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Psalm 91,He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place — the Most High, who is my refuge —10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Why does Psalm 91 exist?One reason is because threats to human life exist. Whether wars or wildfires; earthquakes or illnesses; hurricanes or heart attacks — threats to human life, hazards to human flourishing — they exist. And they're plenty in number, many in form, and perennially active. And have been since Genesis three, and humanity's exit from Eden.And so the question then becomes, how do you live, as a human, in a world, that's loaded with threats to human life? How do you live as a human who's: Not covered in steel-plating, but flesh. Not taller than the mountains, but shorter than the ceilings. Not immune to disease, but prone to it. Not beyond disaster, but within range of it. Not personally immortal, nor having loved ones who are immortal, but living as a mom, or dad, or sister, or brother, or friend, who's not even been promised tomorrow, let alone this afternoon?How do you live, as a human, in a world, that's loaded with threats to human life? You could lock your doors, and try to avoid reality. You could close your eyes and try to ignore reality. Or, you could face reality from a place of refuge. Why does Psalm 91 exist? Yes, because threats to life are real, and because refuge is available. And as we're going to see in Psalm 91, this refuge is in a God who is powerful, personal, faithful, and just.Let's pray and ask God for his help before going further.So, Psalm 91, a Psalm for finding refuge in God who is powerful, personal, faithful, and just. Let's begin with that first one — powerful. God, your refuge, is powerful.PowerfulLook with me at verse one. Psalm 91:1, where God is referred to twice, and by to two different titles:“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”Most High and Almighty — two terms communicating complete superiority over all things.He is not just high, but Most High. Meaning that no human ruler nor so-called god ever rises above him. When God looks up, he sees no thing and acknowledges no one. He is Most High.And he is the Almighty. Having all power and all authority throughout all the universe. Reality is entirely contingent upon him, and never the other way around.God, your refuge, is powerful, brothers and sisters. His titles in Psalm 91 assert this, as does his activity. See with me down in verse 11. Psalm 91, verse 11, where it says of God:“For he will command his angels…” Now, admittedly, that may not strike you right away as a verse that communicates God's power. And the reason for that is because in our modern minds, we tend to think of angels as being small, harmless, and kinda like children in form. And so for God to command them in verse 11, well, it doesn't strike us as being all that impressive.But when it comes to how the Bible actually talks about angels, almost nothing could be further from the truth. Friends, angels in the Bible are fearful beings. Just ask Zechariah in the Temple (Luke 1:12), or the shepherds in the field (Luke 2:9), or Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 8:17), or Cornelius in Caesarea (Acts 10:4) — when angels show up, people run for cover. When angels show up, people collapse in fright — cowering before the colossal power of these magnificent ones.But not God. No, as God sits on his throne in heaven ever surrounded by a vast army of these mighty ones — God unhesitatingly commands each and every one of them, and they obey him. They bow down to him. They recognize the immeasurable gap between their relative greatness and his, and act accordingly. God command his angels.Do you believe God is powerful? Do you believe he has total authority? You may fear political tension. You may fear economic turmoil. You may fear disease and disorders. You may fear vandalism and robbery. And as you fear those things, the size of each one might only ever seem to grow larger and larger in your mind. Consider God. Consider the almighty. Consider the commander of angels. Consider the one in whose hands the hearts of kings are like streams of water.Cities Church, looking out upon a world that's loaded with threats: find your refuge in one who is powerful — the Most High, Almighty, and commander-of-angels powerful. God, your refuge, is powerful. And, he is personal as well.PersonalLook again with me at verse one, and consider for a moment just how fantastic of a thing it is that God being the supreme authority that he is nevertheless calls his people near to him. The Maker of the universe beckons his 5-foot-tall, highly vulnerable, injury-prone people, “Come close to me.”See it with me, verse one:“He who dwells, in the shelter, of the Most High…”He who dwells in — not he who lingers nearby, or remains just outside, but dwells in — the shelter of the Most High.Now, make no mistake, this is personal proximity to God. Personal proximity to the one who speaks worlds into being. Yes, there is language here in this psalm of shelter and refuge and fortress, but don't for a moment think that connotes anything like a building. For the shelter of the Most High, at least in Psalm 91, is not a building; it's God himself.See it with me in the second part of verse one. For it is not within a bunch of high walls that we are to dwell. Nor behind a set of heavy gates that we are to abide. No, but it's “…in the shadow of the Almighty.” See, he is the covering. His shadow is the shelter.And that's why, in verse two, the psalmist says not that God has a refuge, but that God is “My refuge and my fortress.” And even further, down in verse 9:“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place...”Not the Lord's house, but “the Lord” himself. Psalm 91 is saying God's proximity is our security. So, God is personal. We see an even more intimate picture of this in verses 3-4 where, amazingly, the psalmist has us looking upon our situation from the perspective of a helpless baby bird. Look at it with me, verses 3-4:“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler [a fowler is a person who hunts or traps birds] and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions [feathers], and under his wings you will find refuge;”So, baby-bird-in-a-nest-type imagery is what we've got here.Now, it just so happens that a few weeks back, I actually got a real life look at this. The kids and I had, yet again, gone over to the neighbor's yard to get a look at his pet frogs. We we're standing over in his yard when all of a sudden, I began to hear this kind of high-pitched chirping coming from the bush behind me.So I turned and looked into the bush, and sure enough saw deep within the branches, one single thinly framed, lightly feathered, baby cardinal, sitting in its nest. I was not intimidated by this bird. It appeared to me as neither strong nor ferocious. In fact, just one look at this tiny bird, and I think you'd agree with me that this thing stood no chance against the many other predators lurking all around it. No chance.This is where the psalmist brings us in verses 3-4. This is where he frames up our situation, saying, you are the baby bird in this picture. You, in and of yourself, are totally vulnerable to all that is around you. You're totally vulnerable to:Verse 3, the snare of the fowler and deadly pestilence.Verse 5, the terrors of the night, and arrows by day.Verse 6, pestilence that stalks in darkness and destruction that wastes at noonday.In and of yourself, you are totally vulnerable to it all, and yet, you need not fear. In fact, verse 5, you will not fear. And we think, why wouldn't I fear? Why would I not be afraid? Why should I not go running for cover?Answer: Because of the wings.Verse 4:“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge…”In other words, look up — Christian, you've got wings over you. You've got your protector watching over you. You're under the shelter of the wings that rule the world. You live under those wings. You can face every trial underneath those wings. You never need leave the wings.What do you most fear in life? Illness. A car accident. Natural disaster. Death of a loved one. Go ahead, don't ignore it, put it right out there in front of you. And now, see Him, God himself, your refuge all about you. How does your fear change when facing it from the shelter of God? When facing it with God, and in God, and near God? Threats exist, but so do the wings. Cities Church, in a world loaded with threats to human life: find your refuge in God who is personal (covers you with wings).And, third, faithful. God is faithful.FaithfulNow, here is where I want us to recognize a tension. A tension some of you may be feeling in this moment. A tension that some of you began feeling the moment this psalm was read. And it is a tension between what it seems this psalm could be saying and what we know throughout history has in fact occurred.I mean, we've got world history — which tells of innumerable Christians, innumerable people who found their refuge in God, who ended up being persecuted, tortured, and even martyred for their faith. You've got that in world history, and you've got your own personal history: That day you did get the diagnosis, that evening you did get in the car accident, that morning you did get the phone call, that night the terror did show up, that day the arrow did sink deep, that noontime the destruction did come about.And so when you read verse 4…“His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”…You might think, is it? It seems some things have gotten past his shield. Some enemies have pierced through his shield.Or, when you read over all these “will” promises from Psalm 91:“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler” (v. 3).“He will cover you with his pinions” (v. 4).“I will deliver him; I will protect him” (v. 14).You might think, did he cover me? Did he protect me? Or when you read the even more sweeping statements like:“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you (v. 7).“No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent” (v. 10).You might think, Christians have fallen. Evil has come near.It makes us wonder: How do you understand God's Psalm 91 faithfulness in light of life experience?Another way to ask it: How do you read Psalm 91 as a Christian?As a ChristianFirst, you recognize that even within this very psalm there's a hint of the fact that not every trouble in life will be avoided. Note verse 15:“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble;”Not, “I will keep him from trouble,” but “In the trouble, there I will be with him.” So, the shadow doesn't leave. The wings don't fly away. God stays, but, at least here, the trouble stays as well. So, that's the first thing. Here's the second: Recognize Psalm 91 was first written to Israel under the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant which did contain literal promises for physical safety that were contingent upon the peoples' faithfulness.And so when those members of the Old Covenant read Psalm 91, they likely took every one of these promises to be literally true, and were basically right to do so, assuming they were following the Laws of Moses.But, as the church, we're not Old Covenant Israel. We're members of the New Covenant which, while being so much better than the old, contains no promise of worldly safety. Safety, to be sure, but of a far greater order and greater scope than mere safety in this life.As an example, Jesus says in Luke 21:16-19,“You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But [and catch this] not a hair of your head will perish.”You're going to die, but not a hair of your head will perish. Safety, yes, but a safety stretching well past the vapor that is this life.Or, from Romans 8:“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”In other words, these things may happen to you, and Paul even adds…“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” But can any of it separate you from Christ? Verse 37:“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”You see, there's a safety of a different order that's been promised us as Christians. A safety that's far more long lasting, far more secure, and far more satisfying. Knowing that can help us get perspective here as we read these very specific promises in Psalm 91. The promise of safety that God gives us as Christians is not less than Psalm 91, but greater. Last one: How do you read Psalm 91 as a Christian? First, note the hint of trouble even in Psalm 91: “Be with you in trouble.” Second, note the difference between safety in the Old Covenant verses safety in the New.Third, note how Jesus responded when Satan quoted it.Jesus and Psalm 91Now, turn with me to Luke 4. It's in the New Testament. I really want you to see this with me so grab your Bible and find the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4. The setting is just after Jesus officially began his ministry. Baptized by John, filled with the Spirit, Jesus has walked out into the wilderness for a forty-day solo journey without food. He's starving — literally starving — by the time we see him in Luke 4. And there we find Satan whispering in his ear. He first tempts Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Jesus refuses. He'll keep starving.He then tempts Jesus toward riches and idolatry — “worship me and I'll give you worldly splendor.” Jesus refuses. He'll keep serving God only. Then, Satan quotes Psalm 91. Why? Why would Satan quote Scripture? Wouldn't that run entirely counter to his schemes? Wouldn't Scripture just spur Jesus onward?See it with me in Luke 4:9,And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written [Psalm 91:11-12],“‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,'11 and“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'”And so it is Psalm 91, but set up as a question… “If you are the Son of God,” and a challenge… “throw yourself down from here.”The intended effect is clear: to take what is a testimony to God's faithfulness and turn it into a set of criteria for testing God's faithfulness.Satan is saying, “If you really believe Psalm 91, Jesus, then make God prove it in this particular way and at this particular time.”Now, let's ask: What does Psalm 91, no-evil-shall-befall-you, trust in God's faithfulness look like in such a moment? What does Psalm 91, trust in God's faithfulness look like when trouble comes and you are, like Jesus, staring it right in the face?When you get home from travel and realize that while you were away, the house was broken into; or when you pull up your bank statement, recognize your credit card got stolen, you've been robbed; or when the boss calls you in, fires you without reason or explanation; or the car gets backed into; the cough gets worse; the teenage rebellion continues; the doctor calls you and gives you the diagnosis you've always feared. Does it look like:“God, you must now prove to me your faithfulness by protecting me in this exact way?”“God, if you are who you say you are, then you must rescue me at this exact time.”“God, here are my Psalm 91 criteria, you better toe-the-line or I won't believe you.” Or does it look like Luke 4:12?…And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”You see it? Psalm 91 trust says: Father, because I know that you are who you are, I trust you to guard me in your way and your time. I don't need you to prove yourself to me; all I need you to do is keep me under your wings.God is faithful, brothers and sisters. His wings won't lift. He'll be with you in the trouble. Your safety, in him, is sure and lasting. What can separate you from Christ? Nothing. You are more than a conqueror through him.Cities Church, in a world loaded with threats to human life, find your refuge in God who is faithful — in his time, in his way, for your eternal security.Now, last point, and this will be very quick. God is powerful, personal, faithful and, lastly, just. JustPsalm 91:8,“You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.”Another way to render that word recompense is judgement. In other words, Christian, there may be a gap between the moment trouble comes and the moment trouble leaves. There may be a time between the hurt and the healing. There may be a difference between what you are expecting in heaven, and what you're experiencing on earth. There may be a prolonged season in which you need to fight to keep believing that God is who he says he is. There may be decades in which it seems you're not more than a conqueror, but a conquered one, whose enemy is just having a field day. Nevertheless, your eyes will see your enemy bite the dust. Your eyes will see your enemy fleeing in terror. Your eyes will see Jesus, your King, come again, and condemn all who ever wronged you and remained unrepentant.No one gets away with anything with God. No injustice will ultimately stand. It may linger for a time, the gap may remain. It will end. God will make it end. God is just. You will, one day, “look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.”And so, Cities Church… In a world loaded with threats to human life, find your refuge in God who is powerful enough to command the angels, and personal enough to cover you with his wings, and faithful enough to keep you in him through all of life, and just enough to punish any evil ever committed against you. The TableNow, what brings us to the table this morning is the fact that not only did Jesus trust his Father while suffering in a desert, but also while hanging on a cross… On that day when the terror of the night in Gethsemane gave way to the arrows of the day through his hands and feet. On that day when the people challenged: “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him.” On that day when Jesus took his final breath and kept trusting:“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”This table reminds us of our savior who died trusting, and then rose again three days later. Our savior who now invites all who believe in him to eat with anticipation for the day when we'll eat with him in heaven with all life's threats finally and forever behind us. That's what this table represents.I gladly invite those who are trusting in Jesus to take and eat this meal with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass for now, but encourage you in this moment — turn to Jesus. Ask him to become your refuge. You need one. The threats are real. You're human. And God is inviting you, right now, find your refuge in him by faith.

Intro:Good morning! We're diving into Proverbs chapter five today, as Glenn Power teaches. We'll confront a challenging, yet crucial, theme: the warnings about immorality and lust. While intense, these warnings and God's positive vision for sexuality are vital medicine for our souls in our "Summer of Wisdom" series.Scripture References: Proverbs 5:1-14, Proverbs 5:15-20, Proverbs 7:26, Proverbs 16:6, Matthew 5:27-29, John 4, 2 Samuel 11, Romans 5, 2 Peter 1Key Points:Proverbs' Urgent Warnings:Chapters 5-7 are almost entirely dedicated to warnings against immorality and lust.This feels like a "fear tactic" to modern ears, but Proverbs is not embarrassed to warn. It's the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 16:6), avoiding evil by understanding sin's devastating consequences.Jesus amplifies this: "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out... better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matthew 5:27-29). He goes to the heart, where lust begins.A Positive Vision for Sexuality:Proverbs also gives a positive vision for sex within marriage. Proverbs 5:15-20 graphically depicts the joy and pleasure of marital intimacy.God created sex as a beautiful gift within the marriage covenant.We need to move beyond shame; the problem isn't being "too sexual," but often not experiencing sexual fulfillment in God's intended way.The "Immoral Woman" in Modern Context:Proverbs' "immoral woman" represents a spirit of temptation (a profile of darkness) that pulls both men and women astray.Today, this "immoral woman" takes many forms, notably pornography, which statistics show is a pervasive struggle even among Christians and leaders. Proverbs 7:26: "Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng."The Path to Freedom:Run to God, not from God, even in failure. Romans 5:8: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God doesn't shame; He washes and loves.Embrace a Kingdom Gospel powerful enough to set you free. God gives us "everything we need for a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3). Don't settle for addiction.Overcome lust through daily connection with the Spirit: Prayer, Word study, fasting.Overcome lust through divine purpose: Idleness and boredom lead to sin (2 Samuel 11 – David and Bathsheba). God has a unique mission for you.Overcome lust through true intimacy with God: For singles, the highest pleasure is intimacy with the Creator. John 4: "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst... a spring of water welling up to eternal life." God's love satisfies deeply.Overcome lust through transparent relationships, self-control, self-imposed boundaries, and specialized support. If you've tried everything, get help!Conclusion:Sexual sin is deeply personal and can feel shameful, a padlock without a key. But God offers life, not death. In our deepest, darkest moments, He says, "I choose you. I love you. Come to me." Breaking sin's power isn't about bootstraps; it's through Him.Call to Action:Receive prayer today; breaking sin's power isn't done alone. When we open up and invite God's light, amazing things happen. Come to the table to remember Jesus' broken body and spilled blood—His ultimate price for our freedom. He gave His life so we could have life. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

Beware of Fungus Among UsWhen the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeCriswell looked at the older man and said, “Yes, brother, I agree. I think we as Christians should confess our shortcomings and sins to one another. Could we start with you?”Today we are going to see Jesus warn His disciples to avoid the false teaching and false lifestyle of both extremes – legalism and liberalism.Matthew 16:1-12The folly of asking THE sign for a sign - V. 1They disagreed fiercely with each other, but something had brought these fierce rivals together – hatred for Jesus. It still happens today!In their rejection of Jesus, they made the same mistake proud and unbelieving sinners still make – they put Jesus on trial, not realizing He is the very Judge we must all give an account to. If they didn't repent, there would remain on the path to Hell.The foolishness of rejecting THE sign all other signs point to - V. 2-4Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in morning, sailor's take warning!Jesus' life, teaching and miracles were convincing signs of the times - that God's Kingdom had come among them, just as John the Baptist and He had proclaimed. Yet they would not repent and turn to Him in faith.Jesus saying they were adulterers means they were spiritual adulterers, they were not faithful to the very God who had said He would send the Messiah. Messiah was walking among them, and they rejected Him, preferring the idols they had set up. Idolatry is spiritual adultery.Jesus Himself was the only sign they needed, and the proof would be His resurrection from the dead. To gain eternal life, we need to embrace Jesus by faith and the miracle of His resurrection. “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” - Luke 16:30The importance of thinking about the right kind of food - V. 5-12Jesus wanted them to think of spiritual things first instead of just focusing on where their next meal would come from.Leaven usually represents evil in the Bible. A little evil mixed into teaching will bring a whole lump of problems! The Pharisees leaven brought about a whole lot of legalistic attitudes and actions. The Sadducees leaven brought about a whole lot of liberal attitudes and actions.Jesus was switching them from thinking about physical needs to thinking about spiritual truths. But they did what some of us are doing right now – they tuned spiritual matters out and focused on lunch.They wanted to have their physical needs met, which Jesus had shown was no problem for Him. But first He wanted them to focus on spiritual things! They had the same lack of understanding and hard hearts we often do today. So stop focusing on physical lunch and get your spiritual meal!Don't add unnecessary commands & expectations to God's people like the Pharisees did with their legalism. But also don't reject God's word like the Sadducees did, leading them to compromise and live carnally. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” - John 4:24If we worship in spirit without truth we can wind up sinning by ‘loose living' like so many today who refuse to call anything sin. If we worship in truth without spirit we can wind up sinning with a ‘legalism' like so many today who show little love as they judge others harshly.He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8

The Ultimate ProviderWhen the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeBiblical Traits for Fathers to Pursue:PATTERN PARTICIPATOR PROVIDER PREPARERFor to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6In a very real sense Jesus is the Everlasting Father of all who are born again. Isaiah 9 tells us when the Messiah comes we will be ‘full of wonder' at Him; we will view Him as the best Counselor; as the Mighty God in human flesh; as the perfect Father figure; and the Prince of our peace.Matthew 15:29-39Jesus the Great Participator - V. 29-31You can't spell the word gospel without the words “GO” and “SPELL.” God uses us as we ‘go' and ‘spell' out the ‘good news' to others in word & deed.But we can be like Jesus and walk beside our children, and sit down with them. We can meet all the needs we can, and trust all-powerful Jesus to do for them what we cannot.Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. - 2 Timothy 1:13Jesus is the Great Preparer - V. 32-36As dads we often rightfully have compassion on our own kids, but not others. Jesus had compassion on the crowds before Him, despite all their problems. He was calling His disciples to follow His pattern.As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. - Psalm 103:13Somebody here who was listening when I preached through Matthew 14 tell me what the problem was with their statement in Matthew 15:33.Daddies need to remember that they need Daddies too – and in Jesus we have the one Isaiah called “our everlasting Father,” and through Jesus we now have an eternal relationship with God our Father. And when we are in our latest moment of not knowing what to do we have a God who has provided what we need over and over again. So let's trust Him!Jesus is the Ultimate Provider - V. 37-39The 4,000 daddies who couldn't provide for their families that day were able to see Jesus provide for themselves and their wives and children. And godly men and women and children have seen Jesus provide for them ever since.

I am not just flesh and breathI am the echo of His voice,The reflection of His glory,The image of the Invisible.I am God's child.In His image, after His likeness, He created me.Praises will forever be on my lips.They are glued with songs and soaked in worship.To the One who listens, I worship You.To the One who understands before I even speak—I give thanks.I give thanks in all circumstances,For this is the will of my Father in Christ Jesus for me.I am not denying the reality of things.I'm not pretending.But my reality is that of Christ.So I will not be anxious about anythingBut in every situation,By prayer and supplication,With thanksgiving,I will make my requests known to my Father.For what my Father cannot do, does notexist.His words are alive and active in me.No challenge can bring me down,For I serve the Great Good Shepherd,The One whose peace rules my heart.To Him, I am thankful.Yes, I may seem crazy.Maybe even foolish in the eyes of men.But if that's what it means to walk byfaith and not by sightThen call me crazy.Call me foolish.Because I will praise Him.I will sing for joy.To the I AM that I AM,To the One whose words never return void.In word or deed,I give thanks to my Father through Jesus Christ.If He is for meWho can stand against me?He is above all.His kingdom is not of this earth.His dominion is eternal.Against His power, who can stand?Oh yes, I will continue steadfast inprayer,Being watchful in itWith thanksgiving.For in the kingdom of my Father,Words are not cheap.They are power.They are life.They create.They move mountains.He is my Deliverer.My Restorer.My Hiding Place.My present help in times of trouble.I will offer up sacrifices of praise—The fruit of lipsThat acknowledge His name.He loved me first.He called me out of darknessInto His marvelous light.The One who speaks and the earth trembles—He is my Father.The One who parted the Red Sea—He is my Savior.Do you see His works in my life?Come and witness His marvelous deeds.Why should I be silent?Why shouldn't I shout for joy?Oh, I thank my GodFor all He has done,For all He will do,Even for the things I do not yet see.I give thanks for what seems not to begoing right.I rejoice with joy unspeakableBecause I serve a God who is alive and active.He is not done with me yet.This is just the beginning.Let me remind you of the God I serve:The Ancient of Days.His head and hair, white like wool,White as snow.His eyes, like flames of fire.His feet, like polished brass.His voice, like the sound of many waters.He does not fail.He cannot fail.He has a track recordOf keeping His Word.In the place of doubt,In the place of fear,In the place of unbeliefI will praise Him.I will give thanks to His holy name.I will sing for joy.Oh yes,My words will never be enough to say thank You.My words will never be enough to describe You.My God is faithful.My God is predictable.My God is merciful.My God is trustworthy.My God is Love.And if you're listeningKnow this:The God I speak ofHe's calling you too.He sees you.He loves you.He's waiting.So I will not be silent.I will not be ashamed.I will praise.I will proclaim.I will shout:Thank You, Daddy.Thank You, my Lord.Thank You, my Savior.Forever and everAmen. 

Wash Your Heart First - Matthew 15:1-20When the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren Wiersbe“And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean.” - Lev. 15:13In today's passage Jesus criticizes those who put external man-made rules like ritual hand-washing on an equal level with biblical commands. Ironically, they often rationalized disobeying God's clear commands, showing they had clean hands but not clean hearts.Matthew 15:1-20When man-made traditions crowd out simple faith and obedience - V. 1-9There were 2 big problems with the Pharisees approach:First, all that focus on the external non-essential ‘fencing' of the law became so important to them that it crowded out matters of simple faith and obedience, loving God and loving others.The second problem was that their love for their external ‘fences' became more important than dealing with their own sinful hearts that needed attention before their holy God.The biblical command to honor your parents includes fully grown children ensuring that their parents needs are well taken care of as they age.They insisted they loved God because they had washed their hands down to their elbows. Jesus said “If you loved God you would take care of your momma!”But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. - 1 Timothy 5:8The word for hypocrites (G5273) appears 17 times in the Bible, 13 in Matthew's gospel. It's a compound word, “An interpreter from underneath.” Actors in ancient Greek theater wore large masks, playing their part from underneath the masks.Jesus again addresses the heart of the matter - V. 10-20How did Jesus respond to the concern that the Pharisees were offended by Jesus? He basically said, “Of course they are offended – they are lost and going to Hell unless they repent!”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert), and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” - Matthew 23:15What you put in your mouth goes through your stomach and is then expelled when you go potty. None of that natural process makes you spiritually unclean in God's eyes, or eating with unclean hands. Spiritual uncleanness comes when sin goes undealt with in the heart.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. - Matthew 23:25-26Victory in the Christian Life comes from FOCUS:F is for Faith – Faith is the Victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).O is for Obedience – We have 100% commitment to obey the Scriptures and the Spirit.C is for Confession - When we do sin, we confess our sin, receive God's forgiveness, and get on with faith and obedience. U is for Unite My Heart – bringing all spiritual resources to bear on loving God and hating sin.Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. - Psalm 86:11“You must always be a-killing sin, or sin will always be a-killing you.” - John OwenS is for Serve God by serving others.

A Devotional Study on the Attributes of God 1. The Solitariness of God "Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God." — Psalm 90:2 Before there was time, before there was light, before there was an angel in Heaven or a speck of dust in the cosmos—God was. He dwelt in solitary majesty, needing nothing, lacking nothing, desiring nothing outside Himself. He was eternally perfect in all His glorious attributes. There was no heaven for Him to inhabit, no earth to govern, no creatures to praise Him—and yet He was altogether blessed. 2. The Decrees of God "The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." — Psalm 33:11 Before the foundation of the world, in the infinite recesses of eternity, God established His eternal decrees. These decrees are the manifestation of His sovereign will, the blueprint by which all creation unfolds. They are not formed in response to events, for nothing takes the Omniscient by surprise. Instead, they are the cause of all that transpires, the predetermined plan that governs the universe. 3. The Knowledge of God "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit." — Psalm 147:5 The knowledge of God is infinite, perfect, and eternal. There is no learning with God, for He has always known all things. He never discovers, never forgets, never improves in understanding. His knowledge is not acquired—it is essential to His very nature. He knows Himself fully and knows all things outside Himself perfectly, from eternity past to eternity future. 4. The Foreknowledge of God "For those

Don't miss a conversation with New York Times best-selling author and speaker John Eldredge. He believes we've been discipled by the Internet and because of that we're addicted to distraction. The antidote for the Christian is to have a deep, lasting communion with Jesus. If you're dealing with anxiety and dissatisfaction with your spiritual life, join us for Chris Fabry Live. Featured resource:Experience Jesus. Really.: Finding Refuge, Strength, and Wonder Through Everyday Encounters with God For more information about the work of Care Net, click here. Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here.Become a Back Fence Partner: https://moodyradio.org/donateto/chrisfabrylive/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reading IActs 14:21-27After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good newsto that cityand made a considerable number of disciples,they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.They strengthened the spirits of the disciplesand exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardshipsto enter the kingdom of God.”They appointed elders for them in each church and,with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lordin whom they had put their faith.Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.From there they sailed to Antioch,where they had been commended to the grace of Godfor the work they had now accomplished.And when they arrived, they called the church togetherand reported what God had done with themand how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.Reading IIRevelation 21:1-5aThen I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,and the sea was no more.I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,coming down out of heaven from God,prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,“Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race.He will dwell with them and they will be his peopleand God himself will always be with them as their God.He will wipe every tear from their eyes,and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,for the old order has passed away.”The One who sat on the throne said,“Behold, I make all things new.”GospelJohn 13:31-33a, 34-35When Judas had left them, Jesus said,“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.If God is glorified in him,God will also glorify him in himself,and God will glorify him at once.My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.I give you a new commandment: love one another.As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.This is how all will know that you are my disciples,if you have love for one another.”

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Welcome to Day 2625 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2625 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 66:8-15 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2625 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2625 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we're continuing our exploration of Psalm 66 in the New Living Translation, picking up where we left off and delving into verses 8 through 15. In our last trek, we heard the psalmist's exhilarating call for all the earth to shout joyful praises to God, acknowledging His awesome deeds and universal power. Now, the focus shifts slightly, moving from the broad scope of God's global sovereignty to a more intimate look at His relationship with His people – how He preserves, tests, and ultimately delivers them. These verses speak to the sometimes challenging, yet always purposeful, path that God leads us on. They offer a perspective that would have resonated deeply with the Israelites, a nation whose history was a vivid tapestry of miraculous preservation and refining trials. As we journey through this passage, let's consider what it meant to them, and what it means for us today on our own personal and collective wisdom treks. Let's read Psalm 66, verses 8 through 12: (Reads Psalm 66:8-12 NLT) Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises. For he keeps us alive and prevents our feet from slipping. You, O God, have tested us, refining us like silver. You sent us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let our enemies trample over our heads. We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. Guthrie Chamberlain: The psalmist begins this section by echoing the universal call to praise from the opening verses, but with a slightly different emphasis: “Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises.” The word “bless” here implies a deep sense of reverence and thankfulness, acknowledging God as the source of all goodness. It's a call for a vocal, audible expression of this blessing – not a silent gratitude, but a declared praise that can be heard by others. The reason for this renewed call to praise is deeply personal and communal for the people of God: “For he keeps us alive and prevents our feet from slipping.” In the ancient world, life was often precarious. The threat of disease, famine, war, and natural disaster was ever-present. To be kept alive, to have one's “soul in life” (as some translations render the Hebrew), was a profound blessing worthy of continuous praise. The imagery of “preventing our feet from slipping” speaks to God's protection from stumbling, falling, or being utterly overthrown by the dangers that surrounded them. Think of trekking on a narrow, treacherous mountain path – one wrong step could be disastrous. The psalmist is praising God for being the sure ground beneath their feet, their stability in a shaky world. Then comes a remarkable and perhaps, to our modern ears, a challenging declaration: “You, O God, have tested us, refining us like silver.” This isn't the voice of someone complaining about hardship; it's the voice of someone who

Friends of the Rosary,Today, Friday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Friday, or Good Friday (a deviation of the term “God's Friday), the Church observes the earthly death of our Savior. It's a solemn day of mourning, prayer, fasting, and a sense of sadness as we acknowledge our failure to serve our Lord.We slow down, restrict ourselves from entertainment, participate in processions and devotions (such as the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and the Divine Mercy), and meditate on readings and prayers related to the passion of Christ.At three o'clock, the faithful attend the “Celebration of the Lord's Passion.” It's not a Mass but a service with three parts: Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.At the beginning, the priests and deacons prostrate themselves in silent prayer. The General Intentions cover ten areas:For the ChurchFor the PopeFor the clergy and laity of the ChurchFor those preparing for baptismFor the unity of ChristiansFor the Jewish peopleFor those who do not believe in ChristFor those who do not believe in GodFor all in public officeFor those in special needIn part two, we venerate and kiss the wooden cross “on which hung the Savior of the world.” In part three, the congregation receives Holy Communion, and everyone departs in silence.The liturgies of the Paschal Triduum are one continuous act of worship. Yesterday, we saw Christ Jesus at the Last Supper completing the washing of the feet in all humility and instituting the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Orders. Today, at the midpoint of the Triduum of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord, our pilgrimage comes to Calvary. Tomorrow, the Easter Vigil of Easter will begin with the Service of Light.The first reading at today's commemoration of the Passion is the fourth of Isaiah's songs of the Suffering Servant.Then we hear St. John's narrative of Christ's Passion. To protect and heal us from darkness, Christ Jesus allowed the fury of sin to destroy Him. He endured the pain of the cross bearing our sins.The Suffering Servant pleased the Father not by his agony but by being obedient to the point of death on the cross, offering his body in sacrifice to take away the sin of the world.St. Anselm said that the death of the Son reestablished the right relationship between divinity and humanity.In Jesus, with his arms outstretched on the cross, we find the redemption of our suffering. He is the source of our eternal salvation.Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠April 18, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

My Story  Talk 14 Ministry in Colchester 1962-68 Part 2 Welcome to Talk 14 in our series where I am reflecting on God's goodness to me throughout my life. Last time we began to talk about the years we spent in Colchester and I shared with you how the church grew during our time there and some of the reasons why.   I finished by saying that I felt the Lord was showing us that the key to growth was to follow the supernatural leading of the Holy Spirit. Miracles happen as he determines and I was certainly not expecting what happened one Saturday evening.   I had gone down to the church at about nine in the evening to attend to a window that would not open. As it was still fairly light, I did not at first turn the lights on. After a few minutes, however, I realised that I needed more light, so I switched them on. I mention this apparently trivial fact because, as it happens, the timing was perfect. Within half a minute someone was knocking at the church door. He later told me that he would not have stopped if he had not seen the light come on just as he approached the church .   The man was in his thirties, well over six feet tall. He stood in the doorway, with tears in his eyes. I recognised him because, although he did not come to church , his grandmother had attended regularly until she died about six months earlier. I had met Billy  at the funeral and had remembered his name.   Come in Billy, I said. What's the matter?   Then he told me his story. He had gone to work as usual on Friday morning and had worked later than usual doing some overtime. When he arrived home late that evening, he called out to his wife, but Ingrid did not reply. As he could not imagine where she might be, he searched the house looking for her. He found her in the bedroom, on the bed, unconscious, an empty bottle of sleeping tablets  beside her.   Ingrid was rushed into hospital, but they were by no means confident that they would be able to resuscitate her. On Saturday there was no improvement. She was in a coma . By this time Billy  was frantic. He was pacing up and down at home, when suddenly he noticed a photo of his grandmother on the piano. If only she had been still alive! She would have prayed ! So Billy tried to pray , but he just didn't know what to say. So he jumped on his motorbike and headed for our church . As he approached it, he thought that no one was there and was about to drive past when suddenly the lights came on! I said to him: Billy, I'll tell you why you can't pray . The Bible says that God's ear is not deaf so that he cannot hear, but it's the things we've done wrong that have created a barrier between us and God.   I asked him if he had ever asked Jesus  to be his Saviour and to forgive him for the wrong things he'd done, and he said, No. When I asked him if he would like to, he said, Yes, and together we prayed  and asked Jesus to come into his life.   Then I prayed for Ingrid and, as I did so, my prayer turned into a command: In the name of Jesus, I rebuke this coma and command her to come out of it!   This seemed a strange thing to say, as Ingrid was two miles away in the Essex County Hospital, and even if she had not been in a coma, she would not have been able to hear me at that distance! By then it was half past nine. I told Billy  that Ingrid would be all right, and that he could go home – but as soon as he had gone I found myself doubting. What will I say to him if his wife dies?   When Billy got home, he thought he would not be able to sleep so he sat down in an armchair. He told us later that at that moment he saw a bright light  and felt a sensation of warmth flow through his body from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. The next thing he knew, it was 9 o'clock on Sunday morning. He rushed into hospital to see how his wife was and was told that she had come out of her coma . Please, he said, can you tell me exactly when it was?   The nurse consulted the notes and replied: Yes, it was at exactly half past nine last night. Billy was able to take her home that afternoon. She too became a Christian and they both became members of our church .   This was by far the greatest miracle we saw while we were at Colchester, but the growth of our church during the time we were there was not primarily due to miracles or our evangelistic and healing missions. It was due, as I have said, to the Lord's strategy in placing me in a school where I could freely teach the children about Jesus, to his giving me at the same time key people to help start a youth meeting, and to the commitment of people who were prepared to exchange their car for a minibus.   And as the congregation grew due to the influx of young people, adults were attracted to join us – some from other churches, others who had just moved into the area, and others who were baptised in the Spirit through my ministry in the early days of what came to be known as the Charismatic Renewal.   Getting to know Assemblies of God For the first twenty years of my life I attended a Baptist church and had never even heard of Assemblies of God. Church attendance during the three years I was at Oxford involved going to the Elim church in term time and the AoG in Dagenham during vacations. So, when I accepted the pastorate of the AoG church in Colchester, I had had relatively little experience of AoG, and I am grateful that during our years at Colchester I was able to get to know more of its ministers and how the fellowship functioned at a national level.   I have already mentioned some of the ministers who came to preach at our annual conventions, but we were also blessed by visits from those who came to us on itinerary to tell us of the work they were doing for the Lord, to inspire our faith, and to encourage our support for their particular area of ministry. These included missionaries like Roy Leeming pioneering a church in Belgium, Colin Blackman representing the Lilian Trasher orphanages in Egypt, Harold Womersley from the Congo Evangelistic Mission, and David Newington from Lifeline to Africa.   We also had visits from Michael Jarvis and Keith Monument. Michael was the AoG National Youth Secretary and Keith the Home Missions Secretary. I was impressed by the passion of these men to win people for Jesus and both were eventually to become good friends for many years. I recently had the privilege of paying a tribute at Keith's funeral service. Keith was a few weeks short of his 99th birthday when he died and had travelled over a million miles in Britain during his ministry for Home Missions.   But apart from the visits of such wonderful people, I also got to know AoG better by attending its Annual General Conference and the quarterly meetings of the Essex District Council. It was through the DC meetings that I learned that, if I wanted to become recognised as an AoG minister, I must first apply for Probationary Status. This would last for two years and then I could apply for Full Status. So in 1964, having already been the pastor at Colchester for two years, I applied for Probationary Status.   I'm so glad that the system has since been radically improved and that those who apply for status must now undergo a period as Ministers-in-Training, but back then my eligibility was assessed simply by two ministers coming to hear me preach, after which the only supervision I received was one of them saying, Go on giving them the good Word of God, brother.   After that, I was left to my own devices for two years until in 1966 I was granted Full Status on the basis that my ministry was bearing fruit and was ordained at General Conference held in Clacton in May of that year. And it was during that conference that God clearly spoke to me and told me to give up my teaching job and trust him to provide for our needs.   The call to full-time ministry When I felt the Lord calling me to the ministry at the age of 16, I naturally assumed that it would be my full-time occupation. And that was certainly the desire of my heart. But when we had started at Colchester the church was so small that they could not possibly pay me an adequate salary and that was why I was school teaching. And even though, by 1966, the church had grown considerably, the weekly offerings amounted to only £11 a week and I needed at least £18 a week to cover all our expenses.   So when, at a Home Missions rally on the opening night of the Assemblies of God conference, pastor Eddie Durham began his sermon by throwing down a motorcycle gauntlet and challenging young men to give their lives full-time to the work of the ministry, I initially reacted by saying to God, That's all very well, Lord. But you know that I would love to be full-time, but that simply is not possible at the moment.   But I knew that with God all things are possible, and so I added, But I'm willing to step out in faith if you will only make it clear that now is the time for me to do so. And if I am to hand in my notice to the school, I will need to know by the end of this conference.   I said this because my contract required that I hand in my notice by the end of May if I were not going to return to school in September. I went back to the conference meetings night after night – I could not be present during the daytime because I was teaching – and all I can say is that in one way or another the Lord spoke to me in every meeting confirming that I should give up my teaching job and trust him to meet our needs.   Of course, I shared all this with Eileen who had not been able to attend the meetings because she was at home looking after the girls, and she readily agreed that I should do whatever I felt the Lord was telling me. We told no one else about this, and when what I felt the Lord was saying was confirmed through spiritual gifts in church the following Sunday morning, I made up my mind that I would ask to see the head master the very next day.   But how do you tell a man who professes to be an atheist that God has spoken to you? Well, you just tell him! And actually he was quite understanding. He just asked if I could consider delaying it for another term so that he could find a replacement. I think I told him, out of courtesy, that I would think about it, but in my heart I felt sure that it would not be necessary. And, sure enough, a few days later he came to me and said that quite unexpectedly he had already found a replacement for September.   When they heard the news that I was leaving, colleagues at work made comments like, David, you must have great faith. To which I replied, Well, it's not so much a matter of faith as of obedience. I just know it's what I have to do. And that's what I told the church the following Sunday morning. I made it clear that I was not looking to the church to meet our needs, but I was trusting the Lord. Some said that they thought I should have consulted them before making the decision, but I replied by explaining that I had not wanted to be influenced by man, but only by what God himself was saying.   Shortly after that, the church held a meeting and discussed what they should do in the circumstances. The outcome was that they decided that they wanted to trust the Lord with me and that from then on they would pay me 75% of whatever came in the offering and they would meet the ongoing needs of the church from the remaining 25%. Of course, Eileen and I were very encouraged by this even though, judging by the level of offerings at the time, what they would give us would fall far short of what we needed.   However, almost immediately, the regular offerings doubled as the people rose to the challenge, and by the time we left Colchester I was receiving a more than adequate salary. Admittedly, for the first year our faith was being tested, but God is faithful and throughout that time we never went without a meal, even though sometimes the best we could do was beans on toast!   Of course, we were careful with our money. We made sure that all the bills were paid and then spent whatever was left on food! Hadn't Jesus said that we should not be anxious about what we were to eat or drink? Our Father in Heaven would supply our need. And he did, even if for a while we had to cut out luxuries like biscuits and if the girls had to drink water rather than orange squash!    And thanks largely to Eileen's positive attitude, they never complained. They grew up to understand that, however hard up we may feel, in this country we enjoy a higher standard of living than 99% of the rest of the world's population. I am so grateful that financial prosperity has never been high on the agenda of any of our children, and God has blessed them for it. But learning from experience that God was able to meet our needs was by no means the only benefit of giving up my teaching job. It opened the door to a much wider ministry.  

Give All to Gain All - Matthew 13:44-58When the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God- Warren WiersbeWhen King Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He was offering Himself up as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!Behold, your king is coming to you;righteous and having salvation is he,humble and mounted on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.Jesus came into Jerusalem on the very day the sacrificial lambs that would become the Passover lambs were brought into Jerusalem from Bethlehem. Jesus is the Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7) who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).Psalm 118:25-26a (ESV)25Save us, we pray, O Lord!O Lord, we pray, give us success!26Blessed is he who comes in the name [authority] of the Lord!Let's do the math: 10 sins a day x 365 days = 3,650 sins per person per year; Multiplying that by 30 years per person equals 109,500 sins per person in a lifetime. Multiplying that by the 117 billion people who have lived in history = 12 quadrillion, 811 trillion, 500 billion sins.- Jim Denison2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.Matthew 27:46 (ESV)46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”John 19:30 (ESV)30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished [Tetelestai]," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.Two little parables about the Kingdom's inestimable value - V. 44-46What is the point to us of the parables in verses 44-46? To get the greater treasure the man had to first give up everything he previously treasured. And for us to really get Jesus we have to do the same. But when we give our all to get Jesus, two things happen: we gain more than we could ever imagine, and we also gain what was ours back better than before.Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so Divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. - Isaac Watts, Verse 4 of When I Survey the Wondrous CrossLearn to know Christ and Him crucified. Learn to sing to Him and say, “Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, I am your sin. You have taken upon Yourself what is mine and given me what is Yours. You have become what You were not so that I might become what I was not." - Martin LutherAnother parable about the great ‘sorting' to come - V. 47-50Are you ready for the ‘great sorting' to come after Christ returns?Hebrews 9:27-28 (ESV)27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.Remember from Matthew 13 that we are called to be sowers not sorters! Catch all the people you can for Jesus – He will sort out whether they were truly saved or not. True Disciples will bring forth Scripture treasure - V. 51-52In chapter 13 Jesus spoke of making what was a mystery in the past known now. Those who love Jesus will be able to explain how New Testament truth comes out of Old Testament truth.If you don't take who Jesus is, what He has taught, and what He has done for you seriously, you won't see God do much either. But if you recognize how valuable this faith is, you will give up everything to gain Jesus!

The Sower the Seed and the SoilWhen the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeEvery one of the seeds in the pack I gave you can become the flower it was meant to be if it finds receptive soil as it is planted. In today's passage we see Jesus tell a little story about the different responses there will be to His gospel during the church age we now find ourselves in.Matthew 13:1-23 Introducing the parables of the Kingdom - V. 1-3, 10-17But Matthew 13 features the first occurrence of the word parable(s) in the New Testament, and the most occurrences of the word in the Bible. The word Parable(s) occurs 48 times in the Bible, 12 in this chapter alone.The 35 Parables that Jesus told in the New Testament are little stories with big meaning comparing God's activity in the present age to everyday matters we can relate to. Jesus' parables often paint a picture of a wrong response from His critics and a right response by His followers.In the 7 parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13, Jesus for the first time reveals the secret (the mysterion) of the spiritual kingdom that will grow between His first coming and His return to set up a physical kingdom. The secret includes the church age we are now in where local churches become spiritual ‘embassies' of the coming Kingdom.The word for secret is the Greek word musterion (G3466-27x); it means that which is known to the ‘initiated' (mustos). That which was not fully revealed to O.T. saints has now been revealed to Jesus' followers.Matthew 13:13-17 uses the Hebrew poetry device of chiastic structure, where the first and last points echo each other and so on toward the big point in the middle.Jesus explains the parable of the Sower - V. 3b-9,18-23The 4 different responses to the gospel:The Not-now response (rejection) - V. 19The Shallow response (belief without repentance) - V. 20-21The double-minded response (distraction) - V. 22The Devil got the wayside folk, the flesh took care of the rocky-ground folk, but the world chokes out the word for the thorny ground folk.” - J. Vernon McGeeThe fruit-bearing response (this one understands) - V. 23The Jewish poetic device of chiastic structure in Matthew 13:13-17:

The Greatest Sign - Matthew 12:38-50The Greatest SignWhen the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeSigns are important because they give us the information we need to make right choices. When the meaning of the sign is obvious, we don't need another sign, we need to act on the information the sign conveys. - Matthew 12:38-50The Sign that saves - V. 38-42They asked for a sign, Jesus gave them a sermon – about the greatest sign to come – His resurrection.Matthew's first audience was his fellow Jews, and only he repeats the Jewish idiom Jesus used, “three days and three nights.” The other gospels use the other way Jesus said it, speaking of rising on the “third day.” The accounts complement one another.It must have irked these Pharisees to hear Jesus preach that God had justified pagans from what is now Iraq and Arabia because they had repented and believed, yet they would be condemned for their unbelief!Crucifixes emphasize a perpetually suffering savior; but empty crosses emphasize our victorious risen Lord!“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me!” - Matthew 27:46“It is finished!” (Tetelestai) - John 19:30Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. - Hebrews 7:25The Situation that doesn't save - V. 43-45The key to understanding verses 43-45 is that last statement – so also will it be with this evil generation. Jesus is saying this situation adequately describes that generation in Israel who rejected Jesus.To their credit, the Jews had rejected pagan idolatry when they came back from the Babylonian captivity hundreds of years before. That idolatry had been fueled by the kind of demonic spirit that had left the house. Like the house in the story, they had put in order matters of external worship, but still had not filled the house with true internal worship of God. When the spirit of idolatry came back, it brought different demonic spirits with it: pride, unbelief, ingratitude, self-righteousness, a judgmental spirit, contempt of others, and lack of love. Their condition was worse than the days of overt idolatry.Changes you make on your outside will not help you in the long run if Jesus is not on your inside!The Sibling that sticks closest - V. 46-50John 7:5 says that Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him. Mark 6:3 tells us some of Jesus' brothers' names – James, Joses, Judas (Jude) and Simon, and also tells us he had sisters. Just before Mark tells us the same thing Matthew 12 does, it says, “When his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” - Luke 11:27-28Jesus is not telling us here not to take care of family priorities, but He is making clear that believing in Him and doing what He says is every believer's highest priority.If you part of God's family through faith in Jesus, begin regularly praying “Yes, Lord,” in every area that is clear in the Bible.

Longing for Eden is at the core of all of our desires. In Eden, mankind had perfect government, perfect fellowship, and perfect provision. Humanity was made for the perfection of Eden and nothing short of that perfection will ever satisfy us. But since we are subject to the pride of our fallen state, all of us, religious AND atheist, seek to recreate that perfection WITHOUT God. Our efforts and failure to do so is the story of our tragic human history. Only by turning to God can we truly reclaim our deepest longing. In this week's podcast:What we lost when we fell from EdenHow we try to replace paradiseWhy we desire to regain Eden without GodHow the judgment and curses of Original Sin are loving and mercifulWhy natural disasters CANNOT be blamed on God  For exclusive content, Q&A Videos, and private Bible study, become a Faith By Reason Patreon www.patreon.com/faithbyreason

The Upper FixerWhen the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeIn today's passage we will see that Jesus loves to fix “fixer uppers” who know they need Him. Instead of rejecting and blaspheming Him, we need to turn to Him as the ultimate “Upper Fixer.”Matthew 12:15-37Jesus came to fix people, not to argue with them - V. 15-23Verse 15 tells us that Jesus was aware of what they were thinking about Him. Jesus is also aware of what you and I are thinking, because He knows all things (John 2:25).In instructing them not to make Him known (we might add ‘yet') Jesus was buying Himself more time to meet needs and teach His disciples what they needed to know to serve Him.The word for justice in verses 18 and 20 is krisis (G 2920). It the word used to describe the judgment (Heb. 9:27) and judgment to come (Jn. 16:8). In other words, Messiah will proclaim the need for sinners to be ready for the coming judgment (v. 18) and gives victory over judgment (v. 20).Jesus wants you if you are broken – He won't break you any more – with Him the healing will begin!He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. - Heb. 7:25The one who comes to Me, I will by no means cast out. - John 6:37bThe Pharisees hated Jesus and blasphemed Him - V. 24-30God was on earth, lovingly working restorative miracles right in front of them, bringing joy to the multitudes. But they had the nerve to say, “The Devil made Him do it!” In other words, they were attributing the very work of God to Satan. Their hatred of Jesus made them guilty of blasphemy.Judgment day is coming for those who continue to reject Jesus - V. 31-37Do you see God's grace in verse 31? God would much rather save you from your sins than judge you for your sins rooted in pride and unbelief.To understand what the unforgiveable sin is, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, we first have to understand God the Holy Spirit's main role now.To blaspheme the Spirt is to remain an unbeliever despite all the ways the Spirit has convicted you of your sinful rebellion against God and your need to turn to Jesus for salvation. Every other sin is forgivable, but the sin of unbelief is unpardonable.Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. - 1 Timothy 1:13-14When sinful words come out of your mouth it shows the sinful stuff in your heart. Get it forgiven through Jesus and let Him keep changing what comes out of your mouth!So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in Heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in Heaven. - Matthew 10:32-33

Being alive has to be more than just “not being dead”. Jesus said that He would make you “more alive” and give you abundant life. Those ideas would be impossible if life and death were just binary states of being. So what are the Biblical definitions of life and death? If eating the forbidden fruit meant death, then why didn't Adam and Eve drop dead right after they ate it? In this week's podcast:The definition of deathWhy death doesn't actually exist on its ownThe definition of lifeHow life is qualitative, NOT quantitativeHow we were designed NOT to dieWhy the REAL cause of death is separation from GodFor exclusive content, Q&A Videos, and private Bible study, become a Faith By Reason Patreon www.patreon.com/faithbyreason

Making the Most of SONdays - Matthew 12:1-14When the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeMatthew 12:1-14Jesus gets hassled on the way to worship - V. 1-2If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain. - Deut. 23:25You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is they that bear witness about Me. - John 5:39The Old Testament said the Sabbath was to be a day of solemn rest. No work or gathering was to be done on that day. (Ex. 16:25-26). It was to be kept holy, or set apart for worship of God (Ex. 20:8-11).Jesus answers their criticism from Scripture - V. 3-5For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. - Romans 15:4There was no common bread available for David and his men to eat, but there was the holy showbread that only the priests could consume. The priest recognized this was a time for an exception to the rule based on necessity, and let David and his men eat the holy bread, as long as they were not currently sexually impure (1 Samuel 21).Jesus states that the priests on duty work every Sabbath they serve. They labor by removing the showbread, preparing fire for the sacrifices, and performing all their Temple service. The point Jesus is making here is that the Law ordains labor for some on the Sabbath as a duty.Jesus makes 3 key statements about worship day - V. 6-81. From verse 6 we see that God is greater than the buildings He is worshipped in during our SONday gatherings!For I desire steadfast love (HESED) and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. - Hosea 6:62. From verse 7 we see that loving God and others must be prioritized in our SONday gatherings!And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” - Mark 2:273. From verse 8 we learn that Jesus is also the Lord over the realm of time – He is Lord over the rhythm in our lives involving cycles of work and rest. The misuse of the Sabbath by the Pharisees should not keep us from honoring God's seventh day rest principle.Note that God commemorated a day of rest and worship to bless mankind BEFORE He gave Israel the Law. The Sabbath was the way Israel was commanded to observe the 7th day principle; Most Christians observe it on Sundays, the day Jesus rose from the dead!Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. - Matt. 28:1On the first day of the week, when we were gathered to break bread, Paul talked with them… - Acts 20:7aNow concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you are also to do. On the first day of EVERY week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I arrive. - 1 Cor. 16:1-2Jesus makes the most of His SONday - V. 9-14I love Jesus' statement in verse 12 – Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So then it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” People then and far too many people now treat their animals and their possessions as more important than people God calls them to minister to. But Jesus places the highest value on seeing people get ministered to. “When it came to his own glory, Liddell would surrender it all rather than run on Sunday. But when it came to the good of children in a prison camp, he would referee on Sunday. Liddell would sacrifice a gold medal for himself in the name of truth but would bend over backward for others in the name of grace.” - Randy Alcorn, page 79, The Grace and Truth Paradox

Choose Rest not Wrath - Matthew 11:20-30When the child of GodLooks into the word of GodAnd sees the Son of GodThey are transformed by the Spirit of GodInto the image of GodFor the glory of God-Warren WiersbeI brought up Warner Sallman's “Head of Christ” to point out that our image of Christ needs to be shaped by what we read of Jesus in the Bible, not in popular images of Jesus. In today's passage we find images that remind us that the Bible speaks of Him as being like BOTH a Lamb and a Lion.“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him (the Messiah) the iniquity of us all.” - Isaiah 53:6Jesus speaks stern words to those who won't repent - V. 20-24The people of this triangle of cities had seen Jesus work many mighty miracles, but Jesus denounced them because they did not repent and turn to Him. They wanted physical blessings, not Jesus' rule in their life.Woe is a judgment word making us think of how unbelievers will fare on the Day of Judgment. In Matthew 23 Jesus “ROARS” woe to the hard-hearted Pharisees – but here it is used of people who had more exposure to His teaching and miracles than anyone else during His earthly ministry. His ROAR still needs to be heard by those who have often heard the gospel but refused to believe in Jesus and follow Him.The day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains. - Jer. 47:4 (see also Ezekiel 26).Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and all surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. - Jude 1:7Earlier in Matthew we saw that God promises degrees of reward for Christians who love and serve God now. Remember Matthew 6:20, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven.” Now we see that there will be degrees of punishment in Hell for those who never repent based on how much teaching they rejected (Revelation 20:11-15).Jesus speaks comforting words to those who come to Him - V. 25-30God would rather save people than judge them. God has to judge unrepentant rebels, but He would rather transfer their sins to the cross and forgive them.

Do Everything You Do with a Grateful Heart - Psalm 107:1-3I am speaking of course about GRACE vision goggles! Those who have received God's grace through faith in Jesus are able to have a constant perspective that will help them serve God with clarity and confidence.5 G Living: Do Everything you do:For the Glory of GodFor the Good of your fellow manTo get the Gospel to non-believersTo help your fellow Christians GrowWith a Grateful HeartThe Hebrew word for Give Thanks is yada (H3034), which occurs 114 times in the Old Testament. It literally means “to throw” or “to cast.” Used toward God, it means “to praise” or “to give thanks.” But it is also used toward ourselves to confess our sins to God (Psalm 32:5).I acknowledged (H3034) my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess (H3034) my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” - Psalm 32:5The word benefit in Luke 6, verses 32-33, and credit in verse 34 is actually the great word charis, the word for grace and favor but also a word translated benefit, credit, thanks and gratitude in the New Testament.The word for steadfast love in Psalm 107:1 is the great word Hesed (H2617), which occurs 251 times in the Old Testament. It is translated steadfast love in the ESV, Faithful love in the HCSB, Lovingkindness and Mercy in the KJV. It is used of God's covenant love toward Israel. The closest New Testament word to it may very well be grace.For it is all for your sake, so that as grace (G5485) extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving (G2169), to the glory of God. - Romans 4:15Being grateful is all about recognizing God's blessing in your life, from His common grace to His saving grace. A grateful heart becomes the “Night vision goggles” of 5 G Living.I give thanks (G2168) to my God always for you because of the grace (G5485) of God that was given you in in Christ Jesus. - 1 Cor. 1:4Thanks (G5485) be to God for His inexpressible gift. - 2 Cor. 9:15Note that the word for grace is translated thanks in 2 Corinthians 9:15. A Grateful heart is a grace-filled heart!As each one has received a gift (G5486), use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace (G5485). - 1 Peter 4:10For this is a gracious (G5485) thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows for while suffering unjustly. - 1 Pet. 2:19The benefits of gratitude go beyond the spiritual to the physical, psychological, and social.

Before you dismiss God…    “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”  -  Isaiah 55:8 (KJV)

Heaven is the Meaning of Life!  The reason we are so perpetually unsatisfied, the reason we can never be truly happy on earth in spite of our best efforts is because we were created for something, for SOMEPLACE exponentially greater! To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, “If you have a longing for which nothing in this world can satisfy, then the only logical conclusion is that you were made for a different world”.  But if Heaven is the answer to “What's the Point?”, then how do we get there?  And more importantly, why does God WANT us there?  In this podcast:The true meaning of lifeGod's greatest desire (and how a perfect and complete God can even HAVE a desire).How man was made to dwell in HeavenHow Marriage is the KEY to the Meaning of LifeWhy ALL creation is “hardwired” to worship, but man's free will makes it VERY dangerousHow to be like GodFor exclusive content, Q&A Videos, and private Bible study, become a Faith By Reason Patreon www.patreon.com/faithbyreason

Pray Prayers of the Word (1) David Eells - 6/3/20 Audio: [ 1, 2 ] (For comments on these prayers please listen to the attached audio) Prayers are prayed in the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God so we know they are according to His will and are important to us.  Also so that we can know we will receive the answer to them because God is no repecter of persons.  1Jn 5:14  And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Php 4:6  In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Jesus' Example Prayer Mat 6:5-13  And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward.  6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.  7  And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  8  Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.  9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.  11  Give us this day our daily bread.  12  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  13  And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Pauls Prayer for the Saints at Ephesis Eph 1:13-23  in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,--in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,  14  which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.  15  For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which ye show toward all the saints,  16  cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;  17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;  18  having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  19  and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might  20  which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,  21  far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  22  and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church,  23  which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Paul and Timothy's Prayer for the Philippian Christians Php 1:1-11  Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:  2  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  3  I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you,  4  always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy,  5  for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;  6  being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:  7  even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace.  8  For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.  9  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;  10  so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ;  11  being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Paul and Timothy's prayer for the Colossian Christians Col 1:9-15  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  10  to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  11  strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy;  12  giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;  13  who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;  14  in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:  15  who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Aarons Prayer for the People of God Num 6:22-27  And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,  23  Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel: ye shall say unto them,  24  Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee:  25  Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  26  Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.  27  So shall they put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.     Pray Prayers of the Word (2) David Eells - 6/10/20 (Audio) Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint. Jesus' Prayer for His People Joh 17:1-26  These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee:  2  even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life.  3  And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.  4  I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do.  5  And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.  6  I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word.  7  Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee:  8  for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received them, and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me.  9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:  10  and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them.  11  And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are.  12  While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.  13  But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.  14  I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one.  16  They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.  17  Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.  18  As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world.  19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.  20  Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word;  21  that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.  22  And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;  23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.  24  Father, I desire that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.  25  O righteous Father, the world knew thee not, but I knew thee; and these knew that thou didst send me;  26  and I made known unto them thy name, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou lovedst me may be in them, and I in them. Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. Mat 5:44  but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;  Luk 6:28  bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you. Mat 21:13  and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers. Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. Rom 8:26  And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; 1Co 14:13  Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 2Co 13:7  Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is honorable, though we be as reprobate. Eph 6:18  with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, Php 4:6  In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Col 4:2  Continue stedfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving 2Th 1:11  To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and every work of faith, with power. 1Th 5:17  pray without ceasing; 2Th 3:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as also it is with you; 1Ti 2:8  I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing. 3Jn 1:2  Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Jas 5:15  and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.  16  Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. 1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: David's Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies Psa 3:1-8  A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. Jehovah, how are mine adversaries increased! Many are they that rise up against me.  2  Many there are that say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.  3  But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me; My glory and the lifter up of my head.  4  I cry unto Jehovah with my voice, And he answereth me out of his holy hill. Selah.  5  I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for Jehovah sustaineth me.  6  I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people That have set themselves against me round about.  7  Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.  8  Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah: Thy blessing be upon thy people. Selah. The Prayer of Jabez for Blessing 1Ch 4:9-10  And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.  10  And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested. Jonah's Prayer for Deliverance and Salvation Jon 2:2-9  And he said, I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I, And thou heardest my voice.  3  For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.  4  And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.  5  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head.  6  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.  7  When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple.  8  They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.  9  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah. David's Prayer for Purity and Zion Psa 51:10-19  Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.  11  Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me.  12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit.  13  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee.  14  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.  15  O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.  16  For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.  17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  18  Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.  19  Then wilt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, In burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering: Then will they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Have you ever wanted to do something, even if it made your mom, dad, or teachers sad? The people of Israel did that to God “ For the sake of his great name the Lord . . . was pleased to make you his own” (1 Samuel 12:22, NIV). God is glad He made me His c

Have you ever wanted to do something, even if it made your mom, dad, or teachers sad? The people of Israel did that to God “ For the sake of his great name the Lord . . . was pleased to make you his own” (1 Samuel 12:22, NIV). God is glad He made me His c

Limitless love a book by Kenneth and Gloria Copland. I noticed that I've been getting tired every time I try to read this book and trying to catch up in the reading! I believe Satan does not want this information to be out there in the world of a Christian ears and in his heart! I encourage you to listen closely, make notes and continue to thank God For your life just the way it is, 0n anything any mishaps just keep thanking God and keep the devil running away and it keeps him confused. He wants us to complain and feel sorry for ourselves, but we turn the tables on him and say thank you God for my life just the way it is, all is well; God will work this for my good, everything is going my way. It is a good day amen. We declare, we decree, we establish our life by the words we use.

Support our channel & Become a Partner ⇨  https://www.missiondelafe.org/   Listen on Podcast Spotify Podcast ⇨ https://spoti.fi/3RBKdq3Apple Podcast ⇨ https://apple.co/3evzCuuConnect with ushttps://www.facebook.com/delafetestimonieshttps://www.instagram.com/delafetestimonies/Connect with Jesse:Credits:Testimony by Jesse HolguinDirected by Eric Villatoro Interviewed by Eric VillatoroEdited By Joshua GayleAudio Mixed by Paul Nicholas Testimony Recorded in CaliforniaDelafé Testimonies is a global evangelistic project with the mission of creating the world's largest archive of Jesus testimonies until His return. Our vision is to save souls, build community, and set people free through the testimony of Jesus.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:11 Why I'm Testifying03:34 Growing Up in a Gang Family in California 05:10 Getting Arrested at 1606:39 Being Released, More Shootings 07:31 My Foreman Tells Me About Jesus 09:39 Praying to God For the First Time11:53 Giving My Life to Jesus in Prison 14:20 Starting to Drift from God Because of This Mistake 18:44 Almost Losing My Life 23:38 Crying Out to Jesus Again and Feeling His Peace26:48 God Begins to Use My Life 31:42 Transitioning Out of the Gang Life 36:44 When the Past Tries to Haunt Me 38:44 Marrying My Wife40:08 Serving God in the Good and Bad Times 42:14 Staying the Course44:48 Who is Jesus To You? 45:25 Prayer 46:45 Final WordsSUREÑO Gang Member Gives His Life to Jesus!

Do you ever wish that you could be more courageous in sharing your faith? On this episode of Godly Goosebumps, Pastor Dudley shares a sobering conversation he facilitated at Shepherd Church with special guests Kenneth Bae and Jieun Baek. Their dialogue sheds light on the unfathomable oppression being endured at the hands of the North Korean regime, under which followers of Jesus are threatened with labor camps and even public executions. This episode will embolden you with a powerful promise found in the Word of God: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid” (Timothy 1:7a).

Support our channel & Become a Partner ⇨  https://www.missiondelafe.org/   Listen on Podcast Spotify Podcast ⇨ https://spoti.fi/3RBKdq3Apple Podcast ⇨ https://apple.co/3evzCuuConnect with ushttps://www.facebook.com/delafetestimonieshttps://www.instagram.com/delafetestimonies/Connect with Bob:Website ⇨ Email ⇨ Credits:Testimony by Bob FuDirected by Eric Villatoro Interviewed by Eric VillatoroEdited By Darvin Ramirez and Joshua GayleAudio Mixed by Paul Nicholas Testimony Recorded in MarylandDelafé Testimonies is a global evangelistic project with the mission of creating the world's largest archive of Jesus testimonies until His return. Our vision is to save souls, build community, and set people free through the testimony of Jesus.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:37 Growing Up In Communist China04:52 My Mom Gets Sick07:37 Crying Out to God For the First Time10:38 Diving Into Politics14:25 Getting Involved With the Tiananmen Square Protests18:56 Hearing the Gospel Through A Chinese Pastor's Biography23:30 Giving My Life to Jesus27:42 Finding Joy in Jesus29:53 Experiencing Persecution For the First Time35:56 The Reality of Persecution in China41:16 Spending Two Months in Prison in Beijing44:32 The Rapid Growth of the Church in China48:23 How God Is Using Us In China Today 57:18 Who is Jesus To You?1:01:34 PrayerI Spent TWO MONTHS in PRISON in CHINA Because of THIS

Support our channel & Become a Partner ⇨  https://www.missiondelafe.org/   Listen on Podcast Spotify Podcast ⇨ https://spoti.fi/3RBKdq3Apple Podcast ⇨ https://apple.co/3evzCuuConnect with ushttps://www.facebook.com/delafetestimonieshttps://www.instagram.com/delafetestimonies/Connect with Alfred:Instagram ⇨   instagram.com/al.gasconFacebook ⇨   facebook.com/al.gasconChurch Website ⇨   ccvbak.comChurch's Youtube ⇨  youtube.com/@ccvbakersfield1681/streamsCredits:Testimony by Alfred GasconDirected by Eric Villatoro Interviewed by Eric VillatoroEdited By Darvin Ramirez and Joshua GayleAudio Mixed by Paul Nicholas Testimony Recorded in CaliforniaDelafé Testimonies is a global evangelistic project with the mission of creating the world's largest archive of Jesus testimonies until His return. Our vision is to save souls, build community, and set people free through the testimony of Jesus.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:36 My Childhood in Southern California01:56 Going to Mass With My Parents At A Young Age03:05 A Pure Minded Childhood03:58 My First Relationship In High School06:30 Loneliness Enters My Life08:15 Depression Sets In10:43 I Start Having Suicidal Thoughts12:19 I Start Harming Myself 14:47 Being Admitted Into a Psychiatric Ward16:50 I No Longer Believe in God20:26 Pursuing A Career In Medicine22:01 Being Invited to Church25:43 I Continue Attending Church29:13 Experiencing the Presence of God For the First Time33:17 The Moment That Changed My Life Forever38:44 Giving My Life to Jesus40:50 Being Set Free From Depression43:13 Being Called Into Ministry46:28 Why Would God Care About Me? 48:05 A Word For the Skeptic 51:52 Who is Jesus To You?53:43 Prayer 58:52 Final WordsFrom Atheism, Depression and Loneliness to Following JESUS!

Support our channel & Become a Partner ⇨  https://www.missiondelafe.org/   Listen on Podcast Spotify Podcast ⇨ https://spoti.fi/3RBKdq3Apple Podcast ⇨ https://apple.co/3evzCuuConnect with ushttps://www.facebook.com/delafetestimonieshttps://www.instagram.com/delafetestimonies/Connect with Yesenia:Credits:Testimony by Yesenia Patti RomeroDirected by Eric Villatoro Interviewed by Eric VillatoroEdited By Joshua GayleAudio Mixed by Paul Nicholas Testimony Recorded in Houston, TexasDelafé Testimonies is a global evangelistic project with the mission of creating the world's largest archive of Jesus testimonies until His return. Our vision is to save souls, build community, and set people free through the testimony of Jesus.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:37 My Mom Stops Going to Church After Her Dad's Passing01:55 Mom Becomes Abusive, Dad Becomes a Drug Dealer03:36 Turning to Smoking, Drinking and Sex As a Teenager08:10 Losing My Father at 1512:14 Getting Pregnant at 1613:14 Becoming A Stripper at 1815:59 Feeling The Presence of God For the First Time18:32 New Job, Same Mindset21:51 Getting an Abortion23:02 An Old Friend Invites Me to Church24:26 Giving My Life to Jesus26:37 My First Marriage29:01 Leaving Church and Then Coming Back31:01 Getting into Another Toxic Relationship33:19 My Second Marriage To an Evangelist34:45 Getting Counseling 39:05 Divorcing Again, Meeting My Pastors40:46 Shattered, Yet Gathered42:40 Meeting and Marrying My Husband46:20 Who is Jesus To You?47:59 Prayer50:05 Final WordsGOD Gave Me a Second Chance After I Thought He Was Done With Me…

What's your day-to-day life look like?  Do you take the time to truly inspect your heart and invite God into your daily life? Join us as we explore Psalm 139 together! EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in the blank bulletins my.harmonychurch.cc/bulletins. OPENING ILLUSTRATION: You guys should be excited for me, last summer we were able to trade our minivan in and get me a truck without having to make payments - you know what it's like being the pastor who shows up in a minivan :). When we were looking at trucks, I had found one that was a great price, was in good condition and seemed like a great deal. So, I met the guy who had it at Steve's shop to get it inspected by a mechanic to make sure I wasn't getting into something bad. Steve's mechanic called me out to look under the vehicle. The frame was so rusted you could literally poke your finger through it. It was crazy… I was like, “um, so, I'm not going to buy your truck…” The only thing that would have been cool about driving that truck would have been to see it split in half and it dip in the middle and seeing me driving around with it… lol Over the last few years, I've seen lots of people's lives rust through.  b I have a feeling it's because most people are going through their day to day life without ever inspecting their inner life… What about you? How much time do you spend in a day, week, month or year inspecting your heart? Listen, I don't mean having emotions. I mean taking deep thoughtful time away from binging shows, flipping on a phone, playing games on a device. I don't mean dealing with problems at work or dealing with issues in your relationship. How do you deal deeply with the questions of your heart? Do I matter Does God care What do I do b I think much of our anxiety comes from a deep disconnect with who we are and whose we were created to be. ILLUSTRATION: Think about it, you live in a world that is designed to keep you from noticing who you are and whose you are. You have billion dollar companies who are working night and day to capture your attention and sell it to advertisers. Do a quick check and look just on your phone - open your settings and look at your screen time. I can't prove it, but I bet there is a direct correlation to the anxiety you feel and the amount of screen time you spend. I want to take you to an ancient way of inspection that has almost been lost to us in our modern world that your ancestors would have just naturally done: 5 reminders to help you become the kind of person who inspects their inner life and answer the questions, Do I matter, Does God care, What do I do. What we are about to read is a psalm from King David. Psalms are literally the prayers/songs from someone. They are not meant to teach you theology as much as teach you how to bring your heart to God. with that in mind, listen to David's words.. 1. Remind Yourself of your Place in the Story: Psalm 139:1-24 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. I love that David says “such knowledge is too wonderful for me - to lofty… It is… David is reminding himself that nothing is hidden from God. His place in the story is he's a person and God is God. What would happen to your mental health if you started reading this psalm each day and reminded yourself that nothing you do is hidden from God? ILLUSTRATION: I have a friend who tells his kids “when I ask you a question, you need to know, I already know the answer…” God is like this. He knows everything, He's seen it all, every potential eventuality. You are not Him, you are just a person in the story. I personally try and go out in the country occasionally and find a spot to get out of my car and look at the grandness of the universe and remind myself of my place in the story… 2. Remind yourself of God supremacy in the story: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. God is all penetrating - nothing is hidden from Him or outside of His purview. ILLUSTRATION: we are bound by time and place, light and dark. We are bound by our physical limitations. God is not bound by any of that. He is Supreme. When was the last time you reminded yourself of the supremacy of God? Spent time praying to Him and just speaking the truth of who God is outlaid? 3. Remind yourself of Your Value to God: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you. After all this, David is amazed to think that God thought it fit to create him… Can I just speak to the hearts of some of you right now. Some of you don't have a sense that you matter much. You matter more than you can ever imagine to God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made - God thought of you and decided upon you. He desires you and longs to help you unravel the things that have told you are less than and to help you see who you are. Look at the odds of you existing [Anthony, you can put these 3 on one slide - I'll boogie through it quickly] Chance of Your Parents Meeting: Their geography, social networks, timing, and life circumstances. Any of these things are different, your parents might never have met. The Odds of Conception: The chance of a particular sperm fertilizing the egg that created you is 1 in 100 million. [There are around 100 million sperm vying to fertilize a single egg.] Generational Odds: The chance of your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., all meeting and reproducing as they did exponentially increases the odds.. A 2011 study from Dr. Ali Binazir tried to put a number to this improbability. After considering all the factors, he estimated the odds of any one person existing as roughly 1 in 10^2,685,000—a number so large it defies true comprehension. The odds of you existing are: 1 in 10^2,685,000 I don't even know how to say that number… and it's not just that you exist, but that you matter to God - He thought of you… 4. Remind God of the battles you are fighting: If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. I don't knwo that many of us would pray like David is here - but what he is doing is bringing his battles before God after settling his heart in the setting of who God is… What battles are you fighting right now? How are you bringing them before God? Are you being honest with Him about your feelings or are you telling Him what you really want (He might not do what you want - He will act out of love, but He will understand your heart) 5. Remind yourself of your need for God: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. David has poured himself out to God, he's reminded him of his place in the story and the supremacy of God, he's brought his battles to him and now he finishes by swinging back and reminding himself he still needs Jesus. Search me and know my heart - test me and know my anxious thoughts.. David is inviting God into the story of his real life… What about you? CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: Something I've noticed in myself is that I've become a person who is reactive instead of a person who reacts. I think it's because I had gotten to the point where my heart was hidden away and I was just existing. I had gotten to where I didn't want to do things if I didn't have to. I had to make some intentional moves to remind myself of the things that matter. Today, what are you going to do? Are you going to keep going down the road your going down? How about you? Are you reactive or a person who is able to react - the way you would like to. This week, if I could give you one challenge it would be to read Psalm 139 every day and to take your heart to Jesus in prayer through it.

Chapter 2 of God, secret weapon, we learn how to tap into the living Waters by a simple method of making a commitment to move our toes and start thanking God that we can move our toes and go up the body thank you God we can move our ankles thank you Godfor our thighs, our muscles are bones and go all the way up with the anatomy, each part of the body and thanking God for how we illuminate and turn on, flame on, are reasonable service. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fernando-m-de-oca/support

Register free at https://brightu.com to watch the full Healing for the AGES - EMFs & Earthing Virtual Solution Summit 2024 stream - The Jews killed Christ and mocked him in death - Jews demanded #censorship of the very NAME of Christ (Acts 4:16) - Nothing has changed in 2000+ years since, as Jews still demand mass censorship today - Israel is the Antichrist - Christian pastors push deception and lies to prop up antichrist Israel - Israel deliberately engineers mass famine in Gaza - Famine, pestilence and war in the End Times - The sixth seal is a massive comet impact that strikes Israel - Seven Trumpets, Bowls and Seals - God lays out how it all ends - God judges the Jews who murdered His Son and who embraced satanism, death and wickedness - The seventh Trumpet ends humanity, and all face judgment before God For more updates, visit: http://www.brighteon.com/channel/hrreport NaturalNews videos would not be possible without you, as always we remain passionately dedicated to our mission of educating people all over the world on the subject of natural healing remedies and personal liberty (food freedom, medical freedom, the freedom of speech, etc.). Together, we're helping create a better world, with more honest food labeling, reduced chemical contamination, the avoidance of toxic heavy metals and vastly increased scientific transparency. ▶️ Every dollar you spend at the Health Ranger Store goes toward helping us achieve important science and content goals for humanity: https://www.healthrangerstore.com/ ▶️ Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://www.naturalnews.com/Readerregistration.html ▶️ Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport ▶️ Join Our Social Network: https://brighteon.social/@HealthRanger ▶️ Check In Stock Products at: https://PrepWithMike.com

In the final episide of the Song of Deborah Chad contrasts 2 women, the foreigner hero and the mother of the commander who was fell, never to rise. Izz Ray sings "seed of a Woman". Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits Listen to 1517 Executive Director Scott Keith and Magnus Persson on the latest Re:Formera podcast Signup For Free Advent Church Resources for 2024 Clothed with Christ by Brian William Thomas The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz More from the hosts: Chad Bird Lyrics to Seed of a Woman   Turn aside, turn aside Do not be afraid Lay down, lay down Never to awake At her feet, he sank he fell asleep At her feet, he laid Never to arise   She holds the hammer and takes the nail In her right hand Through his temple, comes the storm And he will never stand At her feet, he sank , he fell asleep At her feet, he laid Never to awake   Chorus: The seed of a woman Crushed the serpents head Son of the virgin Rose from the dead  The seed of a woman Sunlight at dawn  When it rises, in its might   Praise to God. praise to God For victory Over sin, over death Our enemy At her feet, he sank he fell asleep At her feet, he laid Never to arise   Turn aside, turn aside I will not be afraid I will lay down in peace And when I awake At Your feet, I will fall and worship my Lord At Your feet, I will bow For I am alive     Bridge Its over, its over now Its over, do you hear the bell? Ring out, ring out over death and hell Your enemies perish  And all is well At Your feet

Welcome to the Nothing Shocking Podcast 2.0 episode 267 with our guest Shaun Glass of Repentance.  We discuss their albums, The Process of Human Demise (2024), God For a Day (2020), Chicago Roots, and more!   For more information visit:  https://repentanceband.com/   Please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nothingshockingpodcast/  Follow us on twitter at  https://twitter.com/hashtag/noshockpod.   Libsyn website: https://nothingshocking.libsyn.com For more info on the Hong Kong Sleepover: https://thehongkongsleepover.bandcamp.com Help support the podcast and record stores by shopping at Ragged Records. http://www.raggedrecords.org    Nothing Shocking Podcast Best of 2024 Apple Playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/nothing-shocking-podcast-2024/pl.u-NP2Ws7135YR    

I started my chat today thinking we would finish Luke 3, but as you will see I won't get past verse 22. Several things have caught my attention in verses 21-22 that I would like to highlight today.   When Jesus came to be baptized by His cousin John in the Jordan River, no doubt there was a great crowd of hundreds of people from all over Israel there listening to John preach his message of repentance. I imagine that John would then give an invitation and for the people who came under conviction and wanted to be baptized to get into orderly line. As a very long line of people formed, it appears that Jesus has been there in the back of the crowd, and He gets into the back of the line.   I assume this because verse 21 says, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized…”. Jesus waited all day at the back of the line! He didn't show up and force His way through the crowd telling everyone that He was the Messiah and to stand back while He makes His first public appearance. Remember Luke is presenting Jesus to us at the perfect “Son of Man” who identifies with us sinners.   Paul would later write in Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”   Our first picture of Jesus and the beginning of His ministry is one of humility and obedience. Jesus humbly takes His place with sinful men and submits in obedience to a baptism of repentance. The great lesson for us to learn from this is that if we are to have a ministry like Jesus that pleases our Father in heaven, we must humble ourselves and be willing to get in the back of the line where we are not noticed and present ourselves as servants. And we also should be obedient to the Lord and His Word. We have often said over the years that baptism is the first act of obedience in believer's life!   Next verse 21 says, “and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.”  Again, only Luke tells us that at this point that Jesus prayed as He comes up out of the waters of baptism. Do you want to open the windows of heaven pouring out the Father's blessings on your life and ministry? I see three necessary things here. Humility, obedience and prayer. Prayer is an indication of a heart that is totally dependent upon God's grace for everything I need in my life to love and serve Him in a way that impacts the world of broken people all around me!   It was then that the Holy Spirit visibly appeared and came upon Jesus and the Father spoke from heaven and said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Here you have the evidence of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Scripture teaches that now my body is the temple of God: “…For you are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16). That Christ dwells in me: “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). And my body is also the temple of the Holy Spirit: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). How awesome it that? Is there evidence of the Trinity dwelling in you as a believer!   The Father has a ministry for you today! Will you humble yourself, live in obedience to His Word, and begin every day of ministry with prayer receiving instructions from your Father? It is then that you will experience the fulness of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, guiding and directing your life. And you will quietly hear the voice of the Father saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”!   God bless!

5 Things That Kill The Fire of GodFor more information visit Pastorvlad.org

The amazing life of Paul serving God   For more resources on reading through the Bible in a year, visit my church's website at this link or text us at 888-644-4034. Feel free to join me on my other daily podcast, Your Next Step. God bless - Doyle  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday, 1 August 2024   and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:25    “And he knew her not until that she brought forth the Son, her Firstborn. And he called His name JESUS” (CG).   In the previous verse, it said that after his visitation by the messenger, he thoroughly aroused from his sleep and did as the angel commanded him, taking to him his wife. Now, Matthew continues the narrative, saying, “And he knew her not.”   This is a biblical euphemism, meaning that he did not have intercourse with her. The first of many times this is mentioned in Scripture is in Genesis 4 –   “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the Lord.'” Genesis 4:1   Joseph refrained from consummating his marriage to Mary until a certain point. However, at some point after that time, they would have come together as husband and wife. That is seen in the next words, “until that.”   The Greek says heós hu, until that. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says of this concerning the word heós, “with the genitive of the neuter relative pronoun οὗ [hou] or ὅτου [hotou] it gets the force of a conjunction, until, till (the time when).” In other words, up until a certain point, Joseph did not know his wife intimately. However, that certainly changed after the time “she brought forth the Son.”   The birth of Jesus was untainted by any hint of sexual intercourse between Joseph and Mary. She was a virgin, and her virginity remained until the birth of her Son, “her Firstborn.”   The words are a standard designation. They do not imply she had other children. It simply calls out that this Child, regardless of whether He had siblings or not, was the Firstborn of Mary. As He is also God's only begotten, Jesus is also the Firstborn of God –   “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You'? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son'? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.'” Hebrews 1:5-6   Of this, the words of Exodus 4:22 should be reviewed –   “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.”'”   Israel, the nation, is said to be the Firstborn of the Lord. This means through adoption. God selected them to carry out His purposes, leading to the coming of the Messiah. However, Jesus is the Firstborn in the sense of being begotten.   A couple who could not have their own children might adopt a child who becomes their firstborn. However, later that condition could change, and they beget a child through the life-generative process. This is the difference between the two.   Next, and in accordance with the words of the messenger, Matthew notes, “And he called His name JESUS.”   It is Joseph who named the Child in accordance with the divine instructions. Mary was also told that His name was to be Jesus, but the text records that Joseph is the one who is credited with following through with what he was instructed. Mary, though the human mother of Jesus, is seen to otherwise portray a minor role in the events that take place in the gospel records.   Life application: Although the biblical record does not speak of any future intimacy between Joseph and Mary, the way that Matthew writes of Joseph's keeping separate from Mary until a certain point is a strong indication that their refraining from intercourse was only temporary. For example, this is recorded in Genesis 38 –   “So Judah acknowledged them and said, ‘She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.' And he never knew her again.” Genesis 38:26   When something is set and final in this manner, the Bible generally says so to highlight the matter. Not only is there no such statement concerning Joseph and Mary, but exactly the opposite is the case. This is contrary to the aberrant teaching of Roman Catholicism, which dogmatically states that Mary was a perpetual virgin.   There is no biblical support for this. The teaching was only decided upon in the year 553, hundreds of years after anyone could have known whether this was the case or not. In other words, it was a decision based on vapor and nothing else.   But why would the church want to make this claim? It is the same reason for innumerable decisions in the Roman Catholic Church: to direct people's attention away from Jesus. Contrary to Scripture alone, the RCC holds to the Bible, plus the authority of the church. Contrary to Christ alone, the RCC holds to the mediation of Christ, plus the intercessory ability of Mary, the Pope, etc. Contrary to faith alone, the RCC holds to faith plus works in the process of justification. Contrary to grace alone, the RCC teaches merit apart from the grace of God. Contrary to the glory of God alone, the RCC uses exalted titles for the dead (such as Mary) and the living (the living pope at any given time), etc.   There is nothing acceptable about the doctrines of the RCC. Everything taught is tainted with the machinations of man. Whether Joseph and Mary came together or not after the birth of Jesus is not specifically addressed in Scripture because it has no bearing on where our eyes should be directed, which is to Jesus. Let us not get caught up in strange teachings that misdirect us from this key doctrine.   Lord God, may we be faithful to hold to Scripture alone for our doctrine concerning You and the theology that we pursue. Keep us from those who would misdirect us and confuse us in our walk. Thank You for Your word which is sufficient to instruct us. And thank You for Jesus who is the central figure presented in Your word. Amen. Mathew 1   1 Scroll: Genealogy Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham.   2Abraham begot Isaac, and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3And Judah begot Perez and Zerah from Tamar, and Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4And Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5And Salmon begot Boaz from Rahab, and Boaz begot Obed from Ruth, and Obed begot Jesse. 6And Jesse begot David, the king.   And David, the king, begot Solomon from the of Uriah. 7And Solomon begot Rehoboam, and Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. 8And Asa begot Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9And Uzziah begot Jotham, and Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10And Hezekiah begot Manasseh, and Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. 11And Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers upon the Babylon deportation.   12And after the Babylon deportation, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13And Zerubbabel begot Abiud, and Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14And Azor begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15And Eliud begot Eleazar, and Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom birthed Jesus, being called the Christ.   17Therefore, all the generations from Abraham until David, generations fourteen. And from David until the Babylon deportation, generations fourteen. And from the Babylon deportation until the Christ, generations fourteen.   18And the birth of Jesus Christ was thus: For his mother Mary, having been betrothed to Joseph, rather before they came together, she was found – from Holy Spirit – having in womb. 19And Joseph, her husband, being righteous and not willing to expose her to disgrace, intended to send her away secretly. 20And him, having pondered these, behold a messenger of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, you should not fear to receive Mary your wife, for that having been begotten in her – from Holy Spirit is. 21And she will bring forth a son, and you will call His name JESUS. For He will save His people from their sins.”   22And this all has come to pass that may be fulfilled that having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23“Behold, the virgin will have in womb, and will bring forth a Son, and they will call His name Emmanouél,” which is being translated, “With Us: The God.”   24And Joseph, having thoroughly aroused from the sleep, did as the messenger of the Lord commanded him, and received his wife. 25And he knew her not until that she brought forth the Son, her Firstborn. And he called His name JESUS.  

Geoff Thomas: The Holy Spirit – Chapter 8: “The Father Sends the Counselor”Opening verses: John 14:16-17 & John 16:71. The Triune God will dwell within us1. Promised▪ Ezekiel 37:27▪ Zechariah 2:102. Fulfilled▪ John 1:14▪ 2 Corinthians 6:16▪ Ephesians 3:16-17▪ Upper Room discourse3. Specifically with the Spirit▪ He would send another counselor▪ He would send a counselor▪ He would send the Spirit of truth▪ The Spirit is with and in us [Why are both important truths?]2. We will dwell with GodFor more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 8:00am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on 94.1 The Voice in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA. If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. There is only one rule: Be Kind! Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://941thevoice.com/podcasts/gospel-for-life/

The word of God For the people of God

"How much do you trust me?" - God   For more resources on reading through the Bible in a year, visit my church's website at this link or text us at 888-644-4034. Feel free to join me on my other daily podcast, Your Next Step. God bless - Doyle  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science Can and Does Point to God     ___________ For mor resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment go to Breakpoint.org. 

Episode 65 Summer RefreshAs we enter into as CRAZT HOT WEEK in Northern California ( think triple digits )- Summer has arrived. This episode is the first in the Summer series of Breathing Underwater called “The Summer Refresh”. In this episode Margaux shares 3 reasons for the title Summer Refresh as well as 3 practical ways to intentionally engage with the new physical and spiritual season of summer with a return to simplicity and refreshment in the truth of the Gospel, as God as our first lover and to the foundations of biblical, spirit lead dream interpretation. Here are the practical ways to engage with the reset: Get a dream journal or a new dream journal. Or create a new folder on your phone. Set some time apart to go back through the last quarter of your dreams and reflect. Are there any patterns you see in your dream content? Are there any dreams that have been fulfilled? Make a new folder or tag them so they go into a new mental category. Look at your summer and ask Holy Spirit to help you find a REALISTIC rhythm of time to spend with your dreams. Time to seek out God: "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened”. Matthew 7:8 Take an honest assessment of your days and set goals that are realistic and life-giving.Summer brings something different for all of us. For some it's a winding down, others it's a ramping up and many have lives that stay the same. But let's acknowledge the change in season and respond to the newness of it but taking a pause to re-align, re-set and intentionally seek God for His voice in our lives.More on Breathing Underwater Memberships HERENeed Help with dreams or discerning God's Voice? Free Consultation HERE Join the Community and Newsletter: HERE Email: margaux@permissiontoreign.comInstagram: @permission_to_reignIntro Music by Coma-Media from PixabayImage by Claire Fischer from Unsplash

Paul Bolte was brought up with a firm foundation in faith and generosity. A seventh-generation Christian born to a farming family in Australia, he learned the value of a good work ethic and the principles of giving as a small child. As an adult, Paul served in various leadership positions in Australia, New Zealand, and the US, and is a lifelong student of servant leadership.  Today, Paul is the Executive Vice President of TrustBridge Global. TrustBridge connects donor advised funds in countries all around the world to allow people to make tax deductible gifts to ministries in other countries, even if they don't have a 501c3 designation. TrustBridge acts as a powerful conduit for money to flow from Christians in countries with high concentrations of wealth to organizations working in other countries, impacting the Kingdom by getting financial resources to the “boots on the ground.” Major Topics Include: Paul's family and faith background which laid the groundwork for what he does now The background of TrustBridge Global How they choose partners in various countries Paul's view of how generosity is expressed uniquely in different cultures How TrustBridge has helped facilitate interconnectedness between Believers across the globe   QUOTES TO REMEMBER “I didn't realize that, ‘how can I help,' was the very first question in a concept called ‘servant leadership.' And I became a student of leadership; for my entire life, I've been a student of leadership.” “We're trying to mobilize the resources in the hands of Christians.” “Culturally, we are all very different. But we all have this one core value of our faith and what we're called to do. We're called to be generous with everything that we have and everything we are.” “There are many countries that have no tax benefits, yet they are still generous.” “When you send money directly to a charity overseas, the bang for your buck is significantly higher because they can stretch it further and it can get to more people.” “If you want the best return on your investment, you can do that by giving directly to a charity overseas.” “We look for a way to say ‘yes.'” “Generosity to me is not just about money, it's about time.” “When you're working in a Kingdom business and you know that God is behind what you're doing and you watch it grow and give all glory to Him, it's such a joy to watch it all happen.” “Whatever gifts or skills God has given you, take them and use them to serve others.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW TrustBridge Global Foundation National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) C12: Christian Business Leadership Coaching International Generosity Foundation Generosity Path Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving Global Trust Partners (see our interview with COO Trevor Lui) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Romans 5:8 | God's Love Demonstrated   But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Ephesians 2:8-9 | The Gift of God   For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

Many of us were raised to admire the lone hero, self sufficient, independent and strong. Chad looks at this short but profound Psalm and searches the riches of community and brotherhood.  The wonderful Ryan Delmore sings "It Is Good".     Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts The 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 on Youtube What's New from 1517: Bible in One Year with Chad Bird Freedom Lessons Album Your God is too Glorious, 2nd Edition by Chad Bird Schweitzer's Psychoanalysis of Jesus Christ: & Other Essays in Christian Psychotherapy by John Warwick Montgomery NWA Conference May 3rd-4th More from the hosts: Chad Bird Lyrics to "It Is Good" It's not good that we should be apart Cut off alone, starvation of the heart Had it not been for others I'd be desperate and alone Without family or friends And lost without a home To all my brothers and sisters Forgiven in the Lord   I need you You need me And we all need each other Thank you God For the chance To share His love with one another Behold, behold it is good   The oil of anointing Like blessing flowing down Like dew on the mountains Your grace flows all around United with the Son We share the Father's love Forgiven and forgiving  With mercy from above To all my brothers and sisters Forgiven in the Lord   To every generation Your children near and far United in His blessing  Of  life forevermore Behold, behold it is good Behold, behold it is good