Podcasts about his father

Please join us as we continue our Bible Study in the book of John, chapter 17, where we have amazing insight into the prayer between Jesus and His Father in regard to Christ's mission, the church age to begin, and for the foundation of the church and the church are: His disciples and those who would believe in their message. Yes, that's us! Also see www.WordIsTruth.com for more information. Our church is named after this verse.

What would you pray for if you knew you were going to be executed tomorrow morning? A legion of angels? The rapture? A good lawyer? I think most of us would be fervently pleading for a miraculous change of circumstance, which is what makes Jesus' prayer that evening so amazing. He didn't ask to be rescued at all. He quickly acknowledged that the time had come for Him to die, but then began to pray that God would give Him the deepest desire in His heart. This is what He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You.” That's it! That's the first thing He asked for. He wanted to give glory to God. To “glorify” someone, as Jesus is using that word here, means to raise that person to a higher level of esteem in the mind of others. It's doing something to expand people's love and admiration toward him or her. But how do you glorify someone who is already completely glorious? How do you give a meaningful gift to a God who lacks nothing? What would anyone give Him that He would desire? Thankfully, there is something, not that He lacks, but that He deeply desires. And that's what Jesus asked for that evening rather than His own safety. He prayed for the privilege of giving His Father that gift. That was His deepest desire. What's yours? What's mine? The answer to that question is what we're asking the Lord to reveal to us today through His Word.

Please join us as we continue our Bible Study in the book of John, chapter 17, where we have amazing insight into the prayer between Jesus and His Father in regard to Christ's mission, the church age to begin, and for the foundation of the church and the church are: His disciples and those who would believe in their message. Yes, that's us! Also see www.WordIsTruth.com for more information. Our church is named after this verse.

Please join us as we continue our Bible Study in the book of John, chapter 17, where we have amazing insight into the prayer between Jesus and His Father in regard to Christ's mission, the church age to begin, and for the foundation of the church and the church are: His disciples and those who would believe in their message. Yes, that's us! Also see www.WordIsTruth.com for more information. Our church is named after this verse.

Please join us as we continue our Bible Study in the book of John, chapter 17, where we have amazing insight into the prayer between Jesus and His Father in regard to Christ's mission, the church age to begin, and for the foundation of the church and the church are: His disciples and those who would believe in their message. Yes, that's us! Also see www.WordIsTruth.com for more information. Our church is named after this verse.

Episode 49 w/ Parker Smith [Mark 10:32-34] In today's episode, for the third time, Jesus foretells His death and resurrection to His disciples. Jesus begins to lead the crowd toward Jerusalem. Even though Jerusalem is the place of terrible suffering for Jesus, He faithfully continues to follow His Father's will. Sponsors / Resources: Click to support: 22 Beans Coffee Co. Click to buy: Take & Read Podcast Hats Click to follow: Instagram Previous Episode (48): THE RICH YOUNG RULER | Jesus Loved Him

This Episode is about a Trucker's story being raised in a trucking home and knew from a young age he would follow in his Father's footsteps. His Father worked for Warren Transportation when Warren was working it's way from the bottom to an established business today. This Trucker through his journey started the FB page “Truckers Getting Things Done” and he tells some of his trucking stories and how he felt God's angels surrounded him at times. All the places to find us: https://my.captivate.fm/linktr.ee/theradicalroad (linktr.ee/theradicalroad) https://www.ontheradicalroad.com/ (ontheradicalroad.com)

Hey everyone and welcome to Refinery Life Church. Our new sermon series is titled “The Adequacy of Jesus Christ.” As God promised to be adequate to meet the needs of Moses and the children of Israel, so to Jesus also claimed divine adequacy. The great “I Am's” of the Gospel of John are the texts we will be working through for these messages. Today we are talking about I Am The True Vine. Although most people were not vineyard keepers, they were familiar with the line of work. In this environment Jesus made His last great “I am” statement. “I am the true vine.” He said, “and My Father is the gardener.” Vines grow on terraces and require a lot of attention. A young vine was not allowed to bear fruit within the first three years. It was pruned drastically to develop a strong root system. Even after the vine began to bear grapes, it was still pruned, because some branches would produce fruit while others only sapped the vine and its strength and productivity. In this setting Jesus gave a dramatic lesson about those who claimed to be followers of God. Jesus is the only true vine, His Father is the gardener, and we are the branches. Let us look at each of these statements and see what truth they have for us. Visit us at www.refinerylife.org Twitter @PastorGaryHoban @RefineryLifeGC Facebook @PastorGaryHoban @RefineryLifeChurch Instagram @gary_hoban @refinerylifechurch Patreon YouTube Gary Hoban http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxvrTCsjg98vGjMTObxJhtQ Refinery Life Church Australia http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkvD9z50SuKWxhSw0TPQkgQ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/refineryliferadio/message

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”  Luke 11:1The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  In response, He taught them the “Our Father” prayer.  There is much that can be said about this prayer.  This prayer contains all we need to know about prayer.  It is a catechetical lesson about prayer itself and contains seven petitions to the Father.  Let's look at the first three of these as found in Chapter 11 of My Catholic Worship!Hallowed be Thy Name:  “Hallowed” means to be holy.  As we pray this part of the prayer we are not praying that God's name will become holy, for His name already is holy.  Rather, we pray that this holiness of God will be recognized by us and all people.  We pray that there will be a deep reverence of God's name and that we will always treat God with the proper honor, devotion, love and awe to which we are called.It's especially important to point out how often God's name is used in vain.  That is a strange phenomenon.  Have you ever wondered why, when people get angry, they would curse God's name?  It's strange.  And, in fact, it's demonic.  Anger, in those moments, invites us to act in a contrary way to this prayer and to the proper use of God's name.God Himself is holy, holy, holy.  He is thrice holy!  In other words, He is the Holiest!  Living with this fundamental disposition of heart is key to a good Christian life and to a good life of prayer. Perhaps a good practice would be to regularly honor God's name.  For example, what a wonderful habit it would be to regularly say, “Sweet and precious Jesus, I love You.”  Or, “Glorious and merciful God, I adore You.”  Adding adjectives like these before we mention God is a good habit to get into as a way of fulfilling this first petition of the Lord's Prayer.Another good practice would be to always refer to the “Blood of Christ” we consume at Mass as the “Precious Blood.”  Or the Host as the “Sacred Host.”  There are many who fall into the trap of just referring to it as the “wine” or the “bread.”  This is most likely not malicious or even sinful, but it's much better to enter into the practice and habit of honoring and revering anything that is associated with God, especially the Most Holy Eucharist!Thy Kingdom Come: This petition of the Lord's Prayer is a way of acknowledging two things.  First, we acknowledge the fact that Jesus will, one day, return in all His glory and establish His permanent and visible Kingdom.  This will be the time of the Final Judgment when the current Heaven and Earth will pass away and the new order will be established.  So, praying this petition is a faith-filled acknowledgment of this fact.  It's our way of saying we not only believe this will happen, we also look forward to it and pray for it. Secondly, we must realize that the Kingdom of God is already here among us.  For now, it's an invisible Kingdom.  It's a spiritual reality that must become an all-consuming and present reality in our world. To pray that God's “Kingdom come” means we desire that He first take greater possession of our souls.  The Kingdom of God must be within us.  He must reign on the throne of our hearts and we must allow Him.  Therefore, this must be our constant prayer. We also pray that the Kingdom of God become present in our world.  God wants to transform the social, political and cultural order right now.  So we must pray and work for that.  Our prayer for the Kingdom to come is also a way for us to commit ourselves to God to allow Him to use us for this very purpose.  It's a prayer of faith and courage.  Faith because we believe He can use us, and courage because the evil one and world will not like it.  As the Kingdom of God is established in this world through us, we will meet with opposition.  But that's ok and should be expected.  And this petition is, in part, to help us with this mission.Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven: Praying for the Kingdom of God to come means, also, that we seek to live the will of the Father.  This is done as we enter into union with Christ Jesus.  He fulfilled the will of His Father with perfection.  His human life is the perfect model of the will of God and it is also the means by which we live the will of God.This petition is a way of committing ourselves to live in union with Christ Jesus.  We take our will and entrust it to Christ so that His will lives in us. By doing this we begin to be filled with all virtue.  We will also be filled with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which are necessary for living the will of the Father.  For example, the Gift of Knowledge is a gift by which we come to know what God wants of us in particular situations in life.  So praying this petition is a way of asking God to fill us with knowledge of His will.  But we also need the courage and strength necessary to then live out that will.  So this petition also prays for those Gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable us to live out what God reveals as His divine plan for our lives. It is, of course, also an intercession for all people.  In this petition we pray that all will come to live in unity and harmony with God's perfect plan.Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

This week I am speaking with Susan and Craig Taunton, the parents of recent guest Christian singer-songwriter Laurel Taylor (From Season 4-Episode 3). They wanted the opportunity to share their family's story from the parent's perspective as well as Laurel's, and it was powerful to hear it from all sides! Susan grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. She married at age 19 to her high-school sweetheart. She has two children, a boy and a girl, and is a grandmother(Tutu) of 3 precious boys! Susan is a Believer who has been walking with Jesus for 25 years. She enjoys gospel music and loves reading the Word and Christian non-fiction, keeping her grand boys, and traveling to her daughter's events to worship with her. Susan has a passion for the homeless community as well! Craig was Born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. His Father passed away from cancer in 1973, when he was only eight years old. Craig's brother and sister were graduating high school when He was born, so He grew up much like an only child. Craig was baptized at an early age but went a bit wayward during his teenage years. He married his high school sweetheart. Craig and Susan have been together since 1980. He is Retired from the State of Alabama in engineering, and now he is a self-employed contractor. Craig is proud of his family and, through the Lord's help, what they have all been able to overcome. You won't want to miss this special episode. We rarely get to hear other perspectives and pieces of our stories. This family has an amazing testimony of faith and trust in the Lord!Follow their Daughter Laurel Taylor at: https://instagram.com/laureltaylorofficial?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=*Theme Music “Blessed Time” by Ketsa 

Jesus is the true vine and His Father is the vinedresser, so before you can be a fruitful branch you must understand that there are three stages God will have you go through before you are able to reap the seeds that were sown in you. Instagram: @bnbpodcast__ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/destini-jackson/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/destini-jackson/support

John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” These words were shared for the purpose of giving His disciples confidence and honor. They were His friends because He wanted to befriend them. Let us remember, Jesus' enemies intended to shame Him by calling Him a “friend of sinners.” The transforming power of His love was bestowed by grace. He did not call them friends because they initiated the relationship. Rather, they found favor with Him because of God's grace and an eternal purpose determined by His Father. The apostle Paul commented on this great gospel truth of God's election when he wrote, “God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9). What is the purpose for which we were chosen by God in Christ Jesus? To love with Him. To go through life with Him, laying down our lives, suffering for the sake of the gospel, displaying the fruit He produces in answer to prayer inspired and encouraged by the knowledge of God's will for them to be fruitful branches. Do we live with that awareness of His purpose, promise, and honor? He has honored us by choosing, appointing, and empowering us to live to love with Him for the glory of the Father. Be encouraged today in the eternal purpose of God revealed in you as you live to love with Jesus. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

These are the memories of Hiram Percy Maxim, of his Father. His Father was an investor and a funny fellow. Weather he was playing practical jokes or teaching his children, he always made it fun.

Just as Jesus followed His Father's direction to the Olive Garden and then the cross, leading to His death and resurrection, we must be willing to give up our own lives, take up our cross of suffering and follow Him. The only way our lives will work well is if we give up control and let Him have it all. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/640/29

When we hear the term "The Olive Garden", the Garden of the Gethsemane probably isn't the first place that comes to mind. Yet there's perhaps no account in the Bible that more clearly reveals the humanity of Jesus. He prayed for His Father to let the cup pass from Him so that He would not have to die -- but He also prayed that His Father's will be done. Jesus' struggle in the garden is an example to us of what it means to surrender to the Lord: we have to be ready to give up our own lives, take up our own cross, and follow Him.

These are the memories of Hiram Percy Maxim, of his Father. His Father was an investor and a funny fellow. Weather he was playing practical jokes or teaching his children, he always made it fun.

Jesus said that His Father will prune a branch that is bearing fruit so that it can bring forth more fruit. John 15:2-4 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/encouragingchristians/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/encouragingchristians/support

John 15:15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Earlier in the evening before their last meal together, Jesus had called His disciples slaves. ““If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:14-17). He called them slaves earlier to set the stage for them to receive His new command to live to love with Him. At this point in the evening, He wanted them to know what was about to happen and that He was relating to them, not as slaves, but as His dearly beloved friends. As He spoke and they walked toward the arranged rendezvous with the devil, He was laying down His life for His friends. He wanted them to know what He was doing—sanctifying them, His friends, to Himself—calling them into the place He was going to prepare for them. How do His friends get into this place of union with Jesus? They believe Jesus is God in the flesh, who died to remove all of the sins of His friends, who conquered death for them, has risen to ever live to intercede for them, and to give them His life. All done perfectly, according to the will of His Father, so He can continue loving all His friends through them for His glory. Do you realize what Jesus did for you? Do you believe in Jesus? If so, then you know what He was doing. He was preparing to live to love through us today who are His friends. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Welcome to episode #126! Matt and Braden dig into growing your emotional maturity, which will help you have success in your journey out of sexual bondage!Emotional quotient is vitalOur emotional quotient is the combination of understanding how to identify and steward emotions and then being able to implement what we know. First, we have to learn to actually be aware of what we are feeling. Then, we need to learn how to control our emotions so that they don't run our days - for better or for worse. Learning how to have our emotions subjected to, and led by, the Holy Spirit is vital. EQ is more important than IQ in terms of having success in anything in life.Porn affects emotional development in the brainPorn consumption affects the way our brains respond to emotional events in our lives. When we consume porn, the parts of our brains that initiate the rational thinking necessary to control emotions gets squashed and under-developed. This is why self-awareness regarding which emotions we feel is so important, along with learning what to do when we feel the rush of emotions. Jesus was emotional, but didn't let them control HimWhen Jesus got angry, He fashioned a whip before going to flip the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. He didn't just act in a rage, but instead planned His response. He also got angry because the moneychangers were offending His Father, not because of a personal attack against Him. When we take things personally, our reactions are going to be emotionally immature, which opens the door to sin in our lives. When we die to ourselves and learn to overlook offence, the emotions we feel especially in hard times are going to have less of a hold on our lives.Share this with your friendsWho do you know that can benefit from this podcast and other episodes coming in the future? Share it with them so they can subscribe as well.SubscribeSubscribe on any podcast app to make sure you catch new episodes!ResourcesDr. Grant Mullen's websiteEmotionally Free bookPure Freedom Journey for men and womenCleansing HoursPersonal 1-on-1 Coaching with one of Restored Ministries' trained coachesHelp for wivesFamilyLife Canada: Resources and events to strengthen your marriageOnline marriage resources (FamilyLife Canada)Covenant Eyes Accountability Software - use promo code RM30 for 30 days freePodcast HostsBRADEN HAFNERBraden is the Regional Director in Alberta for FamilyLife Canada. He has been married for 13 years to his wife Kristen, and they live in Edmonton, Alberta. He is passionate about seeing marriages grow and thrive, and helping couples move to a deeper oneness with one another and with God. FamilyLife Canada has a variety of resources and events to help you and your spouse take your marriage to the next level. See what would benefit you at www.familylifecanada.comMATT CLINEMatt and his wife Louise raise their little guys, David and Oliver, in Edmonton, Alberta. He is honoured to do what he can to tackle the epidemic of pornography and sexual perversion in every way possible. Seeing lives and marriages get free and experience the love of God in profound ways is what drives him every day. He leads Restored Ministries, is a certified speaker and coach for the John Maxwell Team, and formerly played hockey in the WHL and for Hockey Canada. You can visit www.restoredministries.ca.

What is the Christ? Christ is God's Son as He created Him. He is the Self we share, uniting us with one another, and with God as well. He is the Thought Which still abides within the Mind that is His Source. He has not left His holy home, nor lost the innocence in which He was created. He abides unchanged forever in the Mind of God. Christ is the link that keeps you one with God, and guarantees that separation is no more than an illusion of despair, for hope forever will abide in Him. Your mind is part of His, and His of yours. He is the part in which God's Answer lies; where all decisions are already made, and dreams are over. He remains untouched by anything the body's eyes perceive. For though in Him His Father placed the means for your salvation, yet does He remain the Self Who, like His Father, knows no sin. Home of the Holy Spirit, and at home in God alone, does Christ remain at peace within the Heaven of your holy mind. This is the only part of you that has reality in truth. The rest is dreams. Yet will these dreams be given unto Christ, to fade before His glory and reveal your holy Self, the Christ, to you at last. The Holy Spirit reaches from the Christ in you to all your dreams, and bids them come to Him, to be translated into truth. He will exchange them for the final dream which God appointed as the end of dreams. For when forgiveness rests upon the world and peace has come to every Son of God, what could there be to keep things separate, for what remains to see except Christ's face? And how long will this holy face be seen, when it is but the symbol that the time for learning now is over, and the goal of the Atonement has been reached at last? So therefore let us seek to find Christ's face and look on nothing else. As we behold His glory, will we know we have no need of learning or perception or of time, or anything except the holy Self, the Christ Whom God created as His Son. Christ's is the vision I will use today. Each day, each hour, every instant, I am choosing what I want to look upon, the sounds I want to hear, the witnesses to what I want to be the truth for me. Today I choose to look upon what Christ would have me see, to listen to God's Voice, and seek the witnesses to what is true in God's creation. In Christ's sight, the world and God's creation meet, and as they come together all perception disappears. His kindly sight redeems the world from death, for nothing that He looks on but must live, remembering the Father and the Son; Creator and creation unified. Father, Christ's vision is the way to You. What He beholds invites Your memory to be restored to me. And this I choose to be what I would look upon today.- Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles - Workbook Part II, What is the Christ?- Lesson 271

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. – Matthew 16:27

Welcome to season 2 of the Determined to Dance podcast. I pray that you'll be uplifted, encouraged, and will move forward each and every day. Today's episode, Praying Like Jesus: Surrendered Prayer, focuses on Jesus's attitude of surrender. Show Notes: Praying Like Jesus: Surrendered Prayer Many men and women in the Bible are wonderful examples of how to live life, seeking hard after God. No one, however, tops the example of Jesus Christ and the way He lived His life on earth as a model to pattern our life after. If any one word could sum up His years on the earth, it would be surrendered. Jesus totally gave His all for His Father and for us. In many places in the Word, Jesus gave up time to be alone, to mourn, or rest because of His compassion for people. In Matthew 14: 13-14, Jesus went to be alone after hearing of the beheading of John the Baptist. “When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” He not only taught and healed them but also took time to feed the people before they left. Jesus followed the Father and His will even when it caused Him trouble or made Him unpopular. John 5:18-20 says, “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him because He not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” NKJV I don't know about you but often I would rather follow the popular way than God's way. It's hard to tango when everyone else is waltzing. Fitting in seems easier and it is so hard when people don't understand you or your choices. In times past, I haven't spoken up like I should because of peer pressure. People often look at you like you're a bit odd when you are seeking God and His ways as much as possible. Probably some of you listening have lost family, friends, positions, and even jobs over your choice to be led by God. Jesus told his disciples: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19: 29 NKJV So, rejoice, my friends. There is much good in your future when you surrender. What does it mean to surrender to God? First, we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and then: We release control of our lives to God. As humans, we want our own way and it's difficult to give control to anyone. But we can trust Him. We walk in faith, believing that God has our best in mind. He alone knows what we need. We follow where He leads. We take time to read the Word and pray, listening for God's nudges. Then we go… We can trust Him in surrender. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Jesus prayed the ultimate prayer of surrender in Mark 14: 32-39: “Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray,

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. After commanding His disciples to love each other as He had loved them, He explained how He had loved them. His entire life from His first breath in this world, was to surrender His life, to lay down His life, to love those His Father commanded Him to love. What did He lay down? He laid down His life with the comforts of heaven and earth. He surrendered His reputation, honor, rights, everything this world had to offer Him. He did not defend, promote, protect, or assert Himself. Everything was laid down that He had a right to hold onto for the sake of one thing: to express the love of the Father for His glory for those the Father wanted Him to love. As He had only minutes before said, “So that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.” What had the Father commanded Him? For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father” (Jo. 10:17-18). The Father loves His Son so commanded Him to lay down His life of His own initiative. If He laid down His life for us out of obedience to His Father, shall we not also be loved by our Father and commanded to lay down our lives for those He loves? This is the great love that lives inside of us—the supernatural, self-sacrificial, love of God for His friends. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. – Matthew 16:27

Today's Reading: Matthew 6:24-34Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We worry. We worry a lot. We worry about what we will eat and what we will wear. We worry about this life, which must end. And make no mistake, it will end, no matter how much food we have on hand or how many outfits are hanging in our closet. We need to get our priorities in order.Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Don't seek food and clothes first. That's what the heathen do. No, seek first the favor of God and His saving works. Seek the Lord and His grace. For you see, if you have the Almighty on your side and He cares for you, then you don't have to worry about anything. The One who can feed the countless birds and dress the countless flowers can certainly feed and dress you! If you have the grace of God, then everything else will be added to you!Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You have already found it, or rather it found you. When you were baptized, you became a citizen of God's kingdom—nay, even more than that! You became a member of the royal family, a child of God! A good king takes care of his citizens, but even wicked kings take care of their own children. How much more will your King and Father take care of you?You are members of the kingdom. You have been dressed in a righteousness that far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). Jesus wrapped your sins around Himself, and then He dressed you in His righteousness. This isn't the story of the prince and the pauper. It is the story of the Savior and the sinner—the righteous Savior takes our place on the Cross, so that the sinner can take His place at His Father's table.So, stop worrying! The heathen want to extend their lives another week, another month, another year, but you will live forever in the Kingdom of God!  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Lord, we implore You, let Your continual pity cleanse and defend Your Church; and because she cannot continue in safety without Your aid, preserve her evermore by Your help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for the 15th Sunday after Trinity)-Pastor Alexander Lange is pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Albany, Oregon.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane BamschStudy Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

I always get asked... How do you hear from God?? It's not that hard actually.  I believe He WANTS us to hear from Him. He is a personal, living God that loves us very deeply. Don't you want to talk to YOUR children? I believe it's the same way with Him. His Word, thru people, thru that still small voice... there are lots of ways.    But there are also things that hinder us from hearing from Him, I believe. Bitterness, unforgiveness, distractions... those things can cause walls that block us from hearing from Him.    What were Jesus's examples? What did Jesus do to hear from His Father? Let's discuss all of this in today's episode!! 

Suffering isn't a subject most of us like to talk about, or even think about, but suffering is a reality in life. And right in the middle of that not-so-pleasant reality, I have some good news for you today. Your God wants you to have victory, right in the middle of your suffering. VICTORY IN SUFFERING People pay a lot of money for wilderness eco tours these days, and yet as Christians, God seems to take us on wilderness tours free of charge on a regular basis. Why does He do that? I mean, can't our lives just go along on a nice, even keel for ever and ever amen? Funny thing, but when Jesus was baptised, as He come out of the water, the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and a voice spoke from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. Did that happen at your baptism? No, me neither. Let's take a look. Mark chapter 1, verses 9 to 13: Just as he was coming out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased'. And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. A booming voice from heaven – “This is my beloved Son in You I am well pleased” … and yet, the very next thing that God did with His precious Son was to drive Him out (literally the word means ‘throw Him out') into the wilderness to starve and to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights. God didn't even spare His own Son, but when He was finished, Jesus came out of the wilderness we are told ‘filled with the Holy Spirit'. It's just how God does things, get used to it. Suffering is part of God's plan for our lives. None of us enjoys suffering. I don't and I'm pretty sure you don't either. But suffering is a normal part of life. And God tells us that when we suffer, we should consider it nothing but … pure joy!! Come on! Is that bizarre or what!? Have a listen to this. James chapter 1, verse 2: My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but pure joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, and lacking in nothing. God's plan is that in that wilderness of suffering, He will test and strengthen our faith. That's one of the main reasons for suffering. So far, my record for bad days in my life, is that I've managed to survive each and every one of them just fine. In fact, that's a one hundred percent survival rate, and there have been some real shockers in that lot, I have to tell you. As I look back on them, I can see how the Lord carried me through, how He cared and provided for me, how He grew me and moulded me and how He's used every one of those bad days for good in my life. Isn't it amazing how the fire of trials and suffering refine us purer and purer each time? When an athlete trains to compete at an elite level in their sport, they go through a lot of pain. They run until it hurts, they pump iron until it hurts. And what that pain, what that suffering does for them, is, well … it does two things really. It makes them strong, and it gives them endurance, both of those are important. Strength and endurance – you need both of them to compete well in a sport, and you need both of them to get through the tough patches in life. Strength and endurance. Do you know what the biggest temptation is for you and me when we're suffering? I think it's the temptation to start behaving badly. I'll just go out and get drunk, or I'll sleep around, or I'll be nasty to other people that are causing me the pain. Somehow we have this distorted ledger in our heads that goes something like this: Well, God's certainly not blessing me at the moment, so why not behave badly? Why not do what I want? Blow God!! What do I have to lose?! Of course, in the cold, hard light of day, that's a stupid line of reasoning, because we know that behaving badly, eventually, is just going to make other things worse. So just in case you were wondering, here's God's plan for what to do when you're suffering. Galatians chapter 6, verses 9 and 10: So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. God is a God of seasons. Look at how regularly they roll around – spring, summer, autumn, winter; year after year. Seed time and harvest, season after season. There are seasons of blessing in our lives, there are seasons of trials in our lives, there are seasons of temptation in our lives, and there are seasons of suffering in our lives. And through it all, here's the thing, if we don't grow weary of doing what is right, we will reap the harvest that's waiting for us. When? Well, at harvest time, of course! So don't panic. Don't worry, just cry out to God, pour out your heart to Him. A few years ago, I was sitting in a small group Bible study with a bunch of earnest, Bible-believing, Jesus-loving Christians. We were looking at that verse in Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7 that goes something like this: Don't worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Great. So we discuss it, we prodded it and poked it, and we're about to move on. The Bible study leader summarises with: “Well, that's is really good, but we still worry, don't we?” Berni – I can't help myself at this point – Berni shouts out, “NO!” And they all stare at me. Come on – do we take God at His Word or not? Here in this passage, He's telling us, if instead of worrying, we pray and give thanks, His incomprehensible peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me! All we need to do, is to take God at His Word in those difficult times, and keep on keeping on, and we will discover in our very own experience just how faithful God is. POWER TO YOU Spiritual victory is an awesome thing. So many things come against us in this world – people, circumstances, our own selfish desires, the devil and his legion of demons, it's almost as though we've been set up to fail, don't you think? You look at all the stuff you have to get through in this life and there is just no way that you can live your life the way God wants you to live it. Way too many people who call themselves Christians are living in that sort of a defeat but Jesus came to give us victory and victory we shall have if only we can get over our desire to be self-sufficient, if only we can get over this natural instinct we have somewhere deep inside us to set out on our own to become better people, to become better Christians if you will. How did we get that idea into us in the first place pray tell? Well here's how it generally unfolds in our lives. One of the very first things we try to teach our children is to become self-sufficient. I mean when they're born they're completely dependent on us for everything, by the time they leave home we want them to be able to cope with the big wide world out there on their own, we want them to be self-sufficient and that's good but there's a downside. The danger is that we take that thinking and that teaching, each one of us, into our relationship with God. Jesus once said this to His disciples, John chapter 15 verses 4 and 5, He said: Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches, those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing. Allow me if you will to paraphrase that so that we can get it into our thick skulls once and for all. In effect Jesus is saying this, look guys I don't care how clever you are apart from me you can do nothing. I am the vine, you're the branches and the only way that you can bear fruit is to be in me. When I became a Christian that's a lesson I had to learn the hard way. I was Mr Self Sufficient, in fact that's still my natural instinct to try to crash through things on my own so it's still a lesson I'm learning over and over again. When it comes to overcoming my sin, when it comes to blessing others, here's what I've discovered. Apart from Jesus I can do nothing and nothing means NOTHING. It's exactly what God's Word says by the way, 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 56 and 57: The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law but thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The only place you get victory is in Jesus. No, you can't do it alone, the only place you can get victory just in case you missed it is in Jesus. I know what you're thinking, ‘Berni that's a great theory but exactly how does that work? Where do I go to actually lay hold of that victory? How can I experience this victory you've been yabbering on about in my life? How can I stop being a spiritual loser? How can I start winning the battles each day? Well the most amazing thing about being a Christian is having the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you. Just stop and think about that for a minute – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three persons, one God, so when the Spirit dwells in you that's God, that's the God who created the universe, the Jesus who died and rose again for you, the same Holy Spirit who filled those disciples with power at Pentecost, that's that God dwelling in you. A lot of people shy away from the Holy Spirit, He's a bit harder to get a handle on. The Father, yeah we get that, the Son, we get that too but the Holy Spirit, well it's not so easy. Listen up those disciples even though they spent three and a half years with Jesus, were a disorganised uneducated rabble. Even when Jesus ascended into heaven they still lacked that power, that ability, that focus to do what Jesus had called them to do – to be His witnesses even unto the ends of the earth. Then something happened, have a listen, Acts chapter 2 verses 2 to 4. Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like a rush of violent wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as a fire appeared among them and a tongue rested on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability. They were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. He brings such incredible power into our lives, the power to do things we never imagined, the power to be all that God made us to be, the power to overcome sin, the power to live our lives in victory come what may. The Bible actually commands us, Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18 to: Go on being filled with the Holy Spirit. And yet some Christians shy from Him, like that makes sense somehow. The very same day that the disciples were filled with the Spirit listen to what Peter, the uneducated fisherman achieved, Acts chapter 2 verses 14 and 41. Peter standing up with the eleven raised his voice and addressed them and those who welcomed his message were baptised and that day about three thousand persons were added. He hadn't been to the elite theological colleges of Jerusalem, no he was a fisherman from Galilee of all places. When Jesus needs him most during their many trials leading up to His crucifixion this Peter, who had promised to stand by Jesus denies Him three times just as Jesus had foretold. Now let's wind the clock forward to this day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit falls on the disciples, Peter gets up and speaks about Jesus to this huge crowd filled with the very same people who, just weeks before, had shouted, ‘Crucify Him'. He tells them about Jesus, about their sin. There was every chance that he too could have been arrested and crucified, instead we're told that on that very day about three thousand people accepted Jesus. Now that's what you call power, the very same power that's available for you today. THE REST OF YOUR LIFE So let me get back to that question I just asked you, how are you going to spend the rest of your life? Defeated or victorious? It is such a terrible tragedy that so many of God's people are living their lives out as losers when everything that needs to be done for them to have victory has in fact already been done. Let me be blunt and direct with you here, I know that's going to be a surprise to you given I'm such a shy and retiring type but let me whack you right between the eyes with the God honest truth. This is true for every man and woman and child who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, every man and woman and child who has put their complete trust in Jesus. God means you to live out the rest of your life in victory through Jesus Christ, full stop, end of story. And He had a plan for that to happen before you were even born. Now granted life is a funny thing, it goes in fits and starts, sometimes there are long boring patches of the same old same old, you know business as usual interspersed with the odd high and the odd low. All of a sudden something exciting happens maybe a marriage or a birth or a holiday or a promotion and then bang, car accident, relationship problems, the death of a loved one. That's how life seems to play itself out. Sometimes without rhyme nor reason, more like a lottery than a life but that's not actually the way it is. God knew before you were born, He already had a plan for your life, He already knew how your life would pan out, what He gifted you to do. This is what He said to the Prophet Jeremiah about the life He'd planned for him, Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you, I appointed you a Prophet to the nations. And the same is true for you, your life isn't a lottery, it's a part of Gods plan and that right there is a great reason to bounce out of bed every morning with a sense of anticipation ‘I wonder what God has planned for me today', don't you think? Sure some days are going to be scary days, some days you're going to have this feeling that God's abandoned you, you're pedalling so hard up hill, into the wind, into the driving rain, pedal, pedal, harder, harder. Then one day you look up and God is nowhere to be seen and not only is He nowhere to be seen but the storm clouds have thickened and, well you've got the picture, you know exactly what I'm talking about because you've been there. When the whole world is lined up against you here's the rub, Isaiah chapter 41 verses 9 and 10. God says to you, He is saying to you today: You are my servant. I have chosen you and not cast you off. Do not fear for I am with you, do not be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. In other words God is still God, God still loves you, there's no need to panic, there's no need to be afraid, He's right there with you closer than the deepest secret of your heart. God will strengthen you, God will help you, God will uphold you with His victorious right hand. Why? Not because I say so but because He does. Isaiah chapter 41 verses 9 and 10, that's His promise and when that little truth is tucked away in your heart you can relax. He has it all under control, so much so that right in the middle of one of those life storms He's going to call you to step out of the pitching boat that you're in, the pitching boat that seems to be keeping you alive, He's going to call you out to walk on the water with Him. Some people, entrepreneurs in particular are natural risk takers, others quite simply are not. Wherever you lie on that risk taking continuum I have something serious to share with you today. If you've set your heart on following Jesus you can leave behind any notion you'll be able to stay in your comfort zone. The twelve disciples were out in a storm in a small boat on the Sea of Galilee and even though some of them were experienced fishermen who knew these waters the storm became so ferocious that even they were afraid of drowning. Jesus comes walking across the water. They're even more fearful because they think they've seen a ghost. Matthew chapter 14 verses 28 and 29. Peter answered him, ‘Lord if it's you command me to come out onto the water with you' and Jesus said, ‘come'. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water and came towards Jesus. Now Peter, if you know anything about him, was obviously a risk taker, he doesn't wait for Jesus to call him out there but he asks Jesus to invite him to step out of the boat. And when Jesus does just that crazy Pete steps out of said boat and walks on the water right in the middle of a howling storm. Now you'd think that Jesus could have calmed the storm first right? But no, He called Peter out of the boat in the middle of that raging storm. But that's Jesus, that's the way He does things, go figure. You and I want to wait until the storms of life abate until we step out of the boat and follow Jesus but victory, real victory is stepping out and following Him in the middle of the storm. Again Matthew chapter 14 verses 30 to 33. But when Peter noticed the strong wind… So he's out there, he's on the water right? He notices the strong wind. He became frightened and began to sink and he cried out, ‘Lord save me'. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him saying to him ‘you of little faith, why do you doubt?' When they got into the boat the wind ceased and those in the boat worshipped him saying ‘truly you are the Son of God. (Matthew 14:30 to 33) When Jesus says to you ‘follow me' it isn't an invitation to an easy life, far from it. Jesus promised His disciples quite the opposite. Hmm, I've been out on a few of those stormy oceans like that in my time, stepping out of the boat to answer Jesus call, it seems alright at first but when you're out there on the water the storm gets your attention like nothing else and what happened to Peter has happened to me on more than one occasion. The moment you take your eyes off Jesus and you focus on the storm, the problem, you start to sink. Note to self: keep your eyes on Jesus, would you? One day, the day will come when you and I breathe our last breath on this earth. One way or another, either because our body has just given up on us or because Jesus returned, that can be a scary thought too, particularly the older you get and the more you feel your body aging but here's another exciting bit of news. No matter how it ends for you and me if we believe in Jesus, if we've been living our lives for Him, walking out on the stormy water even when the storm is raging, we've been living for Him the best way we know how then He has a promise that removes even the fear of death. John chapter 14 verses 1 to 3. Don't let your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me for in my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it weren't so would I have told you that I would go and prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and will take you to myself so that where I am there you may also be. He has been preparing a place in His Father's house for you so you can spend the rest of eternity with Him. Whatever happens to be going on in your life right now just let that one sink in for a moment, eternity with Jesus in His Father's house. Whatever this life throws at you, however howling and raging the storm is between now and your last breathe eternity with Jesus in His Father's house, that's His promise – His rock solid promise. That puts a whole new spin on things doesn't it? God has a simple plan for you, to live your life in spiritual victory, that's why Jesus came, that's why Jesus died, that's why Jesus rose again. Sin couldn't hold Him down and His victory is your victory now and forever.

John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. In this verse we learn an astounding lesson about the love of the Father for His Son and the Son's love for us. Love, the sustained direction of the will toward the highest good of another, no matter what the cost, expressed that love by giving a command to love. How did the Father love Jesus and what did Jesus do to love His disciples that the Father did to love Him? The Father loved His Son by commanding Him to come to earth and love those given to Him with Him, the Father. In just the same love, Jesus commanded His disciples to love those given to Him with Him, the Son. Let this sink in! Meditate on this glorious truth until your soul is filled with wonder and awe and your life takes on His purpose for life: to make disciples who live to love with Jesus. To love them by teaching them Jesus' command, namely, to love those who are His with Him. Or to put it in the terms of Jesus' analogy, to bear fruit for the glory and joy of the vinedresser, His Father. It is in the Sons' highest good to please His Father by obeying His command to love in His name. It is in the disciples' and our highest good to obey Jesus' command to love in His name. We'll see why this is in our highest good tomorrow. Today, the Son has loved us by commanding us to live to love with Him. Can you imagine a branch not obeying? It's the very nature of the branch to do so. It's why it was made. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

There may not be a more exciting book in the bible than Acts. It is like having an embedded reporter there at the birth of the church and all through her rapid expansion. That is in fact, what we have as Luke carefully recorded the history of the church, beginning with the final words of Jesus before He returned to His Father: ‘you will be My witnesses...to the end of the earth.' (Acts 1:8). It is a world-wide mission that we have, and as we will see, it is a mission that cannot be stopped. But it can be slowed. Not by outside forces so much as internal apathy and complacency within the church. The church must wake up and get on the move and live out the mission we have been given. This hard-hitting series will challenge us to get moving, to be the invincible church all the way to the end of the earth.

Today's Reading: Introit for the 15th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 86:4, 6, 15a, 16; antiphon: vv.1a, 2b, 3)Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; 1 Timothy 6:3-21Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. (Psalm 86:6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Read Psalm 86 in its entirety. Clearly David composed this psalm in a time of trouble. David calls himself “poor and needy” (Psalm 86:1). He asks God to preserve his life and to save him. At the end of the psalm, David says that insolent and ruthless men are seeking his life (Psalm 86:14, 17). Thus, David asks the Lord to listen to his prayer and to save him.Are ruthless men trying to kill you? Probably not. Still, you might feel like your life is in danger at times. Perhaps a terrible economy or unemployment has you shaken. You fear that one day your cupboards will be bare. Or perhaps your family has not been able to pay the bills and you are worried that they will turn off your electricity. That means no A/C during hot summer days and no heat during the cold winter. Or maybe your fears are not money related. Maybe you fear that your doctor will return with your tests and give you some really bad news.The point is that we live in a dangerous world. So, we fear death. In Matthew 6:24-34, Jesus calms our fears. He reminds us that we have a good and gracious Father in heaven, who will surely feed and clothe us. We are never in true danger, since we rest in the hands of a loving God.David knew this. He confesses that God is “merciful and gracious” (Psalm 86:15). And so, instead of wringing his hands and pacing the floor, David brings his fears to his God. “Listen,” David says to God, and indeed the Lord does listen. He listens to your prayers, too. “Ask,” the Son of God said, “and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7).Of course, this doesn't mean that we won't suffer or die. It means that God will deliver us from death. And sometimes that means taking us through death and out the other side. This is what happened to Jesus. He prayed that His Father would deliver Him from death. God heard His Son, allowed Him to die on a Cross, and then made death release Him on Easter morning! And what happened to the only-begotten Son of God on Easter morning must also happen to the adopted children of God on the Last Day. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Children of the heav'nly Father Safely in His bosom gather; Nestling bird nor star in heaven Such a refuge e'er was given. ("Children of the Heavenly Father" LSB 725, st.1)-Pastor Alexander Lange is pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Albany, Oregon.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Duane BamschStudy Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Here Jesus reveals His passion, the passion of the vine—namely, the glory of His Father. How vital it is for His disciples to understand that their lives have one holy purpose, that is to bring glory to the vinedresser by bearing much fruit. The fruit, of course, is His love. We must be careful not to be misguided and think that the fruit is decisions for Christ, or changed lives in those whom we love in His name. The fruit is clearly fruit that issues forth from the lives of the disciples. It is the fruit of which the apostle Paul wrote when He described the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in Gal. 5:22-23. We are not fruitful if we see those things in other people. Our fruitfulness looks like the fruit of the life of the vine. It is love. Love is the proof that we are Jesus' disciples, true branches connected to the vine. This is a repeat of John 13:35. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” May the Spirit of Christ encourage us today, to bear fruit for the glory of the Father, by asking Jesus to love through us and for us. He promises to do it for us. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

In this episode, you'll also hear:Mandy's story of abuse, trauma, and exploitationHow our spiritual enemy uses trauma to attack our identitiesMandy's journey to healing from identity disturbanceWhy and how you can "expect the impossible" from Christ's power to overcome traumaThis episode is part of the Christian Authors Network global speaking competition, Speak Up. Click here to learn more and stay up-to-date on the competition!Mandy Leigh Lindsey: Delivered from False IdentitiesMy name is Mandy Leigh, and I am the “Arise and Shine” Transformation Coach, but I was not always. You see, during my childhood years, I suffered so much trauma, and I was exploited sexually through pornography as a young girl, which groomed me for the nightmare I ended up living through in my young adult life. At the age of 16, I was trafficked and brutally raped. This changed me on a fundamental level. Then, at the age of 19, I ended up in the commercial sex industry, where I stayed trapped for 10 years. This kind of trauma changes you — deeply, inherently, foundationally, and many times forever. Trauma: The Enemy's Favorite ToolThe first attack of the enemy is always on our identity. He does this through the tool of trauma. That is his favorite tool. The traumatic events of life are tools of the enemy to keep the sons and daughters of God in bondage and believing the lie that they are broken and damaged. And trauma is not just what happened to you. It is actually passed through the bloodline, and is an inherited identity that is a collective compilation of what happened to you and your entire family line since the Garden of Eden. This is what makes up what I refer to as our false identity. Through trauma, we actually experience what we call identity disturbance. And that is what happened to me in my life. Through all of the trauma in my childhood, I had a resulting identity disturbance, and this caused multiple false identities to form in my life. I learned how to be a different version of myself at home to avoid abuse, a different version at school to avoid punishment, a different version of myself for guys to get their attention, and even a different version of myself with friends. The Cycle of Identity DisturbanceIdentity disturbance leads to a lifetime of habitual patterns that lead to abusive and toxic situations. This is how I ended up being trafficked at 16 and then coerced into the commercial sex industry at age 19. This life led me into a series of traumatic events, an endless cycle of toxic and broken relationships, addiction, and mental illness. I was misdiagnosed bipolar in 2012 and placed on what I call “the medication merry-go-round,” but it just made me worse. In 2013, I met a Christian therapist. She discovered I was not bipolar at all, but that I was suffering from the effects of unresolved trauma. Then she diagnosed me with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and an accompanying disorder called Dissociative Identity Disorder, which is actually a form of multiple personality disorder. We began the long journey of unpacking my traumas one by one through clinical modalities such as EMDR, but I really wasn't getting any better. I was still getting worse. In 2017, I had to have life-altering surgery, my second marriage imploded, and I lost my brother in a horrifically tragic way. This caused my psyche to split, and my alter ego took the primary position of control in my life. It was a very dark time in my life. In 2018, I fell and injured my neck. It was during this time that God got a hold of me, and I began to cry out to Him. He orchestrated a healing journey of epic proportions for me that was nothing short of miraculous. Healing Through ChristPart of this journey was an inner healing retreat I attended in 2019. It was during the second session, which was called “The Perfect Sacrifice,” that God shook the foundations of my soul and allowed the prison doors to shake free. During this session, a video was aired of “The Passion of the Christ.” As I watched my Savior beaten, battered, shamed, slandered, and slaughtered, my heart broke. The amount of love pouring out of this sacrifice for me hit me like 1,000 tons of bricks. I sobbed uncontrollably at the scope of what Jesus did for me. It truly hit me in the very core of my being. It was during this time that the single most empowering truth of my entire life was revealed: Jesus endured the most horrendous traumas any human being could ever endure on a mental, emotional, psychological, and physical level during His time on earth. No other human being has ever, in the history of mankind, suffered anything close to the atrocities that Jesus suffered. Yet He sits on the right hand of God the Father, completely whole, not broken by PTSD. While His torment could easily target Him for such a disorder, He stands free with God the Father. Sin and shame do not plague Him, though He bore all the sin and all the pain and shame in His death on the cross for all of humanity. But the truth is that Jesus did not stay dead! He rose again. Sin did not overcome Him. He is alive and resurrected, and sits on the right hand of His Father in heaven. God gave me these words during that session: “The same power lives in you.” The same power! This is where the game changed. In this single moment, the magnitude of what God gives to all of us as His children became real to me, and I took my life back. God Makes the Impossible PossibleToday, I'm an international coach, a sought-after retreat and conference speaker, and an author. I am releasing my first book called “The Same Power: A Personal Journey of Inner Healing and Deliverance.” I now partner with multiple ministries that serve women who are coming out of commercial sexual exploitation. My testimony is a full-circle, powerful story of how God can turn even our darkest hours into something for His glory. God is the only one who can take a prostitute and put her in the pulpit. My story showcases how we can all certainly believe in the impossible. BIO:Mandy Leigh is a certified Transformation Coach, with a focus on trauma recovery, based in northeastern Pennsylvania. She is a sought-after conference and retreat speaker and an author. She brings a unique approach to healing by combining the power of the supernatural with holistic healing methods and techniques to bring lasting relief and freedom. GET CONNECTED:Website: www.mandyleigh.com/Facebook: www.facebook.com/mandy.leigh555 THE CHRISTIAN AUTHORS NETWORK SPEAK UP COMPETITION:The Speak Up Competition, sponsored by the Christian Authors Network, is a powerful source of hope and light for people all over the world. This year's theme, “Expect the Impossible,” is a reminder that no matter how dark our situations may look, we always have hope because we know that all things are possible with God! The inspirational messages featured in this series are from the round two finalists. Stay tuned for updates as the competition progresses, and please pray with us that God will use this competition to bless and encourage His people. We know that the speak up community has the power to make a difference in this world, and we can't wait to see what God does through us!

New website: jesuswordsabouthell.com Home page receivejesuschrist.com Home page heaven-or-hell.org Home page i-saw-hell.com Home page jesusisalive.world Home page wonderreality.org Home godsholyangels.com Home Page The post Jesus Main Topics: the Kingdom; His Father; Heaven…Jesus is God…He Saves…Amen appeared first on Wonder & Reality.

Friends of the Rosary: St. Padre Pio, whose feast day is this Friday, September 23rd, said, "Pray that God will console you when you feel the burden of the Cross, for in doing so you are in no way acting against the will of God, but you are placing yourself beside the Son of God who asked His Father during the Agony in the Garden to send Him some relief." Like the Son, we will receive consolation from the Father when the weight of our suffering isn't bearable – and when we ask for it. We are beloved children of God, and the Holy Trinity just wants the salvation of our souls, that need to arrive purified into Heaven. Ave Maria! Jesus, I Trust In You! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

Homily, 09.18.2022 - Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross THE EPISTLE (For Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross) The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (2:16-20) Brethren, knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? God forbid! For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me. THE GOSPEL (For Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross) The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (8:34-9:1) The Lord said, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And He said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power.”

Jesus lived in the reality that His Father divinely interrupts and intervenes in the natural world.  Do we believe this?   (Jn 2:1-11, Mk 4:35-41, Jn 8:58, Jn 1:1, Jn...

In the third installment of our Sabbatical Psalms series, RE Aaron Raines preaches Psalm 110 - a Psalm about Christ the King. In this Psalm, Christ is prophesied to be God in the flesh, a Warrior and Priest, who reigns now at His Father's right hand as King of all.

There may not be a more exciting book in the bible than Acts. It is like having an embedded reporter there at the birth of the church and all through her rapid expansion. That is in fact, what we have as Luke carefully recorded the history of the church, beginning with the final words of Jesus before He returned to His Father: ‘you will be My witnesses...to the end of the earth.' (Acts 1:8). It is a world-wide mission that we have, and as we will see, it is a mission that cannot be stopped. But it can be slowed. Not by outside forces so much as internal apathy and complacency within the church. The church must wake up and get on the move and live out the mission we have been given. This hard-hitting series will challenge us to get moving, to be the invincible church all the way to the end of the earth.

In this continuing study I take a look at the Rapture Doctrine. Is this a Pre-Trib, as taught in most mainstream Churches are do Christians go through the Tribulation Period? I compare Thessalonians to Matthew 24 along with Revelation. I venture into Paul's writings to explore what he has to say, along with what Yahweh says in Ezekiel.  In this Part 32 I go back to Matthew 24 verse 18 and see what Yahshua Messiah has to say to His disciples and most important TO US TODAY! I discuss the fact that this present Pope is a Luciferian! Beginning with verse15, begins the second sign that Yahshua has given us. 18   Take a real good look at these verses 15 to 18. Notice that this is basically all one sentence. Therefore the thought remain the same throughout Yahshua's message. Yahshua starts out in verse 15, telling us when we see the ‘abomination of desolation' taking place, then in verse 16 He is telling those that live in Judea to flee to the mountains. Verse 17, He tells us not to come down from the roof top and gather up any of our personnel belongings and then in verse 18 we are instructed not to leave the field and return for our clothes. I have another thought on this verse. Why would you and I while working in the field, spiritual speaking preaching the Gospel of Yahshua Messiah throughout the world, as I am doing right now, need to go back home and gather our clothes when we are seeing these events unfold to us as Yahshua Messiah said? 19  Why would Yahshua Messiah state this, if man was told by Yahweh to replenish the earth? Yahshua Messiah is not contradicting His Father! Yahshua Messiah is speaking in a spiritual sense, on those that follow after this false messiah, doing his work. As one nurtures a baby they will nurture the works of Satan. Remember Yahshua Messiah is coming back for his virgin bride. That's to say those that didn't follow after anti-Christ. This in essence is the Mark of the Beast found in Rev 13. This is a mark of service, which is hidden over a long period of time, by which they do his work. Keep in mind that this mark of the beast is not some tattoo as same my think nor some type of a computer chip, driver's license etc. Let me ask you something. What is in your fore head? You're Brain! That allows you to think! In those days = those days of the abomination of desolation! Other words, WOE to them that hanky-panky with Satan!!!!! I made mention of the Virgin Bride. Let us take a look at Matt. Chapter 25. 3  lamps = torches – light = symbolic of Yahshua Messiah ‘El- ah – yon' this word is made up of three Divine titles of Yah! EL - EL  is essentially  the Almighty , thought the word is never so rendered (see below, "Shaddai"). EL is Elohim in all His strength and power. It is rendered "God" as Elohim is, but  El  is God the Omnipotent. AH = Jah is Yahweh in a special sense and relation. Yahweh as having BECOME our Salvation (first occ. Exod. 15:2), He Who IS, and WAS, and IS TO COME. It occurs 49 times (7 x 7. Spiritual completeness) YON = Elyon first occurs in Gen. 14:18 with  El , and is rendered "the most high (God)". It is El and Elohim, not as the powerful Creator, but as "the possessor of heaven and earth." Therefore the name is associated with the Messiah as the Son of "the Highest" (Luke 1:35). It is Elyon, as possessor of the earth, who divides the nations "their inheritance". In Psa. 83:18, He is "over all the earth". The title occurs 36 times (6 x 6 or 6 squared See Ap. 10). So we conclude that this oil is the ‘Word' of Yahshua Messiah, i.e. the Gospel. Kind in mind if one doesn't know the Word, then “they” can't do the work for Yahshua Messiah. Have any questions? Email me at utwoy@netzero.net

When Jesus left His disciples to return to His Father in Heaven, He was faithful to fulfill His promise of sending the helper, His Holy Spirit, who manifested on the earth by living in the disciples and enabling them to be the reformers that were needed for their time. These disciples would be not only be responsible for preaching, and miracles, but some would be responsible for writing the Word of God that we call THE BIBLE. That was the time that the faithfulness of Holy Spirit would come to center stage! On the day of Pentecost, 3000 were added and the Church was born because Holy Spirit arrived on the scene. Just like the Apostles and the disciples of old, we as disciples of Jesus today have to recognize that it's the move of Holy Spirit that will make all the difference in our ability to impact the world today. We must rely on the faithfulness of Holy Spirit!

Great heros are born for great moments. David seemed like the most unlikely candidate to face the Philistine giant Goliath, but his trust in the Lord God was resolute. He cared more about the name of the Lord than his own safety. Our hero, the Lord Jesus Christ, also trusted in His Father to win the battle over sin, death and hell. Today He is helping us defeat our goliaths!

Luke 2. When we are introduced to Jesus, we must make a decision. Jesus revealed at the age of 12 that His Father was God. He recognized who He was at age 12. He knew He must be about His Father's business. More revelation would come as He got older, but this causes us to …

Although Draco Malfoy had no qualms against lying, he'd been taught from a young age how to benefit the most from his lies. His Father had repeated the same over and over again, as Draco grew up: You shall never do anything that provides you no benefit. And Draco had never broken that sacred rule of his family, mostly because he'd never felt the compulsion to do so. Of course Harry bloody Potter would have to come tumbling and ruin it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/etl-echo/message

John 15:2-3. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” I want to encourage you today with the words of Jesus that prune us, the words that sanctify or clean us so that we can bear more fruit. If we didn't stop and look back at those words, we would miss how powerful and encouraging verse 3 is to us. The same Greek word, katharos, is used in vss. 2-3. In vs. 2, Jesus used the verb form and in vs. 3, the adjectival form. Jesus also told them they were “clean” in 13:10. The idea Jesus communicated was the idea of being washed, cleansed, or purified from those things that hinder the flow of His love. There's so much here! Who does the pruning? The vinedresser, of course, not the vine. However, Jesus said here that His words had cleansed or pruned them. However, He had told them only minutes earlier, that the words that He spoke to them were the words of the Father working. He said, “The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” So now we can connect the dots. The vinedresser, the Father, gave the words to Jesus, in order to cleanse or prune His disciples. It was and still is the Father working in His Son because they are one. The Father's words are the life of the vine and the powerful pruning work in our lives. When praying to His Father, Jesus described this incredible reality. John 17:6-8. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” Then later in His prayer, He asked the Father to prune His disciples through the word that He had given Him to give to them. John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” What truth or words did Jesus give to His disciples that prepared them for effective fruit-bearing for the glory of God? Do you know what they are? Have you received them as the pruning, cleansing, sanctifying words of God that make His branches fruitful? We will be encouraged by His cleansing words tomorrow. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

74, 8-4, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,  (Scheduled 9/15/2022) Peter Foxwell Interview, Part 1 INTERVIEW, PART 1 Today we are going to share Part 1 of our interview with Peter Foxwell, the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Clyde, MI, just outside of Port Huron.  This the church I attend. I have always found the parts of Peter's story that I knew to be interesting.  I also find his faith and teachings to be inspirational. PETER FOXWELL INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS PART 1   Introduce Peter His Journey:      Born and raised in Scotland      After high school, attended Aberdeen University, graduated with law degree      Encountered Jesus second year of college, changed trajectory of his life      Became a lawyer      Years he was led to be led to the ministry      Attended Divinity School in Grand Rapids, Michigan      After graduation he returned home only to return to attend Seminary in Michigan      Met his wife, a Michigan native        After graduating from Seminary Peter and his wife spent 7 years in Canada in ministry      Last 25 years at Cornerstone Church Discussion:      What would Peter tell people about Jesus?      Christian faith      Jesus lived, He was real      Son of God      Jesus intercedes for us with His Father      Talking to people about Jesus Recent College Experience:      PHD in Leadership      Online      5 years      Discussion on the process ad research      Stress of pastors during Covid      Interviews with pastors Further Discussion:      Stress & struggles during Covid      Need for churches to have online presence End Part 1 Discussion: INTERVIEW, PART 1 Discussion: I'd like to end with a poem from God's Rhyme I wrote after attending Cornerstone church for awhile. THE CORNERSTONE (God's Rhyme, Pg. 122) The cornerstone, the first block laid, upon which the foundation is made, in which the line is straight and true, the beginning holding the clue. A clue of the temple A view of the house A pew of His church The few The blessed The meek The poor The Spirit The Son The Father All found in . . .  the cornerstone. Old and new, we can read testaments of the blocks which rest on the cornerstone; so perfect in line, lest we lament, lest we reject, lest we build on our own. Jesus, the cornerstone on which we build our lives; a temple, we as one become a church building on His perfection we strive through His life, we end our search. Building on the cornerstone we are no longer a stranger, we no longer build alone, not since that birth in the manger. “We are members of His household, Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, With Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone.”  Ephesians 2: 19, 20, NIV Before the beginning and beyond the end, Jesus, our Savior, is our cornerstone; building on a life, a death that God did send, the house He builds becomes our own. (Yes, He was the cornerstone the Psalms tell us the builders rejected.  But for those who believe, He is the cornerstone for all that is good.  In Him we have our faith, our hope, our joy, our eternal salvation.) Reflexion: This is about the church I started attending while in Bible study.  In...

The letters we find in the book of Revelation reveal aspects of who Jesus is. When He ascended to Heaven to sit by His Father after His physical earthly ministry, His spiritual ministry continued. He sent His Spirit to reveal Himself to men, as well as specifically working in the authors of Scripture – like John – to reveal His nature and prophetic visions of His second coming. In today's message, Pastor Ken will be examining Jesus' letter to the Church at Philadelphia and what it teaches us about our Savior.

Welcome to season 2 of the Determined to Dance podcast. I pray that you'll be uplifted, encouraged, and will move forward each and every day. Today's episode, Praying Like Jesus: Thankfulness, focuses on Jesus and his example of being grateful. Show Notes: Praying Like Jesus: Thankfulness Jesus is the ultimate example of how to dance with God. He talked to and listened to His Father during his short time on earth and then moved accordingly. He went where God sent Him and did what God told Him to do. The perfect dancer performing the perfect dance. We can learn a lot by reading the New Testament, especially Jesus' prayers of thankfulness. Throughout the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus thanked His Father often. In Matthew 11: 25-26, He spoke to the crowd about John the Baptist and then about the generation and cities that would not repent. Right after this strong rebuke, He stopped to talk with His Father: “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.'” NKJV Jesus took time to focus on the positive, the ones who did seek truth and to be grateful for them and the Father who cared so much. Later on, in John 11: 41-42, we see Jesus visiting the grave of Lazarus after speaking with Mary and Martha. He takes time to weep, then speaks with God: “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” John 11: 41-42 Jesus also gave thanks before He fed the crowds of four thousand and five thousand. At the last supper, He gave thanks before handing around the bread and the cup. How could He be grateful with full knowledge of the betrayal of Judas, the abandonment by His disciples, the trial, beatings, and the cross that loomed in the future? He knew His Father and had complete faith in who He is. Jesus put Himself completely in God's hands and rested in the knowledge that He could trust God. Wow. I'm reminded of the faith of the three Hebrews in Daniel 3: 16-18 after they'd been told to worship a golden idol or be tossed in a fiery furnace: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” The faith that says, “We trust God more than we fear man.” I'm not there yet. I still worry and fret when life is difficult, especially when it concerns my family. At times, I have faith and at others, I doubt. I'm afraid I'm more like the disciple Thomas than the three Hebrews. But God knows my heart. I'm digging into His Word, which is where faith comes from, and giving thanks when those terrible doubts come against me, often during times of prayer. When Jesus went alone to pray, as we discussed last week in Episode 28, I'm sure that thankfulness was in abundance as He talked with His Father. When we're thankful, it pulls our attention away from the problem and to the only One who can truly solve it. God, the Father. This summer has been one where I've dealt with physical issues with my hip and with asthma. I've been whiny to my family and friends as I've sought ways to better handle aging. Thankfulness has helped more than anything. Taking time to focus on the good things in my life and the fact that God saved me when I could not save myself brings perspective to my issues.

INTRODUCTION Justice, freedom, and love are the buzz words of our culture, but it is not at all clear that many of our neighbors know what these words mean. The Bible teaches that all three of these gifts originate in the Triune God and are only received and enjoyed through the Cross of Jesus. THE TEXT “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…” (Gal. 5:13-23). SUMMARY OF THE TEXT True liberty is the ability to love our neighbors, through serving them lawfully from the heart (Gal. 5:13-14). The opposite of liberty (slavery) destroys community, through biting and devouring, driven by lusts and envy (Gal. 5:15, cf. Js. 4:1-3). Those who walk in the Spirit are led by the Spirit and therefore free from the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). There is a battle in true Christians, where they sometimes find themselves doing what they do not want to do (Gal. 5:17). But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the condemnation of the law (Gal. 5:18, cf. Rom. 8:1). You can tell you are under the condemnation of the law because you are enslaved to the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). The marks of true freedom are the fruit of the Spirit, against which the law can bring no charge (Gal. 5:22-23). NEGATIVE V. POSITIVE JUSTICE The Bible teaches that justice is primarily negative and punitive (Rom. 13:3). It is only positive in declaring innocence, affirming or praising the righteous (Rom. 13:3), but otherwise it condemns and punishes, executing God's wrath (Rom. 13:4). Lady Justice is pictured in all the old paintings and statues as blind or blindfolded holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other. Her job is simply to weigh out certain actions and demand equity – retribution and/or restitution that restores balance to the world, according to the law of God (cf. Ex. 22:1-15). Related to the notion of justice is the notion of “rights,” and rights always imply obligations. If you have a right to life, everyone around you is obligated not to harm you. If you have a right to private property, everyone around you has an obligation not to take or damage what belongs to you. If you are a wife, you have a right to be provided for, and your husband is obligated to provide for you as himself (Eph. 5:29). Justice is called for when one of these obligations has been breached, defied, or severely neglected — eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life (Dt. 19:21). However, when someone claims they have a right to a job, education, health care, or welfare, the implication is that someone else is obligated to give it to them. But who? God has assigned the family government the ministry of health, welfare, and education. God has assigned the church government the ministry of worship in the word and sacraments. God has assigned the civil government the ministry of justice, punishing evil doers. LOVE IS LIBERTY TO SERVE The problem with coerced “love” from the state is like that demon-possessed guy in the tombs from the gospels – his name is Legion. First, the state is presuming to know how my resources are best used for the good of others. Second, the state is presuming to know how my neighbors will be best cared for and served. Third, the coercion of the state destroys the personalism of individuals freely giving and serving and receiving, reducing “love” to a merely material transaction or wealth transfer. Fourth, the automated provision of the state creates weak, irresponsible, immature, and ungrateful dependents. Fifth, the coercive automation of the state is massively inefficient. In all of these ways (and more), love and liberty are destroyed by the threatened violence of the state. True liberty is the room to exercise true wisdom and generosity with time and resources to care for the needs of your neighbors, and in particular, those entrusted to your care (Eph. 5:28-29, 6:4, 1 Tim. 5:8). SINS & CRIMES Many moderns confuse jurisdictions by conflating sins and crimes. Crimes are those acts that harm the person or property of others or are designated by God to corrupt society and therefore fall under the jurisdiction of the civil magistrates for punishment. Sins are those thoughts and acts that break fellowship with God and others, many of which fall under the jurisdiction of families and churches. True love, liberty, and justice occur when each jurisdiction submits to God's assigned sphere. In a Christian civil order, all crimes would also be sins, but in most civil orders, there are a mix of crimes that may or may not be sins. So if the magistrate orders that meeting for worship is a crime, it would not be a sin to disobey that order (Dan. 3:18, Acts 5:29). But the other point is that not all sins are or should be crimes. So for example, covetousness is a sin and it may reveal itself in bad thoughts or words, but it isn't a crime until it turns into overt theft or vandalism. The point is that Lady Justice deals with black and white actions, punishing evil doers upon the testimony of two or three witnesses, but she is not entrusted with matters of the heart, house rules, or matters of worship. When “justice” tries to meddle in those things assigned to the family or church, you don't get love, liberty, or justice. CONCLUSIONS The greatest act of liberty ever performed was also the greatest act of love and justice: Jesus laid His life down freely as a ransom for sinners. No one took His life from Him, He laid it down freely (Jn. 10:18). And He had that freedom because it was obedience to His Father. But the sinful heart of man always wants to get this backwards and upside down. The sinful, prideful heart of man wants to collapse and confuse justice, liberty, and love in order to remake the world according to its own wisdom, which always involves manipulation and coercion and demands that you must acquiesce to the demands of government thugs. But justice only punishes or exonerates. That's all it does. And that is what it did in the Cross. God's perfect justice punished Jesus in our place, and then because our debts were fully paid, God's justice exonerates all who trust in Him. That is a supreme manifestation of God's love and liberty, but you cannot mix them up without confusing the gospel. Those who receive this gospel really are set free, and the Spirit begins to lead them to love their neighbors freely and generously in imitation of Jesus in obedience. But slavery to the flesh is manifest and obvious. So which one are you? What characterizes your life? Is it the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh? If it is the works of the flesh, then any demand for justice is only to have the law of God fall upon you with all of its fierce condemnation. But if it is the fruit of the Spirit, you are truly free, and you are a manifestation of the righteousness of God in Christ.

Joy No Matter What Life never seems to go the way we imagine it will in our heads. No matter the effort we put into preparing our day-to-day lives, unforeseen circumstances can leave us feeling frustrated and losing our joy. Many of us have believed the lie that Christians won't have troubles. But Jesus tells us plainly in John 16:33, “...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We will have problems. The question is, what will we do when we face obstacles? Will we continue to pursue Christ and joy no matter what? Paul writes that we are to have the same mindset as Jesus. Jesus didn't deserve the pain He endured, yet He never once protested. Jesus came to bring people to His Father. When He left, He challenged us to do the same. As we choose to humble ourselves, live in a place of joy, all while taking on an attitude of gratitude; we point people toward our Father. “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” -Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) - Ethos is a life-giving community committed to keeping Jesus at its Center. We are on a mission to love all people in Jesus' name so that we may all Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, & Make a Difference. EthosOH.com Small Groups: EthosOH.com/Community ServeColumbus.org

Jesus departed 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 6:12-13That morning, after Jesus had spent the night in prayer, He made some pretty major decisions.  He chose His first twelve bishops, the Twelve Apostles.  It's interesting to note that He made this decision only after spending the night in prayer.In a sense, Jesus did not “have” to pray.  But He did.  He prayed because this is Who He is.  He is the Son of the Father and His most important relationship was the one with the Father in Heaven.  Thus, His prayer was one that was natural to His divine life and essence.  Spending the night in prayer, separated from everything but His Father, was a normal expression of His perfect love and communion with the Father.But His time in prayer was also a normal way for Him to prepare for the decisions He would make the next day.  Again, it's not that He needed to pray so as to make the right choice.  Rather, His prayer was simply part of the divine process of making the right choice.  It was a way of daily surrendering His human nature to the will of the Father in perfection so as to continue daily living the Father's will in this world.Jesus also sets a wonderful precedence for us.  We, unlike our Lord, need to pray in order to know and fulfill the will of the Father.  We do not walk in perfect harmony with God each and every day and each moment of the day.  Thus, while Christ's prayer was an earthly expression of Him living who He already was, our prayer is a surrender to whom we are called to become.  We must become Christ, striving to live in perfect communion with Him and in accord with the perfect will of the Father.  Reflect, today, upon the need you have to spend time in prayer so as to enter more deeply into union with our Lord.  Reflect, especially, upon the importance of doing so prior to making the various decisions you need to make in life.  Pray before you act and allow our Lord to be the one who enters into your life and directs you in accord with His holy will.Lord, give me a heart that longs to be with You in prayer, each and every day.  Help me to daily surrender my entire life to You without reserve.  As I surrender my life, I thank You for entering in and directing all my actions.  My life is Yours, dear Lord, my life is Yours.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.