Podcasts about his apostles

Friends of the Rosary,Happy Father's Day!As we read today, Sunday (Matt 10:26-28), Jesus, the Lord, is asking each one of us to be fearless apostles.To the Twelve, He revealed:"Fear no one.”“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroyboth soul and body in Gehenna.”“Even all the hairs of your head are counted.So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.Everyone who acknowledges me before othersI will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.But whoever denies me before others,I will deny before my heavenly Father."What our Lord said to His Apostles applies to all Christians in the practice of their faith, by being always truthful and honest in all our dealings,We must be a light shining in the darkness of our fallen world.Today's Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠June 21, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Homily from the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Precisely as strong as it needs to be. When Jesus sends out His Apostles in His Name, He also gives them all of the strength and ability that they are going to need. He continues to give us the same: precisely the strength that we need at every moment. Mass Readings from June 14, 2026: Exodus 19:2-6 Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5Romans 5:6-11 Matthew 9:36—10:8

Read OnlineAt the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36As Jesus went “to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness” (Matthew 9:35), He was moved with deep compassion for the crowds. The Greek verb splagchnizomai is often translated as “moved with pity” or “moved with compassion.” It appears twelve times in the Gospels—eight times describing Jesus' own compassion and four times illustrating divine mercy in parables or related contexts (the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Unforgiving Servant, and the plea of a father for his demon-possessed son). This verb conveys not just an emotional response but a profound stirring of His entire being, compelling Him to act with divine mercy—engaging His mind, will, body, and emotions.Understanding this verb is essential because it unveils the very heart of Christ's mission, where His divine mercy is fully manifest in His humanity. Though His mercy originates in His divinity, He fully lived and expressed it in His human nature, allowing it to consume Him entirely and drive Him to shepherd His people.Jesus' all-consuming compassion should profoundly console us. God does not love us out of mere divine obligation; His love is deeply personal, intimate, and relentless. He is not distant or impersonal, aloof in His perfection. In Christ, God's mercy is made visible—His human heart is stirred to action, doing everything He can to draw us closer to Himself. This is why His compassion is such a source of reassurance: He is not a distant or angry God, standing far off to condemn. Rather, He is the God who, in Christ, allows Himself to be consumed with mercy, driven by compassion, and moved to act for the salvation of each one of us.That same profound mercy continues to flow from the Sacred Heart today. In Heaven, Christ's human heart remains inseparably united to His divinity, pouring forth the love of the Father and the Holy Spirit upon the world. His compassion is made present to us through His Church, especially in the Sacraments and in the lives of saintly men and women. This same compassion must become the driving force behind all we do for the Kingdom. We are called to be His living instruments of mercy, reflecting His Sacred Heart in our actions, words, and love for others—so that each of us might be reassured of God's unfailing love.We see in today's Gospel that Jesus' compassion moved Him to send out twelve of His disciples as His Apostles, entrusting them with His divine authority to proclaim the Kingdom of God, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons. They were to be His chosen instruments of mercy, reaching out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel—those in dire need of God's truth and healing grace.Today, Jesus sends each of us forth in a unique way to be a beacon of light and mercy to others. He first calls us to love those closest to us—our family and friends—not in an ordinary way, but in a radical self-giving that mirrors His own love. We must allow our whole beings to be moved with divine compassion for them, reassuring them of both our love and God's love. But our mission cannot end there. After loving our families, we must extend that same compassion to all whom God places in our lives, offering the same depth of mercy that filled Jesus' Sacred Heart long ago.Reflect today on Jesus' divine compassion from two perspectives. First, gaze at His overflowing love for you. There is no way to overestimate that love. Second, allow that love to transform you so that His mercy flows through you into the lives of others. Do not hold back the love of God—let it pour forth freely and abundantly. Let His divine compassion move your entire being so that you become a true instrument of His mercy, drawing souls to Him through the power of love and all-consuming compassion. Most loving Lord, when You gazed upon the people of Israel's troubles and abandonment, Your Sacred Heart was stirred with deep compassion. Pour forth that same compassion upon me, O Lord, and make me an instrument of Your mercy in the lives of others. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: The mosiac of Sermon on the mount in churchSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Homily from the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). To have the Real Presence in the Eucharist, one needs the Apostolic priesthood. Corpus Christi is an important feast for an important Reality. We know that Jesus was clear when He taught about His Body and Blood in the Eucharist...yet this true Presence requires the true ministerial priesthood that Jesus established with His Apostles. Christ's followers are divided, but He continues to desire our unity. Mass Readings from June 7, 2026: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 Psalm 147:12-15, 19-201 Corinthians 10:16-17 John 6:51-58

Pride has plagued mankind from the advent of our creation. So often the devil invites us to seek after achievements that are an affront to Our Lord. In a time long past, our race thought they could attain to the heights of heaven by their own artifice. This sinful pride was met with the dispersion of tongues. Yet God, in His infinite mercy, bequeathed His Apostles with the known languages of man, so that those sheep once lost due their own sinfulness may find a way back to Him for everlasting life.

Read Online“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.” Mark 10:33–34How often do we fail to grasp the suffering of others, consumed instead by our own concerns? This was the struggle of the Twelve as Jesus prepared to endure His Passion. Today's Gospel presents the third time Jesus clearly told them about His Passion and Death, yet they still didn't get it.After Jesus revealed His Passion for the first time, “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.” In the presence of the other disciples, Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (cf. Mark 8:31–33). The second time Jesus revealed His Passion they “did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.” Instead, they engaged in a childish conversation, “discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest” (cf. Mark 9:30–37).Today's Gospel, presenting the third time Jesus revealed His Passion, depicts a similar scenario. Jesus is very explicit: In Jerusalem, He “will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.” Once again, despite the seriousness of Jesus' revelation, James and John immediately ask Jesus, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left” (Mark 10:37). The Apostles were so consumed with their own ambitions that they failed to grasp the gravity of Jesus' words and were unable to offer Him the charity of empathy.Fortunately for them—and for us—Jesus had perfect patience. He understood their weaknesses and showed mercy. Humanly speaking, the disciples could have offered Him the charity of human empathy and compassion, walking more firmly with Jesus toward His agony and death, but they were unprepared and unable to do so.While the Apostles failed to console Jesus, His mother consoled His Sacred Heart. With her Immaculate Heart in perfect union with His, the Blessed Mother modeled perfect empathy as she pondered her Son's life in her heart and stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross. She walked with Jesus every step of the way. Her love consoled Him even as the Twelve failed to do so. The Blessed Mother teaches us how to accompany, with love and presence, those who suffer.We must see ourselves in the Apostles, listening to Jesus share news of His Passion. As we consider their apathy and lack of understanding, we should seek the grace of a loving and empathetic heart by seeing our Lord present in those around us, especially family, who carry heavy burdens. This grace will enable us to be attentive to those burdens and better imitate our Blessed Mother who consoled the heart of her Son. Though the Apostles initially failed in this mission, they were learning and growing. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they would later console others by sharing Christ's love and proclaiming His Passion with courage, especially as they lived it. Reflect today on Jesus' interaction with His Apostles. Learn from their shortcomings and be grateful for Jesus' patience. Pray for the grace of an empathetic heart, for this virtue enables us to console the Heart of Christ by sharing in His Passion with attentiveness and compassion. In doing so, we imitate the perfect love of the Blessed Mother, who teaches us how to truly love. My patient Lord, though You desire to fully share Your life and Passion with me, I often fail to be attentive and to see You in those around me. Grant me the grace to meet You in Your sufferings, and fill my heart with the charity of human empathy, especially for those I am called to love. May I learn from the weakness of the Apostles and the perfect love of Your Blessed Mother, imitating her unwavering love for You and for all. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Jesus and his Disciples on the Sea of Galilee By Carl Oesterley Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Read OnlineJesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20:21–23Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, which took place fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead. Today's Gospel recounts Jesus' first appearance to the Apostles as a group—Thomas being absent—on the evening of the Resurrection. During this appearance, Jesus conferred on them the authority to forgive sins, a power foundational to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This gift anticipates the fuller outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when the Apostles were empowered to carry out their mission with boldness and divine strength.By breathing on the Apostles, Jesus recalls the creation account in Genesis, when God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7). Now Christ, the New Adam, breathes new life—the divine life of grace—into His Apostles. While this breathing conveys the Holy Spirit in an anticipatory manner, Pentecost represents the full bestowal of the Spirit upon the Church, sanctifying and empowering the Apostles and all disciples.Our knowledge of Pentecost comes to us from the Acts of the Apostles, Luke's continuation of his Gospel in which he details the beginning of the Church: “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them” (Acts 2:2–3).When the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles at Pentecost, there were physical manifestations. God often accompanies significant biblical actions with visible signs to reveal the invisible reality of His presence and activity. Though the transforming reality of Pentecost was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the accompanying signs teach us about the Spirit's nature and work.The “strong driving wind” that “filled the entire house” symbolizes the ongoing, life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit. Like the wind, the Spirit is unseen yet powerful, moving where He wills and producing visible effects in the lives of believers. Though we understand the natural causes of wind today, its mystery and uncontrollable nature remain, reflecting the Holy Spirit's divine origin and unstoppable work in the world. He comes from God's hidden presence, unseen but active, bringing about a new creation in the Church and in every soul He touches.The “tongues as of fire” signify the Spirit's purifying and transforming action, burning away sin and igniting hearts with zeal for God's mission. Together, these signs reveal the Spirit as the powerful, life-giving, and sanctifying presence of God, animating the Church and guiding her to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.Before Pentecost, the disciples hid in the Upper Room, fearful and uncertain. Though Jesus had taught them, performed miracles, and revealed His perfect love, their hearts were not yet fully transformed. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came as a divine fire, emboldening them to become fearless witnesses.When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, we receive the same gift bestowed upon the disciples at Pentecost. We might not feel a strong driving wind or see tongues of fire descend from Heaven, but the reality is the same. The signs at Pentecost were not only for the disciples, they were also for us, revealing the Holy Spirit's workings and power in our lives.Reflect today on the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Have you experienced the Spirit's presence in your life? Like the first disciples, have you allowed the Holy Spirit to fill you with power from on high, emboldening you, purifying you, and setting you on fire with zeal to fulfill the mission God has entrusted to you? The Holy Spirit will transform us—if we let Him—setting our feet on the path to eternal glory.Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: The fresco of Pentecost in the church Dreifaltigkeitskirche by August Müller (1923).Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

In His prayer of intercession for His Apostles and for His Church, Jesus prayed That We Will Be One in Him

In today's Gospel, Jesus predicts that His Apostles will abandon Him in His hour of need. Ruminate on the word's of Jesus during today's reflection from Fr. Kubicki.

May 17, 2026Today's Reading: John 15:26-16:4Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25; Luke 18:18-34“…now we cultivate the fear of God, justice, kindness, faith, and the expectation of the future given us through the Crucified One… The more we are persecuted and martyred, the more do others in ever increasing numbers become believers.”  ~Justin the Martyr (100AD – 165AD) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Most of Jesus' words to His disciples are intended to prepare them for His departure via the cross, where He would pay the cost of their salvation. In our text, Jesus' words prepare His Apostles for their eventual crosses – the hour which is coming when, “whoever kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (Jn 16:2) A significant portion of Jesus' words to His disciples in all the Gospels are about the cost of being His disciple. (Matthew 10:38, 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:25-33). As His disciple, where is your cross? You needn't go looking for it. You bear it marked upon your forehead and over your heart as given in the rite of Holy Baptism. When you were made God's own child in that water and Word, you were made an enemy of Satan, and thus an enemy of this fallen world over which he rules (John 12:31). No one baptized, who stands upon the rock of Christ's truth, is immune from the scorn of Satan or this world. That is the cross borne by you and all of God's saints.  Dying to yourself and to this world doesn't have to mean martyrdom. Still, you face a world where Scriptural truth is despised, God's created order is denied, and the truth of a merciful God is rejected. The cost could include the loss of friendships, family ties, the respect of your peers, and worldly success. So it is that, in our text, Jesus' admonition likewise includes the promise that the Holy Spirit will be the immutable source of your Christian life and witness.  “I have said all these things to keep you from falling away.” (John 16:1) Jesus' admonition is a gift. When the world rages against you, you are not left alone. The Holy Spirit keeps your eyes fixed upon Jesus, who authored and perfected your faith, enduring the cross for the joy set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2) The Spirit continues to call you by the Gospel, enlighten you with His gifts, keeping you in the true faith, daily and richly forgiving your sins. The cost you pay of dying to this world is a pittance compared to the cost of Christ's own blood, which has bought you and made you an heir with Him to eternity. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for Exaudi – The Seventh Sunday of Easter)Rev. Jeffrey Ries, pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA

Read Online“When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” John 16:21–22When we live fully united to Christ, we can endure anguish with confidence and determination. Without Christ, even small, temporary trials become so burdensome that we tend to avoid them. Though trials are not desirable in themselves, God permits them to strengthen us in virtue and prepare us for eternity. The anguish that accompanies them is temporary, but the victory over them is eternal. If we refuse to endure the temporary, we risk losing the eternal.Our Gospel illustrates this point well. The purpose of pregnancy is to cooperate with God's creative power and to bring forth into the world a precious new soul who will exist for all eternity. What a joy it is for parents to learn of their pregnancy, endure the nine months and the labor, hold their newborn child, and accompany that child throughout life and into Heaven.In order to give birth to that child, the woman must endure labor pains. These pains are not desirable or sought for their own sake, but a woman willingly endures them as a necessary condition for the great joy of new life. Afterward, a loving mother does not regret having a baby because the labor was painful. The joy of holding her newborn is so rewarding that it puts the pain in perspective.Just as a woman willingly endures labor pains for the joy of new life, we too must embrace temporary trials to receive eternal blessings. Trials are a consequence of Original Sin. In the beginning, God did not will that trials would be part of our lives. After the Fall, many forms of trials entered human existence. To enable us to overcome these trials, the Son of God took on flesh and overcame everything we endure. Therefore, when we face trials, God looks at us and invites us to follow His example: to carry our crosses with His strength, to do what He already did.When Jesus told His Apostles, “So you also are now in anguish,” He was speaking not only to them but also to us. Jesus was fully aware of the anguish the Apostles would endure through His coming Passion, and He is fully aware of every anguish we will endure. His awareness is active, offering hope: “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” This is His promise to each of us as we confidently endure the trials of life. Our endurance will lead to eternal joy, for we will share in the victory of Christ's Resurrection. Reflect today on whether you are willing to endure the anguish of temporary trials so as to share in the eternal blessing that will come after. Are you living for what is temporary or eternal? Do you avoid trials out of fear, or do you embrace them with trust in Christ's promise? Reflect on how you might unite your daily struggles with His Passion and seek His grace to persevere. Turn to Jesus, Who has already endured every trial and triumphed, and imitate Him so that you share in His victory and rejoice with Him for all eternity. My determined Lord, You fully aligned Your will with the Father's by embracing the great anguish caused by Your Passion and exhorted Your disciples to imitate You. You call me to do the same. Please give me the grace and wisdom I need to keep my eyes on the eternal and glorious end to which I am called, so that I can endure every temporary anguish with joy and hope. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

14 At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again.Novissime recumbentibus illis undecim apparuit : et exprobravit incredulitatem eorum et duritiam cordis : quia iis, qui viderant eum resurrexisse, non crediderunt. 15 And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.Et dixit eis : Euntes in mundum universum praedicate Evangelium omni creaturae. 16 He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.Qui crediderit, et baptizatus fuerit, salvus erit : qui vero non crediderit, condemnabitur. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues.Signa autem eos qui crediderint, haec sequentur : in nomine meo daemonia ejicient : linguis loquentur novis : 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.serpentes tollent : et si mortiferum quid biberint, non eis nocebit : super aegros manus imponent, et bene habebunt. 19 And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God.Et Dominus quidem Jesus postquam locutus est eis, assumptus est in caelum, et sedet a dextris Dei. 20 But they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.Illi autem profecti praedicaverunt ubique, Domino cooperante, et sermonem confirmante, sequentibus signis.Fort days after the Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ, attended by Angels, ascended into heaven, in the sight of His most holy Mother, His Apostles, and disciples, to the great wonder of them all. St Paul declares that God "hath made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus." "There where the Head has gone, the Body is called to follow!"

Read Online“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20What a monumental task the Apostles were given! These are Jesus' parting words as He stands on the Mount of the Ascension, the final words recorded in Matthew's Gospel. They are powerful words by which Jesus entrusts extraordinary responsibility to eleven of His closest companions. Their mission was not merely to gain new followers but to proclaim the Gospel to every nation. Additionally, they were to baptize all nations and teach them everything Jesus had commanded.This incredible task would have seemed daunting, if not impossible. Yet it is grounded in divine authority: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore…” These are not mere words of encouragement but a divine command, rooted in the authority entrusted to Jesus by the Father. With this declaration, Jesus equips the Apostles with the grace to fulfill their mission, knowing they act under His authority.The Ascension marks a fundamental transition in salvation history. Before the Incarnation, God established covenants with His people and sent prophets to call them to fidelity and prepare them for the coming of the Messiah. With Jesus' Incarnation, a new era of salvation history began. Through His Passion and Resurrection, Jesus opened the floodgates of grace and inaugurated the final phase of God's eternal plan. This phase continues today and will only reach its fulfillment when Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead and establish the new Heaven and new Earth. Because we live in this final phase of salvation history, Jesus' words to His Apostles also apply to us. We are not only among the “all nations” called to be disciples, but we also share in the Apostles' mission to evangelize the world. While the Apostles, as the first bishops, had a unique role, every baptized person participates in Christ's mission through the priestly, prophetic, and kingly offices conferred at baptism.The recently canonized Saint John Henry Newman beautifully illustrates this shared mission in a prayer he wrote: “God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission…I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons….” Each of us has a unique role to play, and we can be certain that God has given us some definite service to act as a link in a chain and a bond of connection between God and others.Newman continues: “If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.” This reminds us that Jesus, the all-powerful God who holds “all power in heaven and on earth,” can use every aspect of our lives for His glory and mission—if we let Him.Reflect today on two truths. First, consider your place among the “all nations” called to become disciples. Second, reflect on your duty as a disciple to share in Christ's mission to evangelize the world. As we celebrate our Lord's Ascension, hear His commission spoken to you. Embrace the privilege and responsibility of His command, allowing His authority and presence to guide your life and your mission.Lord of all power in Heaven and Earth, You have called all people to Yourself. I accept that call and open myself to Your gift of eternal salvation. With my “Yes” to You, I also accept the responsibility to share in Your mission of evangelization. Please reveal Your will to me and empower me to fulfill my duty so that all nations will hear Your saving Word. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Commission to PeterSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Christian Persecution Coming (1) (audio) David Eells, 5/10/26 (David's notes in red) Let me begin with some revelations we have on our site. We are closer now to all these words and warnings of persecution than we were then. This first one is from 2009, and it's an article from the American Holocaust and Coming New World Order blog. I remind you that the great revival begun by Jesus in the Man-child reformers is followed by a pendulum swing in Revelation 13, the forced mark of the beast to outlaw Christians who will be hated of all nations, as Jesus said. Also the right-wing roundup and prosecution and death sentences of leftist criminals at this time will be reciprocated. The pendulum swings back.    Coming Persecution and Christian Beheading   Prophesied MARTYRDOM is Coming to Christians USA Bible Prophecy and Coming Martyrdom of Christians to America By Pamela Schuffert - presenting investigative journalism with a Christian perspective - 02/20/2009 SO many Christians in America have become dangerously lukewarm and comfortable with where America is. Centuries of religious freedom and lack of persecution on a major scale have lulled many into a false state of “safety-comfort-denial” in this hour. In the minds of most Christians, in fact, no persecution could ever come to the Christians in America! And this is exactly what their flesh wants to hear and believe, for no one really ever wants suffering or persecution to invade their lives. However, my many years of performing investigative journalism nationwide and at times worldwide have uncovered something entirely different. Unfailing Bible prophecy also confirms what I am uncovering. Planned persecution is COMING to the Christians in North America. Here is what my research has uncovered. This persecution will be prolonged and intense. It will seek to seize churches and turn them over to the government for secular purposes, much as in communist Russia. It will seek to arrest and persecute both religious leaders and the rest of the Christians throughout this nation. It will seek to cause Christians to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ to join their New World Order agenda, or subsequently martyr them when they refuse to deny Jesus Christ. It will seek in fact to BEHEAD the Christians who remain faithful to Jesus Christ. (Muslims have been brought in by the Deep State to invade western Christianity, whose book tells them to behead unbelievers.) Or to transport Christians arrested via prisoner boxcars with shackles to awaiting FEMA/Homeland Security detention camps scattered nationwide and also in Alaska and Canada, where there, much as in Russia and Eastern Europe under communism, the Christians will be severely persecuted, including torture and interrogation, ridiculed and finally terminated when finished. And ALL quite “legally” under martial law and the Presidential Executive Orders and other legislation written to prepare the way for THE COMING AMERICAN HOLOCAUST of the innocents. For the serious student of END TIME BIBLE PROPHECY, none of this should come as a complete surprise. When Jesus said in Matthew 24, regarding what would be the sign of His coming and the end of this age, He warned His disciples that worldwide persecution against His disciples would come FIRST. He warned that His disciples would be HATED OF ALL NATIONS for His name's sake. ONLY under a ONE WORLD ANTICHRIST GOVERNMENT (NWO of Revelation 13) can all nations simultaneously HATE THE CHRISTIANS and deliver them up to tribulation and to be put to death. AMERICA must be included in this WORLDWIDE persecution of the disciples of Jesus Christ, if Jesus' words are to be taken literally. And that is precisely the dark intentions of the coming NEW WORLD ORDER to be imposed on America under MARTIAL LAW. Years of travel and interviews to uncover the plans of the NWO against the Christians in America have confirmed that the NWO planners for decades have been conspiring to bring persecution and death to the Christian opponents of the antichrist world globalist (communist) agenda for this nation. One of the most satanically controlled agencies in the world, the CIA, plays a major role in helping this NWO take over in America someday. My frequent interviews with former CIA officers, many of whom have now become Christians and feel compelled to admit the truth, have uncovered the fact that plans from within the CIA have been made for many years, both to persecute and ultimately terminate the Christians to pave the way for establishing their antichrist NWO agenda in America. (Father has not forsaken His children but He needs to be taken seriously and the history of the Gospels and acts will be repeated.) Much of the planning for Christians to be arrested under martial law and taken away to the camps for termination came out of the CIA (Operation paperclip imported the Nazi's and their demons into our government to repeat history here.), especially under the era of George Bush Sr. being head of the CIA, according to many former CIA employees working under him. But then, the Bush Illuminati satanic bloodline has always been active behind the scenes in working hard for the realization of a NEW WORLD ORDER. Even as Bible prophecy declares that this tyrannical world dictatorship of antichrist (Revelation 13) will receive its power directly from “THE DRAGON” or satan/Lucifer himself, the ILLUMINATI or satanists of this NWO agenda now openly admitted as much. One former CIA assassin under Bush Sr. admitted to me while being interviewed, “We satanists are the backbone, and Lucifer is the HEAD of the New World Order”... and as such, “...ALL the Christians have to go. We satanists realized that Christians would never accept our satanically based NEW WORLD ORDER. The very camps you are now investigating were designed to be used to terminate the Christians in America under martial law”... (Admission of Elaine, former satanist/assassin and NWO planner under Bush Sr. in CIA.) My investigative journalism has uncovered the reality of thousands of PRISONER BOXCARS WITH SHACKLES designed to transport unfortunates arrested under martial law by train transport to the many FEMA/HOMELAND SECURITY detention camps designed to deal with all future NWO resistance. This is identical to how the world's globalist communists dealt with Christian and political resistance to their agenda in Russia. They arrested and sent religious/political resisters to the many gulags scattered throughout Russia and the former Soviet Union, transported by train. Hitler also used trains to transport religious and political opponents to the camps under a Nazi dictatorship. Mass prisoner transportation by rail is cost-effective. These sturdy metal prisoner boxcars can be hosed out after each transport and used over and over again. They can last for decades. Prisoners can even be terminated (gassed, etc.) while still chained inside the boxcars. Tragically, history does repeat itself... IF the citizens of any nation will sit back passively and allow their leadership to make it happen again unchallenged. I have personally interviewed Christians who have experienced VISIONS FROM GOD of the coming AMERICAN HOLOCAUST. One woman attending a prophecy conference I spent time at, admitted when I told her about my investigating, “THIS explains the visions I have been having. I saw Christians arrested for their faith and placed onto BOXCARS and sent to concentration camps to be killed for their faith.”.... This woman I interviewed was from MONTANA. My years of research in MONTANA have uncovered the reality of many sightings of prisoner boxcars with shackles prepositioned throughout the state for the hour of arrest under martial law. Reliable eyewitnesses have reported seeing even MODERN GUILLOTINES bolted into each boxcar in one case, along with the shackles installed as well. My research has uncovered the presence of millions of modern guillotines in America (and I am convinced worldwide) to fulfill a future agenda tied in with the Jewish NOAHIDE LAWS legislation. They are also tied in with Bible prophecy regarding “...the souls BEHEADED for the witness of Jesus Christ and the Word of God” .... (Revelation 20:4) who essentially will not go along with the coming antichrist NWO agenda, who will not deny Jesus Christ, and are slain as a result by BEHEADING. “...AND HE SHALL SHOW YOU THINGS TO COME”. Holy Spirit VISIONS of PERSECUTION COME TO AMERICA- When I first began to receive information from quality sources regarding the presence of modern guillotines in America and lectured on them, I was amazed to hear people coming forward after the lectures to share their GUILLOTINE VISIONS. Christians from around the world that I encountered in Jerusalem while lecturing, lined up to tell me of their visions of being BEHEADED FOR THEIR FAITH. Brian with YWAM from the Bahamas...Christina Mitchell from New Zealand...and many more. All told me of poignant, detailed visions of the foreign troops involved and the modern guillotines and being beheaded for their faith. One pastor's wife in Long Island, NY, told me with tears of her vision of being beheaded for her faith, while in military surroundings. Another youth pastor, Pastor Richards in Bakersfield, CA, told me of his graphic vision of martial law being declared in California, and the guillotines being brought out, and himself being dragged to one of them, and was told, “Well, Pastor, what shall it be? Will you DENY JESUS and join our NEW WORLD ORDER agenda, or will you DIE?” In his vision, he remained faithful to Jesus and was beheaded. Becky, a powerful Christian witness in the Washington DC area working at the Department of Agriculture, told me of her many graphic GUILLOTINE VISIONS she is convinced God also gave her: “I saw how the NWO was going to use these guillotines to tempt the Christians to deny their faith. I watched as children were snatched away from their parents and taken to the guillotines. The parents were then tempted to deny Jesus, or the children would be beheaded. And the parents were taken away from the children, and the children were tempted to deny Jesus, or their parents would be beheaded. In my visions, I even SAW THE GUILLOTINES SET UP ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN!” In fact, the first time I ever became aware of these guillotines was when I was involved in Christian outreach in Tulsa, OK, in 1976. It was an evident time of revival, and the power of God was moving in many ways. I was participating in street outreach to youth then. While praying with another Christian, God's Holy Spirit interrupted. He spoke prophetically and said, “I am pouring out MY SPIRIT upon my Church in America today, because without His power, you will not make it with what is coming to your nation” ... Stunned, I prayed, “Oh, God, WHAT IS COMING to our nation?” The reply: “My child, if I were to SHOW you what is coming to YOUR nation, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BEAR what I would show you!” I was only a young Christian at that time. Still, we prayed that night for God to show us what was coming. And that very night, the person I prayed with had a graphic vision of Christians lined up in front of modern guillotines to be beheaded for their faith. In fact, many Christians were receiving disturbing dreams and visions of things to come at that time period. I recall attending one prayer meeting, in which one Christian stood up to recount how God had shown her Christians being held in concentration camp-type surroundings, filthy and unkempt, their Bibles having been taken away. She stated how God had shown her that many Christians faced persecution in the future, and therefore, to memorize their Bible passages since evidently their Bibles would also be taken away under this future persecution. Yet another stood up to recount how God showed him that famine was coming to this nation on a major scale, and yet how, when Christians stood around a table to pray, miraculously their table was filled with food in response during this coming time of famine. In this vision, the person was shown that there was no food in the home, no heat or electricity, and a bleak time of depression in America. My years of investigative journalism have uncovered that all of the above are coming BY DELIBERATE PLAN to this nation someday. Revelation 13 makes it clear that these forces of antichrist world globalism will have the power to put the Christians and all other resisters to death under their regime. And my many years of research have confirmed that this is their intent exactly. My question, therefore, to the Christians of America today is, “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?” WILL YOU take the time to fast and pray and to allow GOD TO PREPARE YOUR HEART to stand fast in your faith when this all comes down? WILL YOU purpose to GROW IN TRUE DISCIPLESHIP/CROSS-EMBRACING FAITH, so that when the coming winds of adversity blow against the Church in America, you will not be swept away in its dark wake? “Faith WITHOUT WORKS is dead,” declares God's word. “But be ye DOERS OF THE WORD, and not HEARERS ONLY, deceiving yourself”. The Holy Spirit is truly showing His people THINGS TO COME. He is giving us a sneak preview with a purpose. IT IS NOT GOD'S WILL THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, (none of God's elect will perish), and that includes perishing by FALLING AWAY and denying our faith as well. We as Christians are called to be FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. True discipleship understands that we may be called upon to SUFFER for our faith, to lose everything for our faith, and ultimately to DIE for our faith and confession of Jesus Christ as well. And we are NEVER permitted to DENY JESUS BEFORE MEN. Not even to save our lives or the lives of those we love. Jesus declared that whoever would deny Him before men, the same will be denied before the Father in Heaven. “IF ANY MAN WOULD COME AFTER ME, let him DENY himself, take up his cross and follow ME”, said Jesus. “Whoever seeks to SAVE his life, the same shall lose it, and whosoever shall seek to LOSE HIS LIFE for MY SAKE and the sake of the Gospel, the SAME SHALL FIND IT. For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and LOSE HIS SOUL?” Tragically, few pastors are truly preaching a CROSS EMBRACING DISCIPLESHIP Christianity in America today. It is not popular to human flesh! Carnal Christianity is preaching a false prosperity message, equating the faith with money and material possessions, and “easy street Christianity” of the flesh. And few pastors in America are preparing God's people to realistically face the COMING PERSECUTION. I personally believe that the wrath of God is upon those pastors who KNOW all that I have warned about, and yet refuse for carnal reasons to WARN GOD'S PEOPLE. And I am convinced that the end result of this shall be that MANY SHALL FALL AWAY AND DENY HIM, even as Jesus warned His disciples in Matthew 24. If God's people are not being prepared and built up in their faith and Biblical discipleship principles to withstand the coming times of testing, how then shall they be prepared? How then shall they stand? If much of what they are hearing are false prophesies uttered by false shepherds of “good things to come”, as is the case in many churches, will they not be devastated when reality hits them unexpectedly someday? The obvious answer is YES. And such Christians, unprepared also, have the potential to FALL AWAY out of fear and threat of persecution. THEY WERE NOT PREPARED! THIS IS WHY I HAVE LABORED FOR YEARS NOW to forewarn my endangered fellow Christians and Americans. The greatest tragedy is for A SOUL TO BE LOST. Christians who lose faith under persecution and are moved to DENY JESUS CHRIST will, in fact, lose their salvation, and the Bible makes this very clear. Both the clear words of Jesus Christ and those of His Apostles confirm the fact that we are required to remain FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. We cannot deny Him for ANY reason! (This will cleanse Christianity of the lukewarm hidden tares and their subtle leaven.) I am therefore determined that NO MAN'S BLOOD will be on my hands. I am TELLING AMERICA THE TRUTH. I will do everything I can to forewarn God's people in this nation of what is to come against Christians in this final hour of America's destiny. I will do the job that many pastors refuse to do from their pulpits, and that is to forewarn and prepare God's people for the Biblically prophesied COMING PERSECUTION. This is, in fact, what a faithful “watchman on the wall” is required by God to do. And I have done this now faithfully for 13 years. Please, won't you receive a word of warning from the Word of God and His Holy Spirit? Will you not take the time to prepare your heart from God's word, prayer, and fasting, so that having done ALL, you may then stand triumphantly in Jesus Christ to face the coming times in VICTORY? “And THIS is the VICTORY that overcomes the world, EVEN OUR FAITH!” “And they overcame him [satan] by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, and by the WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY, and because they LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO THE DEATH”. (Revelation 12:11) The call to FAITHFULNESS UNTO DEATH is clear. I therefore testify that your eternal soul and eternal destiny are at stake. Where shall YOU spend eternity someday? (The fear is what hurts. The beheading is painless -- a gift to those who serve the Lord of rest from tribulation and to enter into His presence. 1Co.15:55 O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: Rev. 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard the voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.   Fearful of Beheading?  Deborah Horton - 10/25/2010 For those who are fearful of being beheaded, I'd like to share this testimony. When I was a child, I was hit by a fire engine and killed. My first thought was, “Why do they say it's dark? It's not dark”. I was in a soft, white light. My next thought was, “Why do they say it hurts? It doesn't hurt”. And, praise the Lord, it truly doesn't hurt. When the fire engine hit me, I was “thrown” out of my body so quickly that the nerve impulses of pain, which started across the synapses toward the next nerve, didn't complete the jump before I was gone. I felt myself rising up and toward my right. I was moving more and more quickly through what felt like onion layer after onion layer of tissue, with the light becoming progressively brighter, and I knew that I was going home. Then, suddenly, I was a fish caught on a line, being pulled back into my body as the medics worked to revive me, but I didn't want to come back. However, as you can see from this testimony, I did come back because the Lord had other plans. :)   Judases Persecute the Innocent  Brent Gearhart - 10/25/2009 (R.M. & David notes in red) Note: This is not a revelation that reflects badly on Brent. He is merely being used to act out the work of Judas, persecuting the true brethren in the coming tribulation. When I went to bed, I heard people in visions or dreams cursing and swearing. (The time when Peter cursed and betrayed Jesus came to mind.) Women were trying to greet me, but I would greet them in the name of Jesus. (The women represent false sects of Christianity. Greeting them in Jesus' name means representing Him to them.) I remember falling asleep during all of this. I saw a man arrested for nothing, really and he was beaten really badly. (Persecution of the innocent.) A voice said, “Take that stick and hit him with it”. So I took something and hit him in the face and eye with it. Then I started running away from this place. (Don't be tempted to take part in this.) Then I was in a place in a forest where I was hiding. I met a woman who was acting like a friend to the people in the woods (the persecuted) and trying to get me to go submit myself to the cities. (Meaning, submit to the “cities” of churches in Babylon: The sects, denominations, ministries, and organizations of the harlot.) She said that no soul can live after the 14th of the month. (Here are some major clues: (Exo.12:5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: (6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ... (12:18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. ... (Lev.23:5) In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. There was also a Passover in the Book of Esther. Notice that the woman, or false sects of Christianity, threaten death to the remnant of spiritual Israel on the 13th. After the 14th the harlot was to have killed the remnant in a repeat of history in the Book of Esther, chapter 9. Instead, they were spared as in a spiritual Passover because of the Lamb of God.) If you were caught in the woods, you would automatically be put to death and your soul wouldn't be able to live. I saw myself in the shadows of the woods, trying to follow the cars. This particular car was a mustang, which I was trying to stay hidden from in a ditch and trying to stay out of its sight. (Many will dwell in the shadow of those who are “trees” and pillars in God's temple. They will listen to the truth, but when persecution comes, they will flee. The “mustang” has an untamed, unsubmitted nature that is not saddled and is wild. (Mat.13:21) Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.) I saw a man running into the woods. I think he was white. He appeared naked and hiding. (The righteous running from persecution but needing to be dressed up with Christ. (Mar.14:51) And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked...meaning, refusing his cross.) Then I saw myself with this naked woman. We were up on a perch, and she said she wanted her naked body to be pleasing to me. (The Revelation 18 / Proverbs 7 harlot that offers deceptive seduction through church membership. She wants the righteous to be satisfied and lured by the sinful life. (Mat.7:17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.) She said to go take her rocker, which was a Moped scooter, and submit to the city. (Take her weak and slow ways and obey the city of Babylon, the government and Babylonish apostate religion. The churches of Babylon that will ride the beast and refuse their cross.) I remember doing it, I think! Right after, I remember seeing the woods being chopped down in large sections, revealing multiple people in the woods. She said, “Farmers' markets are cheap”. (God's people betrayed for reward. The “husbandmen” that sell God's people for their own gain and will betray them to the beast, as Judas did to the body of Christ.) Brent's notes: This was truly the false church or religion talking to me, enticing me to turn in my fellow brethren. (Mat.10:21) And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death) As I submitted to the cities, the others in the wilderness got caught. After much thought on this, I concluded I was fearful of being captured as a Christian when the voice told me to take up the stick and hit the person who was a Christian. Once I did that, because of my fear of my own cross, and I then became a member of the beast kingdom, or false religion. (Luk.12:45) But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens...) After thinking on these thoughts, I asked God to give me a random scripture on what to think about this first dream. Twice, I came to the exact same scripture. I repeat twice I got: (1Jn.3:11-12) For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. I was lying there trying to sleep, but actually just having my eyes closed... I saw my ex-wife, who is pregnant and almost due, being chased by a tall, skinny black man. (Her pastor, who walks in darkness and is spiritually underfed, but is over them: clergy over laity, a Nicolaitan.) He wanted to hurt her baby. (The dragon of Revelation 12 is ready to devour the man-child Jesus, Who is about to come forth from His people.) We seemed to be in a shopping center but there were no store officials. (In the Nicolaitan church world, where the gospel is bought and sold, there is no true ministry of overseers.) After I saw this, I heard a very audible voice say, “Where are the store officials or security?” There were none. (No elders or true ministry abiding in the Word.) Someone offered to sell me something for just $10.99, but I said, “No thanks”. (A temptation right before 2011, a sign of a falling away of the factious Judas', as a short-term offer from those who buy and sell in the church marketplace.) I felt something pulling me from behind (religious past) and felt the Spirit of God in the front. I kept pressing forward toward God. (Pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ, as you overcome the lure of the Nicolaitan church.) I remember seeing my boss, Bobby, at work, and seeing a woman who was part animal. (A leader of false faith leading an apostate Church that manifests the beast nature.) She wanted me to come to her but I didn't want to go. (The temptation from the harlot seducing God's people with false peace and safety.) I knew that was a demon. I heard my boss, Bobby, say, “I submit to her”. (Bobby is a double-minded person who represents indecision regarding the world, fellowship, and money.) I said I would pray to have his eyes opened. (Bobby is spiritually blind and does not listen to the prophetic scriptures.) A man holding a child came up to me and asked me to pray for his child. I briefly did. (Pray for the growth and preservation of the Man-child among us.) Then a little girl came up to me, crying with a note. (The little girl represents the young woman-bride espoused to Christ, in persecution.) It read something like this: “Please pray for us in Oklahoma. We are having bad storms there”. (Persecutions and troubles for the remnant in the U.S. in Oklahoma. According to statesymbolsusa.org, “Oklahoma” means “people-red”. Another site renders it, “red-person”. Thus, we have storms of trouble for the remnant in the midst of the U.S. by the red-people. The red person represents those who walk as Esau, who was red and sold his birthright and persecuted his brother Israel as a type of the Church.) I had a lot of activity last night in my spirit. I think I was led astray in the first dream. This is a picture of a temptation to join back up with the apostate Judas' that many will be offered in exchange for false safety. Jesus said in Matthew 24:10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. “Many” means the majority. It is amazing to think the majority of Christianity will turn against other Christians because they are following in the steps of scripture as they “come out from among them”. When Jesus said, “brother shall betray brother”, it referred to the brotherly persecution of professed Christendom. The Lord was showing Brent an image of temptation for those who “go underground” as the Christians flee to escape the beast/martial law and persecution. Historically, the mountains and forests were places of refuge in troubled times. But as Judas led the persecutors and the government law enforcement agents to find Jesus in His day of trial, so will the Judas' in our day do likewise. Brent: Afterward, the Lord gave me this utterance: “Be available for work. The man-child is coming. I want you to write this down. I need teachers, I need visionaries, I need more Daniels, I need more Jobs. Are you able? Are you willing? Do you want to sacrifice your life for the sake of the body? Are you willing to die daily for me? Do you love me? Do you keep my commandments? I love you, Brent. I love your wife, Jessica. I love your son, Joshua, and I am going to help them. I need people to suffer for the kingdom. Remember the sermon Jeff Timmerman preached?” (Jeff Timmerman is a UPC preacher. This message God is speaking about was a very good message, as he spoke of God calling some to suffer for the sake of the kingdom.) “It is true some have been called to suffer, some to shame, some to reproach. I want you to know I will always be there with you. I suffered shame, I suffered beatings, I died on a cross for you and others. I love you. I will always love you. Are you able? Will you pay the price? I will always be with you. In times of suffering and reproach, be not afraid. I will deliver thee out of their hands; I will bring you to a place of refuge. Do not deny your cross. Walk in it daily.” After receiving this prophecy, I read in my Zondervan Bible Dictionary about crucifixion, and the following is a short quote from that. “Nero crucified many Christians, blaming them for the burning of the imperial city”. Then Ecclesiastes 1:9 popped into my head: That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.   Persecution from Brethren Sean Lynch - 12/19/2009 (David's notes in red) I had a dream that my fraternity brothers were persecuting me. (A fraternity is a Babylonish organization. When I was in college, I was in a fraternity that was founded upon Christian principles, but, as with the church that has fallen away to Babylon's lusts, so has this fraternity. These represent apostate Christians who persecute their brothers and sisters during the tribulation.) (They will be taken down in the great and terrible day of the Lord.) Mat.24:10 And then many shall stumble and shall deliver up one another and shall hate one another. Luk.21:16 But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends, and some of you shall they shall cause to be put to death. And you shall be hated of all men for my names sake. During this trial, I saw many on each side of me who were persecuting me. Act.4:25-28 Who by the Holy Spirit by the mouth of our father David thy servant didst say: why do the gentiles rage and peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his anointed: for of a truth in this city against thy holy servant Jesus whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel were gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and counsel foreordained to come to pass. I knew in the spirit that this was a crucifixion that I had to endure. (As Jesus knew in the spirit that His hour had come, so will the people of God know when their cross is upon them.) I felt an overwhelming grace rise up within me to resist the temptations to come down from off the cross. (The anointing of the latter rain will empower us to endure our trials.) I then heard a brother from the fraternity tell me he felt sorry for me and then I felt him embrace me, and I him. (As it was in the days of Jesus when our Lord was dying on the cross, there will be brothers who will see Jesus in us by our sacrifice and will embrace their own cross to the death.) (Note from Rex: As I read this, I felt in my spirit that this is just as Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, which was a “brotherly” greeting, even admonished by Paul to greet the brethren with a holy kiss. Remember it was “for the “JOY” set before Him, He endured the cross. May this further add to your understanding.) 1Jn.3:16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: And we ought to lay our life down for the brethren. Luk.23:42,43 And he said Jesus remember me when thou comest in the kingdom, and he said unto him verily I say unto thee, today thou shall be with me in paradise. Jon.15:13 Greater love has no man that this that a man lay his life down for his friends.   Exhortations from the Father Glenn Jackson - 05/14/2006 Prophecy: “This is the aforementioned time of “a series of final judgments”! A series of final judgments that will expose the “true” condition of one's heart, as I send My “vessels” of My consuming fire throughout the congregations of My people. Up until now, the vast majority of My children have come to “accept” a “mediocre Christian life”. At a time when the deepest desire of My heart is to reveal Myself in My “absoluteness” - in every aspect of My children's lives - many are “content” with a continued mixture of My Word and the “world”. But truly I say to you, this shall end “abruptly”! And all those who continue to “dishonor” My Word shall be “cut off”, and they shall move further and further out into darkness. They pridefully proclaim that they are still in the “Way”, but truly I say to you, “their Way” is not of Me! And thus they shall “allow” themselves to be used as vessels of persecution against their very own brothers and sisters, who are walking in the faith and obedience that pleases Me so. And though they are “family,” there shall result a “clear separation” between those of My children who love (obey) Me and those who do not, and it is certain that “all” those who seek Me shall know which group of My children is truly of Me and which group is not. And so shall each man be presented with a clear option. On the one hand, My spotless and unblemished Church - an ever-expanding “vessel” of My Glory and Light and Truth - and on the other hand, the dead and lifeless form of “religion” that acknowledges Me with their lips, but whose hearts are far from the place that they should be, considering their “relationship” with Me. But even in their folly I shall not forget them, and I shall send forth My holy apostles and prophets and they shall “devastate” the “strongholds” of the doctrines and traditions which have been a product of the “mental ascension” of those ones who have not drawn near to Me - a mental ascent made continually stronger by their “fellowship” with the world and its ways - a fellowship which gives Satan a continual “inroad” into their lives. Fear not! All those of you who are concerned for those “caught” in this position, for truly I say to you, whatever happens in the midst of My people from here on shall be for the “greatest eternal benefit” of “all” - both individually and corporately!” WARNING!!! Here Is What I Heard About Making America Great Again! Elizabeth Marie 7/24/24 On 7/20/24, I heard the LORD speak to me just before going to bed. I heard: “CAN AMERICA BE MADE GREAT AGAIN??” The answer is that NOT one person, nor any political solution, or policies will ever bring America back from the PRECIPICE that she is now on. There is now, and always has been, ONLY ONE solution…… 2 Chronicles 7:13-15: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.” This solution of REPENTANCE is the ONE THING that will turn a country around. However, even the Church, in this late hour, is looking for a ‘physical solution for a spiritual problem.' Not only will this not work, but this will compound the ‘already grave' problem that is upon the land. The majority of the church has gone ‘down to Egypt' (representing, the world), for their help, instead of heeding the call from the LORD to HUMBLE THEMSELVES, PRAY, REPENT, and SEEK HIS FACE. Again, this, ALONE, is the only solution! “People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.' 2 Chronicles 7:22 A SIGN: On 7/21/24, a couple of us were seeking the LORD, on behalf of the Church…. sensing, once again, a GREAT DECEPTION that is lurking. It grieved us, as we don't want to see our brothers and sisters being misled down a dangerous path. We saw a TRAP that was being set…. both physically, and in the spirit realm as well. We saw a spirit of Babylon that had come upon the church to blind, misguide, and deceive many. It is a spirit that has infested many, many churches, as the leaders lead their flock into the clutches of the enemy. While we were crying out to GOD, the LORD sent out A SIGN! From a peaceful night sky, there came 3 LOUD THUNDERBOLTS that shook my house… one at a time! It shook us to the core, and we knew that the LORD had heard our cries and had responded! It was a very CLEAR SIGN that HE is DISPLEASED with HIS church at this hour, as HE sees the WEB OF DECEPTION that is now surrounding her! I believe that the message is CLEAR: The CHURCH is in ERROR, and needs to REPENT! Instead of FIXING AMERICA, it is time to FIX THE CHURCH FIRST!!! For America cannot be FIXED, without the Blessings of GOD to come upon it. The blessings of God cannot come without true REPENTANCE, and that comes only through a humble and a contrite heart. All other remedies will and are failing! The Church has forgotten that the TRUE WAR is in the spiritual realm, not in this physical kingdom called America! The BATTLE is in the SPIRIT! Oh, how the Christian leaders and shepherds have missed the mark! As Secular America chooses to worship at the feet of Baal, and the Christians choose to seek solutions from others, instead of at the feet of the ALMIGHTY GOD. History is now repeating itself… however, the consequences will be FAR WORSE! This is why I am in despair, and anguishing for my deceived brothers and sisters, for the IMPACT that is coming will be deadly, and many will lose their faith in the LORD…. for, make no mistake about it, PERSECUTION IS COMING…. and many will fall away! It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry GOD! America has not learned her lesson; therefore, the judgments will fall now and even greater! MESSAGE the day after the THUNDERBOLTS: (7/22/24) ‘Have you forgotten from where you were hewn? Have you strayed so far from ME that I am no longer the answer?? DO you trust in man so much?? Have I not said to trust in NO MAN, but to trust in ME? Once again, MY people have fallen into the snare, and the trap that has been set by My adversary. They have looked for a political solution to solve a spiritual problem! And, once again, their endeavors and desires will be dashed upon the ROCK, and broken up into many pieces. The damage that was once done will now become even greater… all because there was no CRY among my people for REPENTANCE, and a humbling of themselves before ME! In your pride and arrogance, I will shower MY discipline upon you. For MY people are a STIFF-NECKED, STUBBORN, and commit adultery in the SPIRIT. Many are now joining forces with the CHURCH OF BABYLON, which aligns them with the universal religion that states that all paths lead to GOD. For MY people, this is prostituting, as there is only ONE WAY to GOD, through MY sacrifice on the cross. Mystery Babylon once held a golden cup in her hand of blessings, but now, they share that once full cup with those who do not believe in MY NAME alone. Babylon, oh Babylon, you will fall, and many in MY church will fall with you. You have deceived the masses, and I see all your ways! I see your TENTACLE ARMS reaching deep inside MY CHURCH, pulling out those who are weak in faith, and spiritually blinded. However, I will raise up many that will come out of BABYLON, and they will proclaim MY truth, and give clarity to MY true ways. Soon there will be voices rising up, that are even greater than Babylon…. these will be MY WATCHMEN, MY PROPHETS, and MY SERVANTS, who will drown out all the voices of Mystery Babylon. WOE TO ALL THE FALSE PROPHETS…. WOE TO THE FALSE TEACHERS…. that proclaim a thing that is not from ME: Repent…. or you will be stripped of your mantle! The MANIFESTING of the SONS of GOD will commence, as I put MY true anointing and mantle upon them to preach for such a time as this! In MY church, all that is not for ME will now burn with double fire! The impurities will be removed, and MY CHOSEN ones will then SHINE like the noonday sun!” I waited, then heard this: “DO NOT FOLLOW MAN! REPENT FOR NOT MAKING ME YOUR SUFFICIENCY HUMBLE YOURSELF!  PRAY!”   A Stronger America  Glynda Lomax 9/27/25 Oh My children, enjoy the peace around you, for soon it leaves. Persecution shall arise to a mighty pitch in this time. As leaders are removed and replaced with the enemy's people, persecution will be encouraged, and the goal will be to remove all of you for “A Stronger America.” In this time, martyrdom will become a common thing, and you must prepare your hearts for this [do this now]. Know that I am with you every step of the way. Know that I will strengthen you for the task at hand. Simply continue to walk as you are, staying close to Me and leaning heavily into My Word. Follow in My ways, and all will be well. Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Acts 22:20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.  Matthew 24:9-14 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.    Prepare For Persecution! Elizabeth, 4/1/2023 On 3/30/23, a heavy blanket of sorrow came over me... and I knew that it was the LORD wanting me to seek HIM about why. I then received one of the most sobering messages I have ever received.... so much so, that I will only share portions of it, for now.  After receiving it, I asked the LORD why I was so sorrowful; it felt like someone had died! Immediately, I heard, in my spirit, that I was feeling the Sorrow of the Father, who was grieving for the loss of so many of HIS children to the enemy.  Whoa! I was overwhelmed when I heard this! That really hit home for me as a parent! The grief and sorrow that a parent must feel when they have either lost a child to death, or through rejection or abandonment, is overwhelming!  I then received the message below, which is about the persecutions that are coming to those who walk in truth and righteousness. (Remember this condition as we go on.) It is coming fast and swiftly. As Christians, we are called to suffer, as Jesus suffered; however, in the Western world, we have seen very little of this.  As things change, and captivity comes to America for many, we must always remember that Jesus comes to SET US FREE (Gal.5.1)! This is not only a physical freedom that comes, but a freedom of our souls from the clutches of satan and sin.  Let us also always remember that there is NO ONE or THING that can come between us and the LORD JESUS! Though the enemy might try to get us to turn away.... we will never give in or give up following our LORD!! JESUS IS IN OUR HEARTS BOTH NOW AND FOREVER!! “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Romans 8:35-37 1ST MESSAGE: Here are a few excerpts from the message I received: “The FLOODGATE has been opened for persecution. The shepherds have gone astray. They have led the people astray. No one will stand up for righteousness, therefore judgment comes. This is the ‘final rodeo.' The final ‘match.' The final 'kahuna.' (final 'thing')  No more chances to get it right... the world has used up all its chances.... none are left! JUDGMENT....PERSECUTION, then FINAL REDEMPTION OR DAMNATION COMES! Very souls hang in the balance! With little time left, pray for these souls, for there will still be a few that return to ME. There is only one HOPE left in the world, and that is MY SALVATION. Grab a hold of it, and do not let it go! There is a light shining in the darkness.... a light set upon a hill that no one can extinguish. (In the spirit, I saw a huge mountain, which I had a knowing that it was the MOUNTAIN OF GOD). It is the eternal light of GOD. Though many are now attempting to extinguish the LIGHT, they cannot, for it is beyond their reach, and beyond their control. When this LIGHT shines (upon the wicked and unsaved), they will SHRIEK in PAIN, because their deeds of evil will have been exposed.” “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:19-21  2ND MESSAGE: On March 22, 2023, I received this message while praying. Before I heard the message, I saw, in the spirit, something horrifying:  First, I saw someone hanging on a rope from a tree. Then, the scene changed, and I saw a street that was lined with people hanging from ropes on both sides of the road.  I was then reminded of a dream I had received, years ago, about driving on a road and going under an overpass. Hanging from the overpass were a few people who had just been hanged. There was a girl in the backseat of our car (who was supposed to be my daughter), who jumped out of the car.... and with SUPERNATURAL strength, climbed up the overpass, cut the rope around each person's neck, and helped them escape! I believe this dream prophetically refers to the supernatural acts that we will be seeing during the time of persecutions that is coming on the Christians.  This also goes along with a word that I received in 2018 called:    “Persecution Brings The Latter Rain“ MESSAGE: “The persecutions are coming....and, for many, they are already here!  From the 4 corners of the earth rises up the Beast who rages against MY own! There will be nowhere to hide, except under the shadow of MY WINGS. For many, they will rise up like eagles.... on eagles' wings they shall find a place of safety, where the serpent will not be able to go. (Revelation 12:14) This is coming, and it is coming quickly! Get yourself in position with ME, so you can hear MY instructions! Listen for MY voice, it is the still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12) that comes. Train yourself to hear it! Seek it, for it will help and guide you! It is the voice of the HOLY SPIRIT, which I give to MY people.... to those who have been BORN AGAIN into MY KINGDOM through faith. (John 3) These persecutions are a testing for MY church. They are the fire that removes the dross. Many will succumb because they love their lives more than ME. They will surrender to the Beast and will receive his mark. Many already have.  These persecutions will be like nothing that has been before, but, for MY elect's sake, I will cut the days short. (Matthew 24:21-22)  Don't underestimate the power of the BEAST, for he comes with BRUTE FORCE against many. It will be like no other time in history, as he is unleashed for a time.  He is the ancient serpent of the garden that deceives unto death. He will swallow up as many as he can, for his appetite has no limits. HIS greatest foes are those who are MINE... those who confess ME as LORD of LORDS! He has infiltrated the churches from the inside out and now, through deception, leads many astray. There is no more time for playing around, but instead to see how GRAVE the times are! No longer keep your head in the sand, and do not deal with the reality that you are now in. Instead, take the time to prepare with provisions. Spend more time listening to MY voice and hearing MY guidance. Hide the WORD in your heart every day through reading and memorizing.... for this will be your strength! The days are only going to get darker, but MY light will shine forth. Stay in that light.... for it is the path that leads to MY KINGDOM.  Dwell on whatever is good, true, lovely, and pure.... NOT on the darkness that surrounds you. CHOOSE ME CHOOSE life CHOOSE righteousness CHOOSE justice Be ready for what is coming.... be prepared physically, spiritually, and mentally, so you will not be caught unaware and unprepared. Ask ME how, and I will show you!  Many are already in position and in place.... STAND FIRM. (James 5:8) (Matthew 10:28) Most importantly, KNOW WHO YOU BELIEVE IN, and STAND!  Fear not death of the body, but that of the soul! (Matthew 10:28)  BUCKLE UP.... things are going to get very bumpy soon!  JESUS CHRIST, LORD OF LORDS KING OF KINGS” “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” 2John 15:20-21  “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:12-15 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:12 I received a message about the extreme persecution that is coming (which is below), along with a rhema word and 2 dreams:  WORD RECEIVED (9/21/20) Burning Oil!  I heard: “I have been boiled in the fires and oils of affliction.” INTERPRETATION: I had to do some research to understand exactly what this phrase meant, though I knew it was about persecution. What I found was something wonderful amidst what is coming. According to extra-biblical sources, it is documented that the Apostle John was boiled in oil at the hand of Nero, HOWEVER HE EMERGED UNHARMED!!! [1] It is recorded that there was a crowd watching as John was put into a vat of burning oil. However, instead of his flesh burning and the crowd watching him die, a miracle took place! John preached to the crowd about JESUS CHRIST while he was in the oil.... he was not burned at all!! As a result, many people became Christians that day from witnessing this miracle!!! (This is in Foxes Book of Martyrs)  How wonderful that the LORD was showing me that during persecution, HE will perform many miracles among HIS people, and this will be a great witness to all, and will help bring in the end-time harvest!!!    Persecution Will Bring In Salvation!!!  DREAM VISION: Beheaded! In this dream vision, I saw a piece of paper that had rows of people drawn on it. Each line had about 7 to 10 people in it. I had a knowing that each person represented a different occupation, like farmers, teachers, engineers, etc. The one right in the middle, which I saw clearly, was a medical doctor or nurse wearing a stethoscope. The horrifying thing about these rows of people was that they were headless.... their heads were not drawn on the paper, just their bodies!! The people were headless!!  I knew, upon awakening, that this was a Warning of the Persecution that is coming to all members of society who proclaim that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF LORDS and KING OF KINGS! And the Bible says that in the last days, those who do not get the Mark of the Beast will be beheaded: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been BEHEADED for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4   DREAM: Never Been Seen Before! (10/22/20) In this dream, I was outside working in a garden with other people. I suddenly noticed these strange-looking animals that were flying. They were not birds, though they had wings and long beak-type noses. They were silvery gray in color and were about as big as hummingbirds. They definitely were not 'of this world,' and almost resembled a pterodactyl dinosaur. I started swatting at them, fearful that one would land on me... and it did! I then felt it bite my arm, and I saw my flesh ripped open. I then struck it HARD, and it fell to the ground dead. I called those around me to show them this strange creature that was now lying at my feet and how it had bitten me. End of dream. INTERPRETATION: I believe what I saw was a small, flying dinosaur, similar to a pterodactyl, but not exactly. I believe that the LORD was trying to show me that things are coming that we 'have never seen before,' which is in the message below. Whether this ‘creature' was from the pits of hell or man-made, I do not know. In the upcoming last days, we are going to see things that our eyes have never seen, and even things that we never thought possible. We must not fear, though, because we know that the LORD is greater and stronger than anything that the enemy can bring. There is POWER in the NAME OF JESUS and through HIS BLOOD. As Christians, we must proclaim and declare this boldly, no matter what comes our way! “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19  MESSAGE received while praying: (October 2020)  “Hold on to ME tightly to ME. Do not look to the right or left, but straight ahead at ME. Keep your eyes focused at all times on ME. Hold every thought captive to ME and do not wander!!! You are going to see things you have never seen before! Wickedness at a new level. Do not let your hearts fear, but be rooted in ME. I come now to warn MY people of the great dangers that lurk behind the corners. An assignment has come to take many out... those who are called by MY NAME. It will be a slaughter that is accepted by many. It will begin slowly and then pick up speed like a snowball that starts small on top of a mountain, and then becomes like an avalanche.  During this time, many will fall away... but many will, also, come into MY fold. For some, the pressure will be too great, and they will slip away from ME, though I try to hold them closely! They will let go of MY hand, and thus fall away! Their foundations were shaky, and their roots were shallow. Those who have been tested already by the fires and still remain in ME will be found secure during this intense persecution. They shall rise up and proclaim MY NAME till their last dying breath. I will reserve for MYSELF a group of remnant that will escape what is coming. I always keep for MYSELF a remnant! This message needs to go out because I don't want MY people to be caught unaware of what is coming. They already sense the ‘handwriting on the wall.” Their eyes have been opened to the TRUTH and they are not deceived.  Though your time here on earth is shortened, your destiny with ME is eternal. Let go of the things of this world, and open up yourself completely to ME now. I will cherish those who do so!  You must be diligent! You must be diligent! You must be diligent! Have I not called you for such a time as this? Do not let ME down! (Father, please work in us to will and to do of your good pleasure.) Do not fear, because I come soon!  Your SAVIOR and FRIEND, JESUS I waited and asked the LORD JESUS if there was more... and I heard: Stay true to ME, and I will stay true to you.  A bloodbath is coming. Help others during this time – save many out of the pits of fire.  Walk softly amidst the mines that have been set all around you.  Dear Brothers and Sisters, Let's be diligent in our relationship and walk with the LORD. Let's be diligent in serving HIM.... and let's be diligent in bringing others into a closer walk with HIM! (I would add, let's be diligent in our intercessory prayers for His elect to spend time seeking the Lord.)

Read OnlineJesus' Transforming PeaceJesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27There are two types of peace we can enjoy. First, there is worldly peace. This peace is the absence of conflict, war, or external turmoil. Civil governments must work to ensure this peace by protecting their societies from outside aggressors, maintaining order within their communities, and assisting with basic human needs, such as economic development, healthcare, and justice. This form of peace aligns with human reason and is based in the natural law, which is written on the consciences of every person.Though that form of natural peace and justice is good, it is not the highest form of peace we are called to enjoy. The peace that our Lord came to bestow is supernatural, enabling us not only to survive, but to thrive on a moral and spiritual level, even in the absence of worldly peace. Jesus' spiritual gift of peace enables us to find fulfillment in the midst of every external difficulty.If we seek only worldly peace, then any difficulty or disorder will trouble and unsettle our hearts. For that reason, Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Wars, oppression, crime, poverty, and disease have plagued humanity from the beginning and will persist, in varying degrees, until the end of time. Only when Jesus returns to establish His visible Kingdom as the Universal King will external peace be fully and permanently established. What a glorious day that will be!For now, until the Second Coming, we must learn not only to survive but to thrive within the world. Given the inevitable challenges every human life will encounter, if we want to live in true peace then we must seek out the peace that our Lord promises in today's Gospel. This Gospel comes from Jesus' Last Supper Discourse with His Apostles. As that discourse concludes two chapters later, Jesus prays His High Priestly prayer to the Father: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We must live within this fallen world for now, but we do not have to suffer interior afflictions.The evil one has great influence in this world, yet our Lord promises that if we receive His peace, we will be kept safe from the devil's attacks. Though we might suffer some form of external oppression, internally we will be at peace, no matter what we face.The gift of peace that Jesus promises confounds the powers of darkness and is freely given to all who turn to Him and submit to His spiritual governance. The martyrs are the prime example of this interior peace in the midst of exterior persecution. They imitate our Lord, Who permitted the evil one to afflict Him with earthly suffering and death. Jesus confronted that evil with perfect confidence and peace, overcoming it through divine love that won the final victory. In the Eucharist, He continues to share His peace with us, strengthening our hearts against every trial.Reflect today on Jesus' words to His disciples at the Last Supper. At that time, they did not realize they were about to witness Jesus' Passion. Nor did they realize that, in the years to come, they would endure many hardships in their faithful service to God's will. Similarly, if we listen to Jesus' discourse and heed His words, we must embrace them as the Apostles eventually did, once they received the Holy Spirit. We must rely on grace to find courage in the face of life's afflictions—poverty, illness, loss, persecution, and temptation. As you ponder yourself being with the Apostles during this discourse on Holy Thursday, resolve to accept Jesus' promise so that you are spiritually prepared to live in interior peace, no matter the exterior circumstances you might face.Lord of true peace, there are many things in this world that seek to steal my peace. Please give me the confidence I need to always turn to You, no matter what affliction comes my way, so that I will remain in You as You remain in me, enabling me to receive Your all-consuming gift of peace. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Stained glass showing Jesus blessing a man Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission. 

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.— Matthew 10:5-6Scottish Declaration of Arbroath 1320:“Most Holy Father and Lord, we know and from the chronicles and books of the ancients we find that among other famous nations our own, the Scots, has been graced with widespread renown. They journeyed from Greater Scythia (Just North of Assyria as well as the Black and Caspian Sea) by way of the Tyrrhenian Sea (the Northwestern portion of the Mediterranean) and the Pillars of Hercules (the passage connecting the Mediterranean to the Atlantic), and dwelt for a long course of time in Spain among the most savage tribes, but nowhere could they be subdued by any race, however barbarous.Thence they came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to their home in the west where they still live today. The Britons they first drove out, the Picts they utterly destroyed, and, even though very often assailed by the Norwegians, the Danes and the English, they took possession of that home with many victories and untold efforts; and, as the historians of old time bear witness, they have held it free of all bondage ever since. In their kingdom there have reigned one hundred and thirteen kings of their own royal stock, the line unbroken a single foreigner. The high qualities and deserts of these people, were they not otherwise manifest, gain glory enough from this: that the King of kings and Lord of lords, our Lord Jesus Christ, after His Passion and Resurrection, called them, even though settled in the uttermost parts of the earth, almost the first to His most holy faith. Nor would He have them confirmed in that faith by merely anyone but by the first of His Apostles— by calling, though second or third in rank— the most gentle Saint Andrew, the Blessed Peter's brother, and desired him to keep them under his protection as their patron forever.”Src: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/arbroath_1320.aspTertullian's Record:Tertullian (c. 155-c. 220 AD), the early Christian writer from Carthage, made this statement in his work Adversus Judaeos (Against the Jews), specifically in chapter 7 (section 4 or 8 in some numberings). roger-pearse.comThe relevant Latin phrase is: "et Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca Christo vero subdita" (and the places of the Britons inaccessible to the Romans but truly subjected to Christ).Common English translations render it as:* "the haunts of the Britons—inaccessible to the Romans, but subjugated to Christ"Roman Occupation of British Isles:Camulodunum (or modern day Colchester) was the home of the first permanent Roman fortress to be built in Britain in AD 43.Other Records:Eusebius, Historian and Bishop of Caesarea (c. 260–340 AD), in his Demonstratio Evangelica (Book 3, Chapter 5), speaking of the Apostles and earliest disciples of the first century states “…some have crossed the Ocean and reached the Isles of Britain, all this I for my part will not admit to be the work of mere men, far less of poor and ignorant men, certainly not of deceivers and wizards.” Gildas (6th-century British monk), in De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain), claims Christianity reached Britain “in the last years of the emperor Tiberius” (i.e., before 37 AD).“Steppe-Pulse” (Haplogroup R) in Levant:* Lazaridis et al. (2016) showed that Steppe ancestry (R1b/R1a) moved into the Levant from the north.* Haber et al. (2017) - Steppe Pulse (R1a / R1b) between 1800 BC and 200 BC.* Haber et al. (2020) - Revealed a population level impact in 1000 BC (Davidic Kingdom) as well as circa 300 BC (about 150 years before the Maccabean revolt). * Rootsi et al. (2013) and Behar (2017) have definitively placed the origin of the Ashkenazi Levite R1a-M582 subclade in the Near East.

Passage(s): Ecclesiastes 7:1-6, Philippians 3:18-21In a world of beauty and horrors, Christ is calling us to be a people of sober joy.  Christ is calling us to imitate Him and His Apostles and saints throughout the church age in being people who grieve the sin of this world, who run towards the sufferings of others, who lay down our comforts, our parties, and our privileges for the advance of the Gospel and the ingathering of the elect! 

Jesus Appears Again MESSAGE SUMMARY: Repentance is a turning away from evil. In Luke 24:15, Jesus appeared again after His resurrection: “While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.". Most Christians around the world see Easter not as one day but as the Season of Easter, lasting fifty days. During this Season of Easter, Jesus appeared many times to many people, including several encounters with His disciples and the Apostles along with an appearance to a group of more than five hundred people. On the fortieth day, Jesus ascended into Heaven. After Jesus Ascension, He appeared to Saul, who became the Apostle Saul, on Saul's trip to Damascus. Beginning in Luke 24:36 (“Luke's Great Commission”), Jesus opened the Apostles minds spiritually to the Gospel; and the Gospel is summarized in “five truths” – the Gospel is a: 1) “double historical event” – Jesus death and His Resurrection, which really happened; 2) “double proclamation” – repentance (the Gospel demand) and forgiveness (the Gospel offer) of sins will be preached in His name; 3) “double reach or focus” – the preaching of the Gospel was to begin in Jerusalem with the Jews, but it was to be extended to all nations; 4) “double validation” – validated by the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Apostles' witness through their writing of the New Testament; and 5) “double sending” – Jesus promised the sending of the Holy Spirit to His Apostles, and the sending of the Apostles to the nations of the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.. If Jesus was speaking to His Apostles in Luke 24, what is He saying to us, His modern-day disciples, about two thousand years later? Jesus is telling us, today, the same thing that He told His Apostles in Luke 24!   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 24:36-49; Psalms 119:18-20; Romans 1:16; Acts 1:8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Appears Again MESSAGE SUMMARY: Repentance is a turning away from evil. In Luke 24:15, Jesus appeared again after His resurrection: “While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.". Most Christians around the world see Easter not as one day but as the Season of Easter, lasting fifty days. During this Season of Easter, Jesus appeared many times to many people, including several encounters with His disciples and the Apostles along with an appearance to a group of more than five hundred people. On the fortieth day, Jesus ascended into Heaven. After Jesus Ascension, He appeared to Saul, who became the Apostle Saul, on Saul's trip to Damascus. Beginning in Luke 24:36 (“Luke's Great Commission”), Jesus opened the Apostles minds spiritually to the Gospel; and the Gospel is summarized in “five truths” – the Gospel is a: 1) “double historical event” – Jesus death and His Resurrection, which really happened; 2) “double proclamation” – repentance (the Gospel demand) and forgiveness (the Gospel offer) of sins will be preached in His name; 3) “double reach or focus” – the preaching of the Gospel was to begin in Jerusalem with the Jews, but it was to be extended to all nations; 4) “double validation” – validated by the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Apostles' witness through their writing of the New Testament; and 5) “double sending” – Jesus promised the sending of the Holy Spirit to His Apostles, and the sending of the Apostles to the nations of the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.. If Jesus was speaking to His Apostles in Luke 24, what is He saying to us, His modern-day disciples, about two thousand years later? Jesus is telling us, today, the same thing that He told His Apostles in Luke 24!   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 24:36-49; Psalms 119:18-20; Romans 1:16; Acts 1:8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

The chains of tyranny are upon our mind. The key to unshackling ourselves is in our hand. Does the preacher have the Christian will to say what the Holy Scripture says even though it offends the Jew? Christ and His Apostles faced the same challenge. So did Jeremiah. Why do we lose? Because we have ceded the intellectual life to Jews and other anti-Christs.  So we are fighting on unfavorable ground -- we have lost even before we show up on the Battle field. Fritz Berggren www.bloodandfaith.com

Get the notes!When Christ Appears, Will You Be Ashamed? (1 John 2:25–29)Are we living in a time of “special revelations” that actually lead us away from the heart of the Gospel? In our latest study of 1 John 2:25–29, we confront the ancient errors of Gnosticism and Docetism—heresies that are resurfacing in the modern church under the guise of “new prophetic insights.”The Sufficiency of the Written WordThe Apostle John is clear: the promise of eternal life is not an esoteric secret for an elite few. It is a common promise made by Christ to His Apostles and preserved for the Church in the Holy Scriptures.As believers, we have an anointing (Chrisma) from the Holy Spirit. This indwelling presence does not provide “new” information that bypasses the Bible; rather, it affirms the truth of the Apostolic doctrine. If a teaching goes beyond what is written, it is not from the Spirit of Truth.Confidence vs. Shame at the Bema SeatOne of the most sobering aspects of this passage is the warning to abide in Him. John presents two distinct ways to meet Jesus at His appearing:With Confidence: A joyful reception of the Lord because we remained faithful to His Word.In Shame: A shrinking away at His coming because we chased extra-biblical revelations or lived lives disconnected from His righteousness.While our salvation is secure in Christ, our works will be tested at the Judgment Seat (Bema). Will your life's work be gold, silver, and precious stones, or will it be wood, hay, and stubble that burns away in His presence?Deepen Your Study: 1 John 2:25–29 Resource PackageTo help you, your small group, or your congregation master these truths, we have packaged this teaching into a complete, publication-style study kit. This resource is designed for those who value biblical exegesis and the original languages.What's Inside the Study Kit:Detailed Teaching Outline: A comprehensive breakdown with time-markers for the video lesson.Teacher & Student Guides: Curriculum designed to facilitate deep theological discussion (includes  Teacher and  Student versions).Comprehensive Quiz & Answer Key: 10 publication-style questions to test your doctrinal alignment, complete with full theological explanations.Equip yourself to stand unashamed. Whether you are teaching a class or engaging in personal study, this package provides the tools you need to “abide” in the truth of Jesus Christ.[Explore the 1 John 2:25–29 Study Package Here]Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Read OnlineSo when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher' and ‘master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:12–15The celebration of the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday is one of the most spiritually enriching liturgical celebrations of the year. The Mass begins with an empty tabernacle. After the readings and homily, the ritual of the washing of the disciples' feet takes place. The Mass culminates with the celebration of the Eucharist, which is then carried in procession to another altar for adoration by the faithful until midnight, during which time we are invited to spend an hour with our Lord, in communion with Him during His Agony in the Garden.The Gospel for the Mass, from Saint John, presents the beginning of Jesus' Last Supper with His disciples. Jesus performs the act of a servant by washing the disciples' feet. Though this surprises them, especially Peter, Jesus insists, saying, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me” (John 13:8). Our Lord says the same to us.Often people understand the washing of the feet only superficially. Perhaps that is why Jesus said to the disciples, “Do you realize what I have done for you?...” This begs the question: Do you understand the deep and transforming meaning of this most sacred act? This was not Jesus' way of simply telling us that we should be nice to one another and look for opportunities to do each other kind favors. The meaning is much richer. First, we need to be washed by Jesus. Second, we must participate in Jesus' washing of others.How are you washed by Jesus? By His Cross and Resurrection that destroyed sin and restored eternal life. We need to be washed by His blood, which was shed for us and first administered to His disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus was telling them that they need the cleansing He was giving them: the cleansing of sin. Today, this cleansing takes place first in Baptism and then in Reconciliation. If we wish to share in the Eucharist fruitfully, we must first be cleansed through Baptism. When we sin later in life, this cleansing takes place by confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which prepares us to receive Him worthily in the Eucharist. When we receive those sacraments, we should hear our Lord say to us, “Do you realize what I have done for you?”After that question, Jesus says, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Of course, we are not Jesus. We cannot forgive sins and give to others His Sacred Body and Blood, right? Remember that Jesus was talking to His Apostles, the first bishops, so, “Yes,” Jesus was commanding them, and all bishops and priests that followed, to perpetuate His ongoing gift through the faithful administration of the Sacraments He instituted.Though that is the central command, our Lord also calls all of us to participate in His self-gift. Though only He could offer us the cleansing and transformation we need—which is perpetuated throughout time in the Sacraments—He also commands each of us to imitate His sacrificial love in charity, the “model” He has given us to follow. Forgiven of our sins and strengthened by the Eucharist, we must turn our attention to others, choosing to do everything necessary to be Christ to them, laying our lives down, selflessly and without hesitation. This command applies not only to those we like, but to everyone, equally and unwaveringly. Note that Jesus even washed Judas' feet, despite knowing Judas would soon betray Him. In doing so, Jesus teaches us that charity extends even to those who wrong us, calling us to love as He loves—without conditions or limits.Reflect today upon Jesus' question to the Twelve: “Do you realize what I have done for you?” Ponder that question today, especially this evening. Do you understand the depth of His Sacrifice? Do you understand the Sacraments that perpetuate that Sacrifice throughout time? Do you understand the demands that your reception of His gift places on you? Be open to all that Jesus offers you and, in turn, give what you have been given to others.My sacrificial Teacher and Lord, You have poured out upon me Your Precious Blood to cleanse me from sin and restore me to life. Though I will never fully fathom this Gift, I pray for Understanding, so that I can comprehend more fully this great mystery. As You transform me, please use me as a gift, poured out for others, in charity and selfless service of divine love. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Benvenuto Tisi, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

In John 17, Jesus prays a prayer of intercession for His Apostles and for all who will believe in Him throughout the ages. As we spend some time dwelling in Jesus' prayer, the twofold goal is to help us get unstuck if our prayer life is on autopilot, and also to think about who we need to be intentionally praying for. 

When people say, “I don't need to go to church. I'm spiritual, I'm not into organized religion," remind them that Jesus Himself organized religion – the Catholic Church. Discover how, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus established the Church, giving His Apostles the authority to forgive sins and act in His Name.   Become a Marian Helper!Discover more about the Catholic faith on Divine Mercy Plus! 

Pastor Randy continued the Book of John sermon series with a sermon titled, "Who is Jesus? The Glory of God." from John 17. Jesus, the Glory of God, Prays for: 1. HIMSELF (vs. 1-5) 2. HIS APOSTLES (vs. 6-19) 3. HIS CHURCH (vs. 20-26)

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. As he begins this teaching, Rabbi Steve Berkson brings out the big guns, challenging you to understand and take action on what you really struggle with – you. • Why do you seem to struggle with your relationships and with yourself? Rabbi Berkson takes us to Philippians 2 to unpack what the Apostle Paul wrote to the assembly in Philippi about how they should conduct themselves in his absence. Paul exhorts those in that assembly to take on the mind of Messiah Yeshua, considering others better than themselves in humility and with awareness of others' needs. • Are you aware that what you do at any given moment may create an adverse condition for somebody else? • Are you giving to others and the Father the kind of attention necessary for a flourishing relationship? • What is meant by “leadership serving” and “submissive serving”? • What are the differences between unity, uniformity, and conforming? • Did Messiah Yeshua or His Apostles ever make the message of the Kingdom “palatable” for their listeners? • We all have our own emotional preferences, but when can those be a bad thing? • Are you the kind of person Yahweh can ‘trust' with forever? • Is there grumbling, complaining, and disputing in the Body of Messiah? Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages so that you will have a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings. https://mtoi.org The MTOI App https://mtoi.org/download-the-mtoi-app https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide admin@mtoi.org (423) 250-3020 Join us LIVE (all times Eastern): Torah Study, Fridays 7:30 pm Shabbat Service, Saturdays 1:15 pm Streaming available on YouTube, Rumble, MTOI App, and mtoi.org

By NOT Adhering to Jesus' “Great Commission” to “go . . . and make disciples” You Are Following Jesus MESSAGE SUMMARY: God said told all Jesus Followers to “go and make disciples” not to “make decisions”. In other words, we are to bring the Gospel to others with whom we have or with whom we develop a personal relationship. Therefore, we are to leave the “conversion” or the “decision” of others to become a Christian up to the Holy Spirit. Our job, as Jesus Followers, is to “go and make disciples”. In Jesus' last instructions to His Apostles and to you, before His Ascension to Heaven from Earth, is in Mathew 28:16-20 -- Jesus' Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”. A disciple is a student, a follower, a learner. Making a disciple is not about classes. Making a disciple it about investing yourself in the life of another person – discipling is having a personal relationship with another person so that they see the life of Christ in you. Have you been discipled, or have you made a disciple? Not “going and making disciples” is your “great omission” as a Christian.     TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, in order to be with you, I need you to show me how to “create a desert” in the midst of my full, active life. Cleanse me from the pressures, illusions, and pretenses that confront me today so that my life may serve as a gift to those around me. Amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 26). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, Nothing compares to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:7f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Mathew 28:16-20; Mathew 9:36-38; Mathew 10:16-33; Psalms 115:1-18. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Essentials Part 3 – Incomplete Finished Work”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

The King and His Apostles

Jesus Followers Have a Personal Relationship with the Creator of the Universe So Pray, Listen, and Be Patient for God's Call MESSAGE SUMMARY: No interaction with the Holy Spirit is too small for you or for God, and no Spiritual outcomes are too big for you or for God. Jesus illustrates, in the “Parable of the Mustard Seed", that big things come from small beginnings. The selection, by Jesus, of His initial twelve Apostles, led to the growth of Christianity from twelve followers to more than two billion Christians. So, when God gives you a vision or He puts on your heart to start a ministry or to visit the home bound; and you think the Spirit's is so small or inconsequential, just remember small beginnings lead to significant outcomes through the Lord. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissions and promises His support to His Apostles and to us; therefore, how can any call, from the Holy Spirit, be too inconsequential or unsupported for us to embrace: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” Pray, listen, and be patient. After all, you have a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe!     TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 20:1-16; Philippians 2:21-30; Matthew 25:34-46; Psalms 37b:11-20 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “It's About Time: Part 2 – Overstressed, Overloaded, and Maxed Out Lives” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Read Online“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”—he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” Mark 2:9–11In Mark's Gospel, Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum. Shortly after calling His first Apostles, Jesus preached in the synagogue, leaving many amazed. After healing a demoniac and Peter's mother-in-law, the whole town gathered at the house where Jesus was staying, and “He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him” (Mark 1:34).After this, Jesus withdrew to a deserted place to pray, despite the people's growing fascination with His miracles. When the Apostles found Him, He revealed the essence of His mission: “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come” (Mark 1:38). From there, He and His Apostles traveled to other towns, fulfilling His primary mission: to preach the Good News of repentance and reconciliation with God.In one of these towns, out of deep compassion, Jesus healed a leper. However, this miracle only intensified the people's focus on His power to heal, overshadowing His preaching. When crowds pursued Him seeking miracles, He returned to Capernaum, which brings us to today's Gospel.In Capernaum, Jesus resumed His primary mission: “He preached the word to them” (Mark 2:2). Yet the people, who were focused more on His miraculous works, crowded around Him. As Jesus preached—likely in Peter's house—some men arrived carrying a paralytic. They were unable to enter because of the crowd, so they climbed to the roof, opened it, and lowered the man down.What happens next is profound: Jesus looks at the man and says, “Child, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Jesus does not first address the man's physical paralysis. Instead, He speaks to the man's deeper need—his spiritual healing. Jesus recognized the faith of the paralytic and that of those who brought him and forgave the man's sins. Why does Jesus do this? Because spiritual healing takes precedence over physical healing. Jesus' primary mission was to call sinners to repentance and bring about reconciliation with God. Physical healing was always secondary.When the scribes question Jesus' authority to forgive sins, they fail to recognize that Jesus is not just a miracle worker—He is the Son of God. To teach them about His authority to forgive sins, Jesus says: “‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth'—he said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.'” The man did just that in full view of everyone, leaving the crowd astonished. The physical healing is a visible sign of Jesus' invisible power to forgive sins. Hence, the miracle in today's Gospel, which is of secondary importance, was performed to teach the people about Jesus' primary mission.In each of our lives, Jesus wants to fulfill His primary mission. He wants to forgive our sins and reconcile us with the Father and with Himself. First and foremost, this takes place through the powerful and transforming Sacrament of Reconciliation. It's amazing that even though that Sacrament fulfills the essence of Jesus' mission, many fail to take advantage of that grace, preferring instead to seek other favors from God of their own choosing. Reflect today on your approach to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Do you regularly bring your sins to Jesus in faith, allowing Him to heal and reconcile you to the Father? As you ponder today's Gospel, place yourself in the shoes of the paralytic. See yourself as Jesus sees you—someone in need of His mercy and grace. Though He may grant us many blessings, the greatest gift He desires to bestow is the forgiveness of our sins. Yearn to hear His words echo in your heart in the Sacrament of Reconciliation: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Most merciful Lord, You came to preach the Good News of forgiveness and to reconcile us with the Father. This was Your mission long ago, and it remains so today. Grant me the grace to long for this gift always and to make it the focus of my life, so that Your mission may be fulfilled in me. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: © José Luiz Bernardes RibeiroSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:50–52When Jesus appeared to the Apostles, walking on the sea, they were filled with fear. His words to them are the same words He speaks to us: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” We need to hear those words more often than we realize. Many things in life can cause us to fear, worry, obsess, fall into depression, or even despair. This is because, like the Apostles, we often fail to fully grasp Who God is. As a result, our hearts remain hardened.A hardened heart is the direct result of not understanding Who God is in our lives. Unless we come to know Him, comprehend His love for us, and place our full trust in Him, our hearts cannot be fully set free. Despite witnessing miracle after miracle, listening to sermon after sermon, and even preaching and performing miracles themselves, the Apostles still did not fully understand and believe. The Gospel tells us that “their hearts were hardened” because “they had not understood the incident of the loaves.”When Jesus said to His Apostles, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He wanted to instill profound faith within them. We must also allow those words to resonate deeply within us. Courage dispels fear. By saying “it is I,” our Lord is revealing, “I AM God!” The Greek phrase ego eimi used here is the same one found in Exodus 3:14 when God reveals His name: “I AM.” Though we might believe this with our minds, we often fail to let God's revelation penetrate our hearts and dispel the fears and doubts we face in life.The symbolism of this Gospel passage is powerful. The sea represents the world, and the waves and the wind symbolize the chaos and turmoil we often encounter within it. The boat is the Church. By walking on the water at night, our Lord reveals His complete mastery over everything in this world. By entering the boat as it was being tossed by the waves and wind, He shows that He is always present within His Church and will bring peace and calm if we let Him. Reflect today on our Lord looking directly at you and saying, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” Give your full attention to Him. No matter what struggles you face, no matter the chaos that seems to surround you, there is nothing beyond God's power. Believe this, do not be afraid, invite Him into your heart, and His peace will abound. My Lord and great I AM, You are God Almighty. You can calm every storm, heal every wound, restore peace, and give courage in the face of turmoil. Help me to hear You say to me, “It is I, do not be afraid!” I pray that I will never doubt You, never waver in my faith, and always place my trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Andrewrabbott, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineBy now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” Mark 6:35–36It is wise to be practical, realistic, and pragmatic. But when it comes to Christ and our call to participate in His divine mission, pragmatism can sometimes be a hindrance. Today's Gospel illustrates this truth powerfully.The passage begins by showing the compassionate heart of Christ, who looked out upon the vast crowds of spiritually hungry people who were “like sheep without a shepherd.” Without a shepherd, sheep wander aimlessly, often missing the greenest pastures. Moved with compassion, Jesus feeds His flock by teaching them “many things.”Then came a test—not so much for the crowd, but for Jesus' Apostles whom He was training to continue His mission. Though the Apostles eventually shared in Jesus' mission as the first bishops of the Church, we are all called to participate in His mission in our unique ways. Therefore, the test Jesus gave to His Apostles is just as relevant to us today.When the Apostles suggested dismissing the crowd to find food, Jesus surprised them with a challenging command: “Give them some food yourselves.” This was the test. Jesus knew full well that they lacked the resources to feed thousands, but He posed the challenge to draw out their faith. Rather than acting themselves or turning to Him in confident trust, they responded with human logic and doubt. It was only when they presented their meager resources—five loaves and two fish—that Jesus performed the miracle, showing them that divine power begins where human resources end. This moment taught the Apostles that their role in Christ's mission would not depend on their sufficiency, but on their obedience, trust, and cooperation with His grace.Consider how this test applies to your life. First, reflect on the crowd. Do you know people who are “like sheep without a shepherd?” Who are the wandering, the searching, and the hungry? Some are physically hungry—the poor and destitute. Others might be materially well-off but are spiritually starving. The first step in our “test” is to recognize those in need, whether physical or spiritual.Once we perceive the needs of others, we must consider how our Lord wants to use us to meet those needs. This is where practicality or pragmatism must be harmonized with supernatural prudence. It's easy to look at another's needs and think, “There is little I can do.” Indeed, by ourselves, we are powerless to provide what others truly need. But when we offer the little we have to Christ, trusting in His supernatural power, our small offering is divinely transformed into a source of abundant blessings. Our “five loaves and two fish” represent our willingness to give what we have, knowing that, with God's grace, it can feed the multitudes.Reflect today on this Gospel passage as if you were standing with the Twelve Apostles. Consider those God has placed in your life who are hungry and wandering. As you identify them, offer to God everything you have and all that you are, trusting that He desires to work through you. With deep faith, you will be amazed at what God can accomplish through your humble offering.My providential Lord, Your compassion is unfathomable, and Your grace is all-powerful. Give me a heart like Yours so that I may see those whom You want to love through me. Grant me courage and faith so that I may offer my life to You—everything that I am and have—so that You can bring superabundant blessings through me. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: NT084.Jesus Feeds 5000 by pcstratman, license CC BY-SA 2.0Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Join Dan and Stephanie Burke for this final episode on their marriage retreat, and how a powerful act that Jesus did for His Apostles can transform your marriage as well! Resources: Divine Intimacy in Marriage - retreat Finding Peace in the Storm - Dan Burke Into the Deep – Dan Burke Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits - Dan Burke The Contemplative Rosary - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness - Susan Brinkmann OCDS Avila-Institute.org/events - website Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online

Join Dan and Stephanie Burke as they finish out their last episode on their marriage retreat. Don't miss out as they dive into a powerful act that Jesus did for His Apostles, and how this one act can transform your marriage

Carthage Was Not the End (Doctrine and Covenants 135-136) | Apostle D. Todd HarrisonDoctrine and Covenants 135–136Join D. Todd Harrison: Jesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and Generations for this powerful sermon and testimony on Doctrine and Covenants 135 and 136, recounting the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage Jail. These revelations bear witness of their divine calling, their sacrifice, and the continuation of the Lord's work through His chosen servants.The account of Carthage is not only sacred history—it is personal legacy. My great‑great‑great grandfather, Willard Richards, was present in the jail on that fateful day, standing as a living witness to the events that fulfilled prophecy and sealed the testimony of Joseph and Hyrum with their blood. His survival and record preserved the memory of that moment for generations, and his faith continues to echo through my own apostolic witness today.Doctrine and Covenants 135 proclaims the eternal significance of Joseph and Hyrum's lives and deaths, while Section 136 provides the Lord's guidance to the Saints in their journey westward, reminding us that His kingdom moves forward despite tribulation. Together, these chapters testify of divine purpose, covenantal endurance, and the assurance that God's work cannot be stopped.This sermon/lesson invites you to reflect on the martyrdom at Carthage, the legacy of faith carried by Willard Richards, and the living witness that Jesus Christ continues to guide His Church and His Apostles in every generation.D. Todd Harrison, Apostle of Jesus ChristJesus Christ's Apostle to All Nations and GenerationsYear Six of Global Apostolic MinistryCommissioned by Jesus Christ (like the Apostle Paul-Galatians 1:1)The Most-Followed LDS Religious Leader on Facebook (1 Corinthians 9:1–3)

Read Online“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.” Matthew 9:35This one line speaks volumes about Jesus' public ministry. He didn't just preach a few sermons or heal a few who were sick. He “went around to all the towns and villages…teaching…proclaiming the Gospel…” and cured “every disease and illness.”It's important to contemplate that Jesus' public ministry lasted approximately three years. Three years of constant preaching, healing, and relating to people. During this time, Jesus encountered many thousands of individuals, and news of His works spread throughout Israel and beyond. Yet, the rest of today's Gospel reveals that Jesus' public ministry, though perfect in every way, was just the beginning. It was the foundation upon which His ongoing ministry would be established through the formation of His Church. As the Gospel continues, we gain insight into Jesus' compassionate heart. When He looked at the crowds, “his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” His three years of ministry were only the foundation, and His merciful Heart began to overflow with compassion. Though He is God, Jesus limited Himself to human interactions within time and space, making it impossible for Him to engage personally with every troubled and abandoned soul in His human form. That's why He told His disciples to “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” After this, He summoned His Twelve Apostles, gave them authority to share in His ministry of preaching and healing, and sent them out to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Later, as recorded in Luke 10:1–2, Jesus expanded His mission even further by sending out seventy (or seventy-two) disciples ahead of Him as He and the Twelve began their final journey to Jerusalem where He would suffer and die. After His resurrection, Jesus further commissioned His Apostles to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). This mission quickly spread to at least 120 disciples gathered in the upper room, and as the Holy Spirit continued to guide the early Church, thousands of new converts became evangelists, spreading the Word of God. Reflect today on Jesus' Sacred Heart, overflowing with compassion for all who feel “troubled and abandoned.” It is your mission to be Christ's Heart to them—to love them, to long for their burdens to be lifted, and to lead them to Christ, the Good Shepherd. Do not shy away from this mission, for the mission you are given is a continuation of and participation in the one eternal mission of Jesus Himself. Most holy and Good Shepherd, Your human Heart burns with the perfection of divine love and longs to touch every soul in need of Your mercy. Please transform my heart into Yours so that I may have Your zeal for the salvation of all whom I encounter and become a fitting instrument of Your divine presence in the world. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles...  Luke 6:12Simon and Jude were among those very select few who were chosen by Jesus Himself to be His Apostles. Today's Simon is not the same person as Simon Peter, and today's Jude is not the same person as Judas Iscariot. Little is known about these two Apostles. Simon is referred to as a zealot in the Gospels, which could have meant he was a member of a more radical sect within Judaism. Jude is popularly known as the Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes. Some suggest this is because he was often the last Apostle to be prayed to by the early Christian faithful on account of the fact that he shared a name with Judas Iscariot, and praying to Jude reminded people of that betrayer. If that was the case, then in God's providence, since Jude became the last Apostle to be prayed to, he also became the last hope for many and, thus, the patron saint for those with truly hopeless causes.One tradition states that Saints Simon and Jude are linked together in the Roman Canon and also share the same feast day because they were both martyred together on the same day, possibly in Syria, Lebanon, or Persia. However, the true details of their missionary journeys and martyrdom is unclear. The one thing that is certain about these Apostles, however, is that they were Apostles. They were chosen by our Lord and appointed by Him as two of the first bishops of our Church and were given a mandate to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth.From our perspective today, being one of those chosen Twelve is an incredible privilege. The effect of their ministry in establishing the first Christian communities has resulted in our worldwide universal Catholic Church. These men most likely did not realize the impact that their faithful service would have upon the world.As we honor these two Apostles, we are also reminded that each one of us is called to go forth to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We each do so in a way specific to the calling and mission that Christ has entrusted to us. We are each called to make an eternal difference in the lives of those whom we serve. And if we are faithful to our mission, we can be certain that the effects of our apostolic service will be felt in the lives of countless others until the end of the world. Reflect, today, upon Jesus choosing these two men and appointing them as Apostles. As you do, listen to God's voice as He also speaks to you. Do not underestimate the importance of accepting the mission that Jesus gives to you. Say “Yes” to Him in imitation of these two Apostles and know that your choice to serve our Lord in this way will not only have a great effect in your life, it will also have an effect in the lives of many others for all eternity. My glorious Lord, You called these two ordinary men, Simon and Jude, to be Your Apostles. You filled them with Your grace, taught them with Your Word, and sent them forth to preach to the ends of the earth. Please also send me, dear Lord, to whomever You choose. Use me as Your instrument and help me to always remain faithful and zealous, reaching out to those in need, especially to those who lack faith and hope in their lives. Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Ugolino di Nerio, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.  Luke 9:44–45This is the second time that Jesus predicts His coming passion to His Apostles. After telling them that He will be handed over, the Gospel relates that “they did not understand this saying.” It also states that “they were afraid to ask him about this saying.” Why did they not understand, and why were they afraid to ask Jesus about His coming passion?The Apostles were deeply attached to our Lord, both on a spiritual level and also through their affections. And this is good. But sometimes our affections can cloud our thinking and make it difficult to understand the deeper spiritual realities in life. Though our affections are natural, they must always be directed by the will of God. For example, if we were to try to understand Jesus' affections, we'd have to conclude that He both spiritually and affectionately desired to lay down His life for the salvation of souls in accord with the will of the Father. He not only chose this with His will, but He also desired it in His affections, because His affections were perfectly ordered.The Apostles, however, were unable to understand that Jesus had to lay down His life, be rejected, suffer and die, in part because they were very attached to Jesus in an emotional and affectionate way. So in this instance, their human love and attachment to Jesus hindered their ability to understand the greater spiritual good of Jesus laying down His life.Consider, also, our Blessed Mother. How would she have reacted to Jesus saying that He had to be handed over, be rejected, suffer and die? Though this would have grieved her with a holy sorrow, the perfection of her human nature would have led her to not only understand and accept this deep spiritual truth, but she would have also desired this to happen within her affections because she perfectly desired the fulfillment of the will of the Father. There would have been no conflict within her between the will of the Father and what she desired.In our own lives, we will often tend to struggle in the same way that the Apostles struggled. When faced with some challenging cross in life, a cross that the Father calls us to embrace freely, we will often find that our affections resist. When this happens, we become confused and even fearful of the future. Thus, the only way to conquer fear is to work to surrender every emotion, every affection and every human attachment over to the will of the Father so that His will is all we desire with every power of our soul.Reflect, today, upon the interior struggle of these Apostles as they came face-to-face with this the second time Jesus began to prepare them to accept, understand, choose and desire His passion. Consider the interior struggle they went through at that time and even as they saw this unfold. Eventually they understood. Eventually all fear vanished. And eventually they affectionately rejoiced in Jesus' sacrifice. But it took much time and much surrender. Reflect upon those ways our Lord is inviting you to choose His Cross in your life. Where you see your affections resisting, try to surrender, pray for understanding and seek the courage you need to desire His Cross with all your soul.My revealing Lord, You opened Your divine heart to Your Apostles and invited them to understand and choose Your suffering and death. And though they hesitated and struggled, You continued to invite them to embrace the Father's will. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to embrace every spiritual truth first and foremost and to allow that Truth to free me from fear and fill me with the gift of understanding. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:1–2This is the first time that Jesus sends His Apostles out on a mission. On this mission, He is preparing them for their ultimate mission, which will come at the time of Pentecost, after Jesus dies, rises and ascends to Heaven. But for now, Jesus commissions these Apostles to do three things: to cast out demons, heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom of God.Just like the Apostles, we are called to combat the devil and his demons. They are fallen angels who retain their natural powers, and they use those natural powers to try to deceive us, oppress us and, in some cases, even possess us. But demons are powerless in the face of God, and God gives us spiritual authority over them. And though there are some who are given the unique ministry of exorcism within the Church, all of us do have spiritual authority over demons, especially over their natural spiritual attacks of temptations.We combat demons primarily by revealing their lies and bringing them to light. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his spiritual classic The Spiritual Exercises, explains to us some of the ordinary tactics these demons use and how we overcome them. He says that for those steeped in a life of serious sin, the demons continually place before their mind the lie that their sins are enjoyable and rewarding, so that they will continue to choose them. And for those who are striving for holiness, these demons try to discourage them in their deepening conversion. They “bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on” (Rule 2). The way to overcome these temptations is by turning to the truth. First, by realizing that the false “pleasures” of sin are just that: false, fleeting and ultimately demeaning. Furthermore, we overcome these temptations by receiving from God “courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations and quiet, easing, and putting away all obstacles.” In other words, we overcome the demons by allowing God to strengthen us, clear our thinking, dispel all false obstacles on the road to holiness and by receiving the abundant consolations that God bestows as help on the journey.Reflect, today, upon the fact that our Lord wants to minister to you in this threefold way. If you can work to overcome the obstacles put in your path by these demons, then you are in a good position to share in the other two missions given to the Apostles. You will be able to experience mental, emotional and spiritual healing in your life, and you will be able to allow the Kingdom of God to grow strong and powerful within your own soul. From there, you will be sent on a mission by our Lord to bring these graces to others in need.My all-powerful Lord, You have authority over evil, the power to heal and offer all the gifts of eternal salvation. Help me to be open to the ways that You desire to come to me. Please free me from the attacks of the evil one, bring healing and hope, and bring forth the abundance of Your glorious Kingdom in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Phillip Medhurst, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities… Luke 8:1–2Our Lord was on a mission. He traveled on foot from one town to another, “preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.” His message truly was “good news.” He healed the sick, cast out demons and, most importantly, He forgave sins. As a result, many began to follow Him. Not only did His followers consist of the Twelve whom Jesus personally called and who He would eventually send forth as His Apostles, but others followed Him also. Today's Gospel also mentions three women by name: Mary of Magdala, Joanna and Susanna. These are but a few of the people who were deeply touched by our Lord, who in turn left all to follow Him.The choice of these first followers to abandon all and follow Jesus invites us to examine the extent to which we have committed our lives to following Him also. Among the many people who heard Jesus preach, there were undoubtedly various responses. Some rejected Him, others were intrigued by Him, others believed in Him but were not willing to become His disciple, and some did commit themselves wholeheartedly to Jesus and His mission of proclaiming good news. For the latter, the good news they heard changed their lives.What is your response to our Lord? One good way to properly answer this question is to examine the amount of time and energy you have committed to our Lord and His message of good news. How much time have you spent reading His holy Word, praying to Him, speaking about Him and learning the faith that He has taught? How much does His message affect the decisions you make in life? Being a Christian is not something we can compartmentalize. We cannot have our “faith time” a few moments of each week and then spend the rest of our time on other activities. True, our days will be filled with many activities that are simply normal parts of our lives. We all have duties and responsibilities that occupy much of our days. But being “all in,” so to speak, means that Jesus and His message permeates everything we do. Even our ordinary daily activities such as work, chores, and the like must be done for God's glory and in accord with His divine will. For Jesus' first followers, though they traveled with Him from town to town and radically changed the course of their daily lives, they still would have engaged in many ordinary activities. But those ordinary activities were ultimately done so as to help them and others fulfill their ultimate mission of listening to and responding to the Word of God. Reflect, today, upon the extent that you have consecrated every part of your life to our Lord and His mission. Doing so does not necessarily require that you become a public evangelist, spend all day at Church or the like. It simply means that Jesus and His mission are invited into everything you do every day all day. We can never serve our Lord fully enough. As you examine your daily activity, look for ways to bring our Lord into everything you do. Doing so will truly make you one of His faithful disciples who are all in with your life. My divine Lord, You are on a mission to save souls and to build up Your glorious Kingdom. I thank You for inviting me to not only become transformed by Your holy Word but to help spread that Word to others. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Please enter into every part of my daily life and use me for Your glory. Jesus, I trust in You.  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Image: Hole, William, 1846-1917, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By NOT Adhering to Jesus' “Great Commission” to “go . . . and make disciples” You Are Following Jesus MESSAGE SUMMARY: God said told all Jesus Followers to “go and make disciples” not to “make decisions”. In other words, we are to bring the Gospel to others with whom we have or with whom we develop a personal relationship. Therefore, we are to leave the “conversion” or the “decision” of others to become a Christian up to the Holy Spirit. Our job, as Jesus Followers, is to “go and make disciples”. In Jesus' last instructions to His Apostles and to you, before His Ascension to Heaven from Earth, is in Mathew 28:16-20 -- Jesus' Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”. A disciple is a student, a follower, a learner. Making a disciple is not about classes. Making a disciple it about investing yourself in the life of another person – discipling is having a personal relationship with another person so that they see the life of Christ in you. Have you been discipled, or have you made a disciple? Not “going and making disciples” is your “great omission” as a Christian.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, in order to be with you, I need you to show me how to “create a desert” in the midst of my full, active life. Cleanse me from the pressures, illusions, and pretenses that confront me today so that my life may serve as a gift to those around me. Amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 26). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, Nothing compares to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:7f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Mathew 28:16-20; Mathew 9:36-38; Mathew 10:16-33; Psalms 115:1-18. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Crumbs From The Table”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui00000 0DglsqEAB

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matthew 10:34—11:1 - Jesus said to His Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household. "Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One Who sent Me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple– amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." When Jesus finished giving these commands to His Twelve disciples, He went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin Saint Kateri, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry shares stories from 40 years of bringing people back to the Catholic Faith, bringing others to the Catholic Faith, and others to the priestly and religious life

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matthew 10:16-23 - Jesus said to His Apostles: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for My sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of My Name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot Saint Benedict, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2) Pro-life leaders give thanks for historic victory as Congress defunds Planned Parenthood https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-life-leaders-give-thanks-for-historic-victory-as-congress-defunds-planned-parenthood/?utm_source=most_recent&utm_campaign=usa 3) Better climate Christians https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/07/better-climate-christians-under-trump-after-bidens-anti/ 4) When we lose God, we lose country: Venerable Fulton Sheen on Patriotism as a virtue https://www.churchpop.com/when-we-lose-god-we-lose-country-ven-fulton-sheen-on-patriotism-as-a-virtue/

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matthew 10:7-15 - Jesus said to His Apostles: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words— go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3) Brandon Otto on his new translation of Saint Claude La Colombière's: Seeking the Heart of Christ (TAN Books) https://tanbooks.com/products/books/seeking-the-heart-of-christ-christian-reflections-on-the-interior-life/ 4) This June, Christ the King conquers LGBT https://www.returntoorder.org/2025/07/this-june-christ-is-king-conquers-lgbtq/

Read Online“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19–20This is an easy lesson to understand but very hard to live. This teaching of Jesus comes within the context of Him telling His Apostles that as they go forth to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, they will be handed over to courts, scourged in synagogues, and led before governors and kings. They will be persecuted in one town after another for sharing the Gospel. Though such a “pep-talk” may not at first seem that encouraging, the Gospel passage quoted above should provide much encouragement. Encouragement, that is, if they can follow Jesus' advice in faith.When we are condemned, judged, misunderstood and the like, it is very common to begin mounting our defense within our minds right away. We justify our actions, set up a tribunal in our minds by which we act as judge and jury of the other, finding them guilty and issuing them punishments. The sin traditionally referred to as “self-love” is a sin that stems from pride and is not love at all. It tempts us to defend ourselves, using our own human wisdom and counsel.If we carefully consider Jesus' teaching above, most people will realize that it is a very hard teaching to embrace. Essentially, when you are condemned or mistreated by another, remain silent in your heart. Do not immediately dwell on the wound they have inflicted. Do not become obsessed with the apparent injustice. Do not worry or become filled with anxiety at the perceived persecution. Instead, turn your eyes to Jesus, consider only His Voice and His Truth. And instead of looking at the wound that was inflicted upon you, look at the person inflicting it. And look at them with love. They are not the enemy, they are the battleground for Truth, and it is your mission to help them hear God's truth. So how do you do that? Jesus' answer is straightforward. “You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” Furthermore, Jesus makes it clear that it must be the “Spirit of your Father” who is to speak through you in such a case.Living such a teaching especially requires two things: humility and trust. Humility will allow the temptation to self-love (pride) to be set aside. This is essential if you are to hear the Voice of God speaking to you and, ultimately, allow Him to speak through you. Second, it is essential that you trust that what Jesus says is true. You must trust that, if you are humble and open to His Voice, that He will give you His words when He wants them spoken. This is difficult, because we often want to say far more than God chooses to say. God often calls us to silence in the face of injustice. A silence that is also imbued with love for the persecutor. This requires much trust in the grace of God, which results in an abundance of charity on your part.Reflect, today, upon this teaching of our Lord. Consider how you react when someone condemns or judges you. How do you respond to such persecutions? Begin with silence, turn your eyes to the other out of love for them, and then listen and wait on the Lord. Wait until He gives you the words to say. Doing so is not only good for the persecutor, it is also exceptionally good for your own soul and holiness of life.My patient Lord, You, Who are the Savior of the World and the God of all, allowed Yourself to be falsely accused, judged and condemned. During it all, You remained silent and spoke only when the Father spoke through You. Help me to be freed of all pride, dear Lord, so that I will speak only Your holy words, think only the thoughts inspired by You and act only on Your holy command of love. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Web Gallery of ArtSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” Matthew 10:14–15Recall how Jesus harshly condemned the Pharisees for their hardness of heart. In Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 23, Jesus issues seven “woe to you” condemnations of these Pharisees for being hypocrites and blind guides. These condemnations were acts of love on Jesus' part, in that they had the goal of calling them to conversion. Similarly, in today's Gospel, Jesus gives instructions to His Twelve about what they are to do if they preach the Gospel in a town and are rejected. They are to “shake the dust” from their feet.This instruction was given within the context of Jesus sending the Twelve to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” with the commission of preaching the Gospel.At that time, they were to go to those who had already been entrusted with the message of the Law of Moses and the prophets but were to now proclaim that the Kingdom of God has arrived. Jesus was the promised Messiah, and He was now here. And for those of the house of Israel who reject Jesus, they were to be condemned by this prophetic act of the wiping of the dust of their town from the Apostles' feet. At first, this can seem somewhat harsh. One can think that patience, ongoing discussions, gentleness and the like would be more effective. And though that may be the case in many of our experiences today, the fact remains that Jesus gave the Twelve this command.Just like the condemnation of the Pharisees, this prophetic action of wiping the dust from their feet was an act of love. Certainly, the Apostles were not to do this out of an irrational anger. They were not to do so because their pride was wounded by rejection or because of their disdain for these people. Rather, the Apostles were to do so as a way of showing the consequences of the townspeople's actions. When these towns of the chosen people rejected the promised Messiah, they needed to understand the consequences. They needed to know that by rejecting the messengers, they were rejecting the saving grace of the Gospel.First of all, it's important to consider those about whom Jesus was speaking. He was speaking about those who “will not receive” nor even “listen” to the message of the Gospel. These are those who have fully rejected God and His saving message. They, by their free choice, have separated themselves from God and His holy Gospel. They are stubborn, obstinate and hard of heart. Thus, it is in this most extreme case, of being completely closed to the Gospel, that Jesus instructs His Apostles to leave with this prophetic act. Perhaps upon seeing this done, some people would experience a certain sense of loss. Perhaps some would realize they made a mistake. Perhaps some would experience a holy sense of guilt and would eventually soften their hearts.This teaching of Jesus should also open your eyes. How fully do you receive and listen to the message of the Gospel? How attentive are you to the saving proclamation of God's Kingdom? To the extent that you are open, the floodgates of God's mercy flows forth. But to the extent that you are not, the experience of loss is encountered.Reflect, today, upon your being present in one of these towns. Consider the many ways that you have been closed to all that God wants to speak to you. Open your heart wide, listen with the utmost attentiveness, be humble before the message of the Gospel and be ready to receive it and to change your life as you do. Commit to being a member of the Kingdom of God so that all that God speaks to you will have a transforming effect upon your life.My compassionate Lord, Your firmness and chastisements are an act of Your utmost mercy for those who are hard of heart. Please soften my heart, dear Lord, and when I am stubborn and closed, please rebuke me in Your great love so that I will always turn back to You and Your saving message with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Jesus blesses the Apostolic College by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” Matthew 10:5–7 The very last words of Jesus, just prior to His Ascension into Heaven, expands the mandate we read above that Jesus gave to His Apostles. He later says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19). Eventually, Jesus sends the Twelve and all of His disciples to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. But here, prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit, and prior to the completion of Jesus' earthly mission, He instructs the Twelve to go only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Thus, Jesus gives a sort of priority to the preaching of the Gospel to those who have already been entrusted with the revelations of the Old Testament—that is, the teachings of the Law of Moses and the prophets.Though, today, we must all hear the call from our Lord to “make disciples of all nations,” we must also hear this unique commission to first preach to those who are already members of the family of God. And though, today, the Holy Spirit has already come and the Gospel has already gone forth far and wide, there is still an important spiritual lesson to be learned by Jesus' progressive commission from those of the family of God to those who do not yet know the Gospel.Start with yourself. By hearing Jesus give special emphasis to His Twelve to go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, you should hear our Lord speaking especially about you. You, who were baptized, have been confirmed and have received Holy Communion, now have a special obligation to listen to and respond to the Gospel of Christ. From there, God entrusts you with the sharing of the Gospel in a special way to those who also share your faith. For that reason, parents are uniquely obliged to share the Gospel with their children. Friends within the same faith community are uniquely obliged to reach out to others who share their faith. And pastors of the Church must do the same. The Gospel is now universal and must be proclaimed to all people, but this passage appears to highlight the importance of sharing the Gospel with fellow disciples of Christ.We know from our daily life that there are many who profess faith in Christ who still are not fully evangelized. There are many who have received the Sacraments but lack the deep faith to which they are called. It can appear that most fail to worship our Lord every day, and many fail in their prayerful worship each and every week. Therefore, it is useful to place yourself into this Gospel passage and to hear our Lord call you to especially devote yourself to the sharing of the Gospel with those who have already become members of His Church, even if it is only in name.If we begin with ourselves, seeking to daily grow deeper in our life of faith, praying and seeking out the will of God, then God will more easily be able to use us as He wills to share the faith with those who belong to God's family but whose faith may be weak. And for those who are “all in” and have truly given themselves over to Christ, God will certainly also use you for the proclamation of the Gospel to those who have not yet come to know Christ through the gift of faith.Reflect, today, upon the invitation Jesus gives to you to be His evangelist. First, look at your own life and do all you can to allow the Gospel to transform you into a fervent follower of Christ. From there, be open to the many ways that God wants to use you every day to inspire others to become followers of our Lord. Start with your family. Pray for them. Be attentive to the promptings of grace God gives to reach out to them. Then turn your eyes, also, to the wider community. Allow the Lord to lead, follow His voice, and He will use you in many ways to help others come to know His burning love for them. My universal King, You came to establish Your Kingdom in the lives of all people. You call all Your creatures to faith in You. Help me to be among the first who turn to You with my whole heart. Please also use me to become an instrument of Your saving grace to those whom You've put into my life. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.  Acts 2:2–4Happy birthday! Today, as we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we also celebrate the birth of the Church. Thus, today is a celebration of your membership in the life of the Church. As a human institution, the Church has always suffered on account of the sins of Her members. This sad truth is something that we are increasingly aware of today. But the Church itself is the Spotless Bride of Christ. It is the Body of Christ on earth, in Heaven and in Purgatory. Those of us on earth are members of the Church Militant. Those in Heaven are members of the Church Triumphant. And those in Purgatory are members of the Church Suffering. But all of us are united under Christ our Head as members of His holy Body, the Church. We profess our faith in the Church every Sunday.We profess that we believe in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” What exactly does this mean? First, it means that by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, those who profess faith in Christ are united as “one.” This oneness is a spiritual union that will endure for eternity. It is unbreakable and restores us to the life we were created to live. That is, a life of union with God and others, a communion of humanity with God.As one family, the Church is also “holy.” Holiness is another way of saying that we are made whole by the blood of Christ, sharing in His redemption. By His mercy, our sins are forgiven and we become children of the Father in Heaven, sharing the eternal life of the Son.The word “catholic” refers to the truth that the offer of salvation is given to all. It is a universal calling given to all people who will accept this gift. God did not come to save only a few but all, and many will accept this gift of salvation.We are “apostolic,” in that God chose to establish His Church through the mediation of His Apostles. They were uniquely called to become instruments by which the saving Truth is proclaimed and the grace won by the Cross is distributed. The work of the Apostles continues today through their successors, the bishops, and those who are co-workers with the bishops, the priests. Sinful though they may be, God uses them, nonetheless, to bestow His grace and truth upon the world.As a member of the one Body of Christ, you are also invited by God to enlarge His family through the sharing of the Gospel and by your life of deep prayer. You are called and sent, and this takes place by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we especially celebrate today.Reflect, today, upon the incredible privilege it is to be invited to be a member of the Family of God, the Church. And reflect, also, upon the important duty you have to extend that invitation to others. Pray to the Holy Spirit, asking for an increase in His seven-fold gifts in your life so that You can help share the saving message of the Gospel to those whom God wants to reach through you.Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Jesus, I trust in You.  Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit Fear of the Lord: With this gift the Christian becomes keenly aware of anything that may hurt his/her relationship with God.  There is a holy “fear” of hurting this relationship, and grace is given to avoid these things at all cost.Wisdom: With this gift the Christian is given a special grace to “ponder divine realities” in his/her speculative reason.  We are able to see the big picture and know how best to be an instrument of peace and harmony in our world.Understanding: This is the ability to have a supernatural assurance of the matters of faith.  Life makes sense.  We can make sense of the deeper parts of revelation, make sense of suffering and understand those things that tempt us to doubt.  With this gift we come to see how everything in life can work for good in accordance with God's plan.Knowledge:  With this gift the Christian knows, more in the practical intellect, what God's will is in this or that situation.  We know how to live, how to discern God's will and what decision to make in our daily life.  It also enables us to learn from our past mistakes.Counsel:  With this gift the Christian sees him/herself as a link in a chain which makes up the entire Church.  God uses each one of us to help and support one another on our journey.  We know what to say and how to act so as to do our part to build up one another.Fortitude: Simply put, it is a firmness of mind and spirit to do good and avoid evil.  It's a sort of Christian courage.  The Gospel will call all of us to a radical life of love.  Fortitude gives us the strength we need to follow through.Piety:  This gift enables us to first reverence and love God, but also to see the dignity of one another and reverence each other as children of God.Image: Juan Bautista Maíno, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! 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Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJohn 20 Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and sees the stone rolled away. She goes to tell the Apostles. Peter and John run to the tomb and see that it is empty. Not understanding Christ's resurrection, they return home. Mary then sees two angels sitting in the tomb. She turns around and sees Jesus alive and well! She returns to tell the disciples that she has spoken with Jesus. That evening, Jesus appears to ten of His Apostles and gifts them with the Holy Spirit. Thomas was not with them and continues to have doubts. Eight days later, Jesus appears and shows Thomas the piercings in His hands and side. He then says great blessings will come to those who have not seen and yet believe.  The resurrection and appearance of Jesus is the most transformational moment in all of human history. From this victory comes undeniable proof of power over Satan, sin, and death. For us, living after Jesus was raised and ascended, we can see how much hope exists in Christ. However, on the day He was raised, the disciples still had many doubts that left them gripped in fear. Even after Mary reported seeing Jesus, the disciples did not fully believe. Thomas wrestled with doubt a week after Jesus was raised. They had much to learn. This is why John's gospel presents so much testimony for us: so that we will know the truth about Jesus and never live in fear and doubt.      Great Father, we believe. We believe the tomb was empty on the first day of the week. We believe Jesus overcame death and now lives as our risen and ruling Savior. Thank You for fulfilling Your promise to bring us hope through Your Son's victory over Satan. Like Mary clinging to Jesus after He appeared to her, we long to cling to our King and thank Him face-to-face for His sacrifice and love. Dear Lord, help not to be burdened by doubt. May we always stay nourished in scripture, believing the testimony about Christ, and enjoying life in His name.  Thought Questions: -       Disciples throughout this chapter struggled to believe until they saw Jesus. How must your faith be even greater than theirs?        -       Jesus gifted the Holy Spirit to the Apostles as well as the power to forgive sins. How obedient should you be to their teaching? -       What does it mean to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name”? 

When Jesus called twelve men from among His disciples, what was He calling them to? From his sermon series in the gospel of Matthew, today R.C. Sproul considers the authority Christ delegated to His Apostles and the writings they produced by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Get R.C. Sproul's commentary on the gospel of Matthew for your donation of any amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3939/donate   Meet Today's Teacher:   R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was known for his ability to winsomely and clearly communicate deep, practical truths from God's Word. He was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.   Meet the Host:   Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, host of the Ask Ligonier podcast, and a graduate of Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. Nathan joined Ligonier in 2012 and lives in Central Florida with his wife and four children. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts