Podcasts about he god

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). 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): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Essentials Part 4 – One God, Not Three” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

(This podcast was previously published on March 30, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   God told Isaac to work in the land to which HE had assigned him, and HE would bless him in that land, in that assignment.  (Genesis 26:2-3)   I was working with a woman in a problem she was having and she had been struggling with for several months.   God brought the following scriptures to my mind which revealed to me the source of her problem:   Joshua 2:8   They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.   II Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;   The solution for her in this problem was for her to focus on doing her own assignment as wife and mother.  She had been thinking of that which others, her husband & daughter, were doing and might be doing, and her mind was troubled by such.  No doubt devils were bringing suggestions to her concerning that which others were doing and that was troubling her.  But devil is a liar so thoughts that were coming to her to trouble her were likely wrong.   What she needed to do was consider the assignment God had given to her and to do that work with all her heart:   * Help meet for her husband.   Genesis 2   7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into HIS nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.   8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there HE put the man whom HE had formed.   18  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.   21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and HE (God) took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;   22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made HE a woman, and brought her unto the man.   She should pray often concerning "how she could help her husband" ... preparing meals and having his clothing ready for his work day. Keeping her house clean and orderly.  Keeping an atmosphere conducive to rest and peace. Refusing to focus on "lying vanities" concerning what he might be doing.  Instead doing her job as a wife and mother and busying herself with those activities.   Genesis 3   16 Unto the woman HE (God) said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.   And I said to her:  "Your husband cannot understand spiritual things because he is not born again ... so make him a chocolate pie."   She burst out laughing.   I Corinthians 2:14   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.   And she needs to care for her 5 adult aged children and live a godly life in front of all persons.   When she does these things, fulfilling the assignment given to her by God, she will be blessed by God and she will be a blessing to all others who come across her path.   *****   Also please listen to the following Podcast, click here:  Roles ordained by God for men and women, as shown by Bible )  

(This podcast was previously published on March 25, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   The Bible teaches us so much about God's plan concerning men and women and the way God created men and women.  The world tries to make everything the same, same opportunities, even same roles.   It is difficult to enter into our assignment from God and to understand the way God created us unless we view some scriptures on this subject.   God ordained the following:   Genesis 2:7-8   And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.   8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there HE put the man whom HE had formed.   18  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.   21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and HE (God) took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;   22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made HE a woman, and brought her unto the man.   ***   God created the woman to be an helper to the man.   Some women will not marry.  Some women will be assigned other roles by God.   But most women will marry and when they do marry, God has created them especially for that man to be his help meet.   ***   Eve was deceived by Satan and after the transgression, God put the following assignment on the man and the woman and there was a difference in the role of the man and the woman.   For the man:   Genesis 3   17-19 And unto Adam HE (God) said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.   For the woman:   Genesis 3   16 Unto the woman HE (God) said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.   (Already we see that God has created the woman for the man so she would be a help meet to the man.)   ***   So we go forth perfectly created and joined by God.   But men and women change the creation in their own wisdom and things fall apart.   As long as we accept our assignments, God blesses us in that to which HE has assigned to us.   And as long as we do what God wants us to do we are blessed and we bless others by our lives, whether we marry or whether we are single.   God said to Isaac:  Genesis 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee;   *****   Mark 10   Jesus says:   6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.   7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;   8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.   9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.   ***   Divorce was created because of the hardness of the heart:   Mark 10   2 And the Pharisees came to HIM (to Jesus) , and asked HIM, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting HIM.   3 And HE answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?   4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.   5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.   ***   Matthew 5:32   Jesus said:   But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.   * Woman who remarries after divorce commits adultery.   * Man who divorces a faithful wife will be the cause of her adultery if she remarries.   * Man who marries divorced woman commits adultery.   ***   Deborah, a married woman who judged Israel.   Judges 4   4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.   5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.   6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?   7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.   8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.   9 And she said, I will surely go with thee:   (So there are times God uses a woman for multiple purposes.)   ***   Women often want to fulfill themselves.   My mother wanted to be a teacher.  My dad did not want my mother to work outside the home.  So my mother did not try to get a job outside the home.  My dad wanted my mother to stay at home and take care of me and the house.   Pam Padgett's younger sister had 4 children.  This sister wanted to be fulfilled and she wanted to work in a day care center.  She convinced her parents to buy the day care center for her.  Her husband was against her working outside the home and he wanted her to stay at home and take care of their children.  But she got the day care center.  She and her husband ended up in divorce.   Today so much is upside down and opposite to that set forth in Bible.   Things are getting worse and they grow farther away from Bible.   ***   Some women will not marry and they will have other assignments from God.   I Corinthians 7     26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.   27  Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.   28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.   29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;   30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;   31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.   32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:   33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.   34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.   35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.   36 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.   37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.   38 So then he that giveth in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth not in marriage doeth better.   ***   Most people will marry and here are very important instructions concerning those who marry.   I Corinthians 7   10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.   12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.   13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.   14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.   15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.   16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?   39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.   40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.   ***   When we choose to follow that which is ordained by God for us by following the Spirit in that which is set forth in the New Testament Bible, we greatly bless ourselves and others.   It is good to focus on these scriptures concerning marriage, divorce, remarriage and remaining single.  

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany February 1, 2026 Faith Lutheran, Okemos Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 1, I Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12   Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth as in Heaven…   Our Father in heaven, in each moment, in each day we pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.   Your kingdom come, your will be done…  I been thinking about our sister congregation, Immanuel Lutheran in Grand Ledge.  Their pastor, Chuck Forrester, has been on leave from call for several months because of a serious medical condition.  For the last five months, God provided Pastor Chrisy Bright to serve Immanuel.  Chrisy, a young pastor, most recently served as an assistant to former Bishop Satterlee, and now for at least the next three months is Immanuel's contracted pastor.  In this present moment this morning she is preaching the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ to the people of Immanuel. God provided both work for a gifted pastor now without a letter of call, and pastoral leadership for a congregation whose called pastor's return remains uncertain.  An answer to most powerful of all prayers: Your kingdom come, your will be done…   One year ago today, Pastor Megan was ordained, and the very next day, she served as our pastor.  Surely, in this moment in the story of Faith Lutheran Church, God provided for us a shepherd abounding in compassion and joy in a time in our society when so much is uncertain.    Both Immanuel and Faith have been blessed too with exceptionally wise lay leaders and brilliant musicians, so reassuring during this past tumultuous, fear-filled year in our country when the foundations of our democracy seem very tenuous.  In ways we may not have readily recognized, our praying the Lord's prayer week after week did not go unheard.  In both congregations, in this fragile time for all of us, signs of the kingdom, signs of the reign of our Father and his Son, signs of God's steadfast, faithful, loving presence…  We are so blessed.   [In a Zoom call on Wednesday with three other former bishops, Floyd, Marcus, and Jerry, Floyd proclaimed that, for him. these readings for today from Micah, Psalm 15, I Corinthians, and Matthew were maybe the best ones in all of our three-year cycle of biblical texts.  Surely, they all are very beautiful and challenging and powerful as such a time as this.]   Many of us know by heart, or have at least heard these famous words from the prophet Micah, plain-spoken words we are called to live out until we take our last earthly breath: He [God] has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?     Less familiar, but no less powerful and reassuring are the words of Psalm 15, words for each of us in each moment of each day, for all of us who are daily bathed in God's forgiving love.  Please read them with me in their entirety:  LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle… [vs.4b:  They are willing to do the right thing, to stand by their oath even to their own hurt.]   And then these opening words from I Corinthians 1:18 revealing the  seemingly contradictory way God has chosen to save us:  The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us [most of whom are probably not all that worldly wise or powerful] to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  How ludicrous to worldly wisdom and worldly power and might to believe that a man accused of treason, who dies on a cross, would thereby takes away the sin of the world.  But it is God's wisdom that Jesus' cruel death would be the very way God would save us from our deep brokenness and alienation from each other and from the One who so loves us, so heals us, so day by day rekindles our faith in and hope and love for our Maker and Redeemer and for our friends and enemies alike.        And then, even more, the beatitudes in Matthew 5 as Jesus sat down and to his disciples long ago and to us this morning began his sermon on the mount.    Hear the beatitudes, these blessings in a translation, a rendering by Steve Garnaas-Holmes, a friend of Pastor Megan's:   Blessed are you who have nothing to offer,         for you are offered everything. Blessed are you who are broken-hearted for the world,         for God weeps with you, and will rejoice with you. Blessed are you who do not seek to dominate,         for love dominates your life. Blessed are you who sacrifice for the sake of justice,         for you will know victory. Blessed are you who are gentle,         for God's gentleness enfolds you. Blessed are you who seek only love,         for God will be everywhere for you. Blessed are you who remain peaceful in conflict,         for so you reveal God. Blessed are you who are treated harshly,         for God treats you to the entire realm of God. Blessed are you who are punished for your compassion,         for this is the way of the cross.  These beatitudes are not commands. They are not orders for how we should live our lives.  Rather they are promises to us when our spirits are weak and pretty much exhausted, when we mourn the injustices and the acts of violence in words and deeds against our brothers and sisters.  The beatitudes are promises that when we hunger for, yearn for, work for respectful, kind, and honest relationships in our own lives and in our communities and in our country, they are promises that already God has begun to fill our hearts with hope.  We see God already exposing the abuses of power and the violation of basic human rights so contrary to the way of our gentle Lord, even now calling tens of thousands of protesters to speak up for those who are treated harshly.    "Your kingdom come, your will be done."  It is already coming, our Father's will already being done.  So, blessed are we, members and friends of Faith, when in each moment and each day, the Holy Spirit moves us to perform simple acts of kindness, simple acts of gentleness, simple acts of mercy.  Blessed are we when that same Holy Spirit enables us to see injustices to the poor and to boldly resist in words and actions those in power who would crush and destroy the lives of those the Bible calls "resident aliens."  And blessed are we if we "take a hit," if we a maligned for the simple acts of compassion we are called to take for the oppressed in our midst, the acts of compassion we take for Jesus who was maligned for all of us, who will always be our Immanuel, God with us, God in the very depths of our hearts…   Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven…in each of our lives, in each of our hearts, in each of our actions, in each moment of each day.  Amen.                                                                                                                         JDS     *or "kindom," the latter word, recently coined and offered in the Apostles' Creed as an understanding of God's kingdom as a beloved community of siblings, all of us as beloved sisters and brothers with Jesus as our Lord.

(This podcast was previously published on January 31, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   To attribute the works of God and the Holy Spirit to being works of the devil would be blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.   Jesus said:  Matthew 12:31-32  All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.   And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.   As a new Christian in 1975, I went to the church my best friend and her husband attended.  The pastors of that church group were professors at Dallas Theological Seminary.   When I began attending this church, Believer's Chapel, the head pastor was teaching a seminar on the subject, "Tongues are of the devil."   One day, I was reading the Bible and saw the following:   The apostle Paul said, Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.   (1 Corinthians 14:39)   But at Believer's Chapel the pastor was teaching tongues to be of the devil.   The church I was attending at that time was teaching something exactly opposite to that which I was reading in the Bible!   I never went back to that church group.   I believe this pastor was committing blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.   A Baptist woman told me this story:  She went into her neighborhood grocery and saw a young man and she said to the grocer, "Who is that?"  He told her the name of the young man.  She said, "I'm going to marry him."  They did marry and they were married approximately 60-years until Jerry died.   I thought this was such a wonderful story and I said to my friend, "OH, that was a word of knowledge from God!"   My friend seemed frightened while I rejoiced.   I suspect she had been taught at her church group against the spiritual gifts of God.  (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, I Peter 4:11)   Some churches teach against the gifts of the Holy Spirit.   On this podcast, I will give examples of some of the great works done in the church by the Holy Spirit and some of the blasphemy against God and the Holy Spirit as presented in the Bible.   *****   The gifts of the Holy Spirit:   I Corinthians 12   1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.   2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.   3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.   4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.   5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.   6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.   7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.   8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;   9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;   10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:   11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will. ***   Romans 12   5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.   6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;   7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;   8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.   ***   I Peter 4:11   If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.   ***   At the end of the great tribulation, we read this:   Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.   (I suspect this form of blasphemy was cursing God.)   ***   After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus set up the New Testament church from heaven by HIS Spirit.   We are born again by the Holy Spirit of God convincing us of our sin.   In 1975 the Holy Spirit spoke to me by bringing the following thought to my mind:  "Joan, you know those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."   I was born again with that Word!   ***   My neighbor told me he had hated his stepmother all his life.  One day he went out on his porch and all of a sudden all that hatred was gone.  It was a miracle!  He no longer hated her.  He said "something" told him all this hatred he had carried against her was no good.  (Holy Spirit)   ***   Jesus said:   John 14:16   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.   John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.   ***   And the Holy Spirit searches the heart of God to reveal to us the will of God in the specific issues of this life.   I Corinthians 2:9-14   But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love HIM.   10 But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.   11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.   12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.   13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.   14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.   ***   Jesus, from heaven, sets HIS ministers into the New Testament church:   Ephesians 4:11-12   After Jesus arose into heaven, HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:   Acts 26  Paul tells king Agrippa what happened to him on the road to Damascus:   I heard a voice (from heaven) speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue. 15 I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;   Jesus speaks today to those ministers whom HE has called by HIS Holy Spirit and instructs us by HIS Spirit.   ***   Jesus speaks directly to us today from heaven by HIS Spirit:   Hebrews 1:1-2  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by HIS Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;   In the Old Testament the people of God were not given the Holy Spirit of God and they had to go to a prophet of God to find out what God wanted them to do.   But in the New Testament church, all believers are given the Holy Spirit of God and that Spirit of God lives in each believer to show him the will of God by bringing scripture, thoughts, ideas to the mind of the believer.  (I Corinthians 3:16; I Corinthians 6:19; II Corinthians 13:5)   ***   We are born again by the Holy Spirit of Jesus when HE (Jesus) speaks to us from heaven:   John 3:3, 5-6  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.   4 Nicodemus saith unto HIM, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?   5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.   6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.   Acts 1:8  Jesus said:   But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.   ***   In 1975, the Holy Spirit spoke to me by bringing the following to my mind:  "Joan, you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years?  Those weren't mistakes.  Those were sins."   I was very shocked!   I thought I was a Christian.  I had gone forward at Church of Christ and had been baptized in water.  But at that time I didn't know of my sins.  I just didn't want to go to hell.   I was 37 when the Holy Spirit revealed sin to me and I certainly was in agreement, and I was born again by agreeing with the Holy Spirit and I was instantly changed.   II Corinthians 5:17   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.   My mother was born again when I read Deuteronomy 18:9-13 aloud to her.  She had always love horoscopes and we had gone to town monthly where my mother bought the latest horoscope magazine which she read to me daily when I was a child.   After I read Deuteronomy 18 to her, she was very quiet for a few minutes, then she said:  "Well ... I guess we'd better not do that any more."   She was born again instantly as she turned from evil and agreed with the Word of God.   (The Holy Spirit was there to convince her of her sin.)   The apostle Paul was born again as Jesus spoke to HIM from heaven.   Acts 9   1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,   2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.   3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:   4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?   5 And HE said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.   6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.   The Holy Spirit speaks to us to reveal Jesus to us and we are born again by that Word delivered to us by Jesus's spirit. ***   Jesus sets HIS ministers into HIS church today as HE calls from heaven by HIS Holy Spirit to those ministers who are called as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers:   Acts 26, Paul speaks to king Agrippa:   20 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself.   Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:   2  I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:   3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.   4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;   5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.   6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:   7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.   8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?   9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.   10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.   11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.   12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,   13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.   14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.   15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.   16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;   17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,   18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.   19  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:    ***   Ephesians 4:11-13 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:   ***   The New Testament Bible is given by Jesus from heaven by the Holy Spirit after the crucifixion and resurrection:   And the New Testament Bible was given to the church from heaven as apostles were inspired by God to speak and write the books of the New Testament.   II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:   The early church had no New Testament Bible.  The apostles wrote on "parchments" and sent these letters to the churches in various cities and countries, and these epistles are in the New Testament Bible as the instructions from God came to them and they sent these "epistles" (letters) to be circulated among the various churches in their areas.   Colossians 4:16  And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.   So they passed these epistles, which we know today in the New Testament Bible, from church to church.   These writings were inspired by God by HIS Spirit just as God inspires us today to write the blog and to record the words presented on Podcasts.   ***   To deny the Spirit of God when HE speaks is death.   Jude   3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.   4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.   5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.   17  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;   18 How that they told you there should be mockers (copiers/imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.   19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.  

Ruth reads Hebrews 10:1-18 and Rev. Philip Davis asks how we relate to Jesus, is He God to us or man or something else, at Pembury Baptist Church on 28th December 2025.

(This podcast was previously published on February 25, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   The apostle Paul said:   Galatians 1:8   But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.   There is only one gospel, and that is the Word that is from God, the Holy Scriptures.   Angels carry messages from God.   What if a message comes to you which is opposite from the Bible?   Many years ago, a woman told me that when she met her 2nd husband, she heard this, "He's going to be your husband."   She, a divorced woman, did marry this man.   I wondered about that for several years.  How could this message have been from God when it went against that which we see in the Bible.   If a divorced woman remarries, according to Bible, she commits adultery.   Romans 7:1-3 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?   2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.   3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.   Recently the scripture in Galatian 1, spoken by the apostle Paul, was called to my mind and I recalled this story where my divorced friend had heard Hal was going to be her husband.   And I realized this could have been an evil angel speaking to her a "gospel" which was opposite to the Bible.   There are evil angels.  (Psalm 78:49)   The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, so the Holy Spirit will always be compatible with scripture when HE speaks a word to us by bringing a concept to our mind.   But an angel might bring a message to us also, and that message is usually from God, but if it conflicts with scripture we must not go that way.  It could be an "evil angel" speaking.   Galatians 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.   *****   Looking back on this story of my friend and what happened to her, there were signs for her not to marry the first husband.  And then after divorce, she practiced deception and hypocrisy at the next church which she attended and this could have opened the door for the evil angel to bring her a message.   She was raised Baptist.  She wanted to marry a Catholic man.  She went to Catholic school to convert to being Catholic so she could marry this Catholic boy. Catholic doctrine has many teachings opposite to Bible.  Her stepfather, a Baptist, refused to allow her to come back into his house if she married this man and became Catholic.  They married. Then her husband left her.  They divorced.     She left Catholic church and went to a non-denominational church.   Later when she wanted to remarry, she didn't tell anyone at that church that she was a divorced woman.  (deception & hypocrisy)   (When Donna practiced deception by not allowing anyone at that church to know she was divorced, this might have opened the door for the deception to come by what appears to have been an "evil angel" telling her Hal was going to be her husband.)   Hal's wife died of cancer.  He wanted to remarry.  He began to consider the single women at the church he attended.  He selected 2 women to date, looking for a wife.  One of these women was Donna but he did not know she had been divorced.   Hal fell in love with Donna.  Then she told him she had been married and divorced.   Jesus says ... whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.   They married.   (This happened before I met them.)   Later I asked Hal if he had known Donna was divorced would he had dated her.  He thought for a minute and then he said, "I don't think so."   Hal committed adultery when he married the divorced woman.  (Matthew 5:32)   Donna as a divorced woman committed adultery when she married Hal.  (I Corinthians 7:39; Romans 7:1-3)   ***   One of the things we will do in heaven is to judge angels, whether they are good or bad.   A good angel carries messages from God and does the work of God.An evil angel speaks opposite from the Bible.   Psalm 78:49  He (God) cast upon them the fierceness of HIS anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.   I Corinthians 1:3   Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?   II Peter 2:4   For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;   And Paul warns the church:   Galatians 1   6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from HIM that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:   7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.   8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.   9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.   ***   Beware:  A message could be carried to our minds which seems to be from God but actually is from an evil angel and is opposite from scripture.   Line up all messages with Bible.  If that message is opposite from Bible, we should judge that is not a real message from God but is from a destructive source.   For there will be much deception in the end times.   ***   One time, a woman wanted to come talk to me about her mother's 2nd marriage.   God said to me:  "Just focus on that which the scriptures say.  You don't need to focus on the circumstances of the divorce/remarriage."   ***   What the Bible says concerning a divorced woman remarrying:   Matthew 5:32  Jesus says:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.   - If a man divorces a faithful wife, and that faithful wife remarries after divorce, she will commit adultery, but her husband who divorced her will be the cause of her adultery.   - And the man who marries her that is divorced commits adultery.   ***   I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.   ***   I Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.   ***   Mark 10   2 And the Pharisees came to Him (to Jesus), and asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting HIM.   3 And HE answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?   4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.   5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.   6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.   7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;   8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.   9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.   10 And in the house HIS disciples asked HIM again of the same matter.   11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.   12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.   ***   At the time of sexual intercourse, you become one flesh with that other person.   I Corinthians 6   15  Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.   16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.   17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.   18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.   ***   James 1   13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:   14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.   15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.   ***   So if any speak opposite to scripture, let him be accursed, even if it is an angel from heaven or a pastor or a member of the congregation.   Cling to the scripture to free yourself from sin.  

In this uplifting Abounding Love episode, I begin a series in the Gospel of Luke on the Kingdom of God, which is future, but it's also present in us right now. Jesus, when asked about the coming Kingdom, responded, "For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21b, NKJV). The Kingdom of God is within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which we received once we were born again. As such, we need to look at the world with a different perspective. Being children of God, with the Holy Spirit within us, we have been lifted up beyond the cares of this world. Paul prays, ". . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18b, NKJV). In the remainder of chapter 1, Paul reminds us of the authority we inherit through Christ's resurrection. In Ephesians, chapter 2, Paul describes our prior sinful life, but now due to God's great love, ". . . even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together in Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:5-6, NKJV). We're in the Kingdom of God right now in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul states, "He [God the Father] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:13, NKJV). Being in the Kingdom, we need to act like it now! This podcast uses the Gospel of Luke to show how God made it possible for us to be in His everlasting Kingdom now [Luke 1:33], which begins with the birth of Jesus. Join me as we study Ephesians 1:15-23; 2:1-10; Colossians 1:12-23; Romans 8:1; 11-17; Hebrews 11:6; and excerpts from Luke, chapters 1 through 3, for an exciting time of exhortation from God's Word. Selah! [For more: Copy and Paste or Enter into ChatGPT.com, "Create a Study Guide of episode #065 Creative Faith In Luke #1 from Abounding Love Ministries" ].     www.aboundinglove.org

(This podcast was previously published on January 11, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    Sometimes we meet a church goer who is totally irrational to the truth.  Even when facts from the Bible are presented to him he insists on clinging to that which is taught at his church group.    Why can't he repent?  Why does he continue to hold to a lie?   The answer to this is in II Thessalonians 2.   These people were once enlightened to the truth from God but then "fell away" and chose to go with another doctrine which was opposite to doctrines of Christ in the Bible.   In such cases we see the following:   II Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.   11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:   12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.   When God sends that person "a strong delusion" there is nothing we can do to make that person understand even when we present many godly exhortations, for that person has been deluded by God.   We just have to walk away and leave him alone.   Acts 28   24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.   25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,   26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:   27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.   *****   Even when all of the plagues of the great tribulation come to this earth, none of the wicked will understand but the wise will understand.   Daniel 12   1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.   2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.   3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.   10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.   Revelation 9   20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:   21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.   Revelation 16    10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,   11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.   21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.   John 8   Jesus says:   43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.   44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.   John 12   37  But though HE had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him:   38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?   39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,   40 HE (God) hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.   God turns them over to "a reprobate mind" because they refuse to keep the "knowledge of the truth of God" before their minds.   Romans 1   28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;   29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,   30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,   31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:   32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.   ***   They would not continue with truth from God, so God gave them over to believe a lie that they could not repent and be saved.   Even when the plagues came, and it was obvious only God could bring those plagues, they blasphemed God instead of falling down before God in repentance.   God had turned them over to "a strong delusion" to believe a lie that they all might be damned who rejected the truth from God and clung to lies.  

Colossians 1:13-20 - He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the Head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.

Today we began reading Paul's letter to the Colossians.  It is a passionate letter full of his love for them.  We sense that the results of genuine love is a greatly heightened concern for the spiritual well-being of the objects of that love.  This concern is reflected in Paul's prayers; “we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.”Epaphras has brought news of their progress (v.7), “and so, from the day we heard it,” writes Paul, “we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”  [v.8-10]What a stirring message!  What a challenging message!  What if Paul were alive today and wrote to you/us like that?  How wonderful to be “fully pleasing” to the Lord!  He is not writing this way from past experience of them, it seems he is yet to visit them; Paul did not establish this ecclesia.The challenge of a message of this nature is even greater today because of the increasing darkness of the world in which we live. Now note how Paul then makes an even more challenging point, “He (God) has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” [v.13]  The kingdom exists now – in our hearts..  True faith results in a clear sense of the reality of our spiritual perceptions!Paul reminds them that they “once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, (but) he (Christ) has now reconciled (you) in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him …”  [v.22]  Then Paul uses that significant 2 letter word ‘if' – don't let us glide over it!  “IF indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the gospel …” [v.23]May it be true of all of us that “we have not ceased to pray for” others and ourselves “asking that we may be filled with these things to such an extent that the appealing distractions of our godless world find no lodgement at all in our minds.

(This podcast was previously recorded and published on December 14, 2020)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   A man wrote to me and at the bottom of the letter he called himself "Reverend."   Immediately I told him he should not call himself "Reverend", for only God in the Bible is called "Reverend."    Psalm 111:9  HE (God) sent redemption unto His people: HE hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend is HIS name.   This man said he went to Bible college and they told them now they could call themselves "Reverend".   God said to me:  "But you wouldn't allow them to call you Reverend."   (I thought about this.)   How is it that I wouldn't allow this when they do?   Then I realized it was because I have the Holy Spirit of Truth in me and they do not.  They have another spirit.   Then I saw the following scripture, concerning the mark of the beast.   Revelation 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the dragon & the beast), whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.  From 2 Timothy 1:12 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: ““The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 6: The Spirit” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Does the Bible Declare that “Jesus a God-Man”?We compare mainstream Christian belief with the biblical declarations and find a big difference.Some Scriptures from this episode:John8:40: “I am a man who told you the truth that I heard from God…” Acts2:22: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attestedto you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through himin your midst, as you yourselves know- Acts17:31: “because He (God) has fixed a day on which he will judge the world inrighteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has givenassurance to all by raising him from the dead. Romans5:15: "For if many died through the trespass of one man, much more havethe grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christabounded for many." Romans5:19: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by oneman's obedience many will be made righteous." 1 Corinthians 15:21: “Forsince death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came througha man” 1 Cor.15:21: “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection ofthe dead.”1Timothy 2:4-6: God "…desires all men to be saved and to come to aknowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator betweenGod and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself" 

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). 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): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “A Word from the Cross” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Send us a textGet FreeGet rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.  Ephesians 4:31…forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32Forgiveness is the key that unlocks you from the trap of an offense. Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?  Seven times?”  No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”  Matthew 18:21-22Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.  Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Matthew 18:32-351.   Forgiveness is not saying it's OK.Forgiveness is not saying it's ok, it's saying you don't owe me.2.  Forgiveness is not a feeling .For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21Forgiveness isn't a feeling, it's a Decision.  3.  Forgiveness is not Forgetting.Forgiveness is remembering what Jesus did for you and offering the same to others. 4.  Forgiveness is not the same as Trust. 5.  Forgiveness is not dependent on someone saying I'm sorry.Forgiveness only requires one person, while reconciliation requires two or more. 6.   Forgiveness is not fair.He [God] does not treat us as our sins deserve… Psalm 103:10Forgiveness is: The Word Release or Let Go. Challenge:1. Accept God's forgiveness and follow Jesus.2. Offer forgiveness and be free.Discussion Questions:What's a small thing that easily irritates you - social media comments, traffic, jokes that hit wrong? Why do those little offenses stick to us?The outline says “bitterness comes from an offense.” Why do you think it's so hard to notice bitterness taking root until it's already producing fruit?How does the parable of the unforgiving servant challenge the way we think about justice and fairness?How does receiving God's forgiveness first make it possible to extend forgiveness to others?What would it look like for you this week to take one step toward releasing an offense—small or big? Thank you for listening to the Relate Community Church podcast! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. If today's message spoke to you, share it with a friend or leave us a review to help spread the word. To learn more about Relate Community Church, visit us at www.relatecommunity.com. You are always welcome here, and remember—you are loved

(This podcast was previously recorded and published on June 29, 2020)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    During the Coronavirus in 2020, we, in USA,  were shut up in our homes for 3 months and we barely survived.    One plague of the great tribulation is five months and there are 14 plagues.  The endurance will be incredible during the great tribulation.   The elect of God will barely survive.   Jesus said:    Matthew 24   21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.   22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.   By this, we know some of the elect will go through the days of the great tribulation and those plagues that God is sending upon this earth.   Also in one plague we see this:   Revelation 9   3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.   4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.   By this we see some who have "the seal of God" in their foreheads will be living on this earth during the plagues that are coming.   If any of us happen to be one of those, we will have to be able to endure the plagues.   How to endure between now and then?   Some church goers don't seem to understand Jesus is "The Word."   *****   Prayer to God:   Luke 21:36   Jesus says:  Watch ye therefore, and pray always ...  that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.   Watch what you are doing daily ... Pray over all things that concern you or trouble you ... Pray over all that you are considering doing on this earth ... Allow God to establish your thoughts.   As we watch and pray, we are put in a position whereby we are accounted worthy to escape all these things that are coming upon this earth, the great tribulation ... and we stand before the Son of Man.   *** Watch what you are doing daily.  Conform to the instruction of that scripture which God calls to your attention.  Meditate in the Word of God.  Do the Word of God.  Continue doing the Word of God.   John 15   Jesus says:   1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.   2 Every branch in ME that beareth not fruit HE (God) taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, HE (God) purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.   (If we fail to bear fruit, we are removed by God.)   3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.   (God speaks to us by HIS Spirit.  HE causes the word which we need to follow at that specific time to stand out to us.  Usually it is a scripture.  We meditate on that Word and do that Word.)   4 Abide in ME, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in ME.   (We must live daily in that Word for the Word is Jesus.)   5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without ME ye can do nothing.   We live in those scriptures brought to us by the Holy Spirit of God.  Meditate on them day and night.  Do those scriptures.  Continue doing those scriptures.  

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be ashamed of the Gospel. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (including me). From Romans 1:16 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Power of God in Your Life” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

* On Mormons: Bob Enyart and Doug McBurney interview Lynn Wilder who taught young people preparing to be Mormon missionaries. Hear Dr. Wilder's encouraging testimony of the power of God to save even someone even from the depths of a cult. (See also kgov.com/cults.) * The Pro-Abortion Mormon "Church": See also all the excuses the LDS church offers for the intentional dismemberment of unborn boys and girls, at ProlifeProfiles.com/Mormonism. Also, consider that the false teaching of the Book of Mormon regarding one of its central claims, that pre-Columbian American Indians were primarily of Jewish ancestry, has been falsified. See also: - Part 2 of Bob's Interview with Lynn Wilder - Secret Recording of Bob Enyart talking to Mormons - Bob's interview with Mark Cares, Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons - Bob's interview with Mark Cares (Part 2) - Bob's interview with Matt Wilder of Adam's Road - Screenshots from the official Mormon "church" website listing the kids they say you can kill - Bob's interview with Brannon Howse on David Barton and Mitt Romney - Bob debates an ex-Mormon polygamist - Brigham (liked-'em) Young and so did Smith (just below) - Coins and monetary units, every coin in the Bible has been excavated whereas the fake monetary units in the Book of Mormon of course have never been confirmed - The BEL program, What Mitt Romney's Mormon Relative Says Bonus: Here are some notes from that BEL program, What Romney's Mormon Relative Says: * Bill Keller, Gregg Jackson & Bob Enyart: These three Christian activists present some of the uglier aspects of Mitt Romney's Mormonism including the cult's longtime claim, as reiterated by Marion Romney at the LDS General Conference, that Mormonism uniquely teaches that God the Father was once a man who grew up on a planet similar to Earth. Weird and heretical. * God the Father was Once a Man said Brigham Young: Not speaking of the incarnation of the Son but speaking of the Father, LDS president, prophet, and successor to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, said, "The idea that the Lord our God is not a personage of tabernacle [body] is entirely a mistaken notion. He was once a man. Brother Kimball quoted a saying of Joseph [Smith] the Prophet, that he would not worship a God who had not a Father... He [God] once possessed a body, as we now do..." -President & Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 9 see exmormon.org * More Brigham Young: "...the Father of Heights... Yes, he was once a man like you and I are and was once on an earth like this, passed through the ordeal you and I pass through. He had his father and his mother and he has been exalted through his faithfulness, and he is become Lord of all. He is the God pertaining to this earth. He is our Father." -President & Prophet Brigham Young, 14 July 1861 see exmormon.org * Mormon Prophet and President Lorenzo Snow: Again, not speaking of the incarnation but of the Father, Snow said, "I had a direct revelation of this. ... If there ever was a thing revealed to man perfectly, clearly, so that there could be no doubt or dubiety, this was revealed to me, and it came in these words: "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be." - President & Prophet Lorenzo R. Snow, Unchangeable Love of God see exmormon.org * Mormon "Church" President Equivocates: LDS president Gordon Hinkley in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle lied and then equivocated... Q: There are some significant differences in your beliefs. For instance, don't Mormons believe that God [the Father] was once a man? A: [Lying] I wouldn't say that. There was a little couplet coined, "As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become." Now that's more of a couplet than anything else. [And equivocating] That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don't know very much about. Q: So you're saying the church is still struggling to understand this? A: Well, as God is, man may become. We believe in eternal progression. Very strongly. * Brigham (liked-'em) Young and so did Smith: Some early Mormons denied that their earliest leaders were polygamists and it was claimed that Brigham (liked-'em) Young introduced the practice. Young had 55 wives. He married ten teenagers while in his 40s including 15-year-old Clarissa Decker when he was 42 and 16-year-old Lucy Bigelow when he was 45. Also, from age 41 to age 66, Young married 23 women in their 20s. Finally in 2014 the Mormon "church" acknowledged that their founder Joseph Smith had up to 40 wives (some historians put it at 49), taking single and even married women. The church claims that some of these marriages were without physical relations, which they would seeing that Smith's youngest bride, Helen Kimball, was only 14, the marriage listed by Smith's own clerk as one of the women the founder married in early May 1843. Helen would later write: [My father] asked me if I would be sealed to Joseph … [Smith] said to me, 'If you will take this step, it will ensure your eternal salvation & exaltation and that of your father's household & all of your kindred.['] This promise was so great that I willingly gave myself to purchase so glorious a reward. Lorenzo Snow, mentioned above, the fifth president, 1989 - 1901, only had nine wives, though a number of them were teenagers half (and much less than half) his age. Recall that the Koran includes Mohammad's warning to his first wife that she faced eternal punishment for objecting to him lying with the young Coptic servant girl whom, allegedly, "Allah" had "made lawful" to him, so too, Joseph Smith dictated a similar warning to his first wife Emma in the founder's "inspired" Doctrine and Covenants. And we see above that though 14-year-old Kimball wasn't threatened she was similarly manipulated nonetheless. * Mitt Romney's Second Cousin Once Removed: "...like begets like [i.e., reproduction after its kind; an organism begets similar organisms] and that for the offspring to grow to the stature of his parent is a process infinitely repeated in nature. We can therefore understand that for a son of God to grow to the likeness of his Father in heaven is in harmony with natural law... This is the way it will be with spirit sons of God. They will grow up to be like their Father in heaven. Joseph [Smith] taught this obvious truth. As a matter of fact, he taught that through this process God himself attained perfection. From President Snow's understanding of the teachings of the Prophet on this doctrinal point, he coined the familiar couplet: "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." This teaching is peculiar to the [LDS] restored gospel of Jesus Christ." -Elder Marion G. Romney, General Conference, October 1964 see exmormon.org * No Cities, No Money: Archaeologists and historians have confirmed the existence of scores of biblical cities. However, the No true Scotsman informal fallacy notwithstanding, not a single one of the 38 cities mentioned by Joseph Smith in the Book of Mormon have been recognized by any notable secular historian or archaeologist. And while every coin in the Bible has been found and documented, none of the monetary units described in the Book of Mormon have ever been found. * Mormonism Falsely Claims that Indians are Jews: One of the central historical claims of the Book of Mormon, as stated in its introduction as late as 1981, is that Jews were "the principal ancestors of the American Indians" and that would include the Aztecs, Incas, Mayans, Navajos, etc., are Jews. This false teaching states that some Jews left Jerusalem by ship in about 600 B.C. and built a great civilization in the Americas. Also wrongly about the Americas, "The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings" (Mormon 1:7) including with “fine workmanship… in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools” (Jarom 1:8; 2 Nephi 5:15) with “silks… oxen… cows… sheep… horses… donkeys… elephants…” (Ether 9:17-19) and "shipping and their building of ships, and of synagogues" and “swords… shields… head-plates… armor…” (Alma 43:18-19; Ether 15:15). None of this is true. * The Lembas: An African tribe, the Lembas, have long been believed to be descendants of the Jews, for they circumcise, keep the Sabbath and the dietary law, and in their DNA they possess the Jewish genetic marker, being perhaps the descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. DNA research shows that American Indians are not related to the Jews, nor closely related to any Semitic peoples or the descendants of Shem, but rather, that they are primarily of Hamitic stock, from Asian people, having migrated to the Americas not by sailing the Atlantic but by crossing the Bering Straight. * Genetics Confirms Actual Biblical Relationships: In contrast to genetic predictions based on the Bible, those based on the Book of Mormon fail. Regarding the origin 4,000 years ago of people groups descended from Abraham, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati quotes the director of the Human Genetics Program at New York University School of Medicine, Dr. Harry Ostrer, who in 2000 said: Jews and Arabs are all really children of Abraham … And all have preserved their Middle Eastern genetic roots over 4,000 years. This familiar pattern, of the latest science corroborating biblical history, continues in Dr. Sarfati's article, Genesis correctly predicts Y-Chromosome pattern: Jews and Arabs shown to be descendants of one man. * Likewise, Jewish Priests Share Genetic Marker: The journal Nature in its scientific correspondence published, Y Chromosomes of Jewish Priests, by scientists from the University of Arizona, Haifa (Israel's) Technical Institute, and University College of London, who wrote: These Y-chromosome haplotype differences confirm a distinct paternal genealogy for Jewish priests. As expected, genetic science does not reinforce but rather contradicts Mormon claims. The obvious falsehood extends beyond genetics to culture, religion, and history. Contrariwise, because the Judeo-Christian Scriptures are true, mountains of evidence corroborate their historic claims. Regarding Jewish priests, Dr. Sarfati adds to the above that, "These Jews have the name Cohen, the Hebrew for priest, or variants like Cohn, Kohn, Cowen, Kogan, Kagan, etc." and that, "Even today, it is possible to identify the Levites, because they have names such as Levy, Levine, Levinson, Levental..."   * If You Fear Obama, You'll Vote for Romney; If You Fear God, You Won't: Don't fear Obama. Fear God, for that is the beginning of wisdom! Besides, Obama is Romney-lite. And because Romney has already implemented policies that are so destructive that Obama only dreams of accomplishing such things, therefore, a vote for Romney is a vote for Obama. Today's Resource: Meet the Apostle John. He was the youngest of the Twelve. And at the time of this writing, he's now one of the last remaining. If you were an eyewitness to Christ's earthly ministry, what would concern you decades after the resurrection? From the battles that John fought we can learn lessons that will help us as we ourselves fight for the truth and battle false teaching within the church. By looking at "the things that differ," we can know what details in John's three epistles applied to the circumcision believers of his day and which of his teachings apply directly to us. Available on this 4-DVD Video Set and also in audio on MP3-CD or MP3 Download. * THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER: Make sure you don't miss Part 2 of Bob Enyart's great interview with former BYU professor Lynn Wilder.  

Exodus 3:12 - He [God] said [to Moses], “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

The record of 24th chapter of 2 Samuel closes the book on what had begun at a low point in David's life - his falling into a a sin whose consequences reverberated throughout his life - but by which he learned other extraordinary lessons. As a result David was able to teach us of grace, faith and wisdom. These would help to provide a foundation for his son Solomon to commence a reign of immense possibilities. David, at this time, was overcome with pride by the power of his kingdom, and it would seem, so was the entire nation. God used David's pride as an occasion to humble all who were lifted up in their arrogance. Interestingly Yahweh provoked David- the parallel record of 1 Chronicles 21 tells that satan did this. Although the KJV wrongfully translated this common noun without any definite article. It means that God was in opposition to Israel - at this time He (God) was their adversary. Joab was right in seeking to dissuade David from finding out what was the strength of his army. But without success, Joab pleads with David to refrain from his intended disastrous course. But the army captain shows his displeasure for his monarch by thwarting the census among those tribes where he had influence. The power of the true Sovereign was being disdained by David and so the king was told to choose from 3 punishments. When given a choice of 3 punishments David, now belatedly and contritely pleads with the Almighty that the king's people's were innocent. So David allows God to make the choice. For three days the land is plagued and ravaged by the angel's scourge - ie plague - until David courageously intervenes at the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusiite. This place was to become the site for Solomon's temple. Although the events described literally occurred we are presented with an enacted parable of Jerusalem's redemption. Araunah a Gentile, called Ornan in the Chronicles account, means "the strong one". So, typically, Israel are redeemed from the hand of those who were too strong for them. This happens in Jebus meaning "trodden down". The parable is explained in Luke 21:24.In Jeremiah 27 the prophet enacts a parable. The LORD instructs Jeremiah to make a wooden yoke and wear it as a testimony to the king and other leaders within Judah. Emissaries were sent out to the surrounding nations instructing them to submit to the power of Nebuchadnezzar. This, says the prophet, is because the Lord God Almighty has invested the Babylonian ruler with the authority to destroy nations and rule the peoples of that entire region. Jeremiah makes an appeal to both king Zedekiah and his subjects, who are told to submit to the king of Babylon in order that they might live. Alternatively Judah can choose to rebel and perish . Make your choice and accept the consequences Judah is told.In Mark 1 we have the beginning of the Gospel of the Son of God. There is no introduction, nor genealogy, for Jesus is depicted as Yahweh's servant. Jesus' ministry commences at his baptism when Jesus is about 30 years old. Mark next records our Lord's forty days of temptation in the wilderness. Mark alone tells us that the wild beasts were with him in the wilderness. Mark uses the expression "Immediately" many times in the first chapter and is a key word in Mark's record. The events described follow "immediately" after our Lord's testing. At the start of Jesus' ministry he calls his first Apostles. The chapter then tells us about the healing of a man with an unclean spirit. We are next told that there was a vast number of unrecorded miracles. That is followed by a preaching campaign in Galilee and the healing of a leper, whose plight deeply and personally touched our Lord and evoked from him his great compassion. This leper was sent to the priest as a testimony that the Son of God had come, and would do what the Law could not.More here https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT) *Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey!* The Bible’s greatest example of communicating the gospel is none other than Jesus Christ. Not only is He God, not only is He our Savior, but He also offers the perfect example of communication. He modeled how to communicate. You can read story after story in the Gospels of how Jesus approached people and how He spoke with them. It’s worth noting that some of the most profound statements that Jesus ever made took place in one-on-one conversations. The words of John 3:16, which may be the most famous verse in the Bible, were spoken during Jesus’ one-on-one conversation with a religious man named Nicodemus. One thing you’ll notice about Jesus is that He adapted His message to the people He spoke to. He adjusted how He communicated depending on the person’s needs, background, and situation in life. He was equally comfortable with—and effective in—talking to everyone from Israel’s leading religious leaders to the outcasts of society. Often when believers share their faith, they behave as though they’re preprogrammed computers. They get a glazed-over look in their eyes and repeat the same words to every person. It’s no wonder that the people they speak to tend to dismiss them as religious nuts and keep their distance. This one-size-fits-all approach to sharing God’s truth is certainly not the example that Jesus gave us. He took time with people. He made an effort to understand them. Jesus also possessed something that is unknown to many Christians today. It’s called tact; it’s the intuitive knowledge of saying the right thing at the right time. Though it involves intuition, tact can be learned and sharpened with experience. Every time you interact with someone, you can come away with a better understanding of what you did right and what you could do better. All it takes is a little awareness. In order to follow Jesus’ example, we need to treat each faith-sharing interaction as a unique opportunity. Instead of falling back on the “same old same old,” we need to stay in the moment. We need to listen carefully and compassionately to the things people share. We need to ask thoughtful follow-up questions to draw them out more, without getting too personal or setting off red flags. We need to be vulnerable and open about our own struggles, questions, and doubts. We need to build a rapport. We need to look for natural openings to talk about our faith, rather than awkwardly trying to inject a gospel presentation in the middle of a conversation about something else. Most of all, however, we need to pray. We need to ask God to guide our words, to give us the wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. God’s desire is for us to be like His Son. If we pray for the ability to talk to others as Jesus did—to share God’s life-giving message as He did—God will answer our prayers in powerful and life-changing ways. Reflection question: How can you be more like Jesus in the way you share your faith? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transformative Truth:  Divine love is revealed and expressed by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul prays (1) That God might strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner being (Ephesians 3:6-17a) (2) That we might have power to grasp the limitless dimensions of the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17b-19) Divine Love is revealed and expressed by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit First, to live with an ever-increasing awareness of Divine Love, Consider: Triune love Exists    Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Deuteronomy 6:4) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  2 Corinthians 13:14 WBC doctrinal statement He (God) is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence, and love. He eternally exists in three persons, who are equal in every divine perfection, and who execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence and redemption. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1 John 4:8  "It is common when speaking of the Divine happiness to say that God is infinitely happy in the enjoyment of Himself, in perfectly beholding and infinitely loving, and rejoicing in, His own essence and perfection..."  (Jonathan Edwards) And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;  and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17 Second, to live with an ever-increasing awareness of Divine Love, Consider: Triune love is Expressed "His self-giving affection for his image-bearing creatures and his unselfish concern for their well-being, that leads him to act on their behalf and for their happiness and welfare "  The God who is love - is the Father who sends his Son.   For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (Son) Romans 5:6 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Father) Romans 5:8 And when he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.... (John 16:8 ) Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  John 3:5  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14, NLT Third, to live with an ever-increasing awareness of Divine Love, Consider: Triune love is Extended In other words, the shape of the Father-Son relationship (the headship) begins a gracious cascade, like a waterfall of love: as the Father is the lover and the head of the Son, so the Son goes out to be the lover and the head of the church. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you," the Son says (Jn 15:9). And therein lies the very goodness of the gospel: as the Father is the lover and the Son the beloved, so Christ becomes the lover and the church the beloved. That means that Christ loves the church first and foremost: his love is not a response, given only when the church loves him; his love comes first, and we only love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19) Divine Love is revealed and expressed by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

There's a line in the song Rattle that says, "Just ask the man who was thrown on the bones of Elisha if there's anything that He (God) can't do." We gotta hear the Backstory to that one. The story is recorded in 2 Kings and it still impacts our lives today. Who will you be buried with? Everyone who believes in Jesus and is baptized is buried with Christ. Jesus is changing our lives today, just like that guy who was thrown on Elisha's bones. Let's talk about how being buried with Jesus changes our lives.Recorded live at Word of Life Church in Le Sueur, Minnesota, on Sunday, June 8, 2024, Pastor Jason Lang preaching.

June 7, 2025 Today's Reading: John 14:8-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (John 14:16)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Holy Spirit is God, as much as the Father is God and the Son is God. We confess this truth every time we speak one of the Creeds. But if the Spirit is God, why don't we give as much attention to the Holy Spirit as we do to the Father and the Son?On the one hand, we probably should spend more time thinking about the Holy Spirit and praising Him for all that He does for us. Not only is He God, but we would be lost without the Holy Spirit. Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism that we “cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord or come to Him.” It is the Holy Spirit who grants us saving faith in Jesus.  St. Paul also reminds us that it is only by the Holy Spirit that we can do good works, pleasing in God's sight. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” (Galatians 5:22-23). We literally could not be holy to God without the work of the Holy Spirit.But on the other hand, Jesus reminds us that in a way, this is what the Holy Spirit wants. Jesus calls the Spirit the “Helper.” The Holy Spirit acts as our helper by pointing us to Jesus. He directs our attention to Christ because it is Jesus alone who takes on our sinful flesh and suffers and dies for us. The Spirit teaches us all these things about Christ and brings them to our remembrance (John 14:26) by inspiring the prophets and apostles to write the Scriptures for us, and by working through the preaching of God's Word. That is how saving faith is created and sustained in us.Jesus, in turn, leads us to the Father (John 14:6) and shows us the Father's face (John 14:9). That is salvation. The faith of a Christian, the faith that is created by the work of the Holy Spirit, is always centered around Jesus Christ, our Lord.It is certainly good and right to praise God, the Holy Spirit, and acknowledge His work among us. And the best way to do that is to direct our eyes to Jesus and believe in Him. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost Eve)- Rev. Aric Fenske, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bear Creek, WI.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). 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): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Being in Christ, Part 3” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be ashamed of the Gospel. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (including me). From Romans 1:16 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Being in Christ, Part 2” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

In today's sermon, Pastor Andrew Coleman continues a series on God's amazing generosity by preaching on what OUR response should be to God's generosity. In this sermon, we look at 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15 and see several key truths to guide our own response. Here we see that true Christians are called to give GENEROUSLY, with the right EMOTION (cheerfulness & faithfulness), with the right MOTIVATION (gratitude & thankfulness), while remembering God's inexpressible gift to US--the gift of Jesus Christ! As Romans 8:32 reminds us, "He [God] who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" ________________________________________ Links to Sermon Notes & Answers: ➤Sermon Notes (Blank): https://www.sheridanhills.org/_files/ugd/30fec2_5d204ad91fc74e0d9268999858a4ca82.pdf ➤Sermon Notes (Answers): https://www.sheridanhills.org/_files/ugd/30fec2_5f8eb4f1363943149a82362c60d93d5a.pdf ________________________________________ In this video: Review of previous sermons in series Main Points Application ________________________________________ Subscribe to this channel to catch weekly expositional sermons from the Bible. ________________________________________ Explore more sermons and information: https://www.sheridanhills.org/watch-new ________________________________________ Follow us: ➤Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheridanhills/ ➤Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheridanhills01 ➤Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheridanhills/

He (God) has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ [NKJV]

Today's generation vary on how they see or “understand” God. As my past mentor and teacher, Dr. Norman Geisler use to say, “God created us in His image-and we have been returning the favor ever sense”. Today, through Matthew 7:21-23, I am going to show you that while God is merciful, patient, and not wanting any to parish, most humans demand of God that He (God) bend to become what they want God to be as opposed to their (our) bending to God-His will, and His ways. As a result, upon leaving their temporal life for the eternal, those who sought to make God in their own image will hear those fateful words, “I NEVER KNEW YOU”.Check out the Online Course "KNOWING GOD RIGHTLY" CLICK HEREJoin the COMMUNITY today at NO CHARGE at: CLICK HEREBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reason-for-truth--2774396/support.

Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 01-21-2025) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include: Eric Johnson of Mormon Research Ministry Talks about the Upcoming Jordan Tour/ Matt Discusses his Online interaction with Eastern Orthodox adherents/ Question on the Trinity/ Question on Exodus 4:24—Why was God Going to Kill Moses/ Question on The Holy Spirit-How is He God?/Nature of the Trinity/ January 21, 2025

Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 01-21-2025) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include:Eric Johnson of Mormon Research Ministry Talks about the Upcoming Jordan Tour/ Matt Discusses his Online interaction with Eastern Orthodox adherents/ Question on the Trinity/ Question on Exodus 4:24—Why was God Going to Kill Moses/ Question on The Holy Spirit-How is He God?/Nature of the Trinity/ January 21, 2025

Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 01-21-2025) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include: Eric Johnson of Mormon Research Ministry Talks about the Upcoming Jordan Tour/ Matt Discusses his Online interaction with Eastern Orthodox adherents/ Question on the Trinity/ Question on Exodus 4:24—Why was God Going to Kill Moses/ Question on The Holy Spirit-How is He God?/Nature of the Trinity/ January 21, 2025

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will trust in the Lord with all my heart. I will trust in the Lord with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding.  In all my ways I will seek to know Him, and He will make my pathways straight.   From Proverbs 3:5f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “A Christmas Message” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

We oftentimes reflect on God's goodness in the times of multiplication, but isn't God still working in the times of subtraction? Isn't He God when prayers aren't answered the way we want them to be answered? Isn't He God when the battle seems to be raging? And if He's still God, then He should be at work even when I'm in a season of Reduction. This is a powerful principle that I began to see while on my trip to India, and I've waited till now to share it with you. As we celebrate God's goodness in this last Sunday of the year, let's take note of the principle of Reduction in God's economy. Turn your bibles to Judges 7 and let's get ready to learn.

Eliphaz appeals to Iyov, that in the broad long run of history, God might sometimes strike a bitter blow, but in the broad calculus of time: "He {God} injures, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands heal." We ask whether this is a convincing argument.

Jay Anthony is an R&B/Pop singer with a large Gospel influence throughout all his music. Whether it be the spiritual angle of his subject matter, the way he sings, or the way the music is arranged, he keeps God first in all things. His latest single, “Worth Living” from his EP Music & Me was written from a very vulnerable place and offers encouragement and motivation to anyone going through something. Jay explained that he actually began writing the song in 2021 and after going through the loss of his Grandmother, depression and therapy, was able to complete the song this year. He shared that losing her was what caused the depression which led to him temporarily losing his love of music. Since he grew up with multiple musically inclined family members and lives a family centric life, losing her was like losing a piece of the love that was in his heart. But, by completing this song he found the motivation to compose the rest of the EP.“When I finished writing this song, I cried. When I heard the finished version, I cried. When my Mother - who didn't know about all of my crying - heard it for the first time, she cried. I knew if it had that effect on us, I had no choice but to share it with the world. The song gave me hope to continue. I knew I had to finish this project and I knew He [God] didn't give me these words just for me to keep them to myself.”Jay purposely released this song during this time of year because of how depression affects so many people around the holidays. He wants people to know that it's okay to not be okay and to get the therapy they need and keep living. All the music Jay writes is made with intentionality like this. For him, every song he writes is like a child which means they all need love and nurturing from him. And because of that love within them, he believes the music will resonate with people today and with people 20-40 years from now. He knows the music will be timeless because the lyrics within them and how they reached him are timeless. “It's spiritual for me. The Most High gives me these lyrics and I'm just a vessel for Him.”The spiritual perspective of the music creation comes directly from Jay's background in the church. And with him, he's found that all music comes from gospel. Whether it's chords or melodies - all of it goes back to gospel. By learning this, he was able to apply techniques from that world to a plethora of other aspects of music. His Grandmother reinforced this perspective by teaching him that the key to it all is singing from the heart. “When you sing from the heart, you're going to touch people.” Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.

Hebrews 10:28-29 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? Back at the beginning of chapter 2, the author wrote, “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? The author was referring to the Law of Moses in these verses. The first covenant had no provision of mercy if someone broke the Law willfully in the sight of two or three witnesses. If someone who despised the word of God revealed in the Law, the first covenant, was punished without mercy, what do you think God will do to someone who despises the second, greater covenant established by His Son, Jesus Christ? Can someone neglect so great a salvation as God has provided in Jesus with impunity? To reject or neglect God's promises in Christ is to trample on Jesus. To refuse to be washed in Jesus' blood is to insult the Holy Spirit of grace, by which one is to be set apart to God. The seriousness of unbelief is graphically unpacked in these verses. There's no escape from the fury of God's judgment if one insults the Holy Spirit, by whose grace the Son of God gave Himself to redeem God's people and give them entrance into the Holy Place for the glory of God. I wonder if this is the sin against the Holy Spirit that is unforgivable.  Of course these verses are intended to produce a fear of the Lord, which gives one wisdom and understanding. Job wrote, “And to man He (God) said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding'” (Job 28:28). One is a fool to despise wisdom.  So let us consider how to stimulate one another to live to love with Jesus. For some, knowing the truth of what God has done for us in Christ is a great, positive encouragement. For others, the negative approach is needed—a strong warning of what can be expected if we don't continually abide in Christ and love with Him. Draw near to the throne of grace, my dear friend, and draw from the fullness of God's love and grace so you can bring Him glory in the day of judgment, which is coming soon.

The passage that we just read comes at the end of a section of narrative in Numbers. It comes right in the middle of the whole section we will cover this morning, which is Numbers 16-19. Not only does it come in the middle of the chapters for this morning, it comes right at the middle of the book of Numbers as a whole. We see at the heart of the book of Numbers, which has been a theme in the Pentateuch as a whole, the question of how can an unholy people come near a Holy God? Or vise versa, how can a Holy God come and dwell in the midst of a sinful people, without them being consumed by his Holy justice? We have seen this focus in the books of Moses (the first 5 book of the Bible). The book placed right in the middle is Leviticus, which gives instruction about sacrifices, laws, and the duties of the priests. And right at the heart of that book, right in the middle, is instructions for the Day of Atonement, where the priest once a year will enter behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy place, to make atonement for the sins of the nation.So it is not a coincidence that the tabernacle and the priesthood seem to take center stage, once again, in the book of Numbers. We will return to that theme at the end this morning. But first, we are going to look at what comes prior to this story, and what comes after it.In Chapter 16, we see three distinct acts of judgement connected with rebellion, grumbling and unbelief. After the three acts of judgement, we will look at three provisions from God for the people of Israel in Chapters 17, 18, and 19. That is the high level outline this morning; 3 acts of judgment, and 3 acts of provision.Would you pray with me as we get started?1. Three acts of Judgment from God (Ch. 16:1-40, 41-50)Hear again verses 12 and 13,“And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes near the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?”This is the desperate question we see in response to all that has happened in chapters 16 and 17. Death, because of God's judgment related to sin, is all over the camp. So let's look back at the acts of judgment that led up to the people crying out to Moses. The first story incapsulates two of these acts of wrath.Korah's Rebellion (Numbers 16:1–19)Numbers 16:1-19,Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” When Moses heard it, he fell on his face, and he said to Korah and all his company, “In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him. Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company; put fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow, and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!” And Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, “We will not come up. Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us? Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.” And Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them.”And Moses said to Korah, “Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. And let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the LORD his censer, 250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.” So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.Korah, who was a leader among the Levites, has banded together with Dathan and Abiram, who are leaders from the tribe of Rueben. They have gathered 250 well-known leaders, from the whole camp to come and rebel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. This is not a small group of complainers, this an organized revolt that has a sizable group with it. Besides the leaders mentioned, there are 250 well-known leaders that have joined in along with them. We need to see a few things here to appreciate the magnitude of what is going on. First lets do a historical fly by. Here we'll see revelation and rivalry…Starting back in Genesis, in Genesis 49, Jacob calls his 12 sons together so that he may tell them “what shall happen to [them] in days to come.” And in his speaking to each of them, it says that he “blessed them, blessing each with a blessing suitable to him.”Genesis 49 gives us prophetic blessings, that fit his sons and will play out in the coming generations. It gives us revelation into the coming days. There are three things to see in the first few blessings:To Rueben, the firstborn, he says: “[you are] preeminent in power, but you will not have preeminence”To Levi, he says: Their “weapons of violence are their swords.” Their anger is fierce and their wrath, cruel. God says: “I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”To Judah, he says: “your brothers shall praise you.” “The scepter shall not depart from Judah.” Exodus 32 gives us a glimpse of this playing out for the Levites. This is the infamous story of the golden calf. Moses has been up on the mountain for a while and the people become restless. Along with Aaron, they make themselves an image to worship. Moses comes down and sees the wickednesses of the camp and how Aaron has let them stray. Moses says, “‘Who is on the LORD's side? Come to me' And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.” They are then commanded to slaughter the wickedness around them and about 3,000 fell that day. And Moses said,“…today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and his brother, so that He [God] might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” (Exodus 32:29).The Levites are blessed for their faithfulness to God and execute his judgement. We see their warrior-like fierceness, and an ordaining that will fulfill what is said back in Genesis.Numbers 2 gives us a glimpse of these “prophetic blessings” playing out for the tribes of Judah and Rueben. As the camp is ordered, Judah is placed in the first position over all his brothers, first in the first camp which will be on the east. While Rueben is listed as first in the camp on the south side, the second camp.This is the same order used when it comes to Numbers 7 with the contributions for the tabernacle. Judah goes first. The firstborn tribe of Reuben is not the leader, the tribe of Judah is.In Numbers 3, we see the redeeming of the firstborn from all the tribes. So rather than all the firstborns, being taken to serve before the Lord, they are redeemed and replaced by all the sons of Levi. The firstborns of the tribes are swapped out for the whole tribe of Levi. Service of the Lord before the tabernacle is concentrated under the Levites. So what may have been brewing for quite some time, is rivalry among family as God's revelation starts to take place. God has chosen leaders different than the natural order.And it just so happens, that Korah, Dathan and Abiram all camp together in the south camp, so they have had some time to talk. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram suspect that Moses and Aaron have carved out their own position of power, which they think they have equal or greater right to. (But we have seen this many times already in scripture, that God's choosing is not restricted by natural order. And there issue is ultimately with God, although they focus the blame on Moses and Aaron).We see their astounding wickedness.Last week Pastor Mike Schumann highlighted how unbelief adds and removes things from what is true. And in this passage we see much of the same: They disregard God's choosing and say that Moses and Aaron have gone too far by exalting themselves over the people of Israel. Their plea is that “everyone is Holy,” yet they really just want to lead. They are suspicious and suspect that Moses and Aaron seek to punish or kill the men who have confronted them by exposing their ploy for power over the people of Israel. They say: “Will you put out the eyes of these men?” They describe Moses as making himself prince over them, so they won't take any of his commands anymore… “Don't tell us to come up to the tabernacle.”They give a jaw dropping account of what has transpired:“Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself prince over us?” (Num. 16:13).A land flowing with milk and honey in the Bible is exclusively used to describe the promised land, that they refused to go into only a few chapters earlier. And here, this wicked rebellion describes Egypt as a land flowing with milk and honey that Moses has taken the people from.This is absolutely stunning, I don't even know what to say…We see the power of sin and unbelief.We either have men who have been jealous of Moses and Aaron this whole time, despite God's provision through them again and again, and now see an opportunity to overthrow them because they have not received the Promise Land… They are unchanged by example after example of God's grace….Or, we have sin and unbelief that is so potent that these men change their opinion of all that has happened. They so quickly see it all differently now, because they don't like their circumstances. Their unbelief darkens them to all God has done, and in borderline blasphemy, they call Egypt “a land flowing with milk and honey!”A word for us here: Be careful to not get caught up in the sins of others. Gossip, slander, grumbling. Do not get entangled in the sin of others. A few men of the camp, maybe talking to much around the campfire, ended up gathering 250 known leaders, which will lead to the demise of them all.So the rebellion, with leaders from the tribe of Levi, and Reuben, and 250 other notable leaders, who likely have natural first born privileges, contend with Moses and Aaron, and this is taking place in two different places, with two different challenges. And the Lord will respond with 2 different and fitting judgements. You have the 250, with Korah standing before the tabernacle, and you have Dathan and Abiram staying in their own camp.These two locations highlight two different challenges to Moses and Aaron. One to Aaron and his Priesthood, and one to Moses and authority.Korah, a leading Levite, desires to lead the Priesthood and kick Aaron aside. Dathan and Abiram, are done taking instructions from Moses and seek to lead.And as the stage is set “the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.” The Lord tells Moses and Aaron to separate so that God can consume them all. Moses pleads for the people to not be killed based on one mans rebellion. God tells them to command the people to separate from the camp of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. So Moses goes to them and commands the people to separate, and says, verses 28-30,“Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD”. And immediately as Moses finishes speaking, the Lord acts in judgement. To those who contend against the leadership of Moses, and seek to exalt themselves over the Lord's chosen, they are brought down alive into the earth. And to those who contended against Aaron as the high priest, their incense is not accepted and, verse 35, “a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men.”This was a terrible and fearful day in the camp of Israel, a significant rebellion which was against God, experiences of just wrath directly from Him. God defends Moses and Aaron. We would think that the people now see, but it is about to get worst. Verse 41,“But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron and said ‘You have killed the people of the LORD.'”The very next day, those who survived put their lot in with those who were judged in Korah's rebellion, and sided with them! One of the literary themes in this passage is the assembly of God versus the assembly of Korah. Those who belong to Yahweh, and those who “belong to Korah.”The very next day the people cry out and complain that Moses and Aaron have killed the true people of the LORD. Then the glory of the Lord appeared again. God tells Moses and Aaron to separate from the people again, and they hear that a plague has already started to wipe out the people.Moses commands Aaron to light his censor from off the altar and to run into the midst of the people, to make atonement for them, and he ran and stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was stopped. And when the plague had subsided, he returned to Moses. 14,700 died that day, in addition to all who were killed the day before.Here is the scary thing: Our hearts have the same seeds of sin and unbelief as Israel in the wilderness. They have that same capacity for wickedness, slander and unbelief. If not for the grace of God, we would fall into the same suspicion, the same grumbling, they same self-deception, the same unbelief. Our ability to deceive ourselves should be terrifying. Apart from God's grace and work, that is the capacity of your heart!You need to see that. You need to understand that. And when you do, the grace and rescue of Jesus looks like amazing news. We understand the “power of the gospel for salvation.” It was no small thing to save you, it took supernatural power, for God to overcome your sin and your heart, so that you may be alive, to see and believe in him. And not have eyes that are so blind to his grace and provision over and over again.Death is all over the camp of Israel. But God is committed to his people. And in chapters 17, 18, and 19, we see three provisions for Israel which bring hope and stability.2. Three acts of provisions for life from God (Ch. 17, 18, 19).Provision of the priest, provision for the levites, and provision for the rest of the camp.1. God Reaffirms leadership and the priesthood in the camp (Ch. 17).God reestablished the order that was for Israel's good. The wheels have been coming off, it was all falling apart, and God reestablished order out of increasing chaos. He does not abandon his plan or try something different, but he establishes again the order of the community that was given prior and brings it back into shape and form.12 staffs are brought, one from each tribe of Israel. Aaron's staff is placed among them and they are all brought into the tent of meeting, so that God will show his people who is Holy and who he has chosen by making their staff bud.Aaron's staff alone is chosen, it not only buds, but bears fruit and undeniably shows that the Lord has still chosen Aaron and the Levites to be near his house.And God says, verse 10, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumbling against me, lest they die.”God graciously gives the people a sign of his chosen leadership, and it is a perpetual sign to hold back the grumblings of rebels so they don't die.Much like the censors of the 250 that were taken and hammered out as a cover for the altar, to remind and warn the people that only the sons of Aaron can come near and offer incense on the altar.These signs don't remove the wickedness in Israel, but are described as holding it back, stopping it from breaking through to cause death.2. God reaffirms the duties of the priests and Levites (Ch. 18).Numbers 18:1–3,So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die.”The Levites will serve with the priest, they will guard and help, and bear the burden together. There is mutual responsibility, a failure in duty could cause both to die. And they will serve as a buffer between God and the people.God also gives provisions to the Levites, because they will not have an inheritance in the land. They will be provided for by what is brought to the Lord. And as we zoom forward to Numbers 35 we see this fulfilled as they are given cities throughout the land, but not given their own portion. Sound familiar?Genesis 49, “I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”We see the fulfilling of what was spoken of them back in Genesis. They are a warring people that will be scattered among the people of Israel, but they also stood by Moses and the Lord at the golden calf, and have been ordained to the burden and privilege of serving before the Lord. 3. God provides purification from death to enter back into the camp (Ch. 19).Numbers 19:2–5,“This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned.”There are some similarities in this offering and the offering on the Day of Atonement. Both involve action outside of the camp and both are entrance rites. The Day of Atonement sacrifices were to cleanse the priest so he may enter the Most Holy place. The red heifer ashes were to cleanse those who had been near death so that they may be cleansed and return back into the camp. The Lord provided entrance back into the camp for those who were ceremonially unclean.Only through the Priesthood of AaronBefore we close, we need to return to the miracle of Aaron's staff flowering, and what it means.For Israel, God is saying: Only Aaron and his sons may come near … Aaron's staff buds, shoots, blossoms and bears fruit. The other staffs remain dead sticks. There aren't many ways to the presence of Yahweh. Only through a sacrifice for sin mediated through whom God has chosen. And when Israel saw this, they responded with great fear.But, God is also saying: I will bless all the people through Aaron and his sons. Them coming near to God was not for them alone, but for all the people. It was not a sign of death on the other leaders, but a sign of life for all through the mediation of the Levites. Aaron will stand in the gap between death and life for them.There is another place in which we have heard a description like this before. Of branches, and blossoms and fruit. It's the golden lampstand, with its seven branches and cups like almonds blossoms.The lampstand gave light to the Holy place, and shined on the 12 loaves of bread that represent the tribes. The priests were also to put Yahweh's name on the people of Israel by saying “may the Lord bless you, and keep you, may the LORD makes his face to shine upon you...”Aaron's staff shows once again that the Lord through His priests will abundantly bless his people and will shine on them. There is abundant life and blessing that is still offered to the people of Israel. God has not left his people, He will still dwell in their midst, and he will hold back their sin until he one day conquers and removes it for good. And we have the greater reality. Jesus stands in the gap for us, between life and death, but more than holding back sin and death, he defeats it. God will bless us, and keep us, and make His face to shine upon us, but only through the mediation of Jesus. Jesus is the only way back to God.Israel problem wasn't their circumstances, it was their unbelieving hearts. Better food won't make them believe, better land won't make them believe, rescue from wrath over and over won't make them believe. And apart from Christ, our hearts are the same. But God, through Christ, has given us new hearts. And because of this, we will make it though our own wilderness. We won't make it because God gives us favorable circumstances, but because we have faith in the Son of God who loved us and died for us. The TableThe only way to be reconciled to God is through Jesus. And that is what this table represents. Jesus's sacrifice cleanses our consciences, and gives us new hearts. Hebrew 9 says exactly this as it looks back at Numbers 19. It says:“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”His life, death, and resurrection is for you. If you believe in Jesus, you are welcome to this table.

What does it mean to be a Christian? How do you know that you are a Christian? What assurance can you have that you will remain a Christian? Well it is mentioned over thirty times in Ephesians, in fact we are told about 10 times in the very first and very long sentence that makes up the first 14 verses of Ephesians: In Christ, all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places now belongs to you Christian (v. 3) In Christ, you were chosen before the foundation of the world (v. 4) Through Christ, you were predestined and adopted as sons and daughters of the living God (v. 5). In the Beloved Son of God, you are a favored child of God (v. 6). In Jesus, we have redemption, forgiveness, and the riches of Gods grace through His blood (v. 7). In Jesus, God made known the mystery of His will (v. 9). In Christ, the Father is bringing all things together to accomplish His good plan (v. 10). In Christ, we have obtained an inheritance in accordance with the plan of the Fathers perfect will (v. 11). In Christ, we are the praise of Gods glory (v. 12). In Jesus, you have been sealed by Gods Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (v. 13). To be a Christian is to be a person who was once spiritually dead, but now is alive with Christ not because of any religious activity on our part, but only because of the work of Jesus on our behalf (Eph. 2:1-9). This is what it means to be a Christian, but how does one become a Christian? I believe that in the same way that you become a Christian, is the same way you put on and take up the breastplate of righteousness. Some of you will remember our time spent in the sermon on the mount during my sermon series, Something Greater just over two years ago. In fact, if you are trying to make sense of the rhetoric and animosity that we are experiencing in our nation, I encourage you to read the first manuscript in that series from May 22, 2022. If you were here for that sermon series, you discovered that not only is the sermon on the mount the greatest sermon ever preached, but Jesus sermon shows us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. During our time in the beatitudes I shared that the first three beatitudes, which are also known as beatitudes of need, reveal what is essential for any person to understand what is necessary for the salvation of your soul. Let me walk you through it because it will help you appreciate just how encouraging the breastplate of righteousness really is. So here are the first three beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-5, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. To be poor in spirit is to arrive at the cross of Christ with empty hands, recognizing that you are spiritually bankrupt of any moral virtues adequate to earn or gain Gods forgiveness for sins committed against Him. Those who mourn are those who see and understand their sins for what they are and grieve because of them. The meek are those who understand that their problems are beyond them, their problems are because of the sin in them, and their problems are of their own doing. To come to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins is to come to Jesus knowing that there is no righteousness in yourself; it is to mourn over the reality that your sins offend the God who is infinitely righteous, and to come to Jesus knowing that there is not one thing you can do to generate the kind of righteousness necessary for your salvation. The person who has been truly born again is one whose experience is now the fourth beatitude: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8). What is the Breastplate of Righteousness? The Roman soldiers breastplate was most likely form fitting and extended from the base of the neck to the top of the thighs, covering the thorax and abdomen for the purpose of protecting the vital organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and bowels. The breastplate is the second piece of Gods armor we are told to put on, but what kind of righteousness does it represent? Is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Jesus that has been imputed upon you the moment you were saved through faith by Christ alone? The imputed righteousness of Christ is when the righteousness of Jesus is applied to you the moment you believed the gospel as we are told in verses like 2 Corinthians 5:21, He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Here, consider another passage that concerns the imputed righteousness of Christ from Romans 5:18-21, So then, as through one offense [Adams sin] the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one mans disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, the imputation of Christs righteousness is good news because God the Father no longer sees you as a sinner because of your sinfulness but sees you as righteous because Jesus righteousness has been applied to you permanently. Do you remember last week when I showed you that the belt of truth includes your identity in Jesus and that He is now your truth? The One we follow is, the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6), and now we follow His way, we walk in His truth, and we are united to His life. Some of you, like John Bunyan, really struggle with the tension between what you know the Bible says about your salvation and your very real frustration over your sin. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrims Progress, a book he wrote while in prison for preaching the gospel, it has now been translated into more languages than any other book, except the Bible. Bunyan also wrote other books, and one such book so profoundly helped me with my own struggle of desiring to live for Jesus while struggling with my own sin. One day, while Bunyan was taking a walk, he discovered something that we dare not miss concerning the righteousness of Christ; he wrote about it in his book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: One day, as I was walking in the field, my conscience still somewhat wounded and still fearing that all was not well, these words suddenly entered my soul: Your righteousness is in heaven. And I thought, moreover, that I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at Gods right hand. I say, my righteousness was there [in heaven]; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, He is in need of my righteousness, as my righteousness was right in front of him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good state of heart that made my righteousness better, nor even my bad state that made my righteousness worse, since my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). Now indeed the chains fell off my legs, and I was loosed from my afflictions and irons. My temptations fled away too, so that from that time those terrifying Scriptures of God stopped troubling me; I now went home rejoicing in the grace and love of God. So when I got home I looked to see if I could find that verse:Your righteousness is in heaven,'but I could find no such statement. So my heart began to sink again; the only words which came to mind were these: Of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).[1] Bunyans book was first published in 1666, but his words echo what so many of us struggle with today as we seek to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (4:1). But is this the breastplate of righteousness that we are to put on along with the belt of truth? The answer to that question is yes... and no. The answer is No in that if you are a Christian, you do not need to apply the righteousness of Christ to your life, that is something that only God can do and already has been done for you (see Eph. 1:7-12)! If you are a Christian, you can say with the apostle Paul, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith... (Phil. 3:8-9). So in what way is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Christ then? We put on the breastplate of righteousness when we live and walk in the confidence and reality that all we have is Christ, and His righteousness is righteousness enough! John Bunyan said that after he realized that all his righteousness was before the Father because Jesus is our righteousness and sanctification before God. He went on to say, Having reached this point, I rested very comfortably here, for some time, at peace with God through Christ. Oh, I thought, Christ, Christ! There was nothing but Christ before my eyes.... Oh, I saw my gold was in my trunk at home, in Christ, my Lord and Saviour. Now Christ was all all my righteousness, all my sanctification and all my redemption.[2] This my dear brothers and sisters is what it looks like to take up and put on the breastplate of righteousness. It is Gods to give, and it is now yours to rest, stand, and walk in! Why is the Breastplate of Righteousness Needed? I am not sure I need to say much to convince you why the breastplate of righteousness is needed, but to be sure that you not only understand why it is needed, but that you are able to celebrate that it is yours to wear, I feel the need to point out a few more things. One of the great expositors and pastors of the 20th century, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, said of this piece of Gods armor: You do not put on the breastplate of experiences, you put on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness, like the belt of truth, is not something you generate or create out of your own strength. When Paul described the armor of God, he didnt invent it based on what he saw the Roman soldiers wearing around him while in prison, his understanding of the armor of God came from various passages in the Old Testament such as Isaiah 59. In Isaiah 53 we are promised a suffering servant who would be pierced for our offenses and crushed for our wrongdoings and that suffering servant was Jesus who was punished for our sins (see Isa. 53:5-10). Then when we come to Isaiah 59, the suffering servant is now the divine and righteous warrior who will come to rescue His people from their sins. Isaiah 59 begins with these words: Behold, the Lords hand is not so short That it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear (vv. 1-2). As we read on, we discover similar language that is used in Ephesians 2:1-3 used in Isaiah 59:12-13, For our wrongful acts have multiplied before You, and our sins have testified against us; for our wrongful acts are with us, and we know our wrongdoings: Offending and denying the Lord, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart. Now listen to how desperate the condition of sinful humanity according to Isaiah: Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and one who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice (vv. 14-15). So what does Yahweh do to address the unrighteousness of His people? He made salvation possible for those who could not save themselves! It is in Isaiah 59:16-17 that Paul was referring to in Ephesians 6:14, And He saw that there was no one, and was amazed that there was not one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak (vv. 16-17). The Divine Warrior promised in Isaiah 59 is He who would conquer our sin by suffering the wrath of His Father for our sins in our place! The only truly and perfect righteous One hung on a cross for unrighteous sinners! Upon His head was a crown of thorns to serve as a reminder of the curse of sin that He bore in our place, and once He declared that it was finished, the Divine Warrior bowed His head in death to become our salvation! Oh, dear brothers and sisters... do you see how critically important the breastplate of righteousness really is? Jesus is not only our Divine Warrior who is qualified to save rebel sinners, but He is the One also promised in Jeremiah 23, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will live securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, The Lord Our Righteousness (vv. 5-6). Jesus is our righteousness and to put on the breastplate of righteousness is to walk in confidence that He is enough because His mercy is rich, His grace is sufficient, and His love is great! Charles Spurgeon described it this way: Saints are so righteous in Jesus Christ that they are more righteous than Adam was before he fell, for he had but a creature righteousness, and the Christian has the righteousness of the Creator. Adam had a righteousness which he lost, but believers have a righteousness which they can never lose, an everlasting righteousness. To put on the breastplate of righteousness is to stand, walk, live, and run in consideration of Jesus as your truth and as your righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is important because when you put it on, it protects the vital organs of your faith, such as your heart. Your hope and salvation are not bound to a nation, or whoever the next president will be. Whatever happens today, tomorrow, on Tuesday, or any day before you, your Sovereign is Jesus, and it is He, Who walks on the waters Who speaks to the sea Who stands in the fire beside you He roars like a lion He bled as the Lamb He carries your healing in His hands! He has said, I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:17-18). Amen. [1] John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press; 2000), pp. 113-14. [2] Ibid, p.114.

What does it mean to be a Christian? How do you know that you are a Christian? What assurance can you have that you will remain a Christian? Well it is mentioned over thirty times in Ephesians, in fact we are told about 10 times in the very first and very long sentence that makes up the first 14 verses of Ephesians: In Christ, all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places now belongs to you Christian (v. 3) In Christ, you were chosen before the foundation of the world (v. 4) Through Christ, you were predestined and adopted as sons and daughters of the living God (v. 5). In the Beloved Son of God, you are a favored child of God (v. 6). In Jesus, we have redemption, forgiveness, and the riches of Gods grace through His blood (v. 7). In Jesus, God made known the mystery of His will (v. 9). In Christ, the Father is bringing all things together to accomplish His good plan (v. 10). In Christ, we have obtained an inheritance in accordance with the plan of the Fathers perfect will (v. 11). In Christ, we are the praise of Gods glory (v. 12). In Jesus, you have been sealed by Gods Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (v. 13). To be a Christian is to be a person who was once spiritually dead, but now is alive with Christ not because of any religious activity on our part, but only because of the work of Jesus on our behalf (Eph. 2:1-9). This is what it means to be a Christian, but how does one become a Christian? I believe that in the same way that you become a Christian, is the same way you put on and take up the breastplate of righteousness. Some of you will remember our time spent in the sermon on the mount during my sermon series, Something Greater just over two years ago. In fact, if you are trying to make sense of the rhetoric and animosity that we are experiencing in our nation, I encourage you to read the first manuscript in that series from May 22, 2022. If you were here for that sermon series, you discovered that not only is the sermon on the mount the greatest sermon ever preached, but Jesus sermon shows us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. During our time in the beatitudes I shared that the first three beatitudes, which are also known as beatitudes of need, reveal what is essential for any person to understand what is necessary for the salvation of your soul. Let me walk you through it because it will help you appreciate just how encouraging the breastplate of righteousness really is. So here are the first three beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-5, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. To be poor in spirit is to arrive at the cross of Christ with empty hands, recognizing that you are spiritually bankrupt of any moral virtues adequate to earn or gain Gods forgiveness for sins committed against Him. Those who mourn are those who see and understand their sins for what they are and grieve because of them. The meek are those who understand that their problems are beyond them, their problems are because of the sin in them, and their problems are of their own doing. To come to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins is to come to Jesus knowing that there is no righteousness in yourself; it is to mourn over the reality that your sins offend the God who is infinitely righteous, and to come to Jesus knowing that there is not one thing you can do to generate the kind of righteousness necessary for your salvation. The person who has been truly born again is one whose experience is now the fourth beatitude: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8). What is the Breastplate of Righteousness? The Roman soldiers breastplate was most likely form fitting and extended from the base of the neck to the top of the thighs, covering the thorax and abdomen for the purpose of protecting the vital organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and bowels. The breastplate is the second piece of Gods armor we are told to put on, but what kind of righteousness does it represent? Is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Jesus that has been imputed upon you the moment you were saved through faith by Christ alone? The imputed righteousness of Christ is when the righteousness of Jesus is applied to you the moment you believed the gospel as we are told in verses like 2 Corinthians 5:21, He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Here, consider another passage that concerns the imputed righteousness of Christ from Romans 5:18-21, So then, as through one offense [Adams sin] the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one mans disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, the imputation of Christs righteousness is good news because God the Father no longer sees you as a sinner because of your sinfulness but sees you as righteous because Jesus righteousness has been applied to you permanently. Do you remember last week when I showed you that the belt of truth includes your identity in Jesus and that He is now your truth? The One we follow is, the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6), and now we follow His way, we walk in His truth, and we are united to His life. Some of you, like John Bunyan, really struggle with the tension between what you know the Bible says about your salvation and your very real frustration over your sin. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrims Progress, a book he wrote while in prison for preaching the gospel, it has now been translated into more languages than any other book, except the Bible. Bunyan also wrote other books, and one such book so profoundly helped me with my own struggle of desiring to live for Jesus while struggling with my own sin. One day, while Bunyan was taking a walk, he discovered something that we dare not miss concerning the righteousness of Christ; he wrote about it in his book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: One day, as I was walking in the field, my conscience still somewhat wounded and still fearing that all was not well, these words suddenly entered my soul: Your righteousness is in heaven. And I thought, moreover, that I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at Gods right hand. I say, my righteousness was there [in heaven]; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, He is in need of my righteousness, as my righteousness was right in front of him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good state of heart that made my righteousness better, nor even my bad state that made my righteousness worse, since my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). Now indeed the chains fell off my legs, and I was loosed from my afflictions and irons. My temptations fled away too, so that from that time those terrifying Scriptures of God stopped troubling me; I now went home rejoicing in the grace and love of God. So when I got home I looked to see if I could find that verse:Your righteousness is in heaven,'but I could find no such statement. So my heart began to sink again; the only words which came to mind were these: Of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).[1] Bunyans book was first published in 1666, but his words echo what so many of us struggle with today as we seek to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (4:1). But is this the breastplate of righteousness that we are to put on along with the belt of truth? The answer to that question is yes... and no. The answer is No in that if you are a Christian, you do not need to apply the righteousness of Christ to your life, that is something that only God can do and already has been done for you (see Eph. 1:7-12)! If you are a Christian, you can say with the apostle Paul, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith... (Phil. 3:8-9). So in what way is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Christ then? We put on the breastplate of righteousness when we live and walk in the confidence and reality that all we have is Christ, and His righteousness is righteousness enough! John Bunyan said that after he realized that all his righteousness was before the Father because Jesus is our righteousness and sanctification before God. He went on to say, Having reached this point, I rested very comfortably here, for some time, at peace with God through Christ. Oh, I thought, Christ, Christ! There was nothing but Christ before my eyes.... Oh, I saw my gold was in my trunk at home, in Christ, my Lord and Saviour. Now Christ was all all my righteousness, all my sanctification and all my redemption.[2] This my dear brothers and sisters is what it looks like to take up and put on the breastplate of righteousness. It is Gods to give, and it is now yours to rest, stand, and walk in! Why is the Breastplate of Righteousness Needed? I am not sure I need to say much to convince you why the breastplate of righteousness is needed, but to be sure that you not only understand why it is needed, but that you are able to celebrate that it is yours to wear, I feel the need to point out a few more things. One of the great expositors and pastors of the 20th century, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, said of this piece of Gods armor: You do not put on the breastplate of experiences, you put on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness, like the belt of truth, is not something you generate or create out of your own strength. When Paul described the armor of God, he didnt invent it based on what he saw the Roman soldiers wearing around him while in prison, his understanding of the armor of God came from various passages in the Old Testament such as Isaiah 59. In Isaiah 53 we are promised a suffering servant who would be pierced for our offenses and crushed for our wrongdoings and that suffering servant was Jesus who was punished for our sins (see Isa. 53:5-10). Then when we come to Isaiah 59, the suffering servant is now the divine and righteous warrior who will come to rescue His people from their sins. Isaiah 59 begins with these words: Behold, the Lords hand is not so short That it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear (vv. 1-2). As we read on, we discover similar language that is used in Ephesians 2:1-3 used in Isaiah 59:12-13, For our wrongful acts have multiplied before You, and our sins have testified against us; for our wrongful acts are with us, and we know our wrongdoings: Offending and denying the Lord, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart. Now listen to how desperate the condition of sinful humanity according to Isaiah: Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and one who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice (vv. 14-15). So what does Yahweh do to address the unrighteousness of His people? He made salvation possible for those who could not save themselves! It is in Isaiah 59:16-17 that Paul was referring to in Ephesians 6:14, And He saw that there was no one, and was amazed that there was not one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak (vv. 16-17). The Divine Warrior promised in Isaiah 59 is He who would conquer our sin by suffering the wrath of His Father for our sins in our place! The only truly and perfect righteous One hung on a cross for unrighteous sinners! Upon His head was a crown of thorns to serve as a reminder of the curse of sin that He bore in our place, and once He declared that it was finished, the Divine Warrior bowed His head in death to become our salvation! Oh, dear brothers and sisters... do you see how critically important the breastplate of righteousness really is? Jesus is not only our Divine Warrior who is qualified to save rebel sinners, but He is the One also promised in Jeremiah 23, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. 6In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will live securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, The Lord Our Righteousness (vv. 5-6). Jesus is our righteousness and to put on the breastplate of righteousness is to walk in confidence that He is enough because His mercy is rich, His grace is sufficient, and His love is great! Charles Spurgeon described it this way: Saints are so righteous in Jesus Christ that they are more righteous than Adam was before he fell, for he had but a creature righteousness, and the Christian has the righteousness of the Creator. Adam had a righteousness which he lost, but believers have a righteousness which they can never lose, an everlasting righteousness. To put on the breastplate of righteousness is to stand, walk, live, and run in consideration of Jesus as your truth and as your righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is important because when you put it on, it protects the vital organs of your faith, such as your heart. Your hope and salvation are not bound to a nation, or whoever the next president will be. Whatever happens today, tomorrow, on Tuesday, or any day before you, your Sovereign is Jesus, and it is He, Who walks on the waters Who speaks to the sea Who stands in the fire beside you He roars like a lion He bled as the Lamb He carries your healing in His hands! He has said, I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:17-18). Amen. [1] John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press; 2000), pp. 113-14. [2] Ibid, p.114.

The Pharisees were quick to find fault and criticize Jesus and His disciples as they minister to both the physical and spiritual needs of the people. First, they couldn't believe that Jesus and His disciples would hang out with sinners. Next, they questioned their spirituality because instead of fasting like John's disciples, they were feasting. Now in Luke 6, they are accusing Jesus and His disciples for breaking their man-made Sabbath Day laws on two occasions.   On this first occasion, their criticism had to do with the disciples “plucking heads of grain and eating them after they had rubbed them in their hands.” In the field (vv. 1-5). It was lawful for a Jew to eat from a neighbor's vineyard, orchard, or field, provided he did not fill a container or use a harvesting implement (Deut. 23:24-25). The disciples were hungry, so they picked the heads of wheat, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But in so doing, according to the rabbis, they broke the Sabbath law, because they were harvesting, winnowing, and preparing food!   Always alert for something to criticize, some of the Pharisees asked Jesus why He permitted His disciples to violate the Sabbath laws. This was His second offense, and they were sure they had a case against Him. How tragic that their slavish devotion to religious rules blinded them to the true ministry of the Law as well as the very presence of the Lord who gave them the Law.   The accusation of the Pharisees had no support from Scripture. The Scriptures did not prohibit this eating of grain on the Sabbath. The support came only from the man-made rules of the religious leaders, not the law of Moses. The religious leaders had made a host of rules, which were not in Scripture either by principle or precept; but they liked these rules for these religious rulers made their piety based on outward conduct rather than the condition of the heart. Not focusing on the heart, their rules emphasized the trivial and neglected the important. Jesus addressed this specifically in Matthew 23:24.   Jesus did not argue with them; instead, He took them right to the Word of God (1 Sam. 21:1-6). The "showbread" was comprised of twelve loaves, one for each tribe in Israel; and it stood on the table in the holy place in the tabernacle and then in the temple (Ex. 25:23-30; Lev. 24:5-9). Fresh bread was put on the table each Sabbath, and only the priests were allowed to eat the loaves.   But David and his men ate the loaves, and what Jew would condemn Israel's great king? "He was God's anointed!" they might argue, but that was exactly what Jesus claimed for Himself (Luke 4:18). Not only was He God's Anointed, but He was also the Lord of the Sabbath! When Jesus made that statement, He was claiming to be Jehovah God, because it was the Lord who established the Sabbath. If Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of the Sabbath, then He is free to do on it and with it whatever He pleases. The Pharisees did not miss His meaning, you can be sure.   God is more concerned about meeting human needs than He is about protecting religious rules. Better that David and his men receive strength to serve God than that they perish only for the sake of a temporary law. God desires compassion, not sacrifice (Matt. 12:7, quoting Hosea 6:6). The Pharisees, of course, had a different view of the Law (Matt. 23:23).   The Apostle Paul would later write in 2 Corinthians 3:6, that “as a minister of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” This reminds us that God is more concerned about us keeping the Spirit of the Word with to please the Lord from our hearts and not the rules and regulation to outwardly make ourselves look spiritual before others!   May the Lord help us not to become like the Pharisees, outwardly religious but inwardly full of corruption!   God bless!

Hebrews 12:1-13 explains the discipline given by God.Hebrews 12:10 – “For they(earthly fathers) disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He(God) disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.” Please note that the 1st part is in English, and the 2nd part is in Malayalam starting at 19:37 mark.Every aspect of our life needs discipline to function well personally and socially.  This is true at home, in school, in the public, at church, at social gatherings etc.  Parents discipline children at home. Teachers discipline children in school.  The intention of disciplining children is to convince them of the consequences of their actions, the way they should behave, the punctuality they need in life, the responsibility they should take in different situations etc.  The intention of the parents is to make the child a better person.  Parents discipline children because they love them. God disciplines His children in different ways too out of His love for us. Parents discipline children for a short time only, but God disciplines us throughout our lives as we are expected to live with Him in eternity.  Who  God's children are, why God disciplines us, how God disciplines us,  the outcomes of God's discipline, how and why God disciplined Joseph, Job, David, and Paul are discussed.  My name... Cicilysunny@gmail.com

He came as a Prophet, but not just a prophet. He came as a King, but not just a king. He came as a Rabbi, but not just a rabbi. Jesus has a glory like no man that came before Him. But is He God? Torah Portion: Shoftim / Judges Support Rise on Fire Ministries by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/rise-on-fireRead transcript

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God's laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus' life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. The Apostle John succinctly summarized the purpose of Jesus birth in John3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.  From 2 Timothy 1:12 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 1:1-18; Luke 1:27-38; Luke 2:1-22; John 20:27-29; Psalms 69b:13-24. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Is Your Life's Focus on Jesus the Narrow Door and the Only Door to Your Eternal Life?” , at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Bible Reading: Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-7Jackson was so excited he could hardly open his birthday gift. He hoped it was a puppet--something he'd been wanting ever since a ventriloquist had performed with one at a school event. He tore open the box. Sure enough, there was a puppet inside. His little sister, Jade, looked at it with wide-eyed wonder. "A doll!" she said. "Now we can play dolls together, Jax!""No way!" said Jackson. "This isn't a doll. It's a puppet like the one the guy had at our school carnival. Remember?""His puppet was alive," said Jade. "It could move and talk, but yours can't, can it?""It wasn't alive the way we are. That man made it move and talked for it." Jackson grinned. "Mine will come to life like that too! I'm naming him Vincent, and I'm going to learn to be a ventriloquist so I can make Vincent move and talk." Starting that day, Jackson began working hard to learn how to turn his puppet's head, move its mouth, and speak for it."Vincent is alive now, just like that man's puppet," Jade said several weeks later. Jackson beamed. He figured he was getting good enough to perform as a ventriloquist.At family devotions one morning, Dad turned to the second chapter of Ephesians. "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins," he read.Jade frowned. "What are trespasses?""They're the wrong things we do," said Jackson. "They're kinda the same thing as sins.""Well, who was dead, then?" asked Jade."In a way, everyone was--and many still are," replied Dad. "God says we all do wrong things because we were born into sin, and sin makes us spiritually dead." He looked at Jackson. "People are like Vincent--Jackson's puppet. Vincent is entirely limp and lifeless except when Jackson speaks for him and operates his controls. Vincent needs Jackson to have any kind of life, and people need Jesus to have spiritual life. When we trust Jesus, He frees us from sin and makes us alive."Jade smiled at her brother. "I like it when Jax makes Vincent alive.""And it's even better when God makes us alive," said Dad with a smile. "Because the life He gives us is real, and it lasts forever."–Mary Rose PearsonHow About You?Are you alive? Or are you still dead in sin? Maybe you're trying your best to be really good so you'll go to heaven someday. But God says you're a sinner, and someone who is spiritually dead can't have eternal life with Him. You must be made alive through Jesus. If you haven't trusted Him as your Savior, do it today. Then you'll begin to truly live! (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)Today's Key Verse:And you He [God] made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. (NKJV) (Ephesians 2:1)Today's Key Thought:Jesus makes you alive

Welcome to Episode #156 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our fourth of eight episodes in our Twentieth mini-series entitled, Sermon on the Mount. On today's episode we'll be looking at Jesus' teaching about Anger found in Matthew 5:21-26. When you get this one you may stay on your knees in front of Jesus just a bit longer than you expected.As I mentioned in our last episode introduction, we're just getting started in presenting Jesus' teaching given in what is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5 to 7. In this sermon, Jesus is teaching his disciples and laying out for them what it means to follow him in kingdom of Heaven living while in a world of darkness. Entrance into the kingdom of Heaven is a permanent Supernatural transformation from death to life, from darkness to light. Colossians 1:13-14 – He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Jesus opened his sermon talking about character qualities and associated blessings for living a kingdom of heaven life. Let me quote a verse for you to momentarily consider and then I'll offer you a prompt to reflect upon in your next meditation.1 John 2:5-6 – By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.Oh my gosh, I just heard the firehose pump kick-in as I wrote out that verse and now see the water line go from flax to taught; straining not to burst, eagerly awaiting the nozzle valve to be opened. Let me quickly cut off the compressor. Whew. No need to drink from a fire hose so early in the episode.Here's the skinny, I'll leave it to you to fill in the text references. What John is speaking of in 1 John 2:5-6 is what all the New Testament writers are trying to inform us of. Let me give you the negative first. Jesus was not sent to earth by his Father to make your life easier in this life. Now the positive, that for some is a turn-off negative and/or a reason to say there is another way to God than through Jesus. Jesus was sent here by his Father to invite his sheep, those who hear his voice and respond, to willingly follow Jesus into his death to this life. Two passages and then a brief comment.Luke 14:27, 33 – Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. …33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. What we learn in the gospels and epistles and letters is that through assimilation with him in his death by grace through faith we gain eternal life, rebirth in the Holy Spirit, and the opportunity in this life to experience Union with God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. That Union with God is what John is saying in 1 John 2:5-6 when he says, “whoever says he abides in him.” Jesus describes this abiding in him in John 15. The significance of this abiding in seen in John 17:21 to 23 where Jesus tells his Father this abiding, our Union with God and Jesus Christ, will be a witness to the world that God sent Jesus into the world. 

Welcome to Episode #155 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our third of eight episodes in our Twentieth mini-series entitled, Sermon on the Mount. On today's episode we'll be looking at very short teaching of Jesus' found in Matthew 5:17-20. While short, this teaching is perhaps the pinnacle teaching of Jesus in his humanity. Jesus came to fulfill the LAW.We're just getting started in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus counsels his disciples on the moral and ethical behavior of believers in the kingdom of Heaven. A kingdom that Jesus brought to earth following his death, resurrection, and ascension. Entrance into the kingdom begins at rebirth in the Holy Spirit and is permanent. Colossians 1:13-14 – He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.I encourage you to listen to our last episode (#154) where I go deep into that topic to address our being Salt and Light. Which was the lesson Jesus taught after beginning his sermon with the Beatitudes. Believers are Salt and Light while we live in the world but are not of the world. Remember, we are living in the kingdom of Heaven, not in the dominion of darkness.Let me make a brief detour and cover this before moving on. Hopefully this will either affirm what you already know and be an encouragement or get you a little antsy as you do not yet conform to what the text says. I was very antsy once myself; so take heart if that is you. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you as you hear this and then do what He says. I really don't think he'd tell you to turn off this podcast; but that may just be me saying that – full disclosure.Now about not being of the world. While Jesus was speaking this sermon to his disciples' crowds of people “of the world” were gathering on the mountain side below them. Would Jesus have described his disciples as people of “the world?” Think again…

This week, Ken and Grant spoke with Sarma Velamuri. Sarma has one of the most interesting stories you have ever heard. He was born in India in the Brahman caste and had a supernatural conversion to Christianity. He is a cutting-edge medical doctor who left the day-to-day practice to become the CEO of a new tech start-up.Our Orbis Ministries IGNITION conference will occur in Nashville, TN, from October 3 to 5. Register today at kingdomignition.org For more information on the Travel Grant Match to keep Ken's travel down in 2024, send an email to bryan@orbisministries.org Check out Ken's book, On the Road with the Holy Spirit here: https://orbisministries.org/product/on-the-road-with-the-holy-spirit/Partner with Orbis Financially: http://tinyurl.com/yfe3974hAre you interested in learning about Holy Spirit-led ministry? Visit Orbis School of Ministry at https://orbissm.com or email our Registrar, Jo McKay, at jo@orbisminstries.orgUpcoming Orbis Ministries overseas ministry trips are posted behind the registration/login portal under the Train-Join an International Ministry Trip link on orbisministries.org.Do you want to join Ken's private “God is not a Theory” discussion group on Facebook? Please send a Facebook Direct Message to Bryan Orbis along with a friend request to be added to it.If you'd like to receive Ken's monthly prayer letter, please go to orbisministries.org and scroll down to the bottom right for "Prayer Letter Signup.""Hindus do not have a problem with accepting Jesus as God. They have a problem with the exclusivity of Jesus." - Sarma Velamuri"I am a Christian because I can't help it, like Peter; I am stuck because Jesus has the words of life." - Sarma Velamuri"He (God) gives us His Holy Spirit so He can tell us what He is up to." - Sarma Velamuri"Are you in the Kingdom? Are you tapped into Jesus?" - Sarma Velamuri"So I lay hands on him. I pray for him. He gets delivered right there from the spirit. It just goes. And he's like, it's gone." - Sarma Velamuri"This guy on stage points at me and says, you're a devil worshipper." - Sarma Velamuri"I would not recommend joining a conventional yoga class unless you are in a place in your faith where, actually, there's no situation in which I would like to recommend you join a yoga class." - Sarma Velamuri    

In today's podcast episode, we'll explore the important reminder that God is enough in our lives, and how we can trust in His provision and sufficiency. This is Part 2 of 4.In times of doubt or distraction, remember: He (God) is enough. Trust in His provision, seek His wisdom, and you will overcome any obstacle in your path.  We dig deeper into the parable of the weeds, the story of Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. These biblical narratives not only reassure us of God's omnipotent presence in our live because as we navigate through these stories, we're reminded of the profound truth that seeking the Lord first is not just a choice but a necessity. Remember, in all things, He (God) is enough for all our needs.Where to Purchase “necessary.”Available as a paperback worldwide via Amazon.Also available as an audiobook exclusively on UnlockingGreatness.comJoin My Text. Text "Ready" to: (+1) 847-648-9118Where to Find Me:Mentorship: UnlockingGreatness.comWebsite: https://www.ZenjaGlass.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zenjaglassInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ZenjaGlassFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenjaglass.fb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/zenjaglassTwitter: https://twitter.com/zenjaglass Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ZenjaGlassPinsListen to Unlocking Greatness Podcast with Zenja Glass on your favorite streaming platform! Now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, and More. Much love,Z. Unlocking Greatness Podcast with Zenja GlassVisit https://www.UnlockingGreatness.com and receive full access to the 12-week “necessary. Retreat” Much love,Z.