Podcasts about him jeremiah

Dennis & Benedicta discuss the importance of clinging to God's word and feeling shame when we stray from Him (Jeremiah 6:10, 8:9).Send us a textTo find out more about Dennis & Benedicta Pollock please visit the Spirit of Grace website, where you can find other wonderful resources such as videos and articles. You will also find out how you can support the work of Spirit of Grace by becoming a Friend of Grace .Please send questions, comments, and feedback with us at grace@spiritofgrace.org.

Do you ever feel weighed down by negative thoughts or past hurts—especially when love is in the air? Whether it's from past relationships, self-doubt, or the expectations placed on us, Valentine’s week can stir up emotions that keep us from fully embracing God’s love and peace.In this episode, Bonnie explores how to break free from toxic thinking and replace misbeliefs with God’s truth. You’ll learn how breath prayers and soul care practices can help you feel God’s love, calm anxiety, and renew your mind.Learn to: Let go of negative thought patterns that keep you stuck Experience God’s love in a fresh, personal way Use simple breath prayers to calm stress and anxiety Rewire your brain with new soul-care habitsTune into this episode to: Receive a loving word from God that speaks into your heart Discover a practical soul care tip to help you navigate stress this week Find encouragement through scripture and science-backed wellness practicesKey Takeaways:Science + Scripture: God invites us to seek Him with all our hearts, and He promises we’ll find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) Science of New Experiences: Science confirms that new experiences—like faith journaling and breath prayers—can rewire our brains for joy and peace Science of Spiritual meditation is more powerful than secular meditation for reducing anxiety and boosting emotional well-being "Rewire Your Brain for Joy With Jesus —Do This to Break Free from Stress" #151You are worthy of love, peace, and joy—no matter what past experiences have told youLet this be the week you embrace God’s love in a new way! Press play and breathe in His peace. Breathe Prayer: Inhale: "You will seek me and find me "Exhale: "when you search for me with all your heart" Scripture: "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." Jer. 29:13 Soul Care Tip: 3 Action Steps to Beat All-Or-Nothing ThingLINKS & RESOURCES- Sign Up for NEW "Walking In Wellness with Jesus" Study! https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/- Take my FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.com – your wellness assessment!- Get Bonnie's Bestselling book "Breathe: 21 Days to Stress Less" https://amzn.to/4azae1K- Subscribe to FREE Breathe Newsletter for Fall Quarter Soul Care! https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe/- Follow Bonnie at www.instagram.com/thebonniegray & www.facebook.com/thebonniegray Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jennifer Sands' powerful testimony is a must-watch for anyone seeking hope amidst life's trials!

8. Messiah's Promise Isaiah 54:1-17 God fulfills every promise He has made! You may recall back on Day 4 in Isaiah 52, Isaiah started talking about a great homecoming for all those who believed. Then on our Day 5, Isaiah gave a picture regarding the sacrificial suffering of the Messiah Servant. Now in Isaiah 54, we see the reason for the suffering. We see that because of this coming Messah's suffering and subsequent exultation and vindication, that God will make a New Covenant with all the peoples of the world! God has always kept the promises He made with people! Promises to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David were also kept by God! God is ever faithful and always true to His word! And here God reminds them through Isaiah of three promises or covenants He has made: Abraham, Moses and Noah. Past - Covenant with Abraham! Here in Isaiah 54:1-3 God reminds the people through Isaiah, that God has always kept His promises to His people! If they looked back at the covenant promises made to Abraham, they would see this (Genesis 12:1-3)! When they go into exile, keep hold of the promises of God and be obedient to Him! God is always faithful and wants their total obedience to Him! How are these verses of Isaiah 54:1-3, are meant to be a reminder of the covenant with Abraham? The mention of the barren woman (1), tent (2) and descendants (3) would all bring to mind God's promises to Abraham... The barren woman, would be a reminder that Abraham and Sarah were aged and childless. The tent would act as a reminder that Abraham was a tent-dweller in an alien land. The descendants would remember that they themselves are descendants from Abraham! And God has promised in 54:3 that they will return to the land of Abraham and populate there once more. The Abrahamic covenant is a link to all of God's activities and programs until the end of time, when Jesus returns to gather His people to Himself. That is how important it was, particularly to Israel! The covenant had aspects for Abraham personally, as well as aspects that applied to all nations. Past - Covenant with Moses Now in Isiaah 54:4-8, God moves to the covenant He made with Moses (Exodus 19v5-8). When as a young nation, Israel was in exile and slavery in Egypt - it was an embarrassment to her. Now as a nation she was like an aged widow, she was due to be in exile again, but in Babylon this time. But just as God made the covenant with Israel on Mount Sinai after escaping from Egypt, so too would God restore her to Himself once again and be her husband and Redeemer. The covenant with Moses begins with a stipulation "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me." (Exodus 19v5). This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God's promise to Abraham would know how to live righteously and obediently. Past - Covenant with Noah! Next God talks about his promise to Noah (Genesis 9v1-19)! Now instead of just a covenant with Israel, this is a covenant with the whole world! After the flood, Noah and his descendants spread throughout the world, bringing new life and God's blessing to all parts. The flood is symbolic of the coming period that Israel will spend in exile, and all of the people of Israel are likened to the family of Noah and their descendants. God will protect them in exile, just as He did Noah and his family through the flood. God has always kept his promises to Israel! But Israel has not always been faithful! Future - Promised New City Now the Lord talks about the future - the now but not yet. A great city is built to house all those who are God's people as a reward for their obedient faithfulness despite trials, sufferings and persecution! Here Isaiah links also to the coming Messiah! Remember the Messiah was also a Disciple taught by God (Isaiah 50:4), then so were they (54:13)! Just has He had suffered (Isaiah 53:4), so have they (Isaiah 54:11)! Just as He was justified (Isaiah 50:8), so would they be (Isaiah 54:17). Those who serve God Almighty with faithful obedience will share in the sufferings of the Messiah King but also participate in His glory, because they are His children. Because of the Messiah Servant's sacrificial suffering they will be able to live in the city of God forever! God is going to make a new Covenant with people - and He can be trusted to keep His promises! How is Jesus this Messiah? Both the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel talk about the promise of this New Covenant that God will have with all of humanity. What is this New Covenant that God is making? Four features of this covenant are: Regeneration -God will write His law on the hearts of people. (Jeremiah 31v33) Restoration - God will be their God, and they will be God's people. (Jeremiah 31v33) Promised Holy Spirit - God will indwell people and they will be led by Him (Jeremiah 31v 34) Justification - Sins will be forgiven and removed eternally (Jeremiah 31v34) What does all this have to do with Jesus? This New Covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross as spoken of in Isaiah 53:1-12. His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant. His death pays the penalty for the sins of all people who say yes to God and His New Covenant. This New Covenant is contrasted with the Old Covenant or the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31v32; Hebrews 8v6-13) because this New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God's holy character. In this way, Jesus is also the redeemer of the Church and the redeemer mentioned in Isaiah 54:5 & Isaiah 54:7! He is the redeemer spoken about by Job (Job 19:25)! Relationship! Jesus Christ is the head of the church! The church is married to Jesus Christ and is frequently described as a bride! Just as the people of Israel were in Isaiah 54! How are the church linked to Jesus Christ? The Church is the Body of Christ - it is a living organism and not merely an organization (Ephesians 1v22, 23; 4v15-16). We are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12v13) and this body is made up of many parts or believers. Each believer has a vitally necessary and important function (Ephesians 4v15; 1 Corinthians 12v13). The Church is the Bride of Christ - which suggests the purity, holiness and faithfulness of God's people. Furthermore it suggests the great love that Jesus Christ has for His Church, the Bride (Ephesians 5v25-32; 2 Corinthians 11v2; Rev 19v7.22v17) The Church is the Temple of Christ - Christ is building a spiritual temple with Himself as the Cornerstone or foundation. As Christian Disciples we are living stones and God dwells within the temple, filling it with all His fullness (Ephesians 2v22; 1 Peter 2v5) God keeps His promises - Jesus is proof of that! Right mouse click to save this Podcast as a MP3.

A friend had violated the vows of his marriage. It was painful to watch him destroy his family. As he sought reconciliation with his wife, he asked my counsel. I told him he needed to offer more than words; he needed to be proactive in loving his wife and removing any patterns of sin. The prophet Jeremiah offered similar advice to those who’d broken their covenant with God and followed other gods. It wasn’t enough to return to Him (Jeremiah 4:1), though that was the right start. They also needed to align their actions with what they were saying. That meant getting rid of their “detestable idols” (v. 1). Jeremiah said that if they made commitments “in a truthful, just and righteous way,” then God would bless the nations (v. 2). The problem was the people were making empty promises. Their heart wasn’t in it. God doesn’t want mere words; He wants our hearts. As Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). That’s why Jeremiah goes on to encourage those who would listen to break up the unplowed ground of their heart and not sow among the thorns (4:3). Sadly, like so many people, my friend didn’t heed sound biblical counsel and consequently lost his marriage. When we sin, we must confess and turn from it. God doesn’t want empty promises; He desires a life that’s truly aligned with Him.

Solomon the Wise prays to God, Dedicating the Temple! 2 Chronicles 6v1-21 What is the story so far? History is important though, not only to learn the lessons from it but also as Christians, the Bible shows how God has acted in human history.  A brief recap of chapter 7. From the first 3 verses of chapter 7, we read the Chronicler regaling one of the many great WOW moments of the Old Testament. The time when the glory of the Lord came down like fire and filled the temple to overflowing! The people fell down in worship of a great God, who was their God! This was followed by a great scene of abundantly joyful sacrificial worship to this God! That must have been some prayer eh! Well, tonight as you may have gathered, we go back to looking at those prayers. Not in an exhaustive way, but to discover together what we can learn about God and His relationship with those who are His and seeing how this is relevant to us some 3 millennia later. During the intervening period, I wonder if Solomon had wrestled in his mind over what he prayed… Let us wrestle together now, in these prayers of his, albeit briefly. This is a key passage, a link if you like, between the Covenant that God made with Solomon's father, David, including the building of a House for God, the Temple, and the glory of the Lord filling the Temple in 2 Chronicles 7. This reflects I think, the necessity and vitality of prayer in the unfolding of God's will for humanity. The story is also regaled in 1 Kings 8 but with some nuance as you may expect. A Covenant Making God Down through history, the Bible reveals that God has made Covenants with humanity. A covenant is an important way to describe the progress of the relationship between God and humanity through the Biblical story. A covenant at the time of the Old Testament was a solemn commitment between the two covenanting parties to fulfil all the promises and obligations of the covenant. Covenants were common in all kinds of life, and not just between God and humanity. The idea comes from the sort of agreement commonly entered into in the ancient area round Israel between a high king, and a sub king or clan chief. It is easy to see how a covenant is a good way to describe the relationship between God and humanity. God, who promises to protect and help the human with faithfulness, and the human who promises to worship and honour God with faith. The Covenants between God and humanity have several things about them regarding the relationship. In these Covenants between God and humanity, God always took the initiative – sometimes by complete surprise. God has made certain commitments and has given His solemn promise to fulfil His end of the bargain. God waits for a response from humanity. God does not coerce or force but waits for humanity to take the responsibility of replying and acquiescing to God's covenantal promises through obedience, faithfulness and worship. There are Covenants made in the Garden of Eden, Covenants made in history with Adam, Noah and Abraham, but we will fast forward to the Covenant between God and Moses before going onto His covenant with Solomon's father, David. The Mosaic Covenant Why look at the Covenant made between God and Moses? We do so because there is a connection between that Covenant and the prayer of Solomon we are looking at tonight. Indeed the very Ark of the Covenant contained a gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and two tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Charles Spurgeon commented “One is struck, with the fact that the language of Solomon is far from new, and is full of quotations from the Pentateuch (where the Mosaic Covenant is fully explained), some of which are almost word for word.” This covenant is between God and humanity, in this case with the particular nation of Israel. It commences with the stipulation “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5). This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God's promise, could know how to live righteously. Israel's task was to bring the knowledge of God to all the world so that blessing might come to all humanity. In this, however, they were to fail and only when Jesus came as the perfectly obedient Israelite was it to become possible that all the world should be blessed. This Mosaic covenant covered the three areas of life: The commandments were given so they would know how to relate socially to God correctly (Exodus 20:1-17) The judgments were given in order that they could relate socially to each other properly (Exodus 21:1 - 24:11 and in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) The decrees dictate their religious life so that God could be approached by humanity on His terms (Exodus 24:12 - 31:18, and in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Mosaic Covenant was never meant as a means by which humanity could achieve salvation with God. It was given so that they could realize the helplessness of their own efforts, and their need of God's help as well as expressing their devotion to the Lord. Yet they still failed to bring blessing to other peoples. Galatians 3:22-24 explains that the Law was only a protective fence until through the promised Messiah, when humanity could be made right with God through faith. That Messiah we know to be the man Jesus Christ. More later though. The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:4-17) Now we fast forward to the Covenant which was in place as Solomon dedicates the Temple to God and is mentioned here. This covenant that God made with David, Solomon's father. Three great things were promised: A land forever (2 Samuel 7:10); A dynasty without end (2 Samuel 7:11, 16) A perpetual kingdom (2 Samuel 7:13, 16) Through the Covenants we see a God who is willing to interact with His creation and bless it. When first century Christians such as the Apostles Paul, Peter and John checked and thought over all the events surrounding the life of Jesus Christ, they searched their Scriptures (our Old Testament). It was as God the Holy Spirit illuminated their minds, that they wrote down and passed on the whole range of Old Testament promises which were fulfilled in God's Messiah and the world's hope - Jesus Christ and Him alone. That is why it is important for us as twenty-first century Christian Disciples to read our Old Testament as well as the New Testament. For by reading the Old Testament, new light is shed upon our own understanding of the New Testament. One of the fundamentals of understanding the Bible, is to let the Bible interpret the Bible. There is one more Covenant of God which we are to look at tonight, but we will see that shortly! We press on with these prayers of Solomon. There are 3 prayers here. v1-2 are opening words of praise to God v4-11 are the 2nd prayer v16-41 are the 3rd prayer. We won't go into any great detail tonight, you will no doubt be glad to know. We will get to about verse 21 I think. But with a very general overview, let's look together and see what we can learn together from the wise man Solomon about God and about prayer. Charles Spurgeon said that “It is worthy of remark concerning this prayer that it is as full and comprehensive as if it were meant to be the summary of all future prayers offered in the temple.” Part 1 1. Verses 1 & 2 - Solomon acknowledges God's presence in the cloud Here we see that Solomon acknowledges God's presence in the cloud. The cloud of God's glory has a long association with His presence. Solomon knew that the presence of the cloud meant that God dwelt in the temple in a special way. It was to be a special place to come and meet with God. It was symbolic of God living with His people. 2.Verses 3 to 9 – Solomon blessed the people and blesses God. Here we see that Solomon blessed the people and blesses God. Solomon knew, affirmed and recognized that the completion of the Temple was the fulfilment of the plan of God and not of Solomon himself or indeed of his father David. God's plan. David and Solomon were merely the human instruments, they were God's arms and legs, but the work was affirmed to be God's alone! God's actions or work have confirmed His words, His promises! God's hands were at work building the Temple as He guided and strengthened the human workers who contributed themselves to its construction. Solomon recounts how their ancestors had escaped from Egypt in the Exodus 500 years hence. This shows its importance to the people of Israel at the time! Their minds were singing “If the Lord can bring us out of Egypt and rescue us, He will help us establish ourselves as a nation and build this Temple in order to worship Him. “ God is faithful to His promises. Down through the ages God has been faithful and keeping His part of the Covenant that He made with people. Later when we come to conclude we will see together briefly the promises of God for the Christian, including us today almost 3 millennia later. Solomon now issues a statement concerning his father, David! Why David was not to build it. Though David, the mighty King had done extensive preparations for it, he didn't actually complete it. The completion was left for his son, Solomon. Why? Because of God's ideal of rest for his King and for his people. David had fought many wars and battles. It was part of his rest in God not to build the Temple. Solomon was spared the emotional turmoil of war, so could dedicate his energies to building the Temple – the House of God. 3. Verses 10-11 - Solomon presents the finished temple unto God. And with verses 10 to 11, we see that Solomon presents the finished Temple to God. Solomon recognized that being the successor of his father David to the throne of Israel was significant. He then places the Ark of the Covenant, in its resting place in the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant was a physical representation of God's promised presence with His people, the nation of Israel. It was a wooden chest clad with gold containing a gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. Solomon speaks of a God who fulfilled with His hands what He had spoken with His mouth. God had said what He was going to do, and then went and did it. How are we doing at worshipping as we work for the Lord? Are we workers primarily and then click a switch to engage worship mode as we come here on a Sunday? Or do we consider ourselves God worshippers as we work? God wants worshippers before workers. In God's mind, the only acceptable workers are those who have learnt the art of worship. Do you consider all you do as acts of worship to God? Everything you do as acts of worship to God? Because that is the kind of people God wants and desires, the kind of people who worship Him in Spirit and in truth and in all aspects of life – not just for a couple of hours on a Sunday. With those thoughts, let's take a break now to sing to this amazing God we love, serve and are to keep our vision upon – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Part 2. Solomon's prayer. Verses 12-14 - Humility before and praise unto God. .Here in verses 12 to 14 we see that Solomon stands before the altar of the Lord. Solomon did not dedicate the Temple from within the Temple itself because that would have been the wrong place. That was where only the Priest could go, so Solomon stands outside, raised up so that the throngs of people could see him. Before the altar, spreading out his hands in an act of symbolism - reaching out toward heaven in a gesture of surrender, openness, and ready reception. Here Solomon recognizes that God was and is completely unique in all facets of being and expresses it. The false and pretend gods of the nations around Israel could not compare to Him in any way. Verses 15-17 - Solomon recognizes God as the maker and keeper of promises. Solomon commences now to thankfully praise God, because God has kept all His promises that He had mad in the past. Have you done that in your prayer life? Speaking out thanks for what God has done for you in the past? He continues and calls upon God to keep the promises that He has now made. We are, as His people, to take on board God's promises, take them to heart in faith, and then boldly and reverently call upon Him to fulfil the promises. Again, is that part of your prayer life? God promises and we are to appropriate, take hold of them and proclaim them, taking them on board in our life by faith, knowing that God fulfils the promises that He makes to people. Verses 18-21 - Solomon asks God to dwell in this place and honour those who seek Him here. Solomon now asks a question in this prayer! How often have you and I asked God questions as we pray, rather than just listing off our demands. God would reside in the Temple but not to the exclusion of other places. While God would have a special presence in the Temple, He would not be restricted to it. Solomon asks God to listen to His people as they pray and worship in this Temple dedicated to Him. When God hears the prayers made in the Tempe, Solomon implores that He would forgive His people and probably the greatest answer to prayer that they could expect. Conclusion - Promises of God for the Christian After such a prayer, how can we conclude? What are the challenges and comforts we have seen from this passage of Scripture? This Temple was destroyed about 400 years later by the Babylonians. It is long gone. What about David's Covenant though? Was that ever fulfilled? Remember David's Covenant which we looked at briefly earlier on? Was that ever fulfilled? We can say that it has been! It was fulfilled gloriously in the coming of God, in the man Jesus Christ. When the great God did indeed come as a human being in the person we know as Jesus Christ. It is historical fact. 2 Samuel 7:12 predicted the birth of Solomon as David's successor to the throne, with his role being to establish David's throne forever (2 Samuel 7:13). We see this link to the man Jesus Christ, through the genealogies to both Joseph: who had a legal right to King David's throne (Matthew 1:1-17) and to Mary: who had a blood right to King David's throne (Luke 3:23-38). The land is the whole world, now potentially the sphere of the rule of Jesus (Romans 4:13); the dynasty was, through Solomon, eventually to be the eternal son, Jesus (Matthew 1:1, 6, 16; Luke 3:23, 31); the Kingdom is the kingdom of God, now established, and ever growing in the world in which we live. (Matthew 11:12) All of which were fulfilled gloriously in the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus the Messiah, the Saviour. Jesus Christ – fully God and fully human. Not just for the Jews but for all people of every race and language. Really that should make us go WOW in awe of our God. Our God is the God of history and has stepped into history as a human being. The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:15-20) We see all this in what is called the New Covenant. Four features of this covenant are: Regeneration – God will write His law on the hearts of people. (Jeremiah 31:33) Restoration - God will be their God, and they will be God's people. (Jeremiah 31:33) Promised Holy Spirit – God will indwell people and they will be led by Him (Jeremiah 31:34) Justification – Sins will be forgiven, removed and remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:34) This new covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross. His death ensures the truth of this New Covenant. His death pays the penalty for the sins of all people. That is why we are to say yes to God and His New Covenant. This New Covenant can be contrasted with the Old Covenant, the Mosaic covenant that we looked at earlier, (Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:6-13) because this New Covenant finalizes and makes possible what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God's holy character. Solomon asks in verse 18 “But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple that I have built!” In Solomon's direct context, he was talking about the Temple which he was dedicating to God. In the overall context of the Bible, however, God did indeed come and dwell on earth. Not just with humans, but to be a human. Jesus Christ, the God-man. God keeps His promises and Jesus Christ is evidence of that. Oh that is so easy to forget when we are undergoing the trials of life. In what way does God keep His promises to us today? Five quick statements. By faith, He is praying for us. God the Son, Jesus Christ is making intercessions for Christians (Romans 8:34). He knows our troubles and He feels our cares and knows what we are going through (Hebrews 4:14-16). Isn't that simply amazing and oh how easily we forget. By faith - He will come to us. Have you ever felt like God is far away? Well you aren't alone! Solomon's father, David, often felt that God was far away and unconcerned with his life. Just a cursory look in the Psalms will reveal that. However he also knew that God would ultimately rescue him. Jesus always comes to us through difficult times. Although He may not come in the time we think He should come, because He knows when we need Him most. By faith - He will help us grow - Once, when His disciples were in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus came to them walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33). The purpose of this incident was to show that Jesus would be leaving them soon, so they had to learn to trust in Him when He wasn't physically present. One of those disciples, Peter, wrote later on in his life, “for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12). How are you growing as a follower of Jesus? Not only in your knowledge but also in your transformation and development? As we are being transformed by the power of God the Holy Spirit into the image of God the Son, Jesus Christ, it is to the praise and glory of God the Father. Our transformation reveals God at work. By faith, He will see us through - Again, when the disciples were in the storm, Jesus said “Come” and Peter went with Him. This must have encouraged the other disciples, for upon seeing Jesus' power they worshipped him. Whatever troubles you are undergoing are temporary, and Jesus will see you through. For various reasons 2015 for Youngmi and I started out as if it could be our annus horribilus. Yet it became our annus mirabilis instead as we saw God at work each day throughout the year. By faith, you have salvation - if you are trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation. By faith Jesus is praying for you, will come to you, grow you and help you through troubles. By being obedient to God, you and I are showing others our salvation and showing that faith, is not blind, but active. We can be obedient to Him by relying on His strength and wisdom. We are to be faithful to God and show it by being obedient to Him and getting on with the work we have been given, just as Solomon was in getting the Temple competed. Is your work worship or your worship work? As we go out tonight, let us remember that God keeps His promises, He is listening to your prayers and He wants us to be in a dynamic moment by moment relationship with Himself. This great God wants you and I to be actively obedient to Him in all facets of our lives – our work, our play, our conversations, our worship and our relationships. If you are struggling in a particular area, get trusted others to pray for you and to hold you accountable – that is part of discipleship – part of following and loving God. Our verse for the year as a Church is Psalm 105:4 “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” That was what Solomon did in the building of the Temple. That is what we are to do as well, as I am sure you are aware. Not only the Church here as a whole, but as individual followers of Jesus Christ. If we try to do it in our own strength we will fail. If we do it in the strength of the God we proclaim to love, worship, serve and glorify then we can – because all glory and honour will go to Him and Him alone. As we go, are we ready in some way to tell others about this great God we claim is great and sing here in this fabulous building of our love and service? Are we ready to enable and encourage each other in the faith, and not just our friends and favourites, in some way as we see need? Are we actively engaging with the great God throughout each day, worshipping Him in all aspects of life and letting Him have dominion over every aspect of our lives as we put our trust fully in Him and in all aspects of life? We are to be faithful to God and show it by being obedient to Him and getting on with the work we have been given, just as Solomon was in getting the job done. As a general observation, most of the Church is scared of that word evangelism. We are not all to be evangelists like the Billy Grahams or Bruce Kitchings of this world, but we are to tell and show others about the God we claim to love and are in covenant with. Let's go WOW the world, all of it, including our little corner here for God with the news of our God – the God who is outside of time who stepped down into time, into human history, in order that humanity could choose to follow Him or not - to be His children or not. Let's keep our eyes fixed firmly on our God as we seek to enable and encourage – not just as a church body but also as individuals to all others that we meet. We are the Church on the hill. Let us, both as a church and as individuals, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seeking his face always.” Let's go WOW for God together, heeding His advice and worshipping Him alone in all facets of life. Are you tired and in need of comfort from all the challenges you are having to endure? Keep your eyes on God and allow Him to embrace you, comfort and lift you up. Remember that He is for you, He lives within you and you are His child. Are you too comfortable? In need of a challenge to stop you becoming complacent? Ask God to help you overcome, to empower you and seek His face and wisdom. Ask for His strength to help you do what He has asked you to do? The God we have comforts us in our challenges and challenges us in our comfort. We have an amazingly glorious God! Let's have a minute or two to bring ourselves before God and ask God to help you as only He can. Then I will close with a prayer before we go on to have our final song together. Tap or click here to save this Podcast as a MP3.

In this short episode, Pastor Greg Laurie recollects his childhood desire for a friend who could hear his prayers in times of need. We all are looking for someone to give us meaning, and God tells us that if we seek Him with all our hearts we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Listen in for an important truth this Christmas! --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this short episode, Pastor Greg Laurie recollects his childhood desire for a friend who could hear his prayers in times of need. We all are looking for someone to give us meaning, and God tells us that if we seek Him with all our hearts we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Listen in for an important truth this Christmas! --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Messiah's Promise 54:1 "Sing, barren, you who didn't bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife," says Yahweh. 54:2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations; don't spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. 54:3 For you shall spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 54:4 "Don't be afraid; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be confounded; for you shall not be disappointed: for you shall forget the shame of your youth; and the reproach of your widowhood you shall remember no more. 54:5 For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. 54:6 For Yahweh has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off," says your God. 54:7 "For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you. 54:8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving kindness will I have mercy on you," says Yahweh your Redeemer. 54:9 "For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. 54:10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed," says Yahweh who has mercy on you. 54:11 "You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 54:12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, and your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. 54:13 All your children shall be taught of Yahweh; and great shall be the peace of your children. 54:14 In righteousness you shall be established: you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not be afraid; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. 54:15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me: whoever shall gather together against you shall fall because of you. 54:16 "Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, and brings forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 54:17 No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their righteousness which is of me," says Yahweh. (Isaiah 54:1-17) God fulfils every promise made! You may recall back on Day 4 in Isaiah 52, Isaiah started talking about a great homecoming for all those who believed.  Then on our Day 5, Isaiah gave a picture regarding the sacrificial suffering of the Messiah Servant.  Now in Isaiah 54, we see the reason for the suffering.  We see that because of this coming Messah's suffering and subsequent exultation and vindication, that God will make a New Covenant with all the peoples of the world! God has always kept the promises He made with people!  Promises to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David were also kept by God!  God is ever faithful and always true to His word!  And here God reminds them through Isaiah of three promises or covenants He has made: Abraham, Moses and Noah. Past - Covenant with Abraham Here in Isaiah 54:1-3 God reminds the people through Isaiah, that God has always kept His promises to His people!  If they looked back at the covenant promises made to Abraham, they would see this!  When they go into exile, keep hold of the promises of God and be obedient to Him!  God is always faithful and wants their total obedience to Him! How are these verses of Isaiah 54:1-3, are meant to be a reminder of the covenant with Abraham?  The mention of the barren woman (1), tent (2) and descendants (3) would all bring to mind God's promises to Abraham... The barren woman, would be a reminder that Abraham and Sarah were aged and childless.  The tent would act as a reminder that Abraham was a tent-dweller in an alien land.  The descendants would remember that they themselves are descendants from Abraham!  And God has promised in 54:3 that they will return to the land of Abraham and populate there once more. The Abrahamic covenant is a link to all of God's activities and programs until the end of time, when Jesus returns to gather His people to Himself.  That is how important it was, particularly to Israel!  The covenant had aspects for Abraham personally, as well as aspects that applied to all nations. Past - Covenant with Moses Now in Isaiah 54:4-8, God moves to the covenant He made with Moses (Exodus 19v5-8).  When as a young nation, Israel was in exile and slavery in Egypt - it was an embarrassment to her.  Now as a nation she was like an aged widow, she was due to be in exile again, but in Babylon this time. But just as God made the covenant with Israel on Mount Sinai after escaping from Egypt, so too would God restore her to Himself once again and be her husband and Redeemer. The covenant with Moses begins with a stipulation "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me." (Exodus 19v5).  This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God's promise to Abraham would know how to live righteously and obediently. Past - Covenant with Noah Next God talks about his promise to Noah (Genesis 9v1-19)! Now instead of just a covenant with Israel, this is a covenant with the whole world!   After the flood, Noah and his descendants spread throughout the world, bringing new life and God's blessing to all parts.  The flood is symbolic of the coming period that Israel will spend in exile, and all of the people of Israel are likened to the family of Noah and their descendants.  God will protect them in exile, just as He did Noah and his family through the flood. God has always kept his promises to Israel!  But Israel has not always been faithful! New Covenant of Peace - the promised New Covenant Future - Promised New City Now the Lord talks about the future - the now but not yet.  A great city is built to house all those who are God's people as a reward for their obedient faithfulness despite trials, sufferings and persecution!  Here Isaiah links also to the coming Messiah!  Remember the Messiah was also a Disciple taught by God (Isaiah 50:4), then so were they (54:13)! Just has He had suffered (Isaiah 53:4), so have they (Isaiah 54:11)!  Just as He was justified (Isaiah 50:8), so would they be (Isaiah 54:17).  Those who serve God Almighty with faithful obedience will share in the sufferings of the Messiah King but also participate in His glory, because they are His children.  Because of the Messiah Servant's sacrificial suffering they will be able to live in the city of God forever! God is going to make a new Covenant with people - and He can be trusted to keep His promises! How is Jesus this Messiah? Starts the New Covenant Both the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel talk about the promise of this New Covenant that God will have with all of humanity.  What is this New Covenant that God is making? Four features of this covenant are: Regeneration -God will write His law on the hearts of people. (Jeremiah 31v33) Restoration - God will be their God, and they will be God's people. (Jeremiah 31v33) Promised Holy Spirit - God will indwell people and they will be led by Him (Jeremiah 31v 34) Justification - Sins will be forgiven and removed eternally (Jeremiah 31v34) What does all this have to do with Jesus?  This New Covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross as spoken of in Isaiah 53:1-12.  His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant.  His death pays the penalty for the sins of all people who say yes to God and His New Covenant. This New Covenant is contrasted with the Old Covenant or the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:6-13) because this New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God's holy character.  In this way, Jesus is also the redeemer of the Church and the redeemer mentioned in Isaiah 54:5 & Isaiah 54:7!  He is the redeemer spoken about by Job (Job 19:25)! Husband of the bride - the church Jesus Christ is the head of the church!  The church is married to Jesus Christ and is frequently described as a bride! Just as the people of Israel were in Isaiah 54!  How are the church linked to Jesus Christ? The Church is the Body of Christ and is a living organism and not merely an organization (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 4:15-16).  We are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13) and this body is made up of many parts or believers. Each believer has a vitally necessary and important function (Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 12:13). The Church is the Bride of Christ, which suggests the purity, holiness and faithfulness of God's people. Furthermore it suggests the great love that Jesus Christ has for His Church, the Bride (Ephesians 5:25-32; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Rev 19:7, 22:17) The Church is the Temple of Christ - Christ is building a spiritual temple with Himself as the Cornerstone or foundation. As Christian Disciples we are living stones and God dwells within the temple, filling it with all His fullness (Ephesians 2:22; 1 Peter 2:5) God keeps His promises - Jesus is proof of that! Right mouse click to save/download this Podcast as a MP3 file

Mark 10:10-12 & Selected Passages   Jesus' Counter-Cultural Statement on Divorce and Remarriage (Mark 10:10-12; Matthew 19:3-12) The disciples' clarifying questions from their minds Jesus' counter-cultural answer for their hearts   God's Comprehensive Record on Divorce & Remarriage God laid out His plan for His people regarding marriage, divorce, and remarriage (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) God divorced His people for their idolatry and adultery against Him (Jeremiah 2:1-6, 13, 26-29; 3:6-15) God would pursue and redeem His people, despite their sinful behavior (Hosea 1:2-10, 2:14-20; 1 Peter 2:9-10)   Jesus' Compelling Words to Sinners and Sufferers   (John 4:7-29) In Jesus, we find the Living Water for our souls In Jesus, we are fully known, fully loved, and fully satisfied  

Main Points-1. If you seek Christ, you will find Him -Jeremiah 29-13-.-2. When you find Him, you should worship Him -Matthew 2-11-.

Main Points-1. If you seek Christ, you will find Him -Jeremiah 29-13-.-2. When you find Him, you should worship Him -Matthew 2-11-.

Main Points-1. If you seek Christ, you will find Him -Jeremiah 29-13-.-2. When you find Him, you should worship Him -Matthew 2-11-.

This chapter begins the final discourse in the book of Daniel, consisting of chapters 10 -12. It is 536 B.C. and Daniel would have been approximately eighty-four years old at this time. The exile has ended and it is understood by him that Israel was in for a very tumultuous time ahead. In fact the news was so bad that Daniel went into mourning. What he sees in the vision is pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. (The Old Testament gives us pictures of Jesus all over its corridors as we march down history lane.) Daniel feels quite weary and the Lord touches Daniel. When all the chips were down, Daniel needed to know His God was there, and he felt the touch of the Lord. We can also count on God's power, love, peace, strength, and abiding grace in our everyday lives. A touch from the Lord in our day means to have a fresh communication with God each day. Getting close to the Lord is our responsibility. We have as much of God's presence as we deeply and truly desire. If you are not experiencing Him personally, you are missing out. He said that those who seek Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). When Christ dwells within you, you have power to overcome sin and love others as Christ does. In your distress, in your need, in your ministry, in your service, in your sin, in your marriage, in your parenting, in your church-life, in your heart, will you seek the Lord for a fresh touch? Today is the day! There is the seen and then there is the unseen. We get quite a lesson on what is going on behind the scenes as God sends help towards Daniel. Our understanding of spiritual warfare isn't adequate to understand what is described in this chapter. This chapter describes a war that has been going on in heaven and continues today. We need to be aware of the Spiritual realm and not just the physical. It will help us both in our outlook and outcomes.

October 12,2021 DAILY DEVOTION: “Stop and Listen..." Psalm 5:3 (The Passion Translation) 3 At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart. In order to hear the voice of God, it is necessary to find times just to be still. This is an important part of living in close fellowship with God. It is how you recognize God's leading in your life. A busy, hurried, frantic, stressful lifestyle makes it very challenging to hear the Lord. If you are hungry to perceive God's voice, find a place to get quiet before Him. Get alone with Him and tell Him that you need Him and want Him to teach you how to receive His guidance and direction. Ask Him to tell you what He has for your life and what He wants you to do that day. Even if you don't feel an immediate prompting in your spirit, God promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). You will get a word from God. He will lead you by an inner knowing, by common sense, by wisdom, or by peace. And each time, however He leads you, His leading will always line up with His Word. God doesn't always speak to us right away or necessarily during our prayer time. Though it may not be in our timing, God will speak to us and let us know the way we should go. Listening is a vital part of your daily time with God. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gerzon-etino/message

God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6). God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16). God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33). God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17). God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God's permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).

God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6). God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16). God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33). God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17). God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God's permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19).

Dedication of the Temple 2 Chronicles 6v1-21 Tonight as you may have gathered, we go back to looking at the prayers of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6. Not in an exhaustive way, but to discover together what we can learn about God and His relationship with those who are His and seeing how this is relevant to us some 3 millennia later. During the intervening period, I wonder if Solomon had wrestled in his mind over what he prayed… Let us wrestle together now, in these prayers of his, albeit briefly. This is a key passage, a link if you like, between the Covenant that God made with Solomon’s father, David, including the building of a House for God, the Temple, and the glory of the Lord filling the Temple in 2 Chronicles 7. This reflects I think, the necessity and vitality of prayer in the unfolding of God’s will for humanity. The story is also regaled in 1 Kings 8 but with some nuance as you may expect. Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. A Covenant Making God Down through history, the Bible reveals that God has made Covenants with humanity. A covenant is an important way to describe the progress of the relationship between God and humanity through the Biblical story. A covenant at the time of the Old Testament was a solemn commitment between the two covenanting parties to fulfil all the promises and obligations of the covenant. Covenants were common in all kinds of life, and not just between God and humanity. The idea comes from the sort of agreement commonly entered into in the ancient area round Israel between a high king, and a sub king or clan chief. It is easy to see how a covenant is a good way to describe the relationship between God and humanity. God, who promises to protect and help the human with faithfulness, and the human who promises to worship and honour God with faith. The Covenants between God and humanity have several things about them regarding the relationship. In these Covenants between God and humanity, God always took the initiative – sometimes by complete surprise. God has made certain commitments and has given His solemn promise to fulfil His end of the bargain. God waits for a response from humanity. God does not coerce or force but waits for humanity to take the responsibility of replying and acquiescing to God's covenantal promises through obedience, faithfulness and worship. There are Covenants made in the Garden of Eden, Covenants made in history with Adam, Noah and Abraham, but we will fast forward to the Covenant between God and Moses before going onto His covenant with Solomon’s father, David. The Mosaic Covenant Why look at the Covenant made between God and Moses? We do so because there is a connection between that Covenant and the prayer of Solomon we are looking at tonight. Indeed the very Ark of the Covenant contained a gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and two tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Charles Spurgeon commented “One is struck, with the fact that the language of Solomon is far from new, and is full of quotations from the Pentateuch (where the Mosaic Covenant is fully explained), some of which are almost word for word.” This covenant is between God and humanity, in this case with the particular nation of Israel. It commences with the stipulation “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5). This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God’s promise, could know how to live righteously. Israel’s task was to bring the knowledge of God to all the world so that blessing might come to all humanity. In this, however, they were to fail and only when Jesus came as the perfectly obedient Israelite was it to become possible that all the world should be blessed. This Mosaic covenant covered the three areas of life: The commandments were given so they would know how to relate socially to God correctly (Exodus 20:1-17) The judgments were given in order that they could relate socially to each other properly (Exodus 21:1 - 24:11 and in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) The decrees dictate their religious life so that God could be approached by humanity on His terms (Exodus 24:12 - 31:18, and in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Mosaic Covenant was never meant as a means by which humanity could achieve salvation with God. It was given so that they could realize the helplessness of their own efforts, and their need of God's help as well as expressing their devotion to the Lord. Yet they still failed to bring blessing to other peoples. Galatians 3:22-24 explains that the Law was only a protective fence until through the promised Messiah, when humanity could be made right with God through faith. That Messiah we know to be the man Jesus Christ. More later though. The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:4-17) Now we fast forward to the Covenant which was in place as Solomon dedicates the Temple to God and is mentioned here. This covenant that God made with David, Solomon’s father. Three great things were promised: A land forever (2 Samuel 7:10); A dynasty without end (2 Samuel 7:11, 16) A perpetual kingdom (2 Samuel 7:13, 16) Through the Covenants we see a God who is willing to interact with His creation and bless it. When first century Christians such as the Apostles Paul, Peter and John checked and thought over all the events surrounding the life of Jesus Christ, they searched their Scriptures (our Old Testament). It was as God the Holy Spirit illuminated their minds, that they wrote down and passed on the whole range of Old Testament promises which were fulfilled in God's Messiah and the world's hope - Jesus Christ and Him alone. That is why it is important for us as twenty-first century Christian Disciples to read our Old Testament as well as the New Testament. For by reading the Old Testament, new light is shed upon our own understanding of the New Testament. One of the fundamentals of understanding the Bible, is to let the Bible interpret the Bible. There is one more Covenant of God which we are to look at tonight, but we will see that shortly! We press on with these prayers of Solomon. There are 3 prayers here. v1-2 are opening words of praise to God v4-11 are the 2nd prayer v16-41 are the 3rd prayer. We won’t go into any great detail tonight, you will no doubt be glad to know. We will get to about verse 21 I think. But with a very general overview, let’s look together and see what we can learn together from the wise man Solomon about God and about prayer. Charles Spurgeon said that “It is worthy of remark concerning this prayer that it is as full and comprehensive as if it were meant to be the summary of all future prayers offered in the temple.” Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. Part 1 1. Verses 1 & 2 - Solomon acknowledges God’s presence in the cloud Here we see that Solomon acknowledges God’s presence in the cloud. The cloud of God’s glory has a long association with His presence. Solomon knew that the presence of the cloud meant that God dwelt in the temple in a special way. It was to be a special place to come and meet with God. It was symbolic of God living with His people. 2.Verses 3 to 9 – Solomon blessed the people and blesses God. Here we see that Solomon blessed the people and blesses God. Solomon knew, affirmed and recognized that the completion of the Temple was the fulfilment of the plan of God and not of Solomon himself or indeed of his father David. God’s plan. David and Solomon were merely the human instruments, they were God’s arms and legs, but the work was affirmed to be God’s alone! God’s actions or work have confirmed His words, His promises! God’s hands were at work building the Temple as He guided and strengthened the human workers who contributed themselves to its construction. Solomon recounts how their ancestors had escaped from Egypt in the Exodus 500 years hence. This shows its importance to the people of Israel at the time! Their minds were singing “If the Lord can bring us out of Egypt and rescue us, He will help us establish ourselves as a nation and build this Temple in order to worship Him. “ God is faithful to His promises. Down through the ages God has been faithful and keeping His part of the Covenant that He made with people. Later when we come to conclude we will see together briefly the promises of God for the Christian, including us today almost 3 millennia later. Solomon now issues a statement concerning his father, David! Why David was not to build it. Though David, the mighty King had done extensive preparations for it, he didn’t actually complete it. The completion was left for his son, Solomon. Why? Because of God’s ideal of rest for his King and for his people. David had fought many wars and battles. It was part of his rest in God not to build the Temple. Solomon was spared the emotional turmoil of war, so could dedicate his energies to building the Temple – the House of God. 3. Verses 10-11 - Solomon presents the finished temple unto God. And with verses 10 to 11, we see that Solomon presents the finished Temple to God. Solomon recognized that being the successor of his father David to the throne of Israel was significant. He then places the Ark of the Covenant, in its resting place in the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant was a physical representation of God’s promised presence with His people, the nation of Israel. It was a wooden chest clad with gold containing a gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. Solomon speaks of a God who fulfilled with His hands what He had spoken with His mouth. God had said what He was going to do, and then went and did it. How are we doing at worshipping as we work for the Lord? Are we workers primarily and then click a switch to engage worship mode as we come here on a Sunday? Or do we consider ourselves God worshippers as we work? God wants worshippers before workers. In God’s mind, the only acceptable workers are those who have learnt the art of worship. Do you consider all you do as acts of worship to God? Everything you do as acts of worship to God? Because that is the kind of people God wants and desires, the kind of people who worship Him in Spirit and in truth and in all aspects of life – not just for a couple of hours on a Sunday. Part 2. Solomon’s prayer. Verses 12-14 - Humility before and praise unto God. .Here in verses 12 to 14 we see that Solomon stands before the altar of the Lord. Solomon did not dedicate the Temple from within the Temple itself because that would have been the wrong place. That was where only the Priest could go, so Solomon stands outside, raised up so that the throngs of people could see him. Before the altar, spreading out his hands in an act of symbolism - reaching out toward heaven in a gesture of surrender, openness, and ready reception. Here Solomon recognizes that God was and is completely unique in all facets of being and expresses it. The false and pretend gods of the nations around Israel could not compare to Him in any way.Verses 15-17 - Solomon recognizes God as the maker and keeper of promises. Solomon commences now to thankfully praise God, because God has kept all His promises that He had mad in the past. Have you done that in your prayer life? Speaking out thanks for what God has done for you in the past? He continues and calls upon God to keep the promises that He has now made. We are, as His people, to take on board God’s promises, take them to heart in faith, and then boldly and reverently call upon Him to fulfil the promises. Again, is that part of your prayer life? God promises and we are to appropriate, take hold of them and proclaim them, taking them on board in our life by faith, knowing that God fulfils the promises that He makes to people. Verses 18-21 - Solomon asks God to dwell in this place and honour those who seek Him here. Solomon now asks a question in this prayer! How often have you and I asked God questions as we pray, rather than just listing off our demands. God would reside in the Temple but not to the exclusion of other places. While God would have a special presence in the Temple, He would not be restricted to it. Solomon asks God to listen to His people as they pray and worship in this Temple dedicated to Him. When God hears the prayers made in the Tempe, Solomon implores that He would forgive His people and probably the greatest answer to prayer that they could expect. Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. Conclusion - Promises of God for the Christian After such a prayer, how can we conclude? What are the challenges and comforts we have seen from this passage of Scripture? This Temple was destroyed about 400 years later by the Babylonians. It is long gone. What about David’s Covenant though? Was that ever fulfilled? Remember David’s Covenant which we looked at briefly earlier on? Was that ever fulfilled? We can say that it has been! It was fulfilled gloriously in the coming of God, in the man Jesus Christ. When the great God did indeed come as a human being in the person we know as Jesus Christ. It is historical fact. 2 Samuel 7:12 predicted the birth of Solomon as David's successor to the throne, with his role being to establish David's throne forever (2 Samuel 7:13). We see this link to the man Jesus Christ, through the genealogies to both Joseph: who had a legal right to King David's throne (Matthew 1:1-17) and to Mary: who had a blood right to King David's throne (Luke 3:23-38). The land is the whole world, now potentially the sphere of the rule of Jesus (Romans 4:13); the dynasty was, through Solomon, eventually to be the eternal son, Jesus (Matthew 1:1, 6, 16; Luke 3:23, 31); the Kingdom is the kingdom of God, now established, and ever growing in the world in which we live. (Matthew 11:12) All of which were fulfilled gloriously in the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus the Messiah, the Saviour. Jesus Christ – fully God and fully human. Not just for the Jews but for all people of every race and language. Really that should make us go WOW in awe of our God. Our God is the God of history and has stepped into history as a human being. The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:15-20) We see all this in what is called the New Covenant. Four features of this covenant are: Regeneration – God will write His law on the hearts of people. (Jeremiah 31:33) Restoration - God will be their God, and they will be God's people. (Jeremiah 31:33) Promised Holy Spirit – God will indwell people and they will be led by Him (Jeremiah 31:34) Justification – Sins will be forgiven, removed and remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:34) This new covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross. His death ensures the truth of this New Covenant. His death pays the penalty for the sins of all people. That is why we are to say yes to God and His New Covenant. This New Covenant can be contrasted with the Old Covenant, the Mosaic covenant that we looked at earlier, (Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:6-13) because this New Covenant finalizes and makes possible what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God's holy character. Solomon asks in verse 18 “But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple that I have built!” In Solomon’s direct context, he was talking about the Temple which he was dedicating to God. In the overall context of the Bible, however, God did indeed come and dwell on earth. Not just with humans, but to be a human. Jesus Christ, the God-man. God keeps His promises and Jesus Christ is evidence of that. Oh that is so easy to forget when we are undergoing the trials of life. In what way does God keep His promises to us today? Five quick statements. By faith, He is praying for us. God the Son, Jesus Christ is making intercessions for Christians (Romans 8:34). He knows our troubles and He feels our cares and knows what we are going through (Hebrews 4:14-16). Isn’t that simply amazing and oh how easily we forget. By faith - He will come to us. Have you ever felt like God is far away? Well you aren’t alone! Solomon’s father, David, often felt that God was far away and unconcerned with his life. Just a cursory look in the Psalms will reveal that. However he also knew that God would ultimately rescue him. Jesus always comes to us through difficult times. Although He may not come in the time we think He should come, because He knows when we need Him most. By faith - He will help us grow - Once, when His disciples were in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus came to them walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33). The purpose of this incident was to show that Jesus would be leaving them soon, so they had to learn to trust in Him when He wasn’t physically present. One of those disciples, Peter, wrote later on in his life, “for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12). How are you growing as a follower of Jesus? Not only in your knowledge but also in your transformation and development? As we are being transformed by the power of God the Holy Spirit into the image of God the Son, Jesus Christ, it is to the praise and glory of God the Father. Our transformation reveals God at work. By faith, He will see us through - Again, when the disciples were in the storm, Jesus said “Come” and Peter went with Him. This must have encouraged the other disciples, for upon seeing Jesus’ power they worshipped him. Whatever troubles you are undergoing are temporary, and Jesus will see you through. For various reasons 2015 for Youngmi and I started out as if it could be our annus horribilus. Yet it became our annus mirabilis instead as we saw God at work each day throughout the year. By faith, you have salvation - if you are trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation. By faith Jesus is praying for you, will come to you, grow you and help you through troubles. By being obedient to God, you and I are showing others our salvation and showing that faith, is not blind, but active. We can be obedient to Him by relying on His strength and wisdom. We are to be faithful to God and show it by being obedient to Him and getting on with the work we have been given, just as Solomon was in getting the Temple competed. Is your work worship or your worship work? As we go out tonight, let us remember that God keeps His promises, He is listening to your prayers and He wants us to be in a dynamic moment by moment relationship with Himself. This great God wants you and I to be actively obedient to Him in all facets of our lives – our work, our play, our conversations, our worship and our relationships. If you are struggling in a particular area, get trusted others to pray for you and to hold you accountable – that is part of discipleship – part of following and loving God. Our verse for the year as a Church is Psalm 105:4 “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” That was what Solomon did in the building of the Temple. That is what we are to do as well, as I am sure you are aware. Not only the Church here as a whole, but as individual followers of Jesus Christ. If we try to do it in our own strength we will fail. If we do it in the strength of the God we proclaim to love, worship, serve and glorify then we can – because all glory and honour will go to Him and Him alone. As we go, are we ready in some way to tell others about this great God we claim is great and sing here in this fabulous building of our love and service? Are we ready to enable and encourage each other in the faith, and not just our friends and favourites, in some way as we see need? Are we actively engaging with the great God throughout each day, worshipping Him in all aspects of life and letting Him have dominion over every aspect of our lives as we put our trust fully in Him and in all aspects of life? We are to be faithful to God and show it by being obedient to Him and getting on with the work we have been given, just as Solomon was in getting the job done. As a general observation, most of the Church is scared of that word evangelism. We are not all to be evangelists like the Billy Grahams or Bruce Kitchings of this world, but we are to tell and show others about the God we claim to love and are in covenant with. Let’s go WOW the world, all of it, including our little corner here for God with the news of our God – the God who is outside of time who stepped down into time, into human history, in order that humanity could choose to follow Him or not - to be His children or not. Let’s keep our eyes fixed firmly on our God as we seek to enable and encourage – not just as a church body but also as individuals to all others that we meet. We are the Church on the hill. Let us, both as a church and as individuals, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seeking his face always.” Let’s go WOW for God together, heeding His advice and worshipping Him alone in all facets of life. Are you tired and in need of comfort from all the challenges you are having to endure? Keep your eyes on God and allow Him to embrace you, comfort and lift you up. Remember that He is for you, He lives within you and you are His child. Are you too comfortable? In need of a challenge to stop you becoming complacent? Ask God to help you overcome, to empower you and seek His face and wisdom. Ask for His strength to help you do what He has asked you to do? The God we have comforts us in our challenges and challenges us in our comfort. We have an amazingly glorious God! Let’s have a minute or two to bring ourselves before God and ask God to help you as only He can. Then I will close with a prayer before we go on to have our final song together. Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Today my conversation is with Heather Lobe Johnson. Heather is a writer who is passionate about sharing stories of freedom found in the redemption of Christ and celebrating the beauty that rises from the ashes of broken experiences. During our conversation, Heather and I talk about growing up with a perception of the Lord that His love was contingent on her instead of on Him. She bravely shares with us about the parts of her story that God has carried her through, everything from experiencing sexual abuse in college, a toxic marriage that ended in divorce, years of single parenting and pursuing healing by redefining her identity through who God says she is. As Heather says, “It’s not about having it all together, it’s about bringing your broken to Him and letting Him redeem it and bring wholeness to emptiness.”  I’m so grateful for how she shares her story, the practical wisdom she shares for those who may be able to relate as well as the hope she offers us through this season of incredible uncertainty, what is helping her as she faces the anxiety of our days head on, and how to process what you can and can’t control. Almost like a benediction to our conversation. Heather prayed incredibly sweet blessing over all of us during this crazy time that just washed over my soul and I hope it does for you too. No matter where you are today, I hope this time with Heather and I blesses you. No matter who you are, or what you have been through, there is still more. The hope that is found in Christ is worth it. Believing that He has good for your life is not about getting what you want, it's about having faith that the One who made you has good, truly, divinely good, purposes and plans for your life. Plans of peace and your truest well being, and that can see who you truly are and who you were made to be.    I want you to know that whoever you are on the other side of the speaker, no matter where you are when you hear this episode, in the throws of this pandemic spanning the globe, or long after it is over, this is not how the story ends. You are truly loved. You matter. Don’t lose hope. We’re all in this together. Resources: Hope Writers Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry: Why we lose when we give in- Lisa Bevere Britney Thompson’s episode on Simply Stories (where we discuss toxic relationships) Celebrate Recovery- find a meeting near you! The Serenity Prayer (also see my blog for a printable graphic of this!) Enneagram 2, wing 3 Grounding exercises Marco Polo Voxer Looking for Lovely: Collecting the Moments that Matter by Annie F. Downs Scripture References: Joel 2:25- Restore the years the locusts have eaten 1 John 4:7-21-God is loving Titus 3:4-6-God is kind Ezekiel 36:26-Heart of stone for a heart of flesh Philippians 1:6-He will complete the work He began Joshua 1-5 -Israel going in to the promised land with new responsibilities Matthew 6:34-Tomorrow will worry about itself Psalm 139:1- The Lord knows me Deuteronomy 31:6- He will never forsake me Philippians 4:8 - Whatever is true, whatever is lovely.. think about these things Genesis 1:27- All are made in the image of God John 16:33- In this world you will have trouble, but take heart Psalm 37:24- We will not be overwhelmed Lamentations 3:22-23- Because of His love I will not be consumed Isaiah 61:1-3-Beauty for ashes Exodus 12:7- The blood of the lamb on the doorpost Psalm 27:13-14- What would have become of me had I not believed Romans 8:28- God works for the good of those who love Him Jeremiah 29:11- God has plans for hope and your future, not to harm you Product Shout Out from the Episode: The Daily Grace Co. - shop via this link to support Simply Stories Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and subscribe to their podcast as well! Connecting with Heather: Blog Facebook Instagram Connecting with Em and catching up on episodes:InstagramFacebookBlogSign up for our newsletter! *Intro and Outro music by audionautix.com

Though the Lord Jesus is never lost, it may seem to you at times that you cannot find Him. You cannot feel His presence. Where has He gone- All true Christians have had a similar experience -Job 23-8-9- Psalm 90-13-. Should Jesus not be searched with greater intensity than you would look for something of this earth that you have misplaced---You do not have some guarantee that you will find the earthly things that you have lost in this world. But you do have a guarantee from the Lord Himself that you can never lose Him -He is yours and you are His-- and as you diligently search for Him with all your heart, you will surely find Him -Jeremiah 29-13-. The main points from our text are- -1- The Bride Ceases Not to Search for Jesus -Song 3-1-3-- -2- The Bride Finds Jesus and Holds Him -Song 3-4-5-.

1. REMEMBER GOD IS SOVEREIGN, ALL POWERFUL and LOVINGSovereignty is God's control over His creation, dealing with His governance over it: Sovereignty is God's rule over all reality." – Dr. Norman GeislerO Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, Exo 20:11; Ps 146:6, Acts‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭One God Who is Above All, Sovereign Over All, pervading all and living in ALL WHO BELIEVE. Ephesians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign LORD Who Rescues you from death. Psalms‬ ‭68:20‬ I look to you for Help, O Sovereign LORD. In you do I trust, For You Are my refuge; For I know absolutely that anyone born of God, that Christ Jesus, the One begotten of God carefully watches over and protects you. Yes, Christ's Divine Presence within Him preserves you against the evil, and the wicked one does not lay hold or get a grip on you or touch you. Psalms ‭141:8, ‬1 John‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭ The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. Psalm‬ ‭103:19‬ ‭There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God's influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6). God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16). God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33). God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17). God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God's permission before he can act (Psalm 103:19). That's what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it's God's sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.2. God's sovereignty compels him to love you want the best for youThe sovereignty of God means that He has total control of all things past, present and future. Nothing happens that is out of His knowledge and control. All things are either caused by Him or allowed by Him for His own purposes and through His perfect will and timing (Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the only absolute and omnipotent ruler of the universe and is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption." God's sovereignty compels us to bow before Him. But unlike corrupt earthly kings who abuse their authority to terrorize their subjects, God rules in love. He loves you and wants the best for you. Romans 8:28 promises that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.This is an amazing promise because it demonstrates that and ALL-POWERFUL GOD CARES ABOUT YOU AND ME, and also reveals that God must be of necessity ALL-KNOWING, ALL-POWERFUL, AND ALL LOVING. This promise is a testimony to God Sovereignty.3. God Is Always with You to Help You.So you can take comfort and be encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me? Ps 27:1;118:6, Hebrews‬ ‭13:6‬ ‭4. God's sovereignty is the guarantee of your sufficiencyNot that we are qualified and sufficient in your own ability, to form accurate personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from you, but your power and ability and Sufficiency are from God. 2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:5‬God is able to make All Grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭9:8‬ ‭And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].”‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:8‬ ‭Yes, you have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers you, making you ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's Sufficiency.- Philippians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭God makes these promises, to love you, make ALL THINGS WORK together for your good, to always be with you and help you, and be your sufficiency in all things.

We are on a journey of discovery. Our goal is to understand the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In the first leg of our journey, we are visiting the seven signs performed by Christ that are recorded in the Gospel of John. These signs reveal the Glory of Jesus. Our first was when Jesus turned the water into wine. This sign revealed Jesus’ love and mercy toward people. It demonstrated a truth about God – that God blesses both the righteous and the unrighteous. And it also revealed His power over the physical universe. The second sign we studied was the healing of the nobleman’s son. Again Jesus demonstrated His love and mercy for mankind. It also revealed that God the Son is not hindered by distance, nor is he hindered by a lack of faith. Purpose Today, in this episode, we go the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus heals a paralyzed man. Open your Bible to John chapter 5. In a minute we will read verses 1-6. But before we do that I want you to look at verses 16-23. In verses 16-23 we discover the primary reason Jesus heals this man. Of course, Jesus heals the man because he is merciful and because He loves people and because He has pity on this man. But the ultimate reason Jesus heals this man is to declare His deity. Please read John 5:16-18 We need to understand this fact. Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda for this moment. He healed the man to force this debate. This debate gave Jesus the opportunity to declare His deity. Healing Now read John 5:1-6 Jesus goes to Jerusalem because of the Feast Holiday, probably Passover. He makes His way over to the Sheep Gate Pool, called Bethesda. This pool had become a place of healing. John writes that there was a great multitude of sick at the pool hoping to get healed. The end of verse 3 and all of verse 4 tell a story of the waters and how an angel brought healing. The Scripture relays this story but does not comment on it. In other words, is this the reality or does it represent the myth of the pool? Regardless, if you look at verse 7 you will see that the man expected to be healed if he could only get there first. So the man believed this story. Now back to verses 5 and 6. Jesus looks across the multitude and picks one man. How did Jesus choose? Here are some choices. You can pick only one. The man had been there the longest. The man was nicer than everyone else. Jesus loved this man more than the others. We do not know how Jesus chose. The fourth answer is the correct answer. We do not know how Jesus chose. There are two distinct forms of God’s will. God’s moral will – Which is recorded in full in God’s Bible. God’s sovereign will – Which in large part is unknown to us. How He chose we can only guess. But we know this, Jesus was exercising His sovereign will. God has a plan and He does not often share His plan with us. We only understand His will after the fact. From a human point of view, the choice Jesus makes might seem random or worse yet, unfair. But remember, Jesus is God. And He is Lord and God over all of the creation. As God, He will make choices that seem to go against our idea of fairness. When I say, “God is Sovereign”, what does that mean? Christianity.com has an answer. The answer contains 6 bullet statements. I suggest you click the link listed below and read the entire article. Here is the one bullet statement from that article.  “God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in my life, in America, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (Jeremiah 32:17).” God the Son looks at the hundreds, maybe thousands at the pool. All needed healing. And Jesus picks just one man. God Speaks And that man is healed. Jesus heals this man with His word. Jesus says in verse 8, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." Take a moment and read Psalm 33:6-9. As you read, note how God speaks and things happen. Jesus spoke and the man was healed. You see when God speaks stuff happens. And when God speaks to men, men need to obey. In Psalm 33:9 it says, “He commanded, and it stood fast.” When God speaks we need to obey. The man in our story does just that. He picks up his bed and walks. All miracles are unexplainable events. And this healing is just that – without explanation. If you were paralyzed for 38 years and I gave you a shot that cured the paralysis, it would take weeks and weeks of therapy before you could walk. Why? Because your unused legs would be weak and because you would’ve forgotten the basics of walking. But not this man. This man is up and walking instantly. What a miracle! What a sign that reveals the Glory of Christ! Jesus is God Take a minute and read John 5:9-13. As you read, notice that the healed man did not know who Jesus was. Remember this - God is not hindered by your lack of faith or your unbelief. God is all powerful, He is sovereign. God will do what God is going to do. In verse 15 the man pointed out Jesus as the healer. This got Jesus in trouble with the Jews because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. And now we come to the primary reason Jesus healed this man. Jesus loves the man. Jesus had pity and mercy on the man. But the primary reason Jesus healed the man was to declare His deity. Jesus healed this man to declare that He is God. Read again John 5:15-18 In verse 17, when Jesus stated, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” He declared His deity. He does it in two ways. 1. Jesus says, like the Father, He, Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath. God in Genesis sets the pattern. God works for six days and then rests from His work. But God does not truly stop working – ever! The sun rises and sets on the Sabbath. The planets orbit on the Sabbath. Wildlife is fed, the weather is directed, people are saved, and sadly people are condemned; all on the Sabbath. God the Father does not stop working, nor does God the Son. 2. Jesus calls the heavenly Father “My Father.” To declare God the Father as His Father, Jesus has made himself equal to God. And of course as we read in verse 18, this declaration enraged the Jews and they sought all the more to kill Jesus. We will stop here. Next week we will pick up with John 5:19. Verses 19 through the end of the chapter is a long important monolog. So we want to give it its own lesson. Today, we saw Jesus make a decisive sovereign act. Jesus looked across the multitude and selected one man to heal. He healed this man to declare His deity. Think about this. Although there seem to be times when God is asleep or disengaged, the truth is God never stops working. God is always at work. And to personalize this idea, God never stops caring for you. In your darkest moments, God is there at work. In your greatest triumphs, God is there at work. When you sense His presence, God is there and when you can’t sense His presence, God is there. God is never absent; God is never asleep; God is always there. Closing Thoughts For the believer, God is there because He has a personal relationship with you. He is answering your prayers, He is receiving your worship, He is enjoying you. But for the unbeliever, I think God is there as well. But God is not there because He has a personal relationship with you. God is there because He wants a personal relationship with you. God is not necessarily answering your prayers, He is not receiving your worship, and I do not think that God is enjoying you because much of your life is centered around your sin. You can change this. You can have that personal relationship with God. Turn from your sinful ways and turn to Jesus Christ. Admit that you are a sinner. Believe the Jesus died for your sin. And call on Him to save you. Thank you for listening to Faith in the Valley. If you live in or near Carroll County Maryland, come by this Sunday and worship with us. If you already have a church home, then we want you to faithfully worship and serve there. But if you do not, then please consider making Wakefield your church family. You can find out more about Wakefield Valley Bible Church at wakefieldbible.org. Thanks again for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and rate and review wherever you listen. Sign Up & Subscribe Remember to review, like and share the podcast. This helps spread the good news of Jesus around the world. Sign up for our show notes. When you sign up, you receive an email notification and a copy of the show notes whenever a new episode is released. Just CLICK HERE and sign up today! The best way to listen is to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, or just about any podcast app. If you live in a country that tries to block Christian podcasts, here is a link to our RSS feed. You may be able to use our RSS to get the podcast. Finally, feel free to contact us with any question. You can contact us by clicking HERE or going to www.wakefieldbible.org/contact-us/. I would especially love to hear from you if you have believed on Jesus. Resources What Does the Phrase "God is Sovereign" Really Mean?  

I have always loved the word abide. So many times English words don't give enough umph as compared to their Greek or Hebrew counterparts, but abide is a good one. I wish it was as easy to accomplish as it is to understand the definition. "Abide With Me" by Matt Maher leads us to a conversation Jesus had with his disciples in a vineyard. It is with this metaphor that we learn some significant lessons about abiding. It is here we also learn what kind of impact it could have on our lives if we can get it right. On this episode I discuss: The book I used extensively to prepare for this podcast - "Secrets of the Vine" by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson Singing this song as a prayer to God, always remembering it is also a request from our Savior Searching for terms online like "abide with me in Scripture" to find John 15 Considering the context before and after the conversation Jesus had with His disciples in John 15 (jumping up to John 12 all the way through John 18) Our focus conversation in a vineyard - John 15:1-11 Our roles in Jesus' metaphor Jesus is the vine We are the branches God is the vinedresser The goal is to produce LOADS of fruit The word study that changes everything - find it here in BibleHub How Jesus gave the directive to abide by using the term TEN times! Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - our Bible Interaction Tool Exercises this week are: Get up early to read God's Word Write in a daily spiritual journal Pray (and seek God until you find Him) - Jeremiah 29:13 Becoming an expert at being God's friend   Additional Resources Lyrics This Week's Challenge John 15 and the chapters surrounding it are a powerful place in Scripture to sit and ponder. Consider implementing the BITEs this week -- get up earlier to read God's Word, write in a daily spiritual journal, and seek Him with all of your heart. These steps might just be what you're missing to put you on the path to abiding.