Podcasts about Gethsemane

Genesis 22 is one of the most monumental in the life of the father of the "father bof the faithful", Abraham. We are amazed by the number of high points in this great man's journey in faith; but there is none greater than in this 22nd chapter (cited by Paul in Hebrews 11:17-19; which tells us that the incident speaks of resurrection - and typically of the beloved, only begotten son of promise; our Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham is afforded a great privilege in this incident in being able to understand to a small extent how the Father felt when He gave His only begotten Son, because "God so loved the world" (John 3:16-19). The chapter in Genesis emphasises the oneness that existed between Father and Son (verses 3, 5, 7-9, 16-17, 19) emblematic of the unity of purpose in our redemption that was between our Sovereign and His incomparable Son. The chapter indicated that this was a trial, or testing of Abraham; because of the preciousness of a faith that has overcome. Abraham could have rationalised the Almighty does not mean what He has asked of men, since the fulfilment of the promise is to be through Isaac. Or alternatively, he said I don't know why God has asked me to offer my son; but I trust Him, Who cannot fail those whose trust is in Him. But the trauma and the wrestling with his thoughts, all night long that is why Abraham, with steely resolve, rose early in the morning. This expression in the Bible speaks of determination - sometimes for good, as here and, in Yahweh's sending of the prophets to aid His people; or, for evil as in the episode of the golden calf. Everything was prepared beforehand in readiness by Abraham, who was most likely numbed by the daunting task ahead of him. Though he knew not how it would be, yet Abraham was confident that both he and Isaac would come back to the place where they left their companions (Hebrews telling us Abraham's expectation was that Isaac would be raised from the dead). Note that the journey to the place of sacrifice was of 3 days; representing the 3 year ministry that would see our Lord undertake, with His Father's help, to Calvary. It also no doubt relates to the death of Isaac and is symbolic of Jesus being in the grave for three days. We see the cooperation between father and son. Isaac was totally compliant with his father's will; which as a man of about 30 years of age (and a father who was 130 years old); it was because the son understood the need that the father's will be done - we can hear God's Son in Gethsemane, "Not as I will, but Thy will be done". The place of Isaac's "offering" has two names in this chapter: 1) Moriah (meaning Yahweh will provide); and, 2) Yahweh Yireh (meaning Yahweh will be seen - teaching us that in the redemptive act symbolised by Abraham requiring Isaac's submission to the Father's will. As Abraham raised the knife to slay his son he was stopped by the voice of the angel preventing the sacrifice, as verses 11-12 tell us. Though Abraham was allowed to spare his only beloved son, Yahweh did not spare His own Sonslowly read aloud Romans 8:31-39. Reflect deeply on what these words are teaching us about the love of our Sovereign and His Son towards us. God has already vastly exceeded any gift He has given believers. The greatest work has already been done in providing a basis for our forgiveness and the extension of divine grace. We may be assured that if the Father has given His Son then, what remains to bring us into His Kingdom is comparatively incidental). Yahweh now sealed an on oath on His own existence that Abraham's promise is immutable(Hebrews 6:13-20). Abraham's seed would "possess the gate of his enemies"; indicating, firstly, Christ's victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:12-28); and, secondly, the subjugation of all nations to his rule in the coming kingdom. The chapter concludes with details of children being born to Nahor, Abraham's brother, in Haran. Chapter 23 of Genesis tells of Sarah's death and burial in the cave of Machpelah (meaning enfolded - the burial place of 3 generations of the faithful patriarchal family - Sarah and Abraham; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Leah) in Beersheba ("the well of the covenant"). The irony being that Abraham, who by promise owned the land of Israel, had to buy a burial place for his wife (see Acts 7:4-5).Psalm 26 tells us David's love for his God. The Psalmist delights in every opportunity to extol the virtues of his Sovereign. David also tells of his detesting of the ways of the wicked. Psalm 27 speaks of the LORD being the light (revealer of what is right and honourable) and salvation (the process of saving and bringing to His kingdom of the faithful believers). The writer tells of the Almighty's capacity to defend the upright. He speaks of his Creator's pull on the writer's heart to seek fellowship with his God. And the Psalm concludes with a love and loyalty to his God which exceeds that of any human bond. David encourages himself in the assurance that his God will not see him abandoned into the hand of his foes. Wait he says on Yahweh; you will never be disappointed by taking this course. Psalm 28 says that, "Yahweh is the strength and shield" of the psalmist. The thoughts are similar to God's consoling promise to Abraham at the start of Genesis 15. The confidence of knowing God is always with, and surrounding His children with His all powerful arms. Yahweh will repay both the wicked and the righteous according to their works (Romans 2:5-11). The response that such understanding generates in God's people is outlined in verses 6-9. Slowly read aloud; and pause and ponder.In chapter 14 of Matthew Herod is struck with terror on hearing of the miracles of Jesus. Herod Antipas, a convert of the Sadducees (and therefore a non believer in the resurrection of the dead) was convinced that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Our Lord is told of John's brutal decapitation and in response responds by seeking solitude to reflect. This is interrupted by a multitude seeking him out and he compassionately responds to their need of a shepherd to teach them. He feeds 5,000 of them and heals  many. John 6 tells us that their desire was to take him by force and make him their king. Jesus summarily dispersed the crowd and went into a mountain to pray. He sent the Apostles by boat to the other side of the lake. When the storm arose he came to them walking on the water. Peter alone showed the faith and courage to briefly do likewise. He was rescued by his Master. Finally upon reaching the other side of the lake Jesus healed many at Gennesaret.

Genesis 22 is one of the most monumental in the life of the father of the “father bof the faithful”, Abraham. We are amazed by the number of high points in this great man's journey in faith; but there is none greater than in this 22nd chapter (cited by Paul in Hebrews 11:17-19; which tells us that the incident speaks of resurrection – and typically of the beloved, only begotten son of promise; our Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham is afforded a great privilege in this incident in being able to understand to a small extent how the Father felt when He gave His only begotten Son, because “God so loved the world” (John 3:16-19). The chapter in Genesis emphasises the oneness that existed between Father and Son (verses 3, 5, 7-9, 16-17, 19) emblematic of the unity of purpose in our redemption that was between our Sovereign and His incomparable Son. The chapter indicated that this was a trial, or testing of Abraham; because of the preciousness of a faith that has overcome. Abraham could have rationalised the Almighty does not mean what He has asked of men, since the fulfilment of the promise is to be through Isaac. Or alternatively, he said I don't know why God has asked me to offer my son; but I trust Him, Who cannot fail those whose trust is in Him. But the trauma and the wrestling with his thoughts, all night long that is why Abraham, with steely resolve, rose early in the morning. This expression in the Bible speaks of determination – sometimes for good, as here and, in Yahweh's sending of the prophets to aid His people; or, for evil as in the episode of the golden calf. Everything was prepared beforehand in readiness by Abraham, who was most likely numbed by the daunting task ahead of him. Though he knew not how it would be, yet Abraham was confident that both he and Isaac would come back to the place where they left their companions (Hebrews telling us Abraham's expectation was that Isaac would be raised from the dead). Note that the journey to the place of sacrifice was of 3 days; representing the 3 year ministry that would see our Lord undertake, with His Father's help, to Calvary. It also no doubt relates to the death of Isaac and is symbolic of Jesus being in the grave for three days. We see the cooperation between father and son. Isaac was totally compliant with his father's will; which as a man of about 30 years of age (and a father who was 130 years old); it was because the son understood the need that the father's will be done – we can hear God's Son in Gethsemane, “Not as I will, but Thy will be done”. The place of Isaac's “offering” has two names in this chapter: 1) Moriah (meaning Yahweh will provide); and, 2) Yahweh Yireh (meaning Yahweh will be seen – teaching us that in the redemptive act symbolised by Abraham requiring Isaac's submission to the Father's will. As Abraham raised the knife to slay his son he was stopped by the voice of the angel preventing the sacrifice, as verses 11-12 tell us. Though Abraham was allowed to spare his only beloved son, Yahweh did not spare His own Son slowly read aloud Romans 8:31-39. Reflect deeply on what these words are teaching us about the love of our Sovereign and His Son towards us. God has already vastly exceeded any gift He has given believers. The greatest work has already been done in providing a basis for our forgiveness and the extension of divine grace. We may be assured that if the Father has given His Son then, what remains to bring us into His Kingdom is comparatively incidental). Yahweh now sealed an on oath on His own existence that Abraham's promise is immutable (Hebrews 6:13-20). Abraham's seed would “possess the gate of his enemies”; indicating, firstly, Christ's victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:12-28); and, secondly, the subjugation of all nations to his rule in the coming kingdom. The chapter concludes with details of children being born to Nahor, Abraham's brother, in Haran. Chapter 23 of Genesis tells of Sarah's death and burial in the cave of Machpelah (meaning enfolded – the burial place of 3 generations of the faithful patriarchal family – Sarah and Abraham; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Leah) in Beersheba (“the well of the covenant”). The irony being that Abraham, who by promise owned the land of Israel, had to buy a burial place for his wife (see Acts 7:4-5). Psalm 26 tells us David's love for his God. The Psalmist delights in every opportunity to extol the virtues of his Sovereign. David also tells of his detesting of the ways of the wicked. Psalm 27 speaks of the LORD being the light (revealer of what is right and honourable) and salvation (the process of saving and bringing to His kingdom of the faithful believers). The writer tells of the Almighty's capacity to defend the upright. He speaks of his Creator's pull on the writer's heart to seek fellowship with his God. And the Psalm concludes with a love and loyalty to his God which exceeds that of any human bond. David encourages himself in the assurance that his God will not see him abandoned into the hand of his foes. Wait he says on Yahweh; you will never be disappointed by taking this course. Psalm 28 says that, “Yahweh is the strength and shield” of the psalmist. The thoughts are similar to God's consoling promise to Abraham at the start of Genesis 15. The confidence of knowing God is always with, and surrounding His children with His all powerful arms. Yahweh will repay both the wicked and the righteous according to their works (Romans 2:5-11). The response that such understanding generates in God's people is outlined in verses 6-9. Slowly read aloud; and pause and ponder. In chapter 14 of Matthew Herod is struck with terror on hearing of the miracles of Jesus. Herod Antipas, a convert of the Sadducees (and therefore a non believer in the resurrection of the dead) was convinced that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Our Lord is told of John's brutal decapitation and in response responds by seeking solitude to reflect. This is interrupted by a multitude seeking him out and he compassionately responds to their need of a shepherd to teach them. He feeds 5,000 of them and heals  many. John 6 tells us that their desire was to take him by force and make him their king. Jesus summarily dispersed the crowd and went into a mountain to pray. He sent the Apostles by boat to the other side of the lake. When the storm arose he came to them walking on the water. Peter alone showed the faith and courage to briefly do likewise. He was rescued by his Master. Finally upon reaching the other side of the lake Jesus healed many at Gennesaret.

Drawing parallels between the olive press and the events in Gethsemane, Truman G. Madsen invites us to reflect on Christ's atoning sacrifice. Click here to see the speech page.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summary In this powerful message, Pastor Roman draws parallels between the epic poem Beowulf and the struggles we face in life, emphasizing the importance of confronting our inner demons. He explores the emotional anguish experienced by Jesus in Gethsemane, highlighting the significance of humble beginnings and the impact of trauma. Chapters 00:00 The Hero's Journey: Beowulf and Personal Monsters03:03 Emotional Anguish: Jesus in Gethsemane12:02 Humble Beginnings: The Impact of Trauma18:04 Moments of Truth: Integrity in Darkness21:56 Forgiveness: The Key to Overcoming Anguish28:00 Defeating Anguish: The Power of PerseveranceTakeaways Life is like the story of Beowulf; we must confront our inner monsters. Emotional anguish is a universal experience, as seen in Jesus' life. Humble beginnings can shape our character and resilience. Stress can have profound effects on our mental health. Crying is a natural and healing response to stress. We must choose to keep fighting through our struggles. Integrity is tested in moments of darkness and adversity. Forgiveness is essential for personal and spiritual growth. We should not make decisions when emotions are high. Perseverance is key to overcoming life's challenges.

        Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    My best Ty… he can tell me anything.. .meaning he can call me fat, slow, a jerk… and its all good. I get it. But If I tell my wife or any of the women in my life something as simple as “you look a little frumpy…” it's hell to pay.  So what gives…       A Yugoslavian proverb states: tell the truth and run.  Men internally have a better coping mechanism to deal with their guy friends when they get heckled or picked on. They simply joke back, or subtly admit to it… hey Garth quit being such a cry baby, you wuss. And I would shrug and go yea… I am kinda being a little girl about this.   My best friend last month face timed me so I could do some online personal training for him. I took my shirt off to show him how to move the cable across his body and how to activate the proper pictorial muscles… long story short he called me the next day (he lives a day away) and said I look big as ever, but I've got a bigger belly than he has ever seen on me… now believe it or not, I do have reasons why that is - and its not fat. But long story short I was not mad, chippy or did I give it any thought… I just laughed and said yea its my life now. I think I even joked back and said “but at least im still ugly”.  Rabbit trail…  If mom is on high alert, you will grow up on high alert, anxiety, depression, self doubt, condemnation etc… it will be what you eat daily and you will later on in life continue to feed on it.    Trauma can be ignored… or better said “can be normal” if you see it as an outside stimulus that you get to choose how to respond to.    Ever hear someone screaming at someone and their phone rings and they turn into a totally different person? They are choosing (on their own) how to respond to that stress or trauma. They are choosing to make that issue they are yelling at something they feel like they control. Or better yet, they feel like they can control it by a negative response. People will say well I couldn't help it he made me angry… no not really - you chose to get angry over it.    How did Jesus handle pain, regret, stress, anger… etc… well he ignored it… by that I mean he turned to what was in control / or should I say who was in control. - the Father, his father, our father. God the Father. We say oh yea of course… but we don't do that until it is our last option. We do not ignore it (burying it and not talking about it is not ignoring it… it will show up in our life somehow, eating, drinking, shopping, outbursts etc…)  we chew and brew on it, we combust over it, we overreact to it, we anger over it. But if we went to who was in charge knowing full well that he wants the absolute best for us… we can bring it to him and ignore it from there on. In the garden of Gethsemane he is under a ton of stress, but no one knows… he does not tell anyone or act out. He goes to the father and when his prayer time is over, he heads out to face the executioner.  Again, its not that we don't feel it, we just choose not to react to it, we go to the father.  You may say, yeah but what about when Jesus got angry and tipped over the tables and chased out the tax collectors and people in the temple. Well, he did not react, he responded. He knew his fathers heart and he chose to show his Fathers displeasure. He angered and sinned not as scripture says. Whats the difference for us? We do not go to the father first. God might indeed tell us to get angry in a Godly way - but only if we go to him first and not just react angrily. There is a lot of nuance here but I know you get it.    There is another world out there, and its in this one. Paul Elard I would ask which one does your mind live in.

Jesus Tells Us that “Eternal Life” Begins Immediately Upon Receipt of the Holy Spirit, Even Before Your “Physical Death” MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Jesus has promised “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16b). In John 5:24, Jesus tells you that when you receive the Spirit during your earthly life, your eternal life has begun in your earthly life even before your physical death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”. Also, in John 6:40, Jesus promises: “this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”. What is eternal life? In John 17:2b-3, Jesus defines eternal life: “since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”. Therefore, eternal life is the ability to know God and to have an intimate personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. When you come into your belief in Jesus and confess your sins to God, then Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Spirit; and you begin your new life and service in His kingdom. Also, remember that when you receive the Spirit, your eternal life has begun even before your physical death.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, Nothing compares with knowing Jesus. (Phil. 3:7). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 6:40; John 5:24; John 17:2b-3; Psalms 72a:1-10. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Prays in GethsemaneMatthew 26:36-46 Submission to God's Will: Even in His suffering, Jesus surrenders to the Father's plan, modeling perfect obedience.Jesus is teaching The Power of Persistent Prayer: Jesus prays repeatedly, emphasizing the need to seek God in earnest, persistent prayer.Thank you for tuning into Daily Bible Benefits Have a good and godly Day

Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed and asked God would remove the cup or spare Him from the suffering that He knew was coming but there was no other way. Jesus, the perfect man, had to die in our place in order to make a way for us to be reunited with God. This single act brought complete cleansing for our sins. The simple way to access this cleansing is to place your faith in Jesus.

Do you worship a weak God? Is your God a victim? A prisoner? How you view God will say a lot about how you view yourself. Jesus enjoys a few tender moments with his disciples during Passover. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lamb of God gives himself up to wolves, but not without displaying his power.Go to JesusPodcast.com and receive daily devotionals about Jesus.Today's Bible verse is Revelation 4:11 from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are You a Part of What God Is Doing in Our Country Today? Do You Seek God's Presence in Your Life? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Can you tell what God is up to in the World, in our time, in our church, and in America? Are you a part of what God is doing in the world today, or are you just reacting to what God is doing, thereby, creating conflict and division? Psalms 105 reminds you of God's power in the world if you do seek His presence in your life: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.". On the other hand, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, warns you of the implications for not including the presence of Jesus in your worldly considerations: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”. While the Lord is leading, and directing, it seems that we are wrapped up in our agenda and our way of doing things; therefore, we miss God's presence; and we miss the Holy Spirit in our lives.     TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Fear. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Faithfulness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 5:6; Matthew 5:10; Psalms 112:1-6; Psalms 119b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

A Sermon for the Second Sunday after Christmas St. Matthew 2:13-23 by William Klock For us, a week has passed since we heard Matthew's account of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and the visit by the shepherds.  But as we come to today's Gospel, roughly two years have passed in the story of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.  For now, we'll skip over Matthew's account of the visit of the wisemen.  (That's for this coming week as we celebrate the Epiphany.)  So today we pick up the story at Matthew 2:13, Matthew tells us that after the wisemen had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  “Get up,” said the angel, “and take the child and his mother and hurry off to Egypt.” I can only imagine what Joseph was thinking.  This is the second time an angel has come to him to tell him what to do.  Remember from last Sunday's Gospel, Jospeh was thinking through how best to extricate himself from his upcoming marriage to Mary after he found out she was already pregnant.  The angel came to him in a dream.  “Don't be afraid!”  The famous first words of every angel.  “Don't be afraid.  Mary didn't cheat on you.  She's pregnant by the Holy Spirit and she's going to have a son and you need to name him ‘Jesus'—which means 'Yahweh saves'—because he will save his people from their sins.” So it's not like Joseph didn't know there was something special about Jesus.  Ditto for Mary.  Matthew tells the story from Joseph's perspective.  Luke tells it from Mary's.  Luke tells us about the visit she had from the angel and how the angel told her—also—to name the baby “Jesus”.  Why?  “Because he will be called the son of the Most High.  The Lord,” the angel said to her, “will give him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever.  His kingdom will never come to an end.”  That was all familiar messianic language to Mary.  There's that song that popular Christmas song that asks over and over, “Mary did you know?”  Yes.  She did.  She even composed a song about it that she shared with her cousin Elizabeth—who, you remember—was pregnant with John, who would prepare the way for Jesus.  Mary knew what her baby meant.  Think of the words she sang out in praise: My soul doth magnify the Lord… He hath shewed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the might from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath send empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.   That night that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph both knew with absolute certainty that in him the God of Israel was about to act and that the world would never be the sme.  And not that he was about to act in some unforeseen way that exploded into history totally unexpectedly.  No.  This was the fulfilment of prophecy.  This was the fulfilment of the Lord's promises to his people.  The fact that shepherds came, having been told by angels; the fact that wisemen came, having been guided by a star—these were no mysteries to Mary and Joseph.  They knew from the beginning who Jesus was.  I'm sure they had lots of other questions: Why us?  How is this going to work?  But they knew from the beginning that this child would one day cast down the powers, the gods, the kings of the present evil age and set their world to rights.  That's what Mary's song is all about. So they knew that Mary's baby was a challenge to everything and everyone that stood in the way of God's new age.  As much as scripture gives us every reason to think that they trusted the Lord, I have to think that if they're anything like us, they still had their worries.  At the top of the list had to be King Herod.  And so, I suspect, Mary and Joseph probably didn't go around town announcing any of this.  Surely word got around at least a bit.  There were, of course, the shepherds.  But I expect Mary and Jospeh kept what the angel had told them on the low down as much as they were able.  And then the magi—the wisemen from far away—no one could mistake them riding into town with their camels.  And to hear that they'd been to see Herod, to ask about the new-born King of the Jews.  That was not good news.  Not at all.  Because now Herod knew about Jesus and Herod was what people today might call a “psycho”. Herod was an Idumean—today we'd call him an “Arab”.  His ancestors had been absorbed into Judaea, were circumcised and converted to Judaism—at least nominally.  Most people saw Herod as a pretender.  His decadent lifestyle was out of step with Judaism, but most of all, people hated him for the way he cozied up to the Romans and betrayed his people.  He had no right to call himself King of the Jews.  The Roman Senate had given him that title.  He was no descendant of David.  And all this made Herod more than a little insecure.  Deep down he knew he had no right to Israel's throne and it made him paranoid.  He murdered his own family members—even his wife—because he thought they were scheming against him.  Just before he died, he ordered the leading citizens of Jericho to be killed so that the people would be weeping as his funeral procession passed through the city. So Joseph and Mary had to be worried to hear that Herod had been told about this young “King of the Jews” in Bethlehem.  If Herod would murder his own family at a hint of sedition, what would he do to a new-born rival?  I expect Jospeh was already trying to think through their best course of action.  And then the angel came and said, “Get up and take the child and his mother and hurry off to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you.  Herod is going to hunt for the child to kill him.” Matthew says that Joseph wasted no time: “He got up and took the child and his mother by night, and went off to Egypt.  He stayed there until the death of Herod.”  And then Matthew adds a quote—just as we saw him do in Chapter One, last week, with that quote from the Prophet Isaiah about the virgin conceiving and bearing a son whose name means “God with us”.  Matthew does it again.  He does this all through is Gospel, but we have to know our Jewish scriptures to know who he's quoting.  In this case it's Hosea 11:1.  Matthew's Jewish audience would have recognised it instantly and it's an indictment against our poor knowledge of the Bible that we need a footnote in our Bibles to tell us.  Anyway, Matthew writes, “This happened to fulfil what the Lord said through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.'”  We'll come back to this in a bit. Matthew then continues with the story.  You'll remember that instead of reporting back to Herod about the child as he'd asked them to do, the wisemen—because of their own visit from the angel—they bypassed Herod on their way home.  So Matthew tells us that when Herod realised that he'd been tricked by the wisemen, he flew into a towering rage.  He dispatched men and killed all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding districts, from two years old and under, according to the time the wisemen had told him.”  And then another quote from the Prophets, this time from Jeremiah 31:15: “That was when the word that came through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:  There was heard a voice in Rama, crying and loud lamentation.  Rachel is weeping for her children, and will not let anyone comfort her, because they are no more.” And then another visit by an angel.  Matthew writes in verse 19: “After the death of Herod, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ‘Get up,' he said, ‘and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel.  Those who wanted to kill the child are dead.'  So he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judaea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there.  After being advised in a dream'—again—he went off to the region of Galilee.  When he got there, he settled in a town called Nazareth.  This was to fulfil what the prophet had spoken: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.'” Again, we sort of have this idyllic scene of Christmas in our heads: Jesus in a manger.  No crying he makes, of course.  The shepherds kneel adoringly.  Mary and Joseph sit there peacefully with their halos glowing.  Even the animals stifle all their natural noises and gather around to adore the baby.  “Silent night…all is calm…sleep in heavenly peace,” loops in our heads. But when you read the actual story as Matthew tells it things aren't nearly so peaceful.  Matthew tells us of the birth of Jesus at a time and a place of trouble, of violence, and of fear.  Jesus was born in a world of darkness, into a world controlled by powers and gods and kings who stood opposed to him.  Before he had learned to walk or to talk, the wrath of a psychotic king forced his family to flee to Egypt.  The shadow of the cross lies dead across the Christmas story.  And yet all this is in keeping with what Matthew told us last week.  If Jesus is the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy of Immanuel—of God with us—we'd expect this.  God's people longed for his presence, they longed for his deliverance, because the world was not as they knew it should be.  And so God came to them in the midst of the darkness, the brokenness, the evil, the pain—the violence and injustice—the sin and death.  God entered the world of a king who would murder dozens of innocent children just to keep his investment in the present evil age secure.  Think about the fact that on the three days after Christmas Day the Church commemorates St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents.  John was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the good news about Jesus.  Stephen—the first martyr—was stoned to death outside Jerusalem for preaching to the people that Jesus was the fulfilment of Israel's story.  And the Holy Innocents—the collateral damage of the first attempt on Jesus' life.  It's a reminder that, yes, the light has come into the darkness, but that there are those who love the dark and there are those invested in it. Brothers and Sisters, as much as the light has shined in the darkness and as much as the darkness has not overcome it—as St. John writes in the opening of his Gospel—the darkness still remains and the darkness still fights back.  Herod's murder of the innocents of Bethlehem—probably a few dozen baby boys—pales in comparison to the millions of unborn children murdered in modern times in our once Christian nations.  The wars and violence of Herod's or of Caesar's day pale in comparison to the wars and violence of the last century—all too often perpetrated by supposedly Christian nations, kings, presidents, and prime ministers.  We see the light around us too often subverted by the darkness.  First by Modernists and now by Postmodernists, the gospel virtues that once transformed the West are plucked from the gospel tree, left to go feral, and fed back to our culture, twisted and abused—darkness masquerading as light. It's easy to get discouraged, isn't it.  Last year I read historian Tom Holland's book Dominion.  It's about how Christianity transformed the West.  The Gospel came into a world of Herods and Caesars and taught us things like mercy and grace that hadn't been known before.  It transformed sexual ethics.  It gave status to women and children and to the poor.  It ended slavery.  And now you look at the world around us and everythings reverting back into the darkness.  Large segments of the church have or are selling out.  I look at the alumni page for my seminary on Facebook and it seems everyone is “deconstructing”—and it always ends the same way—with denying the exclusivity of Jesus and an embracing of Postmodernism and the twisted sexual ethics of our post-Christian culture.  I've listened to local pastors who spend their time apologising for the Bible, blurring the lines it makes clear, and walking their people through deconstructing their faith.  Others have sold out to the materialism of our secular culture and are preaching a crossless gospel of health and wealth.  The gospel—the real gospel—is the answer, but it seems like it falls on deaf ears these days and that the people lost in today's darkness have become resistant to it.  It's easy to lose hope. But Brothers and Sisters, that's when I think of Matthew as he drops his quotes from the Prophets through his telling of the good news.  Remember that I said last week that Matthew saw God's promises down through the ages as lights in the darkness.  Last summer Veronica I did some railgrade riding on our bikes.  We rode through some tunnels—some of them long and windy enough that there was no light at the end—at least not at first—and so there were small lights at intervals, guiding the way, until you finally came around that final corner and daylight blazed into the tunnel.  I didn't appreciate those lights until I rode through the Adra Tunnel in the mountains between Kelowna and Penticton.  It's one of the longest rail tunnels in BC and it's been closed since the 80s.  Volunteers have spent the last few years making repairs and it's just about ready to be reopened.  At present the trail bypasses it and there are fences across the old railgrade to keep people out of the tunnel.  But when I got there, the fences were off to the side.  I took the turn and pretty soon found myself inside the tunnel.  It goes through something like a 270° turn and pretty soon I was in pitch dark, riding slowly, cold water dripping on me.  There are no little lights to light the way.  And I almost ran—smack!—into a grader that was parked in the dark.  I could just as easily have run off the grade and into a ditch or a wall. Like the lights in those tunnels, God's promises led his people through the darkness—around the corners, keeping them out of the ditch, keeping them from running—smack!—into obstacles sitting in the darkness—so that he could lead them out into the light.  At the time those little lights seemed like really big deals—those little lights like Passover and the Exodus, like the torah and the tabernacle, like King David and like the return from Exile.  They gave the people some bearings.  The lights gave them hope.  But what many didn't realise at the time was that those lights were leading the people—preparing them—to understand how God works, to understand that he is faithful, so that when they finally came out into the bright light of Jesus, into the bright light of the gospel—they'd understand that this is where the story had been taking them all along.  This is what Matthew's up to all through his Gospel.  Like we saw last Sunday with that bit of Isaiah and the baby, Immanuel, who served as the sign to accompany the Lord's promise to deliver his people from Israel and Syria.  And here, Matthew quotes Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”  At first it looks like Matthew is ignoring what that passage means in Hosea.  It's not looking forward.  It's looking back.  Israel was the Lord's son whom he had called out of Egypt.  That meant—at the time, back in the dark days of Hosea—that the Lord would not abandon the people: Israel was his beloved son and he'd gone to great lengths to deliver Israel from Egypt.  And Matthew saw that little light back there in the darkness of Hosea's day and it led him towards the light that had come in Jesus.  Jesus brings Israel's story to completion.  He's not just “God's son” in the sense that he's divine.  He's “God's son” in the sense that he is the embodiment of Israel.  Remember what I've said before: the King represents his people.  And so Jesus came to represent his people, to finally accomplish what they'd failed at all those centuries, and then to die on their behalf the death that they deserved. Matthew does something similar with the prophecy spoken by Jeremiah.  He holds up Rachel weeping for her children as a backdrop to Herod's murder of the baby boys of Bethlehem.  But when Jeremiah spoke those words, he was drawing on the imagery of Rachel to describe the pain of Israel's exile to Babylon and to proclaim the hope of God's promise to renew his covenant and to restore his people—to bring Israel back from her long exile.  The long darkness is full of weeping and mourning, but at the end is the Lord's deliverance. And then that bit of Isaiah 11 that Matthew quotes about Jesus being a Nazarene.  Isaiah uses the Hebrew word nazir.  It means “branch” and through Isaiah the Lord promises that he will be faithful to the promises he'd made to David and his descendants.  A branch will grow out of the stump of Jesse.  It's about a new beginning for the royal line of David.  Matthew hinted at this already in Joseph's genealogy.  The fact that the Old Testament nowhere mentions Nazareth, the fact that the Isaiah passage about the branch has nothing to do with Nazareth, that's okay.  Matthew knew that the lights along the tunnel—even if it doesn't look like it—they all lead to the same place.  Everything in Israel's story was leading to Jesus and so he takes Isaiah's prophecy of the nazir, the branch, and ties it to Jesus' hometown of Nazareth.  Matthew's sort of saying that we know Jesus is the promised branch because he came from “Branchville”.  Maybe it's a more “creative” way of using the Old Testament than we're comfortable with, but for Matthew it worked—again—because he knew that everything God said and everything God did—the whole story of the God of Israel and his people—was leading them through the darkness to Jesus and to the light of this new age, this new world, this new creation. And Brothers and Sisters, that's why as much as it's tempting to lose hope as we look at the surrounding darkness and even as the darkness creeps in and takes ground that was once won by the gospel, I don't lose hope.  Because the scriptures assure me of the faithfulness of God to his promises.  Because I know he has, in the birth, in the death, in the resurrection of Jesus done the hard part already.  Because he has poured out his Spirit.  And as surely as he called Abraham and his family and led them through the darkness—through slavery and through exile and everything in between—and then brought them finally out into the blazing glory of Jesus and the gospel, I know that God, who has established his church and has equipped us with his own Spirit to proclaim the good news—to carry his light into the darkness—will not fail to bring us eventually to that day when his glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, when every last enemy has been put under his feet, even death itself, when every tear is wiped away, and everything is once-and-for-all set to rights. Matthew saw God's promises fulfilled all through the story—even at its darkest.  As Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane he said, himself, “All this has taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”  God is sovereign and God is faithful, Brothers and Sisters.  Even as the darkness mustered its forces and rose to its full height to deal a death blow to Jesus, it was doing so as part of a plan orchestrated by the Lord.  Darkness, unwittingly, concentrating itself all in one place so that, through Jesus, it could be defeated when he rose, triumphant over sin and death.  And that is why I remain full of hope.  God's faithfulness to his promises did not end in the First Century.  He remains faithful today.  If we will only walk with him in faith, his light—his gospel promises, his Spirit indwelling us—will lead us through today's darkness. Let's pray: Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word:  Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Speaker: Sr. Pastor Richard Parks Scripture: Mark 14:32-36 Objective: The speaker reflects on Jesus' deep sorrow and prayer in Gethsemane, emphasizing the trials that come with a commitment to a godly life, as illustrated by Jesus' preparation of his disciples for his betrayal and crucifixion. Through personal anecdotes and biblical insights, the message encourages self-examination, perseverance in faith, and awareness of life's challenges for those striving to please God.

With all that life throws at us, not to mention our own foibles and quirks, it's easy to end up with quite a distorted view of what God our Father means when He talks about His blessing in our lives.  What Jesus means when He talks about giving us an abundant life.   The Child in the Father's House We are chatting together this week on the programme about living out the abundant life that Jesus promised us, a life overflowing with His grace and mercy and love and peace and joy and blessing. By that we don't always mean abundant finances or complete safety. God has a tendency not to wrap us in cotton-wool but to be with us out there in the middle of life – in the good times and the bad – with His presence, which is what gives us that sense of overflow; that sense of abundance. It's funny how most of us, in our heart of hearts, desire a life that's, well, perfect, blessed in every way: every relationship perfect, finances perfect, home-life perfect, our own sense of self perfect … everything perfect. But life just isn't like that. In fact, as you and I think back on our lives thus far, chances are that there are very few times, if ever, where we could tick the box in every part of our lives as having been perfect. And yet somehow, we yearn secretly, even subconsciously, for this time in our lives when everything will be just perfect. And the mere fact that it isn't can be so disappointing to many. And yet, I come back to the fact that Jesus promised this abundant life, not wrapped away somewhere in cottonwool, but out there in this precarious, sometimes threatening place that we call ‘life'. This is in fact, what He said – beginning at John chapter 10, verse 1: Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Look, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. As we saw last week, the life of a shepherd and the lives of the sheep back there in the first century, were indeed, precarious. As the shepherd would take his flock out onto the rocky plateau of Israel, in search of pasture, there were many threats – thieves, wild animals – and it wasn't unusual for the shepherd to have to defend his sheep; sometimes with his own life. And interestingly, in that beautiful prayer that Jesus prayed just before He was crucified, He actually said this about you and me, to His Father: John chapter 17, beginning at verse 12: While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them was lost, except the one destined to be lost so that the scripture might be fulfilled. Verse 15: I am not asking you to take them out of this world but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. In other words: Dad, let's not take them out of all these situations and wrap them up in cotton-wool but rather, let's be with them and protect them from the evil one. Do you see how different God's perspective is? His promise is for an abundant life not a perfect one. And I have to tell you, as I have sat and thought about that a lot; it makes an enormous amount of sense. I'm a father; I have children – I love them very dearly. When they were young they lived with my wife Jacqui and me in our house, under our care and protection and with our provision. And that's right: that's why God gives us children, that's why He gives children parents. But there comes a time, in fact, it starts quite early, where as they grow up, we as good parents give them more and more responsibility for themselves, because one of the main parts of growing up is shifting the responsibility for their care from their parents to the children, as they become capable of accepting that responsibility. It's not always easy. It's one of the reasons that those teenage years can be so stressful because often teenagers – I know this was true of me – want to behave like children but still be treated like adults. In other words, they still want parents to do all the things that the parents ever did for them when they were little children, whilst at the same time, giving them all the freedoms that an adult has. Now there is tension, with a capital "T". They, in effect, want the best of both worlds – the perfect life. Sound familiar? And it's the same often, in our relationship with God. We want Him to fix everything; make everything perfect in our lives, whilst at the same time, we do things that don't honour Him that have consequences. And yet He is the perfect Father. Have a listen again to Romans chapter 8, beginning at verse 12: So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father”, it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ — if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, because it puts everything into perspective to me. Sometimes in the cut and thrust and the hurts of life, we lose our heavenly perspective; we lose sight of the fact that God is indeed our Father. In fact, Jesus called Him, “Abba”, which literally means, “Dad”. If we live our lives for Him; if we choose to be led by the Spirit of God, rather than by the desires of our own flesh, then we are indeed children of God and deep down, if we will let Him, the Spirit of God witnesses to us that we are His children – the children of the living God – and that means something. It means what Jesus prayed for you and me, back there in the Garden of Gethsemane. It means God's protection from the evil one rather than being wrapped in cotton-wool. I have to tell you, I for one would hate to be wrapped by God in cotton-wool, because I want to experience life and all that it's meant to be. That means sometimes we get hurt; that means sometimes it's hard; that means sometimes we are challenged. But, all along, God is our Father. Fathers know this – when our children are growing up, we don't stop being their fathers. We don't stop being there to help and advise when they need it. We don't stop caring and one day they will receive their inheritance from us. And it's the same with Dad, God! We are and always will be His children and His protection is always available to us. Can I tell you something? Somewhere in that knowledge, deep within, lies the source of abundance in my life – His abundance, not mine – His abundance in my life. He loves me, He wants me to know Him and to honour Him and to be all that He made me to be. To experience every day that He wrote down in His Book for me, before any of them ever existed. That's where the abundance begins – in our relationship with God; out there in the middle of life. See that story that Jesus told of the shepherd and his sheep: they were out there in this dangerous place, not wrapped away in cotton-wool, not sitting in a business class seat in a plane but out there in the cut and thrust of life. And it's out there that the knowledge of the faithfulness of my God, my Father gives me a sense of abundance that nothing else can give me.   Above and Not Below We are looking today at the promise that Jesus made to give us an abundant life. Here it is in case you missed it earlier in the programme, John chapter 10, verse 10: The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that you may have life and have it abundantly. It's a beautiful promise and it's one that's always … it's always really touched my heart. It's a promise from Jesus that I take seriously. He came so that you and I could have life and not just have life, but have it abundantly. Now, "abundance" is an amazing word, isn't it? It means "plenty"; it means "overflow" – a very large quantity of something. But what if I told you that the original Greek word used here for ‘abundance' in John chapter 10 verse 10, literally means "super-abundance" – more than abundant; over the top abundance? Because that's exactly what it means. That's Jesus promise. And yet the promise is made here as a point of comparison – the promise is the second part of the verse. The first part of the verse is about someone else – the thief, he's called here in the story: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. And, in fact, as we have seen, this whole story where Jesus teaches us that He is the Good and True Shepherd of us, the sheep, is about the authenticity of who Jesus is as that Shepherd, verses the sham of the thief. Question is: why did Jesus make this beautiful promise in such a context? Well, of course the thief in the story is the devil and the original Greek word for the devil is "diabolos", which is the word from which we get our English word "diabolical". It means a slanderer; a false accuser. And elsewhere in the New Testament, in Revelation chapter 12 verse 9, the devil is also called "the deceiver" – someone who tricks people and leads them astray; away from the right path; away from truth, into error. That's the devil, here in the story – the thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy. And so here Jesus presents us with an alternative – the thief or the True Shepherd. Now, you might say to me, "Well, that's no real alternative at all, is it? Who wants a thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy? I'll have the Good Shepherd thanks, who came to give me a superabundant life." Of course, it's an obvious choice in the light of Jesus parable of the Good Shepherd here – He means for it to be an obvious choice because it is so obvious when you stop and think about it. Problem is we often don't stop; we often don't think about it because the devil doesn't always come to us looking like a thief. You know, like in a black beanie like he just broke out of prison. Quite on the contrary, in fact Second Corinthians chapter 11 verse 14, says: Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Isn't that true? The whole point of temptation is that it's tempting; it's seductive. Evil comes to us, wrapped in a wrapper that cries out to us, "Go on, open me, follow me, take me. I'm good, I'll bless you." The very first deception and temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden was exactly like that. Evil was dressed up as having benefit. That's why it's so diabolical – that's why the devil is a liar and a deceiver and so we are seduced by his lies and all of a sudden we are in the hands of a thief who truly came only to steal, kill and destroy – to rob us of the superabundant life that Jesus came to give us. Do you see the power of this parable? God wants to bless us. God wants to heap His superabundant blessing into our lives, but like any father, when His children are rebelling, He can't bless us because the blessing would reward the rebellion. When my children played up sometimes when they were young, the tap of father's blessing turned off. Sometimes they were punished by the removal of a privilege – no internet access for three months. Why, was I being mean? No! Because I was teaching them right from wrong and the basis of that lesson is that blessing comes when you do right and you lose it when you do wrong. Parents do that because, a) they love their children and b), we are wired by God to be like that. One of the very worst things that we can do – and you see it a lot these days – is to continue to bless our children when they are doing wrong. I want you to have a listen on one of the best explanations linked between obedience and blessing that I ever found in God's Word. It comes from Deuteronomy chapter 28, beginning at verse 1. If you have a Bible, can I encourage you to open up here – this is a really powerful passage – listen carefully to what God says to His people. Deuteronomy 28, beginning at verse 1: If you will only obey the Lord your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth; all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God. Blessed you shall be in the city, and blessed you shall be in your field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your livestock, both the increase of your cattle and the issue of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed you shall be when you come in, and blessed you shall be when you go out. The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing upon your barns, and on all that you undertake; he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you. The Lord will open for you his rich storehouse, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all your undertakings. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. The Lord will make you the head, and not the tail; you shall be only at the top, and not at the bottom—if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, by diligently observing them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I am commanding you today, either to the right or to the left, following other gods to serve them. But if you will not obey the Lord your God by diligently observing all his commandments and decrees, which I am commanding you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in your city, and cursed shall you be in your field. And then he goes on to list this whole bunch of not very nice curses. Do you see the causal link between obedience and blessing? Do you see that? And disobedience and the removal of that blessing - just as in any relationship between a parent and a child. But the thing that really strikes me here is the magnitude of the blessing – look at verse 2 again of Deuteronomy 28: All these blessing shall come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God. Don't you love how the blessing will come upon you but it will also overtake you – they will chase you down the street? This is the superabundant life that Jesus spoke about. Verse 13: The Lord will make you the head and not the tail – you shall be at the top and not the bottom if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I am commanding you today, by diligently observing them. Friend, listen God wants to bless us. And that doesn't always mean being rich and wealthy. Jesus wants to bless us with a life that is superabundant and rich so that His blessing chases us down the street and overtakes us. Do you get it? But that blessing happens when we are close to the Good Shepherd, safe in His care. It does not happen when we follow the thief and let him plunder our lives through deception and temptation because remember, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but Jesus came that you and I might have life and have it abundantly. Our Dad in heaven truly does want us to be the head and not the tail; the top and not the bottom. I mean, what dad wouldn't want that for his children?   A Different Perspective You know what I think happens as we grind away at life or at least, life grinds away at us? I think we lose our sense of perspective. We hear these promises from Jesus about an abundant life and then we look at the reality of our own lives – all the trials and temptations tearing away at us – and we come to the conclusion that, well, it may have been possible two thousand years ago to have this so called "abundant life", it may even be possible for other people but this promise definitely is not for me; I mean, can't be! Look at my life, I mean, really!! I said it before and I am going to say it again: His promise is for an abundant life not a perfect one. His promise is that we can have His blessings in the middle of the ups and downs of life. Deuteronomy 28, verse 2: All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God. Verse 13: The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. You shall only be at the top, not the bottom if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I am giving you today by diligently observing them. And how does that work? Well, Jesus told us – John chapter 17, verse 15: I am not asking you Dad, to take them out of this world. I am asking you to protect them from the evil one. See, we are blessed not by God taking us out of this world and wrapping us in cotton-wool, we are blessed in the middle of our lives, just as they are at the moment. We live in an "aspirational" world – by that I mean we are always hoping for something better out of life; we are always expecting things to improve. Sometimes they do but sometimes they don't and sometimes it takes much longer than we would like and so people … many people spend much of their lives grumpy and down and complaining and, before you know it, life has slipped away and we haven't enjoyed the life that God has given us. Friend, God's Word says that the joy of the Lord is our strength – Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 10: The joy of the Lord is our strength. Friend, it's time to start enjoying what we have – like those sheep in the story of the good shepherd. They still had to walk miles over rocky plateaus in search of pasture. Some days it was hot, some days it was cold, some days it was wet and windy and blowing – it wasn't always comfortable. But no matter, that's life; it's how it is. The point was that they were safe because they were with the good shepherd; the one true shepherd who they knew was prepared to lay down his life for them. And so they had peace and security and the deep knowledge of the life-giving love of their shepherd. Friend, that's what an abundant life is. So often in my life, in the past and yes, even now, I am confronted by circumstances that are difficult; circumstances that sometimes are painful; circumstances that I certainly wouldn't have chosen for myself. And the temptation … the temptation is either to curl up in a ball in the corner and give up or to come out punching and hurt other people. Have you ever felt like that? I do some days. I was sitting with a man just yesterday, over coffee, chatting about this very thing. He was going through some difficult things and I shared with him how, in my life – because I choose to spend time each day with Jesus; because I choose, albeit often imperfectly, to believe in Him with my life – I have this constant joy. Okay, sometimes I'm downcast, but it can't last long because the joy of the Lord is my strength. Friend, God is such a good God! He is the True Shepherd and He laid down His life for us. It's a totally different perspective on life and it's a perspective that, to me, has only come as I have developed a real, intimate relationship with Jesus. I believe it's a gift from Him. I believe it's the normative Christian life. I believe that it's not just for the so called ‘super-spiritual' but it's for everyone and the reason so many are missing out is because they haven't taken the step of faith to believe this promise from Jesus with their life. Listen … listen very carefully, Jesus meant it for all the sheep. He meant it for you, He meant it for me. Listen … John chapter 10, verse 10: The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But I,” said Jesus, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Friend, that is God's promise for me and for you!!

Closing Thought: In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus' full humanity displayed on the night of His arrest. He was overcome with sadness, sorrow, anguish, depression, and terror at the prospect of His impending torture and crucifixion. Jesus knew He was about to bear God's wrath against sin. So, He turned to God the Father in prayer and was given the strength to carry out His calling. Beloved, when we face similar struggles--sadness, sorrow, anguish, depression, and fear--may we follow Jesus' example. Instead of turning to sleep, alcohol, nicotine, or legal or illegal mind-altering drugs, let us pray to our Heavenly Father, trusting that He will empower us to live our His purpose for our lives.

In this episode of The Crosswalk Devotional, we delve into the concept of New Year’s resolutions and examine whether they truly serve us in our faith journey. Many set resolutions with good intentions, but how often do we find ourselves falling short? Together, we’ll discuss the importance of aligning our goals with God’s will, the role of grace in our efforts, and practical steps to make our resolutions more meaningful. Join us as we explore how to transform resolutions into intentional commitments that draw us closer to Christ. Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear your thoughts on resolutions! Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioNetwork or via email—Have you found success in your resolutions, or have they felt like failing propositions? What strategies have worked for you in pursuing lasting change?

A @Christadelphians Video: Description: Many words and phrases in the Song of Solomon appear in verses in the psalms and the prophets, and in the words of Jesus in the gospels and the apocalypse. Solomon's rule was typical of the rule of Christ, on the restored throne of David. Ten proofs establish the Messianic meaning of the Song of Solomon, such as the purity of the bride and Lebanon pointing to the glories of the Kingdom. Studying the Song motivates the whole ecclesia to love the Bridegroom, to long for him to come, to welcome visitors and show them how much we care. ### Summary Exploring the connection between the Song of Solomon and Isaiah, this discussion highlights the "Paradise of God" and the significance of the marriage of the Lamb. ### Highlights -

Are You a Part of What God Is Doing in Our Country Today? Do You Seek God's Presence in Your Life? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Can you tell what God is up to in the World, in our time, in our church, and in America? Are you a part of what God is doing in the world today, or are you just reacting to what God is doing, thereby, creating conflict and division? Psalms 105 reminds you of God's power in the world if you do seek His presence in your life: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.". On the other hand, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, warns you of the implications for not including the presence of Jesus in your worldly considerations: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”. While the Lord is leading, and directing, it seems that we are wrapped up in our agenda and our way of doing things; therefore, we miss God's presence; and we miss the Holy Spirit in our lives.    TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Anger. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Forgiveness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 5:6; Matthew 5:10; Psalms 112:1-6; Psalms 119b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “A Christmas Message”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Sunday, 29 December 2024   But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:6   “And you, when you may pray, you enter into your chamber, and having closed your door, you pray to your Father, the ‘in the secret.' And your Father, the ‘seeing in the secret,' He will reward you in the revealed” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus gave directions to His disciples on how not to pray. Now, He will give instructions to them on what prayers are acceptable to God, beginning with, “And you, when you may pray.”   As with the previous verse, the verb is subjunctive. It is thus a hypothetical intended for any such situation. When someone decides to pray, Jesus says, “you enter into your chamber.”   The Greek word is tameion. Of this word, Strong's says, “A chamber on the ground-floor or interior of an Oriental house (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement) -- secret chamber, closet, storehouse.”   This room, set aside for quietness, storage, or whatever else is completely different than the open synagogue or plaza corner of the previous verse. It is not a place you would expect to see the masses thronging to. In fact, you would not expect anyone to show up there. Once in the chamber, Jesus next says, “and having closed your door.”   It may not be that someone would show up to come into another person's chamber, but someone else may be in the house and could walk by and see someone in there. To make sure that total privacy is obtained, He says to close the door. There would then be total isolation from anyone coming by and seeing or hearing. Once so secreted away, He continues with, “you pray to your Father, the ‘in the secret.'”   Without any fanfare, any accompanying ears, or any distractions, a person in the chamber should only then make his prayer to God. In such a state, there is no chance of anyone else noting you for your supposed piety, and in such a place while praying to God, it indicates a state of faith that the Father truly does see and hear. As such, Jesus then says, “And your Father, the ‘seeing in the secret,' He will reward you in the revealed.”   The words are the same as Matthew 6:4. The Father will respond according to His will for each person who prays in this manner. Jesus does not say how a person will be rewarded, and it would be presumptuous to expect that every prayer of petition a person makes will be favorably responded to as requested.   Further, there are various types of prayers, including praise, thanksgiving, intercession, supplication, petition, etc. Jesus does not specify what prayer is being referred to. Therefore, His words must cover each and every type. In whatever way God will openly reward such prayers, it is assured that it will come about.   Life application: In the gospels, it is seen that Jesus went to isolated places to pray, such as on a mountain, in the wilderness, or away from the disciples when in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden, we are given insights into what He prayed as He poured out His heart to God.   We may pick up the phone to call a friend for advice or help. We might drive to a family member's house to do the same thing. But are we willing to go somewhere private and speak of those things with the Lord?   God is omnipresent. Any place we go, He is already there. So why should we find it a simple thing to call or go to someone to relay our needs but not feel that way with God, who is right where we are or where we will be when we isolate ourselves from others?   Let us take Jesus' examples along with His words of instruction to heart and be willing to meet intimately with the Lord at whatever time we may find it convenient. Jesus doesn't tell us how long we should pray. He doesn't tell us what time of day we should pray.   So many things are left open for us to meet with the Lord and commune with Him through prayer. So take advantage of this marvelous avenue God has set forth for us to meet with Him. As Jesus is our High Priest, it is good to include Him in our prayers to the Father, knowing that He is perfectly mediating on our behalf.   Heavenly Father, thank You that we have the assurance that when we pray, You will hear and respond according to Your wisdom. We know that our prayers will be found acceptable to You as we pray through our great Mediator, Jesus. Amen.

Ministry Associate Calvin Chu preaches from Mark 14:32-41 about Jesus' loneliness in the garden of Gethsemane.

Full Text of ReadingsFeast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist Lectionary: 697The Saint of the day is Saint John the EvangelistSaint John the Evangelist's Story It is God who calls; human beings answer. The vocation of John and his brother James is stated very simply in the Gospels, along with that of Peter and his brother Andrew: Jesus called them; they followed. The absoluteness of their response is indicated by the account. James and John “were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:21b-22). For the three former fishermen—Peter, James and John—that faith was to be rewarded by a special friendship with Jesus. They alone were privileged to be present at the Transfiguration, the raising of the daughter of Jairus and the agony in Gethsemane. But John's friendship was even more special. Tradition assigns to him the Fourth Gospel, although most modern Scripture scholars think it unlikely that the apostle and the evangelist are the same person. John's own Gospel refers to him as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (see John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2), the one who reclined next to Jesus at the Last Supper, and the one to whom Jesus gave the exquisite honor of caring for his mother, as John stood beneath the cross. “Woman, behold your son…. Behold, your mother” (John 19:26b, 27b). Because of the depth of his Gospel, John is usually thought of as the eagle of theology, soaring in high regions that other writers did not enter. But the ever-frank Gospels reveal some very human traits. Jesus gave James and John the nickname, “sons of thunder.” While it is difficult to know exactly what this meant, a clue is given in two incidents. In the first, as Matthew tells it, their mother asked that they might sit in the places of honor in Jesus' kingdom—one on his right hand, one on his left. When Jesus asked them if they could drink the cup he would drink and be baptized with his baptism of pain, they blithely answered, “We can!” Jesus said that they would indeed share his cup, but that sitting at his right hand was not his to give. It was for those to whom it had been reserved by the Father. The other apostles were indignant at the mistaken ambition of the brothers, and Jesus took the occasion to teach them the true nature of authority: “…[W]hoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:27-28). On another occasion, the “sons of thunder” asked Jesus if they should not call down fire from heaven upon the inhospitable Samaritans, who would not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. But Jesus “turned and rebuked them” (see Luke 9:51-55). On the first Easter, Mary Magdalene “ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, ‘They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him'” (John 20:2). John recalls, perhaps with a smile, that he and Peter ran side by side, but then “the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first” (John 20:4b). He did not enter, but waited for Peter and let him go in first. “Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8). John was with Peter when the first great miracle after the Resurrection took place—the cure of the man crippled from birth—which led to their spending the night in jail together. The mysterious experience of the Resurrection is perhaps best contained in the words of Acts: “Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they [the questioners] were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus” (Acts 4:13). The Apostle John is traditionally considered the author also of three New Testament letters and the Book of Revelation. His Gospel is a very personal account. He sees the glorious and divine Jesus already in the incidents of his mortal life. At the Last Supper, John's Jesus speaks as if he were already in heaven. John's is the Gospel of Jesus' glory. Reflection It is a long way from being eager to sit on a throne of power or to call down fire from heaven to becoming the man who could write: “The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John 3:16). Saint John the Evangelist is the Patron Saint of: Turkey Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

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So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 1:14 NLT) Can you imagine looking at God in human form? During the earthly ministry of Jesus, we can imagine the disciples walking along with Him and looking at Him all the time. The apostle John wrote of Jesus, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14 NLT). The disciples watched Him. They heard His words. Yet interestingly, in all the Gospel accounts, not one person gave a physical description of Jesus. The Bible suggests that Jesus was ordinary in appearance, because Isaiah 53 says, “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him” (verse 2 NLT). In other words, when Jesus walked this earth, He was an ordinary-looking man. He didn’t have a striking appearance. Nor did He have a permanent halo. In fact, when Judas Iscariot was about to identify Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said, “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss” (Matthew 26:48 NLT). Why did Judas need to say that? Because they wouldn’t have been able to find Jesus in the crowd. Judas was essentially saying, “Let me point Him out to you.” This makes it all the more extraordinary that God Almighty became an ordinary human being, a person just like us. He came to this earth. He walked among us. John was saying, “We walked with Him. We talked with Him. And we want you to know that you can have fellowship with Him just like we had fellowship with Him.” This isn’t a privilege only afforded to first-century believers. It’s one that is indeed available to twenty-first century believers too. We can know Jesus. Yet for some, God can seem so distant and unapproachable. But Jesus, who was God, came to show us what the Father is like. Jesus stands apart from all other prophets, teachers, and so-called gurus. Jesus wasn’t a man who became God. Rather, He was God who became a man. And it never will happen again. If you want to know what God is like, then take a long look at Jesus. You don’t need to look further. If you want to know how God feels about children, then look at Jesus taking the little ones into His arms, blessing them, and saying, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” (Matthew 19:14 NLT). And if you want to know how God feels about sinners, then look at Jesus reaching out to the down-and-outers of society and showing them love and compassion. We see Him going out of His way to make time for people that no one else wanted anything to do with. Thus, if you want to know what God thinks about anything, then look at the story of Jesus. He is showing us what God is like. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A @Christadelphians Video: ### Summary Exploring Psalm 18 and Psalm 2 reveals the prophetic significance of Christ's resurrection, emphasizing His victory over death and the fulfillment of Scripture. ### Highlights -

This week's message explores the profound relationship between prayer and the ministry of angels, as illustrated in Hebrews 1:7-14. Angels are ministering spirits who actively participate in our spiritual journey, recording and answering our prayers. Biblical examples, such as Daniel and Cornelius, highlight angelic intervention in response to fervent prayer. The sermon emphasizes the power of persistent prayer, using the parable of the persistent widow and Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane to illustrate how heaven moves in response to our petitions. Practical steps are provided to deepen our prayer life and recognize the role of angels in our spiritual battles.

Fr. Mike reviews this section of the Catechism, summarizing the battle of prayer and the prayer of the hour of Jesus. We are reminded that prayer is active, and we must engage in grace. The Catechism goes on to state that, “We pray as we live because we live as we pray.” In this, we see that God meets us where we are and wants us to pray always. Finally, Jesus' prayer to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane exemplifies humility, filial trust, honesty, and perseverance; modeling how we are to pray to the Father. Today's readings are paragraphs 2752-2758. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

This teaching is from Matthew 26:26-39 and Exodus 6:6-7 Our story continues today with the Lord's Supper. Jesus is going to make it clear that He is the Passover Lamb who lays down His life for all people of all time. Pastor overviews the Passover meal: why it was done, what the purpose was and shows us how Jesus changed the script that had always been spoken during this meal since the time of Moses.  Taking the bread Jesus says, “Take eat; this is My body.” Then after that He took the cup saying, “Drink from it, all of you, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Pastor shares about the 4 cups of wine during the Passover meal referencing the four verbs in Exodus 6:6-7. Four verbs, four cups of wine:     1.    Cup 1 - I will BRING you out     2.    Cup 2 - I will FREE you     3.    Cup 3 - I will REDEEM you     4.    Cup 4 - I will take you as My people According to what is said in the gospels it appears Jesus spoke the words “drink this cup…” with the 3td cup - the Cup of Redemption.  Jesus talks about this cup as “my blood of covenant given for you and for many.” This cup not only reminds us of God's great deliverance of His people from bondage in Egypt, but it is God's new covenant of deliverance from the bondage of sin for all people.  The disciples could see something unique was happening.  Clearly Jesus is speaking of Himself as the redemption. In the days to come the disciples would look back on this Supper, Jesus' Last Supper, and they would see it more clearly. In the next verse, as Jesus finishes this 3rd cup, taking what is written here in Matthew 26:29 and in the other gospels it appears Jesus is saying He will not drink the 4th cup until the day we are all together in His Father's kingdom (meaning when everything is fulfilled) when he said, “ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”  Jesus will take this fourth cup, the Cup that will be celebrated at the “Marriage Feast of the Lamb” on His return.  “When I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom,” this is the assurance of His return and a celebration that will never end. Then Jesus and His disciples head to the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane. He tells them that He is overwhelmed to the point of death. Jesus is truly God in human flesh - a real human being going through agony and sorrow at what He knows is to come. He asks the disciples to stay with him and keep watch or in other words, “Be Awake!” What does it mean to “be awake?” It means to recognize the times, to be ready and prepared, to be one with our Lord Jesus, one with our Heavenly Father and one with the Holy Spirit.  Be Awake! Jesus asks that “this cup to be taken from me, yet not as I will but as you will.” Jesus - fully divine but also fully human speaks to His father and says could we go with another plan? But concludes His request with not my will but your will.  This is how we too should pray - praying in God's will.   We know things that God desires and we can pray in His will without hesitation:  For awakening in our country For people to come back to the Lord For people to know the Lord For those going through difficult days And holding one another up in prayer But there are some times when we don't know what God desires because His ways are far beyond our ways and even Jesus prayed not my will but your will to the Father. “Thy will be done,” even in the face of overwhelming agony of what was ahead He stilled prayed “Your will, Father” and we are called to pray the same way. Visit our website here https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/matthew-discipling Watch the video from Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOxHZDaamNk9DaM7h7LejJj7 Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app. We invite you to join us for our Sunday service every Sunday at 9:30am CT (live or on demand) here: https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

You've just come off a powerful spiritual experience, The Feast, but now what? This message shows you how to keep that fire alive long after the gathering ends. You'll learn to guard the words God spoke into your life, stand firm in faith even when circumstances don't look any different, and avoid slipping back into old patterns of unbelief. Discover the strength of praying before every service, surrounding yourself with believers who speak life, and holding on to the promises God planted in your heart. Don't let the enemy snatch away what's yours—press play and find out how to live by faith every single day. #getsemane #midweekservice -- ABOUT THE NEW We are a people of love and excellence who are result-oriented, spirit-led, word-rooted, prayer-driven, and kingdom-conscious. Led by Pst. Shola Okodugha, we are on a divine assignment to equip and raise men; to release people from strongholds that have stifled them from taking their rightful places, and to give young people an avenue for their God-given gifts to find expression. OUR CREED "As sure as God helps us, We will not give up We will not cave in We will not quit We will not fail We will not die Until our job is done And victory is won" —— Partner with us to spread the influence of God all over the world. Give - https://pay.squadco.com/TheNewglobal —— BROADCAST DETAILS Minister: Pastor Shola Okodugha Date: Tuesday Dec. 17th 2024 Video keywords: Prayer, Gethsemane, Midweek Service Location: The New Ikeja —— Stay Connected Subscribe to the latest content: http://bit.ly/subscribethenewlive Website: http://wearethenew.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearethenew_global/ #wearethenew #sholaokodugha

This sermon was preached on December 15, 2024 at Antioch Presbyterian Church, a congregation of Calvary Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America located in Woodruff, South Carolina. Pastor Zachary Groff preached this sermon entitled "In the Garden of Gethsemane" on Matthew 26:36-46. For more information about Antioch Presbyterian Church, please visit ⁠antiochpca.com⁠ or contact us at ⁠info@antiochpca.com⁠.

Leading up to Christmas, we will examine human history in the light of three trees: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Tree of Life, and the cross of Christ. Today, we're in the garden of Eden. Next week, we'll be in the garden environment of the New Jerusalem. On Christmas Eve, we'll consider the cross of Christ—where, after His betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane, He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” (1 Peter 2:24)—and why the Christmas tree has tried to usurp it.I. PerfectionII. PlungeIII. PenaltyIV. PredictionTalk with God: In the midst of this season's busyness, be intentional to make time to “[walk] in the garden” (Genesis 3:8) with the Lord each day through prayer and the Word.Talk with others: Ask a friend who may be hurting this season how you can lock shields with them in prayer and acts of service.Talk with kids: What are some ways we can worship Jesus?

Jesus Followers' Personal Relationship with Jesus Comes from Humility as Sinners Through Seeking God's Mercy in Prayer MESSAGE SUMMARY:  We do not deserve it; but we able to come to God, in a Personal Relationship with Him, because of His Mercy. We are all sinners. As Paul tells us in Romans 9:18: “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.". With God's Justice without His Mercy and His resulting Grace, you would face only eternal death as Justice for your sins. We can never enter God's presence for prayer when we are in our pride with our focus on ourselves. Also, Paul reminds us, in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, that, in your Salvation through God's Grace, Jesus makes us “boast” only in the Grace provided us by God: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'”. We can only enter God's presence when we humble ourselves in Jesus. Humility and penitence before God invite His presence – here I am, Lord; just as I am; have mercy on me a sinner.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Evil Ways. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Goodness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 18:1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:29-31; Isaiah 19:22; Psalms 44a:1-13. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “A Day Is Coming – Part 2 at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Questions about whether Jesus ever experienced fear, why Jesus would pray three times for something he already knew he would be denied, and a song that seems to state that Jesus paid the price for all in the garden of Gethsemane rather than on the cross.   Jesus came to earth and experienced the same things we go through—hunger, thirst, weariness, anger, sorrow, etc.—but did he ever experience fear? Why did Jesus pray three times, “Let this cup pass from me,” when he already knew he would die? I recently heard the song “Gethsemane,” which seems to state that Jesus paid the price for all in Gethsemane and doesn't mention the cross. This feels off, but how can I explain why it matters?

Betrayal, arrest, and denial unfold as Jesus enters the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing His hour has come. Judas arrives with soldiers to betray Him, Peter resorts to violence, and Jesus willingly submits to arrest, demonstrating His divine authority even in captivity. As Jesus faces interrogation by Annas and Caiaphas, Peter denies Him three times, fulfilling Jesus' earlier prophecy.  The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Toledo, OH, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study John 18:1-27.  The Gospel of John takes us on a journey through the Good News of Jesus in a unique way. It reveals Jesus as the incarnate son of God from eternity.  From His miraculous signs to His profound "I Am" statements, we witness Jesus offering living water to the thirsty, light to those in darkness, and life to the dead. But this is also a story of conflict: Jesus is relentlessly pursued by those who reject Him, yet He willingly goes to the cross, showing the depths of God's love. As we travel from His first miracle to His ultimate victory over death, John invites us to see and believe—that in Jesus, we find eternal life and the very presence of God among us. Connect to God's revealing Word in this series that uncovers the rich, layered truths of John's Gospel and the unshakable hope it offers.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Have you ever been asked to return to a place of past pain, only to find healing where you least expected it? Join us as we recount a personal journey, weaving together stories of faith, obedience, and the often challenging path of following God's call. This episode centers on the idea of preparing room in our hearts, exploring the depth of faith exemplified by biblical figures like Abraham, and reflecting on the relevance of Jesus' teachings in our own lives. We confront our own tendencies to hold onto material possessions and consider the peace that comes with following Christ's example of self-denial and service.We take a closer look at Abraham's test of faith, focusing on the critical moment when he was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and how this parallels with the anguish Jesus faced in Gethsemane. By examining the cultural context and profound trust Abraham displayed, we uncover insights into the nature of obedience, even when God's promises seem beyond reach. The narrative of Abraham challenges us to reflect on our own faith journeys, encouraging us to believe in God's power and wisdom, much like Abraham believed in the possibility of Isaac's resurrection.As we prepare for the holiday season, the concept of surrender emerges as a central theme. What are the "Isaacs" in our lives that we need to lay down in trust? Through personal stories and biblical narratives, we explore the transformative power of surrendering our fears, dreams, and relationships to God. This episode invites you to prioritize the promiser over the promise, reminding us that while God's plans may require sacrifice, they also hold the promise of ultimate good and fulfillment.

Jenna helps a nervous choirmaster.Based on a post by Blacksheep, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.Reverend Simon Morris scanned through a long list of church notices. Holy Week was such a busy time for the parish vicar, and he still hadn't finished his special sermon ready for Easter Sunday."Palm Sunday was really well-attended," he said, typing something on his laptop. "Now there are one or two church notices I need to read through."His wife Jenna walked into the living room. "Oh before I forget, Simon, Judith Anderson from the Sunday School had a word with me after the service. She wishes it to be known that her grandson Kyle is trans, and now wants to be known as Ellie.John Pollard from the Men's Society has split up from his wife and wishes for her name to be removed from the church hall coffee rotation, too.""Ah, right, thanks. I'd better make a note of that. Are Gordon and Myah up to speed on the Maundy Thursday service's music? I know he normally does a choir and organ practice then, but;""Already emailed them, Simon," Jenna replied. "Relax. Everything is under control.""Choir practice for you tonight? I must say, I think it was a genius idea of Gordon's to combine our church's choir with the Guild Voices, just for our Easter service. Our choir is small, so it'll be nice to have a bigger group of singers for the holiest day in our Christian calendar.""Oh yes, the bigger the better," Jenna replied with a smirk. She'd just joined the Guild Voices, a mixed-voice choir of around twenty-five singers who performed several concerts a year. The choir was formed with the aim of singing the whole range of music both accompanied and acapella; both religious and secular, from the renaissance pieces of Byrd and Tallis to great oratorios such as Handel's "Messiah." In addition to traditional works, they also performed classical versions of popular music. Jenna was enjoying the weekly recitals, and not just because of the music. The choirmaster was a chap called Derek Blackledge, and on more than one occasion, Jenna had noticed him staring at her."Last year, the Guild Voices performed at Evensong at York Minster," Reverend Morris said. "Gosh, I'm so looking forward to our Easter Sunday Service! We'll definitely have a bigger congregation than St. Peter's;""Ooh, do I sense a rivalry between churches, Simon?""Well, a bit unChristian of me to say, but I can't stand that Reverend Conway. He completely blanked me at annual clergy conference last month. I don't know what his problem is.""Not all vicars are as wonderful as you, my love."He smiled and resumed typing. "They've just got a new organist there too. Conway was raving about him. Younger bloke, seems to have the women of St. Peter's all hot and bothered. Edward, I think his name is.""Ha, he won't be anywhere near as good as Gordon is," Jenna said. "Nobody plays organ as good as he does.""I don't think it's his playing they're interested in! Apparently he resembles the actor Robert Pattinson. I suppose that's one way to get more younger people attending church services."Jenna almost dropped the cup of coffee she was holding. "Fancy that." She stifled a gasp. I can't believe it. That was the organist who played for the King at Liverpool Cathedral last year! She thought. He was a cutie for sure; had a nice cock too, as I recall. Small world. Never imagined he'd end up here in our town.The Guild Voices choir practices took place every Wednesday evening in a function room at the town hall. The room was spacious and blessed with good acoustics, a piano and a box organ. Jenna arrived earlier than normal, and gathered up her music books off the car's passenger seat."Hope none of the others are there yet," she smiled to herself.Derek Blackledge was alone in the function room, adjusting a music stand. He was a tall, stocky man, around sixty years of age. He was wearing a pale blue open-necked shirt, black trousers and rimless glasses. His buzz-cut silver hair was balding. He had a round face and a wide, flat nose, which as Jenna had overheard another member of the choir unkindly say, "made him look like he'd been bashed in the face with a frying pan." That wasn't strictly true, and Jenna didn't think him that bad looking at all. He spoke in a clipped, staccato sort of way.Derek looked up as Jenna entered the room. In the four weeks she'd been a member of the Guild Voices, the stunning redhead had certainly livened up the group of mostly boomer-age singers. Jenna was one of the most beautiful and charming women he had ever met, and he couldn't understand what she saw in her husband, the much-older Reverend Morris. The good vicar was a kind and decent chap, but seemed duller than Skegness in January."Uh; evening Jenna! You're very early! I was just;""Hello Derek. Yes, didn't realize just how early I was!""Nothing wrong with that. I admire your dedication. Would you like a brew?" He walked over to a small table in the corner of the room where there was a coffee machine and a kettle."Yes please. Tea. White, no sugar."He made some more idle chatter whilst he waited for the kettle to boil. Glancing round, he noticed she'd seated herself on a chair and crossed her legs. The black dress she was wearing was quite short and had ridden up nicely, exposing a generous amount of thigh. A most welcome sight for the long-divorced choirmaster who'd had zero success in the world of dating since going back on the market."This our last rehearsal before Easter Sunday," Derek prattled, pouring the hot water into a mug. "It just seems to have crept up all at once. I'm looking forward to performing in St Michael's Church, with your choir. I hear your organist is very good.""Oh Gordon? Yes he's brilliant. He won't let you down.""Great to hear. Now I just need to ensure that the Guild doesn't let everyone down."Looking at the stocky choirmaster whom possessed a definite lack of confidence, Jenna realized that she would have to take control of the situation if the choir was going to put on their best performance on Easter Sunday. She had always been aware of Derek's interest in her physical attributes. In fact, she could see his eyes lingering on her breasts and her bare legs crossed in front of her. Perhaps it was now time to play her trump card."I know we've had a few setbacks.""Setbacks? Do you know how much George and Alice being off sick is going to set us back? George is the best tenor we have." He handed her the mug of tea and sat opposite her."Perhaps I could do something to make things better." Jenna slowly uncrossed her legs and recrossed them, allowing her skirt to hike up her thigh watching Derek as his eyes were glued to her legs, straining to see up higher. He swallowed heavily as he shifted in his chair."Oh? Like what?""I could help relieve some of your pressure," she replied as she glanced at his crotch. The bulge tenting his black trousers already broadcasting his state of arousal.Jenna stood up and walked over to him. "You're a wonderful choirmaster, Derek. I just want you to know that. You go the extra mile and know how to bring out the best in people.""Thanks for the vote of confidence," he mumbled, turning red. He swallowed, feeling his erection straining against his trousers and underpants. It had been quite some time since a woman had got him worked up like this."Music really does bring people together," she continued."Yes, indeed it does;"Jenna leaned forward so that her face was close to his and placed her right hand on Derek's groin and squeezed. The choirmaster's voice shot up several octaves, then he let out a groan."Jah, Jenna; what are you doing?""Just inspecting your crotchets and quavers, Derek." she added naughtily. "Oh, feels like you've got a bassoon in your pants!"Before he could protest, she knelt and unzipped his black trousers, revealing his underwear - y-fronts, which had a musical notes pattern on them."Nice!" Jenna said out loud. She'd always had a fondness for men who wore y-fronts. She pulled them down, freeing his delightfully large cock. Grasping the base of the shaft, she took the bulbous head in her mouth and started to move up and down taking him deeper and deeper.Derek gasped, unable to speak. Instinctively, he grabbed the back of her head and pushed down, forcing himself deeper until he felt her lips around the base of his shaft. Holding her head, he pumped his engorged organ deep into the mouth of the vicar's wife, scarcely believing that his private fantasy was coming true. Her warm soft mouth aroused him further as he felt the blood pumping into his groin, making him harder than he could remember. He leaned back and enjoyed the incredible sensations as Jenna sucked his manhood. She was good, very good. Her husband may not have been very interesting, but bloody hell, he was a lucky bastard!Derek glanced warily at the conference room's door. At any moment, other members of the choir could come in. How the hell would he be able to explain himself?"Oh, Mrs. Morris here was just helping me with a very hard; piece of music!"As the stunning redhead continued to bob up and down in his lap, he leaned over and pulled down the top of her knit black dress to expose her pert breasts."Oh;" he sighed. "Not just; blessed with a fine voice."Jenna glanced up at him and winked."How about; I try and hit the high notes?" Derek pulled out of her mouth, stood up and turned her so that her arse was bent over his chair. He pushed his trousers and y-fronts down to his ankles. After jerking down her knickers he moved behind her, flipped up her black dress, lined himself up, then thrust abruptly into her tight wet tunnel, burying himself to the hilt."Oh God Derek, your musical instrument feels amazing!"He chuckled at this, and relished the fantastic feeling as he grasped her hips and slowly moved in and out of her hot passage, slick with her arousal. The illicit nature of the situation and doing it in a public place where they could be easily discovered added to the thrill and made both of them even more aroused. Jenna's nerves were hypersensitive and as the choirmaster plunged into her again and again she could feel the waves of pleasure build quickly.Derek slid his hands forward to cup her hanging breasts, squeezing and pinching her nipples. He delighted in feeling the curved contour of the soft skin of her breasts in his hands as he pounded his rock-hard shaft into her. The pressure built quickly in his balls with the fantastic feeling of Jenna's tight vaginal walls clamped around his cock. It had been too long since he had really enjoyed such a sensuous treat and all too quickly he felt the pressure come to a head. He slammed his throbbing member as deep as he could and felt himself erupt as spurt after spurt of cum shot deep into his target.Jenna felt Derek tense and his final thrusts pushed her over the edge and she too felt waves of pleasure course through her body as she was wracked with the spasms of her orgasm."Hmm! Oh Derek! Feels so good!""Fuck; I needed that!" He sighed, slowly withdrawing and collapsing in the chair, pulling Jenna down on top of him. "Not sure if I have the energy to conduct a choir practice now!""Well you'll just have to try your best, Derek. Because I have a feeling others will be arriving soon, so you'd better get your baton out.""It's already out," he replied, taking a tissue from the box and wiping then stroking his softening cock, and pulling his underpants and trousers up. "Jenna that was; that was; lovely.""Awe, you seem so much happier now, Derek. You're a really brilliant choirmaster." She flung her arms around him and kissed him."And you; are a very dedicated member of the choir!" He stammered. "Um, well, I guess I'd better; compose myself!" He stood up and hurriedly fastened his belt. Jenna straightened her dress and pulled her knickers up.Just as Derek was zipping up the fly of his trousers, the door opened and Edna and Lawrence Draper, two members of the choir, came rushing in, as fast as they could, given that both had arthritic hips."Not too late are we Derek?" Edna said. "Only our bus was late.""Uh, not at all, plenty of time. Please, help yourselves to a hot drink whilst I get organized." Derek said. Seconds later, more people filed into the room."What piece of music have you and Derek been working on?" Lawrence asked Jenna, as he sat next to her."Oh; just some scales and arpeggios," came her reply. "We were going up and down quite a lot!"Bare feet thrill the vicar during Maundy Thursday."Brothers and Sisters. Today is Maundy Thursday, the fifth day of Holy Week. It gets its name from the Latin word 'mandare', from which we get the word 'command'. Christians remember Jesus' command: "Love one another as I have loved you."Though each of the days leading up to Easter Sunday are significant in their own ways, Maundy Thursday surrounds the events that led directly to Jesus' betrayal, arrest, and ultimately, His being put to death the next day on Good Friday."Reverend Morris continued. "The circumstances surrounding Maundy Thursday can be read in Matthew 26:17-75. The events that unfolded include the Last Supper that Jesus had with His disciples and betrayal of Jesus by Judas."The weather had become more spring-like and milder, which was a blessing to some of the older members of the congregation. March had blown in like a lion and was going out like a lamb. St Michael's church was often chilly and draughty during the winter months, even with the heating on. Today, it was pleasantly warm, helped in part due to the church being full for once.At the organ, Myah slipped her feet out of her shoes, ready to play a hymn before the start of the foot washing service. She rather liked the feel of the organ's pedalboard against her bare skin, and her feet felt hot and uncomfortable today. Earlier, she'd suffered cramp in the arch of her left foot. She reclined slightly on the stool, crossed her legs and idly flexed her toes as the vicar continued with his sermon. Gordon sat on a small bench behind her, admiring her shapely calves. He liked the way she raised her legs to slide onto the organ stool. Even more, he loved it when those legs were wrapped around him; something he was looking forward to later."Their time spent on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prayed earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane, and where He was ultimately betrayed with a kiss by Judas who came to seize Him with the temple guards. Peter's denial of Jesus;" Up in the pulpit, Reverend Morris glanced to his right and became more and more fixated on a certain something. One of his long-repressed kinks was rising to the surface at the most inappropriate of times. Women's feet, younger women's feet in particular, had always aroused him. He'd never told anyone about his foot fetish, not even Jenna. He'd never had such a reaction as this and certainly not during a church service. But the way his wife's cousin kept wiggling her toes like that, dear Lord, it was driving his imagination to commit all kinds of sin! It's Holy Week for heaven's sake; must fight this, he told himself."On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" The vicar's voice trembled slightly, as he struggled to remain composed.Abruptly, he noticed Myah wince and reach for her foot. The cramp had returned."What's wrong?" Gordon whispered."Damn cramp's back again," she replied. "Ah, it's agony! Can you play the hymn for me?""No problem," he said, as his girlfriend hobbled off the stool and sat on the bench. "Massage your foot slowly. Try putting it on the cold stone floor. That might help. I've gotten cramp loads of times in the past when playing. It's bloody torture!""Thanks, Gordy-Pie!"Poor Myah, Reverend Morris thought. Now he had an even better view of her bare feet. Such slim and elegant feet. So nimble against the organ's pedalboard. He took a deep breath as he imagined he was cupping the arch of her foot, his hand slotted in the tender space between the heel and the upper sole. After an awkward pause, he continued his sermon."He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover."Some young children were shifting uncomfortably in the pews."How will we show that God is King when we're tempted, to abandon the way God call us to live? Knowing God is our King should change everything but we can't change everything all at once! So what one small step of obedience can we take this week to demonstrate with our lives that God is King all of the time? Take time to pray, and then seek to obey as Jesus obeyed. Amen!"Reverend Morris ended his sermon abruptly, no doubt to the relief of many, but most importantly, to himself. He descended from the pulpit and sat down beside the organ, as a member of the choir stepped up to the lectern to do a reading. He hardly heard a word the woman said, for his eyes were fixated on Myah's bare feet. She was still gently massaging her left foot. Oh dear, this was going to be unbearable. He knew she'd volunteered to take part in the ceremonial foot washing.Myah suddenly glanced at the vicar and smiled at him. He jolted and cleared his throat, before smiling back. He could feel a familiar burning in his cheeks, not to mention a throbbing in his cock, which was now at full stand, and forcing its way up against his trousers and vestments. He had never been more grateful to be wearing a cassock and surplice. He cast his mind back to last year when he'd allowed himself to be seduced by her. All in the past of course and they'd moved on. Besides, she was blissfully happy in a relationship with Gordon. The organist had slept with Jenna on numerous occasions before Myah had come along. Hmm, well best not to dwell on that tangled web of carnal relations right now.The reading came to an end and everyone stood up. "Please stand for our hymn, Sweet Sacrament Divine." Reverend Morris said, his voice faltering.On the front row of pews, Jenna tilted her head at her husband's shaky delivery, wondering what was wrong with him. It wasn't like Simon to be nervous when speaking in front of an audience. Something was bothering him though. She could see a line of sweat above his upper lip and a blush on his cheeks.After the hymn, came the ceremonial washing of feet, a reminder of how Jesus served others. As Myah sat before the vicar, her delicate hands folded in prayer, he could feel his heart race with anticipation. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, and began to wash her feet, using a soft, damp cloth to clean each toe, each inch of her soles. As his fingers brushed against her skin, he felt a surge of desire course through him, making it difficult to concentrate on anything but the feel of her feet against his palms. His erection began to ache, straining against his clothing, and he fought the urge to reach down and adjust himself, lest he give anything away.