Podcasts about him lord

Pastor Colins Nwosu continued our teaching series with an engaging and interactive session titled The Lordship of Jesus, with insightful contributions from the congregation throughout the teaching. Reading from Romans 14:8–9 and Matthew 11:27, we established that whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord, because Christ died and rose again to be Lord of both the dead and the living. We learned that true lordship means absolute ownership. Acts 4:12 and Philippians 2:9–11 revealed that God has exalted Jesus above every name, establishing Him as the sole source of salvation before whom every knee must bow. Drawing from Luke 6:46–49, Pastor Colins further explained what it truly means to call Him “Lord.” Jesus asks, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?” True lordship demands obedience, not merely lip service. We discovered that building our lives on His Word is like laying a foundation on solid rock that no storm can shake. The message also reminded us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light for those who fully surrender to Him. Pastor Colins will continue this teaching at our Holy Communion Service next Sunday, and you should not miss it for any reason. Join us in person or listen online. Confession: Lord Jesus, I declare that You are the absolute Lord over my life, my family, and my choices. I refuse to give You mere lip service; I choose to align my actions with Your instructions and build my life on the solid rock of Your Word. I rest in You, knowing that Your grace is my strength and my security. Amen!

John 6 is the longest chapter in the New Testament. It provides a rich redemptive-historical perspective on Moses and the central saving act of God in Israel's history—the exodus. John wants us to see Jesus as the greater Moses and the gospel as the greatest exodus of all.In this chapter, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who offers to mankind the ultimate deliverance, is going to demonstrate the reason why He came. Other than turning water into wine, this is the only miracle that was a “creative act.” Of all the miracles performed by Jesus, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only one recorded by all four gospels. Interestingly, each of the 4 gospels places a different emphasis upon their respective portrayal of this miracle. Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the King Who will judge His people. Mark points out the servant's duty to break the bread of life. Luke portrays the Son of Man's compassion to meet man's need. John's account reveals that Jesus is The Bread of Life. John records only certain miracles, and he calls the miracles signs because signs are for a purpose. You will remember that John said, And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:30–31). This is an important verse because it is not only the key to this entire gospel of John, but to one's eternal existence as well.There are so many practical lessons that can be drawn from this single miracle, but there are 2 practical things that I want to point out to you, and they are in verse 15. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.1- Jesus, The Son of God, made the time to get away from the crowd and get alone with The Father in prayer. Beloved, if Jesus made it a priority to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and people and ministry, how much more do you and I?2- They tried to force Jesus to be their king. For all the wrong reasons! The Lord Jesus will never force Himself upon you. Jesus IS not only a King, He is The King of Kings. 1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Jesus does not need us to make Him King.Question for reader and writer alike: Is Jesus Christ The King of Kings of your heart? Your life? Your eternal soul? Jesus is a King Who is to be received as Lord by faith. Receive Jesus today, and crown Him Lord! SELAHKoinonia FellowshipSundays at 8:30a and 10:30a500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445koinoniafellowship.com

7 takeaways from this study See worship as drawing near, not “paying dues.” The offerings are about approaching the Presence of God. Prayer, study, and obedience/service are ways of coming close to God, not checking religious boxes. Offer God your best, not your leftovers. Unblemished animals and “most holy” portions challenge modern habits of giving God the spare time, spare energy, or spare money. Malachi 3 shows that careless, cheap offerings reveal the heart. Let God deal with your inner life, not just your behavior. Leviticus' focus on kidneys and heart, and Luke 6's focus on tree and fruit, call you to ask: “What is going on inside me — desires, motives, patterns — not just what people see?” Practice real repentance, not just ritual or words. Sin and guilt offerings require confession, turning, and (when needed) restitution. Luke 6's “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?” presses this home. Stay alert to “spiritual gravity” and small compromises. Malachi's priests did not collapse in one day. Little allowances, tiredness, and apathy piled up. Guard the “altar fire” of your heart through regular self‑examination and renewal. Choose teachers carefully and expect to become like them. Yeshua's warnings about blind guides and the pupil becoming like the teacher mean your podcasts, books, and leaders shape your character. Seek voices that love holiness, humility, and truth. Build your life on doing, not just hearing. The wise builder in Luke 6 hears and acts. Tie every insight you gain — from Leviticus, Malachi, or the Gospels — to at least one concrete step of obedience in relationships, work, or worship. The offerings in Leviticus form a pattern of drawing near to God. The central word for “offering” in Leviticus is קָרְבָּן korban. It comes from the root קָרַב karav (to approach, to draw near). The offerings are not about feeding God. They are about approach. The Tabernacle and later the Temple functioned as visible reminders of God's holiness dwelling among His people. Since God is perfectly holy, sin and impurity could not simply be ignored. The sacrificial system provided God-appointed means for cleansing, atonement, restoration, and worship. These offerings were not random religious inventions but gracious instructions from God Himself. They pointed both backward and forward: backward toward humanity's need for reconciliation after the fall in Eden, and forward toward the future work of Messiah. The goal is that all of those who are far away from God to be brought near to Him.  Leviticus 1–7 therefore describes how people who are “far off” come near to the presence of the LORD (Ephesians 2:13). The movement is from outside the camp toward the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle represents God's dwelling in the midst of Israel (Exodus 25:8). The offerings are the God-given means for that approach. The New Testament later reflects this same movement. Hebrews speaks of drawing near with confidence to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). The vocabulary and imagery echo the earlier pattern of korban — approach. In Hebrew thought, sacrifices were not merely primitive rituals or attempts to manipulate God. The entire system was designed to teach Israel how sinful human beings could approach a holy God while remaining in covenant relationship with Him. The sacrifices taught lessons about repentance, thanksgiving, fellowship, substitution, holiness, and obedience. These passages are not disconnected religious texts from different eras, but part of one continuous revelation from the God of Israel. Together they demonstrate God's desire for holiness, covenant faithfulness, sincere worship, repentance, and transformed hearts. The Torah, the Prophets, and the teachings of Yeshua all work together harmoniously and reveal the same divine character and purposes. The five main offerings in Leviticus Leviticus 1–7 presents five primary offerings: עֹלָה olah (burnt offering, whole ascending offering) מִנְחָה minchah (grain or tribute offering) שְׁלָמִים shelamim (peace or fellowship offering) חַטָּאת khatat (sin or purification offering) אָשָׁם asham (guilt or reparation offering) Leviticus 1–5 describe these from the worshiper's perspective. They answer the questions, “When do I bring this?” and “Why?” Leviticus 6–7 return to the same offerings. They speak from the priest's vantage point of leading the worshipper on the approach Each section starts with, “This is the law (תּוֹרַת torat) of the…” (Leviticus 6:9; 6:14; 6:25; 7:1; 7:11). The order also shifts. In Leviticus 1–5, the sequence is burnt, grain, peace, sin, guilt. In Leviticus 6–7, the order becomes burnt, grain, sin, guilt, peace. For the priests, the path ends with peace. This shift hints at an intended trajectory for the worshipper: consecration, gratitude, cleansing, restitution/restoration, and finally shared fellowship. ‘Soothing aroma’ and ‘most holy’ Leviticus repeats the phrase רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ reach nichoach (soothing or pleasing aroma). For example, in the burnt offering: “an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD” (Leviticus 1:9 NASB95). The phrase does not imply that God enjoys smoke as such, particularly when unpleasant things are burning. It points to His pleasure in obedient, wholehearted devotion. Another key term is קֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים kodesh kodashim (holy of holies, most holy). Some offerings, or their remainders, belong to this category (Leviticus 6:17; 7:1; 7:6). The inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, also bears this designation (Exodus 26:33–34). The phrase marks degrees of holiness. It divides between ordinary use and what belongs uniquely to God. In several offerings, contact with a most holy portion communicates holiness. “Anyone who touches them will become consecrated” (Leviticus 6:18 NASB95). This direction, holiness moving outward, anticipates the sanctifying effect of Messiah's work. The burnt offering The burnt offering, עֹלָה olah, appears first. The word comes from עָלָה alah (to go up, ascend). The entire animal (except the hide, which goes to the priest) ascends in smoke (Leviticus 1:9; 7:8 NASB95). The worshiper leans his hand on the animal's head. The Hebrew verb is סָמַךְ samach (to lean, to lay hand upon). This gesture conveys identification and transfer. The offering is voluntary. It expresses total dedication. All of the animal goes up. The act teaches that the whole self belongs to God. The text states, “It will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf” (Leviticus 1:4 NASB1995). The root for atonement is כפר kaphar (to cover, to purge). The daily burnt offering, the תָּמִיד tamid (continual) offering, keeps this pattern always before Israel (Numbers 28:3–8). The fire on the altar must never go out (Leviticus 6:12–13). The Hebrew uses the verb כבה kabah (to quench, to extinguish). Priests must not quench the fire. This fire later connects with prophetic images of unquenchable judgment and refining. The grain offering The grain offering, מִנְחָה minchah, often accompanies the burnt offering. The term can mean tribute or present. It comes from the produce of the land. The worshiper brings fine flour with oil and frankincense (Leviticus 2:1). The offering excludes leaven (חָמֵץ chametz) and honey (דְּבַשׁ devash) when burned on the altar (Leviticus 2:11). This absence signifies purity and the avoidance of corruption or sweetness. A memorial portion (אַזְכָּרָה azkarah) goes up in smoke. The priests eat the remainder in a holy place (Leviticus 2:2–3; 6:16). This remainder is kodesh kodashim. It sustains those who minister. The grain offering expresses thanksgiving and dedication of labor. It acknowledges that what grows, and what human hands produce from it, comes from God. It also functions as an accessible offering for the poor who may not afford larger animals. The grain offerings, when offered in the right spirit, are an attitude of gratitude to God for what He has done and when we express gratitude to God for what He has done for us, it can become infectious and others will feel emboldened and an encourage to also express gratitude to God for His blessings.  The peace offering The peace offering, שְׁלָמִים shelamim, is related to שָׁלוֹם shalom (peace, completeness, well-being). It can be brought for thanksgiving, fulfillment of a vow, or a freewill expression of joy (Leviticus 7:11–16). The animal may be male or female but must be without defect (Leviticus 3:1). The fat and certain inner parts, including kidneys and liver, go on the altar (Leviticus 3:3–5). The breast is waved. The right thigh belongs to the priest (Leviticus 7:30–34). The offerer and family eat the remaining meat in a communal meal. This offering pictures fellowship. God receives His portion. The priest receives his. The worshiper and household share the rest. It displays restored relationship and shared joy. The phrase reach nichoach again describes God's pleasure in restoration (Leviticus 3:5). It was a peace offering in the sense that it was offered and eaten communally within the household, but it was also a sin offering, because it was offered to cover over sin and protect those offering it from taking on the consequences of their sin. So if someone asks, “Is the Pesach offering a sin offering or a peace offering?” The answer is “Yes!”  The sin offering The sin offering, חַטָּאת khatat, addresses unintentional sins and impurities (Leviticus 4:1–2). The root חָטָא khata means to miss the mark or go astray. The type of animal varies by the status of the offender. A priest or the whole congregation brings a bull. A leader brings a male goat. An ordinary person brings a female goat or lamb. Very poor worshipers may bring birds or even flour (Leviticus 4:3–32; 5:11). The blood's placement depends on the case. In some instances, the priest brings it into the holy place and sprinkles it before the veil and on the horns of the incense altar (Leviticus 4:5–7). In other cases, he applies it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering (Leviticus 4:25). Fat still goes on the altar. For high-level offerings, the remainder of the animal goes outside the camp and burns there (Leviticus 4:11–12). For others, the priests eat the meat in a holy place (Leviticus 6:26). The pattern highlights both expiation and contamination. Sin defiles the sanctuary, even when unintentional. The blood purifies sacred space. The carrying of the carcass outside the camp anticipates later reflections on Messiah’s suffering “outside the gate” of Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:11–13 NASB95). The guilt offering The guilt or reparation offering, אָשָׁם asham, deals with offenses that include a debt or breach of trust (Leviticus 5:14–26 and 7:1–10). The offenses include misusing holy things, false dealing with a neighbor in matters of deposit, robbery, oppression, or failure to return lost property (Leviticus 6:2–3). The offender must first restore what he took. He then adds one fifth (20%) and gives it to the injured party (Leviticus 6:5). After restitution, he brings a ram without defect as the אָשָׁם asham (Leviticus 6:6). The priest makes atonement. “It will be forgiven him” (Leviticus 6:7 NASB95). This offering shows that reconciliation with God runs through reconciliation with neighbor. It rejects the idea that one can “be right with God” while ignoring unresolved wrongs against others. It also distinguishes between healthy guilt that leads to restoration and destructive shame that traps a person in despair. Repentance is not merely emotional regret but involves concrete acts of restoration and accountability.  Substitution and pattern Across these offerings, substitution appears. Innocent animals die. The text never portrays them as morally guilty. They bear consequences in the place of the sinner. The visual and sensory impact teaches gravity. It shows that sin brings death and that mercy has a cost. Blood played a central role in the sacrificial system because Scripture teaches that the life is in the blood. Blood represented life given in place of another life. This principle of substitution formed an important theological foundation for understanding Messiah's atoning work. From a Messianic Jewish perspective, Yeshua did not abolish the sacrificial themes of Leviticus but fulfilled and embodied them. He became the perfect sacrifice who fully accomplished what the Temple sacrifices symbolized and anticipated.  Hebrews later calls the Levitical system “a shadow of the good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1 NASB95). A shadow is not unreal. It has shape and direction. It points beyond itself. The pattern of approach, cleansing, substitution, and fellowship prepares readers to understand later fulfillment. In Matthew 5:23–24 during the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua taught His disciples that a person cannot genuinely draw near to God while knowingly remaining in unresolved sin, bitterness, or injustice toward another person. Yeshua was intensifying the Torah's ethical demands by teaching that reconciliation and repentance are part of true worship. A person cannot genuinely draw near to God while knowingly remaining in unresolved sin, bitterness, or injustice toward another person. The sacrificial system was never intended to function mechanically or magically. God always cared about the condition of the heart behind the offering. A sacrifice without repentance, obedience, or covenant faithfulness was unacceptable. This theme became especially important in the transition to the Book of Malachi. Malachi 3: Fire, priests, and weary worship Malachi prophesied after the return of the remnant of Israel from exile in Babylon and Persia. The Temple was standing again. Sacrifices resumed. Yet spiritual apathy spread. The priests were offering defective animals. They treated their calling lightly (Malachi 1:6–8, 13). People tired of serving God. Malachi 3 speaks into this situation. “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.” Malachi 3:1 NASB95 The passage then describes Adonai coming to His temple as a refiner's fire and launderer's soap (Malachi 3:2). He “will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3 NASB95). The fire language recalls the altar fire in Leviticus that must not go out (Leviticus 6:12–13). In Malachi, the problem is not lack of ritual. It is poor quality and wrong heart. Priests “despise” the table of the LORD by their offerings and attitudes (Malachi 1:7). God announces that He will refine them. He will restore offerings that truly please Him. God's goal was not merely punishment but restoration. The priests and people had drifted from covenant faithfulness, yet God still called them to return. This reflects the covenant loyalty and mercy of God toward Israel. The famous declaration, “I the Lord do not change,” is evidence of God's faithfulness to His promises. Israel survived not because of its own righteousness but because of God's unchanging covenant commitment. Malachi also addresses tithes and support of the priesthood (Malachi 3:8–10). People withhold what sustains those who minister. This connects back to Leviticus, where parts of offerings and tithes feed the priests and their families. Neglect of this support undermines faithful service and signals distrust of God's provision. Spiritual gravity and backsliding Rabbi Daniel Lapin likened the struggle against sin in the world to “spiritual gravity.” If gravity acts and no one resists it, objects fall. Similarly, if spiritual decline goes unopposed, people slide downward. Scripture often warns of “backsliding.” Hosea speaks of “a stubborn heifer” and of God's people “bent on turning from Me” (Hosea 4:16; 11:7 NASB95). Jeremiah describes a people who “went backward and not forward” (Jeremiah 7:24 NASB95). Small compromises accumulate. Priests in Malachi's day likely did not plan to profane worship. They accepted slightly blemished animals. They became careless. Over time, standards eroded. Slowly, they let the fire on the altar of their hearts die down and go out. The Torah and Prophets together urge watchfulness. They call leaders and people to “tend the fire.” They stress the need for continual renewal and honest self-examination. The scriptures do not promote manipulative prosperity theology, rather, they emphasize that generosity, faithfulness, and trust in God remain important covenant principles. God desires wholehearted devotion rather than empty religious performance. Luke 6: Exercise discernment and judgement on oneself first Luke 6 contains a section sometimes called the Sermon on the Plain. In verses 39–49 Yeshua tells a series of short parables that connect to themes from Leviticus and Malachi. First, He warns, “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39 NASB95). This speaks to discernment in choosing teachers. In Malachi's time, priests functioned as blind guides when they treated holy things lightly. In any age, leaders who ignore God's word risk leading others into moral and spiritual collapse. Leaders who lack spiritual clarity cannot produce healthy communities. Second, He says, “The pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40 NASB1995). Training aims at likeness. Priests in Leviticus model holiness. They eat most holy portions in a holy place. They teach people to distinguish between holy and common (Leviticus 10:10–11). Disciples in Luke learn to resemble their Master in character and obedience. Followers of Messiah Yeshua are called to reflect His character, values, mercy, humility, and obedience. This reflects a deeply Jewish understanding of discipleship in which students sought not only to learn teachings but also to imitate the life of the rabbi. Third, He uses the image of the speck and the log (Luke 6:41–42 NASB1995). A person who tries to remove a speck from a brother's eye while a log remains in his own behaves as a hypocrite. Yeshua was not prohibiting all moral discernment or accountability. Instead, He condemned self-righteous judgment and hypocritical condemnation. This aligns with the sacrificial system's insistence on purity in those who minister. It also responds to Malachi's charge that priests and people blame others while ignoring their own compromises. Fourth, He speaks of trees and fruit. “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit” (Luke 6:43 NASB1995). He concludes, “For his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45 NASB1995). Here καρδία (kardia) (heart) functions like Hebrew לֵב (lev) (heart). The inner life shows itself outwardly. Offerings and rituals without love and justice reveal a diseased tree, however impressive the leaves. This idea also related to the role of spiritual leadership. Just as bad trees cannot produce good fruit, corrupt leaders cannot produce healthy spiritual communities. Yeshua's warnings echoed prophetic concerns found throughout the Hebrew Scriptures regarding false shepherds, corrupt priests, and hypocritical leaders. Finally, He tells the parable of the two builders (Luke 6:46–49 NASB1995). One hears His words and acts on them. That person builds on rock. Floods cannot shake the house. The other hears but does not act. That person builds on soil without foundation. The same flood destroys that house. Hearing good teachings alone is insufficient. True discipleship requires obedience and action. Leviticus taught Israel how to approach God faithfully. Malachi rebuked the people for abandoning covenant obedience while maintaining outward religion. Yeshua likewise warned that merely calling Him “Lord” without obedience is spiritually empty. Inner life: kidneys, heart, and fire The Bible also frequently uses imagery of kidneys and heart. The Hebrew term for kidneys is כְּלָיוֹת kelayot (kidneys). The heart is לֵב lev. Together they describe the deep inner life. Psalm 26:2 says, “Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart” (Psalm 26:2 NASB95). Literally, God tests “kidneys and heart.” These terms appear in sacrificial contexts, where kidneys and certain fats go on the altar. The visual burning of these inner parts symbolizes the offering up of deep impulses and desires. It anticipates later teaching on inner transformation. Ezekiel 36:26–27 promises a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27). Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the word of God judging “the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NASB95). Fire, too, functions as an image for inner reality. The unquenched altar fire points to continual devotion and God's active presence. Malachi's refining fire points to God's work in purifying His people. Acts 2 later uses divided tongues as of fire to mark the Spirit's coming upon the gathered disciples (Acts 2:3). The same God who commanded priests to keep literal fire burning now lights an inner fire in His people. The post How Old Testament sacrifices and Messiah's teachings fit together in one big story (Leviticus 1–7; Malachi 3; Luke 6) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

The one thing most of us share with our families is our genetics. Our genetics are what make families look like… well… family. When one family member has brown hair, that person's child will most likely have brown hair as well. In today's message, Pastor Dan tells you that when you accept Christ, blessings will be passed down generation to generation. So that your kids will have the same benefits. If your family hasn't accepted Christ, that's okay! You still have the opportunity to choose Him and make Him Lord!

May 6, 2026Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-53Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44; Luke 12:35-53“‘Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.” (Luke 12:35-36)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Jesus' words for the disciples were a little concerning for them. They wanted to know if these words were for them or for all the people. The “managers” are in the crosshairs of Christ's admonishment. The ones entrusted with the work of overseeing the administration of the gifts that have been given to them. The local church had abused its power by burdening the consciences of the people. The leadership continually advocated a law of salvation for the people. God's forgiveness was contingent upon the obedience to the laws made by man. The church had grown into apostasy. The leadership failed to see themselves as servants, but rather as those who were in control and “calling the shots.” The life they advocated was not about God's unfailing mercy and forgiveness but rather about obedience to their laws. Christ saw their hardened hearts. Christ came as the suffering servant who dies on the cross and conquers death. His ministry is a ministry of servitude for His people. In His service, His people are made ready for the Master's return. He prepares His people through the Gift of Holy Baptism. In your Baptism, you are made ready for His glorious return. Christ reminds His hearers that they know neither the day nor the hour when the master will return. He merely encourages them to be ready. You are ready in your Baptism. In your Baptism, you received the name of Jesus. In your Baptism, you received the sign of the cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. You are baptized into His death, and you are baptized in His resurrection. You are dressed for the return of Christ as His robe of righteousness has been placed over you. You are ready for His return.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The gifts flow from the font Where He calls us His own; New life He gives that makes Us His and His alone. Here He forgives our sins With water and His Word; The triune God Himself Gives pow'r to call Him Lord. (LSB 602:2)Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Is Christ truly Lord of your life according to His Word of Truth? Or do you call Him Lord, Lord, and continue to live for yourself? Share. Make it a great day in the Love & Lordship of Christ (Luke 6:45-49)!å

In Episode #207 of the Way of the Bible podcast, we continue our examination of the closing words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, focusing on one of the most sobering and revealing passages in all of Scripture: Matthew 7:21–23. In this teaching, Jesus draws a sharp and eternal distinction between those who merely claim to follow Him and those who truly belong to Him.Jesus declares that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father. This statement immediately challenges assumptions about what it means to be a disciple. Many equate discipleship with outward expressions—words, works, or even spiritual activity. Yet Jesus dismantles this notion by describing individuals who prophesy, perform miracles, and cast out demons in His name, but are ultimately rejected with the words, “I never knew you.”This episode explores the deeper meaning behind doing the will of the Father. Drawing from John 6, the will of God is revealed not as a list of external actions, but as a call to believe in the One He has sent—Jesus Christ. This belief is not merely intellectual agreement, but a genuine, Spirit-enabled faith that transforms the heart. It is a faith that entrusts one's entire being to Christ and results in true righteousness.The discussion connects this teaching to the broader biblical narrative, particularly the concept of righteousness by faith. Beginning with Abraham, who believed God and was credited with righteousness, and continuing through the writings of Paul in Romans, the episode highlights that salvation has always been rooted in faith rather than works. While works may accompany true faith, they are not the foundation of it.A key emphasis in this episode is the role of the Holy Spirit. True belief is not self-generated but is enabled by the Father and brought to life through the Spirit. This explains why some who hear the message respond in faith while others do not. It also underscores the necessity of a transformed heart, rather than mere outward conformity.The episode also addresses the reality that false disciples exist within the broader community of believers. In a world with thousands of denominations and countless interpretations, the presence of those who claim Christ but do not truly know Him should not be surprising. This reality reinforces the importance of personal discernment and a genuine relationship with Christ.Ultimately, this teaching leads to a deeply personal question: Is one's faith rooted in authentic belief and relationship with Jesus, or merely in outward expression? The difference is eternal.As Jesus' words make clear, the issue is not whether we know about Him—but whether He knows us.

For those who fear Him (Lord) lack nothing. [NIV]

Takeaways from this study Your finish matters more than your start. Ezekiel 18 shows God judges how a person ends, not just how they begin. Keep turning toward righteousness; do not coast on a “good past,” and do not despair over a “bad past” if you are turning now. Actions reveal what you really believe. From Leviticus 4, Ezekiel 18, Matthew 7, and 1John 3, the pattern is clear: what you consistently do shows whose you are. Examine your habits, not just your words and emotions. Repentance means changing direction, not just feeling bad. Biblical תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvah (repentance) is a turn: away from ἀνομία anomia (lawlessness) and toward צְדָקָה tsedaqah (righteousness, i.e., God's ways). Real repentance includes concrete changes in behavior, relationships, and priorities. Leadership sin affects others; personal sin is not “private” to God. Leviticus 4 and high priest Eli's example show that when leaders sin, the whole community can suffer. If you lead in any sphere (home, congregation, workplace), your integrity or compromise influences more than just you. Deal with sin if you want a clear prayer life. The blood on the Tabernacle’s golden altar and John 9:31 together picture this: persistent, unrepented sin clutters the prayer line. Confess, turn, and seek restored relationship when prayer feels blocked. Grace is not permission; it is power to live differently. Romans 6 and 1Corinthians 6 show that Yeshua's atonement frees you from your past, not from your responsibility. Grace is God's enablement to stop living in bondage to sin. Obedience is the normal lifestyle of those who know God. 1John 3 and Matthew 7 frame obedience not as “extra credit,” but as the expected pattern of those who truly belong to Him. Holiness is not perfectionism; it is a steady, humble walk of learning to do God's will. Leviticus 4 focuses on unintentional sins: “things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commit any of them” (Leviticus 4:2 NASB95). The Hebrew phrase for sin offering here is חַטָּאת khaṭṭat. The passage addresses cases where a person or group breaks a command without deliberate intent. By a traditional rabbinic view, sin offerings in Leviticus cover deeds a person did that should not have been done. They do not cover failures to do what one ought to do. In other words, the focus lies on transgressions of prohibitions rather than omissions of positive commands. מִילָה milah (circumcision) is a commanded act. So is שַׁבָּת Shabbat (Sabbath) observance. Yet the Torah does not prescribe a specific sin offering for someone who fails to circumcise or fails to honor the Sabbath. Those failures remain serious (death for flagrant Shabbat desecration, for example). However, they fall outside the narrow category of sins addressed by the khaṭṭat in Leviticus 4. Contrast this with many Christian assumptions where “sin” often includes both wrong actions and failures to act under the same category. The Torah, however, distinguishes various types of wrongdoing and provides different remedies. 4 groups, 2 altars Leviticus 4 also distinguishes four categories of sinners: The anointed priest (often understood as the high priest). The whole congregation of Israel. A leader (often interpreted as the king). Any individual of the people of the land (Lev 4:3, 13, 22, 27). Each group has a specific prescribed offering. The anointed priest and the whole congregation bring a bull. The leader brings a male goat. The ordinary individual brings a female goat or lamb. The study then focuses on two altars: The bronze altar outside, for burnt offerings and other animal sacrifices The golden altar inside, primarily for incense offerings The Hebrew for altar is מִזְבֵּחַ mizbeaḥ. Incense is קְטֹרֶת qetoret. The study notes that the bronze altar relates to sacrifice and atonement. The golden altar, near the veil, relates to prayer and intercession. Throughout Scripture, incense often symbolizes prayers (e.g., Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8). In Leviticus 4, something unusual happens with the bull offerings for the anointed priest and the whole congregation. The priest takes some of the blood inside and sprinkles it before the veil and puts some on the horns of the golden altar of incense (Lev 4:6–7, 17–18). The remainder of the blood is poured out at the base of the bronze altar. For the leader and the ordinary individual, the blood stays at the bronze altar only (Lev 4:25, 30). No blood goes to the golden altar for those cases. Prayer, sin, and leadership responsibility Because the golden altar links to prayer, we see a pattern. When the priest or the whole congregation sins unintentionally, the blood touches the place associated with prayer. This symbolizes that their sin affects the community's prayer life. In other words, when spiritual leaders or the representative body fail, the relationship between the people and God suffers in a collective way. In 1Samuel 2–3, high priest Eli's sons corrupt the priesthood. They abuse sacrifices and commit immorality. Eli fails to restrain them adequately. As a result, “word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent” (1 Sam 3:1 NASB95). God later declares that He will judge Eli's house (1Sam 3:11–14 NASB95). So priestly sin can block or cloud divine communication. By contrast, when a king or an individual Israelite sins unintentionally, their sacrifice remains at the bronze altar. Their sin still matters. Yet it does not automatically obstruct the entire nation's access to God in the same symbolic way. This distinction supports a larger principle. Leadership carries a broader spiritual impact. Private sin can remain personal, while corporate or leadership sin can become communal. Individual accountability Ezekiel 18 strongly develops individual responsibility. It quotes then corrects the proverb, “The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge” (Ezek 18:2 NASB95). God rejects that proverb. He states that “the soul who sins will die” (Ezek 18:4 NASB95). The Hebrew word for soul or person is נֶפֶשׁ nephesh. The chapter describes three generations: A righteous man who practices justice and righteousness (Ezek 18:5–9). His violent and idolatrous son (Ezek 18:10–13). A grandson who sees his father's sins and chooses a different path (Ezek 18:14–17). The righteous grandfather lives. The wicked son dies for his own sin. The righteous grandson lives despite his father's guilt. God concludes that “the son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity” (Ezek 18:20 NASB95). The Hebrew word for iniquity or guilt is עָוֹן ʿavon. This chapter deals largely with intentional sins. The examples include idolatry, adultery, oppression, and exploitation. The text also stresses acts of compassion and justice: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and refusing to lend at interest. Ezekiel 18 also clarifies how God weighs a life. A righteous person who turns away and practices iniquity at the end will die for that iniquity. God will not remember his former righteousness (Ezek 18:24). Likewise, a wicked person who turns from sins and practices justice and righteousness will live. God will not remember his former sins (Ezek 18:21–22). This principle emphasizes how a person finishes the race. Actions as the measure of a life From Ezekiel 18, we see who God evaluates people by their actions over time, especially at the end of their lives. The Hebrew word for righteousness is צְדָקָה tsedaqah. Justice or judgment is מִשְׁפָּט mishpat. These words describe concrete deeds, not only inner attitudes. We see this in the teachings of Yeshua and His apostles. Scripture does not present a shift from action-based evaluation in the TaNaKh to a purely mental or verbal faith in the New Testament. Instead, faith and action remain joined. Lawlessness and false assurance In Matthew 7:15–23, Yeshua warns about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16 NASB95). The Greek word for fruit or outcome is καρπός karpos. The emphasis remains on observable results. Then Yeshua describes people who call Him “Lord” and who even prophesy, cast out demons, and perform miracles in His name. Yet He declares, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matt 7:23 NASB95 The Greek term here for lawlessness is ἀνομία anomia. Anomia is the opposite of the Hebrew תּוֹרָה Torah (instruction, law). If sin is defined as violation of Torah, then lawlessness signals a life pattern that ignores or rejects God's instructions. Yeshua's warning shows that impressive spiritual experiences or ministries cannot substitute for obedience. Here we see a parallel with Ezekiel 18. A life can contain many religious acts, yet if it ends in ongoing lawlessness, God may reject those earlier works. The focus returns to final direction and consistent practice. Prayer and sinners In John 9, Yeshua restores the sight of a man born blind. Later he testifies before the religious leaders, “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31 NASB95). The phrase “does His will” echoes the emphasis on obedience. Yeshua didn’t correct this statement. Instead, the narrative supports it. God responds to the faith and obedience of the healed man. Meanwhile, the religious leaders remain spiritually blind. The story reinforces the earlier theme: persistent sin can obstruct prayer, while repentance and obedience open the way. Sin, lawlessness and identity The apostle Yokhanan (John) writes, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1John 3:4 NASB95). The Greek term for sin (missing the mark) is ἁμαρτία hamartia. Again, lawlessness here is anomia. Yokhanan defines sin as active violation of God's standards. He continues, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him” (1John 3:6 NASB95). Later he writes, “The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil” (1John 3:7–8 NASB95). The key Greek verbs are in the present continuous case. The issue is ongoing practice, not isolated failures. Yokhanan also connects love and action. He writes, “let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1John 3:18 NASB95). The Greek term for deed (or work) is ἔργον ergon. This resonates with the concrete examples in Ezekiel 18 and with Yeshua's teaching on fruit. Yokhanan does not set love against Torah. Instead, he describes love as the fulfillment and embodiment of God's commands. Inner transformation appears outwardly in consistent behavior. Grace, freedom and responsibility We see that principle also in apostle Paul's letters. In Romans 6, he asks whether believers should continue in sin so that grace may increase. Paul answers, μὴ γένοιτο mē genoito (“May it never be!” Rom 6:2 NASB95). He argues that those who have been united with Messiah in His death have died to sin. Therefore, they must no longer let sin reign in their mortal bodies (Rom 6:11–13). In his first letter to the Greek cosmopolitan city of Corinth, Paul lists unrighteous behaviors — sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, theft, greed, drunkenness, reviling, swindling — and states that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor 6:9–10 NASB95). This is continuity with Ezekiel's categories and with Yeshua's warning in Matthew 7. At the same time, Paul affirms that believers “were washed… sanctified … justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1Cor 6:11 NASB95). The Greek for justified (declared righteous) is δικαιόω dikaioō. This judicial declaration does not remove the call to obedience. Rather, it empowers a new life. Historical example: Hezekiah's reform Israel’s King Hezekiah becomes a central example of corporate repentance. He inherits a nation in which the Temple has been defiled and neglected (2Chr 29:7). The doors of the house of the LORD are shut. The lamps are out. No incense burns. No burnt offerings rise. Hezekiah gathers the priests and Levites. He calls them, “My sons,” and urges them to consecrate themselves and the house of the LORD (2Chr 29:5). The Hebrew verb for consecrate is קִדֵּשׁ qiddesh (set apart, sanctify). He confesses that the fathers have been unfaithful, have done evil, and have forsaken the LORD (2Chr 29:6). He interprets recent judgments and national distress as the result of that unfaithfulness. The Levites respond. They gather their brothers. They purify themselves. They cleanse the house of the LORD. They remove defilement to the Kidron valley (2Chr 29:15–17). After the cleansing, the king and the congregation bring a large set of offerings: bulls, rams, lambs, and male goats for a sin offering “for the kingdom, the sanctuary and Judah” (2Chr 29:21 NASB95). The priests slaughter the animals and apply the blood to the altar. The goats for the sin offering are presented before the king and the assembly. They lay their hands on the animals, and the priests slaughter them and make atonement “for all Israel” (2Chr 29:23–24 NASB95). The Hebrew for atonement is כִּפֵּר kippēr (cover, atone), from the root verb כָּפַר kaphar. Hezekiah then arranges musicians and singers according to the pattern of David. As the burnt offering begins, the song of the LORD begins with trumpets and instruments. The congregation bows and worships (2Chr 29:27–30). The reform includes both sacrifice and heartfelt praise. It also implies a commitment to new obedience. This is a practical case study of the principles observed in Leviticus 4 and Ezekiel 18. Leadership acknowledges sin. The priests and Levites respond. The people participate. Offerings are made. Worship is renewed. Behavior is expected to change going forward. Sacrifices point to the work of Yeshua Leviticus 4 shows how God provided specific sacrifices for unintentional sins, especially for leaders and the congregation. Ezekiel 18 explains how God judges individuals by their persistent patterns, especially at the end of life. Matthew 7, John 9, 1John 3, Romans 6, and 1Corinthians 6 all affirm that ongoing lawlessness remains incompatible with true belonging to God, even under the New Covenant. The work of Yeshua removes the guilt of past sins and opens the way for restored relationship (cf. John 1:29; Heb 9–10). Yet this grace does not cancel God's concern about behavior. Instead, grace creates a new possibility: to walk in obedience from the heart, empowered by the Spirit. In this framework, תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvah (return, repentance) involves more than regret. It includes a turning from lawlessness to God's ways. It leads to new patterns of life. Leaders carry special responsibility, since their sins can affect others. Yet every person stands before God as an individual. Each must finish the race in faith and obedience. God cares deeply about actions. He provides atonement. He invites return. He warns against lawlessness. And He promises life to those who turn to Him and walk in His ways to the end. The post Do my actions really matter to God? What the Bible says about sin, sacrifice and change (Leviticus 4; Ezekiel 18; Matthew 7; John 9) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal at ⁠⁠⁠PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal ⁠⁠⁠today!What do you do when the battlefield stretches in every direction and it looks like God Himself brought the defeat? Join Jaime on the Praying Christian Women Podcast for a devotional on Psalm 60 — a raw, honest lament born out of being surrounded on all sides, where David dares to say You did this, God — and still picks up the banner and calls Him Lord. Jaime unpacks the historical backdrop of David fighting enemies to the north, east, and south all at once, and shares a breathtaking story from her years near Death Valley — where barren, salt-crusted flats that look permanently dead suddenly erupted into a once-in-a-century bloom of purple wildflowers. Sometimes the victory is already buried right beneath the most hopeless-looking ground, waiting for God's rain to bring it to life. We also dig into the striking echo of Moses in Exodus 33 — when God offered the promised land without His presence, and Moses said no deal. David carries that same heart here: deliverance by man is in vain, and the land is just dirt without the God who makes it flourish. Come ready to look at your own salt flats — the silence, the barrenness, the places that feel cracked and pointless — and let this psalm remind you that there are seeds of life lying dormant beneath every one of them. Because He is the water. He is the banner. And He is the only reason the bloom comes. Discover More: Explore additional episodes of Praying Christian Women, Mindful Christian Prayers, and other Christian podcasts at Lifeaudio.com Check out our new podcast, Christian True-Crime Junkies!, on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Connect with Us: Stay updated and engage with our community: On Substack @PrayingChristianWomen On Facebook @PrayingChristianWomen On Instagram @PrayingChristianWomen On YouTube: @PrayingChristianWomen Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this sermon Pastor Kenneth delivers a game changing message about the difference between calling Jesus your "homeboy" versus making Him LORD of everything. In this powerful sermon from our "Fortify the Family" series, discover why strengthening your family starts with strengthening your faith first. You'll hear Joshua's bold declaration and learn three practical ways to serve God with your whole heart. 

In this message from Luke 6:46–49, we confront a sobering question from Jesus: Why call Him “Lord” but not obey Him? This sermon exposes the danger of casual Christianity, a faith that hears but does not act. Through vivid illustrations and Jesus' parable of the two builders, we are challenged to examine whether our lives are built on the solid rock of obedience or the shifting sand of empty profession. Real faith isn't just knowing, it's coming, hearing, and doing. The post Luke 6:46-49 – The Dangers of Casual Christianity appeared first on Island Pond Baptist Church.

Jews Bribe and Blackmail.  John 19:12 and Matthew 28:12-13 Trump is falling apart -- this is good news because it is simply a revelation of reaility -- the mask is gone and we can see the Jews and how they operate. The greatest gift of liberty that you can give yourself is to open up your mouth and speak the Holy Scripture even when they are racist and antisemitic. If you can't or won't then you are not worthy of the Name of Jesus Christ; and you are not willing to fight for liberty or freedom. Stop being a Judas Iscariot. You call Him Lord or Rabbi, publicly give him a kiss, and yet you've already sided with the Jews. This is what treason looks like. Fritz Berggren www.bloodandfaith.com www.gab.com/cybertext www.x.com/bloodandfaith  

Jesus ends His greatest sermon with a warning — not everyone who calls Him Lord truly follows Him. In Matthew 7, He exposes false prophets, shallow faith, and the danger of hearing His words but not obeying them.Watch to learn:What Jesus meant by “Judge not”The narrow road few will findWhy building on the rock is a matter of eternal life and deathThis is Part 3 of “The Sermon on the Mount” — the conclusion that separates the wise from the foolish, the true from the false.#Matthew7 #SermonOnTheMount #Jesus #Faith #Obedience #KingdomLife#Discipleship #disciplemaking -----------------------Take the Personal Evangelism Crash Course Here:https://www.twelvechurch.net/evangelism-crash-courseDiscover the Missional Living Map: https://missionalmap.comLearn more about 12Church: https://12church.netGet access to any tools and resources mentioned in this video here:https://www.12church.net/toolsThe 8 Essential Traits of a Disciple: https://www.twelvechurch.net/dnaDisciple Making podcast: https://disciplemaking.buzzsprout.comhttps://12church.net is about structuring your life around the call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ who makes disciples. It's about learning HOW to make disciples in this time and place.Learn more at 12Church.net

This message is built around a question most people don't slow down long enough to answer honestly: do I actually follow Jesus, or have I just been around Him? We walk through some of Jesus' own words that are easy to hear but hard to sit with, especially when He talks about the narrow path, what it really means to call Him Lord, and the difference between doing things for God and actually knowing Him. This message isn't about being better or trying harder. It's about understanding what Jesus already did, and deciding what you're going to do with Him. There's a moment in the message where the crowd chooses Barabbas over Jesus, and it forces the same question we all have to answer in our own lives. What will I do with Jesus? Not in theory, but for real. Wherever you're at with God, whether you've followed Him for years, you're unsure, or you've been keeping Him at a distance, this is an honest look at what Easter actually confronts in all of us. Did you accept Christ today? Fill out our digital connection card: https://churchontherock.net/connect-card  

Today, Paul M. Neuberger takes the gloves off to expose one of the most destructive deceptions contaminating the Body of Christ: the idea that you can have Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. This cheapened version of faith celebrates forgiveness while silencing surrender, promises heaven but requires nothing, and leaves lives unchanged and churches powerless.But make no mistake—according to Scripture, Jesus refuses to be divided. Partial faith is no faith. Salvation without submission is self-delusion. Our Lord calls for total surrender, daily obedience, and courageous counter-cultural leadership in every arena of life—especially the marketplace.Christianity can't be separated into comfort and cost. Today, you're invited to trade your half-in, half-out faith for radically transformative discipleship—where Jesus doesn't just forgive your sins, He rules your heart.It's time for a collision with reality: Will you truly make Him Lord, or simply call Him Savior?"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." — Matthew 7:21 Episode Highlights04:47 - He never offends, never confronts and never demands anything of you. He's the Jesus you'll see quoted in Instagram captions reduced to feel-good phrases like love everyone, don't judge and just be kind.14:26 - Modern Christianity in many cases has made it incredibly easy to accept Jesus as Savior. Walk down an aisle, say a prayer, raise your hand, repeat a few words, and just like that, poof, you're told you're good. No mention of surrender, no emphasis on obedience, no expectation of transformation. Just believe.32:05 - Your leadership isn't ultimately evaluated by profit margins, growth metrics, or external success. It's evaluated by faithfulness, by obedience, and by alignment with God's will.Connect with Paul M. NeubergerWebsite 

Luke 6 – Obedience – Jesus wonders why people call Him Lord or master and don't obey and follow His teaching. Every time we open the Word of God, we make a choice. We obey what it teaches us, or we walk away and ignore the spirit of God. We either grow closer to God in that encounter with Him, or we are apart. Walk in obedience this week and make Jesus the Lord of all you do.  

This powerful message dives deep into biblical stewardship, faithfulness, and the difference between calling Jesus Savior and truly making Him Lord. Discover what it really means to surrender your life, manage your time, talent, and resources, and live with eternity in mind. Scripture reminds us, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). Faithfulness—not feelings—is the true measure of a life surrendered to God. Jesus challenges us directly: "No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13). This message unpacks what it means to choose God daily over comfort, control, and material pursuits. You'll also explore the deeper tension between salvation and lordship, as seen in "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). True faith is more than belief—it's obedience in action. With insight from the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1–11), this teaching will challenge you to use temporary resources for eternal impact—investing in people, living with purpose, and preparing for eternity. If you've been wrestling with consistency, purpose, or spiritual growth, this message will equip and challenge you to take responsibility for what God has entrusted to you and live a life that truly honors Him.

The pastor left his notes in an Uber and found these old notes in the pulpit, so some might say that God changed the message, but one thing is certain, He knew it would happen that way, so here you go. Probably not as good as the first time, but there's something in here that God may want you to hear. We drop in on the last supper as Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. We've always known this moment is special. Some churches even take his statement that the disciples ought to wash one-another's feet quite literally, incorporating it into their ordinances and worship. Jesus' instruction has more to do with the attitude than the act. Here, Jesus illustrates what true greatness is, even as his disciples are still squabbling over who among them will be the greatest. We may suppose that no one of them offered to do the job, not even for the master Himself. That would be lowering themselves to the level of a slave. But Jesus had no problem doing that. He knew who He was, and so could do what needed doing with no concern for the opinion of others. In Luke's gospel, apparently after he has done this though Luke doesn't mention it, he says, “…the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” (Lk 22:26 LSB) In so doing, he also illustrates in a small way the sacrifice he is about to make. Before the next day is over, he will willingly submit to the worst torture and humiliation that humanity can imagine, all for the sake of the ones whom He loves. By this act we are saved. When peter objects to the Lord washing his feet, Jesus makes a profound statement, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (Jn 13:8) We must be cleansed by the blood of His sacrifice, and we must also return to him each day that the dirt we accumulate by walking through this world may be washed off. We are called to serve each other in this way, as all of us who call Him Lord have been sent to do as He did, that the world may know and receive Him.

What does it mean to truly surrender to the King of Kings? This powerful message reminds us that following Jesus isn't just about securing a spot in heaven, it's about making Him Lord of every area of our lives right now.

Most of us don't struggle with believing Jesus has power. We struggle with giving up our power. We pray — but we still build contingency plans. We call Him Lord but we still try to negotiate our terms. Control feels safe. Surrender feels foolish. But the Kingdom of Heaven does not advance through our power — it advances through our surrender. And in Matthew 8, Jesus meets a man who understands something many church-going people miss — surrender means living under His authority more than loving our authority. Surrender makes outsiders insiders. 

Listen along as we continue our series through the book of Acts. Notes//Quotes: Acts 26:1-32 First-century Pharisees excelled in everything we admire spiritually. They were zealous for God, completely committed to their faith. They were theologically astute, masters of the biblical texts. They fastidiously obeyed even the most obscure commands. They even made up extra rules just in case they were missing anything. Their embrace of spiritual disciplines was second to none. - Larry Osborne “Christ did not die for the good and beautiful. It is easy enough to die for the good and beautiful; the hard thing is to die for the miserable and corrupt.” - Shusaku Endo, Silence “You can rebel against God and be alienated from him either by breaking his rules or by keeping all of them diligently. It's a shocking message: Careful obedience to God's law may serve as a strategy for rebelling against God.” - Tim Keller “Goads is a greek aphorism that reflects the futility of resisting a greater power, in this case the power of God. The aphorism reveals the crisis: Paul has been acting upon his own perception of God's will, all the time resisting God's will.” - Beverly Gaventa I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. We are faced, then, with a frightening alternative. This man we are talking about either was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic, or something worse. CS Lewis “Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.” Augustine “By and large a good rule for finding out is this: the kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done. ... The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet” F. Buechner Faith in the gospel restructures our motivations, our self-understanding, our identity, and our view of the world. Behavioral compliance to rules without heart-change will be superficial and fleeting… We can only change permanently as we take the gospel more deeply into our understanding and into our hearts. We must feed on the gospel, as it were, digesting it and making it part of ourselves. That is how we grow.” - Tim Keller

Welcome to Day 2793 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2793 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 110:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2793 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred ninety-three of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Priest-King of the Cosmos – The Coronation of the Ultimate Human. Today, we arrive at what might be the most significant mountain peak in the entire Old Testament. We are standing at the base of Psalm One Hundred Ten, and we will be trekking through the entire psalm, verses one through seven, in the New Living Translation. In our previous journey through Psalm One Hundred Nine, we stood in a courtroom. We saw David as a defendant, surrounded by accusers. We saw him destitute, weak, and pleading for help. That psalm ended with a vision of God standing at the "right hand" of the poor to save him. But today, the scene shifts dramatically. The courtroom is gone. The weakness is gone. Psalm One Hundred Ten opens the door to the Throne Room of the Universe. We are no longer looking at a needy human King David; we are looking at a Divine figure who is invited to sit at the right hand of Yahweh Himself. This short psalm—only seven verses long—is the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament. Jesus quoted it to stump the Pharisees. Peter quoted it on the Day of Pentecost. The author of Hebrews built his entire theology of the priesthood around it. Why? Because this psalm unveils the mystery of the Messiah. It reveals a figure who is both a conquering King and an eternal Priest—a combination that was legally impossible under the Law of Moses. It gives us a glimpse into the Divine Council, where the Father invites the Son to rule over the chaos of the nations. So, take off your sandals, for we are standing on holy ground. Let us listen to the conversation between the Father and the Son. The first segment is: The Oracle of the Throne: The Two Powers in Heaven. Psalm One Hundred Ten: verse one. The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." The psalm begins with an explosion of theological depth. "The Lord said to my Lord..." In the Hebrew text, this reads: "The oracle of Yahweh to my Adonai." David, the King of Israel, is writing this. He is the highest human authority in the land. Yet, he is eavesdropping on a conversation in the heavenly realm. He hears Yahweh (God the Father) speaking to someone David calls "my Lord" (Adoni). Who could possibly be David's Lord? David had no human superior. This is the question Jesus asked the Pharisees in Matthew Twenty-two. If the Messiah is merely David's son (a human descendant), why does David call Him "Lord"? The answer lies in the Divine Council worldview. David is seeing a figure who is...

Following Jesus isn’t about adding God to your life … it’s about dying to yourself. Today on BOLD STEPS, Mark Jobe challenges cultural Christianity with biblical truth. Matthew 10 unpacks the commitment test of discipleship—why Jesus brings a sword, not peace, and what it means to truly make Him Lord. Listen to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold Step Gift: Unshakable Hope: Building Our Lives on the Promises of GodBecome a Bold Partner: https://www.moodyradio.org/donateto/boldstepsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Election in Christ (5)  (audio) David Eells – 2/4/26 I'm going to pick up where we left off about being predestined in Christ and its connection to Election. There are some very important principles here about God's dealings with man. (Exo.33:20) And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live. Remember that Moses put a veil upon his face so the children of Israel couldn't look upon him to know that which was passing away (Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:7-18). Moses represented the Law, and he never got to see the face of God, but we just read a verse in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 13:12) about those who are going to come to know God face-to-face. So, how did Moses come to know God? (Exo.33:21) And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock (There's only one way to get to know God. You have to stand by the Lord, and you have to stand on the Rock.): (22) and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by: (23) and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. The difference in the relationship between the Old Testament and New Testament people is that what Moses saw in a shadow, we see in manifestation. We can come to know God face-to-face. Moses only saw types and shadows, not the real face of God, because Moses represented the Law. The children of Israel knew the Law, but they didn't understand the Law, which is what the veil symbolized. (2Co.3:13) And [are] not as Moses, [who] put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away: (14) but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed [to them] that it is done away in Christ. (15) But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. (16) But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (17) Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, [there] is liberty. (18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. In the New Testament, we are looking at the spirit of the Law (2Co.3:6) … as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Moses received grace because he was known by God, and then he came to know God. That's our relationship with the Lord, too. We have to stand by the Lord, and we have to stand on the Rock in order to see the Lord. It's sanctification, but it's unto obedience. Christians who are not obedient are not known by God. (Joh.10:2) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (3) To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name (“I know thee by name.”), and leadeth them out. (4) When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. God's people have to come out of Babylon (Isaiah 48:20; 52:11; Jeremiah 48:20; 50:8; 51:6; Revelation 18:4) because being in Babylon is following the voice of strangers. Jesus was speaking to a group of people who were following Babylonish Judaism, but the ones God knew, He called by name, and He led them out. (Joh.10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. The ones whom He knows are going to come out of the apostate sheepfold. They are going to come out of Babylon and be delivered from apostate religion because they are not going to hear the voice of strangers. There's a good explanation of this in Romans, where Paul just got through telling the people that only a remnant of Israel was going to be saved (Romans 9:27-29) and how God decided to call them His people who were not His people (Romans 9:23-26; 10:11-13, 20). Paul asks, (Rom.11:1) I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. If you're thinking, “Weren't they broken off, David? (Romans 11:17-24)” Well, God did break off some people, but let's keep reading, and we'll find out who those people were. (2) God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: (3) Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (4) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. All Israel had turned against God, except for 7,000 people in the time of Elijah, because they were the ones God foreknew. When the two witnesses, whom we discovered are not just two men (Revelation 11:3-12), were called up to the throne, there were “names of men seven thousand” that perished. (Rev.11:13) And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons (The Greek there is literally “names of men seven thousand.”): and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. Why would “names of men” perish? That's because God is going to give us a new name (Revelation 2:17). When you die and then are resurrected, you are no longer the person you once were, the old man. You have totally put to death the old man and he's finally gone. So God is giving us a key there when He says “the names of men seven thousand” to show us that He's talking about the elect. When they were resurrected, all of the elect were resurrected. The ones who hadn't “bowed the knee to Baal,” these 7,000 were foreknown. God didn't cast off these 7,000, but He did cast off the rest of Israel. (Rom.11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. In other words, spiritually speaking, in our day there are still 7,000 who haven't “bowed the knee” to the Beast. There are still 7,000 who haven't worshipped the Beast. (6) But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. The reason these 7,000 stand is because of grace. Remember that God gives grace to the ones He knew by name, just as Moses received grace from God because God knew him by name. (7) What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. The “seven thousand” obtained it and the rest lost out. The called who were not the elect lost out, but the called who were the elect obtained it. The rest of Israel was like the foolish virgins: (Mat.25:11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. (12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. They didn't have enough “oil.” The Bible says there is coming a time when the lukewarm are going to be spewed out (Revelation 3:16). You see, there has to come a point where God draws the line, and then those who have not born any fruit will never bear fruit. Even though the five foolish virgins sought to enter in, they sought to do so too late to do what they should have been doing all along. They should have been seeking more oil for their lamps. They were invited to partake of the wedding feast, which, spiritually, is partaking of the body and the blood of Christ. Jesus said, (Joh.6:54) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The carnal Christians among the called are not doing this because they are not part of the elect. We need to be seeking God for all of His grace now. How do we prove, how do we show forth, who it is that God foreknew? It's very simple. The people who are disciples of Christ are listening to Him. Are you following Him? Are you seeking His will or are you just seeking this life? You can't have both. You have to give up your life. “The election obtained it, and the rest were hardened.” And Paul said, “Even so then at this present time.” Yes, even at this time, the election will obtain it, and the rest will be hardened. There's a great falling away coming, and the lukewarm are going to be spewed out. What is the “falling away”? It's the hardening of people's hearts. (Rom.11:8) According as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day. (9) And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: (10) Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always. God does harden hearts, and in this case, He was hardening the hearts of the people who would not bear fruit. They were calling Him “Lord, Lord,” but they were not doing the will of God. (Rom.9:17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power (God raised up Pharaoh to show His power to save His people.), and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. (18) So then he hath mercy on whom He will, and whom He will, He hardeneth. (19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? (20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? (21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? God has the right. Some people protest, “That would make God dishonest!” No, God can make anything He wants with His clay. The Bible tells us that God has this right and so He hardened Pharaoh's heart. You know, everything in the Old Testament symbolizes something and Pharaoh symbolizes the “god of this world,” the devil. The title “Pharaoh” means “the great temple of the sun god” and he was the manifestation of god on earth to the Egyptians. Pharaoh ruled all of Egypt and in many types and shadows, Egypt represents the world. God hardened Pharaoh's heart to not let His people go, and the Bible says this in Exodus 4. Not until we get to chapter 8 does it say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Time and time again, I've heard people say, “No, first Pharaoh hardened his own heart.” They say that because they are trying to get God “off the hook,” so to speak. They want to bring God down to man's level. God is not a man. He can do anything He wants to do. In Exodus, we see God hardening the heart of Pharaoh and the hearts of Pharaoh's people. Do you know who the Egyptians, the people of Pharaoh, symbolize? The Egyptian represents your flesh. (1Co.10:1) For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. In the Red Sea, the Egyptian died, the old man died. When we get baptized, the old man is put to death, and the new man comes up out of the water by faith. The devil represents the god of the flesh. Some people think that God wants to get rid of the devil. No, God doesn't want to get rid of the devil; God wants to harden his heart. God hardened his heart to not let His people go to show that only by His power is anyone saved and delivered. (Exo.4:21) And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. (22) And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, my first-born: (23) and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born. The firstborn of the devil is the flesh, and the firstborn of God is Israel. (7:1) And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh.... Do you know that we've been given authority over all the power of the enemy (Matthew 28:18-19)? Do you know that we are as God to the devil? What we bind and loose is going to be bound and loosed (Matthew 18:18), but we are too often guilty of disagreeing with God and losing the devil to do his works, instead. We are supposed to be commanding the devil to set God's people free. (Exo.7:1) And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. (2) Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. (3) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart (there it is again), and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. God hardened Pharaoh. God didn't make it easy for His people to be set free because then anyone could have done it. God wanted to prove the strength of His salvation, so He hardened Pharaoh's heart, and it's the same with the devil and the flesh. (2Co.4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. He's saying that God put us in bondage to this old man; God put us in bondage to this Egyptian. And God did that so His great power would be proven to set them free from the flesh and the devil. I know that sometimes we see this as an impossible deliverance, and the preachers tell us its impossible, but God made it look that way on purpose. God made the devil mean and hard, and He did it so that His power would have to be manifested to deliver us. This is His plan. We see the types and shadows being fulfilled here. (Exo.7:4) But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. (13) And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken. God spoke it before Pharaoh's heart was hardened. (8:15) But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken. Now it says, “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” Well, Pharaoh did harden his heart because the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. Notice it says, “as the Lord had spoken.” It's very clear; you can see what we call the “free” will of man, and behind that you can see the truth, which is that God uses the “free” will of man. If man had a “free” will he could set himself free. In this case, God hardened Pharaoh's heart so he wouldn't set them free, and He didn't stop there. (Exo.10:1) And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them, (2) and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought upon Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am the Lord. (14:4) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them (He's talking about the children of Israel.); and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host: and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. (5) And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people (They had just driven the people of Israel out of their land because of the misery that had come upon them and then, all of a sudden, God changed Pharaoh's mind again.), and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? This is a very unlikely place for a person to change their mind. We read this and we think, “These are pretty schizophrenic people.” (17) And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. (18) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Your flesh doesn't want to let you go, saints, but it makes the miracle just that much greater when you get set free and it proves that God is doing it because to you, the flesh looks like a giant in the Promised Land (Numbers 13:28,33; Deuteronomy 1:28; 9:2). To you, the flesh looks like someone you can't conquer and God meant for it to look that way. So the devil is not going to let you go and the flesh isn't going to let you go, but God is going to make them let you go. They don't have a choice. When you are too chummy with the ways of the world and the thinking of the world, God will give you some enemies. (Psa.105:25) He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtly with his servants. God sent Moses and Aaron to manifest His signs among His people, but don't forget that God brought the children of Israel down into Egypt in the time of Joseph in the first place. (Gen.50:20) And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Whatever trial you may be going through, folks, you are not there by accident. No, we were put here, and not only were we put here by God, but God is again turning the world to hate His people. In the next few years, we are going to see more of this than we have ever seen. God is going to turn the world to hate His people because His people are so worldly, and this is what's going to separate God's people from the world. God caused the Egyptians to hate His people and drive them into the wilderness, and the wilderness is where they came to really know God because He was their Savior out there, which is what's going to happen again in our day. (Psa.106:10) And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them (First, God is going to cause them to hate you, and then He is going to save you from them.), And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. This is God's plan. This proves God's salvation. This proves God's power. God turned the Egyptians to hate His people because He wanted His people out of Egypt. God wants us out of Egypt, so what's going to happen? The world is going to hate you, and they are going to chase you into the wilderness. That's how God is going to do it, but God is faithful, and He's going to deliver you from your enemies. This is one way God uses hardening; He uses it for the sake of the maturity of His people. Let me show you an instance where God hardens the hearts of His people. Read this riddle and see if you know who God is talking about here: (Isa.63:16) For thou art our Father, though Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us (Who can that be? These are Gentiles. Israel didn't acknowledge the Gentiles and Abraham didn't know them either.): thou, O Lord, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name. (17) O Lord, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? This is talking about the elect among the Gentiles. As we read earlier, (Rom.11:7) What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. The elect entered into God and the rest were hardened. The people who will not bear fruit are the people who are not faithful; they're not running after the Lord. They're serving themselves instead of being obedient and their hearts will be hardened. (Rev.3:16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. There is constantly a spewing out of the lukewarm and this happens by reprobation. Those who are called but do not bear fruit will have their hearts hardened because they don't love God. All of the called have the ability to seek God because they have a born-again spirit. The elect are the ones who take responsibility and seek God. (Php.2:12) … Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The called who don't seek God will have their hearts hardened, and they will fall away. The same thing happened to Old Testament natural Israel. If the called don't humble themselves to God when He speaks, He will turn them over to corruption. He will harden their hearts, and He will put them in bondage to their flesh, so that they are clearly identified to decent people. This example will cause others to say “yes” to God and be obedient. The Israelites went through this; they rebelled against God and He hardened their hearts. And they went through much tribulation until some repented and God gave them an opportunity to obey. God can put people in such bondage that the next time they're free, they have the fear of God. (Isa.63:17) O Lord, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. (18) Thy holy people possessed [it] but a little while (The Jews possessed it for only a little while.): our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. (19) We are become as they over whom thou never barest rule, as they that were not called by thy name. Here is a type for some Gentiles who became as if they had never been born-again, as if they had never been called by the name of the Lord. You see, God gives grace to all of the called, but only some take advantage of this grace to be overcomers. Let me show you another verse in this hardening process because, not only will God harden those who will not bear fruit and refuse to walk in the grace that He has given them, but He will harden us sometimes, if we rebel. And then He will bring us into a place of bondage where we just can't get free. Jesus told us in (Mat.5:25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. (26) Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing. That jail is not a physical jail; this is talking about a spiritual jail. Jesus said, (18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. If you don't forgive your brother from the heart, God will turn you over to the tormentors. People go into places where they are in bondage because of rebellion, but when they come out, they have more fear of God, and they are quicker to repent. You see, the ministry of hardening of hearts was designed by God for our benefit. Another place we find this is in the Book of Lamentations, which is written as though Jeremiah was writing about himself, but he was really writing about Israel. God sent His people into bondage back around 586 BC, when the King of Babylon was destroying Jerusalem and conquering the Jewish people. (Lam.3:1) I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. (2) He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light. (3) Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day. (4) My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. (5) He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. (6) He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. (7) He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy. Israel was in rebellion, and so God sent them into bondage. There's no place where you appreciate freedom more than when you are in bondage. That's when you realize how much you took for granted the freedom that you had in God. (8) Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer. (9) He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked. If you rebel against God and you don't listen to Him, He will make your paths crooked so you will appreciate and pray for His grace. He will make your paths crooked so you will appreciate and pray for the fear of God. I'm not saying everyone will do this but many who are called won't turn because they are not elect. (Lam.3:10) He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places. (11) He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. In 1Co. 5 Paul turned a man in sin over to satan for the destruction of his flesh so he would repent and be saved. You know, this reminds me of what Solomon said in (Ecc.7:13) Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? Only God can straighten out what God has made crooked. If you have relatives or loved ones or other people for whom you are praying who are “crooked,” there's no one who can straighten them out but God. You can try, try, try, but you'll fail, fail, fail every time, unless you first put all your trust in God because He wants you to know He is the only one who has the power to deliver us from our crooked ways. We go to God for His grace and we ask Him to make that straight which is crooked in our lives. We should continually be asking God to do this. (Psa.33:12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (13) The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men; (14) From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth, (15) He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works. It's God who fashions the hearts of all people. (Ecc.3:11) He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Yes, everything is beautiful in its time. Everything that God has made has a good purpose and that includes the evil. Now, let me ask you a question here. If God predestined some to life from the beginning of creation, what is He doing with everybody else? Remember we read, (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Of course God does! (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering (God has endured suffering in order to show His power.) vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction (Or, in other words, “made to be destroyed,” and here's the reason.): (23) that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory. I don't know about you, but when I look out at the lost multitudes in the world, it makes me appreciate grace and mercy. How can you know grace and mercy, except you look out over the world and see all of the people who don't have grace and mercy? That should make you feel blessed: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” The multitudes, the masses who are going down the broad road (Matthew 7:13), should make you appreciate the grace and the mercy of God, who said (Rom.9:15) … I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Well, God had mercy upon us, and we can appreciate His compassion when we look at the lost multitudes. God made Jesus in (1Pe.2:8) … A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. The Scripture says these people were “appointed,” or “designated,” or “preordained,” to stumble at the Word and be disobedient. (9) But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. You were chosen to be obedient to the Word. You were chosen not to stumble at the Rock of Christ. (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed (They were born to be destroyed.), railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed. Their lives are a warning to us. These are vessels who have been raised up to put us on our cross and also to show us God's mercy and grace. You ask, “How so, David?” When you tell them about Christ, and they totally can't understand, they show that what God has done for us is mercy and grace. God gave you a revelation and opened your understanding. Why would God do this for you and not for them? He did it for you only because of election.

"Every human being that's ever walked this Earth has a God-created capacity to recognize what's right and wrong." So stated Bible teacher Dr. John Whitcomb in this classic message, as he instructed us regarding the importance of the conscience. And that is our topic beginning on this edition of "Encounter God's Truth." It is the first half of a two-part message called, "Steering Clear of Shipwreck." We survey a number of Bible passages from both the Old and New Testaments, and Dr. Whitcomb's teaching exhorts us to examine ourselves and our own faithfulness to the Lord God in the spirit of the apostles. They asked Jesus—when He announced that one of them would betray Him—"Lord, is it I?" As Dr. Whitcomb shared, this is not an easy message, but one that can help us to stay focused on the path of service and blessing. In the words of host Wayne Shepherd, Whitcomb Ministries presents this Bible-teaching broadcast to increase your confidence in the certainty that God's Word is true from the beginning to the end. Thanks for listening!

Our Election in Christ (4) (audio) David Eells, 1/28/26 We've covered our election in Christ previously pretty well. Today, I'm going to cover more about being predestined in Christ and its connection to Election. (Eph.1:4) Even as he chose (The Greek word here again is eklectos, “elect.”) us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained (or “predestined”) us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Those who are elect are predestined to come into the adoption of sons, which is the same thing we just read. (Rom.8:16) The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: (17) and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified with [him]. Notice that those who suffer the death of their self-life, will manifest their election. What does Paul mean when he says, “Having foreordained us unto adoption as sons”? The answer is found a few verses further down. (Rom.8:23) And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for [our] adoption, [to wit,] the redemption of our body. Those who receive the first-fruits of the Spirit are on their way to the adoption of sons, which is when you receive your redeemed body. Notice that a child must receive the Holy Spirit to manifest sonship.  (25) But if we hope for that which we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for it. The manifestation of our sonship begins when we receive our born-again spirit and then are obedient to receive the Holy Spirit, which enables us to “walk as He walked”. Peter said that your soul is born again through your obedience to the truth. (1Pe.1:22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: (23) having been begotten again (or “born again”), not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. The soul is where we manifest the fruit of Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold. Those who have a born-again soul will be given a redeemed body. A born-again soul is the “fruit” that the Bible talks about. It's the fruit of Christ in you. It's the nature of Christ. Your soul is your mind, will and emotions; in other words, it is your nature and your character. While we are still in this body, we can manifest our sonship in spirit and in soul. Full adoption comes when we receive our redeemed body. The elect were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 13:8; 17:8) and they will manifest Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold, according to what Jesus said (Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20). They will manifest Christ-likeness. I want to talk about what it is to be “foreknown” and who it is whom Christ knows, because there are Christians, using the term loosely, whom Christ doesn't know, and there are Christians whom He does know. You say, “David, that sounds crazy!” No, from out of all the called among the Christians, there are those whom Christ knows and those whom He doesn't know. I'm going to prove this to you. (2Ti.2:19) Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his (From the foundation of the world, they've been His because from the foundation of the world He has foreknown them.): and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. This is what proves who are God's people. The people who depart from willful sin are the ones who are His. If you depart from unrighteousness, you will be manifestly His. (20) Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor. (21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified.... Who is sanctified? The elect, who are the ones whom God foreknew, will be sanctified. We read this earlier in Peter. (1Pe.1:1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (2) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. The Lord knows right now those who are His. (2Ti.2:21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master's use, prepared unto every good work. (22) But flee youthful lusts and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. The Lord knows right now those who are sanctified. Is every Christian His? Well, does God know every Christian? We've seen that those whom He foreknew, He's going to know at the end, but does He know every Christian among the called now? What is it that makes God know you? (1Co.8:3) But if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. God knows those who love Him. Notice, (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. That's not everybody. (29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. The ones whom God foreknew are the ones who love Him. What distinguishes between the Christian who loves God and the Christian who doesn't love God? Jesus said, (Joh.14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. These people are Christians because they have a born-again spirit. All of the called have a born-again spirit, but not all of the called will bear fruit. The called who will bear fruit and be manifested as the elect are the ones who love God. They are going to obey God. They are going to give up their life to have His. They are going to pay the price and the Lord says He knows them. (Jer.1:5) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. God knew us by faith before He even formed us in the womb. Amen! Another example, which is one that's constantly misused by the “once saved, always saved” crowd, is this verse: (Joh.10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (That's not everybody out there who ever professed the name of Christ. It's only those who professed the name of Christ and departed from unrighteousness.): (28) and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. That's true; they will never perish. They will receive eternal life. Nobody will ever pluck them out of the Father's hand because they love God and so they will obey God. I didn't say they all overcome immediately, but they do obey God and they overcome. Notice, Jesus says, “I know them.” Doesn't He know everybody? Of course, God knows everybody in this world. God knows their names, and He knows everything about them, but that's not the kind of “know” He's talking about here. This word “know” is the Greek ginosko and it means the kind of personal relationship Adam had with Eve, in that Adam sowed his seed in her and she brought forth fruit. That's the kind of “know” that the Scriptures are talking about. Let me further prove to you that not every Christian, as we use the term loosely, is known by God or has ever been known by God. Jesus said, (Joh.15:2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away (This is speaking of the Father taking it away.): and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. And now look at this verse: (Mat.7:19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Jesus said, “Every branch in me,” so He's talking about people who are Christians, although we use the term “Christian” very loosely nowadays. (20) Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (These people are calling Him “Lord.” Who else but Christians would have the nerve to do that?); but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say (What “many” is this? This is the “many” who are calling Him “Lord, Lord.”) to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? These are Christians who are doing the “many mighty works,” unless you believe that today Satan casts out Satan, but Jesus tells us Satan doesn't cast out Satan: (Mat.12:25) And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: (26) and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? So these people were casting out Satan and they were doing mighty works by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet in their own lives, they were not being obedient to the will of the Father. (Mat.7:23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. What does He mean by “I never knew you”? He means, “I didn't know you from the beginning. I never knew you from before the foundation of the world and you were not written in the Book.” Yes, they were Christians, but they were not found written in the Book at the end because they were not foreknown. They were physically written in the Book when they were born again, but they were erased out of the Book before the end. In the beginning, the ones whom God foreknew were written in the Book by His faith. They are going to overcome. They are going to bear fruit, and they are still going to be there at the end. Others are going to be written in who will not overcome. They will not bear fruit and they will be erased, so even though they were called, they will not be chosen. (Rev 3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Mat.7:24) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: (25) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. (26) And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: (27) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. Notice, Jesus is only talking about two groups of Christians here. He's talking about those who “heareth these words of mine, and doeth them,” and He's talking about those who “heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not.” These can only loosely be Christians. He's not talking about the lost world. Jesus is talking about Christians who, in their own life, are not being obedient to God. They are not loving God, which is not being obedient, therefore He says, “I never knew you.” His seed was not in them. Let me show you more proof of this in the parable of the 10 virgins: (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. (2) And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Obviously, they had to be Christians or they would not have started out with the “oil” of the Holy Spirit in their lamps. (Pro.20:27) The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all his innermost parts. The oil the virgins had in their lamps symbolized the Holy Spirit, which gave them light. (Mat.25:3) For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: (4) but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Obviously some are filled with the Spirit) (5) Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. (6) But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. (7) Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. (9) But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. (10) And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. The five foolish virgins should have been “buying” the oil of the Holy Spirit all along. How do you “buy” the oil of the Holy Spirit? You “buy” it when you give up your life to gain your higher life (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; John 12:25). You do have to buy it. You can be filled with you or you can be filled with Him. We do have to give something for His life. Jesus said we have to give up our life, and they were not doing this. (Mat.25:11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. (12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (13) Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. The 10 virgins were all Christians, but the five foolish virgins were not filled with the Spirit of God and they were not being disciples of Christ in their own lives. Jesus said to them, “I know you not.” This is the second witness. Can you have been born again? Yes, you can be born again in spirit. Some people like to think that they are just a shoo-in for the Kingdom because they are born again in spirit and even have the Holy Spirit. However, remember what the Bible says about the children of God: (Rom.8:17) … If so be that we suffer with [him,] that we may be also glorified with [him]. Only the ones who suffer with Him will be the glorified sons of God. We have to suffer the crucifixion of the old life; that's why we were put here. These are the ones who are going to be glorified. (29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: (30) and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. These are the ones who were foreknown to be conformed to the image of His Son and be glorified. Jesus said in (Luk.13:24) Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. The five foolish virgins wanted to go through the door, too, but found that it was shut to them. (25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door (indicating we have a limited time to bear fruit), and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; (26) then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; (27) and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Again, He's talking to disobedient Christians here. The people in this verse are just like the foolish virgins who didn't bear any fruit to be able to enter through the door. Jesus will say of them, “I know you not whence ye are.” The Amplified Bible says, “I know not of what family, or of what parentage, you are from.” You see, it's only by bearing fruit that we can prove God is our Father. Maturity is coming to know God the way He knows us. (1Co.13:9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; (10) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. Paul is talking about maturity, about growing up and bearing fruit in God, and he's using a little parable here to show us how to do that. (12) For now we see in a mirror, darkly (Some versions have “dimly,” or “indistinctly,” or “obscurely.”); but then face to face (The more you grow in God, the more you truly know Him clearly.): now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. God fully knew the elect; He fully knew those who would come to maturity. God is speaking about one specific group of people here: He's speaking about those who come to see Him face-to-face. Paul says that these people will come to fully know God in the same way God knew them. (13) But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. God knows those who love Him. We are coming to know Him because He first knew us. Those who love God will seek the truth; they will humble themselves to the truth, and they will be obedient by His grace through their faith. An example can be found in the life of Moses: (Exo.33:12) And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name (What is this talking about? Of course, God knows everyone's name.), and thou hast also found favor (The Hebrew word there is chen and it means “grace.”) in my sight. (13) Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. (14) And he said, My presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest. Moses is saying, “You know me by name, and You say that I have Your grace, so now let me know You.” That's the same situation with God and His elect. He has always known them by name since the foundation of the world and they have His grace. Now they are coming to know the one who has always known them. They are coming to know Him fully, even as they also were fully known. (Exo.33:17) And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name. There it is again. Knowing us by name means knowing us by His nature and character in us. (18) And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. We've seen that the ones who were foreknown before the foundation of the world are those who will be glorified (Romans 8:29,30). (19) And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee (God knew Moses by name and now Moses is going to know God by name. The Hebrew word for “name” is shem and it means “nature and character.”); and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. God is talking about predestination and election here and we recognize this from Romans, where God talks about Jacob and Esau: (Rom.9:10) And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac-- (11) for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Before they had done anything, Jacob belonged to God; Jacob was God's before he was born. That makes it obvious that “God so loved the world” means He's only loving worldly Jacob, or Israel, because these are the people who have been given the gift of faith to come to Him and believe on Him. So God had mercy on Jacob, but He gave justice to Esau. (Psa.33:12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (13) The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men; (14) From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth, (15) He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works. It's God who fashions the hearts of all people. (Ecc.3:11) He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Man cannot find the way of God unless He draws them. Yes, everything is beautiful in its time. Everything that God has made has a good purpose and that includes the evil. Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things. The evil gives man a choice and also a crucifier of his flesh. Now, let me ask you a question here. If God predestined some to life from the beginning of creation, what is He doing with everybody else? Remember we read, (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Of course, God does this, but why? (22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering (God has done this. In order to show His power, He has endured suffering from.) vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction (Or, in other words, “made to be destroyed,” and here's the reason.): (23) that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory. I don't know about you, but when I look out at the lost multitudes in the world, it makes me appreciate grace and mercy given to the few. How can you know grace and mercy, except you look out over the world and see all of the people who don't have grace and mercy? That should make you feel blessed: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” The multitudes, the masses who are going down the broad road (Matthew 7:13), should make you appreciate the grace and the mercy of God, who said, (Rom.9:15) … I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Well, God had mercy upon us and we can appreciate His compassion when we look at the lost multitudes. God actually does do this. (1Pe.2:8) … A stone of stumbling (This is speaking of Christ.), and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. The Scripture says these people were “appointed,” or “designated,” or “preordained,” to stumble at the Word and be disobedient. (9) But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You were chosen to be obedient to the Word. You were chosen not to stumble at the Rock of Christ. (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed (They were born animals to be destroyed.), railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed. These are vessels who have been raised up to put us on our cross and also to show us God's mercy and grace. You ask, “How so, David?” When you go out there and tell them about Christ and they totally can't and wont understand, they show that what God has done for us is mercy and grace. God gave you a revelation and opened your understanding. Why would God do this for you and not for them? He did it for you only because of predestination and election. There are some objections to election and predestination even though it is clearly in the Word. The one I hear the most from people is that God loves the world but we see that it is a people in the world who believe. (Joh.3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. Of course, when people read this verse, they think it means that God loves the whole world. As we've seen from the Scriptures, the Bible doesn't teach that God loves the whole world and even in this verse it doesn't say that because there is a condition given for God's love. That is, “whosoever believeth on him” and that limits God's love to a very few. The majority are not going to believe on the Son, since the only way to have any hope of believing on the Son is to receive the gift of faith from God. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory. You see, faith is a gift from God; believing on the Son is a gift from God. The people in the world who do believe on the Son are the ones to whom God has given the gift to be drawn to the Son and have eternal life. (Joh.15:19) If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. God did not choose the world; He chose us out of the world. In effect, that means God chose not to choose the rest of the world. And so when we read verses like John 3:16, we have the level of revelation that God permits because of our lack of understanding. I feel as if the Lord showed me that when we are carnal, it's easier for us to understand this as if God does love the whole world, and therefore not attribute foolishness to God. But as we grow in knowledge, the more we see the plan and wisdom of God, and the more we fear God. Jesus didn't claim everybody in the world and here's another good example of that: (Joh.10:16) And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring (So they haven't come to Him yet.), and they shall hear (They haven't even heard of Him yet.) my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. He's talking about a multitude of people that includes us. We are included in this group. So at the time Jesus made this statement, some people didn't know Him, they hadn't heard of Him, and they hadn't even been born yet, but they have been His. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world; therefore, our election has nothing to do with time. (Eph.1:4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained (or predestined) us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. We have belonged to Christ since the time God set His plan into action at the beginning. We were chosen in Him as our Savior at the very beginning. “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold” and they are going to become one flock with one Shepherd. So when He says, “having loved his own,” He's only talking about those who come from God, those who belong to God. He's only talking about the wheat and the sheep. (Joh.15:19) If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. God did not choose the world; He chose us out of the world. In effect, that means God chose not to choose the rest of the world. The Bible says God hates all workers of iniquity: (Psa.5:5) The arrogant shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Jesus told us, (Joh.14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. So, again, we see the love of the Father is shown only to those who love Jesus. Another verse, where the wisdom of God is speaking, says the same thing: (Pro.8:17) I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. The Bible says three times in the New Testament that Jesus is the wisdom of God (Luke 11:49; 1 Corinthians 1:24,30). There is a condition to the manifestation of God's love. I say “manifestation” because God loved us before we were. God loved Jacob before he was born. God loved him even before he had done anything because it's not by works, it's by election. (Rom.5:8) But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God wanted to show us His love in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God, who sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 41:4), loved us for what He knew He was going to create in us from before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:28-30). God loved the end creation that He saw by faith. His love is manifested for those who walk according to His commandments because they love Christ “God commended His own love toward us....” Who is He talking to here? (Rom.1:7) To all that are in Rome (You might think that he's addressing everybody in Rome, but he goes on to qualify this.), beloved of God, called [to be] saints.... That's very, very conditional. He's talking to those who are beloved of God and called “saints.” (Rom.1:7) To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you (The only people who receive grace are the people who are beloved of God, called “saints.”) and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God didn't give grace to anyone else. The Lord promised salvation to those who were in Christ from the foundation of the world because Christ died for us. People always say, “Well, Christ died for the world.” No, the Bible says that Christ died “for whosoever will” (Mark 8:34; Revelation 22:17). God is the one who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5,11; Philippians 2:13), and “whosoever will” is only those who have the gift from Father of being drawn to Christ. (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. They're the ones who have the will. So, it is to “whosoever will” but, specifically, Christ died for us and for everyone in the world who is the called of God. They're the ones who are invited to partake of Christ. (Joh.14:22) Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Why would He want to manifest Himself to these and not to the world? It's because He's very particular; He's revealing Himself only to God's chosen. (23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. And in the next chapter it says in (15:10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. So the manifestation of God's love is for those who are obedient and who walk in Christ. And the manifestation of God's love by faith is for those who have not yet come to Christ, but will come to Him because Jesus said, (Joh.6:37) All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. God loves them, not for what they are now, but for what they will be when they do come to Christ and walk in obedience to Him. Now I want you to look at this next verse again because people like to claim it for just anybody who says they're a Christian. (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. But people don't go on to consider the next verse. (29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. The promise is to work “all things together for good,” and is made to those who love God and we know who loves God because Jesus told us those who keep His commandments are those who love Him. Those who walk by faith are empowered to obey. I'm not saying that they don't ever fail; I'm saying they are able to walk into obedience, getting closer and closer to God, because they walk by faith. We know that power comes from God because of faith (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Peter 1:5). So Romans 8:28 is talking about those “whom he foreknew.” They are the ones He predestined to come into the image of His Son, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. Everything is going to work together for their good; even chastening and the curse work together for the good of those who are called of God to come into the image of His Son. In the prophecy given to Joseph, the husband of Mary, it said, (Mat.1:21) And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. The only ones who are saved from their sins are the ones who are already His people. Only sinners can be saved. They are His people by election, not by manifestation.

The sermon centers on the profound moment when Jesus wept at Lazarus's tomb, revealing not only His deep emotional connection to human suffering but also His sorrow over the spiritual blindness and unbelief that permeate humanity. Through the lens of John 11:35, it emphasizes that Jesus' tears were not merely for Lazarus but for the broader tragedy of people who hear God's voice yet fail to believe, trapped in despair, religious routine, or self-reliance. The message underscores that God's timing is perfect, His power is sufficient, and His call to life is always available—even when circumstances seem hopeless. It calls listeners to respond in faith, to reject the voices of despair and unbelief, and to embrace the transformative power of Christ's resurrection life, which is both present and eternal. Ultimately, the sermon invites a personal, heartfelt response: to admit spiritual death, believe in Christ's sacrifice, and declare Him Lord, trusting that God will unwrap and set free those who hear His voice.

Do You Believe Jesus Is Lord?Salvation begins with confession and belief—that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. We love Him because He first loved us, and that love calls us into a life fully surrendered to His will.This message explores Lordship in every area of life: • Lordship in our allegiance — forsaking all to follow Him • Lordship in our identity — becoming a new creation in Christ • Lordship in our “yes” — hearing His Word and obeying itThrough Scripture, we are reminded that God is faithful to complete what He began in us. As our minds are renewed and the old life is put away, we are called to live transformed lives—no longer led by the flesh, but by the will of God.Jesus teaches that a life built on obedience is a house founded on the rock. When we trust the Lord with all our hearts, abide in Him, and walk in obedience, our lives bear lasting fruit and overflow with His joy.The question remains: Do we call Him Lord—and live like He is?

Do You Believe Jesus Is Lord?Salvation begins with confession and belief—that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. We love Him because He first loved us, and that love calls us into a life fully surrendered to His will.This message explores Lordship in every area of life: • Lordship in our allegiance — forsaking all to follow Him • Lordship in our identity — becoming a new creation in Christ • Lordship in our “yes” — hearing His Word and obeying itThrough Scripture, we are reminded that God is faithful to complete what He began in us. As our minds are renewed and the old life is put away, we are called to live transformed lives—no longer led by the flesh, but by the will of God.Jesus teaches that a life built on obedience is a house founded on the rock. When we trust the Lord with all our hearts, abide in Him, and walk in obedience, our lives bear lasting fruit and overflow with His joy.The question remains: Do we call Him Lord—and live like He is?

Sunday, December 28, 2025Immanuel: God's Presence in usImmanuel, God with us. Jesus' birth, His life, His death and His resurrection changed everything for humanity. But there was something more in store. Jesus promised something greater for those that choose to place their faith in Him. For those that choose to make Him Lord and Savior of their life. Jesus first made this promise to his closest followers. They could not understand how there could be something greater than the physical presence of Jesus with them. But He assured them and us today that something greater was on the way and is now here not just with us, but can be in us. Please join us this week to find out more about this incredible gift from God.

Send us a textA voice of gratitude opens the door to a fierce and tender conversation about sovereignty, reverence, and the hope that steadies a trembling world. We take the dance-of-free-will metaphor seriously—seeing our choices not as rivals to God's will but as responses to the music He sets. Then we step into Job 9, where mountains move, stars are sealed, and the sun itself halts at the command of the Lord. That cosmic canvas reframes everything: salvation as God's eternal design, awe as the proper posture of the heart, and urgency as the honest response to a grace we could never earn.Together, we challenge the drift toward casual faith. After the resurrection, believers called Him Lord for a reason—and our language today still reveals our posture. Reverence isn't stiffness; it's clarity, confession, and joy in the truth. We talk about why titles matter, how worship shapes behavior, and what it looks like to correct each other with patience and Scripture. Along the way, voices from the panel speak to desire transformed by grace, compassion for those who mock, and the courage to hold firm without becoming harsh. The message is firm but warm: fear of God deepens love for people.Job's words—God passes by and we do not perceive Him—become both warning and comfort. Nothing is hidden from His sight, and no step is taken outside His presence. That reality doesn't crush us; it anchors us. We finish with the name that stills our restlessness: I AM. Whatever the trial, He is sufficient. If you're hungry for a faith that trembles and trusts, worships and obeys, this study will meet you where you are and call you higher.If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review so more listeners can find the study. Your words help others step into awe.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Ultimate Reconciliation of All (1) (audio) David Eells – 12/10/25 I have found that the truth always motivates people to holiness, to turn loose of the world and run after God; but a lie always makes people comfortable where they are, and there are a lot of lies out there. People who like to make up their own gospel turn the grace of God into lasciviousness by choosing to believe that once saved is always saved. That means there's no use in taking any warning from the Lord seriously, since that false doctrine negates the possibility of being lost. These people are not motivated because they erroneously believe their “ticket's been punched.” Today, I'm going to speak to you about a doctrine that's in the church denominations called “ultimate reconciliation of all.” Many Unconditional Eternal Security people find this easy to fall into since in effect you cant be lost. Ultimate Reconciliationists believe there will come a time when the wicked, including the devil and his angels, in some cases, will come out of torment and be reconciled to God. This doctrine did not come from Christians but Unitarians and Universalists who brought it from England to the New England colonies in the 18th century. The fruit of this doctrine is the same as that of unconditional eternal security. If no one can ultimately be lost, why fear God or the warnings of Scripture? It destroys motivation to study and obey the Word of God or evangelize the lost and dying. Like the unconditional eternal security people, many of these will take the mark of the beast and are taking the spiritual mark now. What else would the devil have you believe? I have ministered in several churches that believed this. Generally, the people are very prideful and judgmental of those who do not have their “deep revelation”. They are forced to pick and choose verses in order to justify this doctrine, and it makes them disrespect the Word. I have debated many with this doctrine over the years, some on our live internet chat Bible study a few years ago. When they can't back it up with scriptures, they generally resort to insults. We who believe the Word just don't have “the revelation”. Reconciliationists say the Greek words for forever and ever mean “unto the age of the ages”, meaning when used of those in eternal punishment, it is only for a period of time after which everyone comes out of the lake of fire. They lie. “Unto the age of the ages” is only in one place. (Eph.3:21) unto him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever (unto the age of the ages) Amen. Here it says, “unto all generations unto the age of the ages”, which is only as long as men have children, clearly making it a period of time. In the four Greek manuscripts I have, which range from the oldest to the Received Text, the second-to-last Greek letter of “age” in this verse is an omicron, the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet, which makes this word singular, “Age”. In every other place, the second-to-last letter in the word “ages” is an alpha, the 1st letter of their alphabet, making this word plural, “Ages”. In every other case where “forever and ever” is the translation, “unto the ages of ages” is the literal wording, which has no end. The manuscripts and Bible Numerics prove this to be the case. (Rev.14:11) and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever (unto the ages of ages); and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name. There is no end to the fiery punishment. Many will receive the mark because of this false doctrine. That means that God would die if it were only a period of time. Notice in (Rev.15:7) And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. So if they are correct, using the same words, when these people come out of hell, God dies. If it were only a period of time in the following verses, the devil, beast, and false prophet would come out of the lake of fire at the end of that time. (Rev.20:10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Even though many Reconciliationists say they do not believe the devil will be saved, according to this doctrine, he has to be. If there is an end to his torment, God will die for the same phrase is used for the longevity of each. They say that “forever,” Greek: “aionios”, meaning “unto the ages”, is for a period of time, but the Kingdom will cease if that is true. We are told forever is without end. (Luk.1:33) and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Vines says this is a Greek Idiom; i.e., an expression whose meaning cannot be derived from the elements of the word. Idioms can always be explained by their usage in the text. If one said, “After he kicked the bucket, I went to the funeral”, you know that “kicked the bucket” means death. It is so with the Greek word for “for ever” or “eternal”. Forever is clearly set apart from a period of time in this verse: (Phm.15) For perhaps he was therefore parted [from thee] for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever. Clearly “for ever” is far more than a period of time. They also say eternal, which is the same Greek word, “aionios”, meaning “unto the ages”, and has no end. (Joh.10:28) and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. Clearly the elect only are eternal and eternal is clearly set apart from a period of time in this verse: (2 Cor.4:18) while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal (temporary or for a season); but the things which are not seen are eternal. If eternal is only a period of time, then at the end of that period, the wicked come out of hell and God and the righteous die. (Mat.25:46) And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. If “eternal” is only a period of time, then, according to this doctrine, God, the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God, the new body, etc., would come to an end; but God is also immortal, i.e., deathless (1 Timothy 6:16); the Holy Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14); the Kingdom is eternal (2 Peter 1:11); and the new body, which is also immortal, i.e., deathless, is eternal (1 Cor­inthians 15:52,53; 2 Corinthians 5:1). Here is the clincher: Those who do not have eternal life will “not see life”. (Joh.3:36) He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life (Greek: aionios; “unto the ages”); but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. We can't twist those words. “Not see life” clearly means never. Those who have eternal sin “never” get forgiveness. (Mar.3:29) but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin. Once again, we can't twist those words. Reconciliationists use the following verse to claim that “eternal” has an end. (Rom.16:25) Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, (26) but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God. There is no end of eternity, just as God here is eternal, but there are points in eternity when things are manifested like the revelation of Christ here. From our point of view, eternity goes into the past and into the future. Something may be eternally future without being eternally past. For instance, we have eternal life because we entered into eternity. The spiritual man in Jesus is eternal for he came out of God. His flesh had a beginning for He was sown of God and born of Mary.  And even before that He was “the beginning of the creation of God” and “the first-born of all creation”. This was a point in eternity. When other terminology is used in the Word as we have seen, the Ultimate Reconciliationists are at a loss. (Isa.66:24) And they shall go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. Clearly the wicked souls do not die for they are in eternal fire. (Job.5:6) How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a worm! Which will not come out of fire. (Mar.9:47) ... it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell; (48) where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Notice that using different words they will always be in fire. (Psa.49:19) He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light. Again using other words they will never see the light of truth. They also say, “everlasting” is a period of time, but as we can see, it has no end! (Jer.20:11) But Jehovah is with me as a mighty one [and] a terrible: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly put to shame, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten. Everlasting here is clearly eternal. When I was younger, “Ultimate Reconciliation” was often called the “Restoration of All Things,” taken from the KJV. (Acts 3:21) whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things (Things is not in the original Greek.), whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been. Restoration here is “apokatastasis,” meaning “back in order”. Only God's people can go back to order because the rest never had order. Notice that when the Lord returns after the Tribulation, the “restoration of all” of His elect is completed. At that time, He is not restoring the wicked but destroying them. (Rev.19:15) And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. Even a thousand years later, when all the wicked are resurrected at the Great White Throne judgment, they are taken from hell and thrown in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15). That makes it clear that “all” is all of the elect, not all people, as even the Jews understood. To the Jews, “all” meant all of the elect. It is the same today. All of the elect, but without racial distinction, classes or conditions of people, rather than just physical Jews. All Israel is all elect Jews and Gentiles who are grafted into the olive tree (Romans 11:19-24,26), not those who are broken off. Compare the “all” in Mark 1:5 and Luke 7:29-30, where “all” is clearly the elect. The “all” whom the Father gives to Jesus are the elect in John 17:6,9 and in John 6:37,45. We see the same thing when we look at John 8:2, Acts 22:15, 2 Corinthians 3:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:22. Compare Romans 12:3 and 2 Thessalonians 3:2. Read 1 Timothy 2:6, Colossians 3:11 and Matthew 20:28. Jesus came to save only all of His own (Isaiah 53:8,11; Luke 1:68,77; Romans 9:21). God is not wishing that any of His people perish (2 Peter 3:9). (Rom.9:11) For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Reconciliationists say that God unconditionally loves the whole world and could not fail to save it. They like to use this verse as proof. (Joh.3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. Yet, God clearly specifies what part of the world He loves here as “whosoever believeth”. Jesus disagreed with their interpretation of this verse. (Joh.14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. (22) Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (Joh.15:10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (15:14) Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you. Here's even more proof from the Word: (Rom.9:13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. (Psa.5:5) The arrogant shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. (Psa.11:5) Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. (Pro.6:16-19) There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: (17) Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; (18) A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren. (Pro.8:17) I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. (Hos.9:15) All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters. Friends, we cannot make God's love a worldly love. God would not be love if He permitted the wicked into His Kingdom to leaven the whole lump. God does not dwell in time and can, therefore, love by faith the elect whom He foreknew and foreordained. (Rom.9:11) for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (12) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. (13) Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. (Psa. 11:5) Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. God's people who live in sin will prove themselves called but not chosen, and He will love them no more. (Hos.9:15) All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters. This is not traditional, but I hope I've made it clear. (1 Cor.15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Ultimate reconciliationists use this verse to say that those in Adam, the whole natural man creation, and those in Christ, the whole spiritual man creation, are the same people, so therefore God will save all. However, the next verse narrows those “in Christ” to those who are His at His coming. (23) But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. As most know, when Jesus comes, He will eternally destroy the wicked who were obviously not in Him. (2 Thes.1:7) and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, (8) rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: (9) who shall suffer punishment, [even] eternal destruction from the face of the Lord....   PREDESTINED AND CHOSEN Let us see who the full measure of those in Christ are, and also if God ever planned to reconcile all of Adam's seed. “Predestine” means “to determine destiny before it happens”. “Foreordain”, which is the same Greek word, means “to ordain an event before it takes place”. (Eph.1:4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. You who are manifesting sonship by bearing fruit have been chosen and are being drawn by God. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained (predestined) [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. God foreknew and decreed all who come to the likeness of Jesus, but not the apostate. “Foreknew” here does not mean that He looked into the future and saw what we would be. “Foreknew” here means “to know before” and is not connected with actions or events, but persons. God knew these people before the foundation of the world because He does not dwell in time. God conceives and knows what He creates before He speaks it into existence, just as we conceive and design something first in our mind before we make it. “Knew” speaks of intimate knowledge; for instance, Adam knew Eve. Jesus will say to those who called Him Lord but do not do the will of the Father, (Mat.7:23) “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (I.e.,from the foundation of the world): depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. To the foolish virgins who had not the oil of the Spirit, Jesus said, “I know you not”. The ones that God intimately knew He “foreordained” before the creation to be conformed to the image of Jesus. God is creating us through His gift of faith and grace and His Word in us. These are the people on the narrow road. This is grace. (Rom.8:30) and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We see here that all who are foreordained will be called, justified, and glorified. They will not fall away but will bear the fruit of Christ. Are there others who are called but not foreordained? Let us see. (2 Tim.1:9) who saved us, and called us with a holy calling … Notice that only the saved are called. “Called” is from the Greek word “kaleo”, which means “to invite”. “Called” is an invitation given only to God's people (for more proof, read Hebrews 3:1; Hosea 11:1; 1 Timothy 6:11,12; Matthew 25:14; Romans 1:6,7) to partake of His heavenly benefits in Christ in order to bear fruit. Those who bear fruit 30-, 60-, or 100-fold will be proven to be the chosen, or picked. Naturally, if at harvest time you have no fruit, rotten fruit, or unripe fruit, you will not be picked. The called are the vineyard of God (Isaiah 5:7). The chosen are the much smaller percentage who bear fruit (verse 10). (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen (Greek: eklektos; “elect”). The “called” can fall, but the elect or chosen will not ultimately. (Hos.11:1) When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (2) The more [the prophets] called them, the more they went from them .... The Lord saved those who ate the lamb and were baptized in the Red Sea. He then tried them in the wilderness to see who would be a believer in the midst of trials, and only those entered the Promised Land. Jude warned the called of this very thing. (Jud.1) Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called ... (5) Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. Notice that the called were saved, but some did not continue in faith to bear fruit and were destroyed. Friends, God is not looking for what we loosely call “Christians”, but believers or disciples, as they were called. Jesus gave us very clear examples of His servants who are called but do not come and partake in order to bear fruit. Jesus shared a parable in which a king made a marriage feast for His son. (Mat.22:3) … and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden (Greek: “called”) to the marriage feast: and they would not come. They were full of excuses (a farm, merchandise, a new wife, etc.). (Mat.22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. Even one who appeared to come did not have on a wedding garment, which implies putting on Christ (Romans 13:14) or putting on righteous acts (Revelation 19:8). (Mat.22:13) Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few chosen. A few of the called are chosen or elect because they bear fruit. (Mat.25:14) For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, called his own servants (Greek: “bondservants”), and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey. Obviously, the man who went away was the Lord, and His bondservants are His people. Two of these example servants brought forth fruit of the talent given them (Matthew 25:20-22), but one buried his in the earth (used his talent for the earthly, Matthew 25:24,25). When our Lord returns, He will say, “And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth” (Mat.25:30). The apostle Paul, who said of himself that he was called in Galatians 1:6, also said, “But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (That's the Greek word for “reprobated”) (1 Cor.9:27). There is much more proof that the saved and the called can fall. Some good examples are 2 Peter 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:11,12; Hebrews 3:1,6,12,14, and Romans 11:1-7,19-23. Friend, you probably know if you are called, but are you chosen? You must be diligent in your walk of faith to prove this with fruit. (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election (“choosing”) sure: for if ye do these things (the attributes of Christ listed in verses 5-7), ye shall never stumble: (11) for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God, at the cross, has already given us everything that we need to bear fruit through faith. (3) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; (4) whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Faith in the promises through the midst of trials will give us the fruit. The called have the power and the opportunity. The called and the chosen, or foreordained, use the power by faith and take the opportunity. The only ones who will ultimately be with the Lord are identified in this verse. (Rev.17:14) These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they [also shall overcome] that are with him, called and chosen and faithful. Notice that the called who are chosen will be faithful. I did not make these verses up; they are the Word of God. Those who have eyes and ears will see and understand, but the rest will justify their religion and ignore the Scriptures. Before time and the future, God sovereignly spoke the end from the beginning, bringing these things into existence in time. Some would argue, “How could God make a promise to all of His called and then not keep it for those who do not bear fruit?” The answer is that every promise in the Bible is useless until someone walks by faith in it. Our part of the covenant is faith; God's part is power and salvation. We can break the covenant through unbelief. (Num.14:11) And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? (12) I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they. Notice that God is saying this to His own people who did not believe that He would disinherit them. Lest any believe that God cannot make a promise and then take it back when they do not walk in faith, pay attention to this: (Num.14:23) surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised me see it. (30) surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. (34) and ye shall know my alienation (Hebrew: “revoking of my promise”). Unless we mix faith with God's promises, they are void. (Heb.4:2) For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they (God's people): but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. Many Israelites walked in sin and were disinherited and blotted out of God's book. (Exo.32:33) And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. The same is true of the Christians who do not overcome sin. Notice what the Lord said to the church. (Rev.3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life... They will be rejected from the body of Christ. (Rev.3:16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Many of God's people, Israel, were broken off because of unbelief, and Christians who were grafted in but do not walk by faith will be too. (Rom.11:20) Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: (21) for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. (22) Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Those who are still grafted in at the end are called “all Israel”… (26) and so all Israel shall be saved... Those who are still in the Book of Life, still grafted in, are the elect (Greek: “chosen”). (Rom.11:2) God did not cast off his people, which he foreknew ... (5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (Greek: “chosen”) of grace. A remnant is the ones who are left. Notice that they are foreknown and chosen. Sovereign God will have those who are truly His. Abiding in Christ is where salvation is. Some say God gave us the gift of eternal life so He cannot take it back. In Galatians 3:16, we are told, “To Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ”. So the promises were given to Christ, not to us individually. The only way the promises are ours is if we abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ is bearing fruit (John 15:1-6), walking as he walked (1 John 2:3-6), believing the same teachings given by Jesus and the apostles (1 John 2:24; Jude 3; Matthew 28:20), not adding or subtracting from the Word (Revelation 22:18,19), not walking in sin (1 John 3:5,6), and keeping his commandments (1 John 3:24). In Christ is the only place we can claim the gift of eternal life. (1Jn.5:11) ... God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. God does not have to take His gift back; His people walk out of it. (1 Cor.6:18) ... Every sin that a man doeth is without the body ... When you walk in willful sin, you are not abiding in His body, for in him is no sin (1Jn.3:5). (6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not … For instance, fornication, whether spiritual or physical, takes away the members of Christ and makes them members of a harlot (1 Corinthians 6:15,18). Only Christ and those abiding in Him are chosen. (Eph. 1:4) Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world... Only Christ and those abiding in Him are going to heaven. (Joh.3:13) And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven... Jesus Christ is the Manna from heaven, the Word, Who takes up residence in those who love Him; this is the fruit that God is coming to choose. By this time, I am sure some are thinking that they do not measure up. We must first abide in Christ by faith accepting the gospel report that “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me” (Gal.2:20). Those who walk by faith that they are dead to sin and Christ now lives in them are accounted as righteous until God uses that faith to manifest righteousness in them. (Gal.3:6) Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Amen. Next, I'd like to share with you a couple of testimonies from our website of people who received the revelation of the error in their thinking concerning their own salvation.   Coming Judgment on the Lukewarm Sandy - 01/15/2014 I had a dream that thousands of demons entered my bedroom, then jumped on me while I was in bed, devouring my flesh. I was totally paralyzed. I repeatedly shouted out, “You must flee, in the name of Jesus!” These demons continued to attack me. There was total darkness -- no Jesus. It was HORRIFYING. I felt as though I was in the pits of hell, and this is where my soul is going if I don't change my ways. Then I was whisked away, and I was standing in front of a large cross. From the center of the cross, a bright light was shining. I heard the Lord say to me, “Come to the cross. I did not hear or respond to your cries because you are not abiding in Me. Horrific evil is here, and more is coming, and if you do not abide in Me, you will be devoured. I will not hear nor respond to your cries, if you do not abide in me, and you will not be able to fight off this evil in your own strength”.  Then I was whisked back to my bed, where the demons were devouring me again. I was once again paralyzed. I breathed on them, saying, “Jesus”, and they eventually all fled. I woke up with tears streaming down my face, crying out to the Lord. Now, here is what is so IRONIC: I considered myself to be a born-again, saved Christian! Over the past few years, I've started to walk in the ways of the world, thinking it is okay because ‘I know the Lord loves me; I am a good person and I am saved.' How many other Christians are thinking in the same way? How many other Christians are not truly saved? I turned away from Jesus in my walk. It was a slow and subtle turning away, convincing myself all along the way that I can walk my walk, give the Lord ‘courtesy prayer' and everything will be okay. I WAS SO WRONG.  Thank You, LORD, for Your warning, as horrifying as it was. Thank You, LORD, for giving me another chance to make You Lord of my life.   My Salvation and Deliverance from Satanic Music James Austin - 07/08/2008 When I was a child and up to the age of 15, I had gone to some Baptist and Methodist churches off and on. I had even been what I believed at the time to be saved and baptized. I never really placed importance in my salvation as most Christians at the time. I was scared about hell, so I thought if I got saved, then I would go to heaven and still do whatever I wanted. When I was about 16, I cared only about the world and gave God no attention at all. I was associating with people who weren't Christian and listening to music that wasn't Godly. I began to stop believing that there was a God and didn't care if He even existed. A year and a half ago, I was up late one night and I had nothing to do and I started thinking about life and the world and I felt a sudden loneliness and sadness, and I looked up and said, “God, if You are real and Your Word is true, then help me; I want to know the truth.” I don't think it was even two weeks and God led a brother I work with by the name of Nehemiah to me to inquire about carpooling with me. By this time, I had forgotten about what I had asked God. I was still listening to satanic music and living very worldly. The first week he rode with me to work, I didn't play any music because I began to feel ashamed and did not want people to know which music I listened to. At this time, I didn't know Nehemiah was a Christian. A few weeks later, someone else with whom we were carpooling informed me that Nehemiah was a Christian. Then I really felt low and inadequate to be around him. One day, I was looking at some space nebula and stuff, and I saw what looked like Jesus' face in one of these objects in space. Then I started thinking about God even more. I asked Nehemiah one day about it, and we began talking, and he told me some things the Bible spoke of. Then, after about two weeks of talking and debating with him, he led me to your website, and I started reading and listening to some of your stuff and became very fearful of where I was headed. That morning when I got home from work, I cried to God to forgive me and save me. I confessed to so many evil things I had done and wept, and then felt a peace come over me. I have been reading and listening to your programs and teachings ever since, and I feel the Holy Spirit every time I do. God began to work in me, and I bought your “Sovereign God” book and an ASV Bible. Now I have the New Testament on audio, and I only have the desire to listen to music that glorifies God, and I listen and read the Word of God. I have lost the desire to watch all TV programs because I can now see the sinful nature of TV and how TV glorifies sin. I believe God has saved me and He also healed me from plantar fasciitis (a painful tendon injury) by faith alone. Glory to God! God Bless you, brothers and sisters. I don't listen to evil music, and I feel better inside. God has really changed me. Thank you! I had sent an email about my wife a while ago, but I couldn't remember if I had ever given my testimony to you. My wife is still an unbeliever, but I continue to pray for her salvation. I believe that one day God, in some way, will also save her.

Send us a textA desperate father in Mark 9 says five words that many of us whisper in the dark: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” That moment becomes our roadmap. We walk through the emotional break that follows Christ's invitation—“If you can believe, all things are possible”—and trace how a shift in address from “Jesus” to “Lord” reframes worship, prayer, and the very posture of our hearts. Titles aren't semantics; they're signals of allegiance. When we call Him Lord, we approach Him as the One who commands storms, silences demons, and holds our lives together.From there, we get honest about fractured faith. Belief often comes in pieces—bold in the morning, brittle by night. Rather than shaming that reality, we dig into why the father's plea is both humility and good theology: if all things are possible with the Lord, then stronger faith is one of those “all things.” We challenge the myth that grace starts you and you carry the rest. Scripture calls us to work out salvation, not work for it; Christ is not a distant examiner but the Author and Finisher who strengthens, preserves, and completes.We also lift the lens to spiritual authority. When Christ rebukes the unclean spirit and raises the child, He signals the limits of Satan's reach and the nearness of the kingdom. That changes how we face doubt, attack, and dry seasons. Instead of spiraling, we return to the prayer that cannot be refused: help my unbelief. If language shapes worship, this prayer shapes endurance. It keeps our eyes on the Lord's sufficiency rather than our stamina, and it turns daily uncertainty into an open door for grace.Listen for a practical path you can follow today: honor Him as Lord, confess real belief without pretending it's perfect, and ask for the help only He can give. If this conversation steadies your faith or challenges your habits, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review to help others find it. Where do you need help believing right now?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Everything about your life — your peace, your purpose, your eternity — hinges on one question: Who is Jesus Christ?Not “Who is He to culture?” Not “Who was He in history?” But Who is He to you?Every generation must face this question. Some call Him a revolutionary. Others, a moral teacher. Still others, a myth. But Jesus never gave humanity that option. He claimed divinity. He forgave sins. He accepted worship. He healed the sick and raised the dead — and then declared, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58).That statement shook history. Because “I AM” was the personal covenant name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3. Jesus didn't claim to be like God; He claimed to be God. That's not a small distinction — it's the entire dividing line between truth and blasphemy, between salvation and delusion.If Jesus is who He said He is, then every other belief system collapses before Him. You can't simply add Him to your list of spiritual influencers. You either crown Him Lord of all, or you deny Him altogether. There is no middle ground.Colossians 1:15-17 tells us:“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created… and in Him all things hold together.”That means the voice that spoke galaxies into motion is the same voice that calls your name today. The One who formed the oceans also formed your heart — and He's not distant, He's personal.When you look at Jesus, you're seeing what God looks like in human form. His compassion shows you the Father's heart. His authority shows you Heaven's power. His sacrifice shows you divine love with skin on.Let me say it plainly: Jesus is not an accessory to your faith. He is your faith. Every doctrine, every promise, every victory flows from Him.We live in a time when people want a customizable Christ — a Jesus who fits their politics, preferences, or feelings. But the real Jesus doesn't fit inside human molds. He breaks them. He overturns tables. He comforts sinners but never condones sin. He calls you higher, not because He's demanding, but because He's holy.Knowing who Jesus is means you stop negotiating truth and start living it. It changes the way you love your family, make decisions, and view eternity. When Jesus becomes Lord, your priorities realign. Your fear loses its grip. Your faith finds its foundation.And let's get practical — knowing Jesus isn't an intellectual exercise; it's a relational pursuit. You don't “study” Him like a historical figure; you walk with Him as a living Savior. You talk to Him while folding laundry, while driving, while facing decisions. He's not a theology to memorize — He's a Person to know, love, and follow.When you truly know Him, religion fades and relationship flourishes. You start hearing His voice in the noise of life — the same voice that spoke stars into being now whispers peace into your storms.

It's one thing to hear the words of Jesus… It's another to face them. This week, we come to the hardest part yet — the words that don't just challenge what we believe, but what we want to believe. He said the path is narrow. He said not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter. He said we'd be hated because of His name. These aren't soft sayings. They're sharp — cutting through comfort, slicing open the illusion that faith is easy. But inside the fear… there's a strange kind of freedom. Because when the words of Jesus strip everything away, what's left is truth — and truth never flinches. This is Week Four of Scary Things Jesus Said. Welcome to Motion Church. Where the brave listen.      

The plan of God is to pour His abundant love; everything He is and everything He has and all His peace and His joy; His plan is to pour that out upon your life. And that … that's why He's sent the Holy Spirit.   How Thirsty are You? We are starting a new series this week on Christianityworks called "The Holy Spirit and Me". For most of my life I haven't been a Christian. My early memories of church as a child were hard pews and filtered light through yellow windows and the Latin Mass and then as I grew up, a German Mass. And for me as a child, it felt like the whole thing was just droning on. I don't mean to criticise but for me as a kid, the whole Christianity/religion thing – it just didn't work. It all seemed pretty much irrelevant. In fact, I remember in church, sitting as a young child, I knew my father could wiggle his ears and I thought, "Maybe I can do it too" and the biggest thing I got out of that time – sitting still for me for an hour on end was just a terrible thing as a kid – was learning to wiggle my ears. And as I grew up, I'm your typical baby-boomer – you know, I was into career, into money, into having things and I discovered I was very good at what I did so, I got onto the treadmill of life and the whole religion and rules and church thing, by and large, for me, was just irrelevant – particularly as a baby-boomer. So when I came to that time in my life, about eleven years ago, when God started to stir things around inside of me; began to develop a sense of my own spirituality, I thought, "I only want this if it is real, if it's relevant, if it's here and now, if it makes a difference." The notion of church and religion to me was vacuous and out of date and irrelevant. If there was a God I wanted to know Him and if not I thought, "I can do without all that other palaver" – you know. I don't know if you have been at functions or events or cocktail parties when you are standing around and you have a discussion with someone and it's all superficial and you wander off and go and get another drink and you talk to someone else at all this superficial level. It's so different to having a great meal with some close friends where there is a depth and a reality to the relationship. And I guess to me, that was the distinction between the whole churchy/religiousy thing on the one hand, which I saw as superficial and the depth of relationship on the other which is what I wanted with this God – with this Jesus, if He was who He said He was. A friend is someone who sticks by you through thick and thin. A friend accepts you for who you are, good and bad. So I thought, "If I am going to be a Christian I want a deep, passionate, real relationship with God." I remember having a cup of coffee not many months after I gave my life to Christ and this man was my pastor – a wonderful man – and he saw how excited, how passionate I was about this new relationship that I had discovered with Jesus. And he said to me, "Berni, you know, it's not always going to be like that. There will be days when it's bad," and in a sense he's right, there are some tough days in life. But I went home and I was really angry with what he had said and I remember praying, I said, "God, if I am going to be a Christian I want to do it with my all and I want it to be a real, powerful relationship and I want to know this peace and this joy and this love and this excitement every day of my life." Now, there are three types of people in this world – those who enjoy a relationship like that with God – and I would encourage you to stick with us today because it will be an encouragement to listen to what we are talking about with the Holy Spirit. There are those who believe in Jesus – the second type – but they don't have that sort of relationship. Somehow the Christianity thing is hollow; it's empty. The third…the third are people who don't yet believe in Jesus, who don't have that relationship and maybe you are asking, "Well, does He have anything to offer?" So today let me encourage you – we are going to open up a box here and look at what Jesus says about the subject of having a relationship with Him and for you to evaluate that and decide for yourself whether that's the sort of passionate relationship you would like to have. Way back in the Old Testament, to the prophet Jeremiah, when God's people, the people of Israel were going through some really tough times – God always seems to show up for Israel during the tough times. And He makes really powerful and far-reaching and exciting promises and this is one of those times. He says: Look, after all this is through, I will put My Word inside you. I'll write it on your heart and I will be your God and you will by my people and you won't have to teach each other and say to each other, 'Know God' because you will know Me. From the least to the greatest" says the Lord, "I'll forgive you and I'll remember your sin no more and you will love me. I love that passage because that's God heart; that's God passion; that is God saying to me and God saying to you, "I want to have a relationship with you, I want to be close to you, I want for you to know Me." You know, it's one thing to know God; it's another thing to know God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our spirit, to be consumed with the wonder and the awe of who God is. There is another beautiful passage in the Book of Joel – another one of the Old Testament prophets: And God says, "After all these things, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. This picture of God wanting to have a relationship; this picture of God pouring out His Spirit - you know, He's not doing it with an eye-dropper; He's not doing it with a little cup, God wants to pour out His Holy Spirit. That's why this week we are starting a series called, "The Holy Spirit and Me". Who is this Holy Spirit? What's His job? What's He like? What does He do? What's my relationship? What's the whole point of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? So right now I'd ask you how thirsty are you? How much do you want to have a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit?   Intimacy with God We are going to have a look today at what Jesus had to say about this person, the Holy Spirit and we are going to John chapter 14 – if you have got a Bible, grab it and open it up – the fourth Book in the New Testament – John chapter 14. Now Jesus has spent three and a half years with His disciples; they were fishermen and tax collectors and they had seen Him do the most amazing miracles; they had heard Him preach powerful sermons but the time was drawing near for Him to be crucified. Now Jesus was a religious subversive. The religious establishment of the day was into rules and religion and pomp and ceremony and hypocrisy and oppression and they had done deals with the Roman occupying power and Jesus ... Jesus comes along and threatens that. He is like a breath of fresh air. He hangs around with common people, like you and me. He stands up for the oppressed ones and the marginalised ones. He does miracles and He shows up the establishment and so they plot to kill Him. So His disciples have this sense of fear and loss. He is telling them about it and they are wondering, "Well what about my life? I mean, this Jesus who has been doing these amazing things, He says He is going to be crucified – what then?" So this little rag-tag group of fishermen and tax collectors and the people that God has chosen to establish His church are about to experience the deep loss of Jesus on the cross. And Jesus comes along and promises them something and that's what we are going to read now in John's Gospel chapter 14, beginning at verse 15. Let's have a bit of a read. He says: If you love me you will keep my commandments and I will ask My Father and He will give you another advocate; another comforter to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because they don't see Him or know Him but you know Him because He dwells and abides with you and He will be in you. I won't leave you orphaned; I'm coming to you. In a little while the world won't see me any longer but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father and you are in me and I am in you. They who have My commandments and keep them, are those who love Me and those who love Me will be loved by My Father and I will love them and reveal Myself to them. Judas – not Iscariot, another Judas – said to Him "Lord, how is it that you reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" And Jesus answered him "Those who love me will keep My Word and My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them." And then He goes on to say: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I don't give it to you the way the world gives. Don't let your hearts be troubled and don't let them be afraid. This is a promise from Jesus in this tough time, just like those Old Testament promises we looked at earlier. This is God showing up in a difficult, tough time, making beautiful, wonderful, powerful promises and here He promises the Holy Spirit. He says: If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will ask Dad and He will give you another one; another advocate. "If you love Me ..." Is He looking for perfection? No! Jesus knows we are not perfect but He is saying if you live your life for Me – if you really love Me, the things that I have taught you, the things that you have heard, the things that I've said are really important – My wisdom, love your enemy, love your neighbour, don't judge other people – all that stuff, He says if you will do that, I'll ask Dad and He will send you another counsellor. Now if you have a Bible, this word is translated in different ways – Counsellor or Advocate or Comforter "like Me". In fact, the words that Jesus uses there mean "just like Me" – another one "just like Me". So all of a sudden we know something about this Holy Spirit that He is promising. The Holy Spirit is just like Jesus. Ever wondered what the Holy Spirit is like because when we say, "God the Father", we go, "Well, I can imagine what a good dad is?" We haven't all had good dads but we can all imagine what a good father is like and so we look at God as "Father" and we go, "Yep, I get that bit." "God the Son", well, we understand sonship and we understand Jesus because we can pick up at least four books in the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Gospels – and read exactly what He was like and how He behaved and how He reacted and what He said. But kind of getting your mind and your heart around the Holy Spirit is ... it's a whole bunch more difficult isn't it? And here Jesus tells us what the Holy Spirit is like – He is just like Jesus. In the Old Testament, remember we read earlier, the promise in Joel: I will pour out My Spirit on everyone. And Jesus is saying, "It's about to happen folks!" God is God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – we don't understand that fully – three persons, one God and Jesus is saying, "It's about to happen, guys. I know I'm going to be crucified but sometime real soon I'm going to follow-up on My promise to pour out My Spirit and I'm going to pour My Spirit out on you and if you love Me, if you believe in Me, I will come and make My home in You. I'm in Dad and you will be in Me and Dad and I will come and make our homes in you." Let's look at it again: This Spirit of truth whom the world can't receive because they don't know Him and they don't see Him but you do – you know Him because He abides with you. See, "abides" is such a strong word – it doesn't mean "shack up", it doesn't mean "visit", it doesn't mean "have a cup of coffee together", it means "to be with us forever" and that's what Jesus said: I will give you another advocate to be with you forever. And we will come and make our home with you. If you love Me and keep My Word, My Dad will love you and He and I, through the Holy Spirit, will make our home with you." Up until then, the presence of God had been understood to be inside the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies and no one could come close to God and here in Jesus, God comes close to us. And Jesus says, "It gets better than this – we are about to get much closer because when I pour My Spirit out, I will be dwelling with you and living in you." In fact, He goes on to say, in John chapter 16: It's to your advantage that I go away because if I don't go away I won't be pouring My Spirit out on you and having My Spirit is so much better. What an amazing plan Jesus has for us! What an awesome plan to pour out His Spirit and we will pick up and look at that plan just a little bit more next.   Jesus Comes Home Well, God does have an amazing plan for us to have a relationship with Him that is intimate and real and here and now. I remember talking to a young man at a church I was at a few years ago – I was running an ALPHA course, which is a course to introduce people to Jesus and what Christianity is all about. And this man was a young Jewish lawyer by the name of David and we were talking about the Holy Spirit – we were talking about exactly this passage that we've just read. It says: I will come and make My home in you. My Spirit will abide with you forever. And I was explaining it is kind of like God moves in. God moves into our lives, into our hearts and into our spirits and into our souls and He is with us every second of every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of eternity. And this young lawyer said 'Woe, that's a bit of an invasion of privacy isn't it?' I guess it is … I guess it is when a man a woman gets married, you know, all of a sudden there in each other's space and they are in each other's lives and they share the same bed and they share every room in the house. It is kind of an invasion of privacy but it's God's plan. Not for religion, not for rules: If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will come and make My home in you. I will love you, I will show Myself to you. It says here in this passage we have just been reading. When Jesus said: It is to your advantage that I go away so that I can send you the Holy Spirit. What He was meaning was this: Jesus was God in the flesh and being a man He had a physical limitation – He could only be in one place at one time but the Holy Spirit doesn't have that problem. The Holy Spirit … God the Spirit can be in me and in you and in a trillion other people at exactly the same time. The Holy Spirit is God with me and God with you, 24/7. And when Judas asks the question in verse 22 of chapter 14, when he says: Lord how is it that You reveal Yourself to us and not to the world? That is a good question. Jesus answer is: I will make My home with you. I will abide with you. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit will be on your journey with you. Not in a church, not in a building, not in a temple, not in an air-conditioned heaven, I'll be on the journey with you through thick, through thin, through up, through down, through plenty, through not enough, through fire, through storm, Jesus is in that place with us. But this isn't for everyone; this isn't for the world; this isn't for people who say, "Well, you know something, I'm going to live my life my way and Jesus can be my little lap dog; my little puppy who does tricks and helps me when I need Him to." No, this is on God's terms – God is God. If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will ask Dad and He will give you another advocate just like Me to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot accept. If we want to race off and live our lives contrary to God's will, Jesus is saying "I'm sorry, but this isn't for you. I want to give you My Spirit, I want to move in, I want to dwell with you, I want you to see Me, I want to reveal Myself to you through the Spirit of God, but you know something, it's on God's terms because God is God. And sometimes we think, "Well, what will that mean? What will I have to do?" And we think, "Well, that's God's problem; God will teach us, God will show us when we invite Him in." And that's exactly what Jesus says. Pick it up in chapter 14, verse 25: I have said these things to you while I am still with you but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. What a great plan! What an awesome plan! It's so scary sometimes to contemplate this Person, the Holy Spirit and think what's it going to mean? What do I have to give up? And all the time what the Spirit brings is joy and peace and an intimate relationship with God that we can't even begin to imagine until He does that work in us. And when He does that, He changes us. We get addicted to His joy. I'm addicted to the peace that the Holy Spirit brings. That's why I spend time with God; that's why I do what I do. I just love Him and when we do that somehow He changes us. You know those things that you've been trying to change in yourself all your life – I have them too. When we draw close to Him, that flame burns and somehow, all that rubbish just burns away, day-by-day, week-by-week, year-by-year. So it's not a self-help programme, its God changing us. For me when I accepted Jesus I did it holus-bolus. Like the disciples, it was a time of loss and fear and loneliness for me eleven years ago. When I accepted Him the pain didn't go away straight away – I still had ups and downs – but God blessed me so greatly with a beautiful wife and daily I live in His presence and day after day after day He is changing me and touching me and guiding me and moulding me and it's the Holy Spirit … God the Holy Spirit in me. And God the Holy Spirit in you who wants to do this; who wants to show us Jesus and tell us how wonderful He is. This is what Jesus says in chapter 16, beginning at verse 14 about the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit will glorify Me because He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine and for this reason I said to you that He will take what is mine and declare it to you. The plan of God is to pour His abundant love, everything He is and everything He has and all His love and His peace and His joy – His plan is to pour that into your life and my life through the Holy Spirit. Father, I pray that as we have been in Your Word today Your Spirit would stir us up – You would give us a hunger and a thirst and a desire to be filled with Your Holy Spirit and I pray Father God in Jesus name, that You would do exactly that. 

A wonderful restart of Bible study this week with a recap by Fr Mina on the 3 books of Solomon with an emphasis on what the book of Proverbs explains to us — the basis of moral life. Fulfilling the will of God is directly related to happiness in eternity. Fr Mina elaborates on the sinful paths of alcohol consumption as the verse says it is a mocker. We then shift the focus onto the flame of love for God and calling Him Lord, as well as wise counsel.

Send us a textIn this powerful episode of Calling All Christians, Jacob Hansen and Greg Matsen dive headfirst into one of the most heated conversations happening right now across Christian media: Are Latter-day Saints (Mormons) truly Christians?        We unpack the recent wave of discussions that have swept the nation—fueled by shocking events and bold public claims. From the assassination of Charlie Kirk, to the tragic attack and shooting at a Latter-day Saint chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan, emotions and tensions are running high. Influential voices like Mark Driscoll and others have made pointed claims that “Mormons are not Christians,” fueling the flames and sparking widespread debate among believers.        Jacob and Greg respond thoughtfully and unapologetically—addressing theology, history, and the heart of discipleship. But more importantly, this conversation looks beyond division. It's a call to all believers in Jesus Christ, regardless of denomination, to stand united for a greater good in an increasingly hostile world. As culture grows darker, now is the time for followers of Christ to rally together, not tear each other apart.

What is Kingdom Authority and how does it work? Founding Pastor, Dianne Leman shares how the name of Jesus, bestowed on those who call Him Lord, is His invitation to victorious living.

Episode Notes The Day of Atonement has arrived. Yet within Christianity, it largely arrived unnoticed. Jesus gave prophetic details regarding the Last Day to come in the parable of the Sheep & Goats. He said it will be a day of separation: Both groups called Him Lord, yet only one group was accepted. The Day of Atonement is the most solemn and prophetic day on God's calendar. It's not just about fasting — it's about returning to God with a soft heart that reflects His mercy. Support Rise on Fire Ministries by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/rise-on-fireRead transcript

Reading Luke 20:41-47 where Jesus counters the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees by asking one of his own: whose Son is the Messiah, if David calls Him Lord? Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 NLT) You’ve probably heard more than a few objections to the inevitable answer to this question. “How can Christians say that Jesus is the only way to God?” “Are you saying that if someone doesn’t believe in Jesus, then they’re going to Hell?” “Do you understand how narrow-minded that thinking is?” “Why are you so intolerant of other people’s beliefs?” “Why can’t you be more inclusive?” Let’s get one thing straight. The only reason I say that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father is because Jesus Himself said it. Look again at those words in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (NLT). In Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter put it this way: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (NLT). Why? Because only Jesus Christ was qualified to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. Jesus Christ—not just a good man, but the God-Man—died in our place and took the full wrath of the Father upon Himself because there was no other way that we could settle the debt that we owed God. Only Jesus Christ could conquer sin and death and make it possible for us to live forever with Him. Such exclusivity is hard for a lot of people to embrace. Some say, “I choose to believe that whatever religion you want to follow is fine. As long as you sincerely believe, God will let you into Heaven.” The problem with that reasoning is that Adolf Hitler probably believed in his heart that what he was doing was right. Does anyone want to suggest that his sincere belief should earn him a place in Heaven? Others say, “I don’t believe that Jesus was God. I believe that He was an influential philosopher and a great moral teacher, but nothing more than that.” C. S. Lewis responded to that kind of thinking with these words: “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell.” Lewis concluded, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” Jesus is the only way to God. The Christian faith is built on that truth. Reflection question: What would you say to someone who believes that all paths lead to God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coleton preached on Jesus' triumphal entry and how Jesus seeks to make two central claims: 1. Jesus is the Messianic King — the crowd's actions and the fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) show that Jesus openly claims the kingship. He accepts royal honor (“Hosanna,” cloaks, branches) and—when challenged—refuses to silence the praise, even saying that if the people were quiet “the stones would cry out.”  N. T. Wright: “You don't spread cloaks on the road –especially in the dusty, stony Middle East!–for a friend, or even a respected senior member of your family. You do it for royalty. And you don't cut branches off trees, or foliage from the fields, to wave in the streets just because you feel somewhat elated; you do it because you are welcoming a king.” Jesus claim to be King forces a decision: is Jesus merely a helpful healer/teacher, or is He your sovereign King who rules your life? C. S. Lewis: “A really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus is: ‘I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man yet said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic (like a man who says he is a poached egg)—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” We have to choose to receive or reject Jesus as King. 2. Jesus is not like other kings — unlike Roman triumphs that display conquest, prisoners, and plunder, Jesus rides a colt (a sign of peace and humility) and is followed by people He's healed and freed. His reign looks like liberation, restoration, and sacrificial service, not domination and bondage. David Guzik & Dr. David L. McKenna  “A Roman Triumphal Entry was an honor granted to a Roman general who won a complete and decisive victory and had killed at least 5,000 enemy soldiers. When the general returned to Rome, they had an elaborate parade. As a symbol of bloody conquest, they chose a prancing horse at the head of a processional that included his warriors, a shackled contingent of the conquered people, and an extravagant display of the treasures that the army had taken by force. The procession ended at the arena, where some of the prisoners were thrown to wild animals for the entertainment of the crowd. Now we understand why Jesus is so specific about His entry and the animal He rides. In the symbol of the foal of a donkey, Jesus predicts His role as the King. Jesus makes His triumphal entry on a donkey—a symbol of peace, not war; of humility, not pride. Behind Him comes (not prisoners but), an entourage of disciples and a rabble of common people whom He has healed and set free. They serve as the trophies of His conquest—not won by bloody violence, but by relentless love.” Why it matters: if Jesus is truly your King, He gets to govern all areas of life (money, marriage, speech, media, anger, forgiveness, political loyalties, etc.). That means surrendering personal control and letting his values shape decisions and habits. If you resist that rule you may still experience a Christian language of forgiveness and blessing but not the transforming reality of Jesus' kingdom — a kingdom characterized by love, freedom, reconciliation, generosity, and joy even amid suffering. Coleton closes with a pointed question to wrestle with: Is Jesus your King? and invites people to examine which kingdom's traits actually define their life. ⸻ Practical takeaways     •    The triumphal entry publicly declares Jesus' kingship — it's not optional or merely symbolic.     •    Jesus' kingship is servant and liberating, not coercive or violent.     •    To truly follow him means handing over areas of life where you still rule, and allowing his kingdom fruit (love, peace, patience, generosity, freedom, reconciliation) to grow.     •    Evaluate life by asking: “Whose kingdom am I experiencing here?” If it's not Jesus', return and make Him King. ⸻ Discussion & Small-group / Personal practice questions Use these to help people put the sermon into practice — mix of reflection, confession, and action. 1- Read Mark 11:1–11. What detail(s) jump out at you this time that you hadn't noticed before? Why might those details matter? 2. Coleton says Jesus forces a choice: King or not. What makes accepting Jesus' kingship hard for you personally?  3. Take one area of your life (money, marriage, parenting, social media, anger). Describe which kingdom (Jesus' kingdom or the world's) best describes how you act there. What would one concrete step toward Jesus' rule in that area look like this week? (Give a measurable, time-bound step.) 4. Jesus' kingship carries moral demands (forgiveness, loving enemies, turning the other cheek). Pick one relationship where forgiveness or reconciliation is needed. What is one small, courageous next step you can take to reflect Jesus' reign there? 5. Reflect on the two portraits of kingship (Roman/violent vs. Jesus/humble). Where in your life are you tempted to imitate a worldly kingdom (control, domination, proving self)? How can you choose the way of Christ instead? 6. The sermon notes the kingdom's fruit (love, joy, peace, patience…). Which of those fruits are present in your life now? Which are absent?  7. Coleton said there are places where Jesus is king and places where you still rule. Name one “pocket” of your life where you still want to be sovereign. What would it look like to hand that pocket over to Jesus today? ⸻ Scripture quoted in the sermon Zechariah 9:9–10 (NKJV excerpt used): “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” Psalm 118:25–26 (referred to as source of “Hosanna” / welcoming the Deliverer). Luke 19:38–40 (quoted in part): “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” … Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” … “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Philippians 2:6–8 (paraphrase/quote of Paul): “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider His equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing… He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

This is an area of discipleship I believe we are called and commanded to do. Its the one area that God says, test me in this. Let me show you that when you fully trust me, I am worthy of your trust. Not in a do this and God does that. Its a posture. Its a position of surrender before the Lord to seek Him and what He desires you to do, not because of what I am saying, but ask Him Lord is this an area I need to trust you with? Show me what you want me to know. Show me what you want me to see and do in response to this. This may or may not be an overnight discovery for you. But its still something to consider, discover and seek God over what, when and how He wants to live out more and more sacrificial lives for His glory.  

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46 Key Takeaways: + The Identity Jesus Claims Daniel 7:13-14 Acts 17:30-31 "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God? That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. "The sane man does not believe that he is God; the sane man does not believe that he will rise from the dead. If Jesus said those things, He was either speaking the truth, or He was insane." – G. K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man. + The Judgment Jesus Delivers + The Criteria by which Jesus Judges John 10:14–15 Matthew 10:40–42 1 Corinthians 4:9–13  Galatians 6:10 1 John 3:14 1 John 3:16–18 3 John 5–8

When do you put your trust in the True Source for all of our needs? In this week's sermon, Pastor Sam Cabra addresses the importance of WHEN we place our trust in the Lord. Giving the firstfruits of our income is a true test of faith, and God promises to bless us when we make Him Lord over our finances FIRST. Thank you for partnering with Reunion Hawaii! To GIVE online, please visit our website at www.reunionhawaii.com (http://www.reunionhawaii.com/) Make sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to this podcast! You can follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/reunionhawaii @reunionhawaii

Send us a text"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," a hymn so universally beloved it's often called "The National Anthem of Christendom." Join us as we trace the remarkable journey of Edward Perronet, born in 1726 to a French Huguenot pastor and associate of the Wesley brothers. Perronet's life exemplified devotion to the King he proclaimed.We explore this hymn's global impact through moving stories it has influenced, and the musical settings that have carried these words through centuries. Verse by verse, we unpack the theological richness of this hymn culminating in the vision of eternity where every nation, tribe, and tongue will sing a new song to our Savior and "crown Him Lord of all."At its heart, this hymn offers us profound liberation—the joy of finally laying down the crowns we were never meant to wear, surrendering what we've tried to control since the Garden. In a culture obsessed with self-glory, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" stands as a countercultural anthem and proclaims that the only true and rightful King is Jesus.Ready to experience this majestic hymn with fresh ears and a renewed heart? Listen now and join the everlasting song.SHOW NOTES:All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name from The Hymnal Project Album EDM-Influenced Hymns, Volume 1.Sheet music and other resources are also available for this hymn from The Hymnal Project.All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name performed by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns from the album, The Trinity Acoustic Sessions, Vol. 1To purchase the digital album of The Trinity Acoustic Sessions, Vol.1Lyric videos, chord charts, sheet music available for "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" from Reawaken Hymns.Modern, full band, version of the hymn are available on The Trinity Project - Hymns of the Son album.Support the show www.thebrightforever.comAll songs used by permission.

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Jim focuses on the final section of the Sermon on the Mount, stressing the need to build one's life on a solid foundation of faith in Christ. He cautions against "consumer Christianity," where belief is professed but not truly lived, as Jesus warns that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter heaven. Jim urges the congregation to test the authenticity of their faith through trials, which reveal the strength of their foundation in God, and calls for a deeper, genuine relationship with Him.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49438434   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church.tech/198c845b   ☞ NEXT STEPS

Acts 2:22-38 NIV Jesus was raised from the dead God poured out the Holy Spirit God made Him Lord and Messiah