Podcasts about gentiles

Twelve days. That's how long David Gentile spent in federal prison for a $1.8 billion fraud that wiped out the retirement savings of 17,000 people. On Thanksgiving 2025, President Trump signed a one-page clemency grant, commuting Gentile's seven-year sentence to time served and erasing a $15 million restitution order in the process. In this episode, we talk to one of those 17,000 victims, CarolAnn Tutera, a 70-year-old still working because she can't afford not to. We also talk to securities fraud attorney Adam Gana and Ponzi Playbook co-host Neal McTighe about how the scheme worked, what the pardon means, and what it says about the current climate for white collar crime. CarolAnn Tutera GPB Capital investor and CEO of Tutera Medical tuteramedical.com Adam Gana Securities fraud attorney, Gana LLP ganalawfirm.com/adam-gana Neal McTighe Co-host, Ponzi Playbook podcast Ponzi Playbook on Spotify The Conviction and Sentencing DOJ Press Release justice.gov The Blueprint of the Fraud SEC Civil Complaint sec.gov The White House Response Forbes Breaking News — search: “Karoline Leavitt Asked About Trump's Commutation Of Private Equity CEO's Fraud Sentence” 00:00  CarolAnn's Story 04:06  David Gentile's Promise 04:38  I Beg Your Pardon 07:02  How a Ponzi Scheme Works 14:21  The Smoking Gun Emails 15:47  CarolAnn's $400K 16:42  The Takedown 18:38  The Verdict 19:22  The Pardon 20:06  The White House Response 23:12  Restitution Wiped Out 29:51  The Pay-to-Play Pattern 33:41  The Perfect Storm GuestsResourcesChapters36:44  Ponzi Playbook Returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's So New About the New Covenant? Part 1 | KIB 522 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing Description: In Kingdom Intelligence Briefing #522, Dr. Michael and Mary Lou Lake explore a vital question for the remnant in the last days: What is so new about the New Covenant? This episode uncovers how the promises of the New Covenant were already embedded in the Old Testament and how many believers have been disconnected from the very foundations that explain who we are in Christ. Mary Lou opens with practical warnings about spiritual deception in culture, hidden occult influence, and the need for prayer over vulnerable regions, infrastructure, and the nation. She also shares an important encouragement for God's people to remain watchful, prayerful, and spiritually prepared. Dr. Lake then begins a powerful new teaching series showing that the New Covenant does not abolish God's previous revelation, but rather internalizes it. He explains how the Torah being written on the heart, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, circumcision of heart, and the renewal of the mind are all part of the deeper reality of walking with God in the last days. This is a timely message for believers who want to move beyond shallow Christianity, rediscover the Hebraic foundations of the faith, and understand how spiritual maturity, healing, and obedience work together in the Kingdom of God. If this teaching blesses you, please like, subscribe, share, and visit: www.KingdomIntelligenceBriefing.com Timeline: 00:00 – Introduction and opening remarks 01:29 – Welcome to Kingdom Intelligence Briefing #522 01:56 – Mary Lou's warning about hidden cultural deception and "6767" chanting 03:18 – Vision of white-uniformed soldiers and prayer for the electrical grid 07:43 – Why infrastructure attacks and spiritual preparedness matter 13:36 – New teaching series: What's So New About the New Covenant? 15:10 – The error of disconnecting the New Covenant from the Old Testament 16:57 – Old Testament promises fulfilled and internalized in Christ 18:55 – Circumcision of heart, new heart, indwelling Spirit, and priesthood realities 21:58 – Why the New Covenant raises the standard instead of lowering it 24:55 – Jeremiah 31 and the promise of the New Covenant 28:25 – Torah written on the heart: external law becomes internal reality 31:42 – Why bad theology creates conflict between spirit and soul 34:13 – The danger of throwing away God's original definitions 37:19 – How the Holy Spirit uses the Word to renew the mind 43:46 – Why the Church must return to biblical foundations 51:18 – Romans 2 and the law written on the hearts of Gentile believers 56:08 – The need to heal wounded spirits and restore alignment with God 01:00:44 – Prayer for healing, alignment, and spiritual restoration 01:01:26 – Featured resource: The Kingdom Priesthood 01:03:51 – Closing remarks and ministry information Hashtags: #NewCovenant, #TorahWrittenOnTheHeart, #BiblicalLifeTV, #KingdomIntelligenceBriefing, #DrMichaelLake, #MaryLouLake, #HebraicRoots, #EndTimes, #BibleTeaching, #HolySpirit, #SpiritualWarfare, #RemnantBelievers, #KingdomOfGod, #ChristianDiscipleship, #LastDays, #Jeremiah31, #Romans2, #CircumcisionOfHeart, #BiblicalFoundations, #KingdomPriesthood

In this scripture hike, Mark and Cindy explore the second half of Galatians 2, where Paul recounts a powerful moment when he confronted Peter in Antioch for withdrawing from eating with Gentile believers out of fear of criticism from Jewish Christians. This public rebuke showed that even respected leaders can stumble when fear and social pressure replace the truth of the gospel. Paul reminded Peter that the message of Christ breaks down the old barriers—there is neither Jew nor Gentile, and no one is justified by the works of the Mosaic law but through faith in Jesus. Returning to the old system would only rebuild what Christ had already fulfilled. Instead, believers are called to a new life: dying to the old law and living for God. As Paul beautifully summarizes, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” The Christian life is now lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us, and trusting in that grace ensures that Christ's sacrifice was not in vain.

Ephesians 4 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss the goal of unity within a congregation and the important steps to accomplish unity.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24875The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

This is the account of the first Gentiles to respond to the gospel with repentance and faith. Gentiles, like the believing Jews before them, received the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now they belong to Christ's church. The inclusion of Gentiles reveals Christ's plan for the nations, his power to save, and his glory in the church. As Christians, this is our history. In this we rejoice. Grace Community Church exists to build spiritually healthy people for ministry in the world. One of the ways that we pursue this mission is by gathering each Sunday for corporate worship, prayer, and biblical teaching. The corporate nature of this gathering is both edifying to the believer and a witness of God's grace to the world. Sermon speaker is Scott Patty unless otherwise noted.

Our West Next Steps Pastor, Chad Classen, continues week eleven of our teaching series, Breakthrough. Prayer is a gift from God—a tool that He's given us to foster deep and meaningful relationship with Him. God invites us to consistently use this gift of prayer, knowing how much a life of prayer can transform our desires and perspectives to align with His. There is power as we pray out loud, approach God boldly, and bring our real self to Him. Prayer has a unique way of teaching us how to depend on God as we trust His goodness, wisdom, and plan.   In this message, Pastor Chad explores the following Scriptures:   Luke 18:1-8 NLT One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"   Matthew 6:5-8 NLT When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. "When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!   Matthew 6:14-18 NLT If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.    – Next Steps Looking to take a next step? We'd love to help you get connected.

Jordan is back in town. Join Bobby and Jordan as they catch up on current events and tough on end-times prophecy.

In Matthew 10:11–23, Jesus sends His disciples on a mission specifically to Israel. This mission comes after the religious leaders rejected Him, and the Kingdom's offer was being postponed. At this stage, the mission does not include the Gentiles. Instead, it focuses on the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." The purpose of this mission was to identify, gather, strengthen, and prepare the believing Jewish remnant who recognized Jesus as Messiah. Jesus tells the disciples to continue proclaiming that "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," but the nature of the Kingdom program begins to shift. With Israel's national rejection, Jesus begins introducing what Scripture later calls the Mystery Kingdom—the present spiritual phase of the Kingdom, while the physical Messianic Kingdom is delayed. This mission comes before the Great Commission and reflects the biblical pattern of evangelism: "to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." But the mission to Israel does not end with the disciples. In this passage, Jesus gives prophecies that clearly extend far beyond their lifetime, including persecution before councils, testimony before governors and kings, family betrayal, and global hatred toward His followers. Most importantly, Jesus makes a remarkable statement: "You will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes." This shows that the mission to Israel continues through to the Second Coming. Matthew 10 connects directly with the themes later expanded in the Olivet Discourse. The proclamation of the Kingdom continues among the Jewish people until Messiah returns. This passage also exposes the fatal flaw in Replacement Theology. If God were finished with Isr

In Matthew 10:11–23, Jesus sends His disciples on a mission specifically to Israel. This mission comes after the religious leaders rejected Him, and the Kingdom's offer was being postponed. At this stage, the mission does not include the Gentiles. Instead, it focuses on the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The purpose of this mission was to identify, gather, strengthen, and prepare the believing Jewish remnant who recognized Jesus as Messiah. Jesus tells the disciples to continue proclaiming that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” but the nature of the Kingdom program begins to shift. With Israel's national rejection, Jesus begins introducing what Scripture later calls the Mystery Kingdom—the present spiritual phase of the Kingdom, while the physical Messianic Kingdom is delayed. This mission comes before the Great Commission and reflects the biblical pattern of evangelism: “to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.” But the mission to Israel does not end with the disciples. In this passage, Jesus gives prophecies that clearly extend far beyond their lifetime, including persecution before councils, testimony before governors and kings, family betrayal, and global hatred toward His followers. Most importantly, Jesus makes a remarkable statement: “You will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” This shows that the mission to Israel continues through to the Second Coming. Matthew 10 connects directly with the themes later expanded in the Olivet Discourse. The proclamation of the Kingdom continues among the Jewish people until Messiah returns. This passage also exposes the fatal flaw in Replacement Theology. If God were finished with Israel, this mission would have ended long ago. Instead, Scripture shows that God still has a future plan for Israel and the believing remnant.   Hashtags #BibleTeaching #Matthew10 #Israel #BibleProphecy #EndTimes #MysteryKingdom #ReplacementTheology #Dispensationalism #JesusMessiah #SecondComing  

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 15, 2026In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Romans 11. In this chapter, Paul explains that God has not rejected Israel. A faithful remnant of believing Jews still exists, just as it has throughout history. Paul teaches that Israel's unbelief opened the door for Gentiles to receive the Gospel, and God will ultimately use Gentile faith to stir many Jews to believe in Christ as part of His larger redemptive plan. The chapter concludes by emphasizing God's sovereign control over history and calling believers to respond to His wisdom and mercy with humble worship.

March 15th, 2026 | No Other Gospel | Galatians 2:11-21Pastor Todd Kaunitz continues the No Other Gospel series with a powerful look at Galatians 2:11–21, highlighting both confrontation and clarity when it comes to the truth of the Gospel.Through a striking real-life illustration and Paul's face-to-face confrontation with Peter, we're reminded of a challenging but essential truth: no one outgrows the Gospel. Even seasoned believers can fall into fear, compromise, and spiritual blind spots. When Peter withdraws from Gentile believers out of fear of man, Paul boldly calls him out—not to shame him, but to protect the integrity of the Gospel.This passage leads into one of the clearest explanations of the Gospel in the New Testament. Pastor Todd unpacks what it means to be justified by faith alone—not by works of the law—and why our standing before God rests entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ. The law exposes our need but cannot save; only Jesus can declare us righteous.But the Gospel doesn't stop at justification. It continues into sanctification—Christ actively at work within us. Galatians 2:20 reminds us that we have been crucified with Christ, and now live by faith in Him. To rely on ourselves is to nullify grace; to trust in Jesus is to experience ongoing transformation.This message is both a wake-up call and an invitation: Where might fear or compromise be shaping your life? And are you truly trusting in the finished and ongoing work of Christ?Listen in and rediscover the power of the Gospel—not just for salvation, but for every day of your life.Do you know JESUS?: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nblongview.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER?: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nblongview.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT through giving: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠⁠⁠

March 15th, 2026 | No Other Gospel | Galatians 2:11-21In this message from March 15, 2026, Pastor Ben Lofton continues the No Other Gospel series with a clear and compelling teaching from Galatians 2:11–21, centered on one foundational truth: justification comes by faith in Jesus Christ alone.Walking through three key movements—Confrontation, Declaration, and Transformation—Pastor Ben unpacks Paul's public confrontation of Peter and what it reveals about the danger of compromising the Gospel. When fear of man led Peter to pull back from Gentile believers, his actions communicated a distorted message: that faith in Jesus wasn't enough. Paul's response makes it clear—when we add to or subtract from the Gospel, we lose it altogether.This message drives home the urgency of getting the Gospel right. Like a construction error that starts small but grows over time, even slight distortions of truth can lead us far from what is real. The Gospel is simple but non-negotiable: Jesus plus nothing equals everything.Pastor Ben then walks through Paul's powerful declaration that no one is justified by works of the law. The law reveals our need but cannot save us—only faith in the finished work of Christ can make us right before God. And while we are saved by faith alone, that faith never remains alone—it leads to a transformed life.Finally, the message points to the ongoing transformation that flows from justification. Galatians 2:20 reminds us that we have been crucified with Christ, and now live by faith in Him. The Christian life is not about striving to earn God's love, but living from it—fully dependent on Jesus, who loved us and gave Himself for us.This sermon is both a challenge and an invitation: Are you subtly adding to the Gospel in your life? Or are you resting fully in the finished work of Jesus?Listen in and be reminded—it's not Jesus plus anything. It's just Jesus, and He is more than enough.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

Today, we continue our journey through the book of Galatians with Part 3, "Promises." Join us in the conversation. This is the audio podcast.

Audio Transcript Are glad you’re with us today. I just didn’t know what today would look like with the weather. And I know some were not able to come in because of the weather, but I’m glad that you’re, you’re here today. So if you have a Bible with you, if you’d open up to the Gospel of Luke and continue our study of Luke today, the text from chapter 7, verses 11 through 17. So Luke 7, 11:17, which is on page 503 on the Pew Bibles. If you didn’t have a Bible with you this morning, if you want to grab one of those, page 503. And so let me read the sacred text and then I’ll pray, ask for the Lord’s blessing on this time, and then we’ll get to work. So Luke 7, starting verse 11 through 17, please hear the words of our God. Luke wrote this. Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain and Disciples, and a great crowd went with him. And he drew near to the gate of the town. Behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother. And she was a widow. And a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, do not weep. Then he came up and touched the briar, and the bearers stood still. And he said, young man, I say to you, arise. And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorify God, saying, a great prophet has risen among us and God has visited his people. And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. So that’s God’s word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? Lord, it is good to be here. And Lord, we’re here this morning on this cold, wintry day because we want to hear from you in your word. And so, God, I pray for the glory of Christ that you would indeed speak through the folly of my preaching and ways that you just fill our hearts with Christ. And I pray song in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, so perhaps my favorite passage in the Gospel of Luke is actually found at the end of the gospel account. So this is one that came after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, where I read a story of two men on a road to Emmaus who are trying to figure out all the things that just took place concerning Jesus Christ and specifically his death and then resurrection from the dead. And if you’ve Read through Luke before you may remember that these two men are having this discussion, you know, trying to process these events, trying to process reports that were circling around that the risen Christ actually showed up and he entered into their conversation with the two men at the beginning of the story, actually not able to recognize the Lord. Then after some back and forth between Jesus and the two men, Jesus actually rebuked them for being foolish, for not understanding and believing that which was taught in the Old Testament through the prophets concerning the Christ and the suffering that was to come on him to rebuke. Starting with the old test teachings from Moses, which are the first five books of the Bible, and then continuing through the rest of the Old Testament Scripture and the various prophets, Jesus interpret for these two men how all the scriptures are about him, to show them that he is indeed the fulfillment of the Scriptures as God’s word in the end is about Him. It points us to him. Then, after doing this incredible Bible study with these two men, appears that the Lord celebrated the Lord’s supper with them as he broke bread, as he celebrated the meal. Finally the man’s eyes were open, and they’re open in ways they were able to recognize Jesus as the one they were talking to over as their eyes were open. From there, Jesus actually vanishes from their sight, where he went off to appear to some of his disciples. But after he vanished in the story that I love, the two men started to process all that Jesus had told them, how he opened up their eyes to the Scripture, where they’re in dismay, how they didn’t recognize the Lord at first, primarily because of how their hearts burned within hearts burned of the truth of Scripture that Jesus taught to them. Truth of scripture that is mentioned points us to him. Now I tell you that story, it’s a story that we eventually get to in our study of Luke and the months to come. Not simply because it’s actually one of my favorite stories in the Gospel account, but I wonder how important this story of Jesus testifying to all the Old Testament is about him, how important that story was actually to Luke, the author of this gospel that we’ve been studying. Where I’ve wondered, as Luke was going around interviewing eyewitnesses to the life, the death, resurrection of Jesus Christ as he was told this story of the two men on the road to Emmaus, which I have wondered, maybe told directly from them. I’ve wondered how Luke’s heart was like burning inside as he heard the story, as he was starting to see more and more how the scriptures in the End are about Christ. The Scriptures became even more alive to him when he understood them in light of Jesus Christ. I wonder how the truth of Moses, the truth of all the prophets, ultimately speaking about Jesus became so important to Luke that as he wrote this orderly account, that he desired to do so in such ways that he would share stories to help his readers, including us, see how indeed all of the Old Testament is there to point us to Christ, including our text today, which is a text where we’ll continue to see the power and the authority of Jesus Christ on display. So this is something that we’ve seen multiple times in multiple passages that we’ve looked at recent, as Jesus has power and authority even over demons and sickness. Now today we’ll see that the power and authority of Jesus is even over death. So that’s one of the things we’ve seen in the text. Addition, our text today, perhaps even more primary to the passage, is we’re actually going to see the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ, where Jesus used his power, his authority, in direct correlation to his compassion, where we see his good heart towards his people who are suffering. And in the text, we’re going to see how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, which I think to me is clear that Luke is wanting us to see how we’re to see that two of the more important characters of the Old Testament, two of the greatest prophets, Elijah and Elisha, ultimately were there to point us to Christ, as they were types of Christ to come, who is the great and true prophet. Now, before we dive back into text, just a quick reminder where we left off last week so you may remember. Jesus just finished one of his most famous sermons recorded in Scripture. Sermon mentioned many times, referred to as a sermon on the plain. And after Jesus dismissed that congregation from the plain, he himself left the plane and headed towards a city called Capernaum, which is a place that he previously ministered at, at least on two occasions, where he did some incredible acts of ministry. In fact, Capernaum actually seemed to be Jesus like, almost like his home base during his earthly ministry. So in our text last week, if Jesus returned to that city, we learned that there was a wealthy, influential Roman military officer, a centurion, who sent for Jesus. And. And he sent for Jesus because he wanted Jesus to come heal his favorite servant who was at the point of death. In our story last week, the centurion sent a delegation of Jewish elders to go get Jesus, doing so with the belief that he was worthy of Jesus coming to do this for him to heal his servant because of the authority that he carried. However, as Jesus responded to this request by starting to make his way to the house, somewhere in the short time between sending for Jesus and Jesus drawing near to the house, somewhere in that short period of time, the centurion has like a major change of heart and a tone towards the Lord Jesus. Or for me, I think the centurion actually was converted. Because as Jesus Christ came near the house, the centurion sent a second group of delegates, some of his friends, to tell Jesus to come no further. Because the centurion now understood he actually was not, not worthy of Jesus Christ, even though he was a man of great wealth and authority. As Jesus came near, the man understood and he testified that he actually was a man under authority, specifically the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. And upon hearing the centurion make this declaration, which the man who I should mention was a Gentile, Jesus had his own declaration in response, saying that nowhere in all of Israel did he find such faith, a faith that rightly understands the lordship of Christ over all of our lives. But I should mention here that some actually connect this story of the centurion to a famous Old Testament story of a different gentleman who had power, remember Naaman, who had leprosy on the end of that story, professed faith in God. So some connect that story of centurion to him. And finally, where we ended our text last week, after Jesus making the declaration about the centurion, the second group of delegates then returning back home and they found the sick servant healed, where Jesus healed a man, where he continued to show power, authority over sickness. Now today, as we continue in our study with Luke, we actually come to an even greater healing, even greater then the healing of the centurion. Who’s the point of death where text today is mentioned, Jesus actually raises a young man from the dead. And this morning I hope that this increases the burning in our hearts as Jesus puts his power and authority and compassion on display as he proves that all the scriptures are about him. So that is the intro if you want to look back with me, starting in verse 11. So if you’re visiting with us. So what we do here is I’m just going to walk us back through the text verse by verse. So if you have your Bible open, please keep them open. So starting verse 11. So we read these words so soon after this refers to the interaction that Jesus had with the centurion, which is the start of chapter seven. So soon after that we see that Jesus was back on the move and we See that he traveled maybe 25 or 30 miles or so to the south, you know, a good day’s walk. And he now came to a town called Nain. Now when it comes to this town, this is actually the only time it’s mentioned in scripture. But where we gather through archaeology, this town seems at one point to be a town that had some size to it, but perhaps maybe to like a change in economy, something like that by the time of Christ. This is now a smaller, more insignificant town that’s located in the southern part of Galilee, which is where Jesus spent much of his public ministry. Now what’s interesting about N is that this little town was really close to a more familiar town in scripture. A town to seem to be the location like a large cemetery of like tombs and caves that served this area. A town called Endor. No, for Star wars fans, not that Endor, but if you’ve read the Old Testament, maybe this town is familiar to you. There’s a very famous yet very odd story about a witch who was from Endor who practiced divination which where in this odd Old Testament story, Saul, who was the king of Israel, began to understand that his like kingdom was slipping out of his hands because of his own sinful practices where like he rejected the Lord and his authority over him. I mean unlike the gentile centurion, Saul was not a man under authority. And as Saul rightly understood, the king was slipping away. In his desperation he came to this witch in Endor, asking her to speak to the dead on his behalf, specifically to speak to the former prophet and priest who anointed Saul as king, a man named Samuel. As Saul wanted to get some advice from him. Now in this odd story, really much to the surprise of the witch, when she called upon Samuel, he responded to her, communicating to her, communicating to Saul through her that soon the kingdom will be taken from him. Now we don’t have time to work through that story, but various scholars I read this week do wonder how this story in Luke perhaps has that story of the witch and Endor like kind of running in the background in subtle ways in the text here. So Jesus entered into Nain, it appears that he is about to run into those who are headed towards endorphins. So not sure if that should be running in the background as we think through this passage, but is it interesting to consider back to verse 11 of our text. As Jesus went to Nain, we say he did not make this 20 file 25 mile walk alone. Rather we see that his disciples are with him. Along with a great crowd, which this really had to be an interesting sight to see for those who are along the route from Capernaum to Nain. You know, just think like, maybe like out working your field and you look up and you see a large caravan people headed towards this little insignificant town, which didn’t seem to be part of any like major traveling route for this time period. Rather seemed like this little town was like fairly isolated, fairly removed from much of the world around it. However, we see it’s not isolated or removed from the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 12. As Jesus and his great crowd drew near to the gate of the town, this time they’re about to end, we see that they were met at the gate by a considerable crowd who’s about to head out of the city, headed seemingly towards Endor. As this crowd that Jesus met was part of a funeral procession. And in this procession there would have been people there that we assumed would be there, like family and friends. But culturally, during this time this procession also probably included like hired mourners as well as hired musicians, making this like a huge crowd which as these two crowds, the crowd of Jesus and crowd of mourners, they meet here. This would have made a huge group like converging at the gate, perhaps well into the hundreds, all at the city gate. Verse 12. See that this procession of mourners was there because of a man, a man who was being carried out, a young man who died, who was the only son of his mother, who now was, or who also was a widow. Okay, now just a few things on this just to interest you. So first, for this woman, I mean, this would have been awful, a really awful thing for her to endure and have to process through hard enough to have your only son die and all the pain associated with death. But culturally this would have put her in like the most vulnerable of places where culturally women would have been dependent upon either her husband or her sons like, to provide and support and protect. But now for this woman who was a widow, she’s now culturally void of those realities. So for those who read the Old Testament book of Ruth and the story of Naomi, remember how she like, basically considered herself like, good as dead when her husband’s, her husband and sons died. That’s the woman here in this text. All of the pain, all of the hurt of losing her only son, as well as all the fear, all the concern, all the worry on what was before her, to have no husband or son, provide, support, protect her. This woman was in desperate need of grace and Mercy. She was desperate for someone to show her some compassion. Second, a widow losing a son. This is actually where her mind should be taken back to the great prophets Elijah and Elisha. So you may remember this. In the ministry of Elijah in First Kings 17, there’s a widow from a town called Zarephath who had a son who died, who God brought back to life through the prayers of Elijah, who laid upon the boy three times as he prayed that God would give back his Life. Then in second Kings 4, there’s another young boy who died, who Elisha also prayed for doing so with laying on top of his dead body. And in both these stories, not only did the Lord give back to life, each of these boys as the sons were brought back from the from the dead to the land of living. The prophets then brought the sons back to their moms. Which we’re going to see in just a bit is our text in verse 15. But for now, just know the story of Jesus here in Luke 7. This is tied with like strong allusions to Elijah and Elisha and the stories that’s mentioned, particularly the one of Elijah in 1st Kings 17. Third, I also want to just mention here something I read in one of the commentaries that I thought was actually pretty insightful. This came from the John Phillips commentary where Phillips wrote concerning verse 12, concerning two different crowds, two different processions that met at the city gates. Philip wrote, one was being led by the angel of death, but the other by the Lord of life. And that reality of being led by the angel of death or the Lord of life was not just true of the scene here, but that reality is true of all of us where either we all are dead in our sin being led by the angel of death, or we are walking by faith in Christ as he leads us as the Lord of life, as he leads us into eternal life that is to come. So by the way, just kind of on this, I just do have to ask, as you walked in this morning, what procession are you following right now? Keep going. Verse 13. As the true processions met each other, as this large crowd was forming at the city gate, we see that the eyes of Jesus found the one in the crowd who was hurting the most as his eyes were taken to the mother who was mentioned again would be carrying like overwhelming pain with the loss, incredible stress on what would be for her coming next. And as the eyes of Jesus fell upon this woman, we see that his eyes were filled with compassion towards her, which is important for us to see in this passage as well in our own lives. So, yes, Jesus is the Lord. He’s the one filled with all power, all authority, where all things exist by him and for him. And in his power and in his authority, he will justly judge all things. But within those truths, what we see in the text, we see throughout Scripture, is that towards his people, Jesus sees them with eyes filled with compassion, where he sees his hurting people, our pain is not absent from Him. And as the Lord sees our pain, he sees us with his tender heart. One of my favorite passages in Scripture, a bruised reed he will not break, a smoking flax he will not quench. And that is so true in this passage here. For this mom, who is hurting, who is grieving, Jesus did not come to her to break her, to quench her. Rather, text, with his eyes and heart filled with compassion, we see Jesus, like, walked up to the woman to console her with the words, woman, do not weep, saying this because he knew he’s about to dry her tears in the most incredible ways, which, by the way, is what he promised to do for all his people as they enter into eternal life, where Jesus will dry every tear that we shed with kindness, with compassion, we heal, dry our tears in such a way that we actually will never cry painful tears ever again, as he removes all pain and hurt and tears from his people forever. In text, verse 14, after consoling the woman, see, Jesus went to the brier, which is a frame that a coffin or a deceased body is laid upon. As the body being carried to the tomb, as he approached the dead body of the young man, we see that it stopped the bears, you know, the ones carrying the briar, and stopped them in their tracks. And they stood still before the Lord, you know, just waiting to see what he was going to do. As the bear stood still, assuming everyone else, and both parties at the gates stood still silent before the Lord. We see in the story that Jesus spoke up in the text, young man, I say to you, arise. Which is notice here. Jesus is speaking to the dead man with all of his power, all of his authority, doing so in such a way that Jesus knew that the dead man would hear him. Which is a stark contrast to the witch of Endor as mentioned, was shocked with her divination. As Samuel responded from the dead, Jesus spoke up to this man. Jesus knew that his word would not return to him void, but he knew that the dead man would hear and respond to his sovereign voice. So in verse 15, as the word of Jesus went forth, we see the dead man head no choice, but he had to Respond. And he sat up and began to speak. Alive, risen. And this had been an incredible sight to behold for those at the scene. But even more for this young man, this scene, as the first thing he sees after his resurrection is Jesus. Just a couple things on this. So Pillar commentary points out that this face of Jesus would have been most likely unfamiliar to this young man. Most likely. He probably did not meet Jesus prior to this. But as he saw the face of Jesus as he rose again, he saw the face to which he belonged. Second, while this story is unique in scripture, there’s not many who were raised from the dead. In fact, in the ministry of Jesus, we only see three such occurrences. So there’s this one, there’s his friend Lazarus we can read about in John 11. And then there’s a daughter of a man named Jairus we’re actually gonna get to when we get to Luke chapter 8. So while this reality of being raised from the dead to see Jesus is unique in this life. But for those who are in Christ, friends, this will be your reality, where one day, yes, you will come to your last breath, where to this life you will be dead. But the promise of scripture, for all those who have faith in Jesus Christ, as we die to this life, our eyes will be open to the eternal life that is to come. And the first thing that we’re going to see is Jesus. So for us right now, yes, we have to imagine what this must have been like for this young man. But for those who are in Christ, one day, you will not have to imagine what this was like because you’re going to experience it yourself. You will see Jesus face to face, the very one to whom you belong. Keep on the text with more compassion, more kindness from our Lord Jesus Christ. As Jesus resurrected this man we see, he now turns back to the mother to give her her son. As mentioned earlier, this action is very similar to what Elijah did in 1st Kings 17. For us. Once again, with imagination, we can only imagine the joy this had to be for the mother to have Jesus return to her her only son. However, one day, because of eternal life that Jesus offers friends, we don’t have to imagine what that would be like either, to be reunited with a loved one who had died. For all who are in Christ, not only will we see Jesus with our eyes, but we will see each other as we will live with Christ and each other throughout all eternity. Keep going. Verse 7 or 16. For those that have seen, they didn’t have to imagine what this all looked like because they were there to Experience. And as he experienced the power and the authority of Jesus to raise the dead, as well as he experienced the kindness, the compassion of Jesus to care for this woman who was in deep pain. In the text we see that they were like seized by fear. And this fear here is not like fear of danger. It’s not like a fear tied to some type of worry or anxiety. Rather, this is a fear that’s filled with like awe. As both crowds that met at the gate stood almost dumbfounded with awe by that which they just witnessed. You know, for the crowd to arrive at Jesus of the gate. Yeah, most likely they would have witnessed some incredible things beforehand. You know, various hearings that Jesus did, casting out of demons, but now raising the dead, that’s next level for the crowd who was there as part of the funeral procession. Right. This would have been the last thing they would expect as they’re proceeding out to the graveyard, as they headed to Andor, they’re expecting to place the body in the tomb, not seeing the body raised up from the dead. Going into the theme of imagination for us does not take a lot of imagination, our part to see and understand why the crowd stood seized with fear, with awe and the text as this awe filled crowd, as they witness all this that Jesus did, we see they did the only thing that they could do in response to the Lord and what he did. And they began to worship and they began glorifying God in the text, saying, a great prophet has risen among us and God has very visited his people. Now, just a couple things and these two phrases said by the crowd. The first phrase, the declaration, the great prophet has risen among us sends a crowd like understanding that indeed Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is written about him. In the Old Testament there’s a few passages speaking towards a great prophet who was to come that you’re connecting now here to Christ. One they probably most likely had in mind is Deuteronomy 18, where Moses wrote this says, the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers. It is him you shall listen. I also wonder, perhaps you’re thinking about Malachi 4, which says this. So behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes, you will turn the hearts and fathers of their children, and the hearts of their children, and children in the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest they come and strike the land with a decree and utter destruction. Which that passage of Elijah to come we do see is first pointing to John the Baptist, who is a forerunner Christ. But I do think that both Elijah as well as John the Baptist are there for us to see Jesus as the great and true prophet. As mentioned our text, as a crowd stood seized with awe, it seemed like they were understanding. Their hearts were burning inside as they were recognizing that Jesus indeed is the prophet. Promised from old then the second phrase that people declared, the phrase God has visited his people. And for us this is such a rich and such an encouraging reality when it comes to our God. Most religions worldviews, their deity is like just distant, pretty aloof to what’s going on in the world around them. So for many, they’re just hoping to do enough good things to somehow capture the attention of their false God. They might feel compelled like to entertain them with his presence. But this understanding, this type of religion, this is so far different from the truth that we see in Scripture concerning the one true and living God. But He’s a God who’s near, who’s present, who’s active in the world around us, including in our own hearts. He is a God who indeed visits his people. In fact, we’ve learned in our study of Luke, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, God visits His people in such a way that he actually lived among us, Emmanuel, God with us. Furthermore, we see in Scripture, particularly in the book of Acts, which is volume two of this work of Luke, in the person of the Holy Spirit, God continues to visit his people in such a way that he lives and he dwells in the hearts of his people. Meaning for his people, God could not be more near than he is, as he promises that he will forever be near to us, as he will never leave us, never forsake us. And finally, we’re going to end in our passage today, verse 17, as his entire crowd came to this conclusion, as he understood the worship that Jesus deserves, we see the groups went their different ways. And as they left the scene, we see that reports about Jesus raising the young man from the dead started spread throughout the whole region of Judea, along with all the surrounding country, which no doubt only added to the buzz and excitement and the interest of the growing conversation of Jesus and Nazareth, if indeed he was the Messiah, which He is now. As I close this time here, I just want to give you just a few kind of summary statements from what we see in the text and then we’ll be done. So first, as we think through this text, so let the power, or the authority and power of Jesus, let that burn deeply within your heart and this Power, this authority, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is something we continue to see throughout Luke, throughout the public ministry of Jesus Christ that Luke records for us or his ministry is not like one of a charlatan, like he didn’t minister in weakness. Jesus didn’t minister with like false promises where he like oversell but then vastly under deliver. Rather the ministry of Jesus was filled with real authority, with real power where Jesus was able to do that only God’s Eternal Son can do in text today. This authority, this power is found in the greatest miracle of Jesus that he performed to this day. Where according to this authority, to this power, Jesus raises the dead. And friends, let that authority, let that power burn in your hearts knowing that only did Jesus raise the dead in this text along as with the others that I mentioned earlier, but he has the authority, the power to raise all of his people from the dead so for all time they can dwell with him in eternity. You know, there’s plenty of things in this life that appear to have some type of authority, some type of power. Friends, let your heart burneth in burneth hope that in the end there’s only one authority. There’s only one power that’s gonna win out. It’s the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection. Second, let the compassion of Jesus also burn deeply within your heart. Yes, Jesus has all power, he has all authority, but he also has all compassion. Where it’s mentioned in the end of time, as his people enter into eternal life, he’s gonna meet us with his compassion, where he’s gonna dry every tear that we have ever shed, including our most painful and grief filled tears. He’s gonna dry them with all of his compassion for us today. While no doubt the resurrection power and authority of Jesus is very present in the text, but I think even more what Luke wants us to see in this passage is the compassion, the tender heartedness of Jesus Christ who is filled with compassion towards this moment, who just lost her only son, this mom who is at the point of desperation, who needed someone to show her compassion, which in the text Jesus does with his grace upon grace. And friends, I do hope that the compassion that Jesus has for his people does burn in your hearts where it burns in ways that we feel it, particularly in our times of need. We’re in our times of need. We trust that Jesus is not aloof to your pain, to your reality. Rather he is present. He’s present in ways that he is there to visit you in your pain. As your great High Priest who ministers with compassion and Kindness and grace upon grace. Which by the way, I do wonder if maybe that’s true for some of you here this morning, that you did come in carrying just pain and grief. Jesus is here to minister to you with his compassion. Third, let Jesus fulfilling the Scripture, let that reality also burn deeply within your heart. Just back to the passage I started to share from the end of Luke, where in the end, all of scripture, all of it, is there to point us to Christ. So as you read God’s holy word, let me encourage you to do so in ways where you’re like actively engaging your mind and heart, where you’re reading, in ways you’re like actually studying it, where you’re meditating upon it, memorizing it, where you’re asking the Lord through the power of his spirit to help you see whatever you’re reading, how that is to lead you to Jesus, whether it be through promises, through types, through failures, through prophecy, or wherever it may be. May we read Scripture in ways that it’s leading us to see how all of God’s yes and Amen are all taking us to Jesus, the One who sets our hearts on fire. Back to our text, I do think it’s worth considering the odd story of the witch in Endor and her false divination, which just shows us like the sin and folly of mankind, how they’re there or that story is meant to stand in contrast to this story here in the truth and the wisdom found in Christ. Clearly in our text today, as we read about the great prophets Elijah and Elisha, as yes, we see the great things that the Lord did through them, but ultimately they’re types, pointers to the one true great prophet, the Lord Jesus, the one who raised the dead. So for us it would read God’s sacred word. May we read them in ways that they’re seen. We’re seeing how they take us to the truth that is Christ and may that truth burn deeply in our hearts in ways that we worship him, which actually leads to the next thing. Let your burning heart lead you to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, where your heart is set on fire in ways that you’re seized with awe of who Jesus is, where all that you do is done as an act of worship of him, as you pour out your life as a living sacrifice that’s holy and acceptable to him, where you’re pouring out your life in ways that shows worship of love towards him, love towards others, starting with others. Here in the church, we’re in this worship. You’re giving your time and your Treasure and your talents to prove that indeed Jesus is the Lord of your life, the great treasure of your soul. One more Let your burning heart lead you to spread reports about Jesus. So another favorite passage in Scripture comes from a different prophet. Different prophet is also there to point us to Christ Prophet named Jeremiah. Jeremiah wrote this. If I say I will not mention him speaking of God or speak any more in his name. There is in my heart as if it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in and cannot. And church. May that be true of us as well, that our hearts burn in the worship of Jesus Christ with a burning that’s so intense, so white hot, that we can’t help but share reports about him, starting with a report of his gospel found in his death, which Jesus, God’s only son, died on a cross, which he did out of great love, according to his great kindness and compassion and mercy, which he did in accordance with the scriptures that he came to fulfill as he, Jesus took on the punishment of our sin in our place where he died. But unlike the Son in the text who was stopped before he reached the tomb, Jesus actually was buried outside of the city gates where he lay dead for three days. However, as we know, Jesus did not stay dead, but in accordance with his great authority and power, which is authority, power even over death, in accordance with the Scripture, according to the sign of the great prophet Jonah that was given to us in the Old Testament, on the third day, in his greatest of all miracles, the Lord Jesus picked back up his own life as he rose again from the dead, where he now lives eternally. And this report of Jesus crucified and risen, that has been passed down to us is a truth that is meant to seize our hearts, to seize in ways that penetrates like every fiber of our being, where our hearts are now burning so intensely inside that we cannot help but share the report in ways that we pass it down to others for us, sharing with others throughout the whole of Madison and then to the surrounding country and not stopping until we reach all the way to the ends of the earth. And by the way, if you’re looking for like a very real practical way to satisfy this burning in your heart, the sharing a report of him we know in a few weeks it’s Easter, where we’ll be even more intentionally remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So if I can encourage us, let’s invite others to come join us at that service. And who knows how on that Sunday, those who might walk in dead, dead in sin on that Sunday, maybe they hear the voice of Jesus in ways that they have no choice but respond to him, so that by faith he would believe in him. That they be risen, having their hearts set on fire for the Lord of life. By the way, I actually did wonder this morning if this may actually be true. Maybe if some of us here, or even this morning, perhaps you walked in dead to Jesus, dead in sin for sure, you might know things about him, but you’ve never met Him. He’s not the vision of your life. I do wonder that maybe today, maybe even this moment, for the first time, you would actually trust in Jesus so that through the eyes of faith you would see him. That you be raised to life with him, the new and eternal life that he offers. My friend, if that is actually true of you today, just know we would love to rejoice with you in that truth. So please share that report with us. Knowing that reports like this, that you trusted in Jesus for the first time, that only adds to the fire in our own hearts. So, yes, Redville Church, may the truth of God found in his Word, the truth that leads us to Christ, may that set our hearts on fire today and always, that all of our days are filled with the joyful worship of him and the sharing of the reports about him. That by the grace of God, others might have their hearts burned within as well. Let’s pray. Lord, I do pray that you would do a great work in our hearts. That even in this time, in this moment, that you would fan the flame within. Lord, I pray for those here who may have not yet trusted in you. That today, through your sovereign voice, that you would call them to yourself, that you would open up their eyes, that they may see the Lord Jesus Christ, the very one who died for them, to take on the punishment of their sin, only to rise again from the dead so they may have life in you. Life abundantly, both now and throughout all eternity. And Lord, we need your help to be faithful, to eagerly spread the news of reports of Christ crucified and risen. Lord, far too often our hearts are cold to share this report. Far too often we make excuse on why we are slow to share. So, God, not only do I pray you forgive us for falling short, but particularly the next few weeks, that you would just help us to be faithful witnesses. That we’d faithfully share the report. And Lord, our deep prayer is that you would use our little church to draw many to faith in Christ. And we pray that you would do that even within the next few weeks. And lastly, Lord, I just do want to pray if there’s any here that are that walked in just carrying the weight of grief, that in this moment that today you would meet them with your compassion and your kindness. That indeed you would prove to be their great high priest, who can sympathize with them in all weakness yet without sin. And that you would minister to them in their time of need with your grace upon grace. Pray song Jesus name, Amen. The post Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son – Luke 7: 11-17 appeared first on Red Village Church.

Matthew Week 129     Matthew 23:9-12 ESV   9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.       1 Timothy 2:5-7 NASB   5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.       1 Corinthians 4:14-15 NASB   14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.       Ephesians 3:7-8 ESV   7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,       Matthew 23:13 ESV   13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.     Matthew 11:16-19a ESV   16 "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,   17 "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;   we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'   18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'       Matthew 12:23-24 ESV   23 And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons."       Romans 3:10-11; 19-20; 23 NASB   10 as it is written:   "There is no righteous person, not even one;   11 There is no one who understands,   There is no one who seeks out God;       19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.       23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,       Matthew 23:15 ESV   15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.       Romans 10:1-4 NASB 95  

Sermon, 03-08-2026: Walk This Way...No Longer As The Gentiles

Saturday, 14 March 2026   An explanation of the overall pictorial contents of Matthew 17.   Chapter 17 of Matthew completes a picture that has been ongoing for several chapters. In Chapter 14, there was a snapshot of Israel's history in relation to the law. Chapter 15 then gave a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture. Chapter 16 revealed a passage that petitions the Jews of the end times to consider who Jesus is based on their own history, comparing it to how He is portrayed in Scripture.   Chapter 17 began with the words “after six days.” It is a reference to the six days of creation, which mirror the six thousand years of man's time before the millennium, the seventh day, the day of God's rest on earth –   “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10   Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain. Peter is the apostle to the circumcision (Galatians 2:7), James was the first apostle to die, and John was the last. This is an honor that James and John had sought, but in a different way –   “Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?' She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.'” Matthew 20:20, 21   In one respect, Jesus granted the request concerning the placement of apostolic honor. These three men form a triad of witnesses to the Jews. There on the high mountain, Jesus metamorphosed before them. Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets as well as the living and the dead, appeared along with Jesus.   Peter, whose epistles are strategically placed after Paul's, indicating they are addressed to the end times Jews after the church age, offered to build three tabernacles, dwelling places, for them. The voice of the Father came out of the cloud, noting that it is His Son, Jesus, in whom He is well pleased, and that they were to hear Him.   It is the final lesson of the end times. The law and prophets are not what the Jews are to focus on, but Jesus. It is His glory alone that will take them into the millennium, the law being finally removed from Israel (see Hebrews 8:13).   While descending the mountain, the disciples asked Him why the scribes said that Elijah was to come first. Jesus said, “Elijah indeed, he comes first, and he will reconstitute all” (17:11). Elijah is literally coming back to witness to Israel. However, Jesus also noted that Elijah had come already. The disciples understood this to mean John the Baptist.   The indication is that Israel will understand from these two appearances that they missed the ball, and the troubles they have faced were a self-inflicted wound. Verses 14-17 detail the healing of the man's son. No names of people or locations were given, just a description of the boy being moonstruck and suffering badly because he frequently fell into the fire and f  requently into the water.   It is a picture of Israel in their history before the Lord, completely untreatable, even by the disciples (their witness to Israel) –   “Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe. 13 There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines.” Jeremiah 30:12, 13   See also Micah 1:8,9.   Jesus called them a faithless and perverse generation, something that exactingly describes Israel. It is a point stated to the Jews by Peter in Acts 2:40. Despite their failure, it says that Jesus rebuked the demon, and it left the child that very hour. Israel's wound will be cured immediately at the return of Christ.   When the disciples asked why they couldn't cast it out, Jesus said it was because of their unbelief and that that kind could only go out by fasting and prayer. Jesus doesn't say who must fast and pray. Rather, He says it is a part of such healing.   Fasting is a sign of mourning and repentance toward God. Prayer is the means by which God is petitioned.  In the future, at the time of Christ's return, Israel will, like ancient Nineveh, fast and pray to the Lord. When they do, they will be healed.   The final verses of the chapter referred first to them “overturning” in the Galilee (verse 22). The word was anastrephó. As explained, one can return without any intent or change in the way things are, or one can return while considering, making changes, redirecting to something new, etc. It is also used as a word indicating contrast.   It is the state of Israel after having been healed. There is a return with a considered change, redirecting them to something new. They will enter the New Covenant, returning to God in a new way. That wording is based on Jesus' words about the Son of Man being betrayed into the hands of men, being killed, and being raised on the third day (verse 23).   That is the exact gospel Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. Israel will be overturned in their thinking by finally accepting, as Paul says, “the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved” (1 Corinthians 15:1,2).   In verse 24, it says that they came to Capernaum. The name is derived from kaphar, to cover, as in atonement, and Nahum, the name of the prophet. However, Nahum is derived from nakham, to sigh. The sense of the word extends to regretting, feeling sorry, and being or getting comfort.   All three of these are tied up in the thought of salvation. While in this location, those who received the temple tax asked if the Teacher paid the tax. Peter's answer in verse 25 was that He did. The tax, as explained, was based on the ransom money (silver) described in Exodus 30:11-16. It is the money representing salvation through Christ's sacrifice, ransoming man from the power of the devil.   Still in verse 25, Jesus preanticipated Peter by asking about paying such taxes, does that come from the king's sons or from unfamiliars (those outside the family). The word used was prophthanó, to get an earlier start on a matter.   Jesus didn't just speak of the matter of Israel's salvation before they asked for it. He spoke of the matter before they could ask. In other words, the Bible has clearly proclaimed that Israel will once again be God's people. Their ransom money had been procured long before they knew there was a need for it. This was preanticipated by God in Christ.   Peter's response to Jesus about the tax was from unfamilars. Jesus said, “Hence, the sons, they are exempt.” It is a point that will apply to Israel after the Lord returns. Being sons of God (as a nation), once again, they will be free from such payment.   Verse 27 described the manner in which Peter would find such a coin to pay the taxes. It was provided by Jesus in a miraculous way. Likewise, Israel will not pay anything for their ransom. Rather, it will be provided by Christ's all-sufficient payment at the cross of Calvary.   The final words of the chapter recorded Jesus' words to Peter, “That, having taken, you give to them for Me and you.” Jesus' work leading to His resurrection is what validated both His and Israel's sonship.   For Jesus, that is recorded in Romans 1:4, where it says, “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” See also Hebrews 1:5.   For Israel of the end times, pictured by Peter, the apostle to the circumcision, it is belief in the gospel that will bring about their state of sonship. The tax is paid through the miracle-working power of God in Christ.   Life application: Chapter 17 of Matthew clearly indicates that there is a future for Israel, the people. They are restored to the land of Israel as prophesied in God's word. They will never be uprooted from it again, according to that same word –   “‘I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,' Says the Lord your God.” Amos 9:14, 15   This is good news for Israel. However, for Israel at this time, the news is not so good. They are not currently God's people (Hosea 1:9, 10 & Romans 9:25, 26). Not being God's people, they are also not sons of God. That right has been stripped from them at this time.   Rather, Jesus clearly notes that their father is the devil –   “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:44-47   To reject Jesus is to reject God because Jesus is God and the Son of the Father. Jesus calls Israel during this dispensation a “synagogue of Satan” in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9. Calling them God's people at this time does a disservice to them. What they need is evangelism, not coddling, sycophancy, fawning, or flattering.   They are not right with God, and not to evangelize them, when you have the opportunity to do so, can only continue them down the path leading to the Lake of Fire. This is important. Israel needs Jesus. Without Him, they are like any other nation on the planet that lacks Jesus Christ. Be bold in your proclamation of Jesus Christ to all people, Jew and Gentile alike.   Lord God, help us to think rightly about our conversations with others. Help us to remember that without Jesus, they are on a one-way path to eternal condemnation. May we boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all people. Amen.

Of all the occurrences in the book of Acts, what happens in chapter ten is among the most significant. The Gentiles are hearing the gospel message for the first time. Now, as you might imagine, some of the Jews were not happy about this. They thought the gospel was for them only. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29?v=20251111

Romans 11:33-36 — In this sermon on Romans 11:33–36 titled “The Great Doxology,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares his belief that this passage is the best doxology in Scripture. He warns not to take this passage out of context since Paul is praising God after expounding wondrous truths for much of the letter. One cannot fully appreciate Paul's doxology without understanding the parts that make up the whole. Paul spoke about justification by faith, God's mercy on the Jews as well as the Gentiles, and other magnificent truths. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that many have sought to explain this passage by claiming that Paul has stopped seeking to understand God's truths and instead broken out into praise. While this is well-meaning, it does not capture the truth of the passage. Paul is worshipping God indeed, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, but only during His learning of God's wondrous doctrines. This is not a mindless doxology, but rather is a very mindful one. Along the same lines, it is not just the depth of the riches that Paul is referring to – it is the depth of the riches of God. How wonderfully kind of God to give eternal life to all those who would call upon His name. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Mark 7:24-30 Faith of the Gentile Woman David Koo

Questions about what gives modern Christians confidence that they've inherited the Jews' covenant with God if Scripture explicitly says it was with Israel and not the Gentile nations, and why the Jews were chosen.   The covenant in Scripture is explicitly with Israel and not the Gentile nations, so what gives modern Christians confidence that they've inherited that covenant? Why were the Jews chosen?

More Than Food Storage; Famine and Atonement by Autumn Dickson The Old Testament is full of stories, and oftentimes, those stories come as a type of things to come. They teach us about life. They teach us about our relationship with God and our dependence on the Savior. Joseph's life is no different. We can look at the parts of his whole life and find incredible symbolism, and we can look at his life as a whole for symbolism. There is so much there. Let's talk about just some of it. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. After a series of miracles and difficulty, Joseph is made a ruler in Egypt after interpreting a dream for Pharoah. Pharoah puts him in charge of gathering food to save up for a horrible famine that is going to spread throughout the land. Here is what happens when the famine hits. Genesis 41:54-57 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. First, the Egyptians come and get food from Pharaoh. Other countries, including Joseph's brothers, follow suit and start coming in to get food from Pharaoh. We believe in food storage and self-sufficiency, and this is a powerful example of that. However, that's not the most important lesson we can learn here. Believe it or not, this is an incredible example of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Before we delve into the deeper symbolism, I want you to think about some of these poignant details. Joseph was originally with his family who would grow to be the twelve tribes of Israel. After they rejected him, he ended up with Gentiles – Egyptians. He saved them from the famine first, and then his brothers came to buy bread as well. Christ originally stuck with the House of Israel until they rejected Him. Then the gospel went to the Gentiles before returning to the House of Israel once again. The details are too beautiful. Even beyond the incredible parallels, there are deeper principles here. As I mentioned previously, this isn't a story about self-reliance despite its ability to teach that principle. This is a story about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Joseph knew the dearth that the people on earth would face. It was revealed to him, and he had been foreordained to handle it. He had been prepared throughout his life to handle it. He had the gifts necessary in order to prepare for it. A plan was set in motion to save everyone from this dearth. He was betrayed and placed into a position where he would be enabled to provide that saving grace when no one else could. Joseph had the corn that saved everyone. There was nowhere else to go in order to be saved. Joseph was the only one who had legitimate bread to offer. Perhaps other people and sources tried to offer and lie about having some, but you had to go through Joseph to get bread. Christ knew the dearth that the people on earth would face. It was revealed to Him, and He had been foreordained to handle it. He had been prepared throughout His life to handle it. He had the gifts necessary in order to prepare for it. A plan was set in motion to save everyone from this dearth. He was betrayed and placed into a position where He would be enabled to provide that saving grace when no one else could. Christ provided salvation. There is nowhere else to go in order to be saved. Christ is the only one who has legitimate salvation to offer. Perhaps other people and sources tried to offer and lie about having some, but you have to go through Christ to be saved. There are implications for this, implications for your personal life as well as missionary work. Implication one. The Egyptians could have stood in line, filled their buckets, gone home, and put those buckets in the corner. They could have looked at the buckets, maybe even opened them, and still refused to eat the food that had been given to them. The dearth still would have killed them. It didn't matter if they did all the things that enabled them to have food if they didn't consume the food and let it fill their bellies. Are you going to church? Are you doing Come Follow Me? Are you studying the scriptures, going to the temple, serving, doing your calling, praying, and studying your patriarchal blessing and conference talks? Here's a more important question. Are you allowing those things to fill you? It is very easy to cross things off a to-do list. It takes a different kind of work to internalize the to-do's and bring them into your heart to fill you like they were always meant to. Which leads me to the next implication. Why did the other countries come to Egypt for food? The other countries, including the House of Israel, came because they saw that the Egyptians had full bellies. Is your belly full? Other countries looked at the Egyptians and saw that they had food. They didn't look at the Egyptians and notice that they were standing in lines or carrying buckets. Other countries saw that their bellies were full. Missionary work becomes simpler when the gospel is filling your life with light. When you are utilizing the to-do's of the church to internalize the light of Christ's gospel (not just doing the to-do's), people will come to you. They will be drawn to you. In a world that offers empty bellies, we have the sustenance that a person can live and thrive on. Bring the sustenance home. Do the to-do's. Consume the sustenance. Let the to-do's fill you up and make you whole. The other countries will see what you have and want it. One of the most powerful ways to share the gospel is to let the gospel fill you so that everyone can see your light shine and glorify your Father in heaven. I testify that there is salvation in the world, and I testify of a Savior who offers it. There is bread to fill your belly. I testify that it feels good to have a full stomach, and I testify that there are so many people out there consumed by emptiness. They will be drawn to what we have. Share it. Internalize the Savior and His promises, and share it. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Genesis 37–41 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Romans 11:28-32 — What is the status of the Jewish people now that Christ has come? In this sermon on Romans 11:28–32 titled “God in Control,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks on this vital question with which the apostle Paul wrestles. Paul says that there is a current hardening of the Jewish people by God in order that the gospel would go to the Gentiles. All throughout Scripture, sin and evil are unable to change God's good work. Paul makes clear that God has not finally rejected His people, for the hardening that has come upon the Jewish people is only temporary and there will be a day when a great revival comes upon the nation of Israel. What is the church's response to this teaching? The church and Christians everywhere must not be arrogant towards the people of Israel, for all salvation is a gift from God. The church must also seek to bring the gospel to the people of Israel and the glorious truth that Jesus has come and died for sinners. All who believe, whether Jew or Gentile, will be saved and made inheritors with Jesus Christ in the age to come. Jesus is the only way of salvation for all, whether Jew or Gentile. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

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.

In this episode of "Gentiles Only" We provide an epilogue for the last two episodes. This epilogue is a read through of Chapter 5: Yeshua ≠ G-d. Rabbi Elijah Pinchas as the author at Eye to Zion and the Executive Director of Facing Each Other. https://www.facingeachother.com/ https://i2zion.com/ https://www.altarnatemedia.com/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKV759RP?binding=paperback&qid=1734385736&sr=8-4&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbk https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G26N28JC?binding=hardcover&qid=1768182827&sr=8-1&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_thcv https://altarnate-media-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/gentiles-only

Paul leaves Athens and ventures on to Corinth where he meets Aquila and his wife Priscilla. It's noted that they are tent-makers, which brings up an interesting aspect of Paul's life that we don't often consider. Paul was a tentmaker by trade, and while he often received financial help and contributions, he had a job by which he made a living. Aquila and Priscilla were also tentmakers, so they became fast friends and began working together. After an initial attempt to witness to the Jews in Corinth, Paul turns away from his fellow Hebrews and instead focuses on preaching to the Gentiles. The Corinthian church multiplies under Paul and he stays in the city for a year and a half. At the end of our reading, Paul and his friends venture to Antioch where they meet Apollos. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Send a textHost Karen Ferguson welcomes author, Jenny Marcelene, to 5-Minute Parenting to share her debut book The Dreamer.  Jenny's heart is for unreached people, and this first book in her Christian-themed global adventure series for children ages 6 to 10, shares the Afghan culture with young readers in a relevant and exciting way. Jenny's goal is to cultivate a biblical worldview and spark prayer for the Gospel among young people. Listen in as she shares her favorite Bible verse for missions, plus 4 simple ways to cultivate missional prayer in kids. Be sure to grab her free 17 page download, Ticket to Afghanistan, and check out her website, book, and Gospel Coalition article by clicking the links below: Ticket to Afghanistan FREE DownloadGospel Coalition Article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/missional-prayer/Website: www.jennymarcelene.comBlog: www.jennymarcelene.blogspot.comThe Dreamer  book on Amazon: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+dreamer+jenny+marcelene&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8Isaiah 49:6 "He says:“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer!

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 16-18, Psalm 38, Galatians 2 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the March 11th, 2025 episode of the Daily Radio Bible! Today, Hunter, your faithful Bible reading coach, invites you to journey through the pages of scripture, exploring Deuteronomy chapters 16 to 18, Psalm 38, and Galatians 2. We'll reflect on the ancient festivals and laws given to God's people, David's heartfelt prayer of repentance, and Paul's passionate reminder that we are made right with God by faith—not by the law. Hunter guides listeners through these passages, delving into the message of God's grace, the danger of fear-based religion, and the radical love that Christ has for us all. The episode also includes a time of prayer, words of encouragement, and a gentle reminder: you are deeply loved by God. So settle in, open your heart, and join your brother Hunter for another soul-nourishing time in the Daily Radio Bible. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The law can't save us, but the law will humble us. The law instructs us. It teaches us our need for God's grace. That is its purpose. It was never meant to save us. Peter would lose sight of this. He was swayed by James' friends. They were people who trafficked in fear and legalism, control. Peter was generous-hearted toward these new Gentile believers in Antioch. He was eating with them. Sharing his life with them until this group shows up. They tapped into the fear-based brain that tries to pacify God with piety and performance by pretending. They conjured up a storm of fear that grabbed a hold of Peter's heart and spread out into Barnabas's heart. Thankfully, Paul is relentless with the gospel, and he verbally slapped some grace into Peter. Even though this was no doubt an embarrassing rebuke for Peter, I'm sure in the end he was glad for it. Living in fear is no way to live. Fear is infectious. It's like a virus. It spreads. And in this case, it spread even to Barnabas, who is known as the son of encouragement. But God's grace is infectious too, and this is an infection we don't want to cure. We need to recognize our need to be renewed in the message of the gospel all the time. If Peter and Barnabas needed to be renewed in the message of God's grace, how much more do you and I need to be renewed in it? That old religion of fear shows up all the time in our lives, so we need to be ready with the gospel, ready to remind ourselves that the gospel is not about fear, condemnation, performance. It's not about any of that. Galatians 2:20 tells us what the gospel is: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. See, there's grace, and there is the gospel. The Son of God loves us and gives himself for us, and not just us, but for the whole world. Christ undid what Adam had done. He assumed humanity on his shoulders on the cross, and there we find ourselves in him. Because of the vicarious life of Christ, Paul says we are in him on the cross. He says it plainly here: I have been crucified with Christ. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. Paul holds to this gospel truth. In Christ, Paul sees the completed work of God on behalf of all. And that, my friend, is such good news. It is the antidote to fear-based religion. It is the pathway to freedom, generosity, and love. So let's live in that truth today. What Christ has done for you, what he's done for Gentiles and Jews, what he's done for the world. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul today, that I will see the immense magnitude of the love of God for all, that I'll rest in that, and that I will know its joy. That's a prayer that I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son, and that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)Andrew and Edwin discuss the strength given by the Holy Spirit in our inner being.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24839The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Mark Winner discusses Ephesians 4:17-19—“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031126.cfmFather Chris Alar, MIC, addresses a common misconception: that the Old Testament portrays God as harsh while, in contradiction, the New Testament reveals a loving Jesus. He explains that the Old Testament functions like parental guidance for children — setting boundaries to protect us — while the New Testament calls adults to a higher standard of love and self‑discipline. Jesus stated He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, completing the dietary and ritual requirements through His self-sacrifice on the Cross.Father Chris clarifies that Christians are no longer bound by Old Testament rules on diet, circumcision, or animal sacrifices, yet the fundamental moral law remains unchanged. The Council of Jerusalem confirmed that Gentile converts must uphold even counter-cultural moral teachings while being freed from ceremonial obligations. This distinction guards against both legalism and license: freedom from ritual law does not mean freedom from moral responsibility.Father Chris emphasizes that Jesus elevated moral standards to a supernatural level, a level that demands grace building on natural virtue, teaching that anger equates to murder and lust to adultery. Society often misuses Scripture to justify moral relativism, yet Christ's words to the adulteress — “Go and sin no more” — reveal that mercy demands transformation. Divine Mercy is not permission to continue in sin. The Ten Commandments summarize this dual call: reverence for God and respect for man, or in other words, love of God and neighbor. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Mark and Cindy explore Galatians 2:1–10, when Pau explains his return to Jerusalem fourteen years after his conversion. Guided not by human pressure but by divine revelation, Paul meets privately with respected leaders like Peter, James, and John to confirm that the gospel he preached to the Gentiles—salvation through Christ alone, free from the requirements of Jewish law—was the true message of grace. Through the example of Titus, a Greek believer who was not compelled to be circumcised, the episode highlights the early church's struggle against those who sought to add legal burdens to the gospel. As we walk through this passage, we'll see how Paul courageously defends the freedom believers have in Christ, preserves the truth of the gospel for future generations, and demonstrates the unity of God's mission—one gospel going to both Jew and Gentile, with a shared calling to remember the poor and live obediently in response to the grace of God.

Growing In God Podcast Program Number: GIG #292 Web Description: With AI there will be new levels of deception and persecution directed against the people of God. That is why we as Christians need to grow into new levels of maturity, wisdom, and understanding by the Holy Spirit. We must have the mind of Christ that does not judge by what our eyes see and our ears hear in the natural realm. Instead, we are to see and hear in the spirit realm what Christ is disclosing to us from the Father.    Show Notes: Artificial Intelligence (AI), like any other technology, is controlled by humans, meaning it has the potential to be used for good and the same potential to be used for evil. AI is already being helpful in many areas. But its greatest negative impact will come from its ability to affect our perception in ways that were never possible before. It will be increasingly difficult to know if what we are watching is real or not.   Using AI, individuals can be made to appear to be doing things and say things they would never do or say in real life. This would be a powerful means of persecution against Christians if they are realistically portrayed as saying things they never said. So the power of AI to distort our perception is very real. And we are faced with the fact that our natural senses will not give us the true understanding of what is happening in the world. We need to reach into a spiritual maturity that allows us to judge, make decisions, and understand things from a different perspective.   Yeshua (Jesus) did not judge by what His eyes saw or His ears heard. Now more than ever we need to grow up in Christ and have those same attributes. We can no longer afford to be children who are carried away by the trickery of men in craftiness and deceitful scheming. There must be a maturing of the Body of Christ until believers begin to know and understand and see by the Spirit of God. We cannot passively walk with God today. We need to leave our infancy and partake of the solid food of the Word that will mature us into what God wants us to be to this generation.   Key Verses:   •       Isaiah 11:1–3. "He will not judge by what His eyes see." •       Malachi 3:14–18. "You will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked." •       Isaiah 5:20. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil." •       1 Corinthians 2:14–16. "A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God." •       John 5:19. "Whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." •       John 8:26. "The things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world." •       Hebrews 5:12–14. "Solid food is for the mature, who … have their senses trained to discern good and evil." •       John 8:31–32. "If you continue in My word, then … you will know the truth." •       John 16:12–15. "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth." •       John 14:16–21. "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." •       Ephesians 4:10–14. "We are no longer to be children … carried about by … the trickery of men." •       Ephesians 4:17–25. "No longer just as the Gentiles also walk … being darkened in their understanding."   Quotes:   •       "It's time for us as believers to know how to walk in the Spirit, be taught by the Spirit, and receive the impartation of the mind of Christ from the Spirit so that we might be those who do His will and are free from the lies and deception of this age." •       "There must be the solid food that begins to be given to the Body of Christ to mature them. And through the practice of their walk in the Spirit, they're going to be trained again to discern good and evil." •       "People are realizing they must take a stand. They must stand up. They must speak up. And that is important for us to do. When God sees this move of His people, it says that He is going to spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."   Takeaways:   1.    AI is a technology that has great power to deceive. That is why we need the maturity that is not moved by the craftiness and deceitful scheming of men. 2.    Satan's great determination is to bring all humanity into deception and drive them away from God. And so we need to reach into the Holy Spirit for a greater impartation of the mind of Christ. 3.    Let us stand up and speak the truth in love, trusting in the covering, protection, and salvation promised for those who fear the Lord in this day.

Romans 11:28-32 — How has God chosen to show mercy to Israel? Some argue that God is done with the nation of Israel and that when Paul says that Israel will be saved, he is speaking of the gathering together of the elect. In this sermon on Romans 11:28–32 titled “Future of the Jews,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones has a different interpretation of this passage. He argues that the apostle Paul is prophesying of the day when God stirs up the hearts of the people of Israel and causes a great revival amongst them. God will fulfill His promises to the patriarchs and save many of their physical descendants. The hardening that has come upon Israel is only temporary and is used by God to send the gospel to the nations of the Gentiles. Did Israel stumble in order that they might fall? Paul says no. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that the church should look forward to the day when God moves and brings a great revival in Israel and brings many to faith in Jesus Christ. This should encourage the church to evangelize the people of Israel, knowing that God has promised to do a great work of salvation among them, bringing many to faith and new life in Christ. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Ephesians 3:1-13 (NKJV)Andrew and Edwin discuss the access Jews and Gentiles both have to God through Jesus Christ. It was the access Paul had even while chained to a Roman guard.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24828The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Paul has left Jerusalem after conferring with other apostles and elders about giving instructions for the new Gentiles believers. Having delivered instructions to them in Antioch, Paul and Silas return to Lystra (where Paul was almost stoned to death) to visit the growing church, and while there, they pick up a young man named Timothy who continues on with them. This is the same Timothy to whom Paul later writes the books of 1 & 2 Timothy. They also pick up Luke, our narrator, along the way, which can be noted when he changes from third person plural to first person plural. Later, a slave girl is delivered from demonic possession, which means her owners can no longer profit from her fortune-telling. They rile up the crowd, beat Paul and Silas with rods, and throw them in jail, but the Lord has other plans for them and for their jailer. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." Roman 2:14-15

This teaching argues that so-called “replacement theology” falsely claims the Church has supplanted Israel in God's redemptive plan, despite Scripture affirming Israel as the root from which Gentile believers are grafted (Revelation 5:5; Revelation 22:16; Romans 11:17–24), and it warns that redefining God through culture or general revelation undermines the gospel, since salvation comes only through hearing and believing the preached message of Christ (Romans 10:14–15; John 3:18), not merely through awareness of a creator (Romans 1:20); the speaker refutes the idea that Gentiles historically “knew God,” citing repeated biblical testimony that they were ignorant of Him and without hope apart from Christ (Galatians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 John 3:1; Romans 1:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; Ephesians 2:12–13; 2 Thessalonians 1:8), and explains that Paul's sermon at Mars Hill did not affirm pagan knowledge of God but exposed their ignorance while calling them to repentance (Acts 17). You can connect with Moriel in more locations than just YouTube! Check out all our official links on the About page: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorielTVministries/about.

Daily Dose of Hope March 10, 2026   Scripture: Romans 4   Prayer:  Almighty Father, You always know what is best for us.  Thank you for that.  We are sorry for the ways that we resist.  Help us to want what you want for us.  Help us to want to be patient, to want to be kind, to want to be obedient.  Conform our will, Lord, In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through Paul's letters chronologically.  Just for review, we have read Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Corinthians, and now we are in Romans.    Today's reading is Romans 4.  This is an interesting chapter.  Paul clearly wants his Jewish listeners to know that justification by faith is not a new concept, but there is actually a precedent in the Old Testament.  Likewise, he wants his Gentile listeners to know that they have a rich spiritual heritage when they believe in Jesus, as the Old Testament attests to this salvation.  Paul highlights Abraham and David, two great men of faith, to demonstrate that even under the old covenant, people were saved by faith rather than by works.   Paul discusses Abraham's faith. Abraham believed, against all hope and even though it was a crazy thought, that he would become a father in his old age and even become the father of many nations.  Sarah was something like 100 years old.  This was not a reasonable thing to believe!  Despite some mishaps along the way (think Hagar and Ishmael), Abraham had faith that God would do what God said he would do.  It was Abraham's faith, rather than his adherence to the law (works), that God credited him as righteous.    It is also our faith, specifically our faith in Jesus Christ and belief that he died for our sins and was resurrected, that God credits us as righteous.  To be righteous means to be in right standing with God.  Let's be clear.  We are not righteous at all on our own merit.  Rather, because of Jesus, we are credited as righteous.  We essentially get to hang on Jesus' righteousness coattails, and I am so very glad for it!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

In this episode of Gangland Wire, I sit down with retired FBI agent Geoff Kelly, a specialist in art theft investigations who inherited one of the most notorious unsolved cases in American history—the 1990 robbery at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. He recently wrote a book about this theft titled 13 Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist. Kelly's law enforcement career began as a New York City transit police officer before transitioning to the FBI. Like many agents, he initially sought violent crime work. Instead, he was assigned to economic crimes before eventually transferring to a violent crime squad. It was there that he encountered the Gardner case—a cold case largely untouched by senior agents at the time. The robbery itself remains extraordinary: two men posing as police officers gained entry to the museum and stole 13 works of art, including masterpieces by Rembrandt. More than three decades later, none of the works have been recovered. Inside the Gardner Heist Geoff explains how art theft is often misunderstood. Popular culture portrays refined, sophisticated criminals orchestrating elaborate capers. The reality, he says, is usually more opportunistic and frequently violent. Art theft often intersects with organized crime, drug trafficking, and even homicide. Massachusetts has a documented history of art-related crimes, and several individuals connected to the Gardner investigation met violent ends. The criminal underworld surrounding stolen art is less about wealthy collectors hiding paintings in private vaults and more about leverage—using artwork as collateral in criminal negotiations. The FBI's Art Crime Evolution Following the 2003 looting of Iraq's National Museum during the Baghdad invasion, the FBI formalized its Art Crime Team. Kelly discusses how intelligence gathering, informants, and international cooperation became central tools in recovering stolen artifacts. He emphasizes that solving art crimes often depends less on forensic breakthroughs and more on human intelligence. Informants remain essential, especially in cases where organized crime overlaps with high-value theft. Kelly also discusses his upcoming book, 13 Perfect Fugitives, which explores the intersections of mobsters, murder, and the illicit art market. Organized Crime and the Reality of Stolen Art Drawing on my own experience working organized crime in Kansas City, I found clear parallels between traditional mob rackets and art theft networks. The same structures—intimidation, secrecy, and violence—apply. Once a painting disappears into criminal circulation, it becomes a liability as much as an asset. Kelly challenges the myth that thieves profit easily from masterpieces. High-profile works are difficult to sell. The black-market art world is volatile and dangerous. In many cases, the artwork becomes bargaining collateral rather than a cash windfall. A Case Still Waiting for Closure More than 30 years later, the Gardner Museum still displays empty frames where the paintings once hung. Kelly remains committed to the idea that public awareness may eventually generate new leads.  The Gardner heist stands as both a cultural tragedy and a criminal mystery—one that continues to intersect with organized crime, violence, and international intrigue. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. Transcript [0:00] Hey, you guys, Gary Jenkins back here in studio Gangland Wire. Y’all know me. I’m a retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective and now podcaster and documentary filmmaker. I have in the studio today… Jeff Kelly, he’s a now-retired FBI agent. He was an expert in recovering stolen artifacts and art pieces. He was involved. He wasn’t involved in the original theft of the Boston art theft, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, but he ended up inheriting that case. So welcome, Jeff. Hi. Thanks, Gary. Nice to be here. And guys, I need to mention this right off the bat. Jeff has a book, 13 Perfect Fugitives, The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist. Be out on Amazon. I’ll have links down below in the show notes if you want to get that book. I think it would be pretty interesting. I was telling Jeff, I just interviewed Joe Ford, the million-dollar detective, the guy that goes after classic cars, and I read that book. I love these kind of caper kind of books and caper crimes. Those are the ones I like the best is the caper crimes. And Jeff is an expert at working caper crimes. And that’s what these are, capers. So Jeff, how did you get into this? Now you came on the FBI. You were a policeman before, I believe. So tell the guys a little bit about yourself and your FBI career. Yeah, I started out with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police in New York City. It was a transit cop. I did that for three years. And then I got into the FBI in October of 95. [1:30] And my goal was always, I wanted to work violent crime. That’s what drew me to law enforcement in the first place, working bank robberies and kidnappings and fugitives. I had to do my five years on working economic crime, telemarketing fraud. It was interesting, but not all that exciting. And finally in 2000, I got my transfer to the violent crime squad. And I loved working it. And I did it for my entire career from then on, right up until my retirement in 2024. But back then, art theft was considered a major theft violation, [2:01] and it was worked by the Violent Crime Squad. And so in 2002… My supervisor dumped this old moribund cold case in my lap. It was the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. [2:15] Nobody wanted it on the squad, so they figured, let’s give it to the new guy. I was ecstatic to get it because I’d heard about it. I went to school in Boston. I went to Boston University and graduated the year before it happened, but I knew about it. [2:28] That’s how I started working this case, this particular case, and then the following year during the U.S., there was a, the U.S. And coalition forces invaded Baghdad in Iraq. And during a 36-hour period, more than 15,000 objects of very, very important cultural history were looted from the National Museum of Iraq. And it’s really one of the most important museums in the world in terms of our shared history. Kind of the cradle of civilization over there in the Tigers and Euphrates River. Yeah, and that was the time when the FBI kind of belatedly realized that there was no art crime team to investigate this. And of course, FBI agents have been working art theft like any other property crime since the beginning of the FBI’s existence, but there was no codified team. So they did a canvas for the team in 2004 and I applied for it because at this point I’d been working the Gardner case for a couple of years and really was fascinated by it and made the team. And so then over the next 20 years, we continued to expand the team both in size and in scope and in our intelligence base and knowledge base. And when I left the Bureau in 2024, it was and still is a tremendous team with a lot of very dedicated and professional agents and professional support. [3:51] Now, guys, if you don’t know about the Isabella Stewart Gardner case, there was a Netflix documentary on it a few years ago. It was an art museum in Boston. [4:01] Two guys showed up. They had Boston police uniforms on, and they got in. They basically, it was an armed robbery, and they took control of the museum. The guards were in there late at night and took these really valuable paintings out. I believe you told me earlier they were Remington paintings. We’ll get into that. And it was a violent crime. It was an armed robbery of paintings, and you told me about other armed robberies of paintings. I think you got into some other armed robberies of paintings. You always think of, as you mentioned before, the Thomas Crown Affair character that goes out and does these sophisticated art thefts. That’s not always true, is it? It’s never that way, but it doesn’t matter. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Everybody wants to believe that art thefts are pulled off by the Thomas Crown Affairs and these gentlemen thieves repel in through skylights and do all that fancy stuff, put it in their underground lair. That’s just not the way it works. But if you look to art theft. [4:55] Massachusetts really is a cradle of art theft in this country, and it’s very unique. The first armed robbery of a museum occurred in Boston in 1972. It was committed by a guy named Al Monday, who was a prolific art thief. And they stole four pieces from the Worcester Art Museum in central Massachusetts with a gun. They ended up shooting the guard. And one of the pieces that they stole was a Rembrandt called St. Bartholomew. [5:26] And in keeping with the milieu of true art thieves, the paintings were stored on a pig farm just over the state line in Rhode Island. And when this Connecticut safecracker by the name of Chucky Carlo, who was looking at some serious time in prison for some of the crimes that he committed, when he found out that Al Monday had these paintings, he just simply kidnapped Al Monday and stuck a gun in his ribs and said he would kill him if he didn’t give him the paintings. which is no honor among thieves. And Al turned over the paintings, Chucky returned them, and he got a very significant break on his pending jail sentence. Right here in 1972, Boston thieves see Rembrandt as a valuable get-out-of-jail-free card. [6:09] And then if we jump forward three years to 1975, there was a very skilled art thief, really a master thief by the name of Miles Conner. I interviewed Miles for my book. It was very gracious of him to sit down with me for it. And he had robbed or committed a burglary of the Woolworth estate up in Maine, the family, the five and dime family magnets. And he got caught for it because he tried to sell those paintings to an undercover FBI agent. And so he was looking at 12 years in prison for it. And he was out on bail. And he reached out to a family friend who was a state trooper. And he asked him, how can I get away with this one? How can I get out of this? Because he was in serious trouble. The trooper’s response was meant to be hyperbolic. The trooper said, Miles, it’s going to take you a Rembrandt to get out of this one. [6:57] And so Miles said, okay, I’ll go get a Rembrandt. And he got a crew together and they did a daylight smash and grab at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, just across the street from the Gardner. And they stole Rembrandt, the girl in a gold-trimmed cloak. [7:12] And he was able to return that painting. Instead of doing 12 years, he did 28 months. And he even managed to, he told me he even managed to get the $10,000 reward in the process. So you have this atmosphere in Massachusetts that Rembrandts are a valuable commodity, right? They can help you out in a jam. And so I think it’s no coincidence that in 1990, when the Gardner Museum heist came down, the Gardner Museum had this array of motion sensors all throughout the museum. It would alert to wherever you went, every gallery, hallway, whatever. [7:49] And we know from these motion sensors that after, as you said, the two guys went in disguised as cops and bluffed their way into the museum, they made a beeline for the Dutch room, which is the room of all things Rembrandt. They stole three Rembrandts. They stole a fourth piece called Landscape with an Obelisk, which was actually by Govard Flink, but it had been misattributed to Rembrandt until the mid 80s. And then they took a large Rembrandt oil-on-panel off the wall and it was recovered the next morning leaning against a piece of furniture. We believe they just overlooked it in the dark. So out of the 13 pieces taken, three were Rembrandt, a fourth was misattributed to Rembrandt, and there was going to be a 14th piece taken, which was also Rembrandt. It definitely falls into that theory that this was going to be a hold-on to these pieces for a while and see if you can use them for a break. [8:48] Interesting. Now, back in the 70s, for example, when somebody would work in an art robbery like that or an art theft, you got your tried and true ways of working a crime. You got to have sources, you got to have witnesses, and hopefully you can get a crime like this. You can get a source that says, hey, this guy, we had a guy in Kansas City that he was a fence for these kinds of guys. He had an antique auction and he took all this stuff and got it somewhere else. So at the time, just use your regular police methods. And what changed over the years as you’ve done this? Yeah, certainly we’ve become much more sophisticated with the techniques that we use. But at the end of the day, it’s always still going to be intelligence. But I found from working my entire career in violent crime, virtually my whole career in violent crime, the sources are crucial. Having a good informant can make and break a case. And working art theft investigations, you’re certainly going to have the same types of fences of informants, fences for stolen property and what they’re hearing about what organized crime guys are doing and what drug guys are doing. But it also opened up a whole new avenue of sources for me as working in art investigations, because now you’ve got pawn shops and gallery owners and auction houses, and they’re in a position to know when not only when stolen artwork is coming in, but also fakes and forgeries. We spoke about this, that. [10:16] Somebody comes in with one valuable piece that would be very difficult for somebody in his or her position to come across one piece like this, let alone a dozen of them. That really points to probably a fake. And so that’s really the key to solving these things is just having a good intelligence base who’s going to let us know about when something comes up that’s either stolen or it’s been forged. [10:43] Brings up a question. In my mind, did you ever work a gallery owner or a gallery [10:48] that then would filter in, knowingly filter in some fakes every once in a while? They couldn’t do it 100% of the time, but you could certainly make some extra money by filtering fakes out of it because many people would get it and they’d never know. Nobody would ever know. Listen, it is a really difficult thing when you’re working these types of crimes because unlike bank robber, you go into a bank and you stick them up with a gun and take them on. It’s not up to the government to be able to prove at trial that you knew that the bank was insured by the FDIC. You went in and you robbed it, you committed the offense. When you’re talking about interstate transportation of stolen property or possession of stolen property, there are what’s called specific intent crimes, meaning you have to prove the element of knowledge. You have to be able to prove that the person knew that that item was stolen. Not that it said it was stolen. and you had to show that they knew it. And that’s a really high hurdle to overcome. And typically what we do to try and prove that specific intent is we’re going to go through. [11:53] Recorded statements made to a source or to an undercover or emails or texts or something that we can show that this person knew that item was stolen. And so we would see that a lot in auction houses and galleries. There’s a lot of willful blindness where a lot of gallery owners and auction houses, they’re going to look the other way because it’s too lucrative to pass up. And in fact, in 2015, the art crime team, once we received information that ISIL or ISIS was using looted cultural property from Syria and Iraq as a form, a viable form of terrorism financing. And we put auction houses and gallery owners on notice in 2015, and we basically told them that if you’re selling objects of cultural patrimony or cultural heritage with a dubious provenance, like a wink and a nod, you may be unwittingly or wittingly funding terrorism. While we never charged anybody with it, hopefully it was an eye-opener that when you’re getting into this world, it’s not a victimless crime. There are very real victims involved. [13:07] And that’s one of the things that really is interesting about working our crime investigations. And I used to get ribbed by my friends who were not on the art crime team about [13:18] where like the wine and cheese squad were raised and everything. But our subjects are far from it. We’re dealing with organized crime, gangs, terrorists. This is no joke. These are serious individuals and the stakes are high. And in the Gardner case, three or four people that we believe were involved in the heist were murdered a year after the Gardner case crime occurred. Yeah, I was just going to go back to that a little bit, as we said before, a little bit like the Lufthansa case. All of a sudden, everybody that was involved in the theft. Started dropping like flies. So tell the guys about that. That is really interesting. [14:00] Yeah. So the two individuals that we believe went into the museum dressed as cops, just a week shy of the one-year anniversary, one of the guys was found dead in his apartment of an acute overdose of cocaine, intravenous. And his family admitted that he used Coke, but they said he was terrified of needles. He was scared of needles. So it really looked to be like a hotshot, an intentional overdose of cocaine. Two weeks later, the other guy who we believe went into the museum with him, his wife reported him missing. And a couple of weeks later, his bullet riddled body was recovered in the trunk of his car out by Logan Airport in East Boston. There was another member of that crew. These were all part of the same crew. This Carmelo Merlino, who was a Boston mobster, had an auto shop down in the Dorchester section of Boston. Another member of his crew, a guy named Bobby, six weeks after the heist, he brought in, he visited a jeweler in the downtown crossing jewelry district in Boston. He came in with this object and he unwrapped it. It was an eagle. [15:03] It was the finial from the Napoleonic flag that was stolen in the Gardner heist. And he asked the jeweler, how much is this thing worth? And the jeweler looked at it and he said, it’s worth nothing. Because he immediately recognized it as one of the people that had been stolen six weeks earlier from the Gardner heist. And then a few months later, Bobby was stabbed to death and nearly decapitated on the front porch of his house. And the responding police saw that his house had been broken into and ransacked like his killers had been looking for something. There was a fourth guy, Jimmy, who bragged to his girlfriend a few months after the heist that he had a couple of pieces from the Gardner Museum hidden in his attic. [15:47] And in February of 1990, 11 months after the heist, he was executed on his front porch in what the local police called a mob hit. So, yeah, these are the types of crimes that have a tendency to have a chilling effect on anybody who harbors any aspirations to come forward with information. Yeah, and we talked earlier a little bit about, like, the crime itself, and the statute of limitations is up on that, what you said, and the crime itself, but how we talked a little bit and explained to them about how this could be part of a RICO case. And you’ve got the murders and you’ve got the actual theft and whatever they did with the paintings, then maybe you could get over after a Bob boss as a Rico case. Tell the guys a little bit about doing that. Yeah. [16:32] I’ve heard it so many times in more than two decades that I worked the case and people would say, geez, why don’t people come forward? They’re just paintings. There are so many times they’re just paintings. They’re like, yeah, they are, but there’s two things about that. Number one, there’s some dead bodies on these paintings, three or four, and that there’s no statute of limitations for murder. And so if you implicate yourself in the theft or you implicate yourself in possessing or transporting these paintings at any time, the fear is that you’re then implicating yourself in a homicide. And the other aspect of this, which I think has a chilling effect, is the fact that transportation of stolen property is one of the predicate acts for RICO, racketeering influence corrupt organization case. And RICO is basically, Gary, is basically an entire organization is corrupt. Yeah. There’s no legitimate purpose. It’s what we think about the mob and the [17:27] FBI has taken down the mob in the past. So if you implicate yourself in stolen property and you’re part of organized crime, that’s one of the predicate acts for a RICO. And that’s basically life sentences. And so one of my goals in the years and years that I worked in this case was to try and convince people that you could come forward with information and the U S attorney’s offices, whether it’s up in Boston or new Haven or Philadelphia. [17:58] Would be willing to figure out a way to get the paintings back with immunity from prosecution for a RICO case. Look, that’s a high hurdle. That’s a high hurdle to convince somebody that if you come forward, you’re not going to get charged and you’re eligible for millions of dollars in reward. That’s a tough bill to swallow, but it’s the truth. I’m retired from the FBI now. I can tell you that it was, it’s a, it was, and still is a bona fide offer. And that’s one of the goals that I’ve always tried to impress on anyone is the opportunity to become a millionaire without going to jail. There you go, Jeff. Can you, now you’re not with the Bureau anymore. Can you go out, if you could go out and find them and bring them in, could you collect that reward? I would certainly hope so. [18:48] I can’t tell you how many of my friends thought that I had some of these paintings stashed in my basement. Waiting for retirement to go turn them in the next day. I think half the guys I worked with were expecting to see me pull into the parking lot of the FBI. [19:01] Big package, but no. But yeah, I suppose I could. By this point, I can tell you the amount of my very being that I put into this case over two days. Yeah. I just would love to see these paintings go back just because they need to be back at the museum. That’s where they belong. Now, these crimes, they seem, You said there’s a lot of murders attached to this. They seem a little boring. Did you have any exciting moments trying to pop anybody or do any surveillances? I know we did a big surveillance of a bunch of junkies that were going around stealing from small museums around the Midwest. And we follow them here in Kansas City. And they would have been pretty exciting had we had a confrontation with them. Did you have any exciting moments in this? It actually was a fascinating case. And for the first, there’s the really boring aspects of this job and tedious aspects. And I would say that in my, two decades working this case, I probably did, I don’t know, 50, 60, 70 consent searches, searching in attics and basements and crawling through crawl spaces and just getting sweaty and covered in cobwebs. But the break in the case for me came in 2009 when one of the guys who was part of Merlino’s crew who was deceased, his niece came forward to me and told me that the paintings. Some of them had been hidden up in this guy’s hide at his house up in Maine. I went up to Maine with Anthony Amore, who’s the director of security for the Gardner Museum. We worked on this case together for years. [20:29] And then we found that hide. And then we interviewed, right from there, we went and interviewed Guarenti. That’s the guy, Bobby Guarenti. We interviewed his widow and she broke down and admitted that he once showed her the paintings and she gave them to a guy down in Connecticut. And we identified that guy and we interviewed him. My name is Bobby Gentile. He’s a made member of the Philly Mob. He got straightened out with his crew back in the late 90s. [20:54] And he refused to cooperate. And then that’s where we really just started getting, using a lot of ingenuity to try and break it. And an agent down in the New Haven office, a guy by the name of Jamie Lawton, he joined our team and we started working this case. And he had a source who knew Gentile, Bobby Gentile, and the source started buying drugs from Gentile. Ah, there we go. We ended up arresting Gentile and we did a search warrant at his house. And it was crazy. Like we recovered, I want to say seven handguns, loaded handguns lying all over the place. He had a pump action shotgun hanging by the front door. He had high explosives. We had to evacuate the house and call him the bomb squad. But the interesting thing was he had the March 19th, 1990 edition of the Boston Herald with headlines about the Gardner heist and tucked inside that newspaper was a handwritten list of all the stolen items. With what looked like their black market values. This is in the house of a guy who swore up and down that he’d never heard of the Gardner Museum. And we were able to figure out who wrote the list. It was written by none other than Al Monday, who’s the guy that did the first armed robbery of a museum, of a Rembrandt. And we interviewed him and he told us that he wrote that list for Bobby Gentile and his buddy up in Maine, Bobby Garanti, because they had a buyer for the paintings and they wanted to know what they were worth. [22:24] So yeah, and then Gentile took 30 months. [22:28] He wouldn’t cooperate. And while he was incarcerated, we turned two of his closest friends to becoming sources. And so when he got out of prison in February or April of 2014, they started talking to him and talked about the gardener and they said they might know somebody who’d want to buy him. That’s how we then introduced an undercover agent. Gentile was introduced to Tony, this undercover FBI agent. Over six months, they had long talks about selling the paintings. Unfortunately, before Gentile would sell the paintings, he wanted to do a drug deal first, which we couldn’t allow to happen. We can’t let drugs walk on the street. So we had to take it down. And although we’d seized all these guns from Gentile back in 2012, he told the sources the FBI didn’t get all of his guns. Because of that disturbing comment, one of the sources asked Gentile if he could buy a gun for him. And Gentile sold him a loaded 38. So we arrested him again. And he still refused to cooperate. I don’t respect what he did for a living or a lot of the things that he did, but you do have to respect his adherence to his values. However, misguided they may have been, he took the code of omerta, the code of silence to heart, and he took it to his grave. He died, I think, in 2021 after going to prison a second time. [23:50] While we never got any paintings back, it was a tremendous ride, and I’m confident they will come back. It’s just going to be a question of when. Yeah, that kind of brings up the question that you hear people speculate. Did you ever run across this? Is there actually any rich old guys or an Arab sheik or somebody that buys stuff like this and then really keeps it and never shows it to anybody? Does that unicorn really exist? everybody wants that to be true i know virtually it’s not yeah there’s there’s never been a case of some wealthy what we call the doctor no theory some some reclusive billionaire with his underground lair filled with all the illicit stolen treasures of the world yeah that’s it’s never happened yeah i guess you never say never but but no look the majority statistically about three-quarters of everyone that collects art in this country does it for, and I assume it’s probably worldwide, does it for the investment potential. There’s a lot of money to be made in collecting art. It rarely, if ever, drops in value. So that’s why people collect art. If there’s somebody who has a particular piece that they want so badly that they’re going to commission its theft, it’s more the stuff of Hollywood. It could happen, but we’ve never seen that happen yet. Interesting. [25:14] We did have one case here where we had a medical doctor and he had it on the wall of his house. And it was, I believe it was a Western artist named Remington that these junkies stole out of Omaha. But it was such a minor piece that he could show it to anybody and they wouldn’t. They would say, oh, that’s cool. You got a Remington. [25:30] There’s plenty of those around. And he could afford a real deal Remington anyhow. So it wasn’t that big a deal. And that’s really what it comes down to is that art, high-end art does get stolen. It gets stolen quite often. The art market is about $60 billion, and the FBI, we estimated about $6 to $8 billion of that is illicit, whether it’s theft or fakes and forgeries. It’s a tremendous market, but it’s mostly second and third tier items. [26:02] Really valuable, well-known pieces. They do get stolen, but that’s the easy part. The easy part is stealing it. The hard part is monetizing it. That’s why you very rarely see recidivism among art thieves, high-end art thieves, because you do it once, and now you’re stuck with the thing. It’s easier to steal something else. You got to go out and boost fur coats and stuff to make a living. Exactly. Do a jewelry store robbery down there and make a living. And that’s exactly the point. That’s why you’re seeing a sea change in terms of art thefts, museum thefts. The Louvre was a great example of that. Dresden green vault robbery where 100 million euros in gems were stolen back in 2019 yeah. [26:45] Gems and jewelry, it can be broken down. It’s going to greatly diminish their value, but you can recut a gem. You can melt down the setting. You can monetize it for a greatly diminished value, but at least you can monetize it. You can’t cut up a Rembrandt into smaller pieces. [27:02] It’s only valuable as a whole complete piece. Yeah. I’m just thinking about that. We got a couple of guys, Jerry Scalise and Art Rachel in Chicago, flew to London, robbed a really valuable piece, the Lady Churchill’s diamond or something, I don’t remember, but really valuable piece and mailed it to somebody on their way to the airport and then got caught when they got back to Chicago and brought back to London and did 14 years in England and they never gave up that piece and nobody could, it never appeared anywhere, but it was just cut up and they didn’t make hardly any money off of it. Yeah. Look, there’s a, there’s much more profitable ways to. Yeah. To make an illicit living than stealing high-end artwork, but it does still get stolen. And that’s one of the cruel ironies when you’re talking about art theft is if somebody has a $20,000 piece of jewelry or a very expensive watch, they’re most likely going to lock it up in a safe in their bedroom or something. But you have a $10 million piece of artwork, you probably got it on the mantle. You’ve got it over the fireplace or in the front foyer of your house and probably doesn’t have a passive alarm system protecting it or security screws to keep it from being taken off the wall because people want to show it off. Yeah. It’s way too enticing. [28:24] Really? So, yes, you need to keep the word out there and keep this in people’s minds. And I’m sure the museum tries to do this in some ways in order, hopefully, that maybe somebody will say, oh. Yeah. [28:38] I think I saw that somewhere in this news program or on this podcast. [28:42] I’ll put some pictures on the podcast when I end up editing this. No, please do, Kerry. And that’s the thing. That’s the basis for the title of my book is it really is a fugitive investigation. And that’s how I work this case is fugitives and perfect fugitives because they’re not like their human counterparts. They’re not going to get tripped up on the silly things that we need to do as human beings, getting a driver’s license or whatnot. Yeah. [29:09] And so that’s how I worked the case. The FBI was really, I was always impressed with the FBI’s support that they gave me on this investigation. We did billboard campaigns and social media and a lot of things to get these images out there to the public, hoping it might resonate with somebody. And that’s really my goal for this book. I felt it should be written. I felt it’s an important case. Certainly, it’s something that I wanted to write about. It’s something that’s very important to me. [29:42] But it’s yet another attempt to apprehend these fugitives. And I’m hopeful that somebody, it might resonate with somebody. Somebody’s going to see something. And there’s so much disinformation and misinformation that’s out there in the media about this case. People are endlessly, all these armchair detectives, and I don’t say it in a deprecating way. Good for them. Work as hard as you can. But if you want to work this case from your armchair, great. but you should be going off accurate information because there’s a lot of bad information that’s out there on the internet. And if you want to help out, if you want to collect that $10 million reward, great, but you should be going off the most accurate factual information that’s available. Yeah. And you probably ought to go down to the deep seamy underbelly of Philadelphia or Boston or somewhere and get involved with a mob and then work your way up and make different cocaine deals and everything. And eventually you might be trusted enough that some might say, oh yeah, I’ve got those in this basement. I would suggest there’s better hobbies. [30:47] That could be hazardous to your health. I wouldn’t recommend it. Yes, it could. All right. Jeffrey Kelly, the book is 13 Perfect Tuesdays. Those are the paintings that were stolen that you’ll see on the podcast on the YouTube channel. The true story of the mob, murder, and the world’s largest art heist. Jeffrey, thanks so much for coming on to tell us about this. Thanks, Gary. Thanks for having me.

In this episode, I walk through Mark 5:1–20 and invite us to slow down and really feel the story of the demon-possessed man Jesus meets in Gentile territory. This isn’t just a dramatic miracle account—it’s a powerful picture of what Jesus does wherever evil has dehumanized, isolated, or destroyed. As we study the story together, I unpack the backstory behind the tombs, the pigs, the word “Legion,” and why this moment matters so much. At the heart of it, we see that Jesus values one human life so deeply that no financial cost compares to the worth of restoring a person made in God’s image. And we’re reminded that one of the greatest gifts Jesus gives us after He restores us is a story to tell. What We Cover: You’ll see how Mark 5 reveals Jesus’ authority over evil. You’ll learn why this miracle is really a story about human dignity and restoration. Discover how dehumanization is one of the clearest signs of evil at work. You’ll understand why the man’s healing shows the precious worth of every human being. You’ll learn why Jesus tells this man to go and tell his story—and what that means for your own testimony. You’ll be invited to consider how your own story of healing, freedom, or restoration can become a witness to others. Resources mentioned: Check out Nicole's website and subscribe to her weekly newsletter: https://nicoleunice.kit.com/ Nicole’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Romans 11:28-32 — In this sermon on Romans 11:28–32 titled “Dependent on God's Mercy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that faith is not merely an intellectual belief; it is an action and an obedience. Even while God frowns, He still loves. Look at the position of a non-believer – blind and disobedient before God. Rejoice in knowing that salvation is entirely a result of God's mercy looking down upon humanity with pity. It is no result of a person's doing. These are God's people. Jews and Gentiles alike are found to be disobedient, yet God pours out His mercy to both. God's object is to show mercy; the concept of “mercy upon all” is not universalism. There is a great distinction between the saved and the lost. He caused the evangelization of the Gentiles to rapidly grow due to the rejection of the Jews to the very same gospel. God used the belief of the Gentiles to stir the Jews and bring them to salvation. God made foolish the things of this world and natural humanity cannot believe the things of God because He has shut them up in unbelief. God shows that nothing matters except for His mercy. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Episode Synopsis:Paul's “Fool's Speech” is a masterpiece in ancient rhetoric.  Under constant criticism from false teachers and apostles who thought of themselves wiser and superior to Paul, the apostle responds to their accusations by taking on the role of a fool.  These men are braggarts who regard Paul as weak and ineffective.  They see themselves as vastly superior to the apostle.  Rather than respond in kind, Paul offers a bit of bragging of his own.  But instead of boasting about his own accomplishments (which are far greater than anything the false teachers claim)–he will play the fool and exalt in his weaknesses.  This is how he has been portrayed by those seeking to undermine his role in the Corinthian church.  Okay, so he will take on the role they've assigned to him.  Paul will boast, but not in his strength.  Instead, He will boast in  his weakness.  In doing so he will expose the false apostles for what they are–men who think the gospel is about power, success, and overcoming all the difficulties of life.  And in playing the fool, Paul will also remind the Corinthians of their own foolishness in listening to such men with their false gospel, false Jesus, and false Holy Spirit.In this remarkable speech Paul gives us a list of the incredible suffering which he has endured for the cause of Christ and the sake of the gospel.  He has faced all sorts of physical danger–from near drowning, to being stoned and beaten nearly to the point of death.  He's been reviled by both Jews and Gentiles.  He has taken great risks in his 10,000 miles of travel and suffered all sorts of physical deprivation and danger as a result.  He's borne the weight of worrying about the new churches–the fruit of his Gentile mission.  He's spent many a sleepless night.  And all the while the false teachers seek a life of ease and luxury while exploiting the Corinthian's foolishness in giving them free reign in the congregation.  In playing the fool, Paul exposes the false teachers for who and what they are, as well as rebuke the Corinthians for being foolish enough to listen to them.We also find several important biographical gems in Paul's speech.  The first is a catalogue of Paul's trials and tribulations just mentioned.  But we also find Paul's account of his vision of the third heaven–that which he sees cannot be put into words.  Paul is prevented from attempting to do so.  What he saw he cannot reveal.  But since such a vision carries with it the possibility of fostering pride, Paul was given an unidentified “thorn in the flesh” to remind him of his weakness, where his real power is to be found.  Paul repeatedly asked for this thorn to be taken away, and each time, the Lord's answer was “no,” my grace is sufficient for you.  We learn much here about which otherwise we would not know.  And we are reminded yet again that weakness is Paul's secret weapon.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030826.cfmFather Chris Alar, MIC, invites you to pause, breathe, and recognize that the path back to God's house is always present. He begins by drawing our attention to the Samaritan well, where a woman deemed an outcast encounters the Bridegroom of the universe. In the longest dialogue of the Gospel of John, Christ breaks every barrier of gender, ethnicity, and past sin, offering “living water” that points to the Sacrament of Baptism.Father Chris explains that this water is not merely a metaphor; it is the very grace poured out in the sacramental fountain of baptism, cleansing us of original sin and welcoming us into the Body of Christ. He links the well‑scene to the nuptial mystery of the Church: Christ, the divine Bridegroom, seeks to unite with us, the Bride, through the covenant sealed at baptism and continually renewed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.Pastorally, he emphasizes that the woman's story illustrates the universal invitation of Divine Mercy. Even those labeled “Samaritan,” “Gentile,” or “outcast” are called to the marriage feast of the Eucharist, where the Blood and Water flow together as the source of eternal life. Fr. Chris urges us to examine the false “spouses” of wealth, power, and pride that keep us from the true Bridegroom, and to turn to Confession as the means by which those chains are broken.He reminds the faithful that Divine Mercy Sunday magnifies this grace, offering a “second baptism” that wipes away temporal punishment. The homily culminates with a vivid picture of the Bridegroom entering the bride, a mystery fulfilled in Holy Communion, where the Holy Spirit dwells as living water, renewing us for the wedding feast of the Lamb.May this reminder stir within each of us a renewed desire to walk toward the altar of Christ, confident that the Bridegroom awaits with open arms. ★ Support this podcast ★

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,'     and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.'” 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,'     there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.'” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,

At this point in our reading of Acts, it has become clear that the Gentiles are welcomed by God Himself into this burgeoning body of Christ followers known as the church. The Gentiles did not have Abraham as their father and were not originally part of the Jewish community, which raises the question: should they be required to abide by the customs of God's covenant with Israel? The apostles and elders of the early church discuss two important factors: 1) The Spirit has been freely given to the Gentiles without distinction, 2) it was prophesied that David's fallen tent would be rebuilt so that all humanity may seek the Lord. Their advice includes abstaining from certain freedoms as well as abstaining from the sin of sexual immorality. Later, Paul and Barnabas amiably part ways and continue preaching. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Read OnlineJesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” Luke 4:24 Do you recognize Christ's presence in others? Do you sense His divine presence all around you? In today's Gospel, the people of Nazareth did not. Jesus, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, stood in their midst, yet they failed to see Him for who He truly was. Many of them had watched Jesus grow up, knew His family, and were familiar with His work as a carpenter. However, they could not look beyond the surface to perceive the divine reality in their midst. Though our Lord is not present to us today in the same way He was to the people of Nazareth, He is still with us in countless other ways—through grace, within the Sacraments, in the Scriptures, and in the lives of those around us. Yet how often do we fail to notice His presence in these familiar places? In today's Gospel, Jesus recognizes the hardness of heart among many in His hometown. He responds by recalling two stories about Elijah and Elisha—prophets who performed miracles for Gentiles rather than Israelites, because the Israelites lacked faith. Jesus' message was clear: The people of Nazareth also lacked faith, and as a result, He would perform no miracles for them. This message enraged the people so much that they attempted to throw Him off a cliff. However, Jesus “passed through the midst of them and went away.” Imagine how dramatic that scene must have been! Sometimes, we all need what could be called a “provocative holy drama” in our lives. Just as Jesus challenged the people of Nazareth for their spiritual blindness, we need to be shaken from our complacency. God uses these moments to awaken us to His presence—whether in the Scriptures, the Sacraments, or the people around us. These “holy dramas” are not meant to condemn but to invite us into a deeper awareness of His love and presence. Try to imagine yourself as a member of Jesus' hometown. Those of us raised in the Catholic faith, attending Mass regularly, and striving to live as faithful Catholics can sometimes fall into a spiritual routine. The more familiar we become with God's Church, the easier it can be to overlook His presence in the most ordinary of places. When that happens, God may use moments of “holy drama” to awaken us from our spiritual slumber. These moments are invitations to recognize His presence where we might have taken it for granted. Reflect today on what it would mean to be in the crowd at Nazareth. Approach this reflection humbly and sincerely. Allow Jesus' loving challenge to the people of His hometown to resonate in your own heart. Rather than defend yourself, welcome His gentle rebuke, letting it awaken you to His presence in the familiar. Seek Him with renewed attentiveness, and allow Him to lead you more deeply into His love. My provoking Lord, Your love for the people of Your hometown led You to challenge their lack of faith. When I fall into spiritual blindness and fail to recognize Your presence, please awaken me. With Your love, shake me from any complacency so that I may grow in faith and become more attentive to You, especially in the familiar and the ordinary. Jesus, I trust in You.Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Have you ever wondered if God's ancient promises still stand today? Drawing from Romans 11, Pastor Jeff powerfully unpacks how God's covenant with Israel remains unshakeable. Through vivid imagery of an olive tree, we see how Gentile believers are graciously grafted into Israel's spiritual heritage while God's specific promises to Israel remain. Pastor Jeff reveals that Israel's current hardening is only partial and temporary—until the full number of Gentiles comes to faith. Then, as Scripture declares, "all Israel will be saved." This timely message challenges us to stand with Israel as God does, recognizing that if His promises to Israel could fail, so could His promises to us. Want to understand God's heart for Israel and what it means for your faith? Listen now to discover how God's faithfulness to Israel reinforces His faithfulness to you. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

Romans 11:25-32 — In Romans 11:25–32, the apostle Paul is showing a prophecy from the Old Testament. The nation of Israel has been regarded as enemies of the Lord. Through their fall, salvation has now come to the Gentiles. Now Paul is reminding that Israel will once again be reunited with Christ and points out that the gifts and calling of God should not be regretted. All the people of God have been called with an irresistible call. Just as the Gentiles received mercy as a result of their disobedience, the Jews will one day receive mercy because of their disobedience as well. In this sermon on “All Israel Shall be Saved,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that the Jews were hardened because the Lord wanted to show mercy on the Gentiles so that all could believe and have salvation. Paul is encouraging his listeners that this period will not last forever. The Lord will once again bring the nation of Israel back into His fold in His timing. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Pastor Marshall Ochs | March 8, 2026In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Romans 10. In this chapter, Paul explains that God's promises to Israel have not failed; rather, salvation has always been based on faith, not ethnic identity or good works. Paul grieves that many Jews have rejected the Gospel even though God made His word clear and near to them, while Gentiles are coming to faith because the message is being preached and believed. The chapter emphasizes that salvation comes through hearing and believing the gospel and calls believers to pray for the lost and participate in sharing the message of Christ.