Podcasts about god god

The Anatomy of God-God's Power by FC Young Adults Podcast

Guiding Question: What does it truly mean to receive the gift of Jesus at Christmas—and how do we know if we've really received it? Summary Description: Robert Lewis offers a rich and heartfelt Christmas message centered on the gift of Jesus Christ. Drawing from the imagery and wonder of the season, he calls listeners beyond the festive emotions to the deeper spiritual reality of Christmas: the incarnation as God's indescribable gift. He contrasts true belief—deep, active, and transformational—with passive or flawed belief that merely observes but never receives. Using John 3:16 and stories of personal restoration, freedom, and surprise, he explores how receiving this gift leads to real-life change. The message invites both seekers and believers to reflect honestly on the nature of their belief and respond to God's ultimate question: "Do you want me?" Outline: The Spirit of Christmas Holiday nostalgia and spiritual sensitivity. Christmas is more than feelings—it's about the gift of Jesus. Jesus: The Indescribable Gift Biblical titles and descriptions of Jesus as a “gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15; Romans 6:23; John 4:10. The Woman at the Well Jesus' compassion and invitation to a broken Samaritan woman. “If you knew the gift of God…” God's Question to Us Christmas answers: Is God there? Does He care? But the real question is: Do you want the gift? What Does It Take to Receive the Gift? John 3:16 and the call to “believe.” The distinction between real belief and flawed, passive belief. Real Belief vs. Flawed Belief Real belief leads to action, life change, and deep connection with Christ. Flawed belief is passive, distant, and untransforming. What the Gift Delivers Forgiveness (Colossians 2:13) Freedom (John 8:32) Restoration (Psalm 23; Joel 2:25; Jeremiah 30:17; Malachi 4:6) Surprise (1 Corinthians 2:9) Reunion and eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Stories of Transformation Real-life testimonies of people who embraced the gift and experienced freedom, restoration, and hope—even from prison. Final Invitation A call to receive the gift through genuine, life-altering belief. Key Takeaways Jesus is not just the reason for the season; He is the gift that changes everything. True belief is not passive acknowledgment but an active, surrendered trust that transforms life. Many claim belief but have not received the life promised in John 3:16—because their belief lacks real buy-in. The gift of Jesus delivers real change: forgiveness, freedom, healing, purpose, and eternal hope. Christmas invites us to answer God's question: “Do you want me?” When we truly believe, Jesus surprises us—again and again—with grace, power, and presence. Scriptural References 2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” Romans 6:23 – “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 4:10 – “If you knew the gift of God…” John 3:16 – Belief as the key to eternal life. Colossians 2:13 – Forgiveness of all transgressions. John 8:32 – The truth will set you free. Psalm 23 – “He restores my soul.” Joel 2:25 – “I will restore the years the locusts have eaten.” Jeremiah 30:17 – “I will restore you to health.” Malachi 4:6 – Restoring hearts of fathers to children. 1 Corinthians 2:9 – “What God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17 – “So shall we always be with the Lord.” Recorded 12/19/04

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In this time of worship and reflection, we were reminded that God looks at the heart, not outward appearances. We considered how our perspective on prophecy and eternal judgment impacts the way we live right now. We reflected on the assurance of our identity in Christ, even when we feel unworthy, and we found encouragement to draw near to God in the face of rejection and pain. Through it all, we were led to fix our eyes on God's love, seek intimacy with Him, and live from a place of surrender and confidence in His view of us.

The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor MESSAGE SUMMARY: This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore,  helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture. Jesus' “Parable of the Talents”, in Matthew 25:14-30, tells us a great deal about our responsibilities and accountability regarding the “talents” that God has given us – also, we are to supervise these “talents” that God has given us. We have been given different “talents” by God; and God will give us blessings based on how we supervised the “talents” which He has given us; however, God will punish us if our supervision is not acceptable to Him. Stewardship – we are God's Supervisors, which is an awesome responsibility. As God declared and challenged us in Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.". Therefore, humankind is supervisor all that God, the Creator of the Universe, created. With this awesome responsibility of stewardship, God has given us some instructions in Scripture to help us in this responsibility: 1) God has entrusted us with those “talents” that He has given us and He provides the opportunity for more; 2) God expects us to use what He has given us and according to His will – involve God in the process; 3) God has provided for our needs and enjoyment but, also, God expects us to address the needs of others; 4) God expects us to work using our “talents”, skills, and gifts; 5) God expects us to abide with His principles regarding money – a) the first part of our “increase” is Holy and Sacred to God (God is owner), b) tithing (God owns all and the first 10 percent is returned to Him as the prophet Malachi tells us in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse {e.g., Church}, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.".). c) giving is Worship, and d) saving; and 6) God will hold us accountable. God has entrusted us with what He has given, and He has provided us with the opportunity for more. You cannot out give God; and God is always faithful.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 25:14-30; Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 21:31-41; 1 Timothy 6:17; Acts 20:35; Genesis 2:15; Proverbs 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 18:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 3:9-10; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-12; Proverbs 23:5; Exodus 23:15; Proverbs 6:6-8. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God's Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Welcome to the 10th sermon in our series on what the Bible is all about. Do you really know what the Bible is about? When you understand the point an author is trying to make even the most complicated of books make much more sense. This summer we are going to “stand on the shoulders” of D. A. Carson and his book The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story as we walk through the big story of Scripture to discuss what the Bible is truly about.

Over the last few weeks on the program, we've been discovering how it is that God speaks to us today and how we can get about hearing Him when He does speak. The question is – when it's something big or important – how can we make sure that we've heard Him right? Because the last thing we want to do, is to get it wrong, right?   The Counsel of Others It's great to be with you again today in this last message in the four part series that I have called, “How Can I Hear God Speak to Me?" And today we are going to take a look at how God sometimes speaks to us through the people around us. Just the other night I was asked to spend some time facilitating a discussion amongst the elders, the church council, of a particular church, not far from where I live. It seems that what had been going on was that there was conflict amongst some of the leaders and that's not good. Leaders of God's people shouldn't be in conflict – they should act in unity. The Apostle Paul, writing to his friends at the church in Philippi said this – Philippians chapter 2, verse 2: Make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love and being in full accord and of one mind. We were chatting about the fact that God has made each one of us differently – Romans chapter 12 – some of us are prophets, others servers, others teachers, encouragers, givers, leaders, carers. And I can tell you, a leader is going to have a totally different view of the world compared to say, an encourager or a carer – that's because leaders are wired one way, the encourager is wired another way and the carer is wired yet another way, on the inside. That's the way it is, because we are different. We see things differently and often, that's the source of conflict. Now, in this meeting, one of the elders of the church; an older man with a great deal of wisdom asked the sixty four million dollar question. He said, "Okay, so we are all different, with different points of view – then how are we meant to discern the will of God, out of all those different views?" And that my friend, is a very, very good question. One of the things I'm prone to do is to race out and just do things – without listening to the advice of other people. It's because my personality type is the "leader". I'm an action person. I work on the theory that if I make ten decisions today and get just seven of them right, I'm way ahead than if I only made three decisions but got them all right. And my good friend Keith Henry, with whom I co-authored the book, “My Personality GPS”, he makes this point about leaders – he says that one of their natural weaknesses is they often fail because they don't listen to advice. Those detail people – you know the sort – they analyse everything to the "enth" degree – those detail people naturally drive me nuts because they slow me down. I want to get on with things and they want to analyse things first. But you know what I have learned? I have learned that without those detail people, I am going to fail at things because God is in the detail. The detail matters! And part of my growing up; my process of maturing is to value and to listen to the detail people because they are really, really, really important to me. And I have come to realise that often God will speak to me through the gifts and the abilities of other people, even – let me say – people who in the natural have a tendency to drive me nuts. I love that – God has such a great sense of humour in dealing with our own immaturity. Okay, what does God's Word have to say on this issue – this answer to the sixty four million dollar question? When there are all these different perspectives, how are we supposed to discern God's will? Well, there are a few fantastic bits of wisdom on this very thing in the Book of Proverbs – Proverbs chapter 15, verse 22, says: Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs chapter 18, verse 2: A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinions. Proverbs chapter 20, verse 18: Plans are established by taking advice; wage war by following wise guidance. Isn't that great stuff? What God is saying to us here is that, if we rush off in a fit of pride because we think we know best, well, there's every chance that our plans will go off the rails. But if we humble ourselves, instead of being more interested in our own opinions and listen to the advice of others, that's how our plans are going succeed. I have to tell you this is something I have had to learn and I have learned it the hard way and the more I have learned it, the more I have succeeded. We were recently planning something really new in the ministry of Christianityworks – quite different and quite new. And so we pulled together a group of very different people to plan and implement the project. Very different people, I have to say and with all that I am, I believe we heard God speak through this process. And with all that I am, that's exactly what I think God meant for us to do. “Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.” It's awesome stuff! It is so easy to fall into conflict when teams of people are working together or at least trying to and yet, everyone sees things from a different perspective. And the key to discerning God's will is mutual submission - that requires wisdom. Have a listen to what God has to say about His wisdom; the wisdom that comes from above. James chapter 3, verse 17: The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. The bit I really like in there, that strikes a chord with me, is the bit that says "willing to yield" – willing to get off its high horse, listen to the skills and views and gifts and abilities of other people as godly men and women that God has put around us. It's when we yield that we hear the voice of God. Let me say it again: it is when we yield that we hear the voice of God. And there is a reason for that: James chapter 4, verse 6: Because God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble. So often we want to hear God speak; we want to discern the will of God: "God, what are You doing? God, what's next? God, this is a tight spot, how do I deal with this?" And yet we ignore the good advice of the godly men and women that God has put around us. Hello!! Why? Because we are proud! Let me say this loving but directly – immature and foolish and proud, because as it says in Proverbs chapter 18, verse 2: Like a fool, we take no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing our own personal opinions. We all know people like that – we have all done that. We get on our high horse; we think we are right and we are not interested in listening to anyone else. And to stop doing that we need to humble ourselves. Sometimes, as we saw last week on the programme, God speaks to us supernaturally, other times He speaks to us through the ordinary and the every day. Both are equally valid! And one of the great delights of my heart, something that I have grown to truly love is to hear God speak through the lives and the mouths and the skills and the abilities and the gifting and the experience of other people because by His grace He has taught me to get off my high horse, to shut up and to listen.   Dreams and Visions Right now I want to go on and chat about dreams and visions, because that's something the Bible; the New Testament talks about. But are they real? Does God really still speak through dreams and visions today or is this a phoney notion? I think they're reasonable questions to ask when we are enquiring as to how God speaks with us. Now maybe you are thinking, "Dreams and visions – aw, for goodness sake! Where is this joker coming from? Is he for real?" Well, my response is simply this: my heart; my passion is to dive into God's Word, the Bible, to read it, to understand it as best I can and to live it. I'm a simple kind of guy and that's how I approach life. And one of the things that happen is that God often does things in ways that I, with my rational Western mind-set, perhaps wouldn't have chosen had I been in His big shoes. Well, fortunately for you, I'm not – that's the up side. But perhaps the downside is that if we accept God at His Word, then we have to accept that He is going to do things His way, even if they don't always quite make sense to us. So, what does God's Word say about dreams and visions? I am going to share with you a passage from chapter 2, from the Book of Acts. God's Spirit has just been poured out on these Christians and they are all talking in different languages – they are behaving as though they are drunk – literally. You can read it for yourself – the fifth book in the New Testament; the Book of Acts chapter 2. Not surprisingly, the other Jews in Jerusalem at the time were pretty critical of this sort of behaviour. They are accusing these Christians of being drunk, so Peter the Apostle, stands up to explain. Acts chapter 2, beginning at verse 12: All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' See, what's going on here is that the unexpected is happening. These Christians are falling over as though they're drunk; they are speaking in different tongues. And to silence the sceptics, Peter gets up and says, "You think this is amazing? This is nothing! Wait to see what else is going to happen." And then he goes on to quote the Old Testament prophet of Joel. Remember this is Jerusalem in the first century – everybody listening knows the Scripture that he is quoting. And he promises that the Holy Spirit will cause people to have dreams and visions and prophesies – all ways that God is going to speak with us. "It's in the Bible", Peter is saying, "so don't shoot me; the messenger." And if I could personally echo that same sentiment to you, here and now – if you somehow feel uncomfortable with the notion of dreams and visions and prophesies and me talking about it – friend, it's in the Bible, so please, don't shoot the messenger. Do you know that many, many Muslims who come to put their faith in Jesus Christ, report that they saw Jesus coming towards them in a dream. In fact, this is a really, really common occurrence. Has God ever spoken to me in that way? No, He hasn't. I hear God in different ways and that's fine. We are all different and God knows that and He speaks to us in different ways. But I have been impacted by this – absolutely. When my wife, Jacqui, first visited our church – this was before she was my wife, in fact, none of knew who she was – she came on a Sunday morning; a service when I was preaching. And she came back again on the Sunday evening. Now, in the evening, our pastor Phil was scheduled to preach that night. You may have heard me speak about Phil before – he is a practical, very down to earth kind of guy. He gets up; he is about to preach and he looked towards Jacqui – he didn't know her name; none of us knew her and he said to her, "Look, God's given me a vision for your life." And he went ahead and he described this picture; this vision he had had in a huge amount of detail. That was a pretty gutsy thing to do, I thought. Well, Jacqui is pretty quiet and shy so she didn't react. Months later though, we discovered that this was an incredibly difficult time in her life and that she had been wanting God to speak to her and that vision that Phil described to her that night, was a huge turning point in her life's journey. In fact, if Phil hadn't communicated that to her that night, she probably wouldn't be my life today. In many parts of the world, people have no problems at all with the idea that God speaks through dreams and visions and prophesies, but somehow, we Westerners, with our rational, materialistic mindsets, struggle with the idea. Let me come back to where I started. We should test everything like this against God's Word. Sometimes, people will come to us with stuff that isn't from God but sometimes it is from God and if God tells us in His Word the Bible, that all along it's been His plan to speak to us through dreams and visions and prophesies, well, I don't know about you, but I think we should be listening. Yes, it's open to abuse! In Colossians chapter 2, verse 18, Paul talks about this – about people who: ... dwell on visions, being puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking. That's why we test everything against God's Word. But friend, God does things in ways that perhaps, you or I wouldn't have done and I hunger to hear Him speak and I delight in hearing Him speak. When, how, that's His choice. Our job is to listen.   Ducks in a Row Well, here we are almost at the end of this series that I have called, “How Can I hear God Speak to Me?” And over the course of these four messages, we have looked at eight different ways that God speaks to us today. (1) The Bible, firstly, God's Word, (2) secondly, God speaks to us in times of prayer; when we get still before Him. (3) Thirdly, God speaks to us through preaching and teaching – God anointed, Spirit-filled, faithful, Christ-centred preaching. (4) He speaks to us through signs and wonders, (5) through prophets. (6) Sometimes He speaks right out of the blue – (7) other times, through the counsel and the gifts and abilities of others and sometimes (8) He speaks through dreams and through visions. And you know, you add that up and what you discover is that God is speaking rather a lot – principally, primarily through the authority of His Word, the Bible; the living Word of God. That's why we put it right up there at number one. If numbers two through eight purport to be God speaking, then they had better be consistent with number one, the Word of God. If they aren't, then they are not from God – it's as simple as that. Let's make no mistake – God is not in the business of contradicting Himself. God is not in the business of changing His mind. But He is interested in our lives – in the nitty gritty of our lives and He knows that sometimes we need His guidance. And because He loves us, it stands to reason therefore, that He is going to speak specifically into our lives as any father would. I heard a pastor; a man whom I respect greatly, stand up and preach a sermon, not too long ago, in which he basically said that God, these days, only speaks through His Word, the Bible, and through no other means – not through prophets, not through signs and wonders, not through anything except the Bible. Uh!! Well, the first thing is ... the first thing is that it's not what the Bible says. Each of the other ways that God speaks with us that we have looked at over these last few weeks – numbers two through eight, that I just listed previously – in that list we just went through, each of those is straight out of God's Word, the Bible. But afterwards, when I went and asked this pastor a couple of questions, it was interesting. The first one I asked was: "Well, how did you come to be an ordained minister in this church; in this denomination?" And his answer was: "Well, because I felt called!" And friend, that's exactly the right answer – in fact, it's God's calling that's the only answer. So my next question was: "Well, how did you discern that calling; how did you come to the conclusion that God was calling you into His ministry?" And he then proceeded to tell me about this and that, all the things we have been talking about in two through eight – through other people, through preaching, through voices out of the blue. Yet, he didn't want to acknowledge that God speaks that way, even though this man had discerned his calling into ministry that way. It stands to reason that if we feel led by God to do this or to do that, we somehow must have heard Him speak that into our lives. That's what this series of messages has been all about. We are going into God's Word and learning from Him how it is that He chooses to communicate with us. But learning to discern His calling; learning to put the pieces together sometimes isn't easy. Along the way I have made mistakes and I'm sure you have too and when it comes to the big decisions in life, that's a bit of a scary prospect. What if we think we are hearing from God but we're not, in choosing a wife or a husband or in choosing a particular career or ministry or in maybe, heading off to so some distant foreign land to become a missionary? You get the point! I mean, I do believe that sometimes – often times – God's leading leads us right into the wilderness for an experience of the wilderness, when we are expecting instant success. That's okay; I'm not bothered by that. The issue, simply uppermost for me, is if I am going to head off in this direction or in that, then I want it to be the direction that God has chosen and ordained and prepared for me. That's all! Whatever way it is, I want it to be God's way. How do you discern God's will amongst the noise and the distractions of life? A prophesy, a dream, a passage from the Bible leaps out at you, "Man, were they from God or am I just imagining this?" Before the days of global terrorism, as a frequent flyer, I was often invited up into the cockpit of a plane, to sit in the jump seat and watch take-offs and landings. They were the good old days. One time I was returning during the night to Sydney, on a flight from New Zealand and I was in the cockpit of a Boeing 767 which gives you a great view out of the front windscreen – better than most other commercial planes of the time. And flying into Sydney, well, it's a pretty big city – there were so many lights. I thought, ‘How are the pilots going to pick the runway out amidst all these lights?' I mean, I know they were flying by instruments but eventually, they had to see the runway. And then all of a sudden, we turned and the plane levelled off and the runway came into view. This bright, straight row of lights – I mean, you just couldn't miss it. All those lights in a row, clearly, unmistakably showed the pilots which direction to fly in and how to land once they were off their instruments into visual mode. And for me, it's the same thing with discerning God's will. He speaks to us in different ways at different times and learning to understand Him is a process, as it is in any relationship. But when I feel Him leading me down a particular path, inevitably what happens is, two or three or four things kind of line up in a straight line – a Scripture verse that sets my heart on fire and just won't go away and then someone else comes along with a word; a prophesy and they don't know what is going on; they don't know what I'm thinking and dreaming. And then some event – that door over there that I thought was open, slams shut in my face and this one over here, to my surprise, opens up. And all of a sudden it's like those lights on the runway – they end up in a bit of straight line, like little ducks in a row that point you in a certain direction. And sometimes, oftentimes, you can't actually see them until you start heading down the path. In fact, that's mostly the case – we have to step out first in faith, often letting go of the past, before God reveals what is coming next. That's why it's called ‘stepping out in faith'. But friend, time and time and time again, I have seen my God just line those little ducks up in a row and when I see that, I start to head down that path; prayerfully, eyes open, asking God to open doors if it is His will and to slam them shut, if it's not. Sometimes there is opposition and that's where faith comes in. But above all, I always remember this: God is a faithful God, He knows my heart; He will not lead me down a path that He doesn't want me to follow. Yes, sometimes He will take me to the wilderness; yes, sometimes He needs to prune me and cleanse me so that I can bring Him more glory. That's fine and that's His choice. I just want to make sure I'm following in His direction. And whilst I have run into the occasional dead end along the way, you know, as I look back ... look back over the last decade and a half of walking with Jesus, I can see how He has guided me to where He wants me to be. Friend, God is a faithful God. God is still speaking to us today, through His Bible, through prophesies and dreams and visions and other people and He's speaking to us in so many different ways. Can I encourage you to stop, to spend time with Him, to listen to Him, to learn to discern His voice? Jesus said we would hear His voice and we would know that it's Him. And as we grow in that and we discover how we can hear God's voice, friend, that is such a wondrous thing. God is still speaking to His people today!

Episode 255 - Diving into Friendship with God - God is a Frend Who's Real by Elk River Lutheran Church - Powered by Love

The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor MESSAGE SUMMARY: This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore,  helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture. Jesus' “Parable of the Talents”, in Matthew 25:14-30, tells us a great deal about our responsibilities and accountability regarding the “talents” that God has given us – also, we are to supervise these “talents” that God has given us. We have been given different “talents” by God; and God will give us blessings based on how we supervised the “talents” which He has given us; however, God will punish us if our supervision is not acceptable to Him. Stewardship – we are God's Supervisors, which is an awesome responsibility. As God declared and challenged us in Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.". Therefore, humankind is supervisor all that God, the Creator of the Universe, created. With this awesome responsibility of stewardship, God has given us some instructions in Scripture to help us in this responsibility: 1) God has entrusted us with those “talents” that He has given us and He provides the opportunity for more; 2) God expects us to use what He has given us and according to His will – involve God in the process; 3) God has provided for our needs and enjoyment but, also, God expects us to address the needs of others; 4) God expects us to work using our “talents”, skills, and gifts; 5) God expects us to abide with His principles regarding money – a) the first part of our “increase” is Holy and Sacred to God (God is owner), b) tithing (God owns all and the first 10 percent is returned to Him as the prophet Malachi tells us in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse {e.g., Church}, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.".). c) giving is Worship, and d) saving; and 6) God will hold us accountable. God has entrusted us with what He has given, and He has provided us with the opportunity for more. You cannot out give God; and God is always faithful.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 25:14-30; Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 21:31-41; 1 Timothy 6:17; Acts 20:35; Genesis 2:15; Proverbs 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 18:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 3:9-10; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-12; Proverbs 23:5; Exodus 23:15; Proverbs 6:6-8. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God's Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Blessing all you in Christ. I pray for you today as you receive this message that God is saying His/ our enemies are a marred girdle.

The Anatomy of God-God's Heart by FC Young Adults Podcast

Psalm 94,O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage.6 They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?He who formed the eye, does he not see?10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?He who teaches man knowledge—11 the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,13 to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out. Growing up, when my family took road trips, my brothers and I would tell time in “ninja turtle shows.” It was our way of saying, “Are we there yet?” Inspired by our favorite tv-show, featuring four adolescent, pizza-eating, crime-fighting reptiles in a half shell. “Mom, how many turtle shows until we get there?” “How many turtle shows until we eat?” “Dad, I have to go the bathroom.” “Okay, we'll stop in two ninja turtle shows.” “No, Dad, I need to go in now ninja turtle shows.” Mind you, we weren't actually watching ninja turtle shows in the car (that needs to be clarified today). There were no screens on those 6, 7, 12-hour drives.How many ninja turtle shows? This was our 8-year-old, 9-year-old way of saying, How long? We're tired of this car. We're tired of this uncomfortable seat belt. We're tired of Dad's banjo music. We just want to get to the cabin, or the ocean, or the mountains, or wherever we were going. How long, Mom? How long, Dad?I thought of those car-rides as I was studying Psalm 94 over the last month. The psalm reminded me how much of life, even the Christian life — especially the Christian life — is waiting. Some of you are waiting right now, and you've been waiting a long time. And you're tired. You're tired of the doctor's visits. You're tired of the hard conversations. You're tired of the applications and interviews. You're tired of the demoralizing headlines and all the evil you see in the world. You're tired of trying to bring up Jesus again, because you know how angry it makes them — but you love them, so you keep bringing him up. You're tired. . . . How long, O Lord?That's the kind of prayer this is. This particular psalm is wrestling with wickedness and waiting for God to bring justice for his people, but much of it really does apply to whatever pain or uncertainty you're carrying right now. Their ‘How Long' SongSo this is a how long song, and there are dozen or so of these in the psalms. They prayed this kind of prayer a lot. They certainly weren't afraid to pray and ask how long, to plead with him to put an end to their pain and confusion and suffering. Here's Psalm 13:How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?Notice, they weren't questioning if, but when. They knew he was going to do what he said he would do — and they told him they knew that — but they weren't afraid to ask when. It was an honest, faith-filled way to express their anguish to God. Lord, when will you make this right? How long? We know the day's coming, we know you'll come through for us, we know you'll put an end to their evil, but why can't it be today? Can't it be today, God? Don't be afraid to pray how long prayers. God teaches us to pray those kinds of prayers, again thirteen times in the psalms.So what were the people waiting for here in Psalm 94? Let's start in verse 3:O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage.They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”This psalm, like many psalms, is wrestling over evil in the world. These are really wicked people. He says they're attacking God's people. They're killing widows and sojourners and orphans. And they're not doing it in secret. “They pour out their arrogant words;” verse 4, “all the evildoers boast.” They brag about killing kids. Can you imagine? It's horrifying that we don't have to imagine. . . . Do we? No, their wicked tribe is alive and well today in America, where we kill nearly a million children in the womb every year. And then people parade their abortions, right here in our city. How long, O Lord! Put an end to this wickedness. Save these precious boys and girls. It's wicked today, and it was wicked then, and God's people were tired of it — tired of the killing, tired of the boasting, tired of the blaspheming. “God, how long are you going to let them talk about you like that!” Make it all stop. Put it to an end. Show them who you are. Show them that you love us.This psalm is their how long song, and the song addresses three audiences with three different messages, and those are my three main points:God, take vengeance.Believers, take heart.Sinners, take heed.1. God, Take VengeanceThis is where the psalm begins, verses 1–2:O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!God of vengeance. The God who confronts and punishes those who wrong him, everyone who wrongs him. The God of Psalm 94 will wage terrifying war on every unforgiven sin against him. He will have his vengeance. Is that how you think about God? Is that how you pray?We don't pray like this much, do we? You don't hear this in our prayers on Sundays, at least not often. Maybe that's because the church isn't a nation like Israel, and so we don't have the same kinds of national enemies Israel did. We're not dealing with Egypt and Assyria and Babylon. We also live in the New Covenant age, and so we might think that God was a God of vengeance and wrath, but now he's a God of compassion and mercy. Not so. The God of Psalm 94 is the God of wondrous compassion and mercy (we'll see that in a moment). And the God of John 3:16 and Romans 8:28 is every bit the God of consuming wrath and certain vengeance.The same letter that gave us the promises of Romans 8 says, just four chapters later, Romans 12:19:“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'”Vengeance is still his, and he will repay.We should shudder to think about what's coming to those who will not repent and believe in Christ. Their destruction is coming, and it will be worse than any of us can imagine.God is still a God of vengeance, and the people of God still have enemies. Some estimate that tens of thousands of Christians are killed every year because of their faith, in places like China, India, Ethiopia, Iraq, and North Korea. And the murderers are still boasting. They're still preaching the same lies, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” No one's going to do anything to us. It's evil and God will have his vengeance. And one way that vengeance will come is through our prayers for justice. “O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!” You show your awesome glory in mercy, and you show it in wrath. Shine forth! Show them who you are. Show them that you see and that you love us.2. Believers, Take HeartSo, first, they pray, “God, take vengeance.” The psalmist also turns, though, and addresses the afflicted, in verses 12–23. He speaks to those who are waiting and suffering and praying, and he strengthens them to wait well with four key messages. 1. Your waiting will end.We'll start where the psalm ends, verse 23:[God] will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.It often seemed like evil was unchecked and might go unaddressed, so God's people wrote songs to remind themselves that every evil will be fully punished. As we just saw in the last point, God will have his vengeance, and his vengeance is a refuge for all who belong to him. We can trust that every sin against us will be paid for in full.And not just our waiting for justice and vindication, but all our waiting will end one day and soon. “‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,'” Revelation 21, “‘and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.'” No more tears or death or pain waiting, and all things new. Your waiting, whatever you're waiting for in this life, will end.2. Your waiting is not condemnation.There are twin confusions when the wicked keep hurting God's people. The first is why the wicked seem to get away with so much and for so long. The second is why God allows his people to suffer like we often do. God speaks to both in this psalm. God will judge the wicked — all the wicked for all that they have done — and God is not judging you. Verses 12–13:Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.What's he saying? He's saying that the painful waiting that the faithful are enduring isn't condemnation. It's discipline. It's not a pain that leads to death, but a pain that leads to life, and holiness, and joy. “Blessed” — happy — “is the man whom you discipline, O Lord.” Our waiting is a refining and a training for righteousness. It's the love of a Father, not the sword of a Judge.And even while we wait and endure his fatherly discipline, he comforts us by speaking to us.“Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.”While they are being afflicted, for as long as they are afflicted, he's teaching them his law — he's revealing himself to them through his word — in order to comfort and strengthen them. He'll have his vengeance soon — justice will be done — and until then, he's going to keep speaking rest into your waiting. And that brings us to the third message.3. Your waiting isn't too heavy for him.Your waiting might feel too heavy for you. And that might make you think that it's too heavy for God. You can't imagine carrying what you carry another year, another month, maybe another day. And so you start to wonder if there's any way to carry it. God can carry it. This is verses 16–18:Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.When I thought, “My foot slips” — I can't carry this anymore. I can't take even one more step — The Lord held me up.I love these verses because even though things are going badly for God's people right now, even though the wicked have the upper hand for now and they're causing terrible pain and loss, the psalmist can still see and feel the kindness of God.“If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.”If the Lord had not been my help, it could have been so much worse than this. This suffering and waiting is awful — How long, O Lord! — but I'd rather bear this with your help than bear anything apart from you. You've helped me. You haven't abandoned me. We're going to see in a minute how persistent sin hardens and blinds a person and keeps them from seeing God. We see the opposite here, though. Because the psalmist's heart is soft and his eyes are clear, he's able to see the grace and help of God even in terrible suffering, even in the darkness of the valley. He can still see. What would this have been like if the Lord had not been my help? But he was my help. He is your help, no matter how dark it gets. Your waiting isn't too heavy for him.4. You can have joy while you wait.This is all under point #2. Point #1: God, take vengeance. Point #2: Believers, take heart. And we hear four precious reasons to take heart:Your waiting will end.Your waiting is not judgment.Your waiting isn't too heavy for him.And now, fourth, you can have joy while you wait.This last one comes from verse 19 (this verse was the reason I asked to preach this psalm). I've returned here again and again and leaned on this verse to remind myself how good God can be, even in trials. Verse 19:When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.Even though everything around me's going wrong right now, you cheer my soul. Your consolations comfort and satisfy me. God can cheer any soul, even yours, even now. You might have to wait for justice, or for healing, or for reconciliation — and you might have to wait a long time — but you don't have to wait for joy. Not with this God. Not if God himself is your joy. Even when the cares of your heart are many, he can cheer your soul. Your cares will never exhaust his consolations. Your pain will never surpass the joy of his presence.The apostle Paul understood Psalm 94:19. He says, “In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Why? He tells us in Philippians: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . .” (Philippians 3:8). I have Christ — my life is his, and he lives in me, and he's more than I could ever have or enjoy without him. So when the cares of my heart are many, they're not too many. No, even then, my God is able to cheer my soul. I promise you, he's able to cheer your soul.3. Sinners, Take HeedWhen we're waiting for God to make what's wrong right and put an end to all the evil around us, we say to God: “God, take vengeance.” We say to one another, “Believer, take heart.” And, last point, we say to the enemies of God: “Sinner, take heed.”We get a glimpse here into the heart and logic of evil, verse 6:[The wicked] kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”Satan whispered to Adam and Eve, “Did God really say?” Here, he whispers, “Does God really see?” God doesn't see what you're doing. He's not able to watch everyone all the time, and if he is, he couldn't possibly have the time or interest to deal with it. No, God doesn't see your sinning.And they don't just believe what he's saying, they don't just think this is the back of their minds while they keep sinning. No, by verse 7, they're preaching Satan's sermon. They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” God's not going to do anything about this. Do you really believe that? No, God's not going to do anything about this, because there is no God. That's what they're really preaching. And that's what indulging in sin — any sin — does to us. This is the hardening and blinding I mentioned earlier. Sin takes us from believing “God doesn't see” to preaching “God doesn't see” to eventually rejecting and ignoring God altogether. Sin hardens us until we can't see or hear or feel anymore. We walk and eat and sin in a world filled with the glory of God, and yet we can't see him or hear him anywhere. It's like walking along the Pacific Ocean, and looking around wondering where the water is. Sin does horrible things to people, and this is the worst thing it does to us. It slowly poisons our eyes until the unspeakably glorious God seems small, weak, boring, imaginary. Giving into sin will destroy your soul by slowly blotting out heaven. Is some sin doing that to you? You might say that God is real, and that he sees everything, and that he'll judge every wrong one day, but if you secretly persist in that sin, you're really saying you don't believe any of that. And if you keep returning to that swamp of lust or bitterness or greed or self-pity, you'll see less and less and less until you can't see anything at all. You won't be able to see the ocean, even if you're standing in it.Hear the warning, verses 8–11:Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge — the Lord — knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.He made the eye. Do you think he can't see what you're doing? He made the ear. Do you think he can't hear what you're saying? He doesn‘t just know what you're doing and saying; he knows what you're thinking — “he knows the thoughts of man.” You're not fooling him at all, not even for a second. You're fooling yourself, and you'll destroy yourself if you stay on that path. God sees all, and he will have his vengeance. But even now, even after you've given into that sin again and again, the God of vengeance, the God of perfect justice, is holding out a hand of mercy to you, a blood-stained hand of mercy. And this brings us to the Table.God of Vengeance and MercyWe meet the God of vengeance and mercy in the face of Jesus Christ, who comes to execute judgment against all who refused to repent and to save all those who repent of their sins and treasure and follow him. Listen to 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9:God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance — terrible vengeance — on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints — stunning mercy — and to be marveled at among all who have believed.He is the God of vengeance. Every wrong will be made right — every wrong committed against you and every wrong committed by you. And those wrongs will be made right one of two ways. Either God will inflict his vengeance on you, because you refused his mercy. Or he will have poured out his vengeance on his Son, at the cross, because you humbled yourself, believed in his Son, and were saved. Those who are forgiven through faith will never taste the wrath of God, not one ounce and not for one second.

'god' Who Do You Refer To When You Say That Word - #GOD  #god #elohim #tolerance #intolerance #jesus #aimingforjesus #onetruegod Thank you for listening, our heart's prayer is for you and I to walk daily with Jesus, our joy and peace aimingforjesus.com YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@aimingforjesus5346 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aiming_for_jesus/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@aiming_for_jesus X https://x.com/AimingForJesus Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@aiming.for.jesus

“The divine energy comes in different forms: as ecstasy, as silence, as love, as compassion, and as clarity. In the beginning, all was silence, and we all come from silence, from God.”In this episode, Swaha shares with us that the more we return to our inner silence, the more we connect with our Godliness. The body, emotions, and senses can take us away from ourselves; the journey of meditation is about coming back to our original silence within.Vasant Swaha is a modern mystic sharing his love, joy, and wisdom in retreats. This talk was from a Satsang during the Dance Your Way to God Retreat at Dharma Mountain, Norway, on the 26th of June of 2025. For more information visit www.vasantswaha.net

Pastor Fletcher continues our theology series with Psalm 19.

In Today's Uncertainty, We Need to Remember that God Wants to Walk with Us In All Our Life Situations, Both Good and Bad – Just Ask Him MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Lord is my helper and confident, why should I be afraid? What can man do to me?” For this confidence, you must know who Jesus is – both in your heart and in your mind. Jesus is the Son of God – God in the flesh. As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.". Therefore, You do not need to worry about troubling circumstances in your life because you know that He is with you; and He will guide you no matter how dark your life seems. Jesus is the light that shines in darkness.  As Jesus tells you in Luke 12:4-5, that when you have anxiety and fear in your life, you must determine if this anxiety derivative of the right kind of fear: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”. When you are faced with life's tragedies and the anxieties that result from just living your life, Jesus can turn those situations and your fears into ways and results that you cannot fathom, understand, or anticipate; but you can certainly appreciate. Why not give God a chance to walk with you in all your life situations -- good and bad? Ultimately, the Psalmist got it right in Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will seek God's perspective on my situation. For I know that in all things God works together for good to those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. From Romans 8:28 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:4-9; Mathew 6:25-34; Psalm 23:1-6; Psalms 22b:17-31 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

"Judgment, Restoration, and the Reign to Come”

Does Philippians 2:5-11 describe an eternal pre-incarnate God the Son humbling himself to become man?No.Philippians 2:5-11 is about the decisions, actions and attitude of the man Christ Jesus, and his eventual exaltation by his God.Philippians 2: Did God become Man?https://youtu.be/ntg8KvZ2pSQDeity of Christ Interpretations Dishonor the Man Jesus Christhttps://youtu.be/R2VOKEvGqAwFull text here:https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2020/03/did-god-become-man-philippians-25-11.html

Let me ask you a question – is God still speaking to us here and now? Today? And if so – how? Well – what are the answers? If God is indeed still speaking, shouldn't we be listening? Imagine what a difference it could make, to know His will for our lives.   Is God Still Speaking? Now, here ... here is a question that these days, pretty much divides the church down the middle. Are you ready? Here it is: does God still speak today? Ooooh ... the controversy; the division that that little question creates, is huge. There are some who contend that the only way that God speaks today; the single only way is through the Bible. Read the Bible; that's God's Word; that's how He speaks. Then at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you have Christians who claim to have seen signs and wonders; to have so called, "words of knowledge" and "prophesies" over their lives. I even know one man whose pastor constantly claims to have visions of Jesus. WOW man, what do you do with that? How do you understand that? And then there is little old you and me. If you are anything like me, deep inside there is a desire that burns for God – something that, well, it's hard to explain – a hunger after God Himself; a yearning that won't, that can't be satisfied by some dry, academic, cerebral answer to this question: does God still speak today? It won't be dismissed by shallow responses either. And nor will sensational claims quench the thirst after Christ Himself. And so that's why these coming weeks on the programme we are going to explore this question: does God still speak today? And if so, how? As I said, I ache to know God; to experience Him; to hear Him speak into my life. And I know that there are many, many more people on this earth who feel exactly the same. I want to live my life out completely for Him – everything I am, everything I have, all my hopes and all my dreams, to serve Him with the lot. And it's not because I'm some great guy – believe you me, I'm not. It's because I have tasted the sweetness of His love – the many splendored love of Christ, as A.W. Tozer calls it. I have tasted His goodness and His joy and His peace and do you know what – I want more! And so I want to hear Him speak because any relationship that means anything; that has any value to it is based on communication – and not one way communication, two way communication. A marriage is headed for divorce when there's a stony silence between husband and wife. If all that they do is communicate on a transactional basis, about the mundane things of life and they no longer communicate heart to heart, then friend, unless they do something about that, their marriage is headed for divorce. So the question is: Does God still speak? In my experience, He does, in a variety of ways. But experience ... experience isn't the "be all and the end all". We have emotions – they go up, they go down – sometimes we are on the top of our game, other times, frankly, let's be honest, we are off with the pixies. So whilst we may be experiencing God speaking through prophesy, through signs, through dreams ... all sorts of different ways, I believe with all my heart, the truth, God's chosen way of revealing Himself to us; providing us with a rock solid basis for understanding Him and understanding our experience, is His Word, this thing we call the Bible. Inspired by Him, written through human beings, for sure – each of the sixty six books of the Bible, written in different times in history, under different circumstances, for specific purposes but together those sixty six books are the inspired Word of God – God speaking to the generations that have gone before us and to us and the generations that will come after us. And God never contradicts Himself. He never says one thing and does the other. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. So if any one, whether it's you or me, claims to have heard from God in a certain way, then the question is: does the Bible say that that is how God communicates with us? Because if it doesn't, then friend, at the very, very least, I am very, very suspicious that this person has indeed heard from God. And secondly, if this person claims to have heard from God and acts on it or shares what God has allegedly said to him or to her, is the message consistent with the Word of God – the whole council of God? Because if God says one thing and some so called, "prophet" comes up with a so called, "revelation" that contradicts God's Word, then forget it. It ain't God talking! Does that make sense? When we step into the realm of God speaking with us about specific things happening in our lives or in the lives of other people, then we are stepping into territory which is rich and fertile on the one hand – if God is indeed speaking. I for one would want to hear but on the other hand, it's open to manipulation and to error. This approach is summed up in this Biblical principle – it comes from First Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 19 to 22. Have a listen – it says: Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. In other words, don't ignore God speaking through His Spirit. Don't despise the words of prophets, but at the same time, sift it; test it – hold onto the good, ditch the evil. So, is God still speaking? Absolutely! This is what Jesus said: John chapter 10, beginning at verse 1: Truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and – listen to this - the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers. Again John 15:26: When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. And again, John 16:14: He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Is God in the business of still speaking to His people through His Spirit today? Absolutely! That's exactly what Jesus promised would happen – over and over and over again. It's promised in the Bible. But as we read back in First Thessalonians – whilst the Spirit is at work, speaking, declaring and we shouldn't quench what He is doing. When people claim to be speaking on God's behalf, then we had better test it to make sure that it's from God. And I guess that's at the very heart of what we are going to be talking about over the coming weeks – discovering how to hear God speak into our lives. It's powerful stuff!   The Word of God I remember when I first gave my life to Jesus – I had such an incredibly strong sense of God's presence. He wrapped His arms around me during a particularly difficult and painful time in my life and yet I was full of the joy of the Lord. And a dear friend of mine, Phil, the pastor of the first church I attended sat me down over a coffee and he said to me, "You know Berni, it's not always going to feel as good as this." And whilst in one sense, he was right, there was something inside me – well, it made me angry. I thought to myself and I said this to God, "If I can't have a close, intimate relationship with my God, each day; if I can't experience His joy and His peace, each day, then you know something, Lord, I don't think I want You." It's pretty radical stuff! And to be sure life has had its ups and downs. Sometimes circumstances are against us and sometimes everything is rosy. Sometimes our emotions are up and sometimes they are down. In those early days of becoming a Christian, they told me; Phil told me that I should read my Bible every day. Can I tell you what a turn off that was? Can I tell you what a burden it was to think that I would have to open this old, stuffy Book; this huge Book; seven hundred and seventy five thousand words, thirty one thousand, one hundred and seventy three verses, one thousand, one hundred and eighty nine chapters in sixty six Books. Written in times and places and cultures that were completely unfamiliar to me. Who or what, for instance, is Ephraim? And why was everyone sacrificing bulls and goats and doves and stuff? You get the drift! But Phil, my pastor, was a persuasive guy – real salt of the earth kind of guy and when I listened to him preaching on Sundays he made an enormous amount of sense to me. So I did something back then – I established this pattern of getting up early in the morning; something I have been doing since I was a small child anyway, because I am an early riser – while everyone is still asleep – and spending some time in prayer and reading the Bible. I was surprised – God's Word made a lot of sense. A lot of it was confronting – it was like shining a really bright light on my own immaturities and the things I was doing that weren't pleasing God. And day after day, month after month, year after year, here's what has happened to me – it's changed me. I open the Bible these days and it is God speaking to me. Now there aren't fireworks and clashes of thunder and great amazing revelations each and every day – it's not like that. Little by little, God's Word has become part of who I am. I'm not good at memorising verses – some people are - I'm just not. But what I find amazing now is that when someone asks me to get up and speak about something or we are having a discussion amongst friends about this issue or that, the recall that God has given me over His Word, is amazing. I can remember the things that God says – maybe no word for word, but pretty close – and where He says it and that makes all the difference. When someone is really bugging me and I want to tear them apart, all of a sudden the Holy Spirit says to me, “Turn the other cheek!” And wisdom from above is pure and peaceable and gentle and willing to yield and all of a sudden, God's Word is guiding my behaviour. God's Word is giving me what I need to live my life. The Holy Spirit speaks His Word right into my life when I need it. And the other thing is – sounds really mundane reading the Bible every day and I guess it is. I tend to read an Old Testament Book followed by a New Testament Book – one of the Letters, from Romans to Revelation, followed by one of the four Gospels and Acts. It's kind of how I cycle through the Bible. And I have pretty much read it all now, several times. The reason I cycle is that the different Books feed me in different ways. Some of those Old Testament narratives – the Judges and Kings and Chronicle Books – they feed me with the power and the majesty of God's faithfulness. And then the Letters in the New Testament – they teach me about real life and understanding life, in light of what Jesus has done. And then the Gospels and the Book of Acts – they take me back to the heart of my faith in Jesus. And then some of the wisdom Books in the Old Testament – Proverbs, Psalms, Lamentations – I sprinkle them throughout and it's like adding salt to everything else. And as I read through, bit by bit, I can't begin to tell you how many times I have found exactly what I need for today – the things I am going through or the things unbeknown to me that are going to confront me later on today. It's amazing how many times God has given me what I need for today from those very next few verses, in the next chapter that I was due to read. Reading the Bible sounds like a chore – it sounds mundane but the strength and the maturity and the growth and the transformation; the things that have so made my life better – I can't begin to tell you. They have come from this wonderful habit that Phil taught me all those years ago - the ability to discern whether someone else is speaking for God or not – the wisdom to know how to handle tough situations – the maturity to lay down my life. That's hard, boy, it's hard some days. All those things have come as the Word of God has become part of who I am. Genesis chapter 1, verse 26 tells us that we have been made in God's image. Problem is, our rebellion; our sin has marred that image. And reading God's Word most days, listening to what He has to say most days, is like being restored back into His original image. It's a repair job here; a cleanup job there; a new bit here ... and all of a sudden we become a different person. It is knowing the truth that sets us free and the Bible is God's way of speaking with us. If there is one thing ... just one thing that I could point to as the smartest thing that I have ever done, after giving my life to Jesus, it's opening up the Bible – that daily habit – and letting God speak His Word into my heart through His Spirit. And the tragedy is that so many people ... the people who don't do that are the very ones whose lives are all over the place because there is no foundation; there is no anchor into God's truth.   The Time of Prayer Earlier we saw that one of the main ways that God speaks to us ... in fact, THE main way is through His Word, the Bible and it's an awesome thing. And as I said back then, the simple habit of reading God's Word, even if it is just a few verses, every day, has utterly changed my life. But that's only one side of the coin in my daily time with God - because the other side of the coin is prayer. There's an amazing contradiction that so many people are living out in their lives – people who believe in Jesus. Here's how it goes: on the one hand these people really would love to hear God's voice; they would really like to know that He is there with them, that He has some practical words of wisdom for them, some guidance on the decisions they need to take – that's on the one hand. And yet these, so often, are the very same people who are too busy to sit down for twenty minutes, half an hour, maybe even forty five minutes or an hour, most days, to spend that time in prayer with God. Too busy, too busy, too busy! Well, fair enough, I know all about that! See, I'm one of these busy type "A", action oriented people – we're more focused on doing things and getting outcomes than on spending time on relationships. So anyone who says to me, ‘I'm just too busy to pray', well, I really understand; I really relate to that. But the problem that comes out of that is that we head off into our day and we confront all the issues and tensions and decisions and all that stuff – we are so immersed in it all – and then right in the middle of it, we think, "Ah, where's God? Why is God talking to me? Why isn't God guiding me? Why isn't God comforting me?" Well, I'll tell you, friend! God was waiting for you this morning; He was waiting for you to get still before Him, to spend some time with Him reading His Word the Bible, listening to what He has to say and then chatting with Him in prayer. Have a listen to this Psalm – it is one of my absolute favourites – Psalm 46: God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it will not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice and the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, he shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth.” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Powerful truth in verse 1 is that God is our refuge and our strength in the middle of all this mess. You don't have to be afraid – if the mountains are shaking, if they are falling into the sea, if there is calamity, there's upheaval, there's uproar – that's the picture in the Psalm. The sorts of things that we go through in the rough and tumble of life – we don't have to be afraid! Why? Because there's a stream flowing right through the heart of our city that makes us glad. The nations may well be in an uproar but God is God above all and when He speaks the earth melts before Him. Now, that's a great theory but when we are in the middle of this calamitous uproar; when tensions are running high at work; when we are hard pressed on every side; when we are running through life at a hundred miles an hour, how are we meant to experience this river of joy from God? How are we meant to hear Him and know Him and not be afraid because of Him when all this stuff is flying through the air? Well, the answer comes to us in verse 10 of this Psalm: Be still and know that I am God. Isn't that beautiful! Just ... with all that stuff going on ... just be still and know in your heart of hearts that your God is God; that your God is in control. I don't care who the relationship is with, if we don't take time away from the hustle and bustle, just to connect, just to spend time together, just to talk – whether it's husband and wife or work colleagues or friends – if we don't do that, then the hustle and bustle is going to distract us from the reality of the relationship with that other person. We forget, in our experience, how wonderful the love of our husbands or wives is; we forget the joy of a friendship because our dominant reality; the thing we are focused on is the busyness and the battle of life. And friend, if we want to know that God is in control, we need to get still before Him and just KNOW! It's as simple as that! That's what prayer is – getting still before God. Here's how it so often works for me: I pray a bit and I ask God to speak with me. Then I open the Bible and I read the next bit I was going to read; the next chapter in Luke's Gospel or whatever and in reading that, the Spirit of God speaks to me through God's Word. I get this sense that God is up to something here but then I need to chew it over so I pray about it and I ask God, ‘What are You saying to me?' I think about it, I get still, I listen and that's the place where God so often speaks, with a word of reassurance, with some specific guidance or direction. I had that happen this morning, in fact. I had a difficult situation; some difficult decisions to make and after spending time in God's Word and thinking and praying and listening, well, the answer was as plain as the nose on my face. So often I'm confronted with a "to do" list longer than my arm – I can't possibly get it all done today. "God, what is Your priority? What do You want me to do today?" And that's where the most important things drop into my lap, so I go and I do those ones. It's a gift from God. Friend, so many people's lives are in a mess. "I want to hear God speak!" Well, let's get still before God; let's spend time with God. If we want to hear God speak right into the middle of the realities of our lives, we need to get still before Him. Let's get a revelation today! I know your life is busy – mine is too. But if we start spending fifteen minutes, twenty minutes a day, quietly, all the distractions gone, the doors closed, the Bible open – time in prayer; God shows up. He loves spending time with us. He loves it when we set time apart for Him. And frankly, if you are struggling to hear from God but you are not making time to spend with Him, this message today, is for you. Start spending time just with Him and little by little He will start speaking. Day by day, we will learn better how to recognise His voice. Little bit by little bit we will get guidance about things for today and things for tomorrow and things that we need to lay down. Jesus said, "The shepherd speaks and the sheep hear His voice.” In my experience, sometimes in my prayer times over the years I have misheard God but the longer I spend at this, the more discerning I am and the more easily I am able to recognise the voice of my Shepherd.

God's purpose cannot be thwarted even by our deliberate disobedience, as we see in Jonah's desperate attempt to escape his divine calling to Nineveh.• The word of God exists to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable"• Jonah's story shows a consistent downward trajectory when running from God• God uses a storm as a wake-up call to Jonah's disobedience and complacency• The irony of pagan sailors praying while the prophet sleeps• Momentary disobedience doesn't have to undo future usefulness for God• The contrast between Peter and Judas - two betrayals with different responses• God receives glory even when His people are disobedient• Like Joseph, what others mean for evil, God can use for good• Following God's will is always more fulfilling than running from it"God, if you called me, I will go. Wherever you lead, I'll go. Wherever you take me. God, I am your servant. God, your will be done and it will be done. Lord, can I join you in this mission? Can I not find myself running away to Tarshish, but can I find myself in the will of God?"

Welcome to the 6th sermon in our series on what the Bible is all about. Do you really know what the Bible is about? When you understand the point an author is trying to make even the most complicated of books make much more sense. This summer we are going to “stand on the shoulders” of D. A. Carson and his book The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story as we walk through the big story of Scripture to discuss what the Bible is truly about.

What if the faithfulness of God isn't just something He does—but who He is? In this week's message, Pastor Tyler takes us into the next installment of our "Revealed: The DNA of God" series with a deep, heartfelt look at the nature of God's faithfulness—not as a choice, but as an unchanging reality rooted in His very being. As we explore the character of God, we come to understand that His faithfulness cannot waver, cannot change, and does not fail. This episode unpacks three key expressions of God's faithfulness: Foundational: God lays spiritual groundwork in our lives that becomes the base for everything else. Formational: His faithfulness shapes us over time through both mountain-top victories and valley moments. Fruitful: Through Jesus, the ultimate expression of faithfulness, we're not only transformed but called to reflect His unwavering love in our own lives. You'll hear relatable stories, practical insights, and a call to rethink how you view God's consistency in the midst of your own imperfection. Join us as we discover what it truly means to be held by a Father who is faithful through it all—and learn how to live out that same kind of steady love.  

The Voice of God God: My Pronouns Are I / Us Essential Church June 29, 2025 SUMMARY The message focuses on the role and significance of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. It begins with a depiction of a Baptist church member seeking the Holy Ghost to fill his congregation, emphasizing the desire for spiritual movement and presence. The pastor delves into the nature of the Holy Spirit, clarifying that it is not an abstract force but a person within the Trinity, which is one in essence but three in person. The discussion highlights the Holy Spirit's role in pointing believers towards Jesus Christ, emphasizing that the Spirit's work is to make individuals more Christ-like. The message also explores the concept of the Holy Spirit working with, in, and through believers, using the analogy of a theatrical play where God is the director, Jesus takes center stage, and the Holy Spirit is like the tech crew, orchestrating the unseen elements that enhance the experience. Furthermore, the pastor addresses common misconceptions about the hierarchy within the Trinity, likening it to a baseball team where each member knows their role without a single person calling all the shots. The message concludes with a prayer, asking for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance and a deeper relationship with God. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. **Role of the Holy Spirit**: How does the message describe the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer? What are the three prepositions used to explain this role? 2. **Focus on Jesus**: Why does the pastor emphasize that the Holy Spirit always points towards Jesus Christ? How can this understanding affect a believer's relationship with the Holy Spirit? 3. **Trinity Analogy**: The message uses a baseball team analogy to describe the Trinity. How does this analogy help clarify the roles within the Trinity? Do you find this analogy effective? 4. **Misconceptions about the Holy Spirit**: What are some common misconceptions about the Holy Spirit mentioned in the video? How does the speaker address these misconceptions? 5. **Personal Experience**: The pastor shares personal experiences of overcoming challenges with the help of the Holy Spirit. How do these stories illustrate the practical work of the Holy Spirit in everyday life? 6. **Empowerment and Gifts**: The message discusses the debate over supernatural fillings versus the enhancement of God-given talents. What are your thoughts on this debate? How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your own life? 7. **Prayer and Sensitivity**: The message concludes with a prayer for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance. How can believers cultivate this sensitivity in their daily lives?

Joshua 1:8-9

LESSON 178Review of Lessons 165 - 166God is but Love, and therefore so am I.(165) Let not my mind deny the Thought of God.God is but Love, and therefore so am I.(166) I am entrusted with the gifts of GodGod is but Love, and therefore so am I- Jesus Christ in ACIM

This series explores the core attributes of God's character, delving into His nature as loving, just, merciful, and omnipotent. Revealed, emphasizes how these divine traits shape our understanding of His identity and guide our relationship with Him.  Through Scripture and reflection, the series reveals how we can grow in our knowledge of God, recognizing His presence and power in our lives.  Even when the world feels heavy with pain and uncertainty, there's a distinct call echoing through the noise—a call to be different, to be set apart, to be holy. This week's message from Pastor TJ draws us into the depths of what it means for God to be holy, and how we are invited to reflect that holiness in our own lives. Recorded just after recent unrest in the Middle East, this episode begins with a call to prayer and peace—an acknowledgment that while the world groans, God remains sovereign. Pastor TJ weaves personal stories from his time in Israel with biblical truth, inviting us to examine four characteristics of God's holiness: His unshakable character, unwavering compassion, covenant-keeping nature, and supreme control. Through these traits, we learn that holiness isn't about perfection—it's about living transformed, marked by God's power and love. As you listen, you'll also hear a powerful testimony of miraculous healing that reminds us God is still moving in ways that defy logic and stir faith. Take a moment to listen—and discover what it looks like to live differently in a world that desperately needs something real.  

Jesus Is God God: My Pronouns Are I / Us June 22, 2025 Essential Church

Welcome to the 4th sermon in our series on what the Bible is all about. Do you really know what the Bible is about? When you understand the point an author is trying to make even the most complicated of books make much more sense. This summer we are going to “stand on the shoulders” of D. A. Carson and his book The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story as we walk through the big story of Scripture to discuss what the Bible is truly about.

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Hebrews 5:11-6:3. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. If you want to follow along, a written transcription of the study can be found here:https://www.mediafire.com/file_premium/hgi6gssvtui8h9k/Hebrews_05_11-06_03.pdf/fileThe visual slides of this study can be found here: https://www.mediafire.com/file_premium/rin0veh34japcjt/Hebrews_05_11-06_03_SLIDES.pdf/fileTopics covered: Start of the author's digression about growth in the knowledge of Christ -- Everyone's tendency to become “dull of hearing” -- The importance of consistent efforts for all to grow in their knowledge of Christ -- Manna as a metaphor for the need to daily feast on the word of God -- God's progressive revelation to humanity -- God's progressive revelation to each of us -- The author's list of the “elementary teachings about Christ” -- Repentance and faith -- Baptism and the laying on of hands -- Resurrection and the final judgment.For more Bible studies, visit ScriptureStudies.com

John 5:18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. The Jews understood exactly what Jesus was saying. His Father is God, and He is equal with God. But they didn't believe it. It angered them and fueled their murderous hearts. It was bad enough that He broke the Sabbath, but it was blasphemous to make Himself equal with God. Jesus knew who He is. He is God. Jesus is the only human being of which this is true in the history of the world. He is like no other. The writer of Hebrews described Jesus as “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” However, we are not to think that Jesus is the Father. He is God's only-begotten, or unique, son, as John recorded in John 3:16. Jesus said in Matthew 11:27, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” This shows clearly that the Father and Son are both God, and yet they are separate beings, working together. For our encouragement today, let's connect some dots, so to speak. Jesus is God, and God is love. Because we have all of God dwelling in us, we have the fullness of God from which His love flows. Living to love with Jesus is how I describe those who have the God of love dwelling inside them. Through the new birth by the Holy Spirit, the presence of Jesus Christ comes to abide in those who love Jesus. Because they love Jesus, the Father also abides in them. Jesus promised this in His last words to His disciples before going to His Father by way of the cross. John 14:23. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” Why do the Father, Son, and Spirit live within us? To glorify God by revealing His presence and power as we live to love with Him. We reveal that Jesus lives and that He is both Lord and Christ. What a privilege it is to be His ambassadors of love, His representatives on the earth. May God fill us with His grace today as we walk with Him, abiding in Him, and He in us. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

In this episode, Dave Jenkins addresses a difficult but vital question: What should a Christian do after committing sexual sin? Drawing from Scripture, he explains the seriousness of sexual sin, the necessity of genuine repentance, and the assurance of God's forgiveness through Christ. Dave also provides practical steps to walk in holiness and find lasting freedom. Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 1 John 1:9 Psalm 103:12 Romans 8:1 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 Matthew 5:29-30 James 5:16 Romans 12:2 Episode Highlights: Understanding the biblical view of sexual sin The call to repentance: turning away from sin and toward God God's promise of forgiveness and freedom from condemnation Walking in holiness empowered by the Holy Spirit Practical steps to overcome temptation and rebuild purity Resources & Support: For further help, encouragement, or prayer, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contact-4/ Explore more teaching from Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins here: https://servantsofgrace.org/anchored-in-the-word/ Connect with Servants of Grace: Website: https://servantsofgrace.org Facebook: https://facebook.com/servantsofgrace Instagram: https://instagram.com/servantsofgrace X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/servantsofgrace

"Drawing Near to the Holy God"Exodus 19:1-25God is Near: We are His treasured possessionGod is Holy: We must be perfectly pure to be near GodGod is Savior: We are represented by our faithful Mediator, Jesus Christ!

This series explores the core attributes of God's character, delving into His nature as loving, just, merciful, and omnipotent. Revealed, emphasizes how these divine traits shape our understanding of His identity and guide our relationship with Him.  Through Scripture and reflection, the series reveals how we can grow in our knowledge of God, recognizing His presence and power in our lives.  In today's message, Pastor Alex unpacks the mercy of God and reminds us through the story of Jonah and the parable of the unmerciful servant that just as God freely gives mercy to us, we are also called to extend that same mercy to others. Listen to today's episode to discover how embracing God's mercy can bring freedom, healing, and deeper connection in your walk with Him and those around you.

#god #mythology #reality Youtube link: https://youtu.be/TDfWmEgJ9hYPodcast link:https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/fohZcrjr2TbJoin us as we have a conversation on the Formula Of God vs the Myth Of God. We tap into why the community is filled with religion and not reality. Listen, like, share, and comment! Thanks....#rbcf Hashtags: #mythology #art #greekmythology #myth #history #folklore #illustration #fantasy #pagan #artist #goddess #drawing #digitalart #artwork #bookstagram #magic #greek #norsemythology #greekgods #painting #mythologyart #science #ancientgreece #fantasyart #god #myths #norse #love #legend #ancient

Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God We know God by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: God's eternal power and divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20. All these things are enough to convict humans and to leave them without excuse. Second, God makes himself known to us more clearly by his holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for God's glory and for our salvation.

Daily Devotion with Pastor Balla – June 5, 2025“Prosperity and Adversity” – Ecclesiastes 7:13–14 (ESV)How do we respond to both blessings and burdens? In today's devotion, Pastor Balla reflects on Solomon's wisdom: “Consider the work of God… God has made the one as well as the other.” Through both prosperity and adversity, God is at work—shaping, refining, and teaching us to trust not in circumstances but in Christ.Prosperity calls for joyful thanksgiving; adversity calls for humble reflection. Both are under God's sovereign hand. We may not understand the “crooked” paths, but we know the One who walks with us.Join Pastor Balla in Ecclesiastes 7:13–14 as he unpacks how faith sees beyond the moment to God's eternal purpose in Christ, our crucified and risen Lord.#DailyDevotion #Ecclesiastes7 #PastorBalla #ProsperityAndAdversity #TrustInGod #GodsSovereignty #LutheranDevotion #Romans828 #FaithInChrist #ChristianEncouragement #ChristIsWithUs

Paul describes the "mystery of God:" God revealed His mystery at the right time, not before God gave the mystery to humans through the Spirit God didn't reveal the mystery to the angels the same way Angels attend church for a specific reason   Hey! Don't leave before looking at other P40 stuff:   YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

Ezekiel 1:25-2:1; Revelation 1:9-17While these types of experiences seem rare, they can occur today, not only to great prophets but those that consider themselves ordinary believers. They are especially crafted by God to produce “Awe”, or what we call the “Fear of the Lord” which is a foundational experience (Proverb 1:7, 9:10) which aids the believer to develop “Compassionate wisdom.” This type of experience usually induced by either theophany or angelic appearance can be shocking to the surprised recipient but it is given to produce awe of God. This experience prepares the believer for a very challenging call and mission. This type of experience can also resolve the subtle evil of becoming “over-familiar” with God: all daddy and no Lord; which may lead to a primarily egocentric relationship, where God becomes an easy broker or a soft touch: Remember that in the Lord's prayer “your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” come before Give us today our daily bread etc. God has for all of us His will to be done on earth and sometimes it is so challenging that He gives such shocking experiences. It helps produce awe, respect, reverence for God that surpasses the normal human responses like fear because of the difficult call and challenge to their faith. And as in Paul's life, God given radical manifestation began his ministry and continued throughout his ministry (Acts 9:23:11; 27:23)Our key passages (Ephesians 1:25-2:1; Revelation 1:9-17) Continue to illustrate the humanly uncomfortable manifestations for God's prophets' but what begins as a shock ends with wisdom, confidence in God and His plan.Usually these shocking manifestation of God occur when God's macro/major plans are revealed: Other examples are easy to locate in Scripture.  Abraham's call in Genesis 12:3 “Where he fell face down” before God's revelation.Moses Burning Bush experience in Exodus 3, The whole chapter records Moses shock and human reticenceIsaiah's reaction in Isaiah 6:1-5 especially verse 5, “woe to me!” I am ruined… because eyes have seen the king, the Lord almighty” Remember also Job 42:1-5)Mary's response to the angel Gabriel, Luke 1:29-30 “... Mary was greatly troubled and confused at the angel's words'The disciples at Jesus's transfiguration (Matthew 17:6 “When the disciples heard the voice of the Lord, declaring Jesus as His son, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified!While these experiences themselves seem to be far from a blessing they all lead to a great respect for God and HIs personal call in their lives, an “Awe” and confidence that He who calls us is able to empower us to get it done (Philippians 1:6) a shock experience that leads to glory.Finally these experiences can be distinguished from an Ananias and Sapphira type of experience. Which illustrates a judgment from God. John the revelator's “falling at the risen Jesus's feet”, as though dead that produced great fear” was only a prelude to His call that produced great awe before God: John was “awestruck” before Jesus and His great Revelation. He received an experience while in prison at the island of Patmos, to encourage him to continue to see and write God's final Revelation. John still had a purpose for the Kingdom & God had not abandoned him, even in prison.Amen 

Faith and science need not be in conflict. While some argue that scientific explanations make God obsolete, this assumes that explaining how something works eliminates the need for a Creator. Instead, science can reveal God's attributes—His attention to detail, faithfulness, and desire to be known. Four models exist for integrating faith and science: conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration. Rather than placing God only in the gaps of our knowledge, we can recognize that God works through creation, not just around it. Scientific explanations don't eliminate God; they reveal how God accomplishes His purposes.

MAY. 22, 2025How to stay enthusiastic about God.'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'" Jn 4:34 NIVNo one had more energy than Jesus. He got up early, stayed up late, and sometimes pulled all-nighters. Where did He get all that energy from? The answer is found in a fascinating dialogue. "His disciples urged him, 'Rabbi, eat something. But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about! Then His disciples said to each other, 'Could someone have brought him food?' 'My food, said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work'" (vv. 31-34 NIV). When you see the word "food," you think energy because that's what food is. And Jesus makes an insightful point here: God's will is energizing. So, how do you keep yourself energized? By staying in the will of God. Engaging in God-ordained passions and pursuing God-sized dreams is how we produce energy. Nothing energizes us more. Don't just repent of doing what is wrong; replace it with what is right. Paul writes: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]" (1Co 15:58 AMPC). If sin is a waste of energy, which it is, then discovering and fulfilling your God-given assignment in life is the most energizing thing that you can do.How to stay enthusiastic about God God's will is energizing.Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

In this episode, we explore the story of God rejecting Saul and choosing David as the next king of Israel, found in 1 Samuel 16. We walk through Samuel's fear, God's surprising instruction, and the powerful moment when David, the overlooked youngest son tending sheep, is chosen and anointed. The key message centers on how God does not look at outward appearances but sees the heart. We reflect on how this applies to us—reminding listeners that God values faithfulness in hidden places and uses those with a surrendered heart for significant Kingdom purposes, even if they feel overlooked or unqualified.

Main Point. God demands His people's complete and unwavering obedience, for half-hearted obedience invites spiritual decay and divine judgement. Driving Question. What are the results of half-hearted obedience? 1. Deception of short-lived prosperity (1–20) 2. Downward spiral of faithlessness (21–36) Application. Do you think you have ever been guilty of half-hearted obedience? 3. Divine judgment of God (2:1–5) Takeaways. three about man: Distrust breeds Disobedience. (1:3–36) Compromise leads to Consequences. (2:1–3) Revelation of sin leads to Repentance. (2:4–5) two about God: God is faithful to his promises. (1:1–2) God alone drives out the enemy.

We're looking at 2 immutable things: The Word of God God's Oath Also, we're looking at the mysterious High Priest Melchizedek.

De daling van de populariteit van religie zet voor het eerst in jaren niet door. Vooral onder jongeren neemt religiositeit toe. Maar hoe kunnen we dit verklaren? Conservatieven omarmen de Joods-Christelijke cultuur en verbinden het aan de nationale identiteit. Jongeren hebben behoefte aan houvast in onzekere tijden. Maar hoe vaak gaan dit soort lieden nog naar de kerk? Te gast is religiewetenschapper dr. Ernst van den Hemel. 

The Transfiguration revealed Jesus' divine glory shining from within, not merely reflected, affirming He is not just another prophet like Moses or Elijah but the very Son of God—God in the flesh, who "tabernacled" among us. Later, the disciples' failure to heal a possessed boy highlighted that spiritual power comes not from rituals or imitation, but from genuine faith and closeness to Christ through prayer.

"The cross we bear always precedes the crown we wear." - MLK Happy Resurrection day. Not just His... Yours. He is You. His story is yours. There's only One. Remember. I Love you, Nik nikki@curlynikki.com Please help me keep the show ad free + Get Merch! ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings ________________________________ Today's Quotes: "Inhale Love, exhale gratitude." -@RamdasBatchelder via IG "Always remember that when dusk arrives, it already has dawn in its womb." -Amma "No matter where you are in life, celebrate it. It's either a product of your growth or a place that will help you grow. Notice the progress. Cheers to today." -@antthewriter on IG "In Adam- the universal man- God sleeps. In Jesus Christ- the individualized God- God wakes." -Neville Goddard “Christ was lost in love. He was one with all beings and he had great love for all in the world. He was crucified so that his spirit could spread throughout the world. He was one with God. He sacrificed his body for the dharma. He never died. He never died. He is atman living in the hearts of all. See all beings as the reflection of Christ.” -Maharajji "Om. That is perfect. This is perfect. From the perfect springs the perfect. If the perfect is taken from the perfect, the perfect remains." -Swami Muktananda “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames." -Rumi "Hanuman is the knower of all hearts, and lives only to serve God within us and prepare us to live fully in the spirit. His entrance into our lives brings about the fulfillment of every desire. It's not necessary to ask Hanuman for anything, For he knows all." -Krishna Das Filling Up My Eyes from Mooji Mala, written and saaaaaang by my friend, Ana Ling!

In the second to last chapter of Swami Vivekananda's Bhakti Yoga (or Volume III of the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda), Swamiji gives us a walkthrough of all the attitudes of supreme love, prema with which we can relate to God: God as quietistic ideal (shānta), God as master (dāsya), God as friend (sakya), God as child (vatśalya) and of course, God as lover (Madhura).We explore the first three of these attitudes and discuss what makes seeing God as "master" so much more intense than a quietistic reverence and what seeing God as a "friend" that much more radical! We also make a strong claim for non-sectarianism when studying these attitudes to avoid putting everything in a kind of hierarchy and using that to judge others and to feel superior about our own spirituality. As such, we do a study of Bhakti Yoga in the light of Sri Ramakrishna, the spirit of Harmony of Religions and the "bhāva-rāja", king of devotional attitudes!You'll find the playlist for our Swami Vivekananda Bhakti Yoga series here! And here is a playlist on Tantrik Vaishnavism. Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrMJai Swamiji! Support the show

Do you feel unlovable because of past mistakes? You are not alone—many grapple with crippling guilt and shame, convinced they have strayed too far for God to care still. But that is not true! Chip emphatically sets the record straight in this powerful program. Dive into James chapter 5 and discover how to release yourself from condemnation and embrace God's limitless love and forgiveness. Learn today the transformative steps you can take for a fresh start.Main Points When Christians "Go Astray" --Proverbs 14:12 So what do you do when someone you know... Morally falls? Isn't walking with the Lord? Deserts their spouse? Shows signs of spiritually drifting? God's plan for spiritual healing. --James 5:19-20 The Problem: "Wandering from the Truth" The Solution: "Bringing them back to God" God's two-part strategy for restoration: Pray for them. Care enough to confront! --Galatians 6:1-2 Four keys to confronting in love: Prerequisite - Spiritual maturity Aim - Restoration Attitude - Gentleness Action - Don't give up! The Result = Life and healing Conclusion: A word to the "wandering." Three lies you must refuse to believe: I'll come home later. --Luke 15 I'm too far gone. --John 21 God could never accept me now. --Isaiah 1:18-20 Broadcast Resource Download Free MP3 Message Notes Additional Resource Mentions Prayer Journal About Chip Ingram Chip Ingram’s passion is helping Christians really live like Christians. As a pastor, author, and teacher for more than three decades, Chip has helped believers around the world move from spiritual spectators to healthy, authentic disciples of Jesus by living out God’s truth in their lives and relationships in transformational ways. About Living on the Edge Living on the Edge exists to help Christians live like Christians. Established in 1995 as the radio ministry of pastor and author Chip Ingram, God has since grown it into a global discipleship ministry. Living on the Edge provides Biblical teaching and discipleship resources that challenge and equip spiritually hungry Christians all over the world to become mature disciples of Jesus. Connect 888-333-6003 Website Chip Ingram App Instagram Facebook Twitter Partner With Us Donate Online 888-333-6003