Podcasts about his father

John 11:11 This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." The love of God that is the Light of the world, knew Lazarus had not died the death that occurs because of sin, but had “fallen asleep.” Love was going to awaken him. This must have excited Jesus! Jesus wasn't concerned about any danger to His life, as the disciples were. His eyes were on what the Father was doing—displaying His glory in His son. God had given Him authority over life and death, and it had been revealed to Him that this sickness of Lazarus and the despair of the sisters was the perfect setting for this hope-inspiring expression of love. Blindness is a great darkness, but death in the grave is a greater darkness to conquer. Jesus expects to see His Father work through Him. As we live to love with Jesus, we also can expect Jesus to work through us for His glory. We have hope because we know that Jesus can awaken those who are spiritually dead and in darkness. Don't let someone's spiritual state discourage or disillusion you. All He has to do is speak and the dead will hear.

"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:10 As we find ourselves in the middle of this month, take a moment to reflect. Just like a lush garden needs time to breathe and bloom, our spiritual lives thrive in stillness. Scripture reminds us in Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." This call to pause is not merely an invitation; it's a powerful opportunity to deepen our connection with the Divine. Think of Jesus, who frequently withdrew to lonely places to pray, as we see in Mark 6:31. His moments of solitude were not signs of weakness, but rather opportunities for renewal and closeness with His Father. When we carve out time in our busy lives, much like a breath mark in a musical score, we create space for intimacy to flourish. The hustle may tempt us to rush, but in doing so, we risk losing the melody of our relationship with God. Mark 6:31 says, Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” This weekend, set aside a Sabbath hour and guard it like the precious appointment it is. Let it be a space where your heart can rest and your spirit can reconnect. Remember the wisdom of Paul Borthwick: “Busyness is the enemy of intimacy.” By choosing still moments, we find ourselves wrapped in God's presence, immersing our souls in a sacred rhythm that brings us closer to Him. As you engage in this stillness, remember, "A rested soul prays without words. The calm we keep makes room for God to speak." So, let your stillness become a sanctuary because in the hush between breaths, you will hear God clearly. Embrace this assurance, and let His peace wash over you. Acknowledge that “rest is worship too,” as it is in these quiet moments that we truly honor His presence in our lives. Exodus 33:14 says, "The LORD replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Prayer for the Day!Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of stillness. Brethren, I pray for you, may the Holy Spirit help you to cherish your quiet moments with God, allowing intimacy to bloom in your heart. May your soul grow familiar with His whisper, and may His gentle presence quiet every anxious thought. In the stillness, may you find refuge, wisdom for your steps, and courage for your battles. May His peace guard your heart and mind, and His love steady you like an anchor in the storm. As you wait before Him, may your affections be reordered, your strength renewed, and your vision clarified. May gratitude rise, obedience deepen, and hope abound. May the secret place become your sure dwelling, and the knowledge of His nearness be your daily song. In Jesus' name. Amen.

In Job 20 Zophar advances his second round of argumentation. He contends, that the wicked always suffer; and since you, Job, are suffering it follows that you must be wicked. The arguments are going round in circles and getting nowhere. Job, says Zophar, you insult our understanding. From the time of Creation, he says, it has been evident that the wicked have always suffered. They're scorning for the ways of the LORD is but momentary. And the wealth that the scorners have accumulated is merely laid in store for the just. How exotic and colourful is the language that Zophar uses. The Almighty will swiftly bring retribution upon the hypocrites is his contention. Zophar was correct in stating that the time will come when the LORD punishes the hypocrites. But he was totally wrong as to the timing of the recompense. Our Sovereign is patient and not willing that any should perish. God is patient in the hope that people will respond, consider 2 Peter 3verses8-9; 1 Timothy 2verses3-7. Zephaniah's theme is expressed in chapter 2verses3. The message is timeless and comes to us today with as much power and compulsion as it did in the prophet's day. Slowly read aloud, pause and ponder. Verses 4-5 deal with the judgments that would befall Judah's southern neighbours when the Babylonian invasion would soon overtake God's people. However, verses 6 and 7 tell of a coming time of peace and restoration. The 9th to 11th verses speak of the taunts of the Moabites and Ammonites and Yahweh's determined response. Verse 12 speaks of wrath falling on the Cushites of Northern Africa (including the Egyptians). Then finally the Almighty will bring judgment on the oppressing power of the Assyrian (Nineveh) told of in verses 13-16. It would become a waste, a desolate howling wilderness inhabited by wild beasts and birds of prey. The pride of the Chaldeans would be brought low by the LORD God omnipotent. Let us seek the LORD our God with all our heart so that it will be our Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom to His childrenverses see Matthew 25verses34-40. The first of John's 3 letters was written between 85-98 AD by the aged and much beloved Apostle. He was one of the Lord's special 3 - Peter, James and John - who were selected by Jesus from among the 12 to witness select events and miracles. Together with his brother James, they were both fishermen and partners of Peter and Andrew in the fishing business. Their father Zebedee and his wife Salome appear to have owned the Galilean business. Salome seems to have been Mary's sister, making the two Apostles first cousins of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter and John were paired by the Lord Jesus for various tasks   including preaching. Peter may well have been the oldest of the Apostles and John the youngest. Peter died first as was prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ around 67 AD; while John died up to 40, or more years after that time (see John 21verses20-24). There are many internal evidence to the fact that the epistles of John and the book of Revelation were written towards the end of the first century AD (Revelation being the last writing of the New Testament; written after John's exile to the island of Patmos in 96 AD under the Emperor Trajan). John describes himself in each of the three letters as, "the Elder". The vitally important themes of chapter 1 describe God's terms for forgiving usverses 1. Confession and repentance 2. Being in Christ by baptism - the blood of Christ cleanses us 3. Also teaching us about "propitiation" - Rom 3verses Greek word is hilasterion, which is translated as "mercy seat" in the book of Hebrews and it means 'chair, THRONE; MEETING PLACE' Romans 3 tells us that God is enthroned in Jesus Christ and for this reason he is the ONLY place where God will meet with men. Verses 1-4 of chapter 1 speaks of what we heard from the beginning. Which beginning, we ask? The gospel of John tells us, 1verses1 "In the beginning". This was the birth of the Son of God - see verses 9-18 which speaks of the time when our Lord came into being (compare Acts 10verses35-43). They knew the Lord, ate with him, walked and talked with him. And to know our Lord was to understand His Father; and in that knowing was eternal life (John 17verses1-3). And the understanding of this good news (gospel) would lead to everlasting life in the kingdom of God, which will be set up at our Lord's coming (2 Timothy 4verses1). The sharing of this understanding brings fellowship in joining together in partaking of the bread and wine (communion means sharing together); and also joy unspeakable. Verses 5-10 deal with, "Walking in the light". Again, a comparison with chapter 1 of John's gospel record, shows the significance of light to the walk of the disciple - here Jesus is described as a light imparting source (phos - such as the light of the sun), contrasted to the light (luchnos - portable lamp) of the disciple John the Baptist. The three great themes of John's first letter areverses 1) God is light; 2) God is life; and 3) God is love. The theme that "God is light flows from the first letter 1verses5-2verses6. The Apostle speaks in absolutes, black and white; and so, he says, that there is no hint of any shadow (cp James 1verses17). Wrong behaviour, says John, is evidence of not understanding the relationship believers have with the Father and His Son. Of course, believers sin through weakness, but it is not in character with them to wilfully choose a life of sin. But as long as we are endeavouring to follow in Christ's footsteps we will be forgiven upon confession of our sins. Verse 8 tells us that if we deny that our nature is biased to sin; or that we are not sinning; we are self-deceived. However, forgiveness is available to those in Christ who confess and forsake their sins. But, chapter 2 commences, "we have an advocate in the heavens in our Lord Jesus Christ. The word “advocate” is a kindred word to the "comforter" (used in the gospel record in John; which the Lord was himself - and when he departed for heaven to be our priestly mediator; the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus as another "comforter"). The word used here speaks of a defender in a court of law. The Greek word means, "I call and he runs to my side to aid me". Our heartfelt confession and repentance means we need not fear rejection since the Lord Jesus Christ has provided a "place of introduction for us to God's mercy - the word "propitiation" (see Romans 3verses21-26; 8verses27-39; compare with Ephesians 2verses1-22). The basis for our acceptance before God is "Jesus Christ the righteous". The righteous forgiveness provided by the LORD induces a moral imperative to walk in the way of the Almighty (Psalm 130). Chapter 2verses5-2verses29 is the connection between God being light (phos illumination as opposed to reflection); and God being love. In fact, because He is love it is essential that He be an Illuminating source to His children through the Word of God (cp 1 Timothy 2verses1-5; 2 Peter 3verses8-13). In verses 7-14 the aged Apostle restates the "new commandment" of Jesus Christ, which was new to the extent that agape love had never been demonstrated to that extent before in any man other than our Lord cp John 15verses9-17). The loving life of the disciple flows from an understanding mind that has been illuminated by the Word of the Father (Proverbs 4verses18-19). The confidence of the forgiven saint impels one upon the path of loving and self-sacrificing service to others. John writes to fathers, children and young men with the confidence that he will see the fruit of the word in their lives. He tells us from verses 15-17 that the perishing and transient world consists of no more than passions dominated by "the lust of the flesh" (these are the carnal appetites which tend to control what we do); "the lust of the eyes" (principally covetousness and our insatiable desire for more); and, "the pride of life" (the importance of being someone that is always greater than another). Christ conquered all of these through the heritage of his divine Sonship; and the Word of God impelling his every thought and action (Isaiah 11verses1-5). Verses 18 to 27 speak of the time of the development of the Antichrist among the believers (Greek "antechristos" from "ante" meaning the substitute, or usurper; and "christos" that is the Christ, Yahweh's Anointed). False   teaching is evidence of this; and was even apparent towards the end of the first century AD. In its fully blown development it turned into the apostasy of the Church described in the books of - Revelation; 1 Timothy 4verses1-5; and 2 Thessalonians 2verses1-12 and others. The true believers would resist corruption of teaching and practice through their immersion (anointing in/by the Word of God (1 Peter 1verses21-25; Titus 2verses11-15; 3verses1-11). Verses 28-29 express John's assurance that such believers will continue in the true course until the Lord Jesus Christ comes. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

Exercise your God-given authority or forfeit it. Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Let them have dominion...over everything on earth! Understanding your spiritual dominion is vital to your victory in your Christian walk. As Jesus said He was about His Father's business in Luke 2:49, so shall we be. www.cathycoppola.org www.houseofglorychurch.org Date of service 12/11/25

Exercise your God-given authority or forfeit it. Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Let them have dominion...over everything on earth! Understanding your spiritual dominion is vital to your victory in your Christian walk. As Jesus said He was about His Father's business in Luke 2:49, so shall we be. www.cathycoppola.org www.houseofglorychurch.org Date of service 12/11/25

Christ is Highly Exalted by and for the Glory of His Father: 1. God has highly exalted Him 2. God has given Christ a glorious name 3. In order to receive all proper worship 4. God the Father Himself receives all the glory

In Habakkuk 3 the prophecy becomes a confident psalm of trust in the Almighty and a prophecy of Yahweh's future judgments at the time of the setting up of Christ's kingdom. It was through this psalm that the writer J. W. Thirtle was able to unravel the structure of the superscripts and subscripts in the Psalms. The expression, "upon Shigionoth" is an instruction as to the musical director of this psalm. Psalms are prayers and this chapter is a Psalm. The report that the prophet heard was of the "wonders" (Hebrew "pala" miracles) which God did on his triumphal march before His people through the wilderness, in the days of the exodus from Egypt onwards to their inheritance in the Promised Land (see Numbers 10verses29-36; Deuteronomy 32verses1-14; Psalm 68). However, although the Psalm is based on events which had happened it is also prophetic - the future tense is often used. Eloah" (the mighty one, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ coming in His Father's might) WILL come from the south (Teman) - the arena of operation when El (God the Father) via angelic ministration. And He will precede His people. The events of the Exodus occurred 900 years before the prophet's vision. These future events, under Christ, will soon occur when the Middle East is inundated by the great northern army. God's mighty arm and Almighty power will be unleashed on the oppressor and He, Yahweh, will be known and exalted in the earth (Ezekiel 38 and 39; Joel 3 - particularly verse 17). The measuring for judgment is a common Bible metaphor. The ancient nations, represented by the hills, were brought low (humbled). The rivers - the invading nations in particular - experienced the Almighty's wrath. But, as with Pharaoh's chariots (Exodus 14 and 15) these instruments of war are proven vain and useless when they are overwhelmed by Yahweh's salvation chariots (Psalm 68verses18-21). The sun and the moon will stand still in their place echoing the victory of Joshua over the Canaanites, in the land of their inheritance (Joshua 10). The 'head' (Rosh) of the wicked is to be crushed (v13). The sharp victory arrows shall pierce the hearts of the King's enemies (Psalm 45verses5). The whirlwind of Yahweh will scatter His enemies before Him, like the chaff before the wind (v14). And the enemy is trampled underfoot (Exodus 15). This awesome and majestic power of his Sovereign leaves the prophet trembling. The Psalm of Habakkuk concludes from verses 17-19 with precisely the reverse mood to the mood of despondency at its beginning. The prophet has had his fears answered and calmed by his Almighty Sovereign. And so, he now he patiently awaits the salvation of Yahweh - as one of the LORD's just ones, living by faith. Despite all current appearances, our King is of Zion - meaning "exultation". This is the city of our spiritual birth (Psalms 48; 84; 87). The fig and olive trees (are symbols of Israel) will not flourish. Today our God stills the storms that rage in our minds and will soon do so throughout the entire world (2 Samuel 23verses1-4verses Psalm 18; Psalm 46; Isaiah 26verses1-4). Our hope and trust in our Almighty Deliverer is sure and steadfast.

Thefirst thing that we see as an evidence of spiritual maturity and spiritualgrowth is that we are Christlike in our attitude, actions and speech. Jesus wasalways submitted to the will of His Father. Read the Gospels. Jesus always didHis Father's will. This quote from Psalms is most descriptive of Jesus: “Ihad delight to do Thy will. Oh my God. Thy law is written within my heart” (Psalm40:8). That was the heart and mind of Jesus, my friend. That's what happens tous when we're submitted in obedience to the will of God. As Oswalt Chamberssaid in one of his writings.  We'vebeen perfectly adjusted to the fact that Christ lives in us, and we now know andlive in His righteousness. We're robed in that righteousness, and we want towalk with Him with all of our heart. It's a surrendered life, as Andrew Murrayput it. Thenwe see the second evidence of our spiritual growth is stability. We're nolonger children tossed to and fro. Today, we looking at the third evidence of our spiritual growth that wefind in verse 15: “But speaking the truth in love may grow up in allthings unto Him who is the head Christ”. The third evidence of spiritualmaturity is that we consistently “speak the truth in love”. Someonehas said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth ishypocrisy. We somehow another, by the grace of God, can combine the two. Youmust have truth expressed in love. I love that verse in Psalm 85:10 where itsays, "Love and truth and mercy have met. Righteousness and peace havekissed." I believe this happened at the cross of Calvary. It was therethe truth of God, that we're sinners that our sin must be punished, met withthe love and mercy of God, as Christ died in our place for our sins. We now canbe set free from our sin and experience peace along with God's righteousness! Nowwe can speak truth out of a heart of love to those around us because we'veexperienced the love of God. 1 John 4:7-11 tells us where this love comes from:"Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and everyone wholoves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God. ForGod is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God hassent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. Inthis is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to bethe propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to loveone another." Evidencethat we have spiritual maturity is that we can love, but we love in truth. We speakthe truth in love. We don't speak the truth to hurt, to condemn, todestroy, to tear down. We speak it in love to build up, to encourage, to help aperson get back on track. We speak the truth in love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8tells us the kind of love that God has and that we should have. “Lovesuffers long. Love is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. Isnot puffed up. Does not behave rudely. Does not seek its own. Is not provoked.Thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, rejoices in the truth, love bearsall things.” Whenwe have a heart that is surrendered and obedient to the will of the Lord GodAlmighty, we will have the mind of Christ, and we will speak the truth withlove. It will be evidence that there is something in our heart that's differentthan when the natural man is in control of our lives and tearing down anddestroying the lives of those around us as we see so often in Christian circles.God help us to have this mark of spiritual maturity, and spiritual growth, andthat is “speaking the truth in love”. Godbless!

In Habakkuk 3 the prophecy becomes a confident psalm of trust in the Almighty and a prophecy of Yahweh's future judgments at the time of the setting up of Christ's kingdom. It was through this psalm that the writer J. W. Thirtle was able to unravel the structure of the superscripts and subscripts in the Psalms. The expression, "upon Shigionoth" is an instruction as to the musical director of this psalm. Psalms are prayers and this chapter is a Psalm. The report that the prophet heard was of the "wonders" (Hebrew "pala" miracles) which God did on his triumphal march before His people through the wilderness, in the days of the exodus from Egypt onwards to their inheritance in the Promised Land (see Numbers 10verses29-36; Deuteronomy 32verses1-14; Psalm 68). However, although the Psalm is based on events which had happened it is also prophetic - the future tense is often used. Eloah" (the mighty one, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ coming in His Father's might) WILL come from the south (Teman) - the arena of operation when El (God the Father) via angelic ministration. And He will precede His people. The events of the Exodus occurred 900 years before the prophet's vision. These future events, under Christ, will soon occur when the Middle East is inundated by the great northern army. God's mighty arm and Almighty power will be unleashed on the oppressor and He, Yahweh, will be known and exalted in the earth (Ezekiel 38 and 39; Joel 3 - particularly verse 17). The measuring for judgment is a common Bible metaphor. The ancient nations, represented by the hills, were brought low (humbled). The rivers - the invading nations in particular - experienced the Almighty's wrath. But, as with Pharaoh's chariots (Exodus 14 and 15) these instruments of war are proven vain and useless when they are overwhelmed by Yahweh's salvation chariots (Psalm 68verses18-21). The sun and the moon will stand still in their place echoing the victory of Joshua over the Canaanites, in the land of their inheritance (Joshua 10). The 'head' (Rosh) of the wicked is to be crushed (v13). The sharp victory arrows shall pierce the hearts of the King's enemies (Psalm 45verses5). The whirlwind of Yahweh will scatter His enemies before Him, like the chaff before the wind (v14). And the enemy is trampled underfoot (Exodus 15). This awesome and majestic power of his Sovereign leaves the prophet trembling. The Psalm of Habakkuk concludes from verses 17-19 with precisely the reverse mood to the mood of despondency at its beginning. The prophet has had his fears answered and calmed by his Almighty Sovereign. And so, he now he patiently awaits the salvation of Yahweh - as one of the LORD's just ones, living by faith. Despite all current appearances, our King is of Zion - meaning "exultation". This is the city of our spiritual birth (Psalms 48; 84; 87). The fig and olive trees (are symbols of Israel) will not flourish. Today our God stills the storms that rage in our minds and will soon do so throughout the entire world (2 Samuel 23verses1-4verses Psalm 18; Psalm 46; Isaiah 26verses1-4). Our hope and trust in our Almighty Deliverer is sure and steadfast.

This a Messianic Torah reflection on Genesis 37:1-36, focusing on the life and story of Yosef (Joseph), son of Ya'achov (Jacob), and its prophetic and spiritual significance. It explores the patriarchal sojourning in the promised land, the familial dynamics, and the parallels between Yosef's experiences and the life and ministry of Yahoshua Messiah (Jesus). Patriarchal Sojourners in the Promised Land Ya'achov settles in the land of Canaan, the land promised by Yehovah, continuing the pattern of the patriarchs sojourning in the promised land without fully possessing it, as noted in Hebrews 11:8-10. Ya'achov returns to Hebron, the home of his father Yitschaq, who never left this place . The Story of Yosef as the Story of Ya'achov The narrative shifts from Ya'achov to his son Yosef, whose story is central to the continuation of the covenant promises. Yosef is portrayed as a vessel chosen by Yehovah to preserve Yisra'el, despite rejection and persecution by his brothers. His life is seen as a prophetic shadow of Yahoshua Messiah . Family Dynamics and Yosef's Role Yosef, at 17 years old, is shepherding his brothers' flocks and assumed to be the "Son of the Covenant." His favored status by Ya'achov and his unique character set him apart. The Hebrew term for "tended" implies Yosef shepherded his brothers, especially those of Bilhah and Zilpah's sons. Reuben, the eldest, though complicit in Yosef's near enslavement, intervenes to save his life, unknowingly cooperating with Yah's plan . Ya'achov's Love and the Birthright Question Ya'achov's love for Yosef, his son of old age and Rachel's firstborn, causes jealousy among the brothers. Yosef receives a special garment, the "ketonet passim," often interpreted as a long-sleeved or multi-colored tunic symbolizing his favored status and possibly his appointment as clan leader, replacing Reuben due to his transgression . Brothers' Hatred and Rejection of Yosef The brothers' hatred stems from Ya'achov's love for Yosef and Yosef's role as a family tattler. Their rejection of Yosef reflects a rejection of their father and Yehovah. This familial rejection parallels how Yeshua was rejected by Judah for being beloved by His Father . Yosef's Prophetic Dreams and Their Impact Yosef shares two prophetic dreams symbolizing his future authority over his brothers. The first involves sheaves of grain bowing to his sheaf, and the second depicts the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing to him, representing his family. These dreams intensify the brothers' hatred, though Ya'achov ponders their meaning carefully. These dreams foreshadow Yosef's exaltation in Egypt and reflect a common ancient Near Eastern motif of paired dreams . Preparation for Yosef's Trials and Glorification Yosef's journey toward exaltation involves trials and refining, much like the future glorification of Yeshua Messiah, who foretold the hardships His disciples would endure. Yosef's obedience to his father's mission parallels Yeshua's obedience to His Heavenly Father's will . Yosef's Mission to Find His Brothers Ya'achov sends Yosef to check on his brothers pasturing in Shechem, a dangerous area with a troubled family history. Yosef's persistence in seeking his brothers despite challenges parallels Yeshua's mission to seek and save the lost. A mysterious man redirects Yosef to Dothan, possibly an angelic figure, highlighting divine guidance in fulfilling Yah's plan . The Brothers' Conspiracy and Reuben's Intervention The brothers plot to kill Yosef but Reuben intervenes, forbidding bloodshed and planning to rescue Yosef later. Reuben's actions reflect a complex family dynamic and his attempt to restore his firstborn responsibilities despite past failings . Yosef's Humiliation and Sale into Slavery Upon meeting Yosef, the brothers strip him of his special robe, symbolically removing his dignity, mirroring how Yeshua was stripped before crucifixion. They cast Yosef into a cistern and later sell him to Ishmaelite merchants for twenty pieces of silver. This act, intended to destroy Yosef, ultimately fulfills Yah's plan for salvation . The Brothers' Deception and Ya'achov's Grief The brothers deceive Ya'achov by presenting Yosef's bloodied robe, claiming he was killed by a wild animal. Ya'achov mourns deeply, rending his clothes and refusing to be comforted, expressing his profound loss and grief . Yosef's Journey in Egypt Yosef is sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian official, marking the beginning of his rise in Egypt and the unfolding of Yah's providential plan . Spiritual Reflections on Dreams and Prophecy The document reflects on the significance of dreams as divine communication in Hebrew tradition, noting that prophets often received messages through dreams. Yosef is seen as a prophet whose dreams reveal Yah's Will. The symbolism in Yosef's dreams connects to broader prophetic imagery, including the woman clothed with the sun in Revelation 12, representing Yisra'el . Messianic Parallels Between Yosef and Yeshua The narrative draws extensive parallels between Yosef and Yeshua Messiah: Both are beloved sons of their fathers. Both are appointed to shepherd Yisra'el. Both face rejection and hatred from their brethren. Both suffer humiliation and are ultimately exalted. Both serve as instruments of salvation for Yisra'el and the nations. Both experiences demonstrate how divine plans prevail despite human evil . The teaching concludes by emphasizing that Torah readings like this one serve as shadows of greater spiritual realities to come and encourages readers to find further Messianic insights within the text .

John 11:7 Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." This is all about timing. Jesus knew to wait upon His Father. It was the only way to glorify Him. He always abided in the Father. He said, “Let's go,” because His Father said, “Let's go.” The only way we can glorify Jesus is by abiding in Him and living to love with Him. We should go because He goes. We should love as He loves. We are in this world as He is in this world, wrote John (1 John 4:17)—for the glory of God. Waiting for believers shouldn't be difficult because we have surrendered our lives to Him and want His glory. Therefore we don't want to move or speak without Him. May we learn that when He bids us wait, He is loving us. How important it is to learn this lesson early in our lives.

In this episode of the City Rev Life Podcast, Pastor Robey Barnes and Pastor Craig Stephens wrap up our Heaven series with one essential question: How do we strengthen our faith in a future we can't yet see—but deeply hope for? Drawing from Jesus' words in John 14, they unpack why believing in heaven can feel difficult at times, and how Jesus Himself anchors our confidence with His promise: “If it were not so, would I have told you…?” From the intimate bridal imagery of a groom preparing a place in His Father's house to the unshakable evidence of the resurrection, this conversation offers clarity, comfort, and courage for anyone navigating doubts, fear, suffering, or big life transitions. Whether you're facing a diagnosis, approaching a milestone birthday, processing loss, or simply longing for something more—this episode reminds you that heaven is not sentimental wishful thinking. It's a concrete promise from Jesus, one you can build your life on.

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/Herman Join the Angel Guild today where you can stream Thank You, Dr. Fauci and be part of the conversation demanding truth and accountability.  Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeEpisode links:HERE WE GO AGAIN: CNN's Jake Tapper just confidently told the world the J6 pipe bomber was a “white man”… while completely ignoring the surveillance image that shows a suspect who is very clearly not white.Wild “Coincidence” – J6 Pipe Bomb Suspect is Mentally Simple, His Father, Also Brian Cole, Worked with Civil Rights Lawyer Ben Crump, a Close Personal Friend of Pam BondiPortland jury clears black man of assault because white man he stabbed had said the n-wordJewish Zionist activist Melanie Phillips, at pro-Israel conference, mocks Christianity to widespread laughter as "a Jewish sect that got slightly out of hand." - "The values that everybody in the West holds dear, secular or religious, are fundamentally Jewish values," she insists. Where will Jesus return?Sit and feel it on your ownSpiritual but not religious people claim the Holy Spirit is in everyoneWhat Does God's Word Say?Romans 11:25–26“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery… Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.”Zechariah 13:8–9 “In the whole land,” declares the LORD,“two-thirds shall be cut off and perish,and one-third shall be left alive.And I will put this third into the fire,and refine them as one refines silver…they will call upon my name,and I will answer them…”

John 11:3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." Mary and Martha knew Jesus loved Lazarus and would want to know of his illness, so they sent word to Him. Makes me wonder if others can see Jesus' love for someone through me. I don't think Jesus' concern was to be seen to love. His love was as steady, constant, and genuine as His Father's. He lived to love and it was obvious to the sisters. So they thought Jesus would want to know that Lazarus was sick. May God's love be obvious in us today.

Brenda and Eddie got in the car and began their Thursday evening ritual. “Where would you like to eat?” “Oh, Eddie, I don’t care, anywhere is fine, really.” Eddie’s been here before. “Okay, how about The Windmill?” Brenda bristles, “No, anywhere but there!” Eddie sighs. “So where then?” Brenda insists, “Really, anywhere is fine.” It’s the stuff of comedy sketches, humorous from a distance because we know how maddening it is in the moment. Sometimes it can be that way in our prayer lives too. We’re too vague. In contrast, the prayer in Daniel 9 reveals Daniel boldly saying what he wants. First, he confesses the sins of his people: “We have sinned and done wrong” (v. 5). Then he makes his requests. “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant” (v. 17). “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act” (v. 19). God owed nothing to Daniel, but such was Daniel’s trust in God’s “great mercy” (v. 18) that he felt free to bring the full weight of his desires. It’s always right to pray “not as I will but as you will,” as Jesus prayed to His Father the night before He was crucified (Matthew 26:39). But there are also times when saying what we want is the way forward. God honors our boldness when we come before Him with repentant hearts. So be bold, pray what’s on your heart, and entrust it to the God of great mercy.

We all want to experience true joy and true peace, but for many of us, that sounds too “churchy” and unattainable. In this second Advent podcast episode, Stacy and Jacque are joined by JG Motice to discuss how we can actually live in peace. Looking at the way Jesus related to His Father, and exploring tangible practices for our own relationships, this episode offers a calming reminder that God truly loves us and wants to meet with us. We can experience peace this holiday season and beyond.

John 11:2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. This event isn't covered by John until the next chapter, but it indicates how impressed John was with her extravagant love for Jesus. He wants us to be impressed as well with her reverence for Him. Maybe it's to show us something about Jesus' love for His Father as it relates to His love for Mary. We are often faced with pressure to please someone who is special to us more than pleasing Jesus. If we are going to live to love with Jesus, we need the lesson the Holy Spirit through John is to teach us about Jesus. Stay tuned.

Most think freedom means doing whatever you want—but real freedom is built on discipline, responsibility, and timeless principles. In this Freedom Week episode, Dr. David Phelps and mentor Steven J. Anderson reveal the foundational habits that shape personal, financial, and generational freedom. If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you'll enjoy: Ep #564 - The DSO Reckoning – What Every Doctor Needs to Know Before Selling Their Practice – Brannon Moncrief Ep #366 - Lessons From a Boy, His Father, and a Paper Route - Steven Anderson  Check out the show notes for more information! P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you're closer than you think): 1. Schedule a Call with My Team: If you're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more. 2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide: The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here. 3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard: Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

John 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” Jesus showed them the works of the Father. Works of healing on the Sabbath. The Jews couldn't accept that the works of Jesus were the works of God, His Father, so they considered Him a sinner and an imposter. Does anyone see the disconnect? The disconnect was that they didn't know God. If they had known God, they would have recognized the merciful and gracious works of Christ as the works of God. In the Law, Exodus 34:6, God proclaimed His name, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” Look how patient and kind Jesus was to direct their attention to His good works. That's probably a good thing for us to do also. As we love with Jesus, let's do His works (love) and give Him glory as Jesus gave His Father glory.

Hi Folks. Thanks for joining me as we move ahead in our study of Hebrews. We're moving on to verses 2 and 3 of chapter one today but before we do that, I want to tell you about a friend of mine. He is no longer with us. His name was Joel (name changed for confidentiality purposes) and he was Jewish. He suffered from depression and always proclaimed forcefully that his depression was due to a chemical imbalance that required multiple medications to treat it. The treatment was never effective. He would sometimes say to me, “Art, I guess God wants me to be depressed”. Joel made a profession of faith in Jesus about 25 years ago. Now folks, please keep this true anecdote in mind because Hebrews was written to Jewish people some of whom may have been like Joel.Hebrews 1:1–3 NKJV1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,Last time we went over verse 1 and we talked about how God spoke to the ancient Hebrews through the prophets at many different times and in various ways. The prophets refers to the Old Testament prophets of course including the 16 writing prophets as well as those prophets who did not write specific books in the Old Testament that have been categorized as books of prophecy. Writing prophets would include those such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The 16 writing prophets are divided into major and minor prophets but I need to mention at this point that what I am referring to as the 16 writing prophets would be in the Jewish tradition only 15 in number. The difference is Daniel. Hebrew tradition does not include Daniel in the Nevi'im, or Prophets. Daniel is included in the last or third section of the TaNaKh which is the Ketuvim or the writings.Now folks, we can say from Hebrews 1:2 alone that Jesus' ministry marked the beginning of the last days. Maybe that surprises you. But listen please.Hebrews 1:2 NIVbut in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.Folks, God spoke many things to the Jewish people of first century Israel through His Son Jesus and much of what He said has been preserved for us to read today. We will cover some of those things in our study of this book. But let's talk now for a minute or so about Jesus as God's Son. Jesus is God's Son in a very different way than we are sons and daughters of God. We are told that we are sons and daughters in the Gospel of John:John 1:12–13 NIVYet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.This verse talks about what happens to us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior; we are born again and are transferred from being in Adam to being in Messiah or Christ. That's what John 1:12-13 is talking about and as incredible as that is - we becoming sons and daughters or children of God - we are not sons in the sense that Jesus is the Son of God. Because Jesus is not a created being and He is the one and only Son of God, He has to be of the same substance and nature as His Father. He has to be divine, He has to be deity. So please recognize that Jesus is the only unique Son of God and He is a Son - the Son - in a different way than we are. I also just want to remind you that God said He has a Son in the Old Testament in Psalm 2 and in Proverbs 30 and we talked about that last time. God's Son here is the Messiah.But getting back to Hebrews 1:2:Hebrews 1:2 NIVbut in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.In trying to grasp the profound meaning of this verse I think we can get some help by looking at John's Gospel:John 1:1–3 NIVIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.Now please take a look at Genesis 1:1:Genesis 1:1 NIVIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Folks, God's Son did this. So, Who is this Son? We've already said that He is a Son like no other Son and that He is divine - He has the attributes of deity. But can we get a better understanding of that? I think we can. In John chapter 1 He is called the Word which in Greek is Logos and we are told that in the beginning He was with God and was God and that without Him nothing was made that was made. So, how is He, the Logos or Word and also God? Thanks to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, I've come to understand that the idea behind the Greek word Logos is better understood by the Aramaic word Memra, which also means word, and which was used in the Jewish Targums or paraphrases of the Hebrew Scriptures, recognized by many rabbis, to describe a visible appearance of God, somewhat similar to, yet different from, the Shekinah glory of God, like the pillar of fire that stayed with the Israelites in the desert following the Exodus. Sometimes this Memra would appear as the Angel of the LORD or the Angel of Yahweh such as we see in:Exodus 3:2 NIVThere the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.AND:Exodus 3:4 NIVWhen the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”Can you see from these 2 verses that there is an equivalence between the Angel of Yahweh and the LORD, meaning Yahweh Himself? The Apostle John was a Jewish man and would have been familiar with the Memra which means word. Logos was the closest Greek equivalent to Memra and so John used Logos as he was inspired to do by the Holy Spirit. This gives us an understanding of how Jesus is the Logos and God. He came as God in the flesh, God incarnate, and He was and is the same Divine Being that he was in the Old Testament where He temporarily came as the Angel of Yahweh. These appearances, in the Old Testament, were of the preincarnate Christ. Folks, this is mind blowing, is it not? But it's true!So, the Son of God - the Logos, or Memra, or Word - is like no other Son. Understanding this will help us greatly in this study of the letter to the Hebrews. And as the Divine Son of the Father, it becomes understandable that Yahweh, the Father, would appoint His one and only Son the Heir of all things. Likewise it makes sense that YHWH would appoint His Son to make the Universe, that the Universe would be made through Him. Folks, I don't want to get ahead of myself. We are in deep waters here but what wonderful deep waters they are! The Shema tells us that God is One but He is a complex or plural One. He is one God with a plural nature. We cannot fully understand this. But God allows us to understand it enough to know that it is absolutely true and that is a wonderful gift to us!But, getting back to the Scripture:Hebrews 1:2 NIVbut in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.So, what did the Son speak to us - and that applies to you and me - in these last days? Let me give you just a few things that He said:John 3:3 NIVJesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” And Jesus also said this:John 3:16 NIVFor God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is perhaps the most well known verse in the Bible. Both the essence and the assurance of salvation is encapsulated in this one verse.And Jesus said this:Matthew 22:36–40 NIV“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Folks, this is the essence of The New Covenant. This is the law that we are to follow now and it is a law that we can keep with the help of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers.And Jesus also said this:John 19:30 NIVWhen he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus finished the work of salvation. At a cost that we cannot comprehend, He has done it all.Folks, let's move on to verse 3 of chapter 1:Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)‌The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.The Jewish religious leaders were angry when Yeshua called Himself the Son of God. Because He was equating himself with deity.Let's look at John 5:18 NIV:‌For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.Yeshua is calling God His own Father or if I can take the liberty, His very own Father. In the Greek His own is idios. By using this word, idios, Yeshua is saying that God was His own private, personal, unique Father. If that were not so He would have used the usual Greek word for own which is autos.What about Jesus being the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. How can we understand that better?Let's see if we can we get an idea of the glory of God from the Old Testament because those were the Scriptures that the writers of the New Testament had. Let's look at Psalm 97:1-6 NIV:The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. [2] Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. [3] Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. [4] His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. [5] The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. [6] The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.This is God's glory folks! Now let's look at something else:‌Exodus 24:9–10 (NASB95)Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.Now this was a glorious sight! They saw the God of Israel. But wait a minute! How could that be? Because if you see God you die, right? Now how do we know that?Leviticus 16:2 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.AND:Exodus 33:19-23 (NIV) And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. [20] But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” [21] Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. [22] When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. [23] Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”Now let's read the passage again from Exodus 24:Exodus 24:9–10 (NASB95)Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.So, they saw God here. Why didn't they die? I think the reason that they did not die is because Who they saw was the pre-incarnate Christ, the Messiah, the Word of God, the Memra! And when you see the Messiah, you don't die because He is both God and man in one person.Folks, Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. He is God. He is God incarnate, God in the flesh, Perfect God and Perfect man. Not two separate beings inside one person. No, Jesus' nature and character embody perfect God and perfect man in one person. He was and still is today the God-Man. He had to be in order to be our Savior - the Savior of mankind. We'll hear more about that as we go on further in this epistle.Folks, let's continue with Hebrews 1:3:“The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”Jesus sustains all things by His powerful word. What does that mean? Word in Hebrews 1:3 is not the Logos. Word here in the Greek is rhema and it means spoken word. So just as God spoke the universe into existence with incomprehensible power in Genesis, Jesus upholds or sustains all things by His spoken word, or we could phrase it like this: Jesus upholds all things by the power of His word. Let's look at just one example of the power of God's spoken word in the Hebrew Scriptures, in Genesis:Genesis 1:14–15 (NIV) And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.And God said. The word for said in Hebrew is amar. You could translate it as declared. God declared that the sun and the moon and the stars and the planets come into existence out of nothing and that's exactly what happened. And we know that all things were made through Yeshua. We read that earlier in John 1:3; let's read it again:John 1:3 NIVThrough him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.That includes the sun and the moon and the stars and the planets! And in like manner, Yeshua/Jesus sustains or upholds all things by the power of His word.Moving on in Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”‌How did Yeshua provide purification for sins?Before we try to answer that question, let me pose another question: Could God have merely declared all our sins forgiven without the cross? Would that have taken care of everything? WAS THE CROSS REALLY NECESSARY? I'm going to ask you to keep that question in mind for a minute or two. We'll come back to it.Now let's look at something that might seem slightly off the topic, but it isn't. Let's talk about justification. Justification is when God as judge makes a judicial decision, and He states it as a judge in a courtroom would do. He declares it. He declares that our sins are forgiven, and our unrighteous nature is exchanged for the perfectly righteous nature of Christ. God pours out our sins on the Messiah – He takes our sins, and His perfect righteousness is imputed or credited to us. An exchange occurs. God declares us justified. That's exactly what He did for Abraham. He declares you and me righteous when we are saved. He gives us the status of righteousness. The power of God's word is beyond what we can comprehend. It created the universe, and it accomplishes our justification.So, back to the question I asked you to keep in mind a minute ago. Could God have simply declared that all our sins are forgiven and have done nothing more? No. Why not? There are several reasons. For one, the wrath of God must be turned away from us. Something called propitiation is necessary. There must be a sacrifice, a blood sacrifice of infinite value, to appease a wrathful God, and Jesus Christ is the only One who can do that. Please know, folks, that if a preacher denies the wrath of God and says that a declaration of forgiveness from God with nothing else behind it is enough, that preacher is teaching his congregation a false gospel. No, folks, an incalculable price was paid for you and me to be justified. The Son of God gave His life on the cross in payment for our justification. Should this be of particular interest to Jewish people? Yes. In fact, I have a question for my Jewish listeners:What if the temple and the Jewish priesthood and all the accoutrements of the temple service were recreated tomorrow and the blood sacrifices of animals without defect was resumed? Would that accomplish what the cross accomplished? No. Why?Let's take a look at Romans chapter 6:Romans 6:4-7 (NIV) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. [5] For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. [6] For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— [7] because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.The things described in these verses – being buried with Christ, being united with Christ, our old self, our old man or old woman, dying in Him on the cross, and then being resurrected, raised to newness of life, in Him – all these things require Yeshua's substitutionary death on the cross. Because He did not come only to forgive our sins but to make us new men and women. We are born again. No animal sacrifice can ever do that.‌In closing, let's read Hebrews 1:3 once more and make a final comment or two:Hebrews 1:3 :“The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”Jesus sits down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. He died for us, He was buried, He was raised from the grave by the power of God, proving that He was the Son of God, and 40 days later He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, in victory. He finished it all and sat down. Folks, a person sits down when the task assigned to him has been completed. That's why Jesus said “It is finished”.What God has done for us is beyond comprehension. Before I close, let's not forget that He sent His Son so that each one of us could spend eternity in heaven with Him. If you don't know Him, if you are not saved, if you are not born again, please call upon Him today and say “Lord, I know that I'm a sinner. I don't want to pay the price of eternal separation from you - eternal death – because of my sins. Please pay the debt that I owe and cleanse me so I can spend eternity with you. Thank you, Lord Yeshua.”And now, Folks, I want to go back to my friend Joel, who was depressed. Joel professed faith in Messiah but he never read the Bible and he never regularly attended any congregation. He said that God wanted him to be depressed. Folks, I believe that what God wanted was for Joel to ask Him for help. I don't know if Joel ever did that. I believe that had Joel sincerely called upon the Lord, He would have helped him abundantly. Joel could have come before the throne of grace. Please listen to this verse:Hebrews 4:16 NKJV16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.My friends, until the next time, this is Art Wolinsky. God bless you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Our culture's ideas about marriage are often broken or corrupted, with stereotypes of bitter wives and cruel or unfaithful husbands. So how should a Christian marriage be different? This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Ephesians with a look at chapter 5. God intends for marriage to reflect the mysterious relationship between Christ and the church, so He calls husbands to love their wives sacrificially, like Christ loved the church and even laid down His life for us. Similarly, wives are to submit to their husbands' leadership in the family, just as Christ submitted to His Father and the church ought to submit to Christ. For both husbands and wives, the goal is to follow Christ and become more like Him.This weeks podcast is one you will not want to miss! Our hosts continue their discussion on the book of Ephesians, this week Pastor Connor decided to have a one on one discussion on the sensitive topic of submission in marriage, with another of our pastoral staff Patty Diliberto and get her viewpoint on the subject.If you would like to watch the video podcast, find us on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMhDfGn0zfzi6XjcKkSVcFAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/discovertbcInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/topekabiblechurchWebsite: https://www.discovertbc.com/

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” “Snatch them out of My hand,” said Jesus, and "…snatch them out of the Father's hand.” Jesus told them plainly that He was the Christ—just like they asked Him in vs. 24. Jesus wasn't a good man showing all mankind how to be your best you. He wasn't a mere mortal who for a time had the spirit of the Christ upon him. He was the Christ in flesh. He was God the Father's hand in this world. He was perfectly united with His Father. To see Jesus was to see the Father (John 14:9). To know the Father, and the one whom He sent, Jesus Christ, is to know and have eternal life. For the Jews, He was saying the truth. “When you look at Me, you are looking at God, the Father.” Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will, toward those with whom He is well-pleased. Jesus is Immanuel.

While Adam failed to obey God and brought humanity into ruin, Jesus perfectly kept His Father's commandments to bring salvation to His people. Today, R.C. Sproul teaches that we are saved by works—the works of Christ on our behalf. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/ultimately-with-rc-sproul/saved-by-the-works-of-christ/ Study Reformed theology with a free resource bundle from Ligonier Ministries: https://grow.ligonier.org/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Read OnlineJesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Luke 10:23–24 We rejoice over many things in life. We might rejoice if we win a game, do well on a test, complete some task at home or work, or attend a celebration or party. Though rejoicing is an emotion tied to our human nature, true joy is spiritual in nature, a gift that overflows into human emotion.Try to imagine Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. Jesus' joy was perfect. As God, His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit was beyond anything we can imagine. Therefore, when He experienced the perfection of spiritual joy, that joy overflowed into His perfect human nature, resulting in an emotional response that was more powerful than any of us will experience until the day we stand with our resurrected bodies before the Beatific Vision in the New Heavens and new Earth.When Jesus prayed, “I give you praise, Father…,” He was not only engaging in an intellectual exercise. He did not just make a public statement so that it would be written in Scripture or because it was the right thing to do. Rather, Jesus spoke His praises to the Father because His lived human experience, in that moment, was a human rejoicing with divine power. Jesus' all-consuming joy was perfectly ordered, deeply fulfilling, an appropriate response to His Father and the Holy Spirit, and contagious to those around Him. True spiritual joy is never contained; it overflows and touches the lives of others.By experiencing such joy in His human nature, Jesus further elevated human nature itself, making it possible for us to rejoice in the Holy Spirit with Him within our human souls, provided we humble ourselves before Him. Jesus praised the Father for revealing Himself to the childlike, those who are humble of heart. Seeing that was the cause of His joy. To be childlike in the eyes of God means to trust Him completely, to approach Him with openness and wonder, and to depend on Him for all things. It is the opposite of relying on our own understanding and wisdom, which often leads to pride and distance from God.True humility is nothing other than honesty with oneself before God. Humility makes us childlike because it opens our eyes to the truth that we are little spiritual children in need of God's fatherhood. If we pretend to be “wise and learned” before God, we only reveal our foolishness, the absence of divine wisdom. Reflect today on the perfection of spiritual joy in Jesus' divinity and its emotional effect upon His humanity. No one has ever rejoiced with the same joy as the Son of God. However, we are all called to live within that spiritual joy. This joy strengthens us in trials, deepens our love for others, and helps us live our faith with greater conviction and authenticity. Humble yourself before God today, begging for greater humility so that you will become a greater partaker of Jesus' joy, the joy He came to bestow upon the world. My humble Lord, You rejoiced as You saw Your Father reveal hidden and divine mysteries to those who were humble of heart and childlike. Please bestow Your grace upon me so that I will also grow in divine wisdom, remaining humble and childlike, to fill Your human soul with the deepest joy. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Sancta Trinitas by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that prayer wasn't a responsibility to be pushed into for Him; it was a relationship to be pulled into. It was in prayer where He found rest, strength, and direction, and where He experienced the Father's love most deeply.In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus offers some straightforward advice on how to pray like He did. 1.     Pray systematically – carve out time.Deep, satisfying relationships are a function of time spent together. The same is true with God.However, time seems to be the one thing we run out of fastest! God offers to give wisdom and perspective, guidance and direction, encouragement and confidence through prayer.  But I'm too busy to take Him up on His offer.  It's been said, “If Satan can't make you bad, he'll make you busy.” Why? Because if you're too busy to connect with God, eventually, you'll make yourself bad. Take a look at the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Jesus and his men stop by, and Martha heads to the kitchen to start preparing a meal. Meanwhile, her sister Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet, learning from Him. Martha gets ticked off—not only at Mary, but at Jesus! She's so busy doing “good” stuff, that she fails to do the “better” thing. And it made her worried and upset over things that didn't really matter.For Jesus, being busy was not an excuse to not pray. Instead, it was precisely because He WAS so busy that He intentionally got away and alone to spend time with His Father. And so should we. You will never know Jesus' power until you follow Jesus' pattern.2.     Pray secretly – get away and get alone.In Matthew 6:8, Jesus talks about going to your closet to pray. Find a quiet place where you can meet with God. It's alone, in the silence, when we can share with the Lord what He means to us.  It's alone, in the silence, when we can pour our hearts out to Him.  It's alone, in the silence, when all other voices are shut out, that we can hear the whisper of His still, small voice. It's alone, in the silence, when we can just be with our Father.Can you imagine doing life that way?  Here's the thing: You will not drift into this way of life.  You must choose it.  Text: Mt. 6:5-8; Lk. 10:38-42; Mk. 1:35-36Originally recorded on August 29, 2004, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." Jesus' sheep are given to Him by His Father. He is greater—more powerful—than any one who would like to snatch His sheep out of His hand. His sheep can't be snatched out of His hand because not only are the sheep in Jesus' hand, they are in the almighty, all-powerful Father's hand. Our security isn't based on what we do or don't do. Our salvation isn't based upon our good works. We are saved and have eternal life because of the Father's sustained will toward our highest good, even if it cost the Shepherd's life. He created us in Christ and gave us to Him forever. That's security! However, those who are not His don't need to be snatched out. They aren't in the Father's hand. They do not believe because they are not His sheep. They refuse to listen to His voice because they do not know His voice. We are living through a time in history where it appears that the devil is snatching sheep out of the midst of Jesus' flock. He doesn't have to snatch them, he can just call them. Progressive “Christianity”, which isn't Christian at all, is calling his sheep out from His flock. The apostasy has begun. God is separating the world's sheep from His sheep before He brings them into the fold.

John 10:25. Jesus answered them when they asked Him, "If you're the Christ, tell us plainly," "I told you, and you do not believe the works that I do in my Father's name. These testify of Me." What do these works testify of regarding Jesus? Just to name a few, the miracles testify that God is with Him. They tell us that Jesus's passion is for the name of His Father. They tell us that Jesus is the Christ, God in a body like ours. These testify that Jesus's words are true. As people hear, listen, and follow Him, it testifies that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Those who live to love with Jesus should say the same. We should say, "The works that I do, I do in the name of Jesus Christ. These testify of me that I'm a child of God and that Jesus lives in me." Jesus taught this in John 14:12-14. Let's think about this today: Are all of my works bringing glory to the name of Jesus? Do they accurately testify of who He is, and who I am as His disciple?

Wednesday, 26 November 2025   And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. Matthew 14:23   “And having dismissed the crowds, He ascended to the mountain, off alone, to pray. And evening, having arrived, He was there solo” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus compelled the disciples to get in the boat and cross to the other side while He dismissed the crowds. Next, Matthew records, “And having dismissed the crowds.”   It isn't known how Jesus did this, meaning with a word of encouragement and then prayer, but that is likely. John 6 notes that some wanted to make Him king by force. His redirecting them back to the Lord God as their true King, and through prayer, demonstrating that He was on a spiritual mission, may have quelled that among them.   Mark 6 notes that He sent them away. The day was long, and the walk to return would add to it. Therefore, some may even have slept under the stars, waiting till the next day to return home. Having an evening outside with a bonfire would be a nice cap to the wonderful day spent in the open with Jesus. If so, this would be an added reason for the next words, “He ascended to the mountain, off alone to pray.”   Whether He was removing Himself from all of the crowds as they departed, or if some were laying out mats to sleep on, there were still people there. This necessitated Him to ascend the mountain. Or it may be that ascending the mountain was keeping in accord with the traditions of meeting God on the high places that were instilled in the people's thinking, and a point which permeates the Hebrew Scriptures.   This would be in line with the transfiguration, which occurred on a mountain as well. Whatever other reason may be involved, Jesus went up in order to find solace and to pray. Matthew next records, “And evening, having arrived.”   This would be the second evening of what is known as “between the evenings,” explained in Matthew 14:15. This would be the evening of the light when the day transitions into night. At this time, it says, “He was there solo.”   Nobody had followed Him up the mountain, disturbing His time of prayer alone. These words of Matthew had to come from somewhere, so either an eyewitness saw that Jesus went up alone, or that Jesus had specifically told him this was the case.   Life application: Things were obviously done differently when Jesus walked among the people of Israel. There were no cars, cellphones, or TVs. People's lives would have been run at a completely different pace than what we are used to.   However, the days for Jesus were long and certainly tiring. What did He do at the end of His long day? He spent more energy ascending the nearby mountain, and He engaged with His Father in prayer. Although there is nothing prescriptive in this, it is an ideal that we can strive to attain.   Taking some time alone, away from the innumerable distractions we face, and spending time with the Lord will never be wasted time. Your mind can relax from the nag of calls, messages, text reminders, etc. Well, that is if you leave your phone behind when you decide to spend time with the Lord and pray.   If you are not used to this, it can be difficult to adjust. Being connected to the world through digital devices has become a standard part of our existence. And more, it has become an addiction for many. Take time to actively consider what value it is in your life. Is answering another text as important as spending time with the Lord through prayer or through His word?   Do your best to set your priorities straight and be willing to put everything else aside from time to time. At set times, try to refocus on filling the spiritual chasm in your life, replacing it with the goodness of God. You will find your time doing so a blessing you could not have imagined.   Glorious God, there are so many things that constantly distract us, pulling our attention away from what is truly important. If we stop and evaluate the time we spend doing things that are wholly unproductive, and then compare it to the time we spend with You, what would the balances reveal? Help us, Lord, to have our spiritual priorities right, focusing on You and fellowshipping with You each day. Amen.

As we have taken time to think about God’s good in our lives, there is no greater good than the gift of His Son, a gift He gave because He loved. Not because we were owed. Not because we were pretty good at heart. Not even because we had asked. He sent His Son as gift because He loved. And it was Jesus’ love for His Father, His love for You and me that brought Him to the cross.

Communitas: Marked by the BloodJesus declares that the family of God is all those who do the will of His Father in heaven.Common Master = FamilyCommon Mission = Will

Live to Love Scripture Encouragement, John 10.20. John 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” Hm. Why did people listen to Jesus? Let's see. In the last 24 hrs, God testified about Him by healing a lame man and a blind man. He claimed that God was His Father and that He is the Light of life, the door to safety and peace, and the good shepherd. No one ever spoke with authority like Jesus. This being said, there are many people today who will think we are insane to listen to Jesus and love with Him. Let's not be distracted or discouraged. Love on with Him!

Today we explore how the wilderness is the place where Jesus met His Father, where He still speaks, and where our true identity is recovered.

Verses 1-27 of Nehemiah 10 tell the names of those who signed the covenant. Verses 28-39 outline the responsibilities and obligations of the covenant. The first of the obligations was to not marry uncovenanted wives (i.e. those of different beliefs to those taught in His Law by the God of Israel).Responsibility 2 was to observe the Sabbath by preventing the buying and selling of goods. The third necessity was to pay their tithes and offerings for the house of God. And finally come together for the three principal feasts to rejoice in their God; and with those of like precious faith.Amos 2 commenced with judgments on Israel's neighbours for their sins and now from verses 6-16 the prophet states the sins for which Israel will be chastised. Firstly, those whose covetousness and callousness knows no limits; secondly, those whose uncontrolled sexual appetites were insatiable; thirdly, their boastfulness - the word Amorite comes from the Hebrew "amor" meaning mouth; fourthly, their corrupting of God's laws i.e. giving the Nazarites wine to drink. And so "as they had sown, so they would reap" and not be able to resist the severe coming judgment.1 Timothy 4 commences with signposts which mark out the coming departure from true teachings - 1) a belief in evil and deceitful spirits; 2) a celibate clergy forbidden marriage; 3) the refraining from eating certain foods e.g. meat on Fridays and during Lent leading up to Easter - all foods are for our eating as long as we have offered a prayer of thanksgiving before eating. In verses 6-10 we have the third faithful saying, "bodily exercise is of some value, but godliness (Greek "eusebia" - good, or well worship) is profitable in every way, benefiting present daily life, and offering the hope of eternal life in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ". It is essential that believers be reminded of the necessity to be pure in thought, word and action. Such diligence will save both the teacher and the hearer alike. In chapter 5 we are told the type of respect to be shown to elderly believers. Next follows instructions on the proper treatment of widows. It tells families to show their commitment and care for the widows before requesting aid from the ecclesia. However, widows whose faith and actions stand as a witness to their commitment to Christ Jesus and His Father should be supported in their needs. Older members of the flock of God who have diligently proclaimed the Word of God must be honoured (compare Hebrews 13verses7, 17). Those whose words and actions show a failure to continue in the beliefs and behaviour of the Truth are to be openly rebuked. Be careful in the choice of those commissioned to faithful service. Timothy should drink wine moderately for reasons of health. Sometimes the faithfulness of some believers is evident; and sometimes the wrongdoing of believers is seen. But not always. Beware of hypocrisy, but be assured it will be unmasked in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

John 10:18 “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.” On the front side of the cross, you can see why the Pharisees were constantly scratching their heads as they listened to Jesus. However, from our post-cross perspective, our heads explode with wonder and awe. We know exactly what He was saying. The Father commanded Him to lay down His life and take it up again. So if the Father commanded it, then He has authority to do it. His death won't be because He is a victim of men's hatred and plotting. He put Himself into their hands (probably the very hands of the Pharisees to whom He was talking) to be killed of His own initiative in obedience to His Father. He knew they were trying to kill Him (Jo. 7:19; 8:37, 40). He wanted them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He and the Father were in complete control. As we live to love with Jesus, let's remember that we are never victims. We are in the hands of our Father, who loves us through our good Shepherd, who is with us. We lay our lives down by confronting sin, speaking the truth, forgiving, and loving those who who hate us and wish us harm.

Episode 2.58Adoption is not sentimental — it's sacrificial.In this week's episode, Zach and Michael turn from the Father's loving plan to the Son's redeeming work, showing that our adoption came at a staggering cost: the blood of Christ.Drawing from Galatians 4:1–7, they trace the journey from slavery to sonship. Humanity once stood as heirs-in-waiting, bound under the law. But “in the fullness of time,” God sent His Son — born of woman, born under the law — to redeem us so that we might receive adoption as sons. The Son bore the curse we deserved (Gal. 3:13), freeing us to share in His own inheritance.Paul's phrase “adoption as sons” carries Roman legal weight: all believers — male and female — share in the same full rights before the Father because they are united to Christ, the true Son.Our adoption was not cheap. It required the cross.Romans 5 reminds us: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God didn't adopt the neutral — He adopted the hostile. Every believer's redemption is a declaration of victory in a cosmic war.Applications:– Adoption is Warfare — every redeemed life is proof that Christ has conquered.– Adoption is Costly — our family status required the Son's death.– Adoption Invites Worship — Jesus was forsaken so we could be welcomed.– Adoption Shapes Gratitude — understanding the cost leads to humility and joy.Big Idea:Spiritual adoption is possible only because the Son paid the full price of redemption, securing our right to call His Father our Father.Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/cWkzqx5GK6UMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

Ever find it a struggle to obey God's Word, and actually enjoy it? Listen in on this week's episode of Thinking With Your Bible as Scott and Chris discuss how a healthy fear of the Lord leads to a willing obedience to His Word.Key Points:The believer's fear of the Lord is no longer slavish, but filial. The OT links the fear of the Lord to keeping His commandments. Jesus's teaching in the NT confirms the OT connection between fearing God and obeying Him.Loving God is obeying him – you will not truly love God if you aren't obeying Him.Love for, fear of, and obedience to God are inseparably connected.Our delight in obeying the Lord is made possible only through taking on Jesus who perfectly loved, feared, and obeyed His Father.“Obedience is the fruit of the tree of which the fear of God is the root.  We cannot rightly obey God if we do not fear Him -- if we do not honor, reverence, and love Him.” – Jerry Bridges, The Joy of Fearing GodFollow Us on InstagramVisit Our Website

Today's Promise: John 14:27 Imagine living with the same deep, unshakable peace Jesus carried every moment of His life. Jesus walked in peace with Himself, peace with His Father, and peace with the world around Him.  In this episode, we explore what it means to experience that supernatural calm in your everyday life. What would it feel like to walk through your day steady, settled, and secure, no matter what storms are swirling around you? The peace Jesus offers isn't fragile or fleeting. It doesn't depend on circumstances. It begins in the heart and flows into every corner of your life, shaping your thoughts, your reactions, and your relationships. And like salvation, this peace isn't something you earn; it's a gift received through simple, trusting faith. Join us as we discover how to embrace the peace Christ freely gives and learn to live with a confidence the world cannot shake.

But What If? 27There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30And the second 31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32Afterward the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife." 34And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him." 39Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." 40For they no longer dared to ask him any question. Luke 20 [ESV] Do you know how we like to say, "Yes, but…but, what if…?" Teachers put up with this all the time. God puts up with this from us all the time… …but what if?…We say this after hearing God's Word…don't we? …but…but, my relatives have come to town? Yes…your point is? Take them with you to church, or let them stay home if they won't. You be here. …but what if I have worked a real hard and long year and go on vacation to rest? The best rest is in the Lord's House. …but on holidays I need all the time I can get to prepare the feast…so we can eat on time. …So have snacks ready and eat later. ….yes, but then the game is on…. …so tape it, eat, then watch. Is it the holiday (the HOLY DAY) or the game that is being celebrated? Is it a day of excuses to sin? Come on, what else you got? You see, I can give you a counter answer to almost all of your "what if's" as any good teacher will, or simply answer that that situation you give will never happen in the real world. I can give you an answer because the Bible answers everything that is under the sun. There is nothing new. Yes, God has an answer for them all…and yes, God has heard all the possible reasons for not doing whatever He tells us to do. God says to have no other gods before Him. Other little gods, yes, as God knows we have them, but Our Lord comes first. What do I and He mean here? Go ahead and love other things, but according to the Commandments and in their proper order. God first, then family (wife, then children…husband, then children), then your neighbors, then your vocation, then your hobbies. Love, cherish and care…but not before…not above Him…not out of the order of creation—the way He made them all. Yes, but what if… What if my husband is a work-aholic? My children need me, and since he is not around much, why should I put…let him be first in my life…over them? You both need to repent. Yet each of you are still to do what God says. Despite the situation—even in the situation. What if … Yes? …but…the town does such a lousy job on the roads…and they sent my son over to Iraq and I don't think we should even be there…and look at gas prices…. Show me a coin. Whose image is on it? A president. So, render to the government—to the world—what is theirs, and to God what is His. Pay your taxes, yes, but also give to God what is due Him: YOU. Whose image is on you? Whose image has been once again placed on you? How were you formed and how were you re-formed? Adam was made in the image of God, but then took the "what if" against…and instead of…doing according to how he was made. So, the image of the devil was stamped on Adam…and Eve…and all of us. The world—I don't mean this planet, although effected, yes—but when the Bible talks about this world, it is in the image of the devil. Its ways and its wants. It—the devil—wants to also form the church into its image. He would like to form you again into his image. As a liar. A cheat. A thief. A user. An excuser—an excuser of sin. The devil wants you in the image of death—to die and stay dead. You see, he is the master of the "…but what if…" scenario. He gave Adam and Eve a crash course right in the garden. "But what if God is holding out on you…what if it is a better thing to know good and evil…and what if God really does not want you to be like Him…?" That is where this MO comes from. The devil. The devil tried to do this even to God. He tried the "what if" in heaven…what if he, the devil could replace God and run things for a change…what if that were better? Yet he failed. The Bible says that the devil and his angels that he took with him—a third—lost their former estate. Thrown out of heaven. Adam and Eve lost their former estate too—kicked out of the garden. Pain in childbirth, friction between husband and wife…and more weeds than edible plants from all that hard work. Then Brothers killing each other. It seems that the devil's "what if" was working here, on earth. It has been—working well in the sense that we all do it, but the results…well no good for us has come of it. Yet, we still wonder, "but what if it eventually will be good…" No, as we will be dead. Every one of us. Then the devil, with all his success here, thought he would get another chance at heaven. Yes, especially when the Son of God became man. He even tried to make Jesus into his image. He tempted Jesus. Then because Jesus wasn't taking the bait, he killed him. The devil failed. Using his own work against Him, Jesus was not re-imaged, but actually began the start of humanity's re-imaging. Jesus was not just reclaiming His own body, and life, but also ours…and the world—nature and the universe itself. All will have the full, undiminished, unaffected, untarnished image of God once again. Starting with Jesus the man…then continuing with a band of twelve which then became over 3,000 by the second chapter of Acts, then out into the whole world—all by baptism—Word and Water…and Spirit. Same as at the beginning of the world. The World made by God's Word, the Son, in Water and the Spirit which hovered over the deeps. Just read Genesis chapter 1. All is being remade again according to God's way…again…with Water and Word. You see, by baptism, we no longer have the image of the world. We get God's name, and wherever His name is placed, God is there—His image is there…He is there. A new creation starts there. We Get Jesus as our covering. Jesus is the exact image of God. When we see Jesus, we see God. When God sees us, He sees Jesus. We get—we have Jesus, His Spirit and His Father. We have been reborn…re-imaged…remade…regenerated in His image once again. The planet is next…out into the universe even—everything. So, God has all the "what if's"—every contingency—even ones we have not thought of or ever will—He has got them covered. What if? What if nothing! We are to act now according to how we have been remade…like Jesus…to please His Father…where there are no, "what if's" any longer. There just are none in Jesus. Never! Even if we cannot see the how, it is covered. We are covered. So, we can, then, render to God, what is God's: You. Do so. All of you and yours. Your time, your things, your spouse and children even. Your life even. He who hates his life in this world, Jesus says, will keep it. He who loves it, will lose it. What image do you like best? Stop letting them change you into their image…the way they do things! Stop letting people try and change the image of the church then! We don't vote for choice in the name of freedom. We vote to keep God's commandments. We don't change church and our services just because that is what the world likes. It wants us to reflect them—their image, but we must reflect God's. It wants the church to use marketing and packaging to tempt and lure. It wants us to dress and be like them—to lure and seduce and tempt. All this is the image of sin, death and the devil. The church and its people have the image of Christ—it must or it is not the church. God's image is of life, not the dead. He lives and we live and move and have our being in Him. He is the author and perfecter of our lives. You only live because He says so. You only have because He says so. He gives life to all those who despair of their own. Face the result of your sin—your death. Face the fact that the soul who sins dies and leaves all that he has to someone else. Face that picture. Face that image. Then turn and embrace instead the image God gave you—His. God is the only one who can change that death mask into a face that lives…that reflects Him. He sent Jesus for this very reason. Jesus is the resurrection. He is the way, the truth and the Life. All those who believe in Him, who eat of His flesh and drink of His blood have life in them. These carry His life giving being—God Himself—the very image of God, Jesus, in their very bodies. Whose image do you have? Theirs or His? Those without Jesus' reflection die… …with no if's, no but's, about it. So don't confuse yourselves, or others, with "but what if's." As if…we could stump God. As if we could find wiggle room out of what He expects. As if there are loop holes. As if there were any other way. No, None! He alone provides the way out. Jesus. He alone provides life. Jesus. Yet, He not only gives wiggle room—to live and breath freely in—He brings us to His wide open fields—where we can and will be at play…in the house of the Lord…forever. Jesus came and did this for us,

We know this is one of the things which Jesus said while being crucified.  We might just explain this by saying that Jesus did what He was sent by His Father to do.  This of course is true, but when we look at everything which Jesus accomplished and fulfilled in His life and death, we are again in awe of God and the purposes which He achieved in His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus is arrested, betrayed, and denied, yet He prays pleas, promotes peace, and practices presence. In unwavering love He remains faithful to His Father and to His people. In taking the cup of wrath, Jesus endures the complete sting of death and weight of sin on Himself, in our place. It's not about our strength and ability, but about His.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reflects on Christ's call of St. Matthew as a revelation of the Lord's pastoral wisdom, patience, and mercy. Drawing on St. John Chrysostom, he shows how Christ approaches each person at the moment they are most able to receive Him, gently leading sinners to repentance while shielding the weak from the self-righteous. The homily invites us to imitate this divine pedagogy—offering mercy before rebuke, healing before judgment, and a way of life that draws others to the knowledge of God. +++ Mercy, Not Sacrifice: Christ's Pastoral Method in the Calling of Matthew St. Matthew 9:9-13 At that time, as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he rose and followed Him. And as He sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard it, He said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  When looking at this encounter, it is important to know the context.  Jesus had been at this for a while.  He had already called at least four of the twelve; Andrew, Peter, James and John, to be his disciples.  Moreover, in addition to them, many others were following him.  He had already been baptized, been tempted, given the Sermon on the Mount and performed several public miracles. Knowing this allows us to better appreciate Christ, how He operates, and therefore how we might better imitate Him as we claim to operate in + His name. Example One: Calling the disciples Let's go back to His calling the disciples.  Why didn't He call Matthew at the same time He called Andrew, Peter, James, and John?  St. John Chrysostom indicates that it was Christ's pastoral heart that determined when we called each of His disciples.  Remember, as the Logos, He shares the Father's will that "all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4).  This means that He addressed people in the time and manner they were most likely to hear.  St. John Chrysostom points out that Matthew's heart was not open to Christ's call at the same time as Andrew, Peter, James, and John.  It took miracles and profound teaching to soften His heart for the encounter.  And He didn't just do this for Matthew, look how long it took for the Apostle Paul!  And perhaps, we can look at long he waited for us! We should learn from this lesson from Christ's earthly ministry and imitate Him.  We may need to live among some people for a while, showing the miracle of God's love working in and through us in the way we act and the things we say, before they are ready to accept an invitation to join us in The Way that heals and perfects.  Many of us jump the gun; skipping the vital step of living a public life of miraculous love – and then are surprised when the call to "follow Christ" goes unheeded.  Yes, there are times when the modern equivalents of scribes and pharisees need to be confronted, but once again, let's imitate Christ and let them out themselves when they question our motives and sanity for performing acts of sacrificial compassion.  If we skip the step of imitating Christ in His love for mankind, not only won't we win converts, we may also be indicating that we aren't really working in His Name at all.   Example Two: Leaving, not owning the opposition Speaking of which, Christ also demonstrates his pastoral care at the very beginning of today's lesson.  You may remember that today's lesson begins with something that seems to be a throwaway line; a transitional clause that lets the reader know that the narrative is moving on to another scene.  St. Matthew writes; "At that time, as Jesus passed on from there,…" and then segues into this lesson about how Christ called him, the author, to be His disciple.  But what did He leave and why?  What did He "pass on" from in the previous scene? Let me share that with you; just prior to this, Jesus had publicly corrected some scribes - leaders in the Jewish community - by healing a man of his paralysis after they doubted His ability to forgive sins.  Do you see how they out themselves as fools?  But Christ doesn't want them to remain in ignorance.  He desires that they, too, be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth …  but He also knew that they were not ready to accept the truth, so He left before they could double down on their sin and thus become even less likely to change their way of thinking and eventually answer His call to discipleship. As St. John Christostom puts it; For when He had performed the miracle, He did not remain, lest, being in sight, He should kindle their jealousy the more; but He indulges them by retiring, and soothing their passion. This then let us also do, not encountering them that are plotting against us; let us rather soothe their wound, giving way and relaxing their vehemence. Jesus could have owned those scribes!   This is what our polarized and self-indulgent culture seems to require of us: to immediately jump on any perceived weakness to show the superiority of our way.  We even manufacture offenses so that we have an opportunity to score points and play to the crowd.  But that's not what Jesus did; there was a real offense and a real weakness – but He didn't want or need to impress anyone.  Again, his desire is that of His Father; that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth.  And so He forbeared and gave them an opportunity to cool off and repent while He moved off to spend time with someone who was ready to hear Him. These are the kinds of lessons that are obvious to those who have "eyes to see and ears to hear," but for the rest of us, it takes time.  As we have discussed previously, we still see the Gospel "through a glass darkly" and only see reality as "trees walking."  But we want to learn, and so we ask those who have made this journey successfully before us, men like the Holy Apostle and Evanglist Matthew, whose memory we celebrate today and St. John Chrysostom who shares the deeper Truths that St. Matthew shared – we ask them to guide and pray for us as go deeper into The Way. Let's see what more we can learn about Christ's approach to evangelism and pastoral care in today's lesson.  It is worth remembering that Matthew was a tax collector.  When Jesus gave him the invitation to "follow me", he responded with hospitality.  He opened his house to the Lord, his disciples, fellow tax collectors, and unspecified sinners.  Just to make sure everyone had a good time, this was all done within view of some local Pharisees.  The Pharisees spent their whole lives dedicated to righteousness (as should all of us).  I am perfectly willing to believe that they were sincere in their devotion to the Law.  In fact, it was probably their devotion to the Law that led to their revulsion at seeing an alleged rabbi (Jesus) eating with sinners.  They shared their righteous indignation with the Lord's disciples and He overheard them.  We can learn a lot about how to pastoral ministry by looking at Christ's response. First, He said (e.g. St. Mark 2:17); Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.  This is the most obvious point: God was explaining what His mission to these sinners (and the world) was:  He had come to bring them to repentance.  This would hardly satisfy any ultra-Orthodox takfirists – they always want their pound of flesh!  After all, they say, repentance requires tears, and the best way to bring someone to tears is not to eat with them and provide them a living example of the better way; no, surely it is more effective to beat them over the head with the Sin-Stick, right?!  Evidently not, at least according to the all-knowing and all-loving God-man Jesus Christ. After acknowledging the sinfulness of His dinner companions and their need for repentance, He corrected the Pharisees' dubious pedagogical and evangelical instincts with this (e.g. St. Matthew himself in 9:13); Go and learn what it means, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice': for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Christ is quoting Hosea when He says; "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice".  The full passage (which was implied) continues with (Hosea 6:6); "… and [I desire] the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."  This is huge.  The Pharisees knew the full quote and its context; they would have seen that Christ was telling them that they were guilty of the very same sorts of things that went against God throughout the Old Testament.  He was telling them that they were more concerned with fulfilling the letter of the law (i.e. doing the "burnt offerings" well) than they were with knowing God or bringing others to Him.  At that meal, He was doing something that they should have been doing themselves. How Christ Discipled His Sinners cum Apostles More importantly, along with His entire response, Christ used this quote to describe His method for bringing the "knowledge of God" to sinners; He would use mercy to lead them to repentance, which would in turn allow them to grow in the knowledge of God.   St. John Chrysostom brings this point out at the end of his homily on this passage; What Christ is saying through his words and deads is this, "The disciples have not yet become strong; they still need a lot of condescension. They have not been renewed by the Spirit yet.  You really shouldn't put a lot of injunctions on people who are still weak."  And He said all these things in order to set laws and rules for His own disciples, so that when it was their turn to train disciples, they would deal with them very gently.  To reiterate St. John Chrysostom's point, God is showing His disciples how the Gospel is to be taught: gently and with mercy … while protecting the weak from the attacks of the self-righteous.  This is important for us as Christian leaders: we are called to follow Christ!  We are called to take His Gospel to sinners so that they might repent,  come to the knowledge of God, and be saved.  Keep the Sin-Stick ready, but use it the way Christ Himself did; to defend the weak from the attacks of the self-righteous. There is a temptation to bring sinners to a full awareness of their sin in order to drive them towards repentance, but be careful with this.   Psalm 129: 3-4 (which we often repeat as a prokimen so that we will master it – or rather so that it might master us);  If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee. And later in that same Psalm, we learn from the Psalmist, in the Spirt, what the purpose of this merciful forgivness is; so that He might bring salvation to Israel (129:8). Repentance, kenosis, and discernment are fostered over time.  It is an iterated and communal process.  The wounds this world inflicts on God's children are serious and it takes time for Him to heal them.  This means that you may not be able to see the process through to its conclusion, but it is okay to simply begin the treatment; the Church has trained other physicians that can continue the process, just as you will be called to continue the work others have begun.  As Christ said "One soweth, and another reapeth." (St. John 4:37:4) Conclusion Saint Matthew's life is a testimony to the efficacy of this gentle discipleship process.  He was a sinner.  The Lord protected Him and showed Him mercy.  Over time, through His example, His holiness, and His teachings, He brought Matthew through repentance to the true knowledge of God.  As a recipient of this grace, St. Matthew could do nothing else but offer it to others.   It is true that the Church is a hospital, and that Christ is the Great Physician; and it is also true that St. Matthew found healing in the Church under the Doctor's care.  But it is also true that He did not stay in the hospital bed. After a lifetime spent spreading the Gospel, this "good and faithful servant" earned the martyr's crown in Ethiopia. May the Lord transform us into the kind of patient, merciful, and holy pastors who can do the same.

In the old covenant, the average Israelite was not allowed to enter into the holy place, and only the high priest was allowed to enter into the most holy place. This earthly tabernacle was a shadow and predecessor of the heavenly pattern, wherein sinful men like us cannot enter into God's holy presence. Thankfully, we have a high priest in Jesus, for he is able, not only to enter into His Father's presence, but to cleanse our consciences. He cleanses us, not with the blood of bulls or goats, but with his very own blood. In so doing, Christ is the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Unlike the old covenant which required continual sacrifices by imperfect men, Christ has entered into this heavenly tabernacle, or one “not made with hands” and has made sacrifice once and for all. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. Beginning this teaching in John 15:5, Rabbi Steve Berkson explains what Messiah Yeshua meant when He was exhorting His disciples to “stay in Me and He in them,” and how that statement could also be understood as, “if you are in covenant with Me.” Without the Spirit of Messiah (His intrinsic nature) in us, it is impossible to be in covenant with Him and His Father. • What is Covenantal Fruit? Moving on, Rabbi Berkson expands on a crucial point for developing a correct mindset when dealing with those around us, centered on the phrase “he is broken off and thrown away.” This leads him into passages in Matthew 13 and Romans 11 that were not in his notes. • What is the role for the Kingdom that surpasses all of our ‘pay grades'? • Is your being considered a “darnel” or a “tare” predestined? • Do you hold preconceptions about what leadership should look or sound like? What's the danger in that? Rabbi Berkson does a “reset” of a ‘faith idea' most of us have been taught throughout our lives, specifically the notion of “ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you.” What is the terrible word that precedes the Messiah's statement about ‘asking'? Toward the end of the teaching, what started as a side note turned into an inspiring life-coaching moment as Rabbi Berkson discussed being unequally yoked, then shifted focus to those who are single and looking for a mate. A must-watch! Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages to give you a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.

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.

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

In the midst of life’s busyness, God invites us to step away into a quiet place and rest in His presence. Mark 6:31 shows that even Jesus, fully God and fully man, sought moments of stillness—sometimes with those He loved. Welcoming quiet allows our souls to recalibrate, hear God’s voice, and find true peace amid the noise of daily life. Highlights Jesus modeled the need for quiet and rest, inviting His followers to join Him. Quiet time isn’t just physical rest; it’s a soul-level invitation to be with God. Embracing stillness allows us to hear God’s tender voice, not our inner critic. Scripture encourages us to stop striving: Psalm 46:10, Psalm 131:2, and Jeremiah 31:3. Quiet helps us develop contentment, security, and joy in God’s presence. Practical steps: switch off distractions, focus inward, and allow God to fill your mind and heart. Regular quiet cultivates a deeper connection with God and His peace. Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: Welcoming the Quiet By Cindi McMenamin Bible Reading: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31 NIV) Jesus said these words to His followers after a busy day in ministry. Perhaps He felt drained from all the demands and expectations placed upon Him from crowds of people who wanted something from Him. Perhaps He felt burdened at all there was to do, and so many people to help that He needed to get away to a quiet place with His Father in heaven. And certainly, He knew His followers could use some rest and respite as well. And that’s why He invited them to come with Him to the quiet to get some rest. If Jesus, being fully God, yet fully man, could sense His need to go away to a quiet place, then we should sense our need for the stillness and quiet as well. And I find it interesting that Jesus, while there were times He got away by Himself to be with God, in this particular verse, He invited those He loved to come away with Him. Part of Jesus’ rest and refueling was to be with those He loved—in the quiet. Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you ever sense the need to get away from it all to a quiet place where you can get some rest? Perhaps you sense that every day. But that is more than just your body’s way of saying “get some rest” or your mind’s way of saying, I need a vacation. I believe it’s our soul’s way of saying “God’s been waiting. Get away with Him.” I believe it’s Jesus’ way of saying, “Come with Me to a quiet place where we can be together.” You and I can view quiet, alone times as reminders of our loneliness and do everything we can to avoid them. Or, we can try to get to a place where we think it will be quiet, but we’ll be taking our noisy minds and selves with us. But I encourage you to welcome the quiet as a much-needed respite from the noise—and as an invitation from God who has been whispering to you: Come with Me to a quiet place and get some rest. How often do we feel we must set aside time to be with God and then feel guilty for not doing it? How often our hearts may long for a getaway with Him, not realizing that getaway is available to us every moment of the day because He indwells us and calls us to come to Him within the recesses of our hearts. “Be still and know that I am God,” says Psalm 46:10 (NIV). We can get to know Him in the stillness as we allow Him to quiet our thoughts, and we begin to focus on His presence. Psalm 46:10 in the New American Standard Bible reads: “Stop striving and know that I am God.” Having a heart at rest means we are not striving to control, not anxious or stressed about what might happen, or all that we have to do. It means we are in a place of quiet contentment, like David sang in Psalm 131:2: “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me” (ESV). Quiet. Full. Satisfied. Secure. Is it time to slow your pace, switch off the inner chatter, and ask God to still your mind from anxiety or busyness and flood it with His peace? Is it time to close the app, shut the lid on your device, or turn off the music or the TV, and develop a heart that not only welcomes but longs for the quiet stillness? It’s there you will begin to discern your Savior’s voice, which is much more loving than your own internal critic. It is there you will hear His tender words: I have loved you with an everlasting love… I have drawn you with kindness (Jeremiah 31:3). It is there you will be assured of His promise to never leave you or abandon you (Hebrews 13:5). It is there, in His presence, that you will find fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Embrace the quiet of your day—or escape to it by carving it out somewhere—so you can get away with God in your heart. Close your eyes. Enjoy the stillness of the moment and the assurance of His presence. Spend some time thanking Him for breathing rest –and quiet—into your day. Further Reading: Matthew 11:28-30 For a guided plan for growing closer to God in the quiet, see book: The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Summary: In this episode, Dr. Michael Easley and former NFL quarterback Jeff Kemp talk about what it means for men to follow Jesus with humility, dependence, and intentionality. Kemp draws from John's Gospel, where Jesus repeatedly affirms that He only does what His Father tells Him to do. Michael reflects on how staggering it is that the God-man chose to say and do only what pleased His Father. Jeff unpacks this further: if Christ Himself modeled such dependence, then we too must stop striving to impress God and instead learn to receive from Him. The conversation then turns to one of the greatest needs among men today—true friendship. Many men isolate, even while surrounded by people, leaving them lonely, insecure, and vulnerable. Kemp encourages men to take simple but intentional steps: initiate, honor others, pray together, and practice accountability. He shares practical questions for building deeper friendships, emphasizes the power of confession, and reminds us that level-five friendships are rooted in Christ and His Word. At the heart of this conversation is a simple challenge: don't try to live the Christian life alone. Depend on Christ. Invest in other men. Take the initiative to build friendships that are honest, prayerful, and life-giving. Takeaways Jesus modeled total dependence on the Father, and we are called to do the same. Men often isolate, leaving them vulnerable to loneliness and insecurity. True friendships require initiative—reaching out, honoring, and encouraging others. Confession and prayer with trusted friends bring healing and strength. Practical questions and accountability take friendships beyond the surface. Deep, Christ-centered friendships are essential for spiritual growth and resilience. LINKS MENTIONED: Receive by Jeff Kemp Men Huddle Watch the highlights and full version of this interview on our Youtube channel. For more inContext interviews, click here.

The whole of Jesus' life was lived under the shadow of the cross. As Christ faithfully served His Father each day, the agony of Calvary loomed ever nearer. Today, Sinclair Ferguson begins to reflect on the life of our Lord. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/living-under-the-shadow-of-the-cross/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Halloween often stirs tension for believers — a holiday steeped in fear, darkness, and controversy. As our daily prayer and devotional note, some choose to avoid it altogether, while others seek creative ways to redeem it. In this devotional, Alicia Searl challenges us to look at this season differently: not as a night to hide our faith but as an opportunity to shine God’s light in the darkness. Jesus never avoided places or people marked by fear or sin. He faced darkness with courage, truth, and prayer — relying on His Father’s strength and authority. As followers of Christ, we too are called to stand firm in faith and reflect His light in a broken world. This Halloween, instead of turning off the porch light, what if we opened our doors in love and hospitality? Whether through a kind smile, a word of encouragement, or a small gesture that points to Jesus, we can show our neighbors the light of Christ. Let this be the night we live out Matthew 5:14–16 — radiating joy, truth, and grace for all to see. Today's Bible Reading:“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14–16

In this Bible Story, we will learn about the agonizing heart of Jesus, his resolve to save us, and his desire to have his disciples near him in the last hour. We also see Judas again, coming with a small army to arrest Jesus. This story is inspired by Matthew 26:30-39, 52-57; Luke 22:42-51 & John 18:3-10. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Luke 22:48 from the King James Version.Episode 209: Jesus led His disciples to a garden named Gethsemane. While there he began to pray in agony over what was about to happen. He asked The Father to take away the suffering He was about to endure if at all possible. But Jesus also trusted His Father and asked that above His own The Father's will be done. Just as Jesus finished praying, Judas arrived with a small group of armed men to take Him in. After a short display of power, Jesus left willingly, while His disciples scattered.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.