Podcast appearances and mentions of heaven what

Seeing the Big Picture Mosaic of Redemption Essential Church March 16, 2025 SUMMARY The sermon focuses on the interpretation of John chapter five and the broader implications of scripture in understanding God and our relationship with Him. Here are the key points: - **God's Nature**: The pastor emphasizes that God is inherently communal and desires a relationship with humanity. To engage in this relationship, individuals must embody qualities similar to God, particularly the ability to give and love selflessly. - **Understanding Scripture**: The discussion highlights the importance of reading the Bible not merely for personal gain or moral lessons but to understand who God is and what He reveals about Himself through scripture. The speaker encourages a shift in perspective from asking, "What can I learn from this?" to "What does this tell us about God?" - **Revelation through Jesus**: The arrival of Jesus is portrayed as the culmination of God's revelation, where the Word became flesh, allowing humanity to see God in a tangible form. This revelation is essential for understanding the Old Testament narratives and their connection to Jesus. - **Misinterpretation of Scripture**: The pastor warns against the common practice of reading biblical stories as mere moral examples. Instead, he argues that these stories should be viewed in the context of God's overarching narrative of redemption. - **Heaven's True Nature**: The sermon addresses misconceptions about heaven, clarifying that it is not merely a paradise but a state of being in the presence of God. The relationship with God is central to the concept of eternal life. - **Call to Relationship**: Ultimately, the pastor emphasizes that the goal of scripture is to foster a deeper relationship with God, encouraging listeners to trust in His character and to seek a genuine connection with Him. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Understanding God's Nature: How does the concept of God as a communal being influence your understanding of your own relationships? In what ways can we embody the qualities of God as a giver in our interactions with others? Interpreting Scripture: The speaker emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions when reading the Bible. What questions do you typically ask when you read scripture, and how might shifting your focus to "What does this reveal about God?" change your understanding? Revelation through Jesus: How does the idea that Jesus is the full revelation of God impact your faith? In what ways do you see the Old Testament pointing towards Jesus? Misinterpretation of Stories: The speaker discusses the common practice of viewing biblical characters as moral examples. How can this perspective limit our understanding of the broader narrative of redemption in the Bible? Concept of Heaven: What does the speaker suggest about the nature of heaven? How does understanding heaven as being in the presence of God change your perspective on eternal life? Relationship with God: The speaker emphasizes the importance of a relationship with God over merely following rules or seeking personal gain. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God in your daily life? Application of Scripture: The speaker expresses uncertainty about the application of certain biblical teachings. How do you approach applying scripture to your life, and what challenges do you face in doing so?

The 7 Letters Distilled Scripture: Revelation 2-3 Preacher: Rev. David Inks   Sermon Outline: Introduction Key Components Love for Christ & His Church Holding on to Truth Holiness of Heaven What would Christ Say of Us? Know Your Enemies Persecution Propaganda Prostitution Prince of the power of the air Christ’s Call to: Repent Hold On […] The post The 7 Letters Distilled appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Jesus Unfiltered - Luke 13-16 - 1. Heaven - What's it like and who gets in?Passage: Luke 13v22-30Speaker: Barny Pearce

Today's True Weird Stuff - Talking to Heaven   What happens when we die? Are you a person who believes that we flicker into and out of existence like earthbound fireflies, here and then gone? Or maybe you believe in an eternal soul that recycles itself lifetime after lifetime? What if you could know, what if you did know what happens when we die? In this episode, you'll hear from internationally acclaimed spiritual medium, James Van Praagh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 191: Lent: Just Let Go Lent starts tomorrow! So it's about time we take a look at the things we are attached to, the things that are keeping us from Him, and choose to detach. It is time to be led into the desert. In this episode with John and Victor, you will hear about: - Detachment from our idols - Avoiding Hell vs. aiming for Heaven - What did Jesus do when the devil showed up? - The pain of healing! #CatholicPodcast #JustaGuyinthePew #Lent #Detatchment DOWNLOADS Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! HTTPS://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK NEW: Shop the store! We have a new Just a Guy in the Pew store where you can stock up on great merch HERE: HTTPS://STORE.JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/

Gospel and Gombis. Starting a new series of conversations with Dr. Timothy Freakin Gombis that will feature once a month or so. This is the “Gospel” we received growing up: I am a sinner. God'd wrath is upon me and that wrath is a judgment that occurs after I die. If I have not accepted Christ then I am damned to Hell where I am tortured for an eternity. However, if that process is interrupted and someone shares the Gospel with me and I pray a prayer that invites Jesus into my heart, then won that day of judgment I am welcomed into Heaven… What is the invitation to Jesus? How has the way we have individualized the Gospel effected its message? What did the phrase ‘the Kingdom of God' cultivate in people and their communities in Jesus's time? What was the invitation then? What is the Kingdom invitation now? What have we added to it to confuse or distort the invitation? 18:00 - The Gospel and Gombis As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Always feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

En el episodio 093 suenan las siguientes canciones: (1). La Buena Vida - Se parece tanto a ti (2). Bradford - Lust roulette (3). Nick Heyward - Caravan (4). Devils Wielding Scimitars - She's a Hemingway (5). Susanna Hoffs - Wishing on telstar (6). Steve Wynn - Killing time (7). The Hummingbirds - Tuesday (8). The Perfect Disaster - Call it a day (9). The Nivens - Shake it from the top (10). The Stars of Heaven - What else could you do + https://bradforduk.bandcamp.com/album/thirty-years-of-shouting-quietly + https://devilswieldingscimitars.bandcamp.com + https://stevewynn1.bandcamp.com/music

A new MP3 sermon from Sunrise Community Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Health, Wealth& Heaven: What to do when the Wicked Seem t Win Subtitle: Summer in the Psalms Speaker: Allen Cagle Broadcaster: Sunrise Community Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 8/14/2022 Bible: Psalm 73:1-28 Length: 38 min.

The Courts of Heaven is not a method of prayer, but it is a dimension of the spiritual realm. It is a real place that you have access to because of what Jesus did on the cross. Discover the fundamentals of the Courts of Heaven and… -Understand why you have access to the heavenly courts -How Satan accuses you in the courts -Bible verses about the courts If you were to look at a picture of the Holy Temple, you would find that Gentiles had access to the outer courts, but they did not have access to the inner courts, and only the High Priests had access to the Holy of Holies. Jesus, being our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), tore down the veil, allowing those who had “no hope” (Gentiles) access to the commonwealth of Israel—the covenant promises of God. In this podcast, Rabbi Curt Landry and special guest Robert Henderson discuss the fundamentals of the Courts of Heaven: What it is and how to access this real place. They discuss the transformation when you enter this place and pray according to God's will. Remove the mystery of the Courts of Heaven and transform your prayer life!

HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR DREAMS DURING THESE END TIMES Have you ever wondered what your dreams meant? Monica Fort has been dreaming prophetic dreams since the tender age of four. She learned how to interpret dreams after being hospitalized with a 50/50 chance of surviving a fatal illness. Fort now uses her divine gift of prophetic dream interpretation to strengthen and encourage the faith of others! Understanding what God is saying to us during these End Times are important, and Monica Fort's coaching on how to interpret your dreams serves as a great help: Monica Fort Touches On: - How to interpret your dreams for yourself - Where nightmares come from - How to dream dreams from Heaven - What are dreams within a dream - How to identify warning dreams - Why your dreams may be hindered - The meaning of different symbolisms in a dream - How to determine whether a dream is from God, the devil, or something you ate - Much more! You'll enjoy watching this episode of How To Interpret Your Dreams During These End Times with Monica Fort! “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." -Acts 2:17 Purchase Monica Fort's book The Mysterious Language of Dreams on Amazon today! https://amzn.to/3mhrNwZ YouTube Channel: Original DreamGirl https://www.youtube.com/c/OriginalDreamgirl Contact Monica Fort via email: Godsdreamteam11@gmail.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Deep Believer channel, where it's "all or nothing" when it comes to taking God at His Word! Website: https://www.DeepBeliever.com WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ON DEEP BELIEVER? Do you have an amazing, supernatural testimony you'd like to share with viewers? We're always looking for Holy Spirit-filled guests and interesting stories for this channel. If you think you'd be a good fit, visit: https://deepbeliever.com/be-on-the-show/ Deep Believer --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/deepbeliever/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/deepbeliever/support

We conclude our 10-part series on HEAVEN: What the Bible Has To Say About Eternity with a wrap-up of questions members of our Life Group have submitted during this series.  

Most Christians have concerns about Heaven: What will we be like? Will I know what's happening on Earth? Will we be bored? Will we still be married or have a purpose? It's completely normal to have concerns about Heaven - we're trying to understand things based on our own ability, and we can't understand something so perfect! It's understandable to fear something you can't comprehend, but when you trust God and His goodness, you look forward to joining Him in Heaven.

Series:  Enduring the Dragon Title:  A Look into the Future Text:  Revelation 14:6-20 Today's Thought – What is my future? Future #1 – Everlasting destruction where I will continually experience the wrath of God in Hell Future #2 – Everlasting blessing where I will continually experience the kindness of God in Heaven What makes the…

Parashat Ekev with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - Is Yiras Shamayim a "Small Thing"?! #2 - Contemporary Commentators - How Can We "Bless Hashem"? Rav Hirsch's Revolutionary Approach #3 - Sparks of Musar - Why Do We Bentch? The Amazing Insight of the Meshech Chochma #4 - Machshava / Jewish Thought - "Fear of Heaven" - What are we Scared Of? #5 - Sparks of Chassidus - The Interrelationship Between Doing and Understanding: An Incredible Teaching of the Sefas Emes

Romans 4:13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; Romans 4:13-25 INTRO: One one side we have God's promise, faith, and grace God's promise Genesis 17:4-5 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. God's gift of Faith Staking everything on God's love and believing what He promised is true God's Grace or Mercy An unearned and undeserved gift of eternal life On the other side we have the law, transgression and wrath: The law is a tutor or teacher to show us where we have gone wrong. It can only show us we are sick with sin. It can never cure us. When we see a keep off the grass sign, it usually makes us want to walk on it. This is the sin nature which does this to us. Transgression or Sin: If we did not have the law we would never know right from wrong and therefore we would not be condemned for breaking the law Wrath or Punishment: Is what we think of when we break a law, it is punishment for doing wrong. We know if we get caught we will pay for our sin, but God knows everything and whether we get caught or punished here on earth doesn't matter because God will punish us if we do not know Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. v-13-15 God's promise to Abraham and his heirs is not through the law To his seed refers to Jesus Christ v-13 Abraham was 75 when the promise was given, several hundred years before the law was given to Moses There are two Greek words for the word promise. One is conditional and means to promise to do this if you do that. The other is an unconditional promise, which is based on doing it out of the goodness of ones heart, no matter what the other person does. This is the word Paul uses here, it means the promise was unconditional Gen 15:1-21 Is where the Lord made the covenant that was unconditional. Gen 15:17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. Hebrews 6:13-19 gives us an explanation of Gen 15:1-21 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Faith is the key to Heaven: What is faith, it is not just believing mentally; James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe----and tremble! Luke 4:33-34 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are----the Holy One of God!"  Nor is it trusting God temporarily for prayers or help in a time of trouble What is it: Faith is trusting in the right object, trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life Acts 16:31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." v-14 If those of the law are heirs then faith is made void If I promised to give you a million dollars if you would jump up and touch a limb in a tree 50 feet up could you do it? No, the promise is worthless, no one can jump 50 feet high. Even though I am sincere the promise is no good to you. That is what the Scriptures tell us, to keep all Ten commandments, yet we can't in our own strength James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. v-15  The law exposes our sinfulness Wrath is the removal of all divine protection,  you can do what you want. In Romans 1 Paul said God gave them up, God gave them up, and God gave them over CS Lewis said that there are two kinds of people, those who say God," thy will be done" and those to whom God is saying'" thy will be done" That is wrath. Our lives fall apart when God abandons us and we feel the emptiness, loneliness and worthlessness which leads to despair and depression and who knows what we are capable of when this happens. God's promise to Abraham and his heirs is through faith v-16 The promise comes by faith. What works could not do faith does. 1Cor 3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come----all are yours. 23  And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Not only of the law but to us of the faith Those of the law are Jews and we are the ones of faith, but Abraham is the father of us all According to grace v-17 As it is written: quoted from Gen 17:5 gives life to the dead: God made Sarah's womb and Abraham's body able to have a child calls those things: calls us righteous and called Christ sin who knew no sin. This is the God who created everything out of nothing (ex nihilo) 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Having proved that the law can't save you and that it is by God's grace that you are saved Paul sets out to prove a third point Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?    John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32 Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

The Discipline of Kingcom Mentality A Kingdom of God Mentality sees the final authority in all matters of our faith and practice of his word and not in personal inclination, in trends or human thinking. It means He is in charge. He is our identity and our Lord personally and collectively. It is more about how we lead and manage our lives and our churches. This means we are to realize and practice our faith and church life as if He is the sovereign Ruler, so that we are willing to grow closer to Him and also lead others to Him. We cannot lead where we have not been nor can we grow a healthy church when we are not healthy ourselves. Discipline is the key to discipleship. What You Will Hear Developing a regimen. The importance of context. Jesus is sovereign. Jesus came to fulfill the law. Lining up with the kingdom of Heaven What we think we need from the outside vs. what we already have on the inside. What the kingdom mentality is not. The importance of consistency. What happens when we do not practice this discipline. Cultural trends Scripture : Isaiah 9:1-7; Mentioned Uncommon Gospel Network Flow Therapy Morning Show w/ Cocoa B and Frank Nitti Facebook, IG, twitter @realpastorwaid Alex Teamer aka ATEAM Pastor Warren Cambpell Lena Byrd Miles Shannon Jackson Shay-J Entertainment House of Noho Julian Payne I AM Music Group --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thisistheday-pastorwaid/support

Are we married in Heaven? What will we do once we're there? Does everyone face judgement? Pastor Nichole Schreiber is joined by a panel of guests to answer your questions about what Heaven is like.

What does the Bible describe about Heaven? What is going to heaven like? What is God's plan for the afterlife? These questions are answered in this week's message!

You are my goal, my Father. Only You. Where would I go but Heaven? What could be a substitute for happiness? What gift could I prefer before the peace of God? What treasure would I seek and find and keep that can compare with my Identity? And would I rather live with fear than love? You are my goal, my Father. What but You could I desire to have? What way but that which leads to You could I desire to walk? And what except the memory of You could signify to me the end of dreams and futile substitutions for the truth? You are my only goal. Your Son would be as You created him. What way but this could I expect to recognize my Self, and be at one with my Identity?- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles , Lesson 287

1. Jesus goes to the FatherPrepares Mansions· God wants Us to be with Him @ His home (Jn 14:23)· Teaches this world is not our home.· We know…-Heaven is where God lives -Heaven is where God wants us to live -Heaven is where our Mansion/ Room is located· Results: Going to affect the way I live· Desire for God to love us· Desire to be w/ God in Heaven 2. Will you enjoy Heaven? (Rev 21:1ff) What is Heaven going to be like?· Vs 3 Our dwelling is going to be with God Ps 8:4 “What is man that You are mindful of him”· You will spend eternity w/ Him· Worship God· Do you enjoy Worshipping God here?· 1 Cor 15:50-52- Going to be fellowship in Heaven- What is Heaven going to be like— Dwell & Worship No tears in Heaven Goal- Make sure my family goes to Heaven Focus- What would the dead say to us today? - Luke 16:19-31 Where do we stand with God? Review: 1. God wants us to be w/ Him 2. It is home 3. Relationship w/ God & People of faith 4. New bodies 5. No Pain Results: I’m excited = I want to go to Heaven

Welcome to part two of our 10 Questions episode Here are the questions we cover in this episode… Will there be Marriage and Children in Heaven? What has helped you stay sane during Covid? Is there any legitimacy to UFO Claims? Are Martial Arts ok for Christians? Why does God make us wait?

Sermon on the Mount: Part 7. Let your ‘yes’ be your ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be your ‘no.’ Jesus is pressing forward, with a topic that we still struggle with: Using Religious Language to Manipulate Others. What does it mean to swear or to take an oath? When is that permitted? What does Jesus say about truth telling and bolstering your claims with the name of Yahweh or Heaven? What does Let your ‘yes’ be your ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be your ‘no’ mean? The thread from the Beatitudes, through anger, lust and divorce has brought us here. How does this version of truth telling come in line with His previous statements? How does this play into Kingdom living? We look at the verses Jesus cross references here to find the roots of this teaching and what implications it has for them, then, and us today. As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Always feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on here and Instagram. Learn more about the VOX Podcast: www.voxpodcast.com Subscribe on iTunes - apple.co/1Lla1Nj Support the VOX Podcast on Patreon: www.patreon.com/voxpodcast Follow us on Instagram: @voxpodcast Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/voxpodcast Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford www.timothyjohnstafford.com Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Acts 17:1-9; Matthew 21:43-45; Matthew 10:32-36; 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 Blogs, podcasts, livestreaming, social media, email, text, instant messaging, endless websites and apps, youtube and other video platforms--in addition to more traditional television, radio, books, and yes the town crier--have afforded anyone and everyone to have a voice. What if you had a voice that could influence others for the Kingdom of Heaven? What might that look like. Picking up into today’s episode, we see Paul and Silas run into more trouble on account of using their voices. They have gone from city to city, synagogue to synagogue, to reason with Jews (and converted Gentiles) scattered across Asia and Europe about Messiah and his offer of the Kingdom of Heaven. What happens in Thessalonica? Tune in and find out.

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"It's the 5th anniversary of Simple Gospel, Simply Grace. It's a book that's been answering the question: "how is the Christian life supposed to work?" for 5 years. What we'd love to see is for Basic Gospel Nation to get the word out about the grace of God. We are in a time were the grace of God is needed more than ever before. So let's get the word out. * Will animals be in Heaven? What about hunting and fishing for sport? Is it wrong? * How do you know when you're on the right track with the Lord when everything around you is chaotic? How can I be for sure that I'm in God's perfect will? * Clay comments: "We, as a new creation, are a part of His rescue mission of saving the world one heart at a time." * What is "the sin" that leads to death in 1 John 5:16? And does verse 17 play into verse 16? * So, if we can't obey the law of God, do we slip by with some transgressions, sins and yet still be in Christ's righteousness?

Mejanomics May 28, 2020 - What is in the cross-hairs of Heaven? What does a shattered cross mean? How about good and bad discernment? A Friend of Medjugorje shares all of this in this broadcast.

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” John 17:20–21“Lifting His eyes to Heaven…” What a great phrase!As Jesus lifted His eyes to Heaven, He prayed to His Father in Heaven. This act, of lifting His eyes, reveals one unique aspect of the presence of the Father. It reveals that the Father is transcendent. “Transcendent” means that the Father is above all and beyond all. The world cannot contain Him. So, in speaking to the Father, Jesus begins with this gesture by which He acknowledges the transcendence of the Father.But we must also note the imminence of the Father’s relationship with Jesus. By “imminence” we mean that the Father and Jesus are united as one. Their relationship is one that is profoundly personal in nature. Though these two words, “imminence” and “transcendence,” may not be a part of our daily vocabulary, the concepts are worth understanding and reflecting upon. We should strive to be very familiar with their meanings and, more specifically, with the way that our relationship with the Holy Trinity shares in both.Jesus’ prayer to the Father was that we who come to believe will share in the unity of the Father and the Son. We will share in God’s life and love. For us, this means we start by seeing the transcendence of God. We also lift our eyes to Heaven and strive to see the splendor, glory, greatness, power, and majesty of God. He is above all and beyond all.As we accomplish this prayerful gaze to the Heavens, we must also strive to see this glorious and transcendent God descend into our souls, communicating to us, loving us, and establishing a deeply personal relationship with us. It’s amazing how these two aspects of God’s life go together so well even though, at first, they can appear to be complete opposites. They are not opposed but, rather, are wedded together and have the effect of drawing us into an intimate relationship with the Creator and sustainer of all things. Reflect, today, upon the glorious and all-powerful God of the Universe descending into the secret depths of your soul. Acknowledge His presence, adore Him as He lives within you, speak to Him and love Him. Lord, help me to always lift my eyes to Heaven in prayer. May I constantly turn to You and Your Father. In that prayerful gaze, may I also discover You alive in my soul where You are adored and loved. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Listen to insights about acting on invitations from the prophet as well as thoughts on what a “hinge point in church history” means. Be Part of the Next Listener Call-in Episode I start the episode with a reminder about how to be on the next listener call-in episode next week. Here are the instructions about how to call in. Call ‪(480) 525-7145‬. Call anytime. It doesn’t ring to my phone so you won’t be waking me up or anything. Leave a message sharing the blessings you have received from following President Nelson’s invitations at the last general conference. Keep your answer to less than 3 minutes. Call and record your answer by Friday, March 27, 2020. President Nelson’s Invitations at October 2019 General Conference Invitations: “Study prayerfully section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants and discover what the Holy Ghost will teach you.” “Study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. You might begin with the Doctrine and Covenants 84 and 107.” Prepare for April 2020 general conference by “reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price.” “You may wish to ponder important questions such as, ‘How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?’ or ‘How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?” Incorporate the recent Book of Mormon videos into our study. “Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration.” Promise: “As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable.” President Nelson’s Invitations via Social Media November 17, 2019 – Invitation: “Always ask yourself–and prayerfully ask your Father in Heaven–’What can I do to become more like Jesus Christ?’” Promise: Miracles will happen. November 18, 2019 – Invitation: He had invited young adults in Vietnam to study about the Savior and His atonement in the scriptures. He invited us to do the same. Promise: Enduring joy regardless of present circumstances. November 20, 2019 – Invitation: “If I had one request to make of you, it would be that you would read the scriptures aloud to your children on a daily basis.  Let them take turns when they can when they are able to read. Promise: “It will help them to have the doctrine of Christ embedded in their minds and in their memory banks at an early age.” November 21, 2019 – Invitation: “I plead with you to draw near to the Lord and follow His teachings. Emulate His example. Love as He loved.” Promise: “He is our Savior, Redeemer and our Advocate with the Father.” December 24, 2019 – Invitation: “Draw closer to the Savior.” Promise: “The ability to receive and feel the infinite love that our Savior and our Heavenly Father have for you.” January 1, 2020 – Invitation: “Be a major part of sharing the message of the ongoing restoration of the Savior’s gospel.” He said to start with the invitations he gave at general conference and reminded us of these invitations to read Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision in the Pearl of Great Price and to ponder important questions. He repeated again to “Select your own questions. Design your own plan” to share the important messages of the ongoing restoration. Promise: Personal preparation will make conference “not only memorable but also unforgettable.” February 2, 2020 – Invitation: “Pray to the Father in the name of His Son.” Promise: That you and your families may be blessed.” February 26, 2020 – Invitation: “I invite you to think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him?” Promise: He didn’t list a specific promise but he did say in a later post on March 14th, “I promise that you will receive comfort and peace as you continue to hear Him.” March 14, 2020 – Invitation: Be comforted by the Savior’s invitation “I the Lord am bound when you do what I say.” Promise: “Joy is always within the reach of everyone who will hear Him and obey His laws.” A Hinge Point in Church History I shared what I learned from researching what a “hinge point” is. I talk about a teaching website that shares about hinge-point questions in teaching and how they help a teacher ask questions to students to check if they are ready to move on and in what direction. I share my thoughts that in the context of President Nelson’s invitations he may be asking us if we are ready to move on and if so, in what direction. An “Unforgettable” General Conference I talk about how the conditions we are living in currently and the changes already announced about conference will make it unforgettable. But I also share my belief that another element may be the bigger reason why conference will be unforgettable. Perhaps it is the condition of our heart from our own spiritual preparation that will make it unforgettable. I illustrate this by sharing the story of Amulek and Alma contending with Zeezrom. I share Alma 12:9-10 to show that God is offering to let us know his mysteries but we have to prepare our hearts. It is up to us to use our agency to pay heed and diligence to Him. Act Now + Your Part is Vital After giving his invitations, President Nelson said “the time to act is now.” He also said “your part is vital.” I give my thought that President Nelson doesn’t want to leave anyone behind. We can use our agency to be prepared to move on. I also share a quote from a talk given by Elder Jeffery R. Holland where he tells about the story of the brother of Jared found in Ether. I shared this quote from the talk: “And from that command given to the Lord, for it does seem to be something of a command, the brother of Jared and the reader of the Book of Mormon would never be the same again. Ordinary individuals with ordinary challenges could rend the veil of unbelief and enter the realms of eternity. And Christ, who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem His people, would be standing at the edge of that veil to usher the believer through.” Figure Out the Invitations for Yourself I share that I know everyone can find out for themselves how to act on the invitations of President Nelson for themselves. It’s never too late. You can ask the Holy Ghost to teach you what you need to know. Episode Links Spiritual Treasures talk from October 2019 by President Nelson Closing Remarks talk from October 2019 by President Nelson Invitation to #HearHim President Nelson’s Facebook Page Rending the Veil of Unbelief talk by Elder Jeffery R. Holland Alma 12:9-10 Follow Spiritually Minded Mom Website: spirituallymindedmom.com Instagram: @spirituallymindedmom Facebook: spirituallymindedmom Podcast: Spiritually Minded Mom on Apple Podcasts YouTube: Spiritually Minded Mom

What are the rewards for the Believer in Heaven? What is Christian Education? What are the core truths of Christian Education? How is Christian Education related to the human development? What is the purpose of Christian Education? Who is responsible for Christian Education? What should form the content or curriculum of Christian Education? Listen as Pastor/Dr. David Murphy discusses these questions and more.

What’s True in the Bible?While We Await the Heavenly City1. We praise God continually. (Hebrews 13:15)2. We do good generously. (Hebrews 13:16)3. We honor leaders submissively. (Hebrews 13:17)Defiance leads to groaning.Submission leads to joy.What’s Real in my life?• When was it painful or difficult for me to praise God? Why?• How do my actions reflect my hope for Heaven?• What does God’s leadership structure have to do with my preparation for Heaven (Hebrews 13:14, 17)?What’s Next?• How can I continue to praise God when life’s hard?• How can I join Grace’s efforts to do good locally and globally? (gcc-online.org/service-opportunities)• How can I encourage the Elders at Grace?

What specifics does the Bible gives about the place call Heaven? What kind of bodies will we have in Heaven? Will we see God in Heaven? Does the Bible speak about rewards in Heaven? Listen as Pastor/Dr. David Murphy discusses these questions and more.

In this episode (Part 2 of 2), we continue our discussion of the divine feminine with panelists Kristen Rogers-Iversen, Kathryn Knight Sonntag, and Brittney Lowe Hartley. Whereas the first segment featured each participant's search for and journey with the feminine divine, as well wide-ranging conversations about goddesses in faith traditions besides Mormonism, various other female deities or aspects that are reverenced, symbols such as the Tree of Life, etc., this discussion zeros in more directly on ways to talk about her in communities that have failed to emphasize Mother. For Mormonism, is it or isn't it a blessing that not much direct teaching on the feminine divine has come forward in comparison to the lists of qualities and attributes of Father in Heaven? What opportunities and spiritual blessings are open to us with a Mother that is much more mysterious? How might we know when the time is right to say speak up about Her? How do we know when the setting isn't optimal for being received well? What are some prerequisites to sharing effectively from the pulpit or in classroom settings, or even among family members and other groups that are predominantly Mormon? What are the best strategies for pushing this discussion in the church and helping it grow spiritually through paying closer attention to the divine feminine?  Each panelist shares wonderful insights! Listen in!

The "Brandon University - Varsity Christian Fellowship" executive team (Lantz, Mackenzie, and Alicia) discusses what the entire VCF crew talked about in the Bible Study every Monday night. In Disc II - Night II - Part I, we talk about the importance of having a relationship with Christ, and debate what kind of relationship is healthy and what kind is not. Who will make it into Heaven? What can we do to strengthen our relationship with Christ? Finally, is there a sin so undeniably bad that it is unforgivable - and why? Tune in on Thursday, February 20, 2020 for the second half of this episode! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandonuvcf

Did you know that most of the Bible talks about promises and prophecies about what will happen in the future? Are you living your life for a reward in this world or are you living for Heaven? What is your value system oriented around? In this teaching, Matt Ball teaches about the importance of having an eternal perspective. What God has said is going to come to pass is more real than the circumstances we encounter on this earth.

What is the kingdom of Heaven? What did Jesus want us to understand about it and how did he want us to engage with it. Join Pastor ChristianAnn as she explores how the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God changes the way we see the world around us and how we follow Jesus in our everyday.

Are you PURE enough to get into heaven? What God requires of us. How "holy" or "pure" do you have to be to get into Heaven What you need to do to make sure you have your ticket to Heaven Bible Verses: Revelation 21:1-7 Romans 5:18-19 Revelation 21:8 & 27 Psalms 24:3-6 Revelation 22:14-15 Romans 5:20-21 Psalms 103:12 Visit my blog to view the videos... Connect with on social media. Feel free to ask any questions: Twitter Facebook Instagram The Bible App Through the Word --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

Could this be Heaven? What we experience in our daily lives often feels like anything but heaven. But what if we understood how powerful we are- that we are powerful enough to mold both our internal and external reality? What if we understood that Heaven is not a place, but a state of being, and we can create that state, right here and right now? Anita realized that on February 3rd, 2006, when she came out of a coma and healed from the cancer that was supposed to take her life. Join Christine and guest Anita Moorjani for a fascinating discussion!

What about children in Heaven? What will we do there? What will our fellowship be like with God the Father, with Jesus, and with people?

You Are My Goal, My Father. Only You.Where would I go but Heaven? What could be a substitute for happiness? What gift could I prefer before the peace of God? What treasure would I seek and find and keep that can compare with my Identity? And would I rather live with fear than love?You are my goal, my Father. What but You could I desire to have? What way but that which leads to You could I desire to walk? And what except the memory of You could signify to me the end of dreams and futile substitutions for the truth? You are my only goal. Your Son would be as You created him. What way but this could I expect to recognize my Self, and be at one with my Identity?- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles, Lesson 287

Does Hell exist?  Is Heaven for real? Does Satan exist? Will my dog be in Heaven? What do other worldviews believe and many more questions answered in this Q and A podcast.    

Session 3 in our series on Heaven: What the Bible Says about the Afterlife.

Wednesday night Foundations teaching series - Heaven: What the Bible Says About the Afterlife.

What does genealogy have to do with Jesus? What does heritage have to do with Heaven? What does ethnicity have to do with eternal life? What does skin color have to do with Salvation? What does race have to do with redemption? Recorded Sunday, August 11, 2019.

What would it be like to get a glimpse of Heaven ? What if you could pull back the surface of the physical world and see the mechanics of Heaven at work behind it ? Today we look at the last paragraph of Psalm 103, the sixth window. We dive into the deep end of the heavenly realms and then conclude with a practical six step meditation you can use to start your day with your face towards God. You can do the meditation at http://levpres.org/starting-your-day-with-the-six-windows-of-psalm-103/

I. Time Fails Us Now... It Won’t Fail Us in Heaven What a gift is time, amen. This opportunity that we have week by week to come together for corporate worship, that we can join together with the body of Christ Sunday mornings, one day in seven. The gift of time, every minute, every hour, every day, every year is a gift from Jesus, amen, and we are called on in Scripture to redeem the time, to make the most of it. What a great gift of grace is the gift of time, and how much greater a gift is eternity, amen. We labor under the restrictions of time in this world. The time is never what we want it to be. It just flies by. I feel like it's accelerating. My grandmother warned me this, she told me when she was 95, she said, "The second half of my life, I hardly remember, it just flew by." And it's just accelerating to some degree. It's incredible how rapidly it goes. I don't regret it, though. Every day brings me closer to seeing Jesus face-to-face. I look forward to... I'm not trying to retard the process of aging or of what's coming to me, I'm looking forward to my inheritance in Christ. But you know, it's funny how the author to Hebrews labored in reference to time, even in the verses that we're looking at. There's just a limited amount of time, we can't do everything we would like to do in this world, so we have to be wise in how we spend our time. And so in verse 32, the author comes to this point, he says, "What more shall I say, for time would fail me to tell" fully of each of these individuals. I don't have enough time to go into all the details I would like to go into. This is the rub of our earthly life. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Psalm 39:5, the psalmist there says, "You have made my days a mere handbreadth, the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." Even the Apostle John, as he was finishing up his work in the Gospel of John, bumped into the same reality that the author to Hebrews is facing in verse 32, [chuckle] he said this in John 21:25, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose even the whole world would not have room for all the books that would be written." Heavenly Leisure: Becoming Experts in Church History... and Theology We can't tell all the stories we would like to tell. Well, that's our problem here on earth, we will not have that problem in heaven, amen. We will have leisure in heaven, to listen to all the stories in great detail. When we've been there 10,000 years, bright, shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first began. Now, I don't think it's just because I went to seminary that I think there's going to be seminary aspects up in heaven. And you'll be free to enjoy them, you actually will enjoy them. You'll look forward to getting a full lesson on church history up in heaven, and you're going to get full theology lessons up in heaven, you're going to study theology and church history in heaven. And you're thinking, "Oh, no, I thought I was done with all that studying." No, we're going to learn each other, we're going to learn our brothers and sisters in Christ, what God did in and through them. Amen. We're going to study how God was gracious to each one. We belong to a royal lineage of brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us, 1 Peter 2:9 says, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God." Friends, that is your true genealogy, it's a spiritual one. We're part of an incredible family of God, brothers and sisters who've gone before us and acted with great valor by faith. And we're going to be able to sit at table, at banquet table, with these and talk to them and find out what God did in and through them for his glory by faith. And we won't be pressed for time as the author was in verse 32. We don't be pressed. It says in Matthew 8:11, Jesus said, "I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will take their places at the feast at the banquet table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." We're going to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And there I extend it out to the heroes of the faith that go beyond the Scriptural time. We're going to be able to sit down with Martin Luther. No translator needed. And we're going to talk to him about what it was like to stand by faith at the Diet of Worms and defend justification by faith alone, apart from works of the law. On peril of his life, what it was like. Or with William Tyndale to say, "Brother, what was it like to translate the Scripture into English for generations and generations of people who followed, to read in that beautiful clear English, that's mostly captured in the KJV, the King James version, what was it like?" This is a man who paid for it with his life, burned at the stake for that translation. Be able to walk through the meadows and valleys of the new earth with an explorer missionary like David Livingston, just talk to him about his experiences when he went through the heart of Africa or to be with the blind hymn writer, Fanny Crosby. I've often wondered what was her quiet time like that led to her writing the words to Blessed Assurance. What happened, Fanny? I mean, were you just praying one day, and the heavens were opened, and you just saw angels descending, your heart was filled with his love. There were whispers of mercy. What were you seeing? Whatever it was she was seeing that day she sees it better now, amen. And be able to just share with her experiences of a life lived for the glory of God. To talk to Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ who lived through the communist crackdown during the Cultural Revolution, who stood with great courage for the faith. Or those that were persecuted back in the Roman days, like Polycarp, who stood at Smyrna, the Bishop of Smyrna, and said with great courage, "For 86 years, I've served him, he's never done me wrong. How can I deny him now?" Or Perpetua and Felicitas, who stood for the glory of God, even at the risk of their lives. Perpetua willing to give up her status as a noblewoman, a Roman citizen, and die for Jesus. I want to talk to them. I want to share with them. And so, we come to this list in which the author basically says, "I wish I had more time, I just don't. I can't go into all the great details that I would." And there are mysteries of this list that he makes at this point. II. The Mysteries of this List There are some mysteries here. Why does he shorten the list? Well, he's kind of already told you that, he said, time would fail me. I have some other things to do. I need to write Hebrews 12 and 13, and if I don't move on then Andy Davis will never get out of Hebrews 11. You'll be with it... In it for the next 20 years. And there's just more good things to say. So, I've got Hebrews 12 and 13 to write and I need to move on. But I've basically made my point. You need to live an other worldly life by faith, you need to know that you are an alien and a stranger here just passing through. You need to live for that new heaven and new earth that's coming, that kingdom, that glorious city with foundations whose architect and builder is God. You need to live for that. You're just passing through, you need to effectively live in a tent, even if you don't physically live in one, in your heart you need to. And you need to be willing to live a life filled with faith for the glory of God, energetic, courageous, doing acts of valor. That's what you need. And so, I don't really need much more... Many more examples. Time would fail me if I went into great detail. So I think that's why the author shortened his list at this point. Why these particular heroes are chosen? I'm not sure. Some of them make more sense than others, but some of them, you know, seem like head-scratchers, like Jephthah, why was he chosen or not, for example, Jonathan? You know, why Barak chosen and not Deborah? Why was Samson chosen? I mean, he seems to be a weak man beset by lusts. What about Gideon? Given the frailty, the flickering nature of his faith at the beginning of it all, why was he a chosen? We'll talk more about Gideon in a few moments. But why no one beyond David? Why weren't some of the prophets listed out? For example, Elijah, who by faith courageously stood on Mount Carmel, against the prophets of Baal, or Elisha, who by faith saw the chariots of fire surrounding that were coming when the Arameans were coming to arrest him. Or Isaiah, who by faith saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple, and in my opinion, saw Jesus Christ more clearly than any Old Covenant saint and wrote of it in his incredible prophecies. Or Jeremiah, who by faith stood against the people of his own generation, and predicted very plainly the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and urged the people that the only way that they could survive is to go out and surrender, and therefore he was hated by the people of his own generation, and persecuted and yet, he said, "His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." it's Jeremiah. Incredible men and women of God that are not listed here. Why these? Why These Heroes are Listed in This Order? And why were these heroes listed in this particular order? For example, why was Gideon whose story is told in Judges 6-8 listed before Barak, whose story is told in Judges 2-4? My answer is, I don't know. There you go, there's the answer. I don't know why the order is given here, I don't know why. I know this, that the Holy Spirit does everything for a reason. And that this ordering and these words were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and he had his reasons. The real question in front of us is none of these mysteries. The real question is how do these heroes display faith? The same faith that we must have to run our race with endurance right to the finish line. That's the question in front of us, as it's been throughout this chapter. Remember at the end of Hebrews 10:38, the key verse that launched us into this whole meditation. There it says, "My righteous one will live by faith." The justified are justified by faith and we live by faith. "My righteous one will live by faith and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." So those are the key verses that launched us into this meditation on examples of faith, heroes of faith. How Did These Heroes Display Saving Faith? And so, we're asking this question, "How do these heroes display the faith we must have to be saved?" The faith-filled life we must live that only that life leads to heaven. At the end of this, the beginning of the next chapter, we have mentioned this cloud of witnesses, therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. These are those that make up the cloud of witnesses in the author's mind and they are testifying to a life of faith. Now, I'm going to divide the list of the triumphant... Of the heroes and their actions in two parts. We're going to look at one part of it this week. These are what I call the triumphant heroes. And that would be 32-35A, so half way through verse 35. And the next week, the suffering heroes, 35B-38, God willing, next week. So the triumphant heroes are those whose lives led to outward clear victories that people could joyfully celebrate in this world and see God's hand and rejoice in. And then the suffering heroes next week, those who were willing to die and to suffer persecution for Christ. And we'll talk about them next week. So, as I look at this list, as I look at this list of names, and I look at this quick list of actions of what they did, one particular phrase came out to me and I want to meditate on it with you. Now, I think many phrases could come out. There are lots of angles you could take toward this summary list, because there's so many things involved. Frankly, I look at this list of names, and this list of actions similar to a big box of keepsakes that an elderly man or woman, let's say, toward the end of their life, could open up and then take out a photograph or a piece of jewelry, a family heirloom, or a family Bible tattered with little notes on it or a piece of artwork that they received decades ago from their toddler. And each one of these items pulls out with it a whole bunch of memories and relationship and all kinds of circumstances that bring up emotions, tears, joy, happiness, whatever. And I think that's in effect what's happening here. The Lord is saying, I know each of these people, I know all their lives. I can remember all of them. That's what I do with the genealogy, it's also in 1 Chronicles. These names may mean nothing to you, but these people mean everything to me. And I remember what they did, but we just don't have time to go into the details. III. The Central Lesson: Weakness Turned into Strength But as I was looking over these verses, one phrase in particular came out to me and that's in verse 34, "whose weakness was turned into strength." I want to meditate on that phrase with you. Whose weakness was turned into strength. Gideon And it came out for me personally, first and foremost, from studying the case of Gideon. So I'm going to give undue attention to the phrase, "whose weakness was turned into strength," and undo attention to Gideon and not so much to any of the others. And that's how I'm going to preach this section. But Gideon was a man who lived in a very bad time in Israel's history, the time of the judges. And as a matter of fact, most of these names cover the period of the judges. And I'll talk more about that period in a few moments, but there was a cycle of sin that was going on at that point, Israel having conquered the Promised Land, did not completely drive out all of the Canaanites, and they remained to be a torment to the people and to afflict them with temptations toward Baal worship and other things. And so, from time to time, as a matter of fact, regularly, the people of Israel would go in for idolatry and start worshipping and serving created things more than the Creator, who's forever praised, amen. They would give in to that Canaanite-ish idolatry, and God would have to judge them and he would judge them always the same way, by sending some invading Gentile power to afflict them and then they would cry out to the Lord in the midst of this affliction, and God would send them a deliverer who would throw off these invading Gentiles militarily and give Israel a time of peace and prosperity and fruitfulness through repentance. That's the cycle of the Book of Judges, and then when that was over, another generation would come along who didn't remember the lessons and they'd go right back at it again. And in Gideon's era, the Gentile power that came in were the Midianites and the power of the Midianites, we're told, in Judges 6 is so oppressive that the people of Israel had to hide in caves and in cracks in the rocks and all that. These were vicious people who came in and basically took everything of value and left and murdered anyone they could find. And so they had to go flee up into mountain clefts and caves and strongholds. We're told Midian has so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help, and God sent them Gideon. Now, when we meet Gideon, he is threshing in a wine press, one of the odder moments. I did some threshing last summer in Nepal. And the basic idea is, you need at least somewhat of a breeze for it to work. You're supposed to kind of beat the thing with the flail and then take the threshing fork and throw it up. And then the lighter chaff blows away and then the grain falls down. You do that enough, and you have mostly grain after that process. Well, he's doing it down in a wine press where there really can't be much of a breeze. I would think if there is a breeze that's going to swirl around in there, like some kind of a vortex. And so, the threshing in the wine press was a mark of both Gideon's and Israel's weakness, their frailty in the face of this overwhelming military power, the power of the Midianites. And so, the angel of the Lord comes and appears to Gideon while he's threshing in this wine press, and he says, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." What an odd greeting, kind of like Mary pondering over the greeting that Gabriel gave to her. He's saying this greeting doesn't make much sense at many levels. Let's take them one at a time. First of all, "If the Lord is actually with us, then why has all this happened to us?" I don't get it, "The Lord is with you." "Where are all his wonders that our fathers told about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hand of Midian." Well, the Lord answered very surprisingly at that point. "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" And here's the second question that Gideon has. "'But, Lord,' Gideon asked, 'How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family.'" That was his strength. What was his strength? He looked inward and did not see the resources there, and by faith turned that weakness up to Almighty God in prayer. There's your central lesson for today. Do you have the qualifying weakness? When you look inward, do you find inside yourself the resources you need to fight your battles? Yes or no? If your answer is yes, I don't know if you even know the Gospel, and I don't know if you really actually know the enemies that are arrayed against you. More on that later. But Gideon knew that he did not have the resources within him and so therefore, he knew he was weak. And so, Gideon's greatest strength was his sense of weakness, turned upward to God in faith. The Lord answered him at that point. "I will be with you and I will strike down, or you will strike down all the Midianites together." And so, Gideon had faith. But as I mentioned a moment ago, Gideon's initial faith was a flickering thing. I think often of that passage in Matthew 5, quoting Isaiah, speaking of Jesus, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out." Okay, that's a picture of Jesus' incredible gentleness in dealing with broken reeds like us. The bruised reeds like us and smoldering wicks. So we'll take the second image. Gideon's faith was a smoldering wick about to go out. It wasn't any mighty bonfire at this point. He asked for one sign after another. The first one is the whole offering thing. He wants to make an offering to the Angel of the Lord. And so, he asked the Angel of the Lord to wait, he goes and gets an offering, he comes back and the Angel of the Lord consumes the offering and goes up with it, disappears entirely. I think that's a pretty good sign, amen. Powerful sign, the Lord is with me. I've never seen anything like that, that's an awesome thing, but it wasn't enough for him. No, pretty soon he's doing the whole fleece thing. He wants to put out a fleece before the Lord. You know that story, don't you, Gideon's fleece? Maybe you even spread a fleece. Probably not a literal one. Do you know what a fleece is? It's a piece of cloth made of wool, I guess. And so, he wants to put out this towel or cloth before God on the ground, he put... He wants to put it out on the ground. And the idea here is, if the fleece the next morning is wet with dew, but all of the ground around it is dry, then what? Then you'll do what you're supposed to do? Then you'll obey, is that it? Well, we'll get to that. But then at least I'll have that sign. And so the next morning, he takes... He picks up that fleece, that cloth and just wrings it out and it is just saturated with water, but the whole ground is dry. God never does things half way. There's a huge amount of water. Is that enough for him? No, he needs another sign. If, possibly, I think he's kind of a scientist, a sign giver here, he's going one way and the other. We're going to do an experiment. It's like a controlled experiment, and it just might be by chance. Okay, so we're going to do the opposite thing the next day. It's the beginning of the scientific method here, okay? So the next day, what I'd like to see is the ground wet and the fleece completely dry. One hymn says, stoop to our weakness, mighty as thou art. And doesn't God just stoop to his weakness at this point, and do for him what he asked? He doesn't have to do it. He could say, "Look, I've done enough for you already." But he doesn't, he does that, he gives the second fleece. And then, as if those weren't enough, then he gives them the whole barley loaf dream, where just as he's about to engage the Midianites, basically saying, "If you're still frail in your heart, why don't you go down and I've got something I want you to hear." And so, he goes down into the camp of the Midianites and one of them is relating a story to another and says, last night I had a dream, and all of us were here arrayed in battle strength, and this huge barley loaf came rolling and knocked us all down. What an odd dream. And the answer is even odder. Well, this can be none other than Gideon, Gideon is the barley loaf. And Gideon's like, "Well, I've heard enough, that's good enough for me." I am the barley loaf, you know? And you remember the whole story of how God tells him, you have too many men, you have too many men, you have too many men, and he weeds his army down to 300 men who don't even have a sword in their hands, they have nothing, just a trumpet and then a lantern, and all that. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet and he summoned them and those 300 men conquered the Midianites without a sword in their hands, because they turned on themselves and like Satan's wicked kingdom imploding on itself he destroyed himself. And so, the Midianites destroyed themselves and they're all dead and they didn't have to do anything, the Israelites, it was something God did. A picture of the cross, as we're told in Isaiah 9, as in the day of Midian’s defeat you have destroyed, O Jesus, you have destroyed our enemies, with his own sword you pierced his head, the sword of death. Jesus uses death to destroy him, who held the power of death. How beautiful is that? Now, this whole story is the story of weakness turned into strength. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." There's your strength, bring your weakness to God in prayer. By faith say, "I can't do this, I can't finish the journey set in front of me, I can't. I don't know that I can run another step. I am so weak. My enemies are so strong." I think about what the Apostle Paul gave to us in 2 Corinthians 12, when he had the thorn in the flesh, you remember? And three times he sought the Lord in prayer that the thorn be removed. Three times he asked that the thorn be removed from his flesh. And the answer is the same every time, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power or my strength is made perfect in weakness." What an incredible lesson that is. God's grace, his strength, is made perfect in our weakness, not in our strength. And therefore, Paul says, "Alright, this is my conclusion, I've learned my lesson." "Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. And that is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, and persecutions and difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Isn't the opposite true? When you are strong, then you are weak? Because when you are strong, it means you think you don't need Jesus anymore, and that will never be the case. And so, God's power was made perfect in weakness, that was the strength that Gideon had, go in the strength you have, go in that weakness of yours and watch me deliver you. We must turn away from self-reliance, we are so addicted to it. And I believe every trial God brings in your life and mine, every trial, the central lesson is to teach us to no longer rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead, that's the lesson every time. Stop relying on yourself, trust in Christ. Trust in me. IV. The Heroes Listed Quickly And so, that's the lesson of Gideon. Other than that, we have these heroes listed quickly, one after the other. Book of Judges, a bewildering time. Frankly, as I've meditated on the Book of Judges I think that the central lesson there and the warning, and it's a very poignant warning for me, is what happens to the people of God when the word of God is no longer taught to them? This is what happens, they become no better than pagans, no better than animals. Frankly, by the end of the Book of Judges, the Levites have so completely failed in their mission that the people of Israel are no better than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. There's an incredible parallel at the end of Judges with the whole Sodom and Gomorrah story. They're just the same, we're meant to think of them as the same. And the Levites show up, one Levite is there who ends up being a Levite for hire, and he's somebody's personal family priest for money. And then there's this other Levite with his concubine, and the whole thing is ugly and a mess, and at the beginning of the whole book, that generation, the next generation didn't remember all the mighty acts of God, and all of the great things that God had done. But the priests should have taught them. Malachi 2:7, "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty." And so from his mouth should be the word of the living God. But the Levites didn't do their job. And so, there was a famine of hearing the word of God and so they drifted into wickedness. Because they didn't hear and they didn't believe the Word of God. Now, in the midst of all of that, God had a remnant, didn't he? In every generation God has a remnant. Gideon said, "Where are all those mighty acts we've heard about?" And so, he had heard and he had faith, because he had heard and believed the word of God. So we have in Romans 11, "I have reserved for myself 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. And so too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace." In every generation, there's some remnant of people who will hear God's word, God will get his word to them, they will hear and believe. Barak And so we have these heroes of faith teaching us these lessons. Gideon already mentioned Barak, who was a man who trusted God's word, spoken by a prophetess, by Deborah, but who needed his hand held to go into the battle. And so, he was deprived in some way of the glory of just a strong faith. But he's in the list. Then there is Samson, who did mighty acts of physical strength, but who seemed to be a very weak man when it came to women, in particular. He just could not curb his lusts, and so, he is very weak, and it ends up costing him huge in his life. This is a man who ripped a young lion to shreds with his bare hands. You know, I don't actually think that he was, if I can use the vernacular, ripped or cut, you know what I'm saying? I think every child art... Depiction of Samson shows him that way, but he did things that I don't care how big your biceps and triceps are, you can't do that. Like lifting up the city gates and throwing them over a hill. Can I quote another Scripture to you from Zechariah 4:6, "Not by power, nor by might, but by my spirit says the Lord Almighty." Wouldn't it be cool if his arms were like pencils actually, wouldn't that be really cool? It's like, I don't know what the secret of your great strength is. What could it be? Look at you, you know? But it never says that, but she is wondering, I don't understand the secret of your great strength. But again and again in Judges we have this phrase, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon so and so." The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel in Judges 3:10. Or "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon." That we've already mentioned in 6:34 and 11:29, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson…" in 14:6, 14:19, and 15, 14 and 15. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him again and again, and he picks up the jaw bone of a donkey and kills a thousand men. With the jaw bone of a donkey, because the Spirit of God came upon him. Only by faith and by the power of the Spirit can we win these kinds of victories. Jephthah Jephthah, I think the most surprising guy in the list. He's an odd guy. I don't fully understand his story, I know that the spirit of God came upon him, but a few verses later he's making a vow that if God will give him the victory, he will sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever comes across his threshold to greet him. That's odd. Turned out to be his virgin daughter. I don't think that Hebrews is celebrating Jephthah's vow, just Jephthah's faith. And I think that's probably why men like Samson and Jephthah are chosen, it's because they're not perfect people. They're not perfect, they just had faith. God justifies the wicked, he justifies the ungodly by faith. And then a genuine faith results in heroic acts of valor. David and Samuel David, Samuel, no surprise that these great men are in the list. But the author just wants you to know, whatever David did, he did by faith. Whatever he did, he did by faith. He faced Goliath by faith. He patiently waited on God for the promised kingdom by faith. He didn't kill Saul in the cave by faith. He dealt, he administered justice in his kingdom by faith when Ish-Bosheth's murderers came to him and told him that they had murdered him, and he now had the whole kingdom to himself, he executed them because they killed an innocent man in his bed. He administered justice by faith, because he wanted his kingdom established by righteousness and not by wickedness, by faith. You have to see his life that way. And the same thing, Samuel, who came before David, but is listed after him, but he heard God's word by faith, even as a little boy, God spoke to him and by faith, he learned to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening," and he never let any of God's words fall to the ground. But he spoke them honestly, even if they caused pain to someone he loved, like Eli. And then the Prophets, as I said, mentioned a summary of them one after the other, by faith, Elijah, by faith, Elisha, by faith, Isaiah, by faith, Jeremiah. That's how you ought to see them, but they're not listed here, they're just understood. You can read their stories. V. What Faith Has Achieved And what had faith achieved? Verse 33-34, "Who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." Now, you can play the game, a Bible trivia game and go through and say, "What does each one of these refer to?" And it's a joy to do that, but I'm not going to do that now. You know these stories, but it is by faith that these heroes of faith did these great things. The Supremacy of Christ: Jesus Does it All What I want to do is I want to apply this list now to you and I want to start by applying it first and foremost to Jesus. Let me tell you something, any attribute or great action done by any hero of the faith, Jesus did it better. He did it better, he was a greater hero than any of these. And so, if you look at this list, is it true that Jesus conquered a kingdom? Yeah, it is. Satan's kingdom was crushed by Jesus. Is it true that Jesus by the greatness of his reign administers justice? Oh, absolutely. All judgment has been entrusted to Jesus. Is it true that Jesus gained what was promised? Yes, in Jesus, all the promises of God are yes and amen. He gained what was promised for you. He went out and won the victories for you so that you could have the Promised Land. Promised eternal life. Did Jesus shut the mouth of a lion? If you see Satan as a lion, absolutely, he shut his mouth. And he is likened to that, he is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes out between us and the lion and says, "You're not going to touch any of my sheep," and he is the mighty Good Shepherd who protects us from this lion. Quenched the fury of the flames? You tell me. Do you fear the flames of hell? It depends what you mean. Do you believe you're going there? I don't believe I'm going there. And when it comes to me, then, he has quenched the fury of the flames. Though I deserve to burn in hell, I will not, because Jesus died for me. Escaped the edge of the sword. Did Jesus escape? Well, he was resurrected, he wasn't killed by a sword. But I've been thinking about that sword. I think that Satan wields, metaphorically, a double-edged sword in our lives. I know that the word of God is a double-edged sword, but Satan wields this double-edged sword, cuts you both ways, temptation and accusation. Temptation and accusation. That's his double-edged sword. He drags you and entices you and tricks you and deceives you to sin, and then he turns and accuses you of that sin before God. And Jesus answers it, by his atoning death, by shedding his blood on the cross, under the righteous judgment of God, he stands in the way, and he removes the written code against you by satisfying its demands. And now who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies, it's Jesus who died for them, who will condemn? Christ Jesus who died, more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us, whose weakness was turned into strength. Was Jesus weak? No one was ever weaker. I'm telling you, he was under the wrath of God, he was poured out on the cross, he was... Great drops of blood coming on the ground in Gethsemane, and out of his weakness or, as Michael Card put it, the frailty of the son, out of the frailty of Jesus, we have eternal life. Our strength is in his weakness that he was willing to die. They thought because he's on the cross… "If you're the Son of God, come down off the cross." He's so weak, he can't save himself, he's weak, he's unable. No, no, no, that weakness was his power and his strength, but it's given to us. His weakness was turned into strength who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. You know something, he's been doing that now for 20 centuries through weak people like you and me. He has designed this whole thing to defeat little by little Satan's kingdom in this world through us. Now, what I want you to do, I've applied it to Jesus. What I want you to do is now apply it to you. I want you to see your own weakness turned into strength. Maybe you came here lost, you came here outside of Christ. Friend, the Scripture doesn't just call you weak, although it does. When we were powerless, Christ died for us. Okay. But it calls you dead. But today you may live. If you can just hear the words of the Gospel, if you can just hear this word, this Gospel message and believe, you will have eternal life. You've heard everything you need. God sent his son, he died in our place; at the cross, an exchange was made, our sins laid on him, his righteousness given to us, we have eternal life. Trust in him. Let your weakness be turned into strength through faith in Christ. Now, if you're already a Christian, go to the cross again, go to Jesus again for your weakness to be turned into strength and for you to put foreign armies to flight. How do you do that? Well, you have an army arrayed against you. I was thinking about this this very day, it was a thought I'd never had before. Do you remember the story of Elisha? Do you remember how the Arameans are surrounding the city, and his servant goes out and he says, "We're done for, we're surrounded." And then Elisha said, "No, there's more on our side than on theirs." Saw the physical army of the Arameans, they looked out on the... The servant looked out with natural eyes on this physical army, and was terrified by it. And then, Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes." By faith then he could see chariot, horsemen of fire, an angelic army surrounding. Well, I pushed it a little bit this morning. I was just thinking, you know what, most of us need to see the enemy army by faith. But we're not surrounded by physical soldiers, Arameans coming physically to arrest us, but we are in a war zone. Do you know it? Do you know that you have an enemy, the Devil? Do you know that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms? Are you aware of that? Do you know you have an army arrayed against you that wants your destruction? Do you know that the army that's fighting for you is infinitely more powerful than it is? But God wants you to know that you must put on your spiritual armor, that you must put on the belt of truth, that you must put on the helmet of salvation, the breast plate of righteousness, you must lift up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. You must fight this battle. There's so much military imagery in the Old Testament and very few of us are actually physical soldiers. But we are all at war and you have to see that warfare by faith, and see your triumph in it by faith as well. Because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. So I'm just urging you on the basis of these heroes, and all of their great achievements, to fight the good fight of faith until the day you die. Close with me in prayer.

Heaven - What will it be like?