to receive from Him His word, His blessing, and His benediction.This is the dwelling of the Lord and the courts of the Lord.But what does that mean, though? That this is the dwelling of the Lord, the courts of the Lord? Isn’t the Lord up in heaven? Didn’t He ascend to the right hand of the Father? Yes and yes. But language is simply shorthand, which is why a thing can be said in more than one way and why a thing can be stated with clarity one day and obscurity the next day. So we can say that the Lord is in heaven and we can say that the Lord is here, that we are in the presence of the Lord. You really shouldn’t be teaching your children or grandchildren that Jesus is up in heaven, as if He were removed from us by some impassable chasm. He is not in heaven like Grandma might be in another state, reachable only by telephone or email or something. Jesus is physically present here as much as He is spiritually. Or is it not His Body that we eat and His Blood that we drink? Are they not His words, His voice, even, that we hear?The Lord Jesus isn’t off in some magical place of clouds and pearly gates. He is here; here is His dwelling place. Isn’t that what He says? Does He not say that where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is among them? Does He not say that He will be with Hisapostolic Church unto the end of the age? Does not St. Paul say that when we are gathered we are gathered in the presence of the Lord? Yes to all these.When your sons and daughters ask you, “Where is Jesus,” you tell them the truth. Tell them that He is where His Body gathers and where His word is proclaimed and His Sacrament administered. This is where the Lord rules over the nations. This is His throne; His dwelling place; His courts.Here we find Jesus because this is where Jesus says He if found. This is where we serve the Lord, which is to worship Him, because this is how the Lord Himself says to worship Him. To eat His body and drink His blood in the sure and certain promises of our eternal Father that whoever believes on the Son of Man will never die; and even though He dies, yet shall He live.Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever. Amen.+In Nomine Iesu +

Liz: I hope the food gets here soon; I'm starving! Father: Yes, sorry I slept for so long, I just couldn't seem to wake up. Liz: That's alright Dad. It's better that you sleep than be grumpy all day..... Father: Me? Grumpy? Never! Liz: So, after breakfast what would you two like to do first? Art museum or park? Mother: Well, we should do the park first while it's still cool, don't you think? Then, when it's hotter we can go to the art museum. Father: Good thinking dear. But if I don't eat soon I'll pass out and you'll have to carry me. Where are my eggs and bacon? Liz: Yes, they are taking a long time. I wonder what the problem is. Father: It sounds like they're still gathering the eggs from the chickens and chasing the pigs! Liz: Oh, so you're never grumpy, eh? Join me on FACEBOOK at Anna Fromacupofenglish; you're all welcome. Need the app? It's in iTunes and called A Cup Of English. Please send your questions and comments to . Thanks! // //