Podcasts about him matthew

When life feels overwhelming and your heart is troubled, Psalm 4:8 reminds us of God’s promise: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” In this devotional, Alexis A. Goring shares a personal story of how God used the song “I Will Rest in You” by Jaci Velasquez to bring peace in the middle of anxiety. Through Scripture, prayer, and resting in God’s presence, we are reminded that we can lay our burdens down and trust that He never abandons us. ✨ Highlights God never leaves us — He promises to be with us always (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20) Honesty in prayer matters — God invites us to bring our deepest pain and struggles to Him (Psalm 62:8, Hebrews 4:13) God is our safe place — No matter how uncertain life feels, His presence offers protection and peace (Romans 8:35-39) Resting in Him — By casting our cares on God (1 Peter 5:7), we can release our anxiety and sleep in peace, knowing He never sleeps (Psalm 121:4) Practical encouragement — Share your heart with God, meditate on His promises, and trust Him to handle what you cannot

For all the days we are alive should see ourselves as being ‘under construction' - daily being formed and matured in the Lord. Just as the apostle Paul taught (Ephesians 4:11-13), as Christians, our spiritual lives are not to stay the same, but rather to be constantly rooted and built up in the Lord, growing in our faith and increasing in maturity. We see some further areas to help us:  1. We need to grow up in our relationships (Proverbs 12:26, 17:17, 19:11; Colossians 3:13-14; 1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP). 2. We need to grow up in our responsiveness (Ecclesiastes 1:14; Proverbs 26:12, 3:7; Matthew 11:29;1 Peter 5:5; Matthew 7:24) 3. We need to grow in our reaction to discipline (Proverbs 12:1, 15:5, 3:11-12, 13:24, Proverbs 10:17; Hebrews 12:6) Apply  1. We need to grow up in our relationships  Immaturity – temperamental: Children are often very quick to both make and break friendships. They can go from having a best friend one day to not being friends with them the next. For a while, a friend is new and exciting, the 'flavour of the month' then they disappear. They can both make and drop friends easily, and be enticed by wealth, charisma and charm – how a person appears, rather than who they really are (Proverbs 12:26). For the immature Christian, there is no emotional balance or stability in relationships. They go all into the friendship, spending lots of time together and sometimes becoming inseparable, and then the total opposite happens when offence and unforgiveness enters and the friendship suddenly ends. Being temperamental isn't good for the person nor the people around them. Maturity – faithful: A mature Christian is faithful and consistent. They don't fly off the handle or cut off a relationship when someone says or does something they don't like or agree with. It's not that there are never any issues in their friendships, but rather that they know and put the word of God into practice on how to be a faithful person in their relationships (Proverbs 17:17; Proverbs 19:11). A mature Christian stays together in covenant relationship, even if disappointed by friends. They would rather overlook an offense than forsake the friendship (Colossians 3:13-14). Mature Christians are quick to forgive, valuing covenant friendship over any temporary grievance. They want to keep unity in the church family and enjoy the blessing of real, stable friendships, which is so different to how friendships often operate in the world. Covenant friendship is steadfast and enduring. You can count on a mature person to be faithful in a relationship and also to be faithful in whatever they put their hand to do – not just doing the minimum, but going above and beyond because it's the mature attitude of the heart (1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP). Are you consistent and faithful, or temperamental, being quick to make and break off friendships? Do you give your best to people, or try to get away with the minimum?  2. We need to grow up in our responsiveness Immaturity - needs repeated telling: Repeatedly having to tell a child reveals something deeper going on in the attitude of that child. Essentially they are not valuing the instruction of the parent and sees that what they're doing is more important. Often, immature Christians can be like the children in these scenarios being “wise in our own eyes”. We think of ourselves as being very busy, filling our lives with many activities but neither feel we have time to nor really value following the instructions God gives us. At the end of King Solomon's life, he recognised the fruitlessness of doing things other than God's will or direction (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Many times people want the overall direction of God for their life and future, but do not choose to follow the instructions in the Bible that God gives for how to we are to live every day. Even though we may have heard and read the 10 commandments so many times, do we ever lie, or want what others have, or put something or someone in first place of our lives instead of God? For the immature Christian, just because they know something doesn't mean they are actually putting it into practice – they'd rather do what they want (Proverbs 26:12). Immature Christians look around judgmentally at others without recognising their need to grow in obeying the word of God. There is a blindness to hard heartedness, which often makes them harder to work with than anyone else, yet they are more in need than anyone else (Proverbs 3:7).Maturity - eager to learn: In stark contrast to the immature Christian who needs repeated telling because “they are wise in their own eyes” The mature Christian recognises that Jesus said we are to learn from Him (Matthew 11:29). They don't need constant persuading but are ready to learn from the Lord, from their pastors, their spiritual leaders, and from anywhere and everywhere that builds them up in their faith and in spiritual maturity. A mature person can say, without choking, "I was wrong, please show me, please help me". They don't need repeated telling before they listen and obey. And they also don't pick and choose the scriptures they want to obey, rather they take the all the instruction of the Bible, not only the promises of blessing and help. They know that following God's instruction leads to life (1 Peter 5:5; Matthew 7:24) It's not that this always come naturally. It's a decision to be humble and not just dismiss things that might be challenging or uncomfortable but will grow us in our faith merely as ‘suggestions' or ‘opinions' - but to listen attentively and be responsive, to take it on board and be quick to apply it. So how eager to learn are you? Do you listen to the word of God quickly put it into practice?   3. We need to grow in our reaction to discipline Immaturity - fights shy of discipline: An infant or adolescent will often push to find their limits, seeing how far they can risk their way to prove themselves right or reassure themselves that “everything will still work out ok” to minimise any bad outcomes. An immature Christian knows there must be an oversight in their life, but wants to keep it to minimum – which can lead them even to present half truths or to conceal things. They want to get away with minimum accountability and maximum independence in case they are told something they don't want to hear. Immaturity means that if they can get away with something, they will, and if called to account, they will resent it (Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 15:5). Rather than proactively seeking out spiritual cover themselves, for fear of being corrected or challenged, they will wait to be sought out by their leader. Even if a good and Godly leader gets too close for comfort, they are often quick to shout that it's "heavy shepherding" or the leader is being controlling, in order to take the pressure off themselves.  Maturity - loves discipline: A mature Christian loves discipline because they understand that Discipline is for our good and is a way of God showing His love for us as His children. They don't skim over the scriptures that teach us on how important discipline is for our lives, nor do they get offended when they are corrected because they know it's essential for them to be able to grow in maturity and Godly character (Proverbs 3:11-12; Proverbs 13:24; Hebrews 12:6). A mature Christian wants to build safeguards into their life. Contrary to what the world teaches, they seek out accountability from pastors, leaders and fellow Christians, and see correction as positive and not negative.   Would you say you are a faithful person or temperamental? Do you need repeated telling or are you eager to learn? Do you fight against discipline or do you love being corrected? These are not all easy things to hear, and our flesh doesn't love being challenged in this way, but understanding and applying this will not only help us to grow up, but will be a blessing to many others (Proverbs 10:17). As we grow up in the Lord, we will help many others encounter the love, life and liberty of Jesus as well. 

2025-08-10 AM - Hope through Him - Matthew 26:26-30 - Pastor Dan Brabson

Because Dominion and Awe Belong to Him (Matthew 6:19-34) Sunday, July 13, 2025

Todaywe are continuing to look at Luke 23. In this chapter, we read about the trial,the crucifixion, and the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loves us so muchthat He gave His life on the cross of Calvary. In this chapter, we see mendoing their worst and at the same time, we see God giving His best. I rememberthat verse in Romans 5:20, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”.In the darkness of that hour, in the darkness of sin all around on planetearth, and especially there in Jerusalem as men are crucifying the Lord JesusChrist, the grace of God is abounding because God is pouring out His lovethrough the death of His Son on the cross of Calvary.  Jesusdidn't just happen to die. In John 10:17-18, Jesus said, “Therefore MyFather loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No onetakes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, andI have power to take it again. This command I have received from MyFather."  Acts 2:23 affirms thatthe crucifixion of Christ was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge ofGod. Jesus was the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world (1Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8).  Aswe look at the first five verses of this chapter, we see Jesus coming on trialbefore Pilate. He has already faced three trials with the Jews during thenight. Now, somewhere between 6:00am in the morning and 9:00am, when Jesus wascrucified, this trial before Pilate takes place on Friday morning. PontiusPilate is an interesting person. This is the first encounter Jesus has withsomeone in this chapter as far as the trial and His death on the cross areconcerned. Pilate was the governor of Judea from AD 26 to AD 36, after which hewas recalled to Rome and passed out of Roman history. Pilate was hated by theJews, and it appears he hated them as well. When Jesus is hung on the cross,Pilate has a sign put over His head: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”He did this to provoke the Jews, who denied that Jesus was their King.  Jesusis taken inside the Praetorium to be tried before Pilate. The Jews are outsidein the courtyard because they cannot enter without defiling themselves for thePassover (John 18:28). Jesus is in this room, and Pilate interrogates Himindividually, personally. In Matthew 27:18-19, it says Pilate knew that theyhad handed Him over because of envy. In his handling of the trial of Jesus, thegovernor proved to be indecisive. The Gospel of John records seven differentmoves that Pilate made as he went out to meet the people and then went in toquestion Jesus (John 18:29, 33, 38; 19:1, 4, 9, 13). He kept looking for aloophole, but he found none. Pilate has gone down in history as the man whotried Jesus Christ, three times declared Him not guilty, and yet crucified Himjust the same. Itwas obvious Pilate understood some of the situation with Jesus and the Jews,knowing it was because of their hatred for Him, not because He had broken anyRoman laws that would demand execution. While Pilate was sitting on thejudgment seat, his wife also sent a message to him, saying, “Have nothing todo with that just Man, for I've suffered many things today in a dream becauseof Him” (Matthew 27:19).  Pilateis convinced He's not guilty and proclaims this at least three times in thegospel accounts. But the Jews are determined to have Him crucified. In the end,Pilate makes no decision, saying, “I wipe my hands of the guilt of this justMan.” My friend, indecision is the worst decision; it is the fatal choice.Jesus says, “You're either with Me or you're against Me.”  Wemust decide for Jesus even today—whether we'll accept Him as our Savior or denyHim as the Son of God and reject Him as our Savior. What is your choice? Godbless!

Jesushas been praying with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judasshows up with a “multitude” of the temple guards to arrest Jesus. To get thefull picture of this event, I highly recommend that you read all four Gospelaccounts. John tells us that Jesus “went forth” to meet Judas and those withhim and asked, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth” andJesus said, “I am He”. At those words, God released the radiance of His glory,and it literally knocked Judas and all the mob to the ground (John 18:1-12).  Matthewtells us that this is when Judas gets up and greets Jesus saying, “Hail Master”and then kisses Jesus. Jesus calls him “Friend” and the officers came and “laidhands on Jesus and took Him” (Matthew 26:47-56).Itwas then that the disciples remembered (and misunderstood) His words about thesword (Luke 22:35-38), so they asked Him if now was the time to make use oftheir two swords. Without waiting for the answer, Peter rushed ahead andattacked a man who turned out to be Malchus, a servant to the high priest (John18:10, 26-27). Whydid Peter do this? For one thing, he had to back up the boastful words he hadspoken in the Upper Room (Luke 22:33) and again on the way to the Garden (Matt.26:30-35). Someone rightly said, “Peter had been sleeping when he should havebeen praying, talking when he should have been listening, and boasting when heshould have been fearing. Now he was fighting when he should have beensurrendering!” Petermade a number of serious mistakes when he attacked Malchus with his sword. Tobegin with, Peter was fighting the wrong enemy with the wrong weapon. We mustalways remember that our enemies are not flesh and blood, and they cannot bedefeated with ordinary weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-6; Eph. 6:10-18). In His wildernesstemptations, Jesus defeated Satan with the Word of God (Matt. 4:1-11), and thatis the weapon we must use (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12). Peteralso revealed the wrong attitude and trusted the wrong energy. While Jesus wassurrendering, Peter was busy declaring war! This reveals that he was dependingon "the arm of flesh." His whole approach to the situation was not atall Christlike (John 18:36) and stands as a good warning to us today. The lostworld may act this way, but it is not the way God's servants should act (Matthew12:19; 2 Timothy 2:24). Jesus had taught His disciples and us that: “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may besons of your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5:38-45). Itis just like Jesus to act in grace when others are acting in malice (Psalms103:10). He showed grace to Peter by rebuking his presumptuous sin andrepairing the damage he had done. He showed grace to Malchus, a lowly slave, byhealing his ear, and He showed grace to the whole world by willingly yieldingHimself to the mob and going to Calvary. He did not come to judge but to save(Luke 19:10).  John 3:16-17 reminds us: “For God did notsend His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world throughHim might be saved.” OurLord's last miracle before the cross was not a big flashy thing that attractedattention. It is likely that very few of the men who were there that night evenknew what Peter and Jesus had done. Jesus could have summoned twelve legions ofangels (Matthew 26:53), one legion (6,000 soldiers) for each of the elevendisciples and one for Himself, but He did not. Instead of performing somespectacular feat, He lovingly healed the ear of an obscure slave and thenpresented His hands to be bound. Eachof us must decide whether we will go through life pretending, like Judas; orfighting, like Peter; or yielding to God's perfect will, like Jesus. Today, willit be the kiss of betrayal, the sword of the flesh, or the cup of surrender tothe will of God?Godbless!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we continue to look at Luke chapter 22. At this point,we're with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He's been praying with three ofHis disciples—Peter, James, and John. They've been sleeping while He's beenpraying. Interestingly,one version says that Jesus said, “Then cometh he to his disciples, andsaith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand,and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us begoing: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.” (Matthew 26:45-46, KJV). I always wondered why Jesus would say,"Sleep on now, rise, let us be going." One of my devotionals pointedout that Jesus is saying, "Okay, wake up. Let it rest. You've beensleeping when you should have been praying. You can't reverse that. You shouldhave been seeking the face of God, watching for the temptation that was goingto come. Now it's too late to do that, so leave it behind you. Rise up, let'sbe going."  Wehave many failures in our lives. We need to let them sleep on, forgetting thethings which are behind and reaching for those things which are before. WhileHe was still speaking to the disciples and encouraging them to get up, Luketells us, "Behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of thetwelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him." But Jesussaid to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  I'veentitled this devotional "Betrayed with a Kiss." It makes me thinkabout the fact that here is Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Psalms 41:9,tells us that the Psalmist is referring to Jesus when He says, "My ownfamiliar friend who ate bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me."So here is Jesus, a friend of Judas. In fact, one of the Gospels tells us thatHe actually called him friend when he came to betray Him (Matthew 26:57). Jesushas given Judas every opportunity to repent. Yet Judas, with a deceitful heart,with a hypocritical kiss—a sign of affection, love, and respect, which was howa student would greet their rabbi to show honor—comes and betrays Him.  TheGospel of Matthew tells us that Judas had told the group of soldiers and thechief priest, that he would give them a sign saying, “Whomsoever I shall kiss,the same is he, hold him fast" (Matthew 26:48).  He planned on betraying Jesus with a kiss. Howhypocritical is that? He would look like the friend and disciple of Jesus. "Faithfulare the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful"(Proverbs 27:6). Jesussays, "Are you going to betray Me with a kiss?" Don't youthink the Lord says that to you and me today in many ways? We go to church,sing the songs, lift up our hands, praise the Lord, worship with otherbelievers, and maybe even go to the altar and pray. But then we leave thechurch and live for self, the world, or the devil. We are betraying the Lordwith a kiss.  WhenJudas went and asked the chief priest, "How can I betray Jesus?" theyoffered thirty pieces of silver. It was as if he sold his soul to the devil. Weknow that at the supper with Jesus, Satan entered into him. He sold his soul tothe devil. When we make a choice to exchange Jesus for the world, you becomeservants to whom you yield yourselves to obey (Romans 6:16). Jesus on anearlier occasion had said, “This people draw nigh to me with their mouths,and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew15:8).  So,my friend, we don't want to be in the position of a Judas. Make sure that ourkiss for Jesus is truly genuine from our hearts, honoring Him. Let's cling toJesus, just as Ruth did to Naomi. Orpah kissed her and went the other way, backto her gods in Moab, but Ruth clung to Naomi (Ruth 1:14-18). May we cling toJesus today and show Him our love with our life every moment of every day.  Isyour heart close to Jesus today or is it far away?Godbless!

Manuel was late for church and stuck at a red light. As he waited impatiently, his daughter noticed a stranded driver trying to fix a tire. “Daddy, you’re good at changing tires,” she said. “You should help her.” Manuel was now going to be very late, but he knew this was a divine appointment. He stopped to help, even inviting the other driver to church. Paul and Silas faced an interruption in Acts 16. They’d encountered a slave girl with an evil spirit who kept shouting (v. 17). For several days Paul ignored her. Finally, he became too annoyed and said to the demon, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her” (v. 18). Paul had made a conscious choice to serve others even when it was inconvenient. When he freed the girl, it only became more complicated. Her owners lost the means to make money from her (v. 19). Paul and Silas were seized and dragged “into the marketplace to face the authorities” (v. 19), beaten, and thrown into prison without a trial (vv. 22-24). Serving Jesus comes at a cost. Jesus told His disciples they were to take up their cross and follow Him (Matthew 10:38). This is the way of Jesus: we’ll be interrupted and sometimes suffer, like our Savior. He invites us to accept those unexpected interruptions. How will you respond when they come?

Colossians 3:23-24 2 Corinthians 9:7 To have a committed mindset for God's work: . Choose God first and avoid getting distracted by worldly things (Matthew 6:24). . Stay focused on pleasing Him, like a soldier obeying orders (2 Timothy 2:4). . Give yourself to God fully because you belong to Him (Matthew 22:20). . Do your best in everything as if you're working for God (Colossians 3:23-24). . Be joyful and willing when you give your time, energy, or resources (2 Corinthians 9:7). In short, focus on God, serve Him with all your heart, and do everything with joy! every commitment made towards the agenda of God bares an opportunity cost.

Colossians 3:23-24 2 Corinthians 9:7 To have a committed mindset for God's work: . Choose God first and avoid getting distracted by worldly things (Matthew 6:24). . Stay focused on pleasing Him, like a soldier obeying orders (2 Timothy 2:4). . Give yourself to God fully because you belong to Him (Matthew 22:20). . Do your best in everything as if you're working for God (Colossians 3:23-24). . Be joyful and willing when you give your time, energy, or resources (2 Corinthians 9:7). In short, focus on God, serve Him with all your heart, and do everything with joy! every commitment made towards the agenda of God bares an opportunity cost.

Colossians 3:23-24 2 Corinthians 9:7 To have a committed mindset for God's work: . Choose God first and avoid getting distracted by worldly things (Matthew 6:24). . Stay focused on pleasing Him, like a soldier obeying orders (2 Timothy 2:4). . Give yourself to God fully because you belong to Him (Matthew 22:20). . Do your best in everything as if you're working for God (Colossians 3:23-24). . Be joyful and willing when you give your time, energy, or resources (2 Corinthians 9:7). In short, focus on God, serve Him with all your heart, and do everything with joy! every commitment made towards the agenda of God bares an opportunity cost.

In a raging storm, Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat and walk on the water with Him (Matthew 14). As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he did not sink. The storms of life are inevitable. When they appear, will we trust a Savior who never fails? Join Laurie Crouch, Holly Wagner, Nicole C, Dr. Donna Pisani, and Blynda Lane as they discuss how to prepare before the storm and experience peace amid life's trials. ---------  If you want more on this topic, listen to our previous conversations in this series: 1. God Sees You 2. Hope Overcomes Despair 3. Healing the Grieving Heart ---------  Want to go deeper? Check out this blog on 11 Bible Verses for When You Need Hope --------- Do you want more Better Together? We have1000+ conversations available! Start watching now for free on TBN+   --------  If you need prayer, join our community on Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok  and let us know how we can pray for you! ---------  Better Together is TBN's first daily original program made by women for women! We discuss faith, family, friends, and so much more—no topic is off-limits. Find out what happens when real friends get together for real conversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textDid Jesus experience anxiety? The Garden of Gethsemane offers a profound, rarely discussed moment in the Bible where Jesus faced overwhelming fear. His soul was "sorrowful unto death" (Matthew 26:38), a deeply human experience that shows His struggle with anxiety as He anticipated the suffering that lay ahead. This moment of fear and distress is a key part of understanding Jesus' human nature and how He can relate to those who suffer from mental health struggles.In this moment, Jesus' dual nature—fully human and fully divine—creates a powerful tension. While theologically, Jesus is "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15), He is also deeply human and experiences the psychological distress that comes with fear. The Gospel of Luke 22:44 describes Him as sweating "drops of blood," a rare condition known as hematidrosis, which occurs during extreme emotional or physical stress. This medically documented response shows that Jesus truly understands human anxiety.In the Garden, Jesus prayed earnestly to God, asking if the "cup" of suffering might pass from Him (Matthew 26:39). This shows Jesus' humanity, wrestling with the fear of suffering and the desire to avoid the pain ahead. But despite His fear, He ultimately chose obedience: "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). His surrender wasn't an easy acceptance but a surrender through agony, acknowledging fear while choosing love.This moment offers great comfort for anyone struggling with anxiety today. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, knows what it's like to face overwhelming fear and emotional turmoil. Whether it's dealing with relationship struggles, financial pressure, or health challenges, we can take solace in the fact that Jesus understands anxiety on a deeply personal level. He faced mental anguish in the Garden and chose to submit to God's will, showing us the way to move forward in faith and surrender.The "50-50 Garden" concept helps us see Jesus' human and divine struggle—He was 50% human, fully experiencing the fear of suffering, and 50% divine, knowing the eternal consequences of His sacrifice. His obedient surrender in the face of anxiety reveals the power of perfect love to cast out fear (1 John 4:18). True peace doesn't come from denying anxiety but from drawing near to the God who understands and walks through fear with us.In your moments of anxiety or fear, remember that Jesus walked through the Garden of Gethsemane to show us the way. His example teaches us that we don't have to hide from fear but can face it with faith, knowing that Jesus has already walked through the worst for our sake. By trusting in His love and obedience, we too can experience victory over fear.Support the showhttps://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/

Tuesday, 25 February 2025   When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. Matthew 8:1   “And He having come down from the mountain, great crowds – they followed Him” (CG).   The previous verse ended Chapter 7. Chapter 8 closes out the event we call the Sermon on the Mount beginning with the words, “And He having come down from the mountain.”   The reason for going up the mountain to preach is not stated. All it said as Chapter 5 opened was, “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him” (Matthew 5:1). It could be that because of the multitudes, He expected more room to preach and still be seen and heard. A level area might be more difficult to speak to so many.   In the spot believed to be where the sermon was conducted, today known as the Mount of Beatitudes, the acoustics are said to be well suited to such a discourse. It could also be that teaching in such an area was to give the sense of exaltation of His words. Moses received the law from an elevation on Mount Sinai.   When receiving the law, Moses was alone on the mount. On the other hand, while Jesus spoke, He was surrounded by people. In fact, at the giving of the Law of Moses, it said –   “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” Exodus 19:12, 13   The first account, at the giving of the law, shows the inaccessibility of man to God through the law. On the other hand, the latter account of the Sermon on the Mount demonstrates access to God through Christ's fulfillment of the law just as He noted He would do in Matthew 5:17.   Nothing done by Jesus is without significance, including going up the mountain to speak His words to the disciples and the others who gathered.   Understanding this, it next says that “great crowds – they followed Him.” These would certainly include all those descending after the instruction He provided. But it probably would have included many more who heard that His words were astonishing and that He was probably the Messiah. Hence, there would be a great throng following Him.   This would then provide a chance for many to witness the events that will next be revealed by Matthew as His narrative continues.   Life application: As you read the unfolding events recorded in the gospels, think about why the surrounding words are included in the movements Jesus makes. Why did He go up on a mountain to speak? Why did He immediately come down from the mountain when He was finished? Why will He go to Capernaum instead of another nearby town?   Each thing is there for a reason as Jesus' life and actions form walking parables of what God wants us to see and consider. Just as the land of Israel – its geography, layout, and location in relation to other countries and people groups – is used to teach us spiritual truths, so is the life of Jesus as He interacts with the people in the land.   God's word is precise and filled with details that have importance. Remember this and consider the surrounding events in relation to the rest of Scripture. Hints of the very process of man's redemption in relation to the dispensations of time are being provided. They will be revealed to those who consider them and align them with the rest of what is recorded in the word.   Lord God, what a precious and wonderful word You have given to us. Thank You for the intricate details that are being used to teach us truths about Jesus and His work in relation to the rest of Scripture. Thank You! Thank You, O God for revealing Your heart to us through the revealing of Jesus. Amen.

When my wife and I go biking, we like to know how many miles we’ve pedaled. So, I went to a bike shop to buy an odometer and came home with a mini-computer that I discovered was a bit too complicated to program. I headed back to the bike shop, where the person who sold it to me had it working in no time. I realized it wasn’t as difficult to understand as I thought. In life, new things and new ideas can seem complicated. Think about salvation, for instance. Some people might think becoming a child of God is complicated. They could imagine it’s about a religious system or a series of rituals or being good enough. Yet, the Bible spells it out in simple terms: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). No hoops to jump through. No set of rules to follow. No mysteries to solve. Here’s the simple truth: We’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23). Jesus came to earth to save us from the penalty of our sin—death and eternal separation from Him (Matthew 1:21; 1 Peter 2:24). He arose from the dead (Romans 10:9). And we’re saved from spiritual death to eternal life by trusting in what He did for us (John 3:16). Consider what it will mean for you to simply trust and believe in Jesus. Let Him give you life—life “to the full” (John 10:10).

As we wrap up our list of the Four Wills of God, we take a step back to see how they fit together. God's will isn't a rigid set of instructions but a game plan that gives us freedom while keeping us within His providential and moral will. We examined the difference between sins of commission—things we do that we shouldn't (Romans 6:1)—and sins of omission—things we should do but don't (James 4:17). Living within God's will isn't about following a checklist but about making wise choices: staying in a right relationship with Him (Matthew 6:33), seeking His Word (Psalm 1:1-2), and listening to godly counsel (Proverbs 11:14). No matter where we are, God cares more about how we live than where we live. Let's pursue wisdom and walk in His will together. #CrossBridge #FourWillsOfGod #GodsWill

We continue in the season of Epiphany where the LORD reveals to sinners that Jesus is the Savior that God promised us and that we desperately need. This week we study the hymn "Be Still, My Soul" (Hymn 651 in The Lutheran Hymnal), written by Catharina von Schlegel in the eighteenth century. She wrote this as a poem that was later set to music, first to one melody and finally in 1927 was joined to the tune Finlandia, making a beautiful pair. This is the only hymn in our hymnal that was written by her.   The hymn is based on Psalm 46:10-11: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge." The hymn contemplates the troubles that we face in this world of sin and that Jesus calls His followers to "deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow" Him (Matthew 16:24).  Even though we face many temptations, trials of faith, and loss, the hymnwriter directs our hearts and minds to the promises and power of our God and Savior. While this is not directly an Epiphany hymn, this is especially fitting in the Epiphany season. Jesus shows His power over sickness, nature, the demons, and even over death. Through all of this and more, Jesus is revealed to us as the true God and as the world's promised Savior.  The final two verses comfort us in the loss of Christian loved ones, reminding us that Jesus has conquered death, once and for all. He "Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). With all these promises from our Savior Jesus, we can say: "Be still, my soul" trusting in Jesus who is with us and who is our Refuge and Strength! Join us as we study this hymn which comforts us in the trouble and sorrow of this earthly life through the assurance of Jesus and His work for us!

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him" Matthew 2:10-12 Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him" Matthew 2:10-12 Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him" Matthew 2:10-12 Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him" Matthew 2:10-12 Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him" Matthew 2:10-12 Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2 NKJV). You know, people...

Listener Question:@recipefordisaster asked:“Can I show the love of Christ but still harbor bitterness in my heart? Can the two coincide?”This episode tackles a profound and relatable question. Here's what we discuss:Can God Use Imperfect People?Yes! Scripture reminds us that no one is perfect (1 John 1:8). God used imperfect, flawed people throughout history—and He can use us, too.Can God Use Rebellious People?While God can use anyone, He often chooses those who choose to follow Him (Matthew 16:24). A heart of humility and surrender is key to being fully used by Him (James 4:6).The Danger of Bitterness:Resentment is deceptive. As St. Augustine said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”Bitterness, described as a root in Hebrews 12:15, doesn't just harm you—it defiles those around you.The Power of Forgiveness:Jesus offers forgiveness, which abolishes bitterness. We forgive not because others deserve it, but because Christ has forgiven us (Hebrews 12:1-2).Forgiveness is the antidote to bitterness and the key to freedom, grace, and peace in Christ.Practical Help:Clingy sins like bitterness can be difficult to shed. That's why God gave us the church—a community of believers to run alongside us in the race of faith.If you're struggling, find a godly mentor or friend to help you forgive and let go of bitterness.

September 11, 2024 Today's Reading: Philippians 3:1-21Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When it comes to salvation, there is Jesus, and there is everything else. We can divide everything into categories: is this Jesus? Or is this something else? If it is something else, it cannot save me, and it has no life in it. Daily, weekly, we are brought back to this reminder that “all the vain things that charm [us] most” are empty. When we put our trust in something other than Jesus – otherwise known as an idol – it will always fail us. People fail us, the government fails us, money fails us, we fail ourselves. So, write it all off now. Count it as loss. Consider it “rubbish” (which is a polite word for what goes in the toilet). All of it together is nothing compared to the far better thing that Jesus is your Lord. He has purchased you not with the perishable, empty things of this world, like gold and silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. And that purchase price is confirmed by His resurrection, which makes that gain eternal. The goal is to be found in Jesus, having His righteousness, which will lead to resurrection, whatever suffering might come to us in this life. Paul had a pretty good claim to boast in his own righteousness: everything in his life, his genealogy, his belonging to the covenant, his blamelessness under the law as a Pharisee. But even that would not put him with Christ, and therefore with God's eternal life. There was, for Paul, Jesus on one side and everything else on the other. One meant a righteousness of his own in which he could boast, and the other meant life and resurrection. He realized that the only one worth boasting about was Jesus. “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God.” Is this thing, whatever it is, something other than Jesus? Then I will lose it anyway. Is this Jesus? God will not only give me Him and His righteousness through faith, but He will give every other good thing along with Him (Matthew 6:33). “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast Save in the death of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood (LSB 425:2)-Rev. Timothy Winterstein is pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, East Wenatchee, Washington.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.The new Guiding Word series takes you through all the books of the Bible in six volumes. Starting with the Books of Moses—Genesis through Deuteronomy—you will explore every passage of every chapter of each book with the help of maps, diagrams, links between the testaments, and clarification points.

There are many kinds of PRAYER. One kind is INTERCESSION or TRAVAILING in prayer: “My little children, for whom I LABOUR in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). We need to YIELD to the HOLY SPIRIT, for Him to pray through us as He wants. We want to yield our hearts & bodies to Him, to pray God's will into people's lives: “It is not by (human) might, and not by (human) power, but by My SPIRIT, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We need to let God fill us with His love, so that we pray from a heart of love. Everywhere Jesus went, He was MOVED with COMPASSION to meet the needs of people, and God's POWER was manifested through Him (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22, Luke 7:13). Romans 5:5: “The LOVE of God has been SHED ABROAD in OUR HEARTS by the HOLY SPIRIT, who was GIVEN to us.” Thus, the same compassion (love) that moved Jesus is in us. But we have to learn to yield to it. When we are moved with COMPASSION, we not only recognise their need and feel for the one who is suffering, but God also EMPOWERS us to MEET their NEED. One way to do this is to PRAY in the SPIRIT for them (Romans 8:26-27). We also need to pray in faith. Faith does not depend on fickle feelings. It is a matter of believing God and His Word, and then we need to exercise our faith by obeying His Word, acting as if it is true. We become STRONG in FAITH by (1) MEDITATING in God's WORD, and (2) EXERCISING our FAITH, by corresponding actions. We build up our FAITH MUSCLES, when we EXERCISE our FAITH (put it into action). All prayer, when prayed in faith to God the Father in the Name of Jesus, is powerful. One area where you can BUILD up your FAITH by EXERCISE is in the area of PRAYER, especially PRAYING in TONGUES. If you never exercise your faith by praying in tongues, trusting the Holy Spirit to give you the utterance (Acts 2:4), then your faith in that area will never grow! When you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you automatically receive the ability to pray in tongues. But you must exercise this gift to activate it, so it is fruitful in your life. It's the same way with God's LOVE. He has already given us His LOVE (Romans 5:5). We must believe this truth and put His love into action in our lives, by walking in love. God wants us to agree with His Word, that He has already given us His love – and start exercising it! He says to you: “I have shed My love abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). You are a love child of a love God. We still have the flesh, but God's love in our heart is more powerful than our flesh. God has given us free-will, so we can choose to love or not to love. If you are born again, you are His child, and so you have His nature in your spirit, you have His LOVE in you, but by not exercising His love, you are allowing your flesh to take control of your life. But if you do EXERCISE the LOVE of God in you by faith (not feelings), for example by PRAYING for someone when you do not feel like it, then His love will fill you, and flow through you, and you will grow in love and become a lover of mankind, full of mercy and compassion. You become a person MOVED with COMPASSION to DO something, for example, YIELDING to the SPIRIT, asking Him to take control of your lips, to PRAY through you God's perfect will for that person. Matthew 9:36-38: “When He saw the multitudes, He was MOVED with COMPASSION for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep with no shepherd. Then He SAID to His disciples: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, PRAY the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Jesus was moved with COMPASSION, and His next thought is to PRAY. Therefore, there is a linking together of LOVE and PRAYER. When you have COMPASSION for someone, you want to reach God on their behalf. Today, God is calling His people to lay down our lives and PRAY. In the days to come, IF we will lay down our lives and PRAY, we will be entering into God's call for our life, and we will begin to become unselfish. The nature of GOD is to GIVE (John 3:16). The greatest joy in the world is for us to love others, for example, to help someone in trouble. Jesus wants us to be known for our LOVE (John 13:34-35). Standing in the gap for someone else is an act of love. INTERCESSORY PRAYER is an ACT of LOVE. As you sow to the Spirit by doing good, such as interceding for others, you will REAP everlasting LIFE (Galatians 6:7-9). YIELD your tongue to the HOLY SPIRIT, and pray in unknown tongues, trusting in the Spirit to give you the words (Acts 2:4): “for he who speaks in an unknown tongue does not SPEAK to men but TO GOD, for no one understands him; however, IN the SPIRIT he speaks MYSTERIES” (1Corinthians 14:2).

There are many kinds of PRAYER. One kind is INTERCESSION or TRAVAILING in prayer: “My little children, for whom I LABOUR in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). We need to YIELD to the HOLY SPIRIT, for Him to pray through us as He wants. We want to yield our hearts & bodies to Him, to pray God's will into people's lives: “It is not by (human) might, and not by (human) power, but by My SPIRIT, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We need to let God fill us with His love, so that we pray from a heart of love. Everywhere Jesus went, He was MOVED with COMPASSION to meet the needs of people, and God's POWER was manifested through Him (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22, Luke 7:13). Romans 5:5: “The LOVE of God has been SHED ABROAD in OUR HEARTS by the HOLY SPIRIT, who was GIVEN to us.” Thus, the same compassion (love) that moved Jesus is in us. But we have to learn to yield to it. When we are moved with COMPASSION, we not only recognise their need and feel for the one who is suffering, but God also EMPOWERS us to MEET their NEED. One way to do this is to PRAY in the SPIRIT for them (Romans 8:26-27). We also need to pray in faith. Faith does not depend on fickle feelings. It is a matter of believing God and His Word, and then we need to exercise our faith by obeying His Word, acting as if it is true. We become STRONG in FAITH by (1) MEDITATING in God's WORD, and (2) EXERCISING our FAITH, by corresponding actions. We build up our FAITH MUSCLES, when we EXERCISE our FAITH (put it into action). All prayer, when prayed in faith to God the Father in the Name of Jesus, is powerful. One area where you can BUILD up your FAITH by EXERCISE is in the area of PRAYER, especially PRAYING in TONGUES. If you never exercise your faith by praying in tongues, trusting the Holy Spirit to give you the utterance (Acts 2:4), then your faith in that area will never grow! When you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you automatically receive the ability to pray in tongues. But you must exercise this gift to activate it, so it is fruitful in your life. It's the same way with God's LOVE. He has already given us His LOVE (Romans 5:5). We must believe this truth and put His love into action in our lives, by walking in love. God wants us to agree with His Word, that He has already given us His love – and start exercising it! He says to you: “I have shed My love abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). You are a love child of a love God. We still have the flesh, but God's love in our heart is more powerful than our flesh. God has given us free-will, so we can choose to love or not to love. If you are born again, you are His child, and so you have His nature in your spirit, you have His LOVE in you, but by not exercising His love, you are allowing your flesh to take control of your life. But if you do EXERCISE the LOVE of God in you by faith (not feelings), for example by PRAYING for someone when you do not feel like it, then His love will fill you, and flow through you, and you will grow in love and become a lover of mankind, full of mercy and compassion. You become a person MOVED with COMPASSION to DO something, for example, YIELDING to the SPIRIT, asking Him to take control of your lips, to PRAY through you God's perfect will for that person. Matthew 9:36-38: “When He saw the multitudes, He was MOVED with COMPASSION for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep with no shepherd. Then He SAID to His disciples: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, PRAY the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Jesus was moved with COMPASSION, and His next thought is to PRAY. Therefore, there is a linking together of LOVE and PRAYER. When you have COMPASSION for someone, you want to reach God on their behalf. Today, God is calling His people to lay down our lives and PRAY. In the days to come, IF we will lay down our lives and PRAY, we will be entering into God's call for our life, and we will begin to become unselfish. The nature of GOD is to GIVE (John 3:16). The greatest joy in the world is for us to love others, for example, to help someone in trouble. Jesus wants us to be known for our LOVE (John 13:34-35). Standing in the gap for someone else is an act of love. INTERCESSORY PRAYER is an ACT of LOVE. As you sow to the Spirit by doing good, such as interceding for others, you will REAP everlasting LIFE (Galatians 6:7-9). YIELD your tongue to the HOLY SPIRIT, and pray in unknown tongues, trusting in the Spirit to give you the words (Acts 2:4): “for he who speaks in an unknown tongue does not SPEAK to men but TO GOD, for no one understands him; however, IN the SPIRIT he speaks MYSTERIES” (1Corinthians 14:2).

Antisemitism is on the rise. Seeing protests on university campuses across the U.S. and growing violence against Jewish people around the world is not only shocking, but it's a reminder that God's people will be persecuted because of our allegiance to Him (Matthew 10). It has been just over seven decades since the Holocaust, and the growing Jewish-hate is eerily similar to what happened leading up to the Hitler's “Final Solution.” As Christians, this shouldn't come as a surprise, yet many pastors are not standing with Israel and teaching their congregations about why Israel is so important. Today, Pastor Greg Laurie joins the #FearlessPodcast to discuss the ongoing war in Israel, antisemitism on college campuses, and what the Bible says about end times. He'll also share why it's important for everyone to simply share Jesus. For more resources and additional episodes visit https://cissiegrahamlynch.com.   

Your Heavenly Father wants you and desires to be intimate with you. He desires to draw near to you (James 4:8). But faith is required to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). A pure heart is required to see Him (Matthew 5:8) Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:24) -- You can too!   When Jesus says, "Come," will you get out of the boat? Come to Me (Matthew 11:28) This is the voice of God. Today if you hear his voice do not harden your Heart! (Hebrews 3:7-8) When Jesus your LORD and SAVIOR says, "Come,":  Will you step out in faith or will you allow fear to keep you from walking on the water with Jesus?   I believe you will walk in faith Matthew 14:29-31 Believe!!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Heather in this week's podcast as she shares three ways you can overcome darkness by leaning into the light. Have you recently been feeling discouraged or that you are walking through a difficult time or season? Heather gives practical advice for how to intentionally seek the light by trusting in the Lord, being the light for others, and looking to the Lord to be your light. Episode Highlights:・Three ways you can overcome dark feelings・Darkness could include lies from the enemy, negativity, having a victim mentality, and gossip・The darkness can be very enticing and pull you in・Darkness is actually just the absence of light・Intentionally seek the light by focusing on things that light you up and bring you joy・"She wanted to be happy. And so she was"・Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding or strength, you can't do this alone・Jeremiah 17:7-8・Look to the Lord to be your light, and put your trust in your faith in Him・Matthew 5:16 ・Don't be afraid to be the light in this world filled with darkness Episode Resources/References: ・Seint's Income Disclosure ・Texting with Project Broadcast ・Easily Edit Your Videos + Podcast ・Get 50% off Stunning Emails Connect with Heather: Called to Lead Telegram Community HeatherKBurge.com heatherkburge@gmail.com You can also text (912) 405-8912 any of these keywords to learn more: CONNECT (to stay in touch on all the things) PODCAST (to get a direct link to the Called to Lead Community) COLORMATCH (to try Seint Beauty) SUMMIT (to join the virtual summit waitlist)

A Sunday morning by Youth Group Members and Pastor Brett Deal. Imagine if you heard someone was raised from the dead. What would your reaction be? Would it change the way you see the things in your life that need healing? Sure, may you have heard bits and pieces of miracles: crippled limbs restored, blind eyes opened and deaf ears healed. Over the years you've heard here and there about a man's daughter raised to life at her wake, or a window's only son who was revived at his own funeral procession (Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7.11-17)! But this resurrection is different. The girl's body was still at home, the man not yet buried. But this, this man named Lazarus was dead and entombed for four days before Jesus went to the grave and called to him. Not only did Jesus bring Lazarus back to life, He also made an astonishing claim: “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11.25)! With these words and with the living proof of Lazarus standing witness before a shocked world, word spread everywhere. As people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, the annual festival recognizing the Exodus where God freed His people from bondage in Egypt, word broke out that Jesus was riding into the city on a donkey. In that simple act of humility, He signaled to all of Jerusalem He was the prophesied Messiah: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9.9). How else would you respond?! You were already exhilarated to hear about the resurrection of Lazarus, now the Messiah Himself is riding into the city! Imagine the questions burning in their hearts: Is He bringing us peace and restoration now? Will He lead us into a new exodus, out from under the control of Rome? Will He save us now?! This is why they shout “Hosanna!” The people recognized their need for salvation. “Save us!” they cry! “Save us, like you did Lazarus! Be our resurrection and life!” Friend, this prayer is not locked in time and knows no age limit. This week, Palm Sunday, we gather to see Jesus the King! And as a special act of worship, our children and youth will be leading us to meet with Him (Matthew 19.14)! 

The Seven Prayers of Passion Week: 1. Pray for God to be Glorified 2. Pray for the Gospel of God to be Exalted 3. Pray for the entire Globe to be Impacted 4. Pray for those Invited to be Receptive 5. Pray for those Saved to get Excited 6. Pray for the Saved to stay Excited 7. Pray for America to be Impacted Sunday: Jesus enters Jerusalem as the rightful King - Matthew 21:1-11 Monday: Jesus angers the Jewish Religious Establishment by cleansing the temple - Matthew 21:12-17 (first cleansing John 2:13-22) Tuesday: Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the Jewish Religious Establishment - Matthew 23:1-36 & Jesus explains the signs of the Last Days (frequency/intensity) - Matthew 24:1-14 (15-28) Wednesday: Jesus rested and was anointed Matthew 26:6-13 while Judas was bribed to betray Him - Matthew 26:14-16 Thursday: Jesus experiences Passover with His disciples Matthew 26:17-25 then points to His gospel as the fulfillment of Passover - Matthew 26:26-30 then Jesus fulfills the prophecy that even His friends will forsake Him - Matthew 26:31-35 then Jesus takes Peter, James, & John to Gethsemane to pray before His betrayal - before His arrest - before His mock trial - before His scourging Matthew 26:36-75

The Characters Around The Cross Matthew 27:26–44 1.The Rulers - they passed judgment upon Christ - that He was a threat and must be destroyed (v.26). 2.The soldiers - they mocked and tortured Christ (v.26-38). 1. They scourged Christ (Matthew 27:26). “The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). 2.They humiliated Christ before a hundred or more soldiers (Matthew 27:27). 3.They stripped Christ and put a scarlet robe on Him (Matthew 27:28). chlamús;. A garment of dignity and office. The purple robe with which our Lord was arrayed in scorn by the mockers in Pilate's judgment hall (Matt. 27:28, 31). When put over the shoulders of someone, it was an indication that he was assuming a magistracy. It may have been the cast–off cloak of some high Roman officer which they put over the body of Jesus to mock Him as if He were an official person. 4. They put a crown of thorns on the head of Christ and a reed in His hands (Matthew 27:29). 5. They bowed and ridiculed the claim of Christ to be king (Matthew 27:29). 6. They spat upon Christ (Matthew 27:30). 7. They beat Christ on the head with the reed (Matthew 27:30). 8. They stripped Christ of the kingly robe and put His own robe back on Him, aggravating the wounds. 9. They forced Christ to carry the cross until He was exhausted (Matthew 27:32). 10. They enlisted a Gentile to help with the cross of Christ (Matthew 27:32). 11.They escorted Christ to a terrible place for execution (Matthew 27:33). 12.They gave Christ vinegar mixed with gall (Matthew 27:34). 13. They crucified Christ (Matthew 27:35). 14. They gambled for the clothes of Christ (Matthew 27:35). 15.They sat down and stared at Christ (Matthew 27:36). 16.They shamed Christ and reproached His claim again (Matthew 27:37). “He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11). 17.They added shame and reproach by crucifying Christ between two thieves (Matthew 27:38). “He was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him – Matthew 26:67

Glory be to God! Welcome everyone to Episode #773, Season 8. **

I get a little ticked off when Satan tries to infringe on what does not belong to him.There is a false doctrine is gaining traction, promoting the belief that Jesus should be revered and His teachings adhered to, but that He should not worshipped.  However, the Bible details that from infancy, Jesus was worshipped. As soon as the Magi laid eyes on the infant Christ, “they bowed down and worshiped Him” Matthew 2:11. Knowing the identity of Jesus is critical.  It is important for us to get the identity of Jesus right – otherwise, we will relate to Him in the wrong way. Romans 10:9 tells us, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Who does God want- to save us from Satan.  But Satan's goal is for us not to embrace who Jesus is and not find him worthy of worship because he taints and dismisses our salvation, and you then belong to him.www.BibleDeliverance.org

“We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2 NKJV). You know, people...

Mary, sister of Lazarus, gives us a wonderful example of someone who loves Jesus with all her heart. She sat Jesus feet to hear His words (Luke 10:38-42), and she anointed Jesus with costly perfumed oil shortly before His death to express her pure devotion to Him (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:1-10, John 12:1-7). In John's account, Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the perfume of the ointment. Matthew and Mark tell us that Mary also poured this very costly ointment on Jesus' head. The costly ointment represents the great value that she put upon Jesus (it was worth 300 denarii - about 1 year's wages, Mark 14:5). His disciples thought it was a waste pouring all this expensive oil over His head and feet, for they did not value Him as highly as Mary did. She had seen Jesus raise her beloved brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11:44), and her heart was overflowing with gratitude, love and worship. The outpouring of the oil upon Jesus was symbolic of the outpouring of her spirit to Him. The disciples were looking at the outside, but Jesus was looking at her heart (1Samuel 16:7). He saw her PURE and devoted LOVE for Him. Mary demonstrated how much she valued Jesus by pouring out all this precious oil upon Him. If we put the Gospel accounts together, she anointed His head and feet, which is why He said: “she has poured this perfume upon My BODY to prepare Me for BURIAL” (Matthew 26:12). What a contrast between the murmuring disciples and Mary's extravagant outpouring of love and deep gratitude to Jesus! It is good for us to be passionate (generous) towards our Lord Jesus. She poured the whole of the contents of the vial (not just a drop) over Jesus (Mark 14:3). Despite all the criticism and opposition, she would not allow them to stop her pouring out her heart in this wonderful, extravagant action. She refused to be intimidated by them, but was determined to pour out her whole soul before the Lord and to give Him all of her love. In His death, Jesus was about to POUR OUT His life and His blood for their sakes, and they were criticising her about the waste of this perfume POURED OUT on Him! He explained the significance of what she had done: “She has poured this ointment on My body for my BURIAL” (Matthew 26:12). It was appropriate that He received this selfless act of worship in view of the fact He was about to give up His body for death and burial, for our sake. Someone with a deep love and devotion to the Lord (like Mary) will know and perceive spiritual things that others who have less love for Him would miss. God showed her that it was needful for her to perform this act, for when He died the women wanted to anoint His body, but they could not because the Sabbath was about to start, and they had to wait until it was over. Then when they came to the tomb, Jesus had already risen from the dead, so it was important Mary anointed Him for burial in advance. We see from Jesus' response to Mary's act that He highly esteems and values PURE LOVE that is poured out upon Him. Her heart was so full of love and gratitude to Jesus that nothing was too much of a SACRIFICE. She wanted to show Jesus her deep, heartfelt, passionate LOVE by a GIFT and a DEED, and not just by WORDS.

Mary, sister of Lazarus, gives us a wonderful example of someone who loves Jesus with all her heart. She sat Jesus feet to hear His words (Luke 10:38-42), and she anointed Jesus with costly perfumed oil shortly before His death to express her pure devotion to Him (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:1-10, John 12:1-7). In John's account, Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the perfume of the ointment. Matthew and Mark tell us that Mary also poured this very costly ointment on Jesus' head. The costly ointment represents the great value that she put upon Jesus (it was worth 300 denarii - about 1 year's wages, Mark 14:5). His disciples thought it was a waste pouring all this expensive oil over His head and feet, for they did not value Him as highly as Mary did. She had seen Jesus raise her beloved brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11:44), and her heart was overflowing with gratitude, love and worship. The outpouring of the oil upon Jesus was symbolic of the outpouring of her spirit to Him. The disciples were looking at the outside, but Jesus was looking at her heart (1Samuel 16:7). He saw her PURE and devoted LOVE for Him. Mary demonstrated how much she valued Jesus by pouring out all this precious oil upon Him. If we put the Gospel accounts together, she anointed His head and feet, which is why He said: “she has poured this perfume upon My BODY to prepare Me for BURIAL” (Matthew 26:12). What a contrast between the murmuring disciples and Mary's extravagant outpouring of love and deep gratitude to Jesus! It is good for us to be passionate (generous) towards our Lord Jesus. She poured the whole of the contents of the vial (not just a drop) over Jesus (Mark 14:3). Despite all the criticism and opposition, she would not allow them to stop her pouring out her heart in this wonderful, extravagant action. She refused to be intimidated by them, but was determined to pour out her whole soul before the Lord and to give Him all of her love. In His death, Jesus was about to POUR OUT His life and His blood for their sakes, and they were criticising her about the waste of this perfume POURED OUT on Him! He explained the significance of what she had done: “She has poured this ointment on My body for my BURIAL” (Matthew 26:12). It was appropriate that He received this selfless act of worship in view of the fact He was about to give up His body for death and burial, for our sake. Someone with a deep love and devotion to the Lord (like Mary) will know and perceive spiritual things that others who have less love for Him would miss. God showed her that it was needful for her to perform this act, for when He died the women wanted to anoint His body, but they could not because the Sabbath was about to start, and they had to wait until it was over. Then when they came to the tomb, Jesus had already risen from the dead, so it was important Mary anointed Him for burial in advance. We see from Jesus' response to Mary's act that He highly esteems and values PURE LOVE that is poured out upon Him. Her heart was so full of love and gratitude to Jesus that nothing was too much of a SACRIFICE. She wanted to show Jesus her deep, heartfelt, passionate LOVE by a GIFT and a DEED, and not just by WORDS.

When the crucified and risen Lord Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead, “He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). “To those on His right,” who have been crucified and raised with Him through repentance and faith in His Gospel, He will grant the blessed kingdom of His Father (Matthew 25:34). Having been justified by His grace, they live unto righteousness in Him (Matthew 25:35–40). But “those on His left,” who trust in themselves and despise their neighbor, will depart “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Until that day, the Lord searches for His sheep “as a shepherd seeks out his flock” (Ezekiel 34:11–12). Through His preaching of repentance, He disciplines the proud sheep and goats, “the fat and the strong,” but through the preaching of forgiveness He rescues the lost, binds up the injured, strengthens the weak and feeds “the lean sheep” (Ezekiel 34:16, 20). In this way, He destroys the power of death in the children of Adam by His cross, so that “in Christ shall all be made alive” by His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20–26).

The Promise of the Spirit in the New Covenant has 2 aspects, as exemplified by Jesus: (1) The Spirit WITHIN, at the New Birth. (2) The Spirit UPON, at the Baptism in the Spirit. The apostles received the Spirit in 2 stages. (1) In the evening of His resurrection day they received the Spirit WITHIN (John 20:22). (2) Then 50 days later they received the Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), when He came UPON them. Acts 2:33 says Christ only gave His Spirit (within and upon) after His Ascension. But if it was 40 days after His resurrection, how could He give them the Spirit on the resurrection evening? The solution is there were 2 Ascensions: (1) His 1st Ascension on the resurrection morning (John 20), and (2) His 2nd Ascension 40 days later (Acts 1). *The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension: *1. To fulfil the Feast of FIRST FRUITS, He had to ascend to Heaven and present Himself to God as the First Fruits from the dead, on the day of His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). *2. To appear before God's throne to receive ALL AUTHORITY (Daniel 7:13-14). During the 40 days, in Matthew 28:18-19, He claimed He had already received this authority, so He must have ascended at the start of the 40 days. This is confirmed by Ephesians 1:19-22 which connects together His resurrection, ascension and receiving all authority as the result of a single working of God's mighty power. Also Philippians 2:9-11. The authority He received included the authority to receive and pour out the Holy Spirit. *3. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly Holy of Holies, as the final and full satisfaction for our sin, and for the New Covenant to come into full operation, including the Promise of the Spirit (Hebrews 9:11-15). Although He died and rose again, He had to accomplish the final consummation of His atoning work in Heaven, by taking His Blood into God's throne room and sprinkling it there, where it speaks for our forgiveness and grace (Hebrews 12:24). He had to do this before giving the New Covenant Gift of the Spirit to us. He is given not on our merits, but on the basis of His completed atonement, which was not consummated until His Blood was sprinkled in Heaven. So the giving of the Spirit testifies the Blood has availed for us, to cleanse us from sin and purchase the blessing of the Spirit (1John 5:6). So the Spirit could not be given before the Blood was presented in Heaven at His 1st Ascension (Acts 2:33). Having purchased our redemption, He ascended and presented His Blood in Heaven, for acceptance by the Father as the seal of His completed work. Only then could He receive the Spirit to pour out on all who believe. *4. To receive the Promise of the Spirit from the Father on our behalf, in order to pour Him out within and upon His people. This required Him to ascend to Heaven (Acts 2:33) and be glorified with all authority, power and glory (John 7:39), which must have happened on the resurrection morning (John 20:22). So He first ascended to Heaven, before returning to earth for 40 days. That is why He was able to impart the indwelling Spirit to His apostles that evening (John 20:22). The Purpose of this 1st Ascension was to officially inaugurate the New Covenant in Heaven, by presenting His Blood there, making it fully operational, as confirmed by His words to Mary, as He was about to ascend. He revealed He was ascending, and that the purpose of His Ascension was to complete the establishment of our New Covenant relationship with God. John 20:17: “Do not touch Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to MY BRETHREN and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father and YOUR Father, and to My God and YOUR God." The reason He did not allow Mary to touch Him was that He was ascending to offer Himself to God as the First Fruits. So it was not appropriate for her to touch Him. This holy offering included many saints who were raised with Him (Matthew 27:52-53). So, at His 1st Ascension, (1) He offered Himself to God as the First Fruits, the Head of the new creation of humanity, and (2) presented His Blood (which purchased and guaranteed every blessing of salvation and the Spirit for us) as the basis of the New Covenant, He was accepted by God on our behalf as our representative Man. (3) He then received all authority from God, including the right to pour out His Spirit upon all who believe. (4) Therefore, at this time, He also received the Spirit from the Father on our behalf, along with all the blessings in the New Covenant. Therefore, He now has the authority to pour out His Spirit on all those in Christ, who submit to His Headship. That is why, that evening, He was able to impart the Spirit into His disciples (John 20:22). Then He started to PREPARE them to receive the Spirit UPON (Luke 24:49), which they did 50 days later. We have a PURPOSE, for Christ has commissioned and sent us on a MISSION to be His WITNESSES (Luke 24:47), so we need His SPIRIT UPON, to EMPOWER us to fulfil this MINISTRY (Acts 1:4-8).

The 2 stages of receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) At salvation, we receive the Spirit within. (2) At the Baptism in the Spirit, we receive the Spirit upon. Jesus is the classic example: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, but (2) did not have the Spirit UPON until He was 30. We see these 2 stages with the apostles, for on the day of His resurrection Jesus imparted the indwelling Spirit to them (John 20:22). Then 50 days later they received the Spirit upon (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4). The giving of the Spirit could only happen after His Ascension (Acts 2:33). So, how could He give His Spirit to His apostles 40 days before His Ascension (John 20:22)? The solution is there were 2 Ascensions: (1) His 1st Ascension on the resurrection morning, and (2) His 2nd Ascension 40 days later. (1) First, He ascended, to appear before God and receive the Promise of the Spirit on our behalf, before returning to earth for 40 days, after which (2) He ascended again and sat down at God's right hand. That is why He could impart the Spirit to His apostles later on the same day He rose again (John 20:22). The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension: *1. To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23). *2. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly holy of holies (Hebrews 9:12). *3. To receive ALL AUTHORITY (Matthew 28:18, Daniel 7:13-14, Philippians 2:9-11): *4. To receive the SPIRIT on our behalf, to give to His people (Acts 2:33). When He appeared to Mary, He said: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ASCENDED to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father” (John 20:16-17). The reason He gave her for not allowing her to touch Him was that He was ascending. But later He allowed others to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). It follows He must have ascended for a purpose that required Him to avoid human contact until He fulfilled it, which must have been to present Himself as the First Fruits Offering to God, mandated for that very day and hour. Also, He had to present His Blood in the Heaven. So it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He had made these holy offerings. He had to fulfil the Feast of First Fruits, which required Him to ascend to the Father on that resurrection morning (always on the Sunday of Passover Week - Leviticus 23:10-11). He had to present Himself to God in the heavenly Temple in the 3rd hour, exactly when the Sheaf of First Fruits was waved before the Lord in the earthly Temple (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits is a sheaf of barley, that had been cut down and then lifted up and waved before the Lord in the Temple. Through God's acceptance and blessing of the First Fruits, the whole harvest is blessed and guaranteed to come forth just like the First Fruits. This is a picture of Christ, who was killed, but now risen as our Representative Head 'accepted by God on our behalf'. So all who are in Christ are accepted by God as righteous and under His blessing, and our future resurrection is guaranteed. He described His death and burial as a grain of wheat being buried in the earth (John 12:24). Although only 1 seed is planted, the stalk that grows from it contains a whole cluster of grains. Likewise, many new creations will come forth from His death and resurrection. This multiplication is signified in the First Fruits Offering, for a whole sheaf containing many seeds (not just 1) that is waved before the Lord. This was fulfilled in His resurrection, for although He was buried alone, He did not rise alone, but many rose at the same time with Him (Matthew 27:51-53). He ascended to present Himself and the first fruits to God. At the same time, He took the spirits of the Old Testament saints (the spirits of just men made perfect) to Heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Before the Cross, at death, believers went down to Paradise in Hades, whereas the unsaved went to Torments (Luke 16:19-31, v22). The OT saints could not go to Heaven, as they were not born again. Although righteous by faith, they were spiritually dead. Their spirits had not yet been made perfect by the New Birth, so could not go to Heaven. The New Birth was only available after His Resurrection (1Peter 1:3). So, they could not enter Heaven when they died (John 3:3,5,13). But when He rose, He preached the Gospel to them in Hades, so they might be born again (1Peter 4:6). Then at His 1st Ascension, He led them to Heaven in a triumphal procession (Ephesians 4:8). Now, all born-again believers go to Paradise in Heaven when they die (2Corinthians 12:2,4). The hope of the OT saints was Heaven (Hebrews 11:10,16), but they did not receive this promise when they died, as their spirits could not be made perfect until God provided something better (the New Birth) for His people, when the New Covenant came into operation (Hebrews 11:39-40). But now these spirits of just men have been made perfect and are in Heaven (Hebrews 12:22-24).

There are 2 Stages of receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) When we receive Christ, we are baptised into Him, born again, and receive the Spirit of God WITHIN, for our own personal blessing, holiness and life with God. (2) There is a subsequent experience of the Spirit after salvation, called the Baptism in the Spirit, when we receive the Spirit UPON, for the purpose of empowering us to witness to Christ and for ministry. The PROMISE of the SPIRIT is also called the BLESSING of ABRAHAM (Galatians 3:14), which is a 2-fold BLESSING (Genesis 12:2). Jesus is the prime example of this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, and by the indwelling Spirit, He lived a perfect holy life to God as a man, but (2) He was not empowered for supernatural ministry until He received the Spirit UPON, at His Baptism. The BAPTISM in the SPIRIT is when we are clothed with POWER, by receiving the SPIRIT UPON, enabling us to witness and fulfil our ministry. Jesus' Baptism in the Spirit is the BLUEPRINT for ours (John 1:33). He already had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit UPON, to clothe Him with power for ministry. Likewise, we have the Spirit WITHIN, from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit UPON, to clothe and anoint us with power to fulfil the Great Commission. He confirmed when God's SPIRIT came UPON Him, He was ANOINTED with God's POWER to minister (Luke 4:17-21). He described His Baptism in the Spirit as the Spirit coming UPON and ANOINTING Him to preach, heal and set the captives free. He also said that once the Spirit came upon Him, He rested and remained on Him, and so God's power was present on Him to heal them. Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah (Anointed One) in 11:1-3, 42:1, 61:1-3. In the Old Testament, nobody was BORN AGAIN or had the SPIRIT WITHIN, as this was only made available in the New Covenant. Although certain prophets, priests and kings were anointed with the SPIRIT UPON, this was not necessarily permanent, nor for all believers. But in the New Covenant, the SPIRIT UPON is available to all believers (John 7:38-39, Acts 2:16-18), and is permanent. Jesus described these 2 ministries of the Spirit WITHIN and UPON in His TEACHING. (1) He described the SPIRIT WITHIN us, as an everlasting FOUNTAIN of living water (John 4:10-14). (2) Later in John 7:37-39, He described the SPIRIT flowing out of us as RIVERS of living water, making us channels of blessing to others (v38). In Luke 11:9-13, He taught God will give His born again children more of the Holy Spirit if they ask Him (it's not automatic). In the Gospels, He primarily prepared His disciples to receive the New Birth and the Spirit WITHIN. He taught about the New Birth of our spirit by the Spirit in John 3:3-9,16. Then in John 14:16-17, He introduced the Spirit as another Helper like Himself. This means He is like Jesus, (1) a PERSON, not a force, and (2) GOD. He is a Divine Person, given to us. He also said in the New Birth the Spirit will INDWELL us forever: “He will be WITHIN YOU.” So He taught in the New Covenant the Spirit will indwell all believers forever. He explained the connection between the NEW BIRTH and the SPIRIT WITHIN in Mark 2:22. First, God must make our wineskin (spirit) new, and then He can put the NEW WINE of His SPIRIT WITHIN us. Old wineskins were renewed by rubbing them with oil. Likewise in the New Birth, our old spirits were made new and holy by the application of the OIL of the SPIRIT, making them able to receive the NEW WINE of the SPIRIT WITHIN. Then after they received His Spirit within on the day of His resurrection, during the 40 days He prepared them to receive the SPIRIT UPON, which they did at Pentecost (Acts 2). On the morning Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to Heaven, before returning to earth and appearing to His disciples for the next 40 days, before His final Ascension (John 20:16-17). The 4 Purposes for His first Ascension: (1) To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits of the harvest must be offered up and waved before God, to be accepted by God on behalf of the whole harvest (Leviticus 23:10-11). Therefore, He had to ascend to Heaven and appear before God to offer Himself as the First Fruits, to be accepted on our behalf. (2) To present His Blood in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). Thus, it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He made these holy offerings to God. But after He came back from Heaven, He allowed other women and His disciples to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). (3) To receive all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18, Philippians 2:9-11, Daniel 7:13-14). (4) To receive the Holy Spirit on our behalf, in order to pour Him out (Acts 2:33). He must have received the Spirit from the Father on the resurrection morning, as already that evening, He imparted the Spirit to His disciples (John 20:22).

The convention center darkened, and thousands of us university students bowed our heads as the speaker led us in a prayer of commitment. As he welcomed those to stand who felt called to serve in overseas missions, I could feel my friend Lynette leave her seat and knew she was promising to live and serve in the Philippines. Yet I felt no urge to stand. Seeing the needs in the United States, I wanted to share God’s love in my native land. But a decade later I would make my home in Britain, seeking to serve God among the people He gave me as my neighbors. My ideas about how I would live my life changed when I realized that God invited me on an adventure different from what I had anticipated. Jesus often surprised those He met, including the fishermen He called to follow Him. When Christ gave them a new mission to fish for people, Peter and Andrew left their nets “at once” and followed Him (Matthew 4:20), and James and John “immediately” left their boat (v. 22). They set off on this new adventure with Jesus, trusting Him yet not knowing where they were going. God, of course, calls many people to serve Him right where they are! Whether staying or going, we can all look to Him expectantly to surprise us with wonderful experiences and opportunities to live for Him in ways we might never have dreamed possible.

Understanding Salvation: A Closer Look at the CrossThink about the last time you tried to assemble a piece of furniture without instructions. Frustrating, isn't it? Every screw and every bolt seem to be a mystery. In many ways, the cross of Christ is like that instruction manual, providing a path, a method, and a way forward in our relationship with God. But like any guide, we have to read and understand it for it to make any difference.Our anchor scripture today is from Romans 5:8 (NIV): "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."1. The Cross as a Display of God's Love: The act of Jesus dying on the cross is the ultimate testament to God's love for us. Despite our flaws and failures, despite our sin, God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16). It was on the cross that Love itself was nailed, showing us the depth and height of God's love.2. The Cross as the Means of Atonement: In the Old Testament, the blood of an animal served as atonement for sin (Leviticus 17:11). But these sacrifices were a shadow of the perfect and final sacrifice—Jesus, the Lamb of God. On the cross, His blood was shed, providing forgiveness and atonement for all of humanity's sins (Hebrews 9:12–14).3. The Cross as the Bridge to Eternal Life: The cross is not just about death; it's also about resurrection and life. Jesus's death on the cross and subsequent resurrection are the victory over sin and death. Because of His sacrifice, we have the promise of eternal life (1 Corinthian 15:54–57). The cross bridges the gap between our mortal lives and the eternity God promises to those who believe in Him.Understanding the Cross and Our Salvation To understand salvation, we must understand the cross—tthe manifestation of God's love, the means of our atonement, and the bridge to eternal life. The cross isn't just a symbol; it's an invitation to a transformed life, a call to lay down our sins, take up our cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).Let's close in prayer:"Father God, we thank You for Your love so profound that You gave Your only Son to die for our sins. Help us to never take for granted the immense sacrifice made on the cross. May we live our lives in response to this grace, sharing Your love with those around us, and making the most of the salvation You've gifted us. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen."As you go from here, remember this, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14, NIV). The cross was heavy, but its message is light, bringing hope, forgiveness, and eternal life. May your understanding of the cross deepen and enrich your walk with Christ. Amen.

When I was thirteen, I attended my first church camp. I experienced life-changing things, like when I encountered 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I'd never noticed this verse before, but that week 1 Peter 5:7 sank into my soul. Because, like most teens, I had worries and cares! Problem was—exactly HOW do you give them to God?.Well, over time I learned that giving our cares to God isn't an event—it's a process..First, I remember who I am coming to: Jesus—God in flesh—who also suffered. In fact, Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus “learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Hmmm... that's mind-boggling. Even though Jesus's suffering and obedience are different from ours, it's incredible to ponder Jesus learning obedience from His suffering..Then, I think about why Jesus suffered on the cross and rose again—out of His great love for me, He chose to personally redeem me, both from sin and (when He returns) from suffering (Revelation 21:3-4)..Lastly, I remember even Jesus agonized over His suffering. In Luke 22, we see Jesus face the cross, fervently praying for deliverance from His “cup of suffering” (verses 42-44). Since Jesus truly empathizes with us in our weaknesses, we know we can boldly come to Him..And so... how do we boldly come to Jesus? Simple—we follow the instructions in Philippians 4:6-8. In this passage, we see what to pray about: everything! And we see how to pray: “Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (verse 6). And that's it! We are giving our cares to Jesus. And, as we continue to bring our requests to God (notice the word "continue"), we can experience God's peace (verse 7). In this way, we can come to Christ whenever we are weary—and find true rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). • G. Kam Congleton.• In the book of Psalms, we see God's people giving their cares to Him—often with strong words, even accusing God of being distant, hurtful, and uncaring (Psalms 6, 10, 88). In times of pain and suffering, God invites us to come to Him honestly, telling Him just how hurt, angry, or sad we feel. He isn't afraid or ashamed of our emotions, even if we are. And it's only in being honest with God that we can truly experience His comfort. We can tell God what we actually want from Him, not just what we think He wants to hear. How could this truth affect the way you give your cares to God? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about these things now. .Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Sometimes, it's easy to become intimidated or even jealous of other Christians. "Alondra is so good at teaching—would I be a better Christian if I could teach like she can? Blake always knows how to show mercy to people—why is that so hard for me? Is it bad that I can't lead people in worship like Jade?".God has equipped His people in so many different ways, and that's a good thing. We don't need to compare ourselves to other Christiansbecause we belong to the same God. It's not a competition—we're all on the same team. As 1 Corinthians 12 puts it, we are all part of the body of Christ. Even though different body parts have different functions, they all work together as a whole..Similarly, Christians are equipped with different spiritual gifts, but these gifts “are the work of one and the same Spirit” (verse 11). God doesn't leave anyone out. All of us are important in the body of Christ, each of us tremendously and equally loved by God. He demonstrated His great love for us in Jesus—He came to serve, giving His very life for us so that we could be with Him (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). The reason we serve now, in whatever capacity that may be, is because we love Jesus and want to share His love with others..As members of the same team and family, we have the freedom to explore the gifts God has given us. Some Christians will have gifts that are similar to ours, others will have very different gifts. But we can trust Jesus to guide us in how to serve Him as we listen to His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can serve Him faithfully as one of the many unique members of His church, knowing that we are loved no matter how we serve. • A. W. Smith.• Consider taking some time to reread 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:11-16. The Holy Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to all Christians. What questions do you have about spiritual gifts?.• Who are trusted Christians in your life—such as pastors, counselors, parents, or teachers—who could help you discern your spiritual gifts and talk through questions you might have about the gifts you have, and the gifts others have?.Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Have you ever prayed and prayed for something to happen, something that you know is good and right, something that—by all logic—seems like it should happen... and it doesn't? What then? Well, John the Baptist was in a similar situation. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah. In fact, John was the one who baptized Jesus and saw the Spirit descend on Him like a dove (Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:29-36). But John still sent messengers to Jesus, asking if Jesus was truly the Messiah. Why would he do that? Did John, of all people, have doubts?.John was in prison at the time he sent the messengers, and he had been imprisoned by Herod the tetrarch for quite some time at this point (Luke 3:19-20). And Jesus knew that John was in prison. I can see how some doubt about Jesus's identity would creep in. I can just imagine John murmuring to himself in jail, “I know Jesus is Lord, but how could He just leave me here?”.So, what's Jesus's answer? He quotes parts of the Old Testament, saying He is there to make the blind see and preach good news to the poor, but He leaves out one specific part. Freeing the captives. In essence, it's like Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am the Messiah, I am who you think I am, but this isn't something I am meant to do for you.”.We don't get much explanation beyond that except another passage where Jesus states that He is not going to fulfill all the expectations that people had for Him (Matthew 11:16-19). Jesus is the perfect Messiah, but He is going to do things in His own way and His own time..John the Baptist was beheaded in the same prison that he sent those messengers from (Mark 6:17-29). But even though John remained a prisoner, Jesus was no less of a Savior. And someday, Jesus will free all prisoners and justice will come. When Jesus returns, He will raise all His people from the dead—including John the Baptist—and together we will see the glory of the Messiah on full display. • Naomi Zylstra.• Can you think of a time your prayers were not answered in the way you were expecting? Have you ever felt like God wasn't “doing His job”?.• Jesus does rescue John, but not from the prison cell. John's rescue is from death itself. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus will be raised from the dead when Jesus returns! How can remembering Jesus's promises give us hope in the midst of hardship and confusion? (Matthew 28:20; John 16:33; Romans 8:31-39).Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see...” Matthew 11:4 (CSB)

Jesus is in YOUR boat! YOU need to know this... Website: www.PastorTodd.org To help support us: www.ToddCoconato.com/give   The story of Jesus calming the storm is told in the three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Jesus had been teaching near the Sea of Galilee. Afterwards, He wanted a respite from the crowds so decided to take a boat with the apostles to the opposite shore where there were no large towns (Mark 4:35–36). The Bible reports not long after they sailed, Jesus fell asleep and a storm arose (Luke 8:23). Here are two important points that reveal the true humanity of Christ: He needed rest and time away from crowds, and He was so exhausted that even the battering of the boat did not awaken Him (Matthew 8:24). These truths should help us realize that Jesus was genuinely human with the same basic needs we all have. Christ's humanity is part of what qualifies Him to be our merciful intercessor between us and God the Father (Hebrews 2:17). Although the text doesn't say which apostles were with Christ on the boat, it's probable that seasoned fishermen (at least four of the twelve) were aboard. These men were quite familiar with the ways of the sea; certainly, this was not their first squall on the Sea of Galilee, which was known for its sudden raging storms. Even these professional fishermen were frightened by this storm, to the point of fearing they would die (Luke 8:24). “The waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion” (Mark 4:37–38). It's significant that Jesus' sleep was deep and sound, even through the storm, which was “already filling” the boat. The Bible says the sleep of a believer will be sweet and peaceful because he knows the Lord is with him (Proverbs 3:24; Psalm 4:8). This is why Jesus, when He was awakened, rebuked the disciples with the question “Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40). The apostles' lack of faith reminds us that even those who lived and walked with Jesus, saw His miracles, and heard His message still found it difficult to be 100 percent faith-filled all the time. In that way, the disciples were a lot like us. However, their lack of faith was rebuked—and, by extension, so is ours. If Jesus was able to rescue the apostles from the storm, He is also able to rescue us from the storms of everyday life: sickness, job loss, marriage problems, and even the sting of death (1 Corinthians 15:55). When Jesus “gave orders to go over to the other side” (Matthew 8:18), He knew the storm was coming. He is omniscient (John 2:25); even with a storm brewing, He decided to launch out to sea. The Lord never promised we will never see a storm in life (as a matter of fact, He has told us to expect trouble, John 16:33). Rather, He has promised that He will be with us in the storm. He will never leave His children alone in the midst of trouble; with perseverance they will overcome (Deuteronomy 31:8; James 1:12). This passage not only reveals Jesus' true humanity, but also Jesus' deity because only God can make the “winds and water obey” (Luke 8:25). With one quick word from Christ, the storm abated and the sea became calm (Mark 4:39). The apostles marveled at this powerful display of Jesus' supernatural ability over the elements (Luke 8:25). This can be immensely comforting to the Christian in a storm. Faith in Christ is never misplaced. If He can calm the storms of the sea with one word, He can calm the storms of life as well.

THE THESIS: Far too many churches have been captured just like every other institution. We cannot rely on schools, churches, media or government to create the moral base on which our families and therefore nations can stand. We must install in our homes the Word of God, live amongst the People of God, practice the Will of God and work to rescue the spiritual captives. THE SCRIPTURE & SCRIPTURAL RESOURCES: The Lord Jesus was not the least bit “confused” about his sex nor was he “born in the wrong body.” Genesis 1:27So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Isaiah 9:6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.The Lord Jesus was eminently clear about what will befall those who cause a child to stumble on the way to Him:Matthew 18:5-75 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.Causing to Stumble6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!THE NEWS & COMMENT:The Bible is filled with descriptions about The Lord Jesus. In fact, the entire book is His story. Had God wanted to explain that His only begotten Son was confused and thought He was a girl, God would have made that clear. He didn't because Jesus was confused about nothing and He still isn't. Cambridge dean defends sermon about Jesus' 'trans body,' 'vaginal' side wound blasted as 'heresy'; The sermon likening the wound in Jesus' side to a vagina left congregants 'uncomfortable' and 'in tears'But, that's just the church. No, this is a pervasive drive to confuse people about biology and sex and it serves the enemy who hates the human form and loves to use sex to attack us. In Australia, The Party is using the ”mature minors” meme to let little kids get sexually and chemically mutilated without parental permission This is why I spend as much time as I do on the so-called “transgender” push, because it goes from the top down to people like this, whom I consider a spiritual captive and someone whose kids should not be with them:[AUDIO] - This so-called “trans” parent is raising his child gender neutral so the kid can choose a gender and he's hoping the kid ends up being what he calls “transgender.”From a confused parent to an international fashion brand pushing pedophilia: they can apologize to us all day, but they did it in purpose. The apology they need to make is to God and then to sin no more like this. Balenciaga apologise for 'disgusting' campaign featuring 'child abuse' documents on display; It appears some celebrities are now trying to distance themselves from the labelAnd, this is hardly an isolated caseBalenciaga and the rise of paedo chic; Adults need to stop dragging kids into their sexual fantasies.Jake Shields tweeted this: do we think they are not fully aware of what they are doing?