Podcasts about gentiles

What is Antisemitism and when did it begin? What is God's plan for the Jew and the Gentile? Join Rabbi Schneider today as he explores the effect Antisemitism still has on the church today. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES -  https://djj.show/dhw 

The first believers in Jesus were recognized as Jews. In fact, Jesus never wanted the Gentiles to become separated from their Hebrew roots. What kind of persecution did the early church face, and how did it contribute to the separation of Judaism and Christianity? Find out in today's episode. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/8l2 

Send us Fan MailDr. R. L. Solberg and David Wilber debated Acts 15 and one of the most important questions in Christian theology: Did the apostle's decision at the Jerusalem Council require Gentile believers to keep the Law of Moses? Wilber argues in the affirmative, Solberg in the negative. Both participants present their cases in a semi-formal and civil debate format. The goal isn't to "score points" but to help believers understand Acts 15 by hearing both sides presented fairly.#livestream#debate#apologeticsWhat if Christmas felt sacred again? Full of Grace and Truth, the new book from award-winning author R. L. Solberg, invites you to rediscover the biblical story at the heart of the season. Available now in paperback and Kindle, with all proceeds supporting The Biblical Roots Ministries. Get your copy today on Amazon.com.

Thus far in John's Gospel, Jesus is a polarizing figure. The Jews, and their leaders, have complained about Him, argued with Him, and were seeking to kill Him. However, like the woman at the well and the royal official, there are those of Gentile descent who encounter Jesus and gladly receive Him. As Jesus will make clear, it is not His time; therefore, the world hates Him. The world is actively, not passively, against God and His Son, Jesus. Likewise, the world hates all those who belong to Him. Regardless, we have the hope of being secure in Christ forever, even if the world hates Him and us.

Jesus reveals that His Kingdom is for all people. Through the faith of a Gentile woman and the healing of a deaf man, we see that no one is beyond God's reach. In this message, Pastor Ryan Bramlett teaches how followers of Jesus are called to carry the burdens of others through humble, persistent prayer, trusting that God's grace is more than enough.Ryan Bramlett • The Urgent Kingdom • Mark 7:24-37CONNECT WITH US!Engage with this message: https://tpcc.org/messagesVisit our website: https://tpcc.orgWe believe in the power of prayer: https://tpcc.org/prayer Instagram: https://instagram.com/traderspointcc/Facebook: https://facebook.com/TradersPointCC/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@traderspointcc

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Day 1 of our story Today's story takes place in Caesarea - Acts 10:1-8. Cornelius, a Roman soldier, a Centurion, lives there. (Pastor shares pictures of this city, still visible today!) Cornelius was one who worshiped the God of Israel but was not a full convert. He and his family were devout and God-fearing.  Then he receives a vision of an angel. The angel tells him to bring a man from Joppa named Simon known as Peter. We see Cornelius respond immediately to what the angel told him to do.    Day 2  Story moves location to Joppa where Cornelius' servant and one of his soldiers are headed - Acts 10:9-23a. Meanwhile, Peter goes up on the roof of the house he is at and goes into a trance and sees the heavens open and a sheet with all kinds of 4-footed animals, reptiles and birds. (Unclean animals according to the Torah) Then a voice tells him to eat them, but Peter says, I've never eaten anything impure or unclean.  I've obeyed the Torah!  The response from heaven, three times was, "Do not call anything pure that God has made clean." And the sheet was taken back into heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men Cornelius sent found him. The Spirit tells Peter to go downstairs to the men that were sent.  They tell Peter about the vision Cornelius had seen and Peter invites them in.   Day 3 Now our story goes on the road- Act 10:23b.  Peter and some witness head, with Cornelius' servant and soldier, to Caesarea.   Day 4 They arrive in Caesarea - Acts 10:24-48. (Pastor shares more pics of the area) Cornelius has a crowd of people gathered at his home to hear Peter when he arrives. Peter knows he's on God's mission: "You are aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me I should not call anyone impure or unclean." Cornelius retells his vision and says now they are in the presence of God to hear everything Peter has to tell them. Peter responds that he now realizes how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation those who know the Good News of Jesus Christ, Lord of ALL. He recounts the Gospel story of Jesus, He tells of the Savior's Good News and all that believe in Him receive forgiveness of sins through His name. Then suddenly the Holy Spirit fell on all of them, including the Gentiles. They were baptized in Jesus' name and ask Peter to say for a few more days.   What do we learn from this story?   Then + Now God's Agenda - God sets the agenda for His people, for individuals and for human history. God is fulfilling the New Covenant - That the day would come when the NATIONS would come to God. These are new covenant times! God Shows No Partiality - it is easy to be in our own groups and only see people like us and avoid people who don't fit our mold. But Jesus died for ALL. We are called to reach the world - therefore no partiality - God wants them all. Jesus is LORD - He is the New Covenant. Will we acknowledge His Lordship? He is the judge of the living and the dead. He is the Messiah, the Savior of the Nations, the Anointed Son of God who gave His life for all, rose, ascended and is coming back. Spirit Guided Life - God is not in a box, He sets the agenda, not us. Everything needs to be the way He deems it!   Pastor closes with the questions: Are you listening to God's Agenda for your life? Do Jesus and the Scriptures inform your daily living and actions? Do you sense and heed the Holy Spirit's promptings?   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 10 - 11.    Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

 Sunday, 2 August 2026   “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” Matthew 21:40   “When, therefore, he should come, the ‘lord, the vineyard', what he will do to the agronomists, to those?” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus said that the agronomists took the son, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. He now questions Israel's leaders concerning the matter, beginning with, “When, therefore, he should come, the ‘lord, the vineyard'.”   This is the time of judgment that will come upon Israel for their having crucified the Son of God. Paul explains this in 1 Thessalonians –   “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16   For Israel, there was a certain amount of sin that the Jews could expect to be dismissed by God through His grace and mercy, but there is a point at which that amount would be filled up, and beyond which only destruction could be the result. This same concept is true with any given nation, church, or person. There is a point where sin finally fills up to its measure, and then only wrath can be the inevitable result.   This is what Paul is saying concerning his people of national heritage. They had filled up the measure of their sins, and he knew, as he says, “that wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” Understanding this, Jesus asks the question: “what he will do to the agronomists, to those?”   The answer is obvious, and Jesus is asking them this for a particular reason. In their response, they will indict themselves. As for Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians, he knew that the time had come, that Israel had r ejected Christ, and that there was no remedy left for them as a nation.   The cup was full, the wrath had been ordained, and it was only a matter of time before the wine would be poured out. This would be realized at the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the nation to the four corners of heaven, just as their response will indicate.   Life application: The words of Isaiah are calling out to the people of Israel, instructing them on exactly what Jesus conveys to them. The leaders, without considering their own Scriptures, were being presented with the fulfillment of the prophetic word –   “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard.”   Israel was filled with bad grapes. To this day, it is that way. There was a portion of the people who believed, but they were a fraction of the whole. Today, this is true as well. The messianic believers who look to Jesus as the fulfillment of their Scriptures are taunted by the observant Jews.   But the observant Jews are observant in a system of pick-and-choose religiosity that ignores precepts of the law they are unable or unwilling to observe, while proclaiming their “holiness” by the things they do observe. They may hold fast to the Sabbath and dietary laws, but they ignore innumerable other laws found in their Scriptures.   It's the problem with the law. It always reflects back on us. We pick and choose our “holiness” through law. But it doesn't work. Only when Jesus is our holiness do we come to the point of having fulfilled the law. His righteousness is granted to us. In Him, we now have rest and fellowship with God. Thank God for Jesus.   Lord God, help us to remember to set aside attempts at justifying ourselves before You through our own efforts. Rather, keep us trusting in what Jesus has done. May pride in our accomplishments never cloud our understanding that we need Jesus. He alone is our righteousness. Amen.  

July 12, 2026 - Sunday AM Bible Class This episode is a recorded Bible class covering Acts chapters 10–12. Hiram leads the class through three chapters as they examine the recurring challenges the early church faced: welcoming Gentiles, resolving cultural and religious barriers, and stabilizing growing congregations. Key passages include the conversion of Cornelius, Peter's rooftop vision, the Gentile Pentecost in Cornelius's house, the church's response in Jerusalem, the growth of the church in Antioch, and the persecution and deliverance recorded in Acts 12. The class traces the goal of Acts (Acts 1:8) — to establish and preach the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth — and evaluates how the early church advanced that mission up through chapter 9. The instructor then details the central challenge in Acts 10–11: how Jews and Gentiles are brought together. The episode examines Cornelius as a ‘God‑fearer,' his moral life and prayers, why divine confirmation was needed, and why moral religiosity is not the same as salvation in Christ. The session walks through Peter's vision of the sheet of animals, his initial resistance rooted in Levitical food laws and cultural heritage, and how both Cornelius and Peter required divine revelation to accept Gentile inclusion. Listeners hear the account of the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius's household (a Gentile Pentecost), the subsequent baptisms, and the debate in Jerusalem that forced Peter to explain his actions publicly in Acts 11. Attention shifts to Antioch, where the gospel advances among Greeks and other non‑Jewish peoples. The class highlights Barnabas's role in stabilizing that congregation, his bringing Saul (Paul) to help, and the importance of strengthening local churches — emphasizing the principle that one cannot evangelize the world faster than local congregations can be established and stabilized. The episode also surveys Acts 12: the arrest and execution of James, Peter's miraculous deliverance, the congregation's mixed response of doubt and praise, and the lesson that persecution, political opposition, and leadership losses do not stop the spread of God's Word when believers cooperate with it. Practical takeaways for modern listeners are emphasized throughout: acknowledge the spiritual good in seekers, show they aren't far from the kingdom, push for an encounter with Scripture, use the gospel as the neutralizing standard, refuse favoritism or second‑class treatment, strengthen bonds quickly after conversion, listen to God's leading, and invest in stabilizing local churches as the foundation for wider evangelism. The episode is driven by classroom dialogue between the teacher and participants and offers both exegetical insight and applicable pastoral guidance for welcoming diverse converts today.   Duration 44:08

Romans 15 calls us to welcome the weak, bear one another's burdens, and pursue unity as Christ has welcomed us. We'll see how God's plan has always included the Gentiles and explore Paul's life, ministry, and mission to take the gospel where Christ has not yet been named.

Spiritual Eyes of Faith (1) (audio) David Eells, 8/2/26  V. W. - 6/4/19 (David's notes in red) I had this dream where some of us of local UBM were in the living room of a house. Some of us were talking casually, sitting at a picnic table that was in the living room. My husband and I were sitting next to each other; Debbie Fenske was to the right, a little farther away. She was talking to us about the book we are reading in our Wednesday Bible studies, The Real Good News. (This book is about what the Gospel provides for those who overcome through faith.) She said something about the chapter we are in, and she had read a few chapters ahead. She was also very excited about the deliverance the Lord is doing now, and something about spiritual warfare. I remember seeing Joe D. (who has come here to visit) sitting in a chair diagonally across from her, smiling. As she was talking about the book, I knew we were now receiving “grants”. (For those who take part in the cleaning up process, the heavenly “grants” will come to those who have faith in the promises.) Then, when I woke up I thought of (Php.1:29) …to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf. (Those who suffer with Jesus in our death to self will also reign with him through the grants. (2Ti.2:11) Faithful is the saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us. (Rev.2:26) And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. All the promises we've been given from the Lord are past tense, so we see them as being “granted” already.) I thought about how a grant is a gift to be used for a specific purpose. And I searched the New Testament for the word ‘granted' and found these verses. (I added the Old Testament grants to overcomers.) It is amazing to see all the things the Lord is granting us now. Thank You, Father, for Your grace and for granting us to be delivered out of the hands of our enemies! Thank You for all the things You are giving us. May we use all You grant us for Your Kingdom and glory in Jesus name, Amen! (Luk.1:73-75) The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, 74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Act.4:29) And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness. 30 while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Act.14:2) But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore they tarried there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. (Act. 27:23-25) For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve, 24 saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me. (Rom.5:5) Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Gal.3:16) Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (And He grants to those who abide in Christ who are sons of Abraham by faith.) 17 Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. (Eph.3:16-19) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. (2Pe.1:3-4) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. (1Ch.4:10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested. And He will grant us this too. (2Ch.1:11) And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of them that hate thee, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12 wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee; neither shall there any after thee have the like. (Ezr.3:6) From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not yet laid. 7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil, unto them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. (Trump as Cyrus is conquering D.S. Babylon and freeing the Christians and granting them expenses to build the true Temple. Its happening!) (Ezr.7:6) this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. … 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, that are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee. … 15 and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 and all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; (Just as above, Ezra was granted to lead the people of God out of Babylonish bondage with a grant from the King to build the temple of God, which is a type of God's people so it will be granted today.) (Est.5:8) If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the king hath said. (Esther the Bride was granted to save the people of God from the D.S. Beast kingdom and bring them to their spiritual Red Sea destruction so it will be today.) (Neh.2:7) Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah; 8 and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. (Again a grant from the King to rebuild the true Temple of God and so it will be in our day.) (Est.5:6) And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. (So ask today, Bride, for whatever you need!) (Est.7:2) And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. (The Bride is granted to be a joint heir with Christ.) (Est.8:11) wherein the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, (The Bride is granted to give authority to destroy the D.S. Beast kingdom.) (Est.9:12) And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. 13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. (The Bride is granted to give authority to utterly destroy the D.S. Beast kingdom.) (Job.10:12) Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. (Pro.10:24) The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted. 25 When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. (Psa.20:4) Grant thee thy heart's desire, And fulfil all thy counsel. (Psa.119:29) Remove from me the way of falsehood; And grant me thy law graciously. 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness: Thine ordinances have I set before me. 31 I cleave unto thy testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame. 32 I will run the way of thy commandments, When thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psa.140:7-11) O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked; Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 9 As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10 Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise. 11 An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.   Abiding in Heavenly Places Alenna Timoshchuk - 12/17/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamt that my husband went to visit David Eells and Michael, but instead of visiting them where they lived now, he actually was visiting them in heaven. (Representing the first fruits Man-child ministers living in “heavenly places in Christ”.) None of them were dead; they were still alive on this earth, but it was like there was a lower part of heaven that was open to those who abide in Christ, and they could visit it, even though they were still alive on earth. (The first fruits come into perfection through Christ first by abiding with Him in heavenly places.) I got to see a bit of it as if I was looking through my husband's eyes and it looked like it was just above all the mountain peaks. (Looking through our husband's eyes represents seeing the way our heavenly husband Jesus sees. The Bride has the eyes of a dove, representing the Holy Spirit, just as her husband Jesus does. (Son.4:1) Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. And (Son.5:12) His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.) It had beautiful pine trees and rivers, and Michael and David lived in a beautiful large log cabin, a really fancy one. (For anyone who loves the outdoors and appreciates nature, this would be their dream place. Just the prettiest scenery you could ever imagine.) (I was shown in a vision years ago a tower of logs that represented the UBM ministry that the Lord was giving me. This log cabin represents the UBM ministry living the crucified life, represented by the cross timbers at the corners.) My husband stayed with them for three days, then came back to me and was just so excited, telling me all about it. He was saying how Michael (Meaning, “Who is like God”) held a staff in his hand, and if someone wanted to enter that part of heaven, then he'd hold it out, and if the color turned red, then the person could not enter because they were not abiding in Christ. But if it turned green, then they could go in. He told me how relieved he was when the staff turned green and not red. He started telling me about how wonderful and beautiful everything was up there. (The first fruits have very good discernment; the discernment of Jesus, and the wicked don't ever get past them. (2Co.10:6) and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.) Then he pulled out a branch from a pine tree and gave it to me. It had the most beautiful aroma. I thought it was so sweet that he brought me a souvenir from heaven. (Pine trees are evergreens, and they represent everlasting life. Jesus is the Father of Eternity and the Branch. This is the gift or souvenir that Jesus has brought back to us with His resurrection. (Isa.9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father (Hebrew: Father of Eternity), Prince of Peace.) Then I told him, “I want to go so badly. I want to be in heaven.” And he smiled and hugged me and said, “Let's go for your birthday on March 6th. (3/6 or 3+6=9. Nine was the hour that Jesus died on the cross, and there are 9 fruits of the Spirit for those who have died to self. And, as in the natural, those who die get to go to heaven. Our birthday begins when we begin to die to our flesh by living the crucified life; then we begin to bear the fruits of the Spirit of God as He makes us a fully born again new creature in Christ.) Then he said, “Maybe then we can stay there for a month.” (30 days? Jesus was 30, as the Law states, when He began his ministry.) I was so excited! I knew it would be the best birthday I've ever had, but I worried a little that we wouldn't have enough money to not work for an entire month. (God will always make provision when He holds the green staff because we walk by faith to follow in His footsteps.) Then I woke up.   Seeing Others Through Faith Eve Brast - 06/13/08 (David's notes in red) The Shulamite bride in Song of Solomon had the eyes of a dove, meaning she saw things the way God's Spirit sees things. This dream teaches us to see others by faith as God does, to see that they have already been given godliness through Christ. This is the opposite of the way the faction views righteous people. (2Pe.1:2) Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; 4 whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in that world by lust. Spiritual eyes see the end from the beginning. I had a dream that began in an indoor swimming pool area. The voice of David Eells was talking over my right shoulder throughout the whole dream. He was showing me different people and situations; people that I had wondered whether they were saved or would be saved, or if these people were making the right choices or living their lives the right way. These things had disturbed or concerned me throughout my life. (Rather than wonder about them, we should have faith for them to be saved. (Php.1:6) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace.) David would show me these different people. Some of them were close friends or family members; others were strangers whom I had never seen before, or people I had only had brief encounters with. I was walking on the right side of the pool. David's voice was talking over my shoulder in my right ear from behind me. Suddenly, I could hear the voices of my son Noah and his friend Nathan squabbling ... I walked up to them, not sure how to handle their squabble, and was frustrated with their childish foolishness ... Then David Eells walked over to both of them and, in a gentle way, started teaching them ... He calmed them with a gentle voice. Then he showed them how to…reconcile their differences. (Mat.5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.) Then the scene changed. David's voice was still in my right ear, teaching me. The more he taught me, the more my spiritual sight opened up, and I began to see these people the way God sees them or knows them, even when they are still living in sin or ignorance. (We have to be the peacemakers between the immature and teach them to let God be the judge between them.) The next scene was outdoors on some land that David owned... I drove up in a flatbed pick-up with food, plants, flowers and one small crate of special baby birds. I was contributing these things as a gift to UBM. (No buying and selling but giving and receiving.) All of us lived on his land and had our different positions and chores or things we were assigned to do, based on what we were good at. (Everyone will work according to their assigned gifts and abilities from God, Him working in them to will and to do of His good pleasure; this creates peace and rest.) ... The women and I carried all the food, plants and flowers into the greenhouse nursery to tend to them. I set the baby birds on the top right corner of a table in the center of the nursery. (Baby Christians in the nursery will grow up like the Father's planting.) One of the women who was older than me in her 50's with dyed, dark brown hair walked past the birds and looked down at them with presumptive irritation and said, “What are those?” I started to tell her, but she cut me off because her true intention was to make a point that she wasn't going to help me feed them or care for them. She said, “Well, I hope you don't expect me to take care of them”. I was offended at first by her presumptuousness. But David's voice on my shoulder explained to me why she said that, because that was not God's calling for her and then something amazing happened. All at once, I was able to see her heart attitude and knew this woman intimately as God saw her! All my anger just melted away …and I loved this woman and was so grateful for all she had done for UBM. I was shown how precious and valuable she was to God, and I cherished her like a hidden treasure! (Everyone will learn to appreciate individual callings and gifts as the people manifestly become the body of Christ. No one will do without, for the body will minister to itself as it was in the Book of Acts.) After this, the scene changed, and the plant nursery turned into my grandmother's house. It was Christmas, and there were gobs of Christmas décor everywhere. My mother's family was celebrating Christmas and standing around, eating and talking to one another. My grandmother was being the good hostess that she has always been, preparing food and asking everyone about themselves ... (In God's nursery, the babies can grow up out of their Babylonish traditions without condemnation.) Suddenly, I realized that my grandfather was there. (He passed away back in September 2007.) He was dressed in a colorful Christmas sweater and he looked so young and full of life! (Representing those who are immature, who are dead in their sins, can grow up out of Babylonish works.) My grandmother acted as if it were normal to have a dead man mulling around her house! My mom finally came in, and I rushed over to her in a panic and said, “Thank God you are here! Grandpa is alive! And he is running around here talking to everyone!” I was fearful and horrified. My mother was surprised and concerned. She didn't know what to do except pretend like everything was normal and talk to my grandpa like he was still alive. My mom and I were the only two who realized that my grandpa had died. (Resurrection life will come to those in immature Babylonish habits when we see them and talk to them as though they are alive from the dead and new creatures in Christ. (2Co.5:14) For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again. 16 Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know [him so] no more. 17 Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. 18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech [you] on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. 21 Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.) As I stood there, I could hear David's voice over my shoulder again, and it calmed me down, and my fear melted away. ... Then that amazing thing happened again! I started quietly observing my grandpa as he talked and interacted with the other family members. He was beautiful and radiant. He was kind and his heart was childlike. I saw him the way God had seen him! (Yes, by faith and renewed imagination as a new creature in Christ.) He was going around, really just pouring his soul into his children and grandchildren! I couldn't believe what a precious soul this was! (My grandpa used to be a very hard man in his younger years. When I was a child, I heard him and my father arguing as my dad tried to share the Gospel with him. A stream of obscenities would pour out of his mouth. He said he didn't need God. Later in his life, during his 60s, he had a change of heart. He got involved in a local Methodist church and went to Sunday school and church most Sundays and dragged my grandma along, who also got involved with that church. They were really serious about it all. (As baby Christians, we were all involved in a simplistic experience of Christianity, so we should love these as Christ loved us as His babies who are learning to walk -- at the same time correcting the system and leaders who would keep them as babes.) When he had been alive, I judged them for their denominational choice and what I viewed as a shallow, almost worthless relationship with God. (Babies play in the shallow end of the pool until they grow up. We must speak justification by faith to them to give them the joy and confidence of their salvation.) As I was observing my dead grandpa at this Christmas party, I was able to see his heart the way God saw him. It was incredible to me how I could feel how God felt and saw my grandpa! I saw that God cherished his childlike faith and his desire to help others understand things and mentor them, and his desire to help others with their projects. (We must see the immature as accounted righteous by faith.) At that moment, I knew that he was with the Lord and not in hell, as I had been concerned about it since his death. The scene changed again, and my grandmother's house turned into the apartment of two homosexual men. As I observed them, they couldn't see me. I was immediately disgusted that I was in their home. (We are forbidden to judge any of the lost, for they have not grace yet to obey and are in bondage, to be pitied [1 Cor.5:9-13].) I was fearful of some sort of defilement or something. These two men were nicely dressed. I listened to them talk. They had several Great Dane dogs that were running around in the backyard. I wasn't happy about those dogs. … As I was feeling threatened by these men and their dogs, I heard David's voice talking in my right ear again, and as I listened, the threat melted away, and I began to see these men's hearts. They had such compassion and loving kindness in their hearts! I watched them love and care for their animals, when suddenly I heard a knock at the door. One of the men went over to open the door. There was a naked man who was obese and hairy all over his body, sitting in a wheelchair with a colostomy bag taped to his lower abdomen that was filled with feces. He was homeless and needed a place to live and someone to help him change his colostomy bag every day. The sight of this man horrified me, and I doubted these men would take him in. I watched as they happily discussed the possibility between themselves and eagerly agreed to take this crippled, naked man into their home and take care of him! I was astounded at their love for other people, their compassion, and their blindness to the flaws of others. God showed me all the qualities that he had formed in their hearts, how He used the betrayal and rejection that they had experienced throughout their lives in order to form Christ in them! I was seeing the end from the beginning in these men (even though they were still in ignorance and lost in their sin). (Those who have been sinners and rejected can appreciate the acceptance of Christ through the Gospel. Some lost people have more of the nature of Christ than some Christians, but they are not justified through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. In everyone whom God will ultimately draw and call to Himself, He prepares the soil by breaking it up through adverse circumstances and failure, so that through repentance and faith the seed of Christ is planted. Those who are forgiven of much are able to love much. (Luk.7:47) Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little.) God told me, “These are mine!” And they were so beautiful!! So perfect in heart! Such compassion that I had never seen or experienced before! It just made me want to weep. I felt defiled by my own attitudes and judgmental self-righteousness and was horrified at myself. David's words had helped me to see things and people the way that God saw them, in process. I was able to finally see my own heart clearly and repent to God. After this dream, seeing others the way God sees them became a permanent gift. (God sees us as a finished product from the beginning through Jesus' sacrifice, and we must do the same for others. As we forgive them, God forgives us. We can tell them the good news that they are free from sin. The repentant sinner will appreciate this greatly.) They looked so precious to me, and I just cherished each one in my heart like a rare jewel! I didn't see their sin anymore or their imperfections. I wasn't concerned about their immediate state or what they were planning to do that was sinful or wrong. I just saw the end from the beginning and felt such rest! (Seeing our loved ones through the sacrifice of Christ by faith gives us rest that God will do the work in them.) Not only did God settle my uncertainty about the salvation or spiritual condition of all the people whom I have prayed for or been “concerned” about in my family or other people's families, but He gave me the faith I needed to believe in the sanctification of others that we pray for and believe for their salvation. (When we pray for lost loved ones, we are commanded to believe we have received what we prayed for and see it as done. (Mar.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (in original Greek) them, and ye shall have them.) This has been an issue for me that I have worried over and struggled with a lot. These situations were representative of all the lost loved ones whom the saints of God are praying and believing for! Praise God for peace of mind and for His great mercy! To be balanced on this subject, we must not give grace to believers who walk in willful disobedience. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. 28 A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on [the word of] two or three witnesses: 29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, the Lord shall judge His people.   Learning to Walk in the Spirit Winnie Osegueda - 1/25/22 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was at my mom's house and there were quite a few different types of people of all colors and nationalities. (I believe this could be part of God's elect still stuck in the mother harlot Church.) There was a man who came into the house who looked like Brandy Arney when he was a bit younger. This man looked like a mix between Brandy Arney and the actor Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond. (Bond is a play on words representing the first fruits Man-child who are bonded together in the agape love of Christ to teach the woman, as Revelation 12 shows. The Man-child body of all nations teaches the woman to fight for the Kingdom like Bond fought for his.) I wanted him to come in because he was going to show me how real the spiritual realm is, and I invited him inside. He was wearing a white or light cream sweater as he stood across from me in front of my mom's front door. As “Brandy/Bond” stood there, I saw his spirit man come out of his body and I was blown away. I asked him how to do that, and he began to teach me. (This represents learning to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit rather than walk in the flesh. (Rom.8:12-14) So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.) Then, as I stood there, my spirit man also came out of my body. This aspect of the dream felt so real. I literally felt myself leave my body. (living in the flesh no more) As I was “walking in the spirit,” I could see and feel my spirit man's arm and hand touch a white lady's sweater with ruffles on the shoulders that was folded over on the back seat of a wooden chair in my bedroom. I believe this sweater was for me. (These are the righteous acts of the saints that we are clothed with when we walk in the Spirit, denying our flesh.) (I see this dream as a parable of coming out of the flesh and walking in the Spirit, and how we are able, by faith, to put on the Lord's righteous garments.) Then I woke up. I asked the Lord for a couple of verses regarding myself in this dream and I received by faith at random: (Joh.3:12) If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things? (We walk in Heavenly things when we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.) And (Eph.4:14) (14-16 for context) that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, 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.   Seeing Christ in the Mirror Marie Kelton - 1-28-22 (David's notes in red) During the night the Lord gave me a vision of my spiritual man in a dark place. (1Co.13:10-12) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.) She was wearing all white and standing in front of a vanity that was all white with a desk and a chair. My spiritual man was looking in the mirror and saw a black being there. I knew it was my flesh man in the mirror. (Jas.1:23-24) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.) My spiritual man broke the mirror by hitting it. (Because we cannot see the old man in the mirror, or we will not be justified by faith and not have the power to obey.) Then I saw the Lord standing next to my spiritual man in front of the vanity. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.)   Get the Beam out of Your Own Eye C. P. - 1/15/22 (David's notes in red) In a vision, I saw a mist and heard the word “fumigate”. (Fumigate means to exterminate or disinfect using smoke or chemicals.) (I believe this mist is the prayers of the saints, as well as the Holy Spirit). Then in the mist I saw a wooden beam. (Mat.7:1-5) Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.) In the wooden beam, there was the tiniest little black speck, but as the mist continued to stay on the beam, the black speck became bigger until something wriggled out from the wooden beam. It looked like a newt or a small lizard. It was struggling to survive so it left. (The black newt or lizard can be the spirit of judgement, which hangs around with rejection and fear of rejection. These unclean spirits are curses from the evil one. All factious spirits of criticism, judgement, rejection, etc. leave when the fumigation mist of the saints' prayers comes. We need to be praying for our brothers and sisters! (1Th.5:23-25) And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it. 25 Brethren, pray for us.) The prayers, both personal and collective, for ourselves and for others, are how we cast out the beam from our own eye. Then you can see the beam and what was in it. Our prayers to be cleansed from all unrighteousness are heard, and He will complete the good work He has started in each one of us! Praise God!) This vision greatly encouraged me, and I have been trying to use every opportunity in my daily disciplines to pray for others, even if it is in the Spirit with tongues. I asked the Lord if I should share this dream with the body to encourage everyone, and received by faith at random (Psa.65:5) of them that are afar off, so that's an affirmative! (In context 5-7) By terrible things thou wilt answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, Thou that art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of them that are afar off upon the sea: 6 Who by his strength setteth fast the mountains, Being girded about with might; 7 Who stilleth the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.   The Lord is Cleansing His Body Winnie Osegueda - 9/20/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamt that I was at the house where we (UBM) meet locally. (Winnie here represents the Bride body that the Lord is faithfully attending to in order to get them cleaned up and ready for ministry during the 7 years of tribulation.) I was sitting on the couch that I normally sit on with my family, which is on the right of David. Instead of David sitting on the chair he normally sits in, however, he was sitting beside me. As David sat next to me, he turned into another man, whom I had not seen before. This man was regular-looking and was younger, but not too young. He also had a nice tan, like someone who'd been out in the sun often. (I believe this man was Jesus, but at the same time, he was also still David.) (Jesus and David 'merged together' represents the Lord through the David/Man-child body of ministers shepherding and caring for their flocks in faithfulness and love.) The man began to speak to me and told me that when I sing, it sounds very beautiful to the Lord. (Our praise and worship are not just songs that we sing to the Lord, but we worship Him with the sacrifice of our lives through obedience to His Word and taking up our cross daily to follow Christ in our suffering of death to self. (Joh.4:23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. The Greek word for worship here is Proskuneo, meaning to “kiss towards.” i.e. an act of love towards God is worship. This could include praise, singing, or what we normally think of as worship or other acts of love towards Him and our fellow man.) (For the morning prayer meeting on the morning that I received this dream, the verses I got by faith at random were the story of the woman with the alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which I received confirmation of when Chuc received the same story in a different gospel the following day or two. (Mar.14:3) And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head. (This was an act of love toward the Lord.) (I believe this could be symbolic of giving the Lord our all and holding nothing back.) Winnie went on to say: He also said that He hears my pain and that it echoes through the kingdom. In the dream, I knew immediately that it meant I needed to cast my burdens onto the Lord. When the man said this to me, the thought came to me that I had to lay down my pain and give it to the Lord. (When we allow the enemy to inflict his pain upon us by receiving his fiery darts, it affects the whole body of Christ, and everyone suffers when one is suffering. This is how it echoes through His Kingdom.) The man also said to me, “Can't you see the angels around you?” I looked up and saw several angels above me, almost forming a circle. (Psa.91:11) For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. (Psa.34:7) The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them.) (We must keep our angels who are assigned to go forth for us into battle against our enemies employed. (Heb.1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?) As this man was talking to me, I could see his eyes were very kind, and they also teared up. The man had a lot of compassion, and as he was telling me all these things, my eyes began to well up with tears. As a tear began to fall down my left cheek, the man reached over to wipe it away. As he wiped away my tear, he also began to rub a black spot off of my face. (Jesus not only came to wipe away our sorrows and give us His joy and freedom, but He also came to take away all our sins, spots, and blemishes.) A feeling of shame tried to creep up on me, as if I did not want the man to look too closely at my faults and flaws. (Shame and condemnation will keep us trapped in a prison and an endless cycle, and we will not be effective for the Kingdom of God if we stay in this state.) Then I woke up suddenly. The verse that came to me as I was typing this was: (Eph.5:25-27) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; 26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. This is a work that the Lord will complete in us, and all we have to do is repent and believe. (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  I asked the Lord if I should share this dream with the body and received by faith at random: (Eph.2:21-22) in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. (I thought this was a pretty good confirmation.) (I believe, and also Winnie, that when the Lord removed the black spot, she was representing the Body.)   Loving the Hidden Treasure Eve Brast - 07/30/2016 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that my son Elijah and I were in the basement of a greenhouse where David and Michael lived. It was painted forest green. (I believe Father is using a word play here for a greenhouse where plants are nurtured and protected from the harsh elements.) (This is what we do. Eve represents the Bride of the “last Adam”. Elijah means “my God is YAHWEH”, meaning “my mighty one is YAHWEH”. Those who trust in God's strength to do their works.) The basement had a dirt floor, and the dream started with Elijah and me pulling up a large golden crate out of the ground that had been unearthed. (An obvious hidden treasure in the UBM house. The golden ark of the covenant.) We opened the lid and golden light shone forth from its contents. I don't know who had unearthed it, but he and I were excited to carry it upstairs and show it to our brethren. It was surprisingly lightweight and wasn't at all hard to carry up the basement stairs. (God's hidden treasures are Jesus' light burden. His treasures put faith in us, which gives His power to bear any burden.) Elijah and I brought it and set it on the threshold between the living room and dining room, and I knelt in front of it as Elijah moved around to the other side in the dining room next to Michael Hare. I thought in the dream that it was a “hope chest”. (A hope chest is something that young girls used to have in the old days, where they would store things away for the time when they would be married.) (Representing a treasure hidden for Eve, as a type of the Bride's marriage.) There was a well-lit kitchen off to my right and in front of us, where David was busy preparing something for us all to eat. (Jesus said we must eat His body and He is the Word made flesh, the manna from Heaven that the fleshly tire of, for they value flesh.) Several brethren were standing behind me, waiting to see what was inside the crate. They seemed perturbed at us for bringing the crate up out of the basement. (These are not one spirit with the Bride because of a critical spirit. They are not in one accord to prepare for the coming outpouring.) It's hard to explain, but I could see things through their eyes, as well as my own view. I was going back and forth between what I was seeing and what they were seeing and thinking. Once I knelt down in front of the golden crate, I was then inside the minds of those behind me. I saw myself through their eyes kneeling down in front of an ugly, old wooden crate that had mud and dirt on it. (They do not value the treasure of the Bride as she and the Groom do.) When I opened the crate, the people stepped forward, and when they looked inside, they saw nothing but a small piece of white paper lying on the floor of the upper right-hand corner of the crate. It looked like the corner of a larger piece of white paper that had been torn away. (They don't see the whole page but only a small portion. God gives knowledge and wisdom to those who will use it. He does not give the hidden treasure to those who are only hearers and not doers because they would just be more condemned for not obeying.) They began to make critical comments and think critical things about the crate. They said, “There is nothing in there but a little piece of trash! Why did you drag that old thing up here?” (They who speak against the gifts and Word of God become defiled by what they speak. (Mat.15:18) But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: 20 these are the things which defile the man... The righteous treasure everything that comes from God. Those who are satisfied with the world don't hunger for the things of God. (Pro.27:7) The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. (Psa.17:15) As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.) At the same time, I was able to see myself opening the crate through my own eyes, and when I opened it, Elijah, Michael, and I saw that same warm, beautiful golden light come shining forth out of it again. We saw a rich, golden crate and, as we watched, two silver trays of thinly sliced sourdough bread came rising up out of the light. (Sourdough represents “bitter in the belly” or flesh. The bread of Heaven is the light, and it is Christ. Search for Him as for treasure. (Pro.2:3) Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures: 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.) One side was completely full of bread, and the other side still had a third of its bread left on the tray. (Two tablets in the ark that were placed there with a bowl of manna and Aaron's rod.) (Both the manna and the tables represent the bread of the Word: (Heb.9:4) ... the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant...) I said in amazement, “Look at that!” But the people behind me asked, “Look at what? There is nothing there!” Then I heard Father say to me in my right ear, “My promises and entrance into My Kingdom are obtained by faith, but they (meaning the ones behind me) only walk by sight. They can't see what you see.” Michael then gestured with an open hand toward the two trays of bread floating in front of me, cocked his head to the side and said, “Y'all have got two days to eat this bread or else it's going to go bad and we'll have to throw it out! Now get to eatin.'” (Those who saved the bread for another day, saw it go bad. Eat it now or lose it. In Exodus 16, what was the manna that was given? Actually, the word given in Exodus 16 for manna is the word “man”. Look at your footnote at the bottom of the page. The footnote says “man”. Do you know who that man was? The man who came down out of Heaven and gave life to the world. The one we have to eat in order to have life. It is Jesus, the Word. How do you eat Jesus and have life? You have to consume Him. He is the Word made flesh. The Word has to go into you and become a part of your being. How does it do that? You have to believe and obey it. This is exactly what the Word says: (Exo.16:4) Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you... Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven for you”. Exodus continues, 4 ... and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or not. What is it to eat your portion every day? It is to walk in God's Word. He is proving them to see if they will walk in His law. We are supposed to partake of God's Word and walk in it every day. Did you know that for six days they went out and gathered the manna? When they tried to store it up, it bred worms; but when they gathered it for the seventh day, it did not breed worms. What does six mean? Six means “man” and what is earthly and worldly. Seven means rest for those who believe it.) At this point, I had a vision of a flock of Mallard ducks outside the house waiting for that molded bread that had not been eaten after the two days were up, to be tossed to them. (Ducks are waterfowl.) (The bread of the Word is to bring us into the resurrection life of Christ on the third day. (Luk.13:32) And he said unto them, Go and say to that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected.) I picked up a slice of bread from the tray that had one-third of the bread left and took a bite. It was good but really sour. The people behind me were angry and were asking, “What bread? What are you talking about?!” They couldn't understand because they didn't have the faith to see what was right in front of them. All they saw was the natural state of that crate and all the negative things. They couldn't even see the bread to eat it. (Luk.8:10) And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. (Mat.11:25) At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes... Notice that the treasures are hidden from those who are wise in their own eyes. At this point, I was sad for them and felt alone. I obediently kept eating the bread, but I asked Michael, “How am I going to eat all this myself? I'm only one person.” (Those who love the hidden manna are one in Christ.) He didn't answer; he only smiled at me because I was helping to eat the bread so that it wouldn't go bad. Then I woke up. When I woke up from this dream, I asked Father for a verse or text for this dream and received Acts 1:12 (12-26). This is also the verse I gave at the morning prayer meeting. This text talks about the need for us to be in one accord (for the outpouring) as God replaces Judas with another who is faithful to eat the bread. I asked Father for a verse for the critical brethren behind me and received (Pro.8:13) The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate. This whole chapter is an excellent parable for this dream!   Why Die Walking After the Flesh? Suani Guzman - 03/01/2011 (David's notes in red) I asked the Lord for a dream, and He gave me a very good one. There was a woman whose name was Delilah (meaning “weakened, uprooted or impoverished”) who had lost her son. (She was weakened and uprooted because she lost her spiritual man or fruit of the womb of her heart, as in the parable of the sower. How can we lose our spiritual man or fruit? (Jud.12) Twice dead plucked up by the roots. Jesus said in (Joh.15:2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away.) Some Christians gathered to pray about finding the boy. (Praying for her to find her fruit again.) They were waiting for me to finish washing my teeth. (Son.6:6) Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them. Each tooth has its opposite so that a person may be well fed spiritually. (Gen.49:12) His eyes shall be red with wine, And his teeth white with milk. The teeth must be washed with the milk of the Word. In this way, clean teeth mean clean spiritual food of the Word.) My son began to pray a mellow prayer, and I felt that prayer wouldn't do it. I started to pray with power and faith. We finished and went on the search. I think the boy's name was Elijah (“my God is YHWH”) and his father's name was Onesimus, a carpenter, who was a very good father. (Onesimus was the runaway slave who met Paul and became “profitable or helpful”, as his name means, when he brought forth the fruit of the spiritual man, his son.) I found an old man who was attaching a boy to a pallet. (The old man had taken the spiritual man captive. It's called walking in the flesh. A pallet is for moving merchandise around. So the old man makes merchandise of the spiritual man, much like false ministers do.) I went over to him and took the boy off and grabbed him. I put the old man on my side like carrying a baby (We must take the old man where he would not go, as Jesus said to Peter) and asked him, “Where is the boy, and who do you work for?” He wouldn't say. I said with a firm determination, “I will win”; then he said, “You already won.” (Through Jesus, we have already won against the old man, who works for the flesh and the devil. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. (Gal.5:24) And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.) While still carrying the old man, I noticed the empty packaging of what he had been using to attach the boy, and I picked it up. I read the label, hoping to trace it to the kidnappers. The price tag read “Humble Oct. 6-11”. (The Lord paid the price to set us free from this bondage above. And the old man will pay a terrible price for taking authority over the spiritual man. What is “Humble Oct.6-11”? This is the opposite of and solution for what happened above when the old man took authority over the spiritual man. This symbolizes the 10th month or book, 6th chapter, 11th verse (Watch this formula), which is (2Sa.6:11) And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom, and all his house. A Gittite is a Philistine of the city of Gath. This is the old man of the flesh that dwells in the land. When the flesh is “Humble”ed, as Obed was under David, and serves the spiritual man, who is the ark of God's presence, he is blessed. The very next verse says that the ark was taken to the city of David, which is Zion, the Bride. 12 And it was told king David, saying, Jehovah hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy. It is the most joyful thing for the ark of God's presence to rest in the Holy of Holies of our spiritual man in the Holy City. In the time of Eli, the ark was taken captive under the authority of the Philistines or fleshly man in 1 Samuel 4-6, and it brought a curse to all their cities so much that they returned it under the authority of the spiritual man, Israel. So when we walk in the flesh, we bring these curses on us, but when the spiritual man is in the lead, we are blessed. The moral of the story is so perfectly written in (Rom.8:12) So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. This warfare against the gods that rule over the flesh man and seek to bring under subjection the spiritual man is spoken of in the New Testament, (Here it is again) 10th book, 6th chapter, 11th verse: (Eph.6:11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Amen.

You will never consistently live beyond what you believe about yourself. “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

WATCH NOW:  “Trust God & His Word, Step 1” – Rabbi Steve Weiler (07/18/2026)Shabbat Service, July 18, 2026More videos available on the Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Tampa Youtube channel https://youtu.be/bGGgcarEdJM Copyright Licensing InformationCCLI Profile #: 3931821Shoresh David is a congregation where Jews and Gentiles worship together. Whether you are an interfaith couple, Jewish person or a Christian, Shoresh David is a place where you can belong.  We look forward to seeing you at Services. Shalom!Website: http://www.shoreshdavid.orgFacebook: http://facebook.com/shoreshdavid - You can watch services live, Friday night 7:00pm ET / Saturday morning 11:00am ET via the Shoresh David Facebook Page.Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Tampa4320 W Bay to Bay Blvd, Tampa, FL 33629Phone: (813) 831-5673#messianicjudaism #yeshua #tampaSupport the show

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. Acts 1:1-5 Spencer Carey Download TranscriptGood morning. My name is Spencer. I am one of the pastors here. We did it you guys. We made it through 2 Samuel. 1 and 2 Samuel.And now we're in the book of Acts. So if you're new to our church, we typically, not exclusively, but the majority of what we do is we walk through books of the Bible. And we're gonna go verse by verse, passage by passage. And we're in Acts chapter 1 today. As we begin the book of Acts, we'll be in this for the next season. We're in the first five verses of the book of Acts.That is on page 1053, 1053 in your black Bibles. The main text will be coming from the Bible. So we will hold a Bible and read that with this. There'll be other texts. They'll be on the screen. But we're gonna introduce the book of Acts because it is wise when you jump into a book to have some context for what you're actually studying.So I want to point out three things as we begin to introduce us, I think, well to understanding the book of Acts. If you grab a study Bible, like the ESV study Bible, you open it up before we start reading a book. If you're gonna study it, you're gonna see different introductory elements. And I'm gonna give you three that kind of help us frame our time together in the book of Acts. Genre, author, and purpose. So let me hit those very quickly.It's important to first know the genre because not all scripture is the same. You don't read Proverbs like you read the Psalms, like you read Genesis, like you read the Gospels, like you read the epistles, the letters in the New Testament. They are all, they come from different genres. So it's important to understand what you're reading before you jump in. The book of Acts is historical narrative. Functions like the Gospels in that way.It's historical narrative. It's a bunch of stories that tell the story of how the church began starting in the first three decades of the church is what the book of Acts and 28 chapters covers. So from around 33 AD to around 60 to 65 AD, we're gonna read a bunch of stories and teachings that shaped the church early on and that we get to be shaped by as well. So it's one of the longest books in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke is the only book that's longer and we'll be in it for a bit. So the second thing that is helpful to know is the author.And the author is Luke. So Luke was inspired by God to write this. So let's introduce ourselves to Luke. We don't know a ton. Here's what we do know. Luke was likely Greek.Okay. He may have been Jewish, it's debated, but if he's Jewish, he's very what you would call Hellenistic, meaning he's very Greek influenced. So he's Greek. What we also can see from the letters of the New Testament is he's likely a doctor. So likely a physician like Mike Goble who was just standing here leading us in prayer.He's a doctor. It's also clear that he's an historian. He was tasked with the job of both telling an orderly account of the Gospel in Luke of Jesus Christ and his life, his ministry, his death, his resurrection and the book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church. So some will say that Paul wrote most of the New Testament. It's actually not true. When you go by word count, Luke actually was inspired to write most of the New Testament because Luke and Acts is longer than all Paul's 13 letters combined.Fun fact. Three, purpose. Okay. Why is the book of Acts and our Bibles? Why did God inspire it? Why was it so important that it became an essential part of what's called the New Testament canon?What is the official books of the New Testament? Why do we have this? That's what we get to look at today. One of the things that's clear when you read the book of Luke is that there's this foreshadowing of the inclusion of the Gentiles. So that's basically, I would assume everybody in this room that comes from a non-Jewish background.There's this foreshadowing that the Gospel is going to go to the nations and that we're going to be included. And the book of Acts is going to show us how. How we are brought into the household of faith. So we're going to see this. We're going to look at the values and the witness and the Gospel that spread all that comes out of this. We're going to look at key figures like Philip and Peter and James, the brother of Jesus Christ, and Paul.We're going to look at all of this. And when you actually, if you look at a Bible and you go to Acts, oftentimes they're going to have the subscript that we have from the earliest manuscripts that says Acts of the Apostles. And if you read that, it may lead you to believe that this book is primarily about the work of the apostles. But what we're going to see is this book is primarily about a God rescuing his people and his rescue plan for the nations. And then even more of the point, one of the things that makes Acts so unique and so essential is it gives us the most comprehensive window into the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.We're going to read a lot about the Holy Spirit. No book in the Bible mentions the Holy Spirit more than the book of Acts. It would be wrong to say that this book is only about the work of the Holy Spirit, because God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are both present and loom large in this book. But there's no other book in the Bible that gives us a more upfront window to the work of the Holy Spirit than the book of Acts, which makes this very helpful for us as we want to be a Spirit empowered people and the season that we're in trying to be missional and planting a church. So we're very excited to be able to walk this book together.And what we're going to see today and these first few verses and what we're going to see throughout this series can be summarized in this sentence, the Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world. That what we're going to see is the Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world. So let me pray and then we'll walk through this introduction together. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the good news of the gospel that we just sang about, that we just prayed for, that we just recited from the Scriptures. God, I pray that you would help us be, have open eyes to see how you started your church and what it's built upon.And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, go to verse one. In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. So let's pause there.Out the gate, there should be some questions that jump off the page. Who's Theophilus? When did you do all this, where you dealt with all the things that Jesus began and taught? And that is why understanding Acts, it's very helpful to have a working general knowledge of the book of Luke. The gospel of Luke helps us understand the book of Acts. Luke functions very much like a part one and Acts functions very much like a part two.So what I want to do a little bit today is to go to the book of Luke and to help us see a little bit of how this helps us understand Acts. I want to go to Luke chapter one. This will be on the screen. You can look up here and hold that place in Acts because we'll come back to it. Luke chapter one says, many have undertaken to draw up an account of these things that have been fulfilled among us just as they were handed down to us by those who were, who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you most excellent Theophilus so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.So this is very similar to the introduction to the book of Acts. Who is Theophilus? We don't know for sure. We know that his name means lover of God. Theo and Phyllis, those are two different Greek words to come together, lover of God. It is very likely that he was a wealthy Christian who put the money forward for Luke to do the work of gathering all these reports.It takes time and energy and effort and money to go and travel throughout all of the New Testament world and to put together what is the gospel of Luke? What is these stories that tell us about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? And we should be familiar with that concept because we know today they are investigative reporters, that they make their living, they get paid to go out and do investigative work and put together reports from Bob Woodward and his work all the way to reporters like Christopher Rufo today. They are all types of different people that get paid to put together reports.And that is what Luke was. He was an historian who got paid and traveled to go and put together this gospel of Luke that tells us about Jesus Christ. And what I appreciate about Luke is that he's not only just giving us a bunch of facts about Jesus, he does the work of organizing it into a story. So when you read it, like the other gospels, it has story arc. So most stories, the gospels, stories in the Bible and stories that you go and you watch in the movie theaters, most stories have a general story arc.There's an introduction, there's rising tension, so there's going to be some different plot things that happen. There's rising tension, there's a climax, and then there's resolution. That's the majority of stories. And when you read the gospel of Luke, there's an introduction to who Jesus Christ is. He was born. And then all of a sudden, very early, you see the rising tension as he's ministering and establishing and teaching the kingdom of God.He's got the tension with the Pharisees and the religious leaders. And there's this tension that builds all the way towards Jerusalem where Jesus Christ is crucified, where he is resurrected. And then there's this resulting action, which is the commissioning of the church. And I appreciate that because it makes reading the gospels a lot of fun. It helps us see that he's a good storyteller in pulling all these stories together for us to see. But buried in the end of the gospel of Luke, in what we just read a few minutes ago, is a bit of a cliffhanger.And I also appreciate the art of a cliffhanger. My oldest recently has gotten really into books. She loves reading. And what happens sometimes is that she'll come down tired. And she's like, I'm so frustrated because I just want to go to sleep. But every chapter, there's just this cliffhanger.And I just have to keep reading. And it's like, I love that you love reading. We're going to have to learn to live with a cliffhanger for a bit because you actually need to go to sleep. But cliffhangers do that. They kind of leave something lingering that draw you into the next part. And that's what's the genius of the end of the gospel of Luke.And I want to go back to what we read just a few minutes ago so that we can see that. You get the very end of Luke, chapter 24, verses 44 through 49. This is how the gospel of Luke ends. Then he said to them, this is on the screen, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Okay. That's what we call biblical theology.That's the reality that the entire Old Testament, all of it points to Jesus Christ. And he sang it. Listen, law, the prophets, Psalms, all of it points to me. Verse 45. Then he opened their minds to the scriptures, which is Jesus Christ, opening their minds to understand.46, And said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead. 47, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed and is named to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things, and behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you, but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. So Jesus points to the climactic work, his death, his resurrection. And then he tells them in verse 47, really a preview of what is ahead. He nods to, you're going to go and preach.It's going to be the message of this gospel of his life, death, and resurrection. You go preach that there's going to be a call for repentance of sins. They're going to experience forgiveness that washes and covers us. This is what you're going to proclaim, and that message is going to the nations. You are going to be witnesses of this. But first, you're going to go to Jerusalem, and you're going to wait, because power is going to come from on high.Wait for the promise of the Father. It's coming, but you go into Jerusalem first, and that's like the cliff thing. Oh, wait, what? And it's like, oh, I want to know more about that. And here's the good news. You don't have to wait a year for part two of the movie to come out.You can just flip over the book of Acts, which is what we're in. So go back to verse one. Now, we have a good working knowledge of what Luke is doing in the gospel of Luke. Pick up in verse one, the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, verse two, until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Which just for a moment, I appreciate that what is clear is that when Jesus is teaching his disciples throughout his ministry, the Holy Spirit is present with him, teaching his followers.Verse three, he presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Okay, so there's a period of time between Christ's resurrection and his ascension, which is what we're going to look at next week is when he ascended to the right hand of God the Father. That period of time is 40 days. So in that 40 days, when you look and read the end of the gospels and you pick up in this part of the book of Acts, we don't get all likely of what Jesus did during that period. We can tell that he appears to them at various times.He's not with them every second, but he appears to them and what he's doing is he's preparing them. He's teaching them the kingdom of God and he's preparing them for what awaits them. He appears to them in Jerusalem. He appears to them on a mountain in Galilee. He appears to them on a lake in Galilee and he's doing the work of preparing them for what's next for the unfolding plan to reach the nation. So he's preparing them, but also what I like in this passage is it points out that he's also establishing that he is alive, that there are witnesses who have seen Christ.That's why Paul in 1 Corinthians, he points out that there are 500 people at one point that saw Jesus in the flesh. So Jesus is both preparing his church for what is ahead and establishing I am alive through all types of eyewitness accounts that we read in the scriptures. So he's in the period of preparation preparing them for what's next over that 40 days and now he's here verse 4. And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from me for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.So Jesus is getting ready to ascend, but he tells them you're going to wait. You're going to wait in Jerusalem. You're gonna wait for the promise of the Father and that's foreshadowing what we're going to see the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church. You're gonna wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. Now at this point, it's very likely Jesus has taught them all about water baptism from the moment that he's baptized until now.And they should have the understanding at this point that baptism is the new covenant sign that you belong to God. But what they're going to learn is that faith does not begin with water baptism. It doesn't begin with water that faith begins with fire. That faith begins with fire that comes upon you when the Holy Spirit changes you into a new creation in Christ Jesus. When you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, the baptism of the Holy Spirit overtakes you and changes you into someone who is new that you belong to Jesus Christ. And then you enter the waters of baptism to declare that you belong to him, which is why we as good Baptists baptize after someone is converted to Jesus Christ.That's what he's giving a nod to here at the end of this verse five. So he's telling them they need to wait. You're gonna go to Jerusalem and you're gonna wait for the Spirit to come upon you. And then you're going to begin to see this wonderful redemption plan that's going to unfold. And the rest of the book of Acts is how that plan unfolds. God in his people with them, bringing them into his mission to reach the nations.And I personally am very thankful that God brings us out of the stands and into the game so that we get to participate with our God in doing the most important eternal work there is. Around this time every year, I get excited because football is not far away. Okay. I love football. It's my favorite sport. I like other sports.Football is my favorite. I like how in August as the first game approaches, how delusional I get into thinking I will convince myself by the end of August that Lenora Sellers may be a Heisman candidate for the University of South Carolina. It's going to happen. I can convince myself of that delusion while also know I can't wait for the disappointment. It's going to be so exciting. I hold those two intention simultaneously and I get excited because I love watching the Gamecocks.I love watching us take on like blue blooded SEC programs like Kentucky and Mississippi State on the SEC Plus Network where we usually play. I just I look forward to it. I like pro football. I like watching. I'm a huge Indianapolis Colts fan. I love watching every season.I was like one time we won the Super Bowl in my entire life and I enjoy doing it. I love watching it. But let me tell you something. When I play football, I had way more fun. When I got to play football growing up, I mean Friday nights were way better than Saturday mornings in the stands. Friday nights in the field were far superior to ever watching something on TV or being there in person to watch it.No, it was a lot more rewarding, a lot more fun to be in the game playing. And what I appreciate about our God is that this wonderful redemption plan that He has given us, that He's unfolding for us, we get to participate in. That we get to wait for the power of God to come upon us and we get to be obedient to where He calls us to go. We get to see the spirit change people's lives. Guys, there's nothing more wonderful in this world than declaring the good news of Jesus Christ to someone who does not believe. And then God goes to work in their heart, brings them to faith in Jesus Christ.And then 10,000 years from now, you are standing in the presence of Christ with that brother's sister because you leveraged your life now for eternity. There is nothing more important. There's nothing more glorious. There's nothing more wonderful. And none of that happens unless the Holy Spirit is present. None of that happens unless the Spirit goes to work.We're like little kids that just want to get in the game and we're like three feet tall and we want to dunk a basketball and we can jump two inches off the ground and we're dreaming up just I want to dunk it and then we get picked up and we get to participate. And that's what the spirit does in us. He works in us in a way where we get to be a part of this, the Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world. That's what all of this is about. And that's what we're gonna see throughout the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world.I just want to give you a preview of what's ahead. I want us to see how this this theme of the Holy Spirit and God's church taking Jesus to the world, how it shows up all over the place. Because we'll work through Acts 1, then we'll get to Acts 2. And in Acts 2 we're gonna see at the festival of Pentecost where all the Jews are coming in to celebrate that at the right time the Holy Spirit will descend upon the church. And then Peter who, think about this, just six weeks before that was denying Jesus Christ repeatedly, stands up what we'll see at Pentecost and preaches a sermon where 3,000 plus people, their eternity has changed and the church begins.And then we're gonna watch from Acts 3 to Acts 6 as the church explodes in Jerusalem. The Spirit working in profoundly wonderful ways as people are being changed. And with that comes what Jesus promised. That if you declare the good news of Jesus Christ, you will be persecuted. You will suffer and they do. And as the church begins to declare the good news of Jesus Christ and powerful, wonderful things begin to happen, the church begins to be persecuted.And that comes to the head in Acts 7 when Stephen, a servant of Jesus Christ, is declaring the gospel and he's murdered and martyred for his faith. And then we'll see how the Spirit uses that. Because the Spirit uses that to expand the church further. When we get to Acts 8 we'll see how this plan is unfolding because they're gonna spread when they're being persecuted into Samaria, into Syria. And now the gospel is spreading. And then we'll follow this as Acts 10 to Acts 12 we'll see the finally how the Gentiles are included and how God works in that.We'll see in Acts 13 at Antioch when the church is commissioned and Paul and Barnabas are sent to go and take the gospel to Asia Minor into Europe and the gospel begins to spread from Acts 13 to Acts 20 all over from Turkey to Greece. The gospel begins to go everywhere. And then as we finish the book of Acts we're gonna see in Acts 21 to 26 when Paul is giving a defense for the gospel as being persecuted, being imprisoned, and that he uses his imprisonment for the gospel to go forward. He uses imprisonment to get the gospel to Rome. He's like I want to get to Rome. So I'm gonna be in prison and that's where I'm going.And then Acts 27 there's a shipwreck and then Acts 28 he finally gets there. And what I love about Acts 28 is when he gets there guess what there are any Christians there. That's what God does. He keeps working in lots of different people. But you keep reading this the Holy Spirit and God's church taking Jesus to the world.You keep following chapter after chapter after chapter and then all of a sudden you get to 28 you get done reading it and it just ends. It's like Luke just dropped the pen and said I'm done. It's the wildest thing. Go read through the book of Acts. I encourage you guys as we start this series go read through the whole book. And you get to the end and it's just like this isn't complete.And we know that Luke knows how to write a story because you can read the gospel of Luke and you can see such compelling story arc and how it and it just that's not we just have this rising tension and it just stops. He just quits writing and it's clearly so incomplete. It's not like any other book in the Bible just stops. And the question that should linger is why. Why? Why is it just that?And the answer is because the story isn't finished. Acts continues. The story isn't finished. The gospel is still trying. We're still taking the gospel to every tribe nation and tongue. The story isn't over.The church keeps going. Years ago there were some clever Christians that came up with a church network name called Acts 29. Which was brilliant. But it was a statement on it keeps going. That we are living and Acts continues. That the story continues.And it does. It continued in the first century as the gospel spread from North Africa to as far as Spain over to India and to Asia. The gospel spread as of the next few centuries as the church began to be further established as they were once a persecuted minority. Faith becomes a majority faith in the Roman empire. And the church begins to grow and to expand and that eventually you follow the centuries and centuries later that there were some Christians who were being persecuted for their faith by the established church of England. And they say we want to go to this new place called America.And they travel to America and that kind of starts a big wave of Christians moving and pastors moving and missionaries moving to America. And eventually you saw land in this state where they start churches from the coast up to the upstate. And eventually at around the early 1900s people came to this part of the river and they began a new church. First Baptist Church of Casey. And this church ministered for a century and then all of a sudden another church started up in the area of Mill City Church. And then a few years later we merged together as one church, Mill City Church.And the spirit is still at work taking Jesus to the world. And what I love is that if you've ever read a book, you ever watched a movie that leaves the ending ambiguous? That leaves a cliffhanger? Instead of getting frustrated, what I like to do is I like to dream a bit. I like to imagine what actually is going on and what could be. Like if you watch the movie Inception, you get to imagine does the top fall or does it keep spinning?And you get to dream a bit about what that can be. If you read a book like The Giver, you get to imagine does he make it? Did he die in the snow or did he make it to experience reality? Whatever story has this ambiguous ending that is unclear, you get to dream a little bit about what that gets to be. And when you read the book of Acts, what I want us to do is I want us to dream a little bit. When we walk through this series, I want to dream about what can be.That if the Holy Spirit is at work in the church to take Jesus to the world, then let's dream a little bit. Because I'll tell you something, we dreamed for years about doing what we just prayed about earlier. For years we dreamed about planting a church. We want to multiply this church. We want to expand to a different part of the city. And then finally God put the pieces together.And if you've been here the last six months, you remember to hear this story. And I'm excited about sending out Oak Ridge. I'm excited about our little small version of Acts continued that we get to do. I'm excited that Mike who is just standing up here and that Isaac get to head out with right now it seems like 60 of y'all counting to go and take the gospel to a very strategic place on exit 51 to reach that part of Lexington that expands all the way into Gilbert and as far as Leesville. Like I'm pumped about that. But if we do that and we go, yes, we did it.We nailed it. We accomplished it. Then we missed it. If we think we've arrived at this, if we think that Jesus Christ's blood was poured out and wrath came upon him, that he conquered death at the resurrection, that he ascended to the right hand of God the Father to be king over all of creation, that the Holy Spirit descended upon the church for just Mill City in Oak Ridge. We missed it. So we need to dream a little bit.We need to dream about what can be. Dream about how God can continue to work because we got work to do. I'm gonna put up a timeline that'll hopefully help visualize this. You can go to that slide. Christ ascended almost 2,000 years ago. Like literally we're getting close to almost literally 2,000 years ago.Okay. At some point he's promised he's going to come back. He's going to return. Now you go to the next slide. I don't know where we are in this timeline. Don't get hung up on this.If you were in the book of Revelation, it's clear that you know we don't know where we are in this timeline, but we're somewhere in the middle of this. Now this expands for thousands of years. We've got a small place in that timeline where we have work to do until he comes back. And we should dream about what that gets to be. Because here's the deal. We've talked about this and we'll keep saying this, that once we set out Oak Ridge, everyone has work to do.There's no neutrality in how this is going down in January. Oak Ridge is going out and they've got work to do. And everyone who's staying here, we have work to do. So I want you to dream. How are we going to be obedient to the call to go and make disciples? How are we going to do that in our version of the Acts-continued story?What are we going to do? I want to give you some considerations for how you should think of this. Some of you need to start taking your faith more seriously. Some of you come on Sundays and you go to a group and or hopefully both. But what it has largely been is a time for you to be filled up.And don't miss something. We want we want you to be filled up. We want you to grow in maturity. But maturity in Christ is not just consuming and being filled up. It's pouring out. That God fills us so that we might multiply ourselves into others.That we might make disciples. The great commission is to make disciples. And some of you need to press into maturity. You get the wonderful opportunity to do that. You get to go deeper into the Bible, deeper into the discipline of prayer. You get to help you have a zeal for evangelizing, for sharing the gospel with your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers.And then I hope you get people that are coming around that don't know Jesus or just new to Jesus and you get to sit with them and point them to who Jesus Christ is and say, come follow me as I follow Christ. There's no better way to use your life than for the sake of helping others know Christ. And you get to. And this next season, you get to be a disciple maker. Some of you will have the opportunity to become a leader in training in your group. And you should take it and you should want this because community groups are the means by which we advance the mission in our city.Okay. Our groups are how we reach our city and our group leaders, you can talk to them. Leading a group is wonderful, but it's also quite difficult at times because the good work that God calls us to do is difficult. That's told to us. And what you get to be as a leader in training is not only grow in knowing more of Christ and maturity, but you get to be a helpful and healthy part of your group. You get to breathe life into your group that when everyone just opts out last minute and the person who was supposed to bring the meat just says, I got the sniffles and I'm out.But you're just like, I'm okay. Well, I'm jumping in. What do you need? That you're going to be a helpful part of your group. And some of you should aspire to them. You should want that.You should want to be a leader. You should want to say, hey, come follow me as I follow Christ. And I want to follow you as you're following Christ. We should want that. There's another thing I want to point out. And when I say this, this is autobiographical.When I led a group, it's reality in my group. Now, I already told my group leader, I'm like, this isn't, this is, this is not just us. This is widespread, but I want to put up group content for a moment. All right. This is last week's group content. This is second Samuel.We have five different versions of group content that show up. It's typically this format. If you're not in a group, you should be in a group and you'll see this and it's pretty great, but there's a gospel centered section. There's a community section. There's on mission section. Something that I've noticed that happens in not just my group, but in a lot of groups is that we will love discussing the Bible.We will love getting deep. We'll get the community and everyone has updates and we'll share and we'll talk. And then all of a sudden it's like time to leave and kids are going crazy and someone hurt themselves. And, and, and, you know, because they ran into the wall or something downstairs, not a, not an adult, but a child. And then it's on mission and it's like, ah, we should do it, right? Yeah.Cool. All right. Let's go home. I'm not going to ask you to show your hands, but how many times does that get buried? That's an afterthought. And it's like that, that needs to come to the foreground.There might be weeks where it's just like, ah, you know what? I love, but let's, we're eating a meal. Let's, let's, let's share some life updates. Let's, let's have some time for this. Let's not miss this because we have friends and neighbors and coworkers who we need to understand the eternal situation that right now they are journeying towards an eternity under the wrath of God because of their sin.And the church is plan a for advancing. You are the person that God has put in their life to tell them Jesus is better, that, that eternity is real and God wants you and is for you and desires you. And it's you. And we need to remember that because what could happen when you get to a church of our size is that you can get comfortable and you can think there isn't a need, but there is. And we can't miss that for a moment. So some of you, some of us need to regain our missional hustle in this season as we dream about what we could be in this Acts continued story.Some of us, some of you need to step up and serve. We've run some Numbers that are out of retreat. We kind of looked at all this stuff. There are 58 members of our church who currently do not serve in any capacity. Now there are some folks who have very, very real legitimate excuses, members of our church who have legitimate excuses for why that cannot happen.But there's a lot that don't. And here's the problem. There's 58 members of our church right now who've set in their commitment. They're committed to serving the church, but they're not serving in any capacity. When we send out Oak Ridge, there's going to be that number drops to 54. Now that tells us a couple things.First Oak Ridge is about to go out with a bunch of people who've served for years. And what Mike and Isaac are going to tell you is guess what? There's more where that came from. You got more work to do there. But what that means for us is that we're losing a big part of our church that has served for years.Like if I put up a chart right now, which I don't have, but if I put up a chart of all the different areas that people serve in our church and I just put in bright colors all the different people who've committed to go to the Oak Ridge church plan and the next slide, after they're gone, it just gets real dark. And it's because we will have opportunities for everyone to pick up a shovel and go. And I'm excited about that. I think you should be too excited about the opportunity to step into Kid City and breathe life into it, to our kids excited to step into hospitality and into groups and a bunch of different ways and to serve and to hustle and to grind because Jesus Christ is worth it.He's worthy of our worship and our service that is worthy of the gospel going forward. We're going to have a variety of ways that we get to dream. And I want you to dream. I want you to have personal dreams where you pray about this. I hope the series of Acts opens that up for you. I've got some.I want to share one of just one that's personal to me. That I feel called to this land and in this area. All right. That wasn't always the case. At one point when I went to seminary, I was like, I'm never coming back. I said it out loud.I'm never coming back. And I came back. Let me tell you something. I love this people. I love this place. Okay.My family history, they came over like 300 years ago to Pelion and they like never left. Like Pillion, West Columbia, Casey Lexington, you draw a triangle and my people have posted up in that area for 300 years. And I personally, I want this part of the Midlands, I want the Midlands to see scores and hundreds and thousands of people come to Christ. Because there's so, I know you think there's, there's lots of people that are, there's lots of churches that there are thousands of people in and around you that do not know and are not following Jesus Christ. And what I'm also seeing is that there are a lot of churches in our area that are dying as a statistical fact.There are a lot of churches in our area that are running in the red financially, that if they lose a few members, they're losing a big part of their church. They're physically dying. They are like a roof replacement away from just, it just have to shut the doors. My personal dream right now is that I want to see men in this church aspire to the office of overseer elder pastor. I want to see men in this church who want to step up and become pastors and pastor churches in this area over the next 10 years that need to be replanted, that need to be revitalized, that need life again. And right now there's a massive pastor shortage across the country.There's a massive pastor shortage. There's a bunch of boomers who are retiring, who are dying, and it's not being filled with younger generations. So what I want to see is men in this church. I want you to pray some dangerous prayers and I want you to ask, do I need to be the kind of man of character that says, follow me as I follow Christ as I shepherd the people of God here or somewhere else? And that's my personal part of the dream. And for the next 10 years, I want to see that happen all over the city.I want 50 years from now the Midlands to look dramatically different in churches because for the next 10 years, we leveraged our time, our energy, our money, and our people to send out pastors and teams of people to go and make more disciples in this city. And I want it to go further because it's been a few years since we have sent a missionary to the foreign mission field. It's been a few years and there are unreached peoples that get the smallest amount of resources and people. And some of you need to go and you don't need to be here in five years. And some of you need to have a conversation with Ben Johnson at 1040 Hub with Tim.Where's he at? Tim Rice over there, who works with IMB. We got missions, opportunities, good Lord. I'd love to see someone go to the nations, but we're going to have to pray and we're going to have to dream and we're going to have to own our part of the Acts-continued story. So in this next season, let's dream a little bit.Let's pray some dangerous prayers. Let's let the Holy Spirit work in a way that gets us in the game. Let's be obedient even when it feels risky, even when it feels uncomfortable. Let's own our part of our very small part, but important part of the story of the Holy Spirit and His Church taking Jesus to this city and the world. Let's pray.Heavenly Father, I pray that You might work in us in this season to stir us towards faith and trusting You. And the fruit of that would show up in beautiful, eternal ways. God, that first means that in this season there are people that do not know You that need to. There are people in this room who do not know You, have not surrendered their life to You, do not see You as Lord, and they need to. And I pray that You open their eyes to who You are and a baptism of the Holy Spirit would take over their lives. God, there are folks in this room that are going, that are going with Oak Ridge, and I am so thankful for their obedience to go, to be uncomfortable, to take risks.Lord, may You bless their labor, and may there be people in the kingdom of God a thousand years from now because they were obedient to go. And God, may You stir in us. May You give us a hustle. May You empower us for the good work that You have right here and beyond for years to come. In Jesus' name, amen.Transcript

Year A – Pentecost 10; Lectionary 18 – August 2, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd             Romans 9:1-5   Grace and peace to you from God, who is faithful and trustworthy, from the Holy Spirit, who is with us always, and from Jesus Christ, the source of our salvation. Amen. *** In that passage from Romans that Tabitha just read… could you hear the heartbreak in Paul's words? Could you hear his anguish over his Jewish siblings who had not come to follow Christ? He muses on the possibility of giving up his own place with Jesus… if only it meant they would not be forgotten. Just as Moses tried to offer himself up as a sacrifice for his people after the regrettable golden calf incident… Paul offers himself. Except… God's gifts are not ours to trade, and his sacrifice is not needed, for our God is full of compassion, and God's promises are grounded in mercy. This brief passage from Romans marks the beginning of Paul's lengthy theological wrestling with how God's covenant with Israel remains trustworthy even as he has been called to proclaim the risen Christ to the Gentiles. It comes immediately after one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture—that triumphant declaration that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And then… almost without warning, Paul is overcome with sorrow. He doesn't launch the next theological point with an argument… He begins with tears. This past Thursday evening, the book study group spent some time talking about Abraham Lincoln, which got me thinking. History reminds us that Lincoln's views on slavery developed over time. Early in the Civil War, he often spoke of preserving the Union as his highest constitutional duty. Yet after years of unimaginable suffering, after hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost, he stood before the nation at his Second Inaugural Address and called the country not to vengeance, but to healing: "With malice toward none; with charity for all." Winning the war was one thing, but… healing the nation was another. There is an enormous difference between winning an argument and loving people. Paul could have begun Romans 9 by praising himself for being on the right team… but instead, he says, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart." That is what the love of Christ looks like. …Paul's anguish is not rooted in judgment. It is rooted in love. He is a Jewish man whose heart is breaking because the people he loves most have not come to know Christ as he has… He has not stopped loving them. He has not written them off… He has not declared them beyond God's reach. His heart aches because they are still his family… and isn't that a feeling we know? Perhaps your heart aches for a child who no longer comes to church. A spouse who once believed but no longer does. …A sibling who walked away after being hurt. A dear friend whose faith quietly faded. Maybe you have sat in worship and instinctively looked toward the place where someone used to sit. There is grief in those empty places. Sometimes people leave because life pulls them in different directions. Sometimes they leave because they no longer recognize Christ in the church. And sometimes… and we must confess this honestly… sometimes they leave because the church has pushed them away. Our LGBTQIA+ siblings. People living with disabilities whose gifts were overlooked. People who asked hard questions. …People who never quite fit the mold. We print "All Are Welcome" on our signs... We proclaim it from our pulpits. But sometimes… unintentionally… our actions tell another story. However a person leaves… it hurts. …Paul understands that pain. But beneath Paul's grief is an even deeper question. Can God be trusted? If God's chosen people have not all embraced Christ, have God's promises somehow failed? That is the question Paul spends the next three chapters wrestling with. Truthfully, it is our question too. Can I trust God? …Can I trust grace? Can I trust forgiveness? …Can I trust that God's promises really are for me… or do I still have to prove myself? We live in a world that teaches us every blessing must be earned. Work harder. …Do better. …Be more successful. Even in the church, we quietly slip back into believing that if we pray enough, serve enough, forgive enough, then maybe God will be pleased with us. We do this… even as we know better. We preach grace… and yet we keep trying to earn what has always been God's gift. This is what drove Martin Luther nearly mad until he followed Paul's writing through the theological working out that finally led him… to grace. (…and a complete, unintended reformation of the Catholic church) Paul wrote, "I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people." It is a breathtaking statement… but Paul cannot save them any more than we save the people we love. Because Christ already has. Paul says, "I wish I could offer myself." …and Jesus says, "I already have." That is the Gospel… right there in a nutshell. Christ has already carried the burden we cannot carry. Christ has already accomplished the salvation we could never accomplish. Which means the fate of those we love does not rest on our shoulders. It rests in the hands of the God whose mercy is deeper than our understanding and whose faithfulness is greater than our fears. As theologian Mary Beth Anton reminds us, Paul ultimately must place his beloved people into God's hands… and so must we. Perhaps that is why I love what happens every time we share the meal of holy communion. The bread is broken, the wine is poured… Christ gathers us together. And yet… I suspect… every one of us can think of someone we wish were here with us. Someone whose voice used to join ours in singing. …Someone who drifted away. Maybe someone who was wounded by the church… or someone who is angry with God. Every Communion table has empty places we wish were filled. …Paul knows exactly what that feels like. But this table also reminds us of something else. This table does not belong to us. It belongs to Christ, and it is Christ who invites us… who welcomes us… and it is Christ who feeds us. Jesus Christ… who gives himself for the life of the world. The promises made here do not depend upon our worthiness. …They depend upon God's faithfulness. That is why Paul continues his wrestling all the way through Romans 11 before arriving at one of the most beautiful conclusions: "The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Rom 11:29) Not temporary or conditional. They are irrevocable. And then he goes even further: "For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that God may be merciful to all." (Rom 11:32) Paul does not say God is merciful only to those who have earned it… He says God's mercy is for all… because every one of us stands in need of it. Our Jewish ancestors were the first recipients of God's covenants, God's promises, God's steadfast love. Through Christ, we have been graciously grafted into that same family tree. We have not replaced them; we have been welcomed alongside them into God's unfolding story of salvation. And the God who was faithful to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah is the same faithful God who remains true to every promise made in Christ. That is why theology should never become detached from compassion. If our understanding of God does not make us love more deeply, then we have misunderstood God.    (x2) Every page of Scripture tells the story of our God whose mercy continually reaches farther than we imagined. It tells of our God in Christ who feeds the hungry because he has compassion for them… stories of our God who refuses to abandon God's people. Story after story of our God whose love is stronger than our failures… whose promises are trustworthy even when we cannot yet see how they will be fulfilled. So today, we come to this table with gratitude, carrying the names of people we love. We bring our grief and our questions… and even our doubts. We come wondering how God is still at work in lives we cannot control. And Christ places bread into our hands and says, "This is my body, given for you." Not because we earned it, or because we understood everything. …But because mercy is who God is. And when we leave this place, we'll go… trusting what Paul finally came to trust: that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable… and that nothing will ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And because that promise is true, we can live with hope instead of despair, and with hearts that are continually shaped by the mercy we ourselves have received. Amen.

God shows no partiality in making the gospel available to all people.

3 John 1-7 (KJV) The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

3 John 1-7 (KJV) The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

In this evening message from Acts 10:1-8, Pastor Rockhill turns the congregation's attention to Cornelius, a Roman centurion of the Italian Regiment stationed in Caesarea. Though a Gentile of Gentiles—neither ethnically, religiously, nor ceremonially a Jew—Cornelius is presented as a devout God-fearer whose faith was sincere, whose household shared his devotion, and whose life overflowed with constant prayer and generous alms toward the poor. Pastor Rockhill's central burden is that God truly hears and receives the prayers and worship of His people. When the angel declares that Cornelius' prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God, echoing the grain offering of Leviticus 2, we learn that this Gentile's worship was accepted as a sweet-smelling aroma even though he was barred from the temple. Here the fulfillment of the covenant promise to Abraham comes into view, as the gospel presses beyond Israel to the Gentiles and the wall of separation begins to fall. Doctrinally, the sermon highlights worship in spirit and truth, the sufficiency of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice, and God's providential ordering of the encounter that will prepare both Cornelius and Peter. Pastor Rockhill draws a tender application for the believer: though we receive no angelic visitation, we may rest assured that in Christ our great High Priest, God is mindful of us, hears our prayers, and answers by the working of His Spirit, all to the glory of His name.

WATCH NOW:  “Trust God & His Word, Step 1” – Rabbi Steve Weiler (07/18/2026)Shabbat Service, July 18, 2026More videos available on the Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Tampa Youtube channel https://youtu.be/bGGgcarEdJM Copyright Licensing InformationCCLI Profile #: 3931821Shoresh David is a congregation where Jews and Gentiles worship together. Whether you are an interfaith couple, Jewish person or a Christian, Shoresh David is a place where you can belong.  We look forward to seeing you at Services. Shalom!Website: http://www.shoreshdavid.orgFacebook: http://facebook.com/shoreshdavid - You can watch services live, Friday night 7:00pm ET / Saturday morning 11:00am ET via the Shoresh David Facebook Page.Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Tampa4320 W Bay to Bay Blvd, Tampa, FL 33629Phone: (813) 831-5673#messianicjudaism #yeshua #tampaSupport the show

In this series, Pastor Trenton Cruse takes a journey through the book of 1 Peter. Peter when writing to the Gentiles in Asia discussed how to remain strong, even in the midst of persecution; these same principles can be applied today...(1 Peter 1:13-25)

What if the biggest threat to your church isn't disagreement—but trying to create unity without the Holy Spirit?In Acts 11, the early church faced one of its greatest challenges. Jews and Gentiles were coming together for the first time, old prejudices were being broken, and God was doing something no one expected. What kept the church from falling apart wasn't better organization or stronger personalities—it was the leadership of the Holy Spirit.In this message, you'll discover how the Holy Spirit leads individual believers, guides the entire church, confirms His work through other Christians, and produces a unity that no human effort can manufacture. You'll also learn why many modern ideas of church unity fall short of God's design and how true unity is always built on biblical truth, not compromise.If you've ever wondered how to recognize God's leading, how churches should make important decisions, or what genuine Christian unity really looks like, Acts 11 gives a timeless answer. You'll see how Peter, Barnabas, and the believers in Antioch followed the Spirit's direction and became part of one of the greatest movements in church history. Watch until the end to discover the simple principle that unites believers across every background, personality, and culture—and why losing it leads to confusion instead of revival. If this message encouraged you, consider subscribing for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching and biblical preaching that helps you know Christ, follow the Holy Spirit, and live out your faith.

3 John 1-7 (KJV) The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

God judges us all, Gentile and Jew. For more on reading through the Bible, click here to visit my website. Have any questions or comments? Email me: pastor@tcnd.org. Produced by Wessler Media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://square.link/u/UHRU92rp - Donate HereToday's reading takes us to Romans 9, where Paul carries a deep burden for Israel and points us back to Hosea. After showing that all mankind is guilty, that God saves, secures, and sanctifies by His grace, Paul turns his attention to the people of Israel and reminds us that God's promises have not failed. His mercy is His to give, and the Creator has authority over His creation.Romans 9 uses Hosea's language to show the stunning reach of God's love: those once called “not my people” are now called “my people.” In Christ, Jews and Gentiles are brought into the family of God, adopted by grace and loved with covenant mercy. So today, read Romans 9 and remember: if you have been bought by the blood of Jesus, you belong to Him.

Saturday, 1 August 2026   So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Matthew 21:39   “And having taken him, they ejected from the vineyard, and they killed.” (CG)   In the previous verse, the agronomists saw the son and plotted to kill him and take his inheritance. Following through with their plot, it next says, “And having taken him, they ejected from the vineyard.”   As has been seen, the vineyard represents the economy (a cultural expression) where God is dealing with man in order to bring about a result. Therefore, this refers to Jesus being handed over to the Gentiles for sentencing. It was essentially an act of excommunication from them by doing this.   Barabbas was under the Gentile's full authority. The leaders of Israel asked for him to be returned to them and for Jesus to go under their full authority to be crucified. This is what happened. Thus, Jesus' next words, “and they killed.”   Whether they actually did the killing or not, the guilt of it was theirs –   “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.' 25 And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children.' 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.” Matthew 27:24-26   Through the parable, Jesus is already speaking of His death as a certainty. It is certain that the handing of Jesus over to the Gentiles is what is being referred to in being ejected from the vineyard because Mark reverses the two thoughts, saying they killed him and cast him out. This remains true because they did kill Jesus, and they disavowed Him as the Messiah.   As such, being cast out is not a reference to Jesus' death outside the city walls. It is a reference to being cast out of the cultural expression where God is dealing with man. Instead, Jesus has been a part of the Gentile-led cultural expression since then. Israel has no national dealings with Him to this day.   Life application: Of this verse, Ellicott says –   “Cast him out of the vineyard.—The minor touches of a parable are not always to be pressed in our interpretation of it; but we can hardly help seeing here a latent reference to the facts (1) that our Lord was delivered over to the judgment of the Gentiles; and (2) that He was crucified outside the Holy City, (John 19:20; Hebrews 13:12), which was, in a special sense, as the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts.”   The minor touches of a parable are a part of the parable. If God is giving it to us, every touch of it has meaning. Because Ellicott misunderstood the typology of the vineyard, he incorrectly evaluated the meaning of the vineyard. Jerusalem may be the seat of power in the vineyard, but it is not the vineyard.   Jesus is building on the words of Isaiah. The vineyard is referred to in Isaiah 1:8 and 3:14. From there, Isaiah 5:1-7, a song of His Beloved “regarding His vineyard,” is given. The words of verse 7 say, “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel.” It is the cultural expression that defines the vineyard.   Jesus' words remain in accord with this typology. Therefore, the metaphors being used are understandable and should be consistently maintained. When they are, there is no need to worry about the “minor touches” of a parable, as if they are unimportant. They will fit seamlessly with the larger details.   Someday, Israel will again be the cultural expression in which Jesus is proclaimed. The world is being readied for that today. After the rapture, things will go into hyperdrive as the world begins to tear itself apart. However, God's plan will unfold as the pages of Scripture detail. Israel will be saved, and Jesus will return to them at that time.   Be firm in your convictions concerning Israel. Many are turning from them today, and that is fine in regard to their unholy practices. But it is not fine if we reject what God is doing to bring them back to Himself. We don't have to like the things they do, but we should pray for God's will to be done in and through them. And because the pages of Scripture are written, we know it will be.   Lord God, we pray for Your plan of redemption to continue to unfold, knowing that it will because You have spoken. We pray for deliverance at the rapture, safety for Israel through the tribulation, and a great reunion of them with Jesus, whom they have for so long rejected. May these things come about according to Your word. Amen.

A @Christadelphians Video: # The Good News #3: At the Lord's Table**[Actual, provable Bible Truth]** The Roman Empire had no word for what believers do at the Lord's Table. Their concept of religion (religio) meant transactional civic duty—"I give so that you may give"—with no room for love or heart transformation. Into this world, the simple bread and wine of Christ's memorial meal arrived as a social earthquake disguised as a supper. This is the good news that changed everything.We explore how the first-century believers turned Roman religion completely inside out. No priest, no altar, no incense—just ordinary people gathering as a royal priesthood. What the Romans dismissed as "depraved superstition" became the most revolutionary force the Empire had ever witnessed.David Fraser reveals the stunning contrast between Rome's empty ritual and the vibrant fellowship of Christ's Table. Where Rome's gods demanded appeasement through exact performance, our God invites us to approach His throne with boldness. Where Roman society stratified by birth and status, the Lord's Table brought slave and master, Jew and Gentile, male and female together as one in Christ.The Table looks back to Christ's sacrifice and forward to the great feast on the mountain when death itself will be swallowed up in victory. Every time we break bread, we're not just remembering—we're proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. It's an appetizer for the main course that Yahweh Himself will provide.## Chapters00:00 - Introduction: An Ordinary Act in a Roman World01:33 - Understanding Roman "Religio": Civic Duty Without Love05:50 - The Transactional Nature of Roman Worship08:37 - Christianity Labelled "Superstition" by the Empire10:18 - The Roman Altar: A Grim Spectacle of Performance12:02 - The Lord's Table: Turning Religion Inside Out14:22 - Every Believer a Priest in Christ15:32 - Liberation for Slaves and the Lowly16:57 - Fellowship That Shattered Social Barriers18:27 - Paul's Rebuke of the Wealthy Corinthians21:46 - Christ's Calling: A New Family United23:32 - Christianity: Neither Ritual Nor Philosophy, But a Way of Living25:07 - The Early Church's Radical Compassion28:06 - The Upper Room: Christ Kneels to Wash Feet30:20 - The Passover Becomes Christ's Liberation Meal32:10 - Confessing Jesus as Lord in Caesar's World33:42 - A Living Hope for the Future35:21 - The Parousia: Christ's Royal Coming36:29 - A Foretaste of the Feast on the Mountain38:33 - Roman Emptiness vs. Resurrection Hope39:09 - Examining Ourselves Before the Table40:29 - The Return of Religio: A Warning for Today41:57 - Faith Asks: What Has God Done for Me?43:26 - God Feeds Us: The Table Runs Opposite to Rome45:14 - Conclusion: Your God Reigns## Bible Verse Category

Sermon Title: The Faith of the Fathers Core Theme: Understanding, valuing, and walking in the biblical technology of faith by following the examples, characteristics, and unwavering faith of the patriarchs of old. Part I: Foundations of Faith & The Apostolic Gathering 1. Introduction & The Apostolic Context The Nature of an Apostolic Gathering: In an apostolic gathering, God delivers assigned or sent messages designed to bring transformation, position the church for an unusual manifestation of power, heal sicknesses, and deliver people from oppressions. The Danger of Distraction: Many believers miss out on their breakthroughs because of distractions (e.g., admiring outfits, side conversations, checking phones). Just as God put Adam into a deep sleep to form Eve without distraction, God requires deep attentiveness so believers do not miss the specific, life-altering words designed for them. Biblical Example: In Acts 3, Peter and John told the lame man, "Look on us." Attention is required to receive a miracle; distraction robs people of their blessings. 2. The Supremacy and Vital Importance of Faith Foundation of Christianity: There is no Christianity without faith. Salvation, experiences of God, pleasing God, and receiving inheritance are all accessed through faith. Guarding Against End-Time Obsolete Elements: Loss of Genuine Love for God: Revelation 2:4-5 warns against leaving one's first love. Matthew 24:12 notes that in the end times, iniquity will abound and the love of many will wax cold, causing people to love pleasure more than God. Loss of Faith: Luke 18:8 asks, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Hebrews 10:23 commands believers to hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering and to assemble together to safeguard it. Contending for the Faith: Jude 1:3 urges believers to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Faith is a fight; believers must learn how to fight to maintain it (Hebrews 6:12). 3. The Faith of the Fathers (The Patriarchs) Definition of the Fathers: This refers to the biblical characters, apostles, and prophets from the Old and New Testaments (e.g., Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Elijah, Elisha, Apostle Paul, Jesus) who walked with God by faith. Hebrews 11 Overview (The Hall of Faith): Hebrews 11:1: Faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:2: "For by it the elders obtained a good report." The patriarchs obtained divine testimonies and good report cards of life through faith, not human effort. Why We Must Follow Their Faith: It is the established pattern and lifestyle of the Kingdom (Habakkuk 2:4: "The just shall live by his faith"). It is a guarantee of receiving the promises (Hebrews 6:12). It protects believers from self-glorification and self-dependence. 4. Faith vs. Works & Self-Glory The Error of Self-Justification: Romans 4:2-4 explains that if Abraham was justified by works, he would have something to boast about, but not before God. Human effort, self-confidence, and fleshly works always fail before God. When people rely on their own wealth, degrees, or abilities, it leads to pride and abomination before God (e.g., the rich fool in Luke 12, King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel). The DNA of Faith: Faith completely negates self-glory. True faith is anchored entirely on the goodness and grace of God, meaning God gets all the glory when breakthroughs happen. The Inclusion of the Uncircumcised: Romans 4:9-12 clarifies that Abraham's righteousness was accounted to him while he was uncircumcised. Circumcision was merely a sign/seal. This proves that both Jews and Gentiles can access this justification and inherit the promises simply by believing, regardless of background. Part II: Characteristics and Evidence of the Faith of the Fathers 1. Key Characteristics of the Faith of the Fathers To walk effectively in this dimension, believers must emulate the core characteristics displayed by the patriarchs: (1) Born Out of Intimacy: Real faith is birthed out of personal encounters and deep fellowship with God, not just copied principles (Romans 10:17: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"). Biblical Examples: Moses spoke with God face-to-face, "as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had life-altering personal encounters with God. Without intimacy, faith becomes weak. (2) Unwaving Trust in God's Abilities and Promises: The faith of the fathers maintains absolute confidence in God that does not shake under pressure or opposing circumstances (Romans 4:18-21 regarding Abraham; Hebrews 11:32-34). (3) Uncontested Obedience Despite the Cost: True faith obeys God completely, regardless of human logic or personal sacrifice. Biblical Example: Abraham demonstrated uncontested obedience when asked to offer Isaac (Genesis 22), calling his act of surrender "worship" (Genesis 22:5). (4) Persistence and Perseverance through Trials: James 1:2-4 encourages believers to count it all joy when facing trials because testing produces endurance. Biblical Example: David remained steadfast when facing Goliath (1 Samuel 17), viewing trials as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. Job maintained his trust through extreme suffering (Job 2:10, 42:10). (5) Willingness to Act Out Their Faith (Violent/Audacious Faith): Faith requires action and boldness. The fathers acted out their convictions with holy audacity—whether it was shutting mouths of lions, quenching fires, or stepping into impossible waters (Hebrews 11:33-34). 2. The Ultimate Benefits of Following Their Faith Nothing Shall Be Impossible: When operating in this realm of faith, impossibilities are eradicated (Mark 9:23). Pleasing God: Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Divine Positioning & Generational Legacy: Faith transfers blessings, changes family lineages (shifting families from poverty to abundance, or from obscurity to leadership like Joseph and David), and leaves a permanent mark of victory across generations. 3. Conclusion & Call to Action Stand Your Ground: Refuse to be moved by negative circumstances, family history, economic hardships, or medical reports. Make the Decision: Shift your focus from self-dependence and social media distractions to deep spiritual intimacy with God. The Final Declaration: As the year progresses toward its close, anchor your life on unwavering, unshakeable faith, and step boldly into the supernatural manifestations prepared for you in Christ.

Jesus did not come to start a new religion. In fact, the Bible says the Word is to be preached first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. In today's episode, join Rabbi Schneider as he explores the why the inclusion of Gentiles in the Gospel of Jesus contributed to the separation of Judaism and Christianity. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner  **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/g7x TITLE: Gentiles, Judaism, and Christianity (The Separation: Inclusion of the Gentiles)   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal delivers a rich expository sermon on James 5:1–6, one of the most striking prophetic passages in the New Testament epistles. Drawing on the Jewish literary and cultural context of James's original audience — Jewish Christians scattered from Jerusalem by persecution — Tony unpacks why this text is not a blanket condemnation of wealth, but a devastating judgment oracle against those who hoard riches and oppress the vulnerable. Along the way, he explores the eschatological weight of accumulated wealth, the theology of God's omniscient justice, and the stunning comfort available to the suffering believer. The episode closes by returning to James's thesis: that trials of every kind, including economic oppression, can be counted as joy because of who God is and what He has done in Christ. Key Takeaways James is a deeply Jewish book written to a specific audience — Jewish Christians dispersed from Jerusalem by Saul's persecution, not a general audience of wealthy or Gentile believers. The prophetic "Come now" signals a judgment oracle, not a direct address — James is not rebuking wealthy members of his congregation, but pronouncing eschatological judgment on oppressive landowners using a technique common in Amos, Malachi, and Micah. Hoarding wealth is not morally neutral — it is self-condemning — The corroded gold and moth-eaten garments are not just symbols of decay; they serve as legal evidence against those who refused to use their wealth for God's glory and the good of others. Withholding wages from laborers constitutes a form of murder — In the ancient world, depriving workers of their wages could literally cost them their lives. James draws on Old Testament law to frame predatory economic exploitation as a capital sin. God sees and hears the cries of the oppressed — The wages of defrauded workers "cry out" to the Lord of Hosts, echoing the blood of Abel in Genesis 4. God's justice is not passive or delayed out of ignorance — it is certain and coming. Matthew 25 reframes Christian mercy as care for the body of Christ — The sheep-and-goats judgment is not a general humanitarian mandate, but a specific call to care for persecuted brothers and sisters — and to recognize that mistreating them is mistreating Christ Himself. Trials are counted as joy through the doctrine of imputation — Suffering is not stripped of its pain, but it can be moved from the loss ledger to the profit column because God uses adversity as the instrument of sanctification and glorification. Key Concepts The Prophetic Address: Who Is James Actually Talking To? One of the most common misreadings of James 5:1–6 is assuming James is directly rebuking wealthy Christians in his own congregation. Tony Arsenal corrects this by grounding the passage in its literary and historical context. James employs a well-established prophetic technique — seen in Amos, Malachi, and Micah — of addressing an absent party in order to pronounce judgment on them, while simultaneously comforting those who overhear the oracle. His audience is the dispersed, impoverished Jewish Christians who fled Jerusalem under Saul's persecution. There were almost certainly no wealthy landowners in the room. The "Come now, you rich" is a judgment declaration directed outward, designed to assure the suffering poor that God has seen their oppressor and will act. Far from being a proof-text for radical poverty, the passage is a pastoral comfort wrapped in prophetic fire. Corroded Gold as Legal Evidence Against the Soul James's claim that gold and silver have "corroded" is deliberately shocking — and theologically precise. Gold, uniquely among metals in the ancient world, does not corrode. By saying it has already corroded, James is not making a metallurgical claim but a moral and eschatological one. The accumulated, hoarded wealth of the oppressor has lost its purpose. It sits idle while workers starve, and in doing so it becomes evidence — a legal witness — against its owner in the court of divine justice. Tony draws a direct line between this image and Jesus's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about treasures stored on earth being subject to moth and rust. Both brothers — Jesus and James — appear to be drawing on the same shared wisdom, likely rooted in the same household and the same mother's instruction. Unused wealth does not just fail to help others; it actively indicts its holder. Counting It All Joy: The Accounting Logic of Sanctification Tony closes the sermon by returning to James 1:2 — the thesis statement of the entire letter — and unpacking the word "count" as an accounting term, directly related to the doctrine of imputation. Just as righteousness is reckoned to the believer in justification, so suffering can be reckoned as joy in sanctification. This is not a call to pretend pain isn't real, or to perform contentment. It is a theological reframing: what belongs in the loss column of the ledger can, by faith, be moved to the profit side — not because the trial was pleasant, but because God is sovereign, good, and working all things toward the believer's conformity to the image of Christ. The oppressor means their wickedness for evil. God means it for glory. The supreme example is the cross itself — the only truly innocent man, suffering the worst evil ever committed, for the redemption of His people. Memorable Quotes The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you — and the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees you — and that should be a great source of comfort. Imputation is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the loss ledger — what should be an expense — and we're able to move it to the profit. Not because it didn't hurt, and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified. Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you." It's always a little, uh, strange to sort of jump into the middle of a series, and, um, you know, Wes is one of the most competent preachers that I know personally, so I trust that he has given you a good and satisfying overview. Uh, but I don't feel like I would be doing my responsibility if I didn't at least touch on a few things, uh, related to the, the intro to James that I think is relevant for this particular passage in a way that maybe is not relevant for the rest of the book. So some of this I hope is review, I, I anticipate is review, but I think it's worth, uh, touching on. James, as you know, is the, the half brother of Jesus. He was the leader of the Jerusalem church, and specifically he was sort of the figurehead of the Jewish church as a whole. Um, the Jewish church was the only church for the very early part of the church's growth. There were always, uh, Gentile believers. Even in the Old Testament, there were Gentiles who trusted in the Lord of Israel and the God of Israel. They were often called God-fearers. They rarely converted all the way to Judaism, but they were sort of seen as an attachment to the Jewish people. They didn't participate in all of the blessings of the Jewish people, but they did participate in most. They often had the same kind of protection. They were in a form of covenant with God. Um, they were able to worship and offer sacrifices. The temple itself had a whole portion of the temple dedicated called the Court of Gentiles, specifically for these Jewish worshipers. And as the church spread, primarily through persecution, which we'll touch base on here in a minute, as the church spread out from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth, it took on a, an increasingly Gentile Greek flavor. As more and more primarily initially Greek converts came into the church, and then of course, as it spread to other sort of non-Hellenistic lands, other, other types of people, other nations, other people groups joined the church, the scriptures which-- the New Testament we receive primarily from Paul, at least in terms of the epistles, um, also began to take on a more Gentile flavor. Not because Paul was a Gentile, but because Paul was ministering primarily to Gentiles What we'll see here is that James is a very Jewish book. I'm sure that along the way there's been several kinds of things pointed out to you to show that, but I wanna show a couple things that not only establish James as the author, James the brother of, of Jesus, but also root the, not only the author, but the audience in a distinctly Jewish Christian, uh, context. So you don't have to turn there, I'll read this, but in Acts, uh, 15, which is the, the great Jerusalem Council, uh, we read this. It says, "With the following letter..." So the, the council meets, they make a decision about what k- what parts of the Jewish law were going to be commended to and recommended, uh, and required for the Christian believers, the Gentile Christian believers, and when they're done, they send this letter to all of, all of the churches. And it says, "With the following letter, the brothers, both apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are at, of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings." Now, I don't know about you, but I always sign my emails the same way, right? I've got, like, my work signature that I have to use, that the, the hospital makes me use with all the proper formatting and colors and fonts, but I always have the same signature. Mine is very simple. I just say, "Thanks," right? I just sign it as, "Thanks," above my signature, and I'm sure you all have that sort of characteristic way you sign a s- sign an email, or maybe it's the way you say goodbye at the end of a phone call. My father-in-law always says, "So long," which is a phrase you don't hear very often, so it's very distinct to him. We all have these little tells in our communication that sort of tip off who they're from. If you turn quickly back over to James 1, so just flip the page, uh, to the left here, he starts his letter by saying, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, greetings." It's the only two letters in the New Testament that we have where the author identifies himself, sends to a sort of generalized audience, and then signs it, "Greetings." Now, James, the brother of Jesus, was the leader of the Jerusalem Church. He was the leader of the Jewish ch- the Jewish Church in general, and he signed the letter coming from the Acts Council as sort of the presiding minister. If, if we were, y- you might call them, like, the moderator of your business meeting, or we would call them the moderator of our presbytery or our session in the Presbyterian context I come from. He was the one who sort of, like, presided over there, and so the letter that went out to the churches was signed in his name and written, drafted by him. So we see this characteristic way that the letter is addressed with this final word, "Greetings," which is not used frequently in the New Testament We also see when we look at the language carefully that the audience of this, uh, of this letter, it's debated and there are good arguments, but i- in my opinion, it's very clear that the audience of this letter is not Jewish Christians in general or, uh, Jews who have not yet converted. There are some people who would say that 'cause they're called the 12 tribes. But instead it is the Jewish Christians who originally dwelled in Jerusalem and were sent out into the countryside after the persecution that was started primarily by Saul. If you look at Acts, Acts 1 which is, uh, the passage where Saul begins to persecute the church or where Saul kinda comes on the scene as the persecutor of the church, there's a couple distinct, um, distinct linguistic markers we should touch base on. Starting in verse one it says, "And p- Saul approved of his execution. And there arose a day-- that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. They were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church and entered the house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison." When we look at this and we compare it to that, uh, again, that first verse of James where he says to the ones who are scattered, we see that there's a pretty strong linguistic parallel that tells us that the people he has in mind for this letter, the people he's addressing, are the same people who were dispersed or scattered out of Jerusalem in the persecution. When he says to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, that word dispersion is not really a translation. It's what we call a transliteration. So it's not like we've taken a word and sort of given it an English word. We've just changed the word, the letters over to English letters. In Greek, the word is diaspora, dispersion, and in, uh, Acts 1, the verb used to, to sort of describe this scattering of them is diaspero. And it is a picture of scattering seed. This is what a farmer would do. So it's not even the normal word we would use when someone is fleeing persecution. It's this idea that God has scattered Christians out into the world, in this case by persecution. He scattered them out into the world to be planted. A lot of this is where we get phrases from Tertullian about the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Now, why does this matter? As I mentioned, we often think in Gentile categories when we're reading the New Testament, and for good reason. One, we're all, all Gentiles, I'm presuming. I, I don't, I don't think-- I think I mentioned this last time, and no one came up and corrected me. I don't think anyone here is ethnically Jewish with ancestry that they're directly aware of, you know, where they trace their lineage directly back. Europe is a, a big amalgamation of just about everything, so most of us probably have a smattering of different ethnicities. But none of us are ethnically Jewish to the idea that we would, uh, identify as such in the same way. And even if we were, we've been raised and grown up in a Gentile context. We live in the West. We have-- We think in different categories. And what's more is most of the New Testament is written primarily to Gentiles by someone who is ministering to Gentiles. So Paul uses a fair amount of, of Hebraisms or things that are related to the Old Testament. Of course, he's explaining the Old Testament, and he makes ample reference to the Old Testament because that is the word of God, and it is profitable for our teaching, our correction, our reproof, and ultimately for our, our sanctification. But he uses metaphors and language in a way that is not common to the Israel context that Jesus and James and Peter and the other apostles were raised in. We don't have time to go there, but there's even some metaphors that Paul uses that are actually used the opposite way in, uh, in the more Hebraic Jewish, uh, epistles we have. One example that comes to mind is, um, Paul looks at the concept of milk, and that's not necessarily a good thing, right? It's not a bad thing, but it's what immature believers use, right? They can't handle the meat of the Bible. They have to be given the milk of the gospel before they can progress to the meat. In the Book of Hebrews, which I don't think was written by Paul, and in other places, Peter uses milk as a way to talk about nourishment, right? We think of the land flowing with milk and honey. Milk was not seen as some sort of substandard food that was only for babies. It was seen as, like, the richest, best thing that you could eat. We all have a linguistic environment that we grow up in. We all have a shared vernacular. You know, if I say something like, "You can't get there from here," everyone knows what that means. Obviously, you can get there from here, but you have to take this circuitous route. We know what that means. I think if we went around the room, we probably would find that there is this shared language. And then if we took individual families, we'd find that even within those families, there's further narrowing down of sort of like inside jokes and words that are used in ways that are not necessarily the same as others So when we read James, or when we read the letters of Peter or the letters of John, we should default to thinking more along the lines of comparing them to the words of Christ in the Gospel, first and foremost, and then to the Old Testament before we start to think about them necessarily comparing them to Ja-- or to Paul or to other kind of first century Hellenistic literature. That's not, of course, to say that Paul and James contradict. I'm sure that we went through a long explanation with much detail when you got to James chapter two, which is, of course, the most famous example. Paul uses the word justification or justify in a legal sense to make or to declare someone to be righteous. It's the verdict that the judge delivers, and it communicates the status. It actually performs what it says. When the judge says, "I find you not guilty," it changes your status from being potentially guilty to being cleared of all charges. Paul uses it slightly differently. He's not using it in the sense of to make someone righteous or to declare them righteous. He's using it to say they've been shown to be righteous. They've been validated. They've been vindicated. And if we get that mixed up, that's the source of all sorts of confusion. So when we come to this passage, and we'll get there, I promise, when we come to this passage, we have to understand some of the metaphors and the language that's being used draws from an existing body of shared cultural language that is foreign to us and is in some ways foreign to the rest of the New Testament, apart from what we see in the Gospels And it's important to remember, and this is why it's so key to land, that the audience of this letter is the persecuted, poor Jewish Christians who probably had a fairly comfortable life, relatively speaking, living in Jerusalem. These are city folks. These are people that live in Jerusalem or farm into the fields immediately around Jerusalem. They were established. They owned land. They probably had family that they had to leave, and now they're scattered out into the country with nothing. They're sent out into the world with no jobs, no family connections, no social welfare. Because they've left the Jewish faith, at least from the perspective of the Jews, they can't even go to their Jewish brothers and sisters and rely on the hospitality that's required in the law of Moses This is so important when we think about how James opens the letter and delivers what I think is his thesis statement. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of every kind." Trials like not knowing where the next meal is gonna come from, not knowing where the next roof over your head is, not being sure you can feed your children. We all face real trials and tribulations in our life. Some of them are related to our faith, and some is just the fallen human condition in the fallen world we live in. But we're talking here about a totally different category of, uh, trial and persecution than most of us hopefully will ever experience That brings us to our actual passage now. James opens up this section with a linguistic marker that signifies this is a change in topic. He says, "Come now," or another way to translate it might be, "Now listen. Listen up." When my son is doing something that, uh, I need him to stop or I need to give him instructions, I hold him by his shoulders and I say, "Look at my eyes. I want your eyes right here. Look at my eyes." That's what Paul is doing. He's stopping and he's interrupting the flow of language. This shows us this is a new topic and a new audience. James is not speaking to rich Christians in his audience. First, 'cause there likely weren't any rich Christians directly in his audience. Remember, these are the, the poor Christians scattered out into the Judean countryside, into Samaria He's using a technique that's really common in the prophets. It's common in Jesus, where he's addressing the people who are not really listening as a way to establish that they will be judged, to hold them accountable, but also to comfort those who are hearing the message. This is a form of prophetic address. We see this in Amos, where he's chastising the Jewish leaders. Uh, in Malachi and Micah, this happens. Malachi is primarily, at least initially, is primarily, uh, a book that is railing against the rich leaders in Jerusalem who had oppressed their own brothers and sisters. The chances that those Jewish cr- uh, Jewish leaders were reading his prophecy or hearing his prophecy is pretty slim. So he was addressing a different group to establish the judgment that he was proclaiming on another party. Jesus does this when he says like, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees." There were probably scribes and Pharisees in the audience there, but he wasn't just talking to the people in front of them. He was pronouncing a judgment oracle, a judgment prophecy on all people who fit that category, and James is doing the same thing here James is not opposing wealth generally. Sometimes James is used as kind of a New Testament example to justify the idea that we should all be poor and wear shabby clothing and walk around barefoot and dirty all the time. Right? This is a key passage that's used, uh, in parts of the church that really emphasize sort of a poverty-based lifestyle. Think of like the wandering monks of the Middle Ages or the, the, um, sort of more radical exclusionists that exist even in our day. I remember when I was in college, I was really enamored with this figure named Shane Claiborne. Some of you have probably heard of him, and I remember I was so impressed because he, he didn't buy new shoes. He just cut new shoes out of duct tape and put them back together. Now, there's some, you know, there's some rugged, uh, rugged get-it-done-ness that, uh, I think us, uh, New Englanders can appreciate, but God does not call us to wear duct tape shoes, at least not universally. I'm not gonna comment on whether he calls Shane Claiborne to do that. I also don't think Shane Claiborne does that anymore. Um, some of us he may call to a lifestyle of poverty in association with a mission field or in association with a specific calling. He does not call us generally to be poor or to not gain wealth What he is opposing here is the refusal to use wealth appropriately for God's glory and the accumulation of wealth just for wealth's sake We'll see that as we unpack the language here a little bit. He establishes that he's not just talking about the earthly hoarding of wealth, as though somehow the very act of accumulating wealth was itself the problem. What he's doing is he's pronouncing an eschatological judgment on those who hoard wealth and use it to oppress others. We see here he says, "Come now, you rich, and weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you." Th- that word weep and howl, those are li-- those are words that are most commonly used in prophetic literature to describe the final cry of anguish. Think about the weeping and gnashing of teeth that Jesus talks about. This is the language he's using. He's talking about the final estate of those who refuse to submit their wealth to God He says, "Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be the evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures in the last days." Now, remember what we said. We, we should read this not in light of some general wisdom, although it is general wisdom that if we accumulate wealth, it tends to not actually go well for us if we're not utilizing it in God-honoring ways. But we should read this in light of the most obvious connection, his big brother, Jesus, who taught his people, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." To maybe land this linguistic, uh, this linguistic connection a little more, I don't know, vibrantly, I'm gonna speculate a little bit. So if you don't like it, then you can disregard it. This is not God's Word. This is a speculation. I can just imagine little Jesus, little nine-year-old Jesus, and probably little six or seven-year-old James and the rest of their siblings, and there's quite a few of them. And we have Joseph, uh, who maybe at this time was still living, although probably not. We know he was living until Jesus was later, you know, 12, he was still around, but we don't know exactly when he left the picture. But he was a carpenter, and he was not, probably not overly wealthy. Uh, they had had to pick up and move, you know, cross-country anyways. They-- We don't know exactly where they were from initially, but they went to Bethlehem, and then they returned to Nazareth. They probably didn't have a lot. There were a lot of mouths to feed and only one business. They didn't have a farm. They didn't own livestock that we know of. I can just imagine a time when little J- little James or one of his sisters was frustrated about the fact that they didn't have anything. And I could picture Mary getting down and going, "Do not store up treasures in, in, uh, in heaven or on Earth. It's all gonna waste away." The same way we might tell our children kind of a, a moral kind of story. Sometimes we have this picture, last time I was here I, I spoke on Philippians 2, we have this idea that Jesus was somehow like Superman, that he, he was just pretending to be a normal human most of the time. As it touches his humanity, as, as we think about Jesus as a human, he had a, his own human set of thinking faculties, his own human knowledge. He grew in wisdom and stature is what Luke teaches us. Well, where did he get some of this wisdom? There's a good reasonable argument to be made that some of the pr- more proverbial type sayings that we see in Christ, that they actually come from the wisdom of his mother and father. And a really good reason to believe that is James relies on the same exact, uh, sort of proverbial wisdom to l- land his point. He doesn't create his own metaphor, he goes back to, at the very least we can say he goes back to the words of Christ. That's a very safe position to take. But this is the shared linguistic context that they both grew up in And he says, "You've done this in the last days." Now, the, the phrase last days in the Bible, uh, in the New Testament generally refers to the time period from Christ's resurrection to his return. We, for a lot of reasons, think about it as kind of like that climactic end period in time. Depending on your, your persuasion, maybe this is when the Antichrist comes, or maybe this is before or after, or maybe during the time when the church is raptured. But in either case, we think of that sort of last period in time before Christ finally comes back. But the New Testament writers are really talking about the entire duration, from Christ's resurrection to his return is what they're referring to. But it does have in view this idea that we are in the last times. The, the final judgment is not necessarily strictly something that's out there in the future. We are living in the last days now, and so what we do and what we say and, and how we worship and if we worship is eschatology. It is the theology of the last times He also positions this as though this is a universal thing going on with those who hoard wealth. This is a very shocking image. Um, we have very good ways to preserve things in our modern world, right? We have ways to m- to make, uh, stainless steel that won't rust, or at least won't rust quickly. But most things in the ancient world, even most precious metals, corroded. Um, I remember when I was growing up, there was this project in my hometown. I lived in a, a little town called White Bear Lake in, in, um, Minnesota, although little is relative. It's pretty big compared to most of what we have out here. And I remember when I was maybe 12 or 13 years old, they had this big building project to build this brand-new, beautiful lakeside pavilion in the center of town, and it w- just gleamed in the sun. It was so gorgeous, and it was made of copper, and everybody loved it, and two years later, it was bright green. I think it's still bright green. I think they figured out it wasn't worth repairing, so they, they just, they just make sure it doesn't keep getting worse, and at some point, I'm sure they either have or will tear it down. But the one metal in the ancient world that didn't do this was gold. It's part of why gold is such a durable measurement of wealth is because it doesn't wear out. It doesn't corrode. It's very soft. It's very easy to damage it, which is why we don't build statues out of it, or we don't build, uh, buildings out of it usually, but it didn't corrode. So when James says here, "Not only your silver, which tarnishes and corrodes, but your silver and gold have corroded." Not are corroding, but have corroded. The rich hearer of this is probably, you know, sitting around like Scrooge McDuck with a pile of gold coins thinking, "Ah, it looks pretty good to me." And what James is saying is, "No, no, no. No, it's corroded. It's eating away at your heart. It's lost its value because you refuse to use it, and so it sits in a pile doing nothing for no one, except serving to further your own condemnation." This is such a crazy, shocking situation that the insanity of not using your wealth, period, the insanity of sitting on your wealth in the ancient world is going to serve as a form of evidence justifying the condemnation of these wicked fools And further, the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. There's something about money. I was-- When I was here a couple times before, I preached one of the wealth passages out of Ecclesiastes, and there's something about money that has a unique way of really, really wrecking us. Either we don't have it and we want it, or we have it and we don't wanna lose it, or we have it and we don't spend it wisely. It seems like there's an infinite number of ways to screw it up. And we landed last time that the gospel is good news because with the nearly infinite ways of screwing it up, we're going to screw it up. But the one way that he talks about screwing it up here is hoarding it and sitting on it and not using it Moving on into verses four and five, James moves us now to a more sort of temporal register. He starts out by talking about what wealth is and what it's doing and how it will ultimately affect the entire life and eternity of those in his targeted audience, those he's proclaiming this prophetic, uh, judgment against. But in verse four, he moves back to the behaviors that are being, uh, being engaged in to show the state of these people's souls. He says, "Behold, the wages of the laborers you, who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." James here points at the, at the behaviors that show this hoarding behavior, and he does it for a number of reasons. One, he needs to call out sin. That's part of the role of a Christian, and especially a leader or a minister in the church, is, um, to not only call out sin in the body of, of Christ, but in a, I think a very particular way, and there's all sorts of, uh, all sorts of theological controversies flying on around about Christian nationalism and other associated things. Some of it is just the spirit of the age. Um, post-COVID, there's a, a real strong sense that our government has failed us and we need to replace it with something else. But there is a, a true way, and I, I think some of those things are a little misguided, but there's a true way that the church, particularly her leaders, should be speaking to the culture around us, and yes, even to the government, to proclaim the truth of God into a wicked and godless culture. This might take the form o- of a m- minister who goes to a town hall meeting to speak out against a gambling association that's going to be forming, or a, an elder in the church or a deacon in the church who goes to speak to, uh, to the city hall or to the state legislature about the wickedness of abortion and about what we see it does to women's lives when they are fooled into thinking that this is the right thing for them. Again, the church is not the state, and the state is not the church, and we should be very careful not to cross those lines for all sorts of reasons. But we as a culture, as a Christian culture, in the United States particularly, have lost sight of our responsibility to speak truth in all circumstances to those in power So James is doing that, of course. But even more so, this is a way that he establishes for his direct audience, for the Jewish poor Christians who have been scattered in this diaspora, in this dispersion. He looks at them in a sense and says, "I see you. I see what's happening to you." And as God's representative, as his chosen voice for this message, as his inspired author, God sees you too This goes back again, the first two chapters of James serve as kind of a thesis statement and table of contents for the whole book. We get an idea of what may have been happening, the actual, uh, acts that were being engaged in, in, in chapter two verse six, he says, "You have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?" James has in mind here a form of predatory land purchasing, where the rich were sort of sweeping up property. They were sweeping it up, and then they were charging probably exorbitant prices to those who would lease the land to try to eke out a living. Does that sound at all like any of our current context, right? When's the last time any of us have tried to buy a house and found anything reasonable? Well, a large part of that is that there are big companies that are scooping up all the land and buying all the, the developments. Now, I'm not commenting on those particular situations. I don't know those people. I don't know their hearts, and some of those things actually are doing good things for the community. But we're familiar with this idea of someone who will purchase a resource, who will then jack the price up in order to turn a profit on it. I'm not opposed to turning a profit. Y- y- yeah, it takes money to run a business, and you have to, you have to recuperate those funds if your business is going to survive. But there's a, there's a way that that can be done that is a predatory act These rich landowners were getting fat on those that they were victimizing In our, in our modern world, we tend to think of someone who is overweight as unhealthy, for good reason, right? Too much weight, and I say that with someone with a little too much padding around the middle, so no, no judgment on this, but too much weight is not healthy, right? We hear that from our doctors, that there's a healthy weight range and there's an unhealthy weight range. In the ancient world, obesity was not the concern, right? Malnutrition was the concern. And so when you see, uh, a king in the Old Testament who's, who's noted to be fat, that's not always negative. Sometimes it is, but he's noted to be fat or he's noted to be large. Even the word for glory, I'm sure you've heard this before, the word for glory in the Old Testament has to do with being heavy. So this idea of weightiness or, um, being able to eat enough to actually gain weight instead of being thin was seen as a good thing, but not when you use it as a way to victimize other people. A person who gathers wealth honestly and enjoys it, that's, that's Proverbs right there. That's the Book of Ecclesiastes in its sort of positive sense, is that we, when we accumulate wealth and we use it for God's glory, it's perfectly okay for us to also use it for our enjoyment. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. But when we accumulate wealth and use it as a way to gain power over someone and to abuse them, that is what James is railing against here And ultimately, with the audience that James is writing to, this is a form of murder. This is why he says, "You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter." Because a person who can't feed their family in the Old Testament or in the New Testament era was likely to see them die. There are not a ton of people in modern America that are starving to death on the streets. It's not to say it doesn't happen. It's not to say that there's not things like food insecurity or malnutrition, but there are, there are plenty of places people can go to get their basic food needs met. It was not like that-- It's not like that in most of the world now, and it certainly was not like that in the ancient world. And so a, a landowner who again refuses, we're talking about the Jewish landowners, refuses to obey the Jewish law to leave some leftovers for the poor, and instead gleans all the way to the corner so that they can turn a little bit of extra pro-profit, is not only sinning against the Old Testament law, but is committing murder in the strictest sense by refusing to preserve the life of these poor, uh, Christians who are destitute And again, James is encouraging his readers here that the Lord has not ignored their plight. We can think back to the Book of Habakkuk, where Habakkuk basically lodges a lawsuit against God, saying, "You are not paying attention. You're not doing your thing. You're not being faithful to your covenant." And God says, "Let me show you how faithful to my covenant I am. The Chaldeans are on the way." And Habakkuk is like, "Whoa, wait a second here. That's not what I had in mind." God sees the oppression of the poor. He knows when His people are targeted. He knows when children are abused or when widows are ignored. He knows when the government does something to shut down a church, or when the medical institution refuses to acknowledge your personal rights. He sees those things, and He's not ignorant, and He's not static. He's not sleeping on those things. The purpose here is to comfort the oppressed by showing that God is not ignorant of what has happened to them. Just two quick Old Testament examples that use similar language. In Genesis 4, we read of Cain and his murder of Abel, and in verse eight it says, "Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?' And the Lord said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.'" Numbers, uh, 35 verses 30 says, "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. And you shall accept no ransom from him who has fled to the city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land except for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it." There's a rich history in the Old Testament of language of inanimate things, land, blood, wealth, other kinds of things that give testimony to God in some way, and specifically of these inanimate, uh, impersonal things testifying to the sin of the people that dwell around them. Even Christ says, "If these people do not worship me, the rocks will cry out." Now, the rocks are not literally crying out, although it certainly would be within God's power to make the rocks sing. But Christ is not saying in that passage that the rocks are going to form mouths and begin singing Hosanna or whatever song they might have been doing. What he's saying is that the very rocks themselves give testimony to the glory and goodness of God. So even if the people around here fail to do so, the entire rest of creation is doing so, and that is what James is saying here. My dear brothers and sisters scattered in the dispersion who have nothing, and in society's eyes are nothing, some of you are facing persecution. Some of you will be killed for your faith, but God sees because the wealth that is being accumulated on the breaking of your own backs is crying out. The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you We often want justice in the moment. I think we always want justice in the moment, don't we? I think it's a really hard discipline to say, "That person wronged me, but I'm okay letting God sort it out." That is a hard pill to swallow, but it is often the pill that we have to take. It's the medicine that God uses to further our justification, our j- our, uh, excuse me, our sanctification Paul says, you know, "Do not take vengeance. Let the Lord do that." We can trust, and this is where the comfort of this passage comes for us, brothers and sisters, we can trust that when we are wronged, that when someone has done something to us that is a violation of God's law, that that sin will be punished. Now, when we're dealing with other Christians, that sin has already been punished, and so it is not, it is not appropriate for us to hold onto that and to take vengeance. That's what the parable of the unmerciful servant is all about If I as a Christian refuse to forgive my brother and sister when they've wronged me, it's me saying that I'm a better judge of their sin and I'm a better executioner than the Lord is when he punished that sin on the cross. But that sin was not atoned for when we're talking about unbelievers. When we're talking about those who will ultimately end their earthly life and find themselves waking up in flames, that sin has not been atoned for, and so God will have his justice, and we will have our justice. We won't turn there, but in Revelation, we're familiar with the passage, I think it's chapter six, where the martyred saints are under the throne and they say, "How long, O Lord?" Well, God doesn't answer their question, but he gives them new clothes. When Job cries out and he's, he's saying, "I don't understand why this is happening. Why are you targeting me, God? Why, why are you a hunter with your arrows in my liver?" God doesn't tell him why, but he says, essentially, "I'm God and you're just going to have to trust me that this is right." We see a very similar, uh, kind of situation here when we think about when, uh, when Abraham, uh, when God tells Abraham what he's about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah, and then Abraham negotiates, apparently negotiates with God, uh, trying to secure the salvation of the city for the sake of the righteous. And we read starting in verse 20 of chapter 18, he says, "The Lord said to, to Abraham," he says, " 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.' " God is always seeing and investigating the sin of people We're, we're teaching my son, August, the children's catechism, which is a, a great resource. Um, and one of the questions is, "Can you see God?" And the answer is, "No, but he always sees me." Now that may feel at first to some people like a little bit of a heavy-handed answer, but knowing that God sees us is not just there to correct our sin. It should do that, right? Even the secret sins we commit in the dark when, when we're not being watched by anyone else, even, even those God sees. But do you know what else He sees? He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees your progress. He sees you, and that should be a great source of comfort Now this passage, especially verse six, can be a little bit hard to apply because although we're the targeted audience, we're not the target of the judgment oracle. So I think what we have to do, we have to, we have to think about this in light of the way that God talks about the judgment of unbelievers in other places in the scripture, and how that helps us to understand kind of what our, what our status is. If you'll take your Bibles and open to Matthew chapter 25, I think the, um, the account here of the goat and sheep judgment, uh, is instructive for us Starting in verse 31, it says, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory and the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King answered them, 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those on the left, 'Depart from me for you for, uh, depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also, uh, they also will say, answer saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not minister to you?' 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.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Now, this passage is sometimes understood as a general command to feed the poor or the sick, or to visit those in prisons, or any of the f- the sort of mercy ministry things that, that, um, are mentioned here. And those are all things that Christians should do, right? We should be engaged in, um, in mercy ministry to the poor, to those who are destitute. We should be mindful and thoughtful of those who have needs around us. What this passage is teaching, though, is not a general command to feed all people, but a specific command to care for your brothers and sisters in Christ when they have a need He doesn't say to the righteous, "You did these to everyone." He says, "Whatever you did to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me." All of the things that are listed here, the, the six mercy ministries that are listed by Christ here, are things that persecuted Christians were suffering at the time, persecuted Jew- Jewish Christians, and that would be common experiences for, for Jewish Christians and for all persecuted Christians. Right? They're hungry. They don't have food. Our diaspora Jewish Christians don't have land to farm, and even if they're able to scrape together enough funding to lease out a farm, they're being, uh, they're being totally overwhelmed by the cost of that. The sort of homeowners association dues of these pyramid schemes that were going on in the first century, they were so exorbitant that it wasn't even subs- subsistence farming. Christians were being thrown in, uh, in prison. They didn't have enough money to replace their clothes when it wore out. They couldn't have access to clean water. We take clean water as such a, such a basic thing, and it's so easy. You just turn on the tap, or you just go to the store and you buy a bottle of $7 water. It wasn't like this in the first century. If you didn't have a well, you didn't have water, unless you had someone who cared enough to share this precious resource with you. And so what Christ is saying to, to his people, both in the immediate audience on the Sermon on the Mount, uh, and in this, the Olivet Discourse here, what he's saying to his people is when someone in the body of Christ does not have what they need, the body of Christ should step up and make sure that that is the case, that they take care of that person. And likewise, he's saying to those who are not a part of the body of Christ, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Now, the intro to this, why it sometimes is called a parable, is the sheep and the goats. We sometimes go way too far into the arena of comparing the behavior of sheeps with the behavior of the people here, right? Sheep are nice, they're affable, they listen to you. In reality, from what I understand, sheep are pretty dumb and can be very stubborn, right? And then we, we read and we go, "Goats are stubborn, they're rebellious, they're not really good for anything." Well, there's a reason people have goats on farms. They, they can be stubborn, right? They can be destructive, but they also serve a purpose. So the point here is not that sheep are good and goats are bad. The point is that sheep are not goats and goats are not sheep. And, uh, another point that comes with this is sheep don't become goats by behaving like goats, and goats don't become sheep by acting like sheep. I have some friends that will tell you they have very affectionate, friendly, lovable goats, right? I'd, I would... If I could get my kids one of those little pygmy goats that everybody loves, I would do that, 'cause they can be very kind, very sweet, and they're very smart. But they're not sheep. And if you read this passage carefully, this fact that those who are taken to the right are, are in fact taken to the right is not because they fed the poor. It's not because they ministered to Christ by feeding the least of these. They did those things because they were part of the kingdom The King says to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." The sheep on the right were always going to be the sheep on the right. They were predestined according to the counsel of God's will before all time to live and walk in good works. That's just Ephesians 2 there. That's also just James 2 there. You have faith, I will show you my faith by my works. This is evidence language, loved ones Likewise, the ones who are told to depart into eternal darkness were also predestined not to inherit this kingdom. No kingdom was prepared for them before the foundation of the world. They have no inheritance. They have nothing. They will end up in the state that they are trying to impose on these poor Jewish Christians. They will end up in the state that they may be trying to impose on some of us in this room And for the final verse here in, in chapter five, in verse six here, there's a lot of discussion and debate in the commentaries about who the identity of this righteous one is. It says, "You've condemned and murdered the righteous person, he does not resist you." Now, some commentators will take the fact that this is the singular righteous person, that he has been murdered and h- was condemned, and will take this as a reference to Christ. And that would, would make good sense, right? The Jewish, the wealthy Jewish landowners, the wealthy Jews in Jerusalem who per- who persecuted and cast out, um, the Christians, they were in the same group of people who condemned and murdered Jesus And at least at the time of writing this, and in many ways in our own day, God is not necessarily resisting them. He's allowing them to store up judgment for the coming day of wrath There are others who will take this as sort of the hypothetical singular, right? The righteous one or the righteous person is this, uh, representative hypothetical person that represents all of the persecuted Christians. And so it's more like saying, um, to the, the wealthy landowners who are persecuting Christians, "You have condemned and murdered the Christians, the righteous people, and we do not resist you." Now, at the end of the day, it's, it's always good to have good, sober, well-intentioned, text-based debates about what the Bible means. We can and we should try to convince others, uh, when we think they're wrong about what the scripture means. So that's not what I'm saying here. But in many ways, which of those two perspectives it actually is doesn't change the interpretation of this passage. Like we read in Matthew 25, like we read in Acts 9 when Christ comes and confronts Saul, what you do to God's people, you are doing to Christ himself. What you do to the body, you have done to the head. It's a little bit weird to say that when I stub my toe, I injure my head, but that's true, right? I don't injure my toe as though it's some separate piece. It's not like I'm a Lego man where I can just swap out a hand that gets cracked and put it back on. When I injure my toe, I injure myself. My whole body is injured even though it's specific to a part of my body. When you-- when someone persecutes you, when they, uh, try to extort your wealth, your funds, when they try to harm your body, when they try to take away your children, all things that are happening not just out there in the world, but in our country, even in our own region. When they try to tell you that because you don't wanna play a basketball game, that you can't play sports at all. When a city taxes a portion of a church's property because they don't think it's being used for religious purposes, they are doing that to Jesus Christ himself, and God will not be mocked This should call us both to faithfulness and to encouragement How people treat Christ or how people treat Christ's people, including how we trust, tr- uh, treat Christ's people, shows us what we think about Christ. The people who take care of the church do so because they love God, and they do it out of a regenerated heart that already loves God. And the people who hate the church do it because they hate Christ, and they do it out of their wickedness and out of their wicked heart This brings us back again to the thesis statement of James. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." And then he says later in that, uh, first chapter in verse nine, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass, he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower fails, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Now, you're all coming up to the end of James here. Um, we probably have two, two more sermons, I would guess, and the rest of this chapter is reinforcing this. It's unpacking for the immediate audience and therefore for us, it's unpacking that although the rich have their punishment coming to them, that likewise our consolation, our comfort from Christ is also coming to us. He closes the whole letter out, he returns to his thesis statement to say, "I'm not going to pretend that the trials you're going through are joyful, but you can count it all joy." You can reckon it, you can impute it as joy, my brothers and sisters. You can put it in the joy column instead of the t- the pain column, right? We had discussion about the beautiful word imputation in the announcements and scripture reading in the beginning here Imputation is a, is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the, in the loss ledger, right? We're taking what should be an expense, and we're able to move it to the profit. We're able to move it to the positive side, not because it didn't hurt and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified When we are oppressed and opposed, those who are oppressing and oppose us mean it for evil, just like Joseph's brothers, uh, and Pharaoh, and all sorts of wicked men in, in the Old Testament and in our own world. Pilate, Herod, you mean, you name it in the Bible, this applies. They meant their wicked acts for wicked things, but God, rich in mercy, works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And what is that purpose? That we might be transformed into the image of Christ so that Christ may be glorified and He may be the firstborn among many brothers. When we face trials and suffering of every kind, it leads us to our sanctification and to our ultimate glorification. We do not earn those things. We don't sanctify ourselves any more than we justify ourselves, or that any more than we will glorify ourselves or will raise ourselves from the dead. That is all God's work from start to finish. But God does use these things that He brings us through as a way to bring about that work It's like he bends us over the hammer, over the anvil of trials, and he hammers us until we become a sharp sword in the hand of, in his hand. Or he polishes us with a rough cloth until we become a smooth, beautiful gem, right? Think of any number of refining things that need to be done. It always involves, if the thing was, uh, was a person, it always involves something that would hurt a little bit. It always involves a little bit of damage to wear away the impurities. Our sanctification and our glorification is no different than that. He uses adversity. He uses the wicked actions and intentions of, of evil men and women. He uses those things to glorify us. So although we should never, uh, we should never seek those things, right? You don't have to go and make yourself the soft target to the wicked people. It's okay to keep your head down. There's nothing wrong with that. The Jewish Christians were probably doing their best to keep their heads down most of the time, and that's fine. There's not any words in scripture about being a coward if you don't, if you don't put a target on your back. But your target is gonna get there eventually, and that's not a bad thing. We can welcome that. We can count it as joy because of who God is and what he's done. The supreme act of suffering, the supreme act of, of evil happened to the only innocent person there ever was, and it happened to him for us.  this episode is available below.

'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” ' Romans 1:16-17

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!”Isaiah 6:3"Earth's crammed with heaven,And every common bush afire with God;But only he who sees takes off his shoes—The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."Elizabeth Barrett Browining“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Matthew 5:8By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.Hebrews 11:3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.John 1:3O Lord, how manifold are your works!    In wisdom have you made them all;    the earth is full of your creatures.Here is the sea, great and wide,    which teems with creatures innumerable,    living things both small and great.Psalm 104:24-25Colorado Picture*Fish Picture*GOD IS NOT HIDING HIMSELF FROM YOU.THE LIFE OF WONDERWonder: a feeling of awe or astonishment.2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”Isaiah 6:2-3Wonder is for the CHILDREN of God.At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 18:1-4God is better than you think.25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.John 21:25THE BARRIER TO WONDER24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”John 20:24-25The barrier to wonder is a heart that cannot see beyond physical sightWe are and remain such creeping Christians, because we look at ourselves and not at Christ; because we gaze at the marks of our own soiled feet, and the trail of our own defiled garments, instead of up at the snows of purity, whither the should of Christ is climbed.George Macdonald26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”John 20:26-27THE BRIDGE TO WONDERThe Bridge to Wonder is the eyes the heart being opened to see Jesus rightly.It is not His will that one of His little ones should perish and, therefore, He chases away unbelief, which is their deadliest foe. The Good Shepherd will leave the 99 to seek the one wanderer! If Thomas is the most unbelieving, Thomas shall have the most care! He is only one, but yet he is one, and the Lord Jesus will not lose one whom He has ordained to save!Charles Spurgeon27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”John 20:27THE RESPONSE TO WONDER28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28It had flashed upon the mind of Thomas that this august Person whom he had regarded as the Messiah was also God. He saw that the Man at whose feet he had sat was more than man and was assuredly God, and this amazed him so that he used broken speech. He does not say, “You are my Lord and my God,” as a man would say who is making a doctrinal statement, but he brings it out in fragments. He makes adoration of it.Charles Spurgeon27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.Colossians 1:27

26 The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.Colossians 1:26-27  Teaching Text: 2 Cor 3:12-18, 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  O God, O God,The plan which You had from the beginning, regarding Your Kimyals,which already existed in Your Spirit.The month that You had set, the day that You had set, has come to pass today.O my Father, my Father,the promise that You gave Simeon that he would see Jesus Christand hold Him in his arms before he died.I also have been waiting under that same promise, O God.You looked at all the different languages and chose which ones will be put into Your Word.You thought that we should see Your Word in our language.Today, the day You had chosen for this to be fulfilled, has come to pass.O God, today You have placed Your Word into my hands, just like You promised.You have placed it here in our land.And for all this, O God, I give You praise.The truth is…Christ...IN.YOU.Not over there.Not one day.Not after you get your life together.Christ in you.The hope of glory.This is where striving begins to die.   Christianity doesn't begin with obtaining more of Christ.It begins by discovering that He has already given Himself to you completely. 2 Cor 3:12-18, 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  "The gospel is the declaration that Jesus Christ has come to do for us what we could never do for ourselves." — Tim Keller.  Revelation 3:20,”20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” To my hurt. (Sin & Pain)To my longing. (Searching for Purpose) Matthew 6:19-21,”19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  To my soul. (Desire for Perfect Love) 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, ”Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”- He holds our soul perfectly and fulfills our desire for soul care truly.   Genesis 1:1-5,”1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”   Hebrews 4:12-16,”12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  2 Cor 3:17,” Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”   John 10:9-11,”9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Thursday, 30 July 2026   Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.' Matthew 21:37    “Afterward, also, he sent to them the ‘son, his', saying, ‘They will be in-turned of the ‘son, mine'.'” (CG)   In the previous verse, Jesus continued the parable, noting that the housemaster sent other servants, greater than the first, and they treated those servants the same. With that noted, He next says, “Afterward, also, he sent to them the ‘son, his'.”   The meaning of the words, at least to us, should be plain and obvious, even if the leaders don't immediately get what Jesus is saying. A succession of servants has been sent to receive the fruit of the vineyard, and they have been treated shamefully.   These represented the messengers of God, the prophets and wise men, looking for fruit in the nation of Israel. Without success, God sent His Son into the nation, “saying, ‘They will be in-turned of the ‘son, mine'.'”   A new word is seen, entrepó. It is derived from en, a fixed position usually translated as “in”, and tropé, a noun signifying “a turning” which is only found in James 1:17. Together, they give the idea of “in a state of turning,” as in turning “one's attention to in a riveted (‘locked in') way” (HELPS Word Studies).   The word is used positively when turning in respect, but it is also used when feeling a state of shame. It is seen when there is no respect (as in Luke 18:2 and 18:4). In Hebrews 12:9, almost all translations say something like, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect [entrepó]” (NKJV). However, the verb is passive, and the word “them” is not in the text.   Having said that, because of the difficulty, most take this as a passive with a middle force. This is done to justify the reading as “respect.” However, Thayer's Greek Lexicon notes the word in classical Greek signifies “properly, to turn about, so in passive even in Homer; τινα, properly, to turn one upon himself, i. e. to shame one.” Thus, if the passive is retained, the word would indicate a sense of personal shame, not respect.   The entire paragraph in which Hebrews 12:9 exists is based on chastisement, either by God or by our fathers. As such, there is a sense of shame for wrongdoing, which is exactly what sin is and what it causes. We are chastised, and we are ashamed because of our actions.   Without that shame because of a lack of correction, we would be unashamed and unrestrained. Something common in the world when there is no correction. Hebrews 12:9 continues, We had fathers who were instructors “... and we were in-turned, not much, also, more we will be subject to the ‘Father, the spirits', and we will live?”   One can see the progression: 1) Earthly fathers discipline, 2) children respond, being in-turned (ashamed), 3) therefore, how much more should we be subject to God in humility? The same passive mood is found in the three synoptic gospels in regard to this parable.    Because translations reject the passive voice in Matthew 21:37, stating it is to be rendered in the middle voice, it then causes scholars a true dilemma. The Pulpit Commentary, reflective of others, says –   “God condescends to speak in human language, as hoping for a good result from this last effort for man's salvation. He, as it were, puts aside his foreknowledge, and gives scope to man's free will. Though the sad issue is known to him, he often acts towards men as if he had hope that they would still use the occasion profitably.”   This makes no sense. Why would the housemaster assume or even hope for those in the vineyard to act appropriately? Why would he assume they could be trusted when they have already killed his servants? Such a thought is not in line with what we would consider concerning Jesus' portrayal of the omnipotent God in a parable.    An in-turning concerning the son is much more fitting to the surrounding context. And it is exactly what happened to Jesus. Thus, Jesus is clearly saying that they will not accept the son. Rather, they will be ashamed of him. And this is what God the Father knew, in advance, concerning His Son. This is perfectly in line with what Jesus told the disciples just a few days before –   “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” Matthew 20:18, 19   It is a sentiment He had already stated to them twice before as well. The fact is that, despite knowing in advance, that Jesus would not be accepted, God sent His Son to Israel to offer them salvation. This demonstrates the immense love of God for those He created. It also shows the lengths God was willing to go to for those same creatures.   Life application: If the word discussed above is intended to be translated as “respect,” it would demonstrate a naivete in God that does not exist. The only way to get around that is to deal with the words in the way the Pulpit Commentary did. But parables are not merely an inexact representation of what is going on. Nor are they an accommodation for our sensibilities. Rather, they are a type of speaking intended to convey actual meaning, even if veiled.   Jesus was standing before the leaders, having just been hailed as the Messiah. If He is, then He is God's selected choice for that position. To say, “Maybe the leaders will respect Me” or “My Father thinks the leaders might respect Me” is completely out of the context of the situation in which He is speaking. The leaders were ashamed of Jesus, and He was rejected and crucified, just as God foreknew that He would be.   This analysis fits the surrounding narrative. As such, leaving the translation as literal as possible allows for a resolution to the otherwise nonsensical idea that God would not know that His Son would not be respected.   Lord God, what a wonderful delight it is to come to Your word and consider its contents. Help us to be diligent each day to pick it up and dive into it with enthusiasm and zeal. Thank You for this beautiful treasure that tells us of JESUS! Amen.  

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Bishop Barry Walker of A Place of Refuge and Bishop of the Refuge Connection of Churches is ministering during our 2026 Summer Revival from Matthew 6:31-33 on our responsibility to stop worrying and start seeking. Worry is an individual choice that we make and we must also make the choice to stop worrying. and seek first the Kingdom of God. Scripture: Matthew 6:31-33 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Knowing God's will is not the same as discerning a specific decision or path. To know His will refers to a revelation in Scripture that is agreeable to Him, what He requires us to do, what he commands, what He prohibits, what He approved and what He rewards. The Jews inherited this treasure trove of truth through their covenant relationship with God, yet they were blind to the promises being fulfilled before their very eyes. Because they possessed the law, the Jews were confident that they were spiritually superior teachers; guides to blind pagans, light, wise in God's ways, and able to teach the immature (probably a reference to Gentile converts to Judaism). The Jews were to be spiritual guides to the nations, but Jesus  told them that they themselves were blind. He called them blind guides in Matthew 23:24 and blind leaders of the blind in Matthew 15:14.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sermons-from-my-heart--2423678/support.

CheckoutThe God Centered Concept Academy Training Community to learn what growth in Christ ishttps://api.tuvu.com/redirectGroup/6a2ac0e2c9f728027338244cCheck out this link to view Kingdom Cross Roads on TV.https://jesussaid.tv/?affiliate=tswright_gccTo get a copy of our new book "Embracing the Truth" or to have TS Wright speak at your event or conference or if you simply want spiritual or life coaching or just a consultation visit:www.tswrightspeaks.comVisit our website to learn more about The God Centered Concept. The God Centered Concept is designed to bring real discipleship and spreading the Gospel to help spark the Great Harvest, a revival in this generation.www.godcenteredconcept.comKingdom Cross Roads Podcast is a part of The God Centered Concept.Does the Old Testament foreshadow the coming of Jesus Christ?In this episode of Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast, T.S. Wright welcomes author and Bible teacher Mark Stouffer for a thoughtful examination of the Tanakh, Messianic prophecy, and God's unfolding plan to rescue humanity.Mark begins by sharing his personal testimony. While studying engineering at Ohio State, he repeatedly felt God drawing him—but believed he was too busy to respond. After graduation left him without a job and with plenty of time, God met him in a powerful and unmistakable way. That encounter led Mark to the Bible, faith in Jesus Christ, and more than four decades of biblical study and teaching.Mark also introduces his four-volume series, The Loving-kindness of G-d, written for Jewish readers seeking the truth about Jesus and Christians wanting a deeper understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures.TS and Mark discuss:• How the Hebrew word hesed reveals God's unfailing love, kindness, and grace• The Day of Atonement and the meaning of sacrificial blood• How the Torah's sacrificial system may foreshadow Christ's death on the cross• The holiness of God and the seriousness of humanity's sin• Why spiritual rebirth is necessary• God's rescue plan from Genesis through the return of Christ• The promise that Eve's descendant would crush the serpent• Israel's calling to reveal the one true God to the nations• Jonah, Nineveh, and God's love for the Gentiles• Messianic prophecy and whether Jesus fulfills the Tanakh's description of the Messiah• Lessons from Jewish history and nearly two thousand years of Church historyMark's books include:• Hesed: Does the Tanakh Foreshadow Jesus?• The Mashiah: A Study of the Messianic Prophecies• The Esa: G-d's Rescue Plan for Humanity• The Tanakh: Its Unusual EndingLearn more about Mark Stouffer and his books at:https://lovingkindnessofadonai.comCALL TO ACTIONListen now and discover how the Tanakh, the sacrificial system, and Messianic prophecy illuminate God's plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.After listening, follow Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast, share this episode with someone who loves biblical history or prophecy, and leave a review to help more people discover the program.Go forth in total surrender to the One who owns and reigns over all creation—and let the great harvest begin!KEYWORDSMark Stouffer, Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast, TS Wright, T.S. Wright, Hesed, The Mashiah, The Esa, Tanakh, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, Jesus in the Old Testament, Messianic prophecy, Messiah, Jesus Christ, biblical prophecy, Bible study, Christian podcast, Christian author, Jewish roots of Christianity, sacrificial system, Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, atonement, lovingkindness of God, God's rescue plan, salvation, born again, Jonah and Nineveh, Jews and Gentiles, Church history, biblical history

Promises for Provision (audio) David Eells – 7/29/26 We have many revelations on our site of how God has planned to provide for His saints in the coming wilderness tribulation. I'm going to share just a few of these with you today.   God's Warehouse in the Wilderness K. H. - 08/29/2008 In a dream, my mom, sister, nieces, and I were moving into this warehouse that seemed to be off on its own in a way, and if you weren't looking for it, you would miss it. (Many do miss God's warehouse because they don't take His promises seriously and in faith. It is off on its own because it is in the wilderness place of our weakness that His power is made perfect.) As we entered the warehouse, I was amazed at all the things that I saw in it. There were beds, couches, lamps, refrigerators, toys, food, water, etc. (Also, there are eyes that see, organs, limbs, and all heathy things.) It looked like there was anything and everything that we would ever need in there. The enormity reminded me of a store that I went to a few months ago called IKEA (“eye-key-yah”) but it was larger than that and had so much more. In the warehouse, I also saw several more families; some of the kids were playing. There was such joy and peace that filled this large room. We all were just so thankful that we would have all that we would ever need in that warehouse. Praise the Lord! As my mom and I were talking about the dream, she immediately mentioned that God let me see His warehouse or storehouse for His saints. Praise God! Paul says in Philippians 4:19, And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I have experienced God supplying our every need but what a blessing to actually be able to see God's warehouse for those who live in His shelter. This promise is something that the children of God will need to stand on in the coming tribulation. The sum of His Word is truth and no matter what it may look like, the Lord will provide and bring us through. Praise Jesus; thank you, Father!   Obedience In Provision Anonymous 3/30/23 (David's notes in red) I had a vision of an average man. He was suddenly blessed with a very large abundance of money and a driven calling from God. (There are many prophecies of the Man-child being abundantly blessed to build the Kingdom of God.) The man was then led to buy all these businesses and houses that were for sale, and he obtained almost a whole city. (Many people represented by the houses will be coming into the Kingdom in Spirit and Truth. Also, this has been fulfilled by the Lord since this 2023 revelation.) In so doing and led by God, to change a country and giving hope and faith by his example in servitude. Every one of the businesses and houses were for those in need. Housing the poor and the faithful in Christ; businesses were used for His Glory according to the Word and Christ and gave spiritual truth and provision for all their needs to be met. (Again, this has been fulfilled by the Lord since this 2023 revelation. In return, all those he helped then participated with their gifting or their profession, and many helped in genuine love as one community for God, and it grew. The changes even convinced many non-believers not to change it back to what it had been. (This is coming.) (I felt this is our deepest desire to have His Kingdom be established here and now in the physical, not for our own selves but to fulfil the needs of others.)   An Abundance of Provision for the Bride L. W.- 2/3/23 (David's notes in red) I had a dream where I was in what looked like a big warehouse, with bank tellers. (The Father's gift of wealth coming to bank accounts through NESARA that will especially favor the Bride. It is money the D.S. stole from everyone for many years but D.T. found.) I went to get a statement for my account, and when the lady handed it to me, I noticed I had about $37,000,000,000. That's $37 billion. (She was expecting this but had a critical, unforgiving spirit, and I tried to gently warn her, but sadly she lost it all and went to her place.) In the dream, I remember thinking, “Yesterday, I was thinking about how I wanted a billion dollars,” but I hadn't asked God for this. (In real life, I have no desire to be a billionaire. The number 37, in Bible Numerics, means “Word of God”.) (Those who have the Word manifested in them will have all needs met.) In the dream, my goal was to keep the knowledge about how much money I had a secret and use it anonymously for good. I was planning on using it to build a personal house, a church building for UBM, to get my husband a new truck (Which he badly needed at the time), and to help others in need. I remember thinking in the dream that “I would just keep my current car.” End. …In dream #2) It was a sunny day. My husband and I were looking into getting another house. We were looking at one that was multi-story and had two kitchens. UBM was there looking at it with us. I thought that it would be a great place for pot blessings. (All the good she previously had a desire to do.) I remember specifically seeing Gabe and Michael and didn't think much about it. But later in real life, I think the Lord reminded me that two of His archangels are Michael and Gabriel. (His angels watch over the affairs of UBM.) (To render to all according to their works.) …I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random about these dreams and got Rom. 1:17 For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith. (The faithful righteous will be blessed soon!)   Provision to Preserve & Build the Kingdom Eve Brast - 11/05/18 (David's notes in Red) I had a couple of dreams involving a Monopoly game board. It's no coincidence that as I sat down to write this, an announcement on the radio said that on this day in history, November 5, 1935, Parker Brothers introduced the game of Monopoly to the public. (Which had to do with dealing with money.) Dream 1: I was sitting in the dining room of our old house on Vanderbilt Rd. in TX. (Vanderbilt is representative of the wealthy elite... The Vanderbilts were once the wealthiest family in America. Cornelius Vanderbilt was the richest American until his death in 1877. After that, his son William acquired his father's fortune and was the richest American until his death in 1885. The Vanderbilts' prominence lasted until the mid-20th century, when the family's 10 great Fifth Avenue mansions were torn down, and most other Vanderbilt houses were sold or turned into museums in what has been referred to as the “Fall of the House of Vanderbilt”. Wikipedia. (They lost it all as many will do.) But, instead of a dining table, there was a green card table. (The Deep State house of cards is falling.) It was dark in the kitchen area, but there was a light shining down on the card table. (Father is shining the light on the fact that many are gambling with their life.) There was an empty Monopoly board game on the table, where three men with slicked-back, black hair were sitting around the Monopoly board with me. (Black hair represents submission to darkness. The elite behind the Deep State are playing the game of spiritual monopoly, and they are losing due to God.) R. S. was to my right with her hands folded over her forearms, observing the scene. The only thing each of us had been given was the usual amount of Monopoly money that each player receives. There were no houses, hotels, or game tokens to move around the board. (The value is not in the material possessions but in the funny money itself. By her composure, we know that R. S. was resting in the flesh, for she fell away. Eve was just sitting there resting in the Lord. All things are provided freely in our rest from self-works. The monopoly money, thought to be worthless, represents the national currency of nations that have fallen to a very low value. NESARA will change this for the righteous.) Suddenly, a pair of dice appeared above the board as if an invisible pair of hands was shaking them. Then the dice were cast onto the board, and they came up 3 and 4, equaling 7. (God rolls the dice for He holds the future, and He and those who abide in Him, win the game. He has His own people at the table to receive the gift.) The three men all declared, “7!!!” in a defeated and disgusted tone. (God has defeated the elite who planned to use this currency for their own New World Order.) Then they all got up from the table, took all their Monopoly money and stacked it in a large pile on top of my money, and then it all turned into real money as they left the game. (The revaluation of currencies to come up on a par with the dollar, which must lose some of its value to come into alignment. Hence, those with worthless currencies will find they have become real money. This is necessary to have a GCR or global currency reset, where all come to the same value. In the short term, this will be used to build the Kingdom, as in the temple of God, which is His people. The elite had planned to take the Christians down, and then they would take all. But Trump, who, as Cyrus did, will contribute Babylon's vast hidden wealth towards the temple of God's people.) I then realized I'd won even though I didn't know I'd been playing. (None of us has been playing, but like this, it will be given to us by God's roll.) R. S. then said, “Wow, Eve! You really made out!” (Eve could represent herself and the corporate Bride). I was so amazed by this. Then I woke up and I looked at my phone, and the time was 3:33 am. (I thought of Jeremiah 33:3 because I had asked Father to show me more about His plans and what He is doing currently. Jer. 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not. (I said months ago I wondered if the elite would be taken down so that they could not be involved in this revaluation and that their currencies' value would then be left to be divided to the people of God. Now I know it was a word of knowledge.) I asked Father for a word concerning the Monopoly game and the black-haired men (Who I believe represent the [elite through the] Deep State) and my finger was on, “Shalt thou reign?” in Jeremiah 22:15. Jer 22:12-17 but in the place whither they have led him captive, there shall he die, and he shall see this land no more. 13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not his hire; 14 that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. 15 Shalt thou reign, (Those who were sure they would reign by collecting enormous profits from this revaluation have lost it. The people's monopoly money is now worth much more, for the till has the elites' and the wicked's money in it and it will be divided as God sees fit.) because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this to know me? saith Jehovah. 17 But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. I then asked for a word for the men giving me all their money, and my finger was on Matthew 6:29. In context Mat 6:28-34 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (When I pasted this text in this article, somehow, I accidentally turned the background red, but this underlined part was white. I know of no way this could naturally happen, and my accident was not an accident. So believe God to supply for you in the coming wilderness as He did for Israel.) 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Also, this verse came to mind. Pro 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children; And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous. Dream 2: I went back to sleep, and again I was sitting in front of the Monopoly board, alone this time. I was looking at a small stack of money between the game board and me. In the dream, I knew that it was $42. And I was thinking, “It will not be enough; I'm going to fall short.” (Everyone wanted the revaluation to happen too early. If it had, it would have been swallowed up by the criminals.) Then Donald Trump merged with David and came in through the door near the dining room that led out to the garage. (When I say they were merged, it was like their two images flickered back and forth between Donald Trump in a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie, and David in a white Polo shirt and light blue jeans.) (This merger has been seen for a while, especially in Eve's dreams. This represents the David Man-child reformers working to bring about the Kingdom on a Christian level, while Trump-Cyrus works to bring about the Kingdom on a National level. And the Davids will help the Trump.) I heard their voices in unison say, “42....43,44,45” as they added three more dollars to the 42 that I had. (Bill Clinton was the 42nd president, Bush Jr. the 43rd, Obama the 44th, and Trump the 45th. (And currently the 47th. Notice the criminals did not further the process of GCR during their terms because then Christians would benefit having been told by the Lord to invest in this. As a ministry, we have not, but others have for us. Obama/Hillary/Biden's job was to finish off the Christians with their invasion and cheating on the vote. Then came God's 45th and 47th president to prepare us with the tribulation provision. There is a lot of revelation concerning 45, which represents preservation. The Isaiah 45 Trump-Cyrus/Man-child parallel to rebuild the Kingdom, etc.) Isa 44:28-45:3,13 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 45:1 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: 2 I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron; 3 and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel. … 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts. I was relieved because this was exactly the amount I needed. The 3 dollars they laid down were much larger than normal, like the size of business envelopes. (I believe that Trump has “bought us” more years, represented by the 3 large dollar bills, before the tribulation begins). Then I woke up. I asked Father for a word concerning the three more dollars and my finger was on “heir of righteousness” in the concordance under Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Arks are expensive and laborious, as we learned when many went to see this huge replica – The Ark Encounter in Kentucky.) Mat 24:37-39 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. 38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. What 42 dollars could also represent...   Meaning of Number 42 in the Bible Forty-two is a number with a direct connection to the coming Antichrist kingdom. His evil efforts will last 42 months in the end time, and thus forty-two is firmly associated with him. (This 42nd Presidency brought an end to 3 generations of antichrist leadership, but we are being preserved by the 45th and 47th. In God's view, Trump skipped a year because He is needed now.) On Oct 14, 2018, Melissa Pollock wrote: David, I thought I would look online and see if there is anything about Pres. Trump having dreams and needing interpretation. I looked for a little, but not really hard. The Lord got my attention when I was online, that Trump is the 45th President. I was thinking about how the Lord is using him as a type of Cyrus. Then all of a sudden the Lord brought to mind that Isaiah 45 is the first chapter, which talks about Cyrus. So I went and looked. Actually, verse 28, the last verse of chapter 44, is the first place Isaiah starts talking about Cyrus. Chapter 45 is the only chapter in Isaiah that starts at the beginning, talking about Cyrus. Then I thought about the fact that 45 means preservation. The Lord also got my attention with how I wrote all this info down. PRES. is short for President, and PREServation both begin with the same letters! The Lord is using PRES Trump as a type of Cyrus to PREServe the U.S. and the world by taking down the Deep State. That's so we have a relative time of peace for the sake of bringing His people out of apostasy so they will follow the Man-child into the wilderness, like David has been teaching us. There are only three verses that use the number 45 in the Bible. Gen.18:28 peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. (45 preserved) Joshua 14:10 And now, behold, Jehovah hath kept me alive, as he spake, these forty and five years, from the time that Jehovah spake this word unto Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. (45 preserved) 1 Kings 7:3, In context 1-3, 1 And Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2 For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was a hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. 3 And it was covered with cedar above over the forty and five beams, that were upon the pillars; fifteen in a row. Cedar wood is bug-resistant and used to store things in order to preserve them from being eaten up by bugs. (His house was preserved and supported by 45 beams)   Huge Box of Gold Coins Given to David David Eells - 11/04/2016 I had a vision in the night. I saw myself in a huge warehouse. I had been sent by my Boss to move a large box that I saw in the Spirit to our part of the warehouse. When I got there, I still saw the box in the Spirit, and I saw the industrial-sized forklift that I was to use to pick it up. I would judge the box to be about 8' square and very strong. It was full of dollar-sized gold coins. I looked at the forklift and wondered if it was big enough to pick the box up. I found the manager of the warehouse and told him what I was told to do. He said, “I was told by my boss not even to speak nominally (in name only) of that box”. Then I told him, “Do you want me to go back to my Boss or do you want to speak to yours?” I knew my Boss, Father, was over his boss, Satan. End of vision. (I believe the Lord is saying we are soon to receive access to the money to serve His saints in the refuge.)   UBM, Refuge from the Storm David Eells - 09/21/2007 In a vivid dream, an elderly white-haired man sat at His desk looking at some papers. He was also watching me with an expression of pleasant approval as I lay on a couch next to Him. I also was looking at some papers. It was revealed to me that He was leaving me with a billion dollars, which to me just represented a lot of money. Later I was told it would literally be infinitely more than that, and it would be to take care of His people, house, property, and the Man-child families. There were household servants who looked on. (The elderly white-haired man represents our heavenly Father, Who will provide Unleavened Bread Ministries with everything necessary to care for that portion of His house and property that He has left us to care for. The house represents His holy people, and His property represents those who are under the blood and in the process of becoming holy. I represent UBM, which is a body of saints committed to preparing the elect to walk in the steps of Jesus. The papers we were looking at represent the Biblical, legal contract between the Father and us that guarantees all these things. The servants are the angels who serve His people to bring this to pass. I was lying down in a restful position, signifying that it would not be by the works of UBM, but as we rest from our own works, the grace of God will bring it to pass.) Afterward, I saw myself walking through the house and looking out a front window. I saw that a storm was raging and that the properties outside the boundaries of our property were being devastated. In other words, we were a refuge. Trees were being blown away, and the landscape was becoming desolate. (Looking out the front window is to look into the future, or what is before the house. The raging storm is tribulation to come. The world outside the property will be devastated to prepare a wilderness that will motivate God's people to flee to the Kingdom of God through repentance and faith. This is abiding in Christ, the “Secret Place” of the Most High God. In the Bible, people are likened to trees, so the trees blown away represent people's lives being destroyed who do not abide in the shelter of Christ.) Next, I saw that inside the boundary of the property were all kinds of animals. I knew that the billion dollars was given to shelter and take care of these. (After the dream, I thought how much this seemed like the beasts who fled to Noah's ark for safety from the storm to come. Solomon taught that men are as beasts. Ecc.3:18 I said in my heart, [It is] because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are [but as] beasts. 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts for all is vanity. I have shared in our teachings that the different peculiarities of these animals represent the different strengths and weaknesses of men. The different species can also be seen as different unclean sects, divisions or denominations.) Peter was being prepared by a trance vision to accept into the Kingdom those men he considered to be unclean beasts. Act.10:11 and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth: 12 wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean. 15 And a voice [came] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. 16 And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven. Immediately after this vision, Peter was invited to the house of Cornelius, and he perceived that God had revealed to him that He had cleansed the lost, unclean Gentiles through the sacrifice of Jesus. Act.10:28 and he said unto them, Ye yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to join himself or come unto one of another nation; and [yet] unto me hath God showed that I should not call any man common or unclean... 34 And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. At this point, Peter preached the Gospel to all who were in Cornelius' house, and they were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Many unclean beast people will be fleeing the judgments on the world and apostate Christianity and coming into the shelter of the Kingdom through our ministry. These were sanctified of their beastly character by the sacrifice of Jesus, and we will have to deal with those peculiarities by faith and the Word. Some of them will ultimately not be saved, for they will not continue in the faith and endure to the end to be delivered of their beastly appetites. Next, I saw, as I looked out of the front window, a rhinoceros charging towards the window. At the last minute, it veered off and went down the left side of the house. I turned and ran to the back of the house and looked out the back window to see lions and a rhino calf peacefully in the backyard together with other animals. I supposed that the rhinoceros was thinking of protecting its own, but there was no threat; they were all at peace. (Notice that the animals are at peace, like they must have been in Peter's sheet and Noah's ark. This symbolizes the one flock with one shepherd that Jesus said would come. Mat.5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. In Isaiah 11:1-5, the Branch is Jesus in the Man-child ministry as in Jer.23:1-6. Then it also speaks of the animals being at peace and protected and led by the man-child. Isa.11:6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them (man-child). 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain (Kingdom of God); for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea. The rest of the chapter speaks of gathering God's people to their spiritual Land of Promise and bringing peace between them while conquering the old man in the land. Chapter 12 speaks of them drinking freely of God's salvation. And chapter 13 is the Day of the Lord and the fall of America as we know it. Here, the shepherds and their flocks are gone, but the wild beasts- especially “goats” (the wicked and apostates) and “wolves” (apostate false leaders) are left to “cry in their castles” (churches). 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' (Babylon in religion and politics) pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20... neither shall shepherds make their flocks to lie down there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there (religion); and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there. 22 And wolves shall cry in their castles (churches), and jackals in the pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.) Looking out the front window in this dream represents seeing into the future, and the left side, where the rhinoceros went, represents where the goats walk. Just as it is now, some self-righteous, competitive, ambitious, sectarian, factious, domineering types will seek to separate those of their own kind and their own thinking from the body when in reality they are in the safest place to be. This also may be speaking of a larger future scenario that involves the new world order religion seeking to separate those who may be proven to belong to them from those at peace with God and each other. They will not be ashamed to use the weapon at their disposal to gore those who have been given authority. The rhinoceros first aimed at me and then at those who agreed with me. Some, like Judas, will go to the place ordained for them because of their selfish ambition and because they abuse their freedom in Christ. Gal.5:10 I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be... 13 For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only [use] not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another (as the wild beasts normally do), take heed that ye be not consumed one of another (as the wild beasts do). 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.... 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   Refuge Presence of God B. R. - 05/01/2009 (David's notes in red) I was reading in Second Samuel, and this scripture impressed me: 2Sa.6:14 And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. (When the David Man-child ministries are anointed as the new leadership of God's people, the presence of God will be in their midst for the first time since the Saul ministries began. 1 Chr.12:38 All these being men of war, that could order the battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king... 13:2 And David said unto all the assembly of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and if it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad everywhere unto our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us; 3 and let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul.) Then, last night, I had a refuge dream, and only the following came to mind: We were in a covered pavilion with picnic tables. David (representing the David/Man-child ministries to come) and I had arrived, and there was a group of people expecting us. A middle-aged woman came up to us and told us that the pretzels in the stacked, white boxes of different sizes on the picnic tables were for us to eat. (This represents partaking of the joyous rewards of the unleavened bread of the Word, the crucified life of the heart, and prayer. All this in a clean, white garment representing faith and the works of the Spirit. Which I will share below.) David was walking behind me, singing in tongues. He was in a very joyous mood. (Bringing the anointed presence of God.)   What Do Pretzels Represent? The origins of the pretzel go back to a frugal monastery in the mountains between Southern France and Northern Italy. In 610 AD, the monks created the first soft pretzels. They didn't want to waste the dough leftover from making unleavened communion bread. (Partaking of the pure Word.) Christians, in those days, prayed with their arms crossed over their chest (the crucified life of the heart) with each hand on the opposite shoulder. The monks realized that the dough could be twisted into a similar shape. The treats were given to village children as a reward to children for memorizing their prayers. The monks called their treats “pretiola”, a Latin word that means “little rewards”. (Partaking of the joyous rewards of the unleavened bread of the Word and prayer.)   Provision for the Bride Terri McGinley - 4/19/22 (Deb's notes in green | David's notes in red) I had a dream where I was observing these young men. (Representing the Man-child Body of first fruits reformers.) They were between the ages of 18-23 or so. (Eighteen is the numerical value of the Hebrew word “chai,” which means “life.”... It is a Jewish custom to give monetary gifts in increments of 18, thus symbolically blessing the recipient of the gift with a good, long life. The number 23 in the Bible symbolizes death. The Man-child body of reformers is the first to come to their spiritual death of self so that they can bring salvation, provision, and life through the Gospel of Christ to all of God's elect during their first 3 1/2 years of ministry in the tribulation.) They were camping, and someone there told them of a lady who was in need and asked if they could help out. (Camping represents that the Man-child reformers are in their own personal wilderness.) (The lady in need is the modern-day Church, which has been impoverished by apostasy and division over these last 2,000+ years and is in desperate need of the real Jesus.) One young man said, “Wait, just a minute.” (The young man represents Jesus Who has already given us everything.) He had a stack of birthday cards. (Birthday cards represent invitations to be born into the Kingdom.) He looked through them and found a blank check and a hundred-dollar bill. He took them out of the cards and gave them to the lady in need. (The Man-child will show the woman how to receive the $100 bill representing 100-fold fruit and the blank check representing carte blanche; i.e., whatever is needed; no stipulations or no limits.) (Est 2:13 then in this wise came the maiden unto the king: Whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.) He left the check blank. I was really surprised, thinking he'd give maybe five or ten dollars, especially since he didn't seem to have much and was so young. That was the whole dream. (Jesus didn't have much during His earthly life according to the world's standards, but He gave all of His life so that we could have Life. A “blank check” reminds me of Mar.11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them.) AMEN.

God's Love Is For Everyone Acts 11:1-3 1The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Reading Acts 13:44-52 where after preaching at Pisidian Antioch, many Gentiles came to faith, and as said in verse 48, "As many as were appointed to eternal life believed." Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Welcome to Day 2914 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2914– “Joyful Return, Insightful Response”  based on Luke 10:17-24 Putnam Church Message – 07/19/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Joyful Return, Insightful Response.”   Last time our message was “Practical Talk to Those in Ministry,” where we learned to leave the harvest in the hands of the Lord who is the Lord of the harvest. Today, we continue with our thirtieth message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “Joyful Return, Insightful Response.” Our core passage today is Luke 10:17-24, on page 1612 of your pew Bibles. The Seventy-Two Return 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Opening Prayer Father, we come before You today with joy and humility. Thank You for calling ordinary people into Your Kingdom work. Thank You that the name of Jesus is greater than every power of darkness, every accusation of the enemy, and every fear that troubles our hearts. Lord Jesus, help us rejoice in the right things. Teach us to celebrate Your victories without becoming proud of our usefulness. Remind us that our greatest joy is not what we accomplish for You, but that we belong to You. Open our eyes to see what prophets and kings longed to see. Give us childlike hearts that receive Your truth with faith and obedience. Holy Spirit, guide us now as we listen to Your Word. Amen. Introduction: A Story - Returning From the Battle In the early nineties, a few years after Desert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf wrote an autobiography titled It Doesn't Take a Hero. Near the middle of the book, he describes his thoughts as he headed for his first combat command position in Vietnam. He was a West Point graduate, full of energy and idealism. He went to Vietnam, as he said, for “God, country, and Mom's apple pie.” But later, after a second tour of duty, he returned from a battle-scarred landscape where young men under his command had died or had lost parts of their bodies to landmines. He came home to a divided nation, and he wrote with exhausted realism, “I realized then I was really tired of being a commander… I thought, Thank God it's over. I'd saved as many lives as I could… I wanted to get home to my family.” Same geography. Same war. Same mission. But what a difference between the man who went out and the man who returned. In Luke 10, the seventy-two whom Jesus sent out also return from the battlefield. But the seventy-two return with joy. In our last message, “Practical Talk to Those in Ministry,” we watched Jesus send them out two by two. He told them the harvest was great and the workers were few. He sent them like lambs among wolves. He told them to travel light, offer peace, heal the sick, and announce that the Kingdom of God had come near. They went out as messengers of the King. / Now they return. And they come back like children running through the door after seeing something amazing. “Lord,” they say, “even the demons obey us when we use Your name!” They had gone out to announce peace, but they discovered that the name of Jesus also carried authority over the powers of darkness. Jesus rejoices with them. But He also corrects their perspective. He lifts their eyes above the thrill of ministry success and says, in effect, “Yes, rejoice that evil is retreating. But do not build your joy on power. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” That is our theme today: The greatest joy of a disciple is not what we do for Jesus, but that we belong to Jesus. Which brings us to our four truths today which are found in your bulletin insert on the side that is titled: Joyful Return, Insightful Response Main Point 1: Kingdom Ministry Pushes Back the Powers of Darkness The seventy-two return with joy and say, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use Your name.” That little word “even” carries their surprise. Jesus had told them to heal the sick and announce the Kingdom. But apparently, as they ministered in His name, demons also submitted. They saw firsthand that the mission of Jesus was not merely moral improvement, social kindness, or religious instruction. It was war against the dominion of evil. Luke has been showing us this from the beginning. Jesus confronted demons in the synagogue. He delivered the man in the region of the Gerasenes. He gave the Twelve authority over demons. He healed the boy whom His disciples could not help. And now the seventy-two discover that the authority of Jesus extends through them as well. This is where we need to understand the Bible's bigger supernatural worldview. The late Dr. Michael S. Heiser often reminded readers that the Bible presents a spiritual world populated by heavenly beings. In the Old Testament, we see scenes of God's heavenly council, sometimes called the Divine Council. God is the Most High, the Creator, the supreme King. But Scripture also shows lesser spiritual beings who serve, rebel, accuse, deceive, or oppose God's purposes. In Job 1 and 2, we meet “The Satan,” or “the adversary,” appearing among the heavenly beings. In that setting, the word functions like a title — the accuser, the challenger, the prosecutor. By the time we reach the New Testament, Satan is clearly presented as the great enemy of God's people, the tempter, the accuser, the ruler of a rebellious kingdom of darkness. So, when Jesus says in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning,” He is not giving the disciples a small compliment. He is interpreting their ministry as part of a cosmic victory. Every sick person healed, every demon rebuked, every message of Kingdom peace proclaimed — all of it was evidence that the usurper's rule was cracking. The adversary was falling. Object Lesson: The Flashlight in a Dark Room Imagine turning off the lights in a room and then switching on a flashlight. The darkness does not negotiate. / It does not hold a committee meeting. / It simply retreats where the light shines. That is what happens when the Kingdom of God advances. When Jesus walks into a synagogue, demons cry out. When Jesus steps into Gentile territory, a legion of demons loses its captive. When Jesus sends out His followers, evil spirits submit to His name. Not because the disciples are impressive, but because the King is present through them. Ancient Israelite Context For a first-century Jewish listener, this would not sound like a mere private spiritual experience. It would sound like the long-awaited victory of God. Genesis 3:15 promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. Psalm 91 spoke of trampling lions and serpents underfoot. Daniel 7 envisioned the Son of Man receiving authority, glory, and sovereign power. The prophets looked forward to the day when God would defeat evil and restore creation. Now Jesus says, “You are seeing the beginning of that victory.” The Kingdom has come near. Modern Illustration We may not always see dramatic confrontations with evil spirits, but we still see the Kingdom push back darkness. When an addict finds freedom in Christ, darkness...

We dig into Acts 9:15-16: "But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."   This isn't about Saul being punished for who he used to be, but rather there is a cost to following Christ, but we see Saul understanding it is worth every penny of the cost. We see persecution taking place right after his conversion.   As Saul went from synagogue to synagogue preaching of Jesus, people didn't trust him and wanted to kill him because they felt he was guilty of blasphemy against  God by claiming Jesus to be God's son. They saw him as a religious traitor.    Acts 9:23-30 ⁃ Conspiracy to kill him in Damascus ⁃ Shunned in Jerusalem ⁃ Befriended by Barnabas ⁃ Received by the Apostles ⁃ Conspiracy to kill him by the Hellenistic Jews ⁃ Returned to hometown of Tarsus   In 2 Corinthians 11:23b-27 we read of his imprisonments, exposure to death, beatings, stonings, whippings, shipwrecks, and being in constant danger, facing daily his concern for the body of believers.    This news of Saul's persecution causes us to: 1. Admire him for his courage in sharing the Good News of Jesus.   2. Recognize that he was saved from hell by direct intervention of Jesus. Jesus' intervention resulted in Saul knowing everything he has is a gift from God.  We too have sinned and are saved by Jesus resulting in the free gift of salvation - and so we live for Him. We may suffer like Saul/Paul - under the enemy's attack. But our courage is found in God and in Saul's encouraging last written words. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord will award on that day!"   God is good, and He brings His people through each and every day, including the darkest ones.     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0728db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – July 28 Acts 28:17-31 Acts 28 17 Three days later, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Gentlemen, brothers, although I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was handed over as a prisoner from Jerusalem to the Romans. 18 After they interrogated me, they wanted to release me, because there were no grounds for the death penalty in my case. 19 But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. 20 That is why I asked to see you and speak to you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 21 They said to him, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, and none of the brothers who came here has reported or said anything evil about you. 22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.” 23 They set a day to meet with Paul, and even more of them came to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and testified about the kingdom of God. He also tried to convince them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others continued in their unbelief. 25 They were arguing with one another and began to leave after Paul made this one statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your [1] fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 26 Go to this people and say, You will keep hearing and yet never understand; you will keep seeing and yet never perceive. 27 For the heart of this people has grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them. [2] 28 “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation from God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” [3] 30 For two whole years Paul stayed in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to visit him. 31 He was preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without anyone stopping him. Footnotes Acts 28:25 Some of the witnesses to the text read our. Acts 28:27 Isaiah 6:9-10 Acts 28:28 A few witnesses to the text add 29 After he spoke these words, the Jews departed, while having a long debate among themselves. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Political peace and social unity is something often heard about in the media and how communities need to strive to embrace unity and lay down their tribal identities that divide people. How might Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones respond to this kind of plea? More importantly, how does the apostle Paul talk about unity? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:11 titled “Predestined and Sealed in Christ,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on the great themes of unity, harmony, and peace in the letter to the Ephesians. In the church, there is no nationalistic boasting from the Jews nor philosophical snobbery from the Greeks for they are all one in Christ. The apostle Paul, who first boasted in his flesh as a Hebrew of Hebrews, now boasts that he is an apostle to the Gentiles. How did this come about? It comes about from God's grand purpose of reuniting all things together in Christ. It is only when one looks to their inheritance as Christians can true peace and true unity be realized. Only by setting affection upon the spiritual inheritance in Christ can true reconciliation take place. The world does not know this or understand this unity. Hear Dr. Lloyd-Jones speak to this important topic that has implications for lives today. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

What happens when two powerful letters confront the pressures of empire and old religion in the first-century church? This episode explores Romans and Hebrews as bookends for understanding how early believers navigated the clash between Rome's kingdom and the temple system, each letter addressing the unique struggles of Gentile and Jewish audiences. Discover how the same gospel spoke to two very different front lines—and why reading these letters in context changes everything. If you've ever wondered about the roots of faith and how history shapes belief, this conversation will challenge and inspire you."Romans and Hebrews are not two random books—they are the gospel speaking into two pressures, two battlefronts." - Tim WindersAccess all show and episode resources HERE.Episode Resources:NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.Episode Highlights:00:00 Two Letters One Gospel 00:45 Why Read In Order 03:56 Episode Focus Romans Hebrews 06:21 Two Kingdom Pressures 10:41 Dating Authors Audiences 15:06 Rome Church Backstory 18:08 Romans Unites Jew Gentile 19:37 Abraham Olive Tree Argument 23:51 Romans 16 Mixed Family 24:58 Hebrews Era Rising Persecution 26:34 Temple Looks Safer 28:21 Who Wrote Hebrews 28:57 Rome Destination Clues 31:21 Jesus Is Better 33:09 Severe Warning Passages 34:36 Faith Heroes Context 36:30 Two Letters Two Fronts 39:03 Common Anchor Faith 42:44 Modern Misreadings 44:45 Four Lenses Today 48:10 One Gospel Takeaway 48:56 Next Episodes Preview 50:31 Reading Plan Sendoff

I have typically read Paul's letter to Rome like it was an essay written for the church at large for all times and for all places.  In fact Paul, Jesus' apostle to the nations, in about 57 A.D., wrote a pastoral letter to several house churches in Rome. He mentions 26 members of the Roman church by name in chapter 16.  He knew a lot about the churches and he was very concerned with simmering divisions within those churches.  The churches were composed of a great diversity of folks, Jews and Gentiles, slave and free, as well as male and female.  A dispute was heating up in the church between a group that Paul called the "Weak," primarily Jewish believers, and a group that Paul called the "Strong," primarily Gentile believers.  Neither group had much use for the other and that was the problem!  He had strong words for both groups. The issues have to do with the place of circumcision, sabbath keeping, and the Jewish food laws in the life of the Churches.  Paul used eleven chapters to give the churches a solid Christ centered foundation on which to live together as "One People of God."  His overriding message was that one church, composed of Jews and Gentiles, living to the Glory of God, is the will of the LORD God.  He declared in chapter 12, "All of us are members one of another."  He followed up this declarative in chapter 15 with the imperative:  "Welcome each other as Christ has welcomed you, for the Glory of God." Tom Wright was recently asked, "What about today's church would most disturb the apostle Paul?" To which he replied. "Our many, many divisions and our LACK OF CONCERN about it." Come on this journey with us through Paul's wonderful letter which invites us to rediscover the "Power of Oneness."

Alex separated his AC joint racing the guys after church, and suddenly everything he took for granted with two working arms was gone. That's the whole point of Philippians 3:1-3. Paul is writing to a church being pressured by Judaizers, people telling Gentile believers they had to become Jewish before they could become Christian. Paul calls it what it is: dogs, evildoers, mutilators of the flesh.In this episode we walk through why confidence in the flesh grieves God and isn't safe for you, five problems with trusting what you can do, and three ways to actually rely on God instead. Plus the line that ties it all together: joy comes from reliance, not restraint.Alex and Lokelani also talk about how false teachers keep people locked in, why the “better version of yourself” message is not the gospel, and the very easy test for whether a Christian influencer is putting their confidence in the flesh or in Christ.Part of the Stress Less series through Philippians.CHAPTERS0:00 I broke my shoulder racing after church2:20 Who the Judaizers were (Acts 10, 11, 15)5:30 Reading Philippians 3:1-36:15 It grieves God13:00 It isn't safe for you13:35 Dogs, evildoers, and those who mutilate the flesh17:00 Five problems with confidence in the flesh25:40 How to actually rely on God27:50 Joy comes from reliance, not restraint31:00 The physical can never reach the spiritual35:15 So what gives you confidence?37:40 After the Amen44:45 How false teachers keep people hooked48:50 The iPad I destroyed for no reason53:45 How to spot confidence in the flesh onlineamenpodcast.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amenpodcast.substack.com