Podcasts about his father

August 10, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 12:22-34 (35-40)Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:23-44; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. These verses speak about anxiety. Yikes. Guilty—party of one. And often, when I read them, I immediately become anxious about how anxious I am and how I am not trusting…because I am anxious. Lord, forgive me, a sinner. Look at these words, though: “fear not…it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Fear not; deep breath. In my anxiety, I am afraid. I'm afraid to fail, afraid to be hurt, afraid I'm not enough, afraid that I don't have control…afraid. And yet, Jesus tells us to fear not. And here's the thing—Jesus is trustworthy. He can and does back up that directive. He has the answers to all my fears. Failure, hurt, enoughness, control…all of these flow out of my sinful, selfish nature. The Law shows me that I am a failure, hurtful, inadequate, out-of-control sinner. And yet, Jesus can and does tell me not to fear because He has paid for all of that; He has covered my shame and guilt. It is His now, and He has left it in the tomb—forever gone and buried. Fear not. And now, I can joyfully receive the Father's good pleasure! I can receive His Kingdom with peace and certainty! In my Baptism, Jesus takes my anxiety and gives me peace. It is through His work that I am right before God and safely found within His Father's House. Perhaps you, too, struggle with anxiety. Perhaps you, too, know that you are a sinner and worry about it. Make the sign of the cross, dear Baptized child of God. Remember that it is Jesus Who takes your sin and shame, and it is Jesus Who defeated it for you. Go to the Divine Service and hear the words of Absolution announced to you. Take Jesus' Body and Blood for the forgiveness of your sins. Hear God's Word and be strengthened by His promises. You may still struggle with anxiety, but it does not define you. You are Baptized; you are named as one who belongs to Christ, and you can truly fear not. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and merciful God, it is by Your grace that we live as Your people who offer acceptable service. Grant that we may walk by faith, and not by sight, in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (LSB, Collect of the Day)Deac. Sarah Longmire, Bible study editor for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Study the early Church Fathers, Scripture, and Christian history alongside FLAME's conversational voice to see for yourself why their teachings from Scripture are important to study, and live out, today.

John 7:11-12 So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?” There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.” We learn from these verses about the diverse opinions about Jesus and the settled hostility of some of the Jews, referring to the Jewish leaders who sought Him with malicious intent. His attendance was expected, so they were on the lookout. I would like to put these verses into our context to some degree. As we live to love with Jesus, we may expect the same range of opinions about us. There will be some who think we are good, and there will be others that think we are imposters, toxic, and should be cancelled. It's hard to imagine how someone who is God, who performed miracles of healing and deliverance, and who taught with such authority could be considered an enemy and a false prophet. But there is an explanation for it proposed by James, Jesus' brother, in his letter. James 3:14-16. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. The Jews' view of Jesus was not an unbiased appraisal. He was a threat to their ambitions. They were jealous of His humility, popularity, power, and ministry. We know that Jesus exposed that their deeds were evil (vs. 7). We should not be surprised if our good deeds, our acts of love, are misunderstood and mischaracterized by people who want people to think they are good, but are not. The encouragement I get from these verses in their context is that Jesus didn't let the opinions of the crowd sway Him one way or another. He sought only to do His Father's will for His glory. Jesus made it clear in chapter 5 that it's impossible to believe in Jesus as long as one seeks the glory of man, which is self-ambition. So let's take great care to put away our self-ambitions and, in humility, receive whatever God has for us, both good and bad. May we be faithful in doing good, abiding in Christ, and surrendered to His will and plan for our lives. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

John 7:8-10 Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come. Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee. But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.” Jesus encouraged His brothers to attend the Feast of Booths, but told them He wasn't going to the feast because His time wasn't completed. We recall from yesterday that Jesus' time that He referenced was His death. Jesus implied that He wasn't going to go up publicly as His brothers suggested in verse 4 because the Jews were planning to kill Him. However, after waiting for a while, perhaps a couple of days or so, Jesus did go, but secretly, which I assume means that He didn't travel with anyone. There's no mention of the disciples, so we may also conclude He likewise had encouraged them to attend the feast. When something is unclear, one of the basic rules of interpretation is to let Scripture interpret Scripture. In other words, we bring in information given in other passages that we know to be true to bring clarity. In this case, since we know Jesus never did anything on His own initiative, and always did the will of His Father, we know Jesus wasn't lying when He said He wasn't going up to the feast. He is in tune with the Father, and the Father wasn't going to the feast at the same time as His brothers. Jesus was living to love with His Father, so He constantly was abiding in the Father and trusting His will and timing in all things. It is also true that the Father abided in Jesus. Once the Son of God came into the world, Jesus' body became God's temple—the place where God dwelled and made His name known. He wasn't in the temple in Jerusalem. With Jesus' arrival, that temple and all of its ceremonies became obsolete and was about to disappear as it says in Hebrews 8:13, “When He said, ‘A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” The people went to the temple for the feasts, but now Jesus is the feast of Booths, the Passover, the priest, and the sacrifices and everything else about the temple. He could fully celebrate the Feast of Booths, and the celebration of God's deliverance, provision, and joy without going to Jerusalem. Think on that. Today, you are the temple of God. You have God dwelling in you if you believe in Jesus and have received His life. You don't have to go somewhere to worship Him or to celebrate His deliverance, provision, and joy. You carry the celebration everywhere you go, and can eat and drink, feast on Christ constantly. That's what living to love with Jesus is—it's living in the joy of His presence and manifesting it. May we be filled with understanding and realize the miracle of miracles—Christ in us, the fullness of God, the hope of glory. Let His love and joy flow like a river today as you fix your eyes on Jesus. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

John 7:6-7 So Jesus said to them (that is, His brothers who had encouraged Him to go to the feast in Jerusalem to make Himself known publicly), “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.” What did Jesus mean by “My time?” He meant the time of His death. I conclude that first because in verse 1 we learned that Jesus knew the Jews were planning to kill Him and therefore stayed in Galilee. Second, the Jews' hatred for Him was obviously on top of mind with Him. The Father was arranging the timing and circumstances in Jerusalem for Jesus to give His flesh to become the bread of life. As for His brothers' times of death, it could happen anytime. Their death wasn't contingent on being hated by the world, or anything, for that matter. They weren't intentionally, knowingly, making decisions leading to their deaths. God could use any opportune situation to end their lives. Not so with Jesus. For Jesus, His time was the Father's time. Everything in His life was determined by His Father. Later in John 8:28, Jesus explained His decision-making. “So Jesus said, “‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative.'” Jesus' time for everything in His life was determined by the Father, or by the Spirit of the Father, the Holy Spirit. They moved as one. Nothing has changed for Jesus as He lives in us. He moves as the Spirit moves. He lives to the the will of His Father. If our goal is to live to love with Jesus, we must abide in Him. That means our time for everything in life is also determined by God, the Father. He orchestrates circumstances, moves people, and us so that He can glorify His name through His Son in us. At the beginning of every day, if we intend to abide in Him, our “time,” not meaning the time of our death, but the timing of the events of our days, must be surrendered to Him. In another sense, we are intentionally, knowingly walking into our deaths. We died when Jesus died to our own agendas—our own lives in this world. When Jesus was raised from the dead, we were raised to walk or live our lives in Him, with Him—He abiding in us and we in Him. So today every situation or relationship is an opportunity for me to die to myself, die to my flesh attempts at living for God, and to abide in Christ and live to love with Him. In that sense, our time to die is opportune. The love of God flows out of Jesus' timely death, through my timely death, and out of His initiating love as we move together through the day. Our times are in His hands. That's why James wrote in 4:14-15. “Yet, you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'” So the encouragement to live to love with Jesus today is to live with the same sense of dependency upon the Father as Jesus does. Trust His timing for everything in your life, as well as with the timing of your death. Live surrendered to the will of God, as Jesus lives surrendered to the Father. Then you will have confidence that God's will is being done on earth as it is in heaven in your life. Your life and death are in His hands. Out of that understanding and that kind of trust, the love of Christ will flow through your life. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

John 7:2-4 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore, His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” As we consider these verses, I want to bring something Jesus said into view that shows an important, stark contrast between Jesus and most everyone else. John 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 5:41 “I do not receive glory from men; John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Jesus wasn't seeking to be known publicly, but His brothers assumed that was Jesus' ambition. Jesus had one ambition: to reveal and glorify His Father by doing His will on a moment by moment basis. May I encourage you to have the same ambition as Jesus today? Our purpose is essentially the same as His: to glorify God by revealing that Jesus still lives to glorify His Father. We do this by loving with Him. We aren't trying to be good Christians so we will have a good reputation with the public. We're not trying to be publicly known. I was struck by a quote from Nikolai Ludwig von Zinzindorf in Living Life Backwards by David Gibson. “Preach the gospel. Die. Be forgotten.” There's no self-ambition or self-significance driving those words. May our ambition today be to glorify God, to live for His pleasure, by loving with Jesus, preaching the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

The random turning for Monday comes to us from 2 Samuel 7: 1-17 The Davidic Convenant again!  This is a 3 part mini-series that the Holy Spirit is pointing out again because it talks about God's permanent contract with Israel, and that not only is He NOT DONE with Israel, but He is currently grafting them all back in to their own tree!   Here's the ULTRA EXCITING PART OF THAT....That happens when the "fullness of the Gentiles" happens, which means when all the Gentiles that are going to convert have now converted, or at least the last couple are finishing up!  Do you realize what that means??  That means, that we are the Bride and the Groom is about ready to come back for His bride and take her back to His Father's house to give her the room that He has "gone to prepare a room for" and so that points to rapture BIGTIME!  The more Jews start converting to Christianity, the closer we are to see 444, the Key of David, turn that lock and open the door for rapture that lets those who are found worthy to enter into the Kingdom of Go for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! We are HARPOZO'd up then 444, the Key of David is used and the door closes shut behind us!! WOWWWWWW!! If you are blessed by today's Bible study, please support my channel by liking, subscribing, commenting, and sharing with your friends and family!  I am not a Pastor, and agree with God's word that women are not supposed to be Pastors.  However, all people are called to share the gospel. It is perfectly acceptable and Biblical for women to lead Bibles studies outside the church as an ancillary addition to the church, and especially if it is a viable avenue for study of the Word on a daily basis, like I'm doing on this show, and paving the way for all of us to be closer to the Lord and become more knowledgeable of the Bible.  If you care to contribute to my work with the Daily Bible study and sharing the Gospel, as part of your tithes and offerings, you can do so through PayPal by sending it to my PayPal address of: ReneHoladay@gmail.com  Thank you for watching and God Bless you all! ;() --------------------- The primary study bible that Rene' uses is the 'Spirit-filled Life Bible, by Jack Hayford, and is available in hard cover or faux leather on Amazon at:  https://amzn.to/434fBnQ You can watch this episode on Youtube at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v9ekffu7ds Please be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT, and SHARE!

Are you walking through leadership, loss, or life feeling alone? Discover how Jesus' deep dependence on His Father offers a powerful invitation: you were never meant to walk alone—and you don't have to.

We can become easily distracted in Gospel narratives by topical issues. For instance, in Mark 10, a question posed to Jesus about divorce may draw our attention away from the story at hand towards theological issues. However, Mark did not write a theological treatises. He wrote stories about Jesus illuminating His identity as the Son of God. So what does Jesus' conversation with Pharisees about divorce reveal about His Sonship and His ultimate mission to establish His Father's Kingdom on earth?

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Pastor Mike continues the study of the Assemblies of God 16 Fundamental Truths, focusing on Truth 13 – “The Blessed Hope.” The last four Tenets of the Assemblies' 16 Fundamentals all deal with future events yet to come and are the most exciting to discuss. Today, we’re talking about “The Blessed Hope,” which is the next major event on God’s prophetic timetable: the “Rapture of the Church.” The rapture is called the blessed hope, not because we are wishful that it will happen, but because it is a guaranteed promise based on the Bible’s words. The blessed hope is when Jesus returns in the clouds to take His Bride, the Church, back to His Father’s house in Heaven. That’s what we’ll explore in more detail. Worship and study with us, and you’ll be encouraged, knowing we can be confident in experiencing all that God has prepared. Watch until the very end, as Pastor Mike has a special announcement he shared with the congregation this morning regarding his future tenure at Center Point.

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Pastor Mike continues the study of the Assemblies of God 16 Fundamental Truths, focusing on Truth 13 – “The Blessed Hope.” The last four Tenets of the Assemblies' 16 Fundamentals all deal with future events yet to come and are the most exciting to discuss. Today, we’re talking about “The Blessed Hope,” which is the next major event on God’s prophetic timetable: the “Rapture of the Church.” The rapture is called the blessed hope, not because we are wishful that it will happen, but because it is a guaranteed promise based on the Bible’s words. The blessed hope is when Jesus returns in the clouds to take His Bride, the Church, back to His Father’s house in Heaven. That’s what we’ll explore in more detail. Worship and study with us, and you’ll be encouraged, knowing we can be confident in experiencing all that God has prepared. Watch until the very end, as Pastor Mike has a special announcement he shared with the congregation this morning regarding his future tenure at Center Point.

This powerful service from P246 Church, led by Pastor Nana Boadum, PhD, is a double blessing—a message that stirs your heart to embrace everlasting joy in Christ and a call to live fully in the love and power of God.In this sermon, Pastor Nana unpacks:How to walk in habitual joy, just like Jesus.Discover how Jesus—though described as a “man of sorrows”—lived in continual joy rooted in the love of His Father, in obedience to God's will, and by keeping His eyes on the joy set before Him. Learn how you too can cultivate a lifestyle of joy by delighting in God's love, obeying His Word, and staying filled with His Spirit.The call to return to God and burn bright for Him.Pastor Nana leads listeners to examine their hearts, leave behind the things that dim their spiritual fire, and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, which fills life with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.From heartfelt worship to practical biblical insights and a spirit-filled altar call, this episode will ignite joy in your spirit and draw you closer to God. If you've been longing for deeper joy, fresh fire, and a renewed walk with Jesus, this message is for you!

John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. The encouragement we may draw from these verses is that our Father is always working for our good, and therefore we can entrust ourselves to Him. Can you see that in what Jesus said? Jesus' statement was made to fortify the statement made in verse 65, “No one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” Even if the Son chooses someone, it doesn't mean the Father has chosen Him. Jesus chose Judas Iscariot knowing he was going to betray Him. He knew the Father was not teaching Him. He knew Judas was following Him for the wrong reasons, just like the crowd was. Eventually, Judas and the crowd would bring charges against Jesus with hostile intent. That's the idea in the root word for devil, diabolos. It means to accuse or slander falsely with malicious intent. The devil is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). I'm encouraged by a couple of things about Jesus that help me understand the faith that is necessary if I'm to live to love with Him. He completely entrusted Himself to His Father. When He chose Judas to be one of the twelve, we know He did so at the Father's direction. He came to do the Father's will (John 6:38). We learn here that Jesus knew Judas would betray Him. That tells me that Jesus, even knowing that Judas would play an integral part in His death, still entrusted Himself to His Father. 1 Peter 2:23 testifies of Jesus' reliance on His Father. “And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” That kind of faith and trust lives in me and all those who live to love with Jesus. That encourages us to entrust ourselves completely to our Father and His will for us. Jesus' unwavering obedience to His Father also encourages me. He obeyed His Father in choosing Judas, knowing it was going to bring suffering. By the way, that was an act of love for His Father and for us. The Father commanded Him to lay down His life for us, and in choosing Judas, He began the process. As we live to love with Jesus, we have been commanded to love like Jesus loves, to love with Him. We are commanded to lay down our lives for the well-being of others. There will be times when we know that if we do something nice, loving, or kind to someone, they are going to be devilish. They are going to turn it around and twist it, falsely accuse us. Our loving them makes them feel guilty because they don't love us. There is hostility in their hearts toward us, and it makes them angry when we love them. So rather than receive the love, they sabotage our efforts to love them and accuse us of being proud or manipulative. I'm encouraged by Jesus' example of obedience to not refrain from loving those who are my enemies and entrust myself to God's care. We can trust God will work everything for good and for His glory, just as Jesus did. I hope you'll be encouraged also from these verses to entrust yourself to your heavenly Father and obey Him by loving others as Jesus loves. This is only possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. May we be filled with the spirit of Christ today as we walk in love with Him. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

John 6:66-69 As a result of this, many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” Simon Peter spoke up for the twelve and expressed what all believe who have been born again by the Spirit. We believe Jesus has the words of eternal life. As Jesus said only a minute or two previously, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” Those who are the true branches in the Vine abide in Him, and His words abide in them. In John 14:23 Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” Believing Jesus has the words of eternal life, we keep them. No one else has the words of life. Simon Peter and the rest of the twelve, with the exception of Judas, knew from the words Jesus had spoken that He was the Holy One of God, the Messiah, the Christ. That was enough for them. When others were walking away, the twelve stayed with Jesus. Even though they probably didn't understand all that Jesus said, they heard enough to know that He was the One sent from God so they might have eternal life. Could you also make the same confession as Simon Peter? I hope so. Where else could we turn to find and experience the love of God through a person other than Jesus? They thought there were other teachers who were more understandable and who presented more palatable ideas than cannibalism. They decided it wasn't worth their time to hang out and listen until they understood what He meant. Who we listen to tells a lot about us. According to the apostle John in his first epistle, who we listen to reveals where we are from. 1 John 4:1. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Then in verses 5-6, he made the connection between origin and who we listen to. “They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” That's what Jesus basically said in this encounter in Capernaum's synagogue. He told them they were not from His Father, because if they were, they would listen to Him and believe. The fact that they didn't have ears to hear Him revealed that the Father had not brought them to Him. The encouragement we draw from these verses is that Jesus' disciples who live to love with Him are the antithesis of the so-called disciples who walked away. We are like Simon Peter. We stay with Jesus even when we are faced with difficult truth because we know He has the words of life. As we meet those God puts in our paths, we wait for the Holy Spirit to give us the words that will bring life to them. That's one of the many ways we love them. We trust in the power of God and the life-giving words of Christ. Maybe it's a great question to ask people as we share with them about Jesus. Do you know anyone else who has the words of eternal life? I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Although discussed less frequently than Jesus' death and crucifixion, His ascension is a profound and pivotal moment. It concludes one phase of His earthly work while inaugurating His powerful role as the Messiah King. This sermon will explore the ascension, focusing on how Jesus' sacrifice uniquely qualifies Him to ascend to the throne alongside His Father and assume the rule promised to the worthy “Son of Man.” A sermon given by Greg Chandler on July 27, 2025.

Okay, laugh if you will, but when I was in high school, I sang in the chorus. I did! Today, I'm just a backup singer; when I sing, people back up. But back in high school, we had some good times learning our parts, mastering our songs, and performing our concerts. Sometimes, if I was late for our chorus class, I could hear them warming up as I approached the chorus room. And this one warm-up was particularly monotonous: "mi, mi, mi, mi, mi, mi, mi, mi, mi." Don't change stations. I'm done. I'm not going to do any more singing. But... I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I do want to have A Word With You today about "The 'Me' Song." Now, the spelling is a little different, but the most monotonous chorus in the world still sounds the same, when someone's tune is (and I promise not to sing) "me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me." It is the song of our selfishness, a song we sing far too often. It's the most off-key chorus of all! It's when I'm performing as if it's all about me. Now, we can do better than this if we follow the blueprint laid out in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Philippians 2:3-8. We're told there, "in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This kind of self-sacrificing rather than self-seeking is not something that we see very much. So we need an example, and we've got one. The Bible goes on to say, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who...made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant... He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross." God tells us to follow His Son into an attitude that is all about "you, you, you, you, you" instead of "me, me, me, me, me." And especially in those moments when, like Jesus in His hours of suffering and dying, selflessness is the most amazing. Basically, there are certain times when we tend to enter the "Me" Zone, where we act like things should pretty much revolve around us. We slip into the "Me" Zone when we're feeling sick, when we're feeling stressed, when we're suffering, or when we're just tired and feeling shot. I know this all too well. How do I know this? Well, I have been there way too many times. But the Bible says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." At the time of His greatest pain, His greatest suffering - the time of the greatest suffering any human being has ever experienced, He's carrying the sin of the world - He's dying on the cross and He's still all about others! In the middle of His agony, Jesus is making sure His mother is cared for...He's reaching out to the thief on the cross next to Him, and He's asking His Father to forgive those who crucified Him. That's how your Savior handles being stressed, how He handles suffering, and how He wants to help you and me handle the moments when we just want to think about ourselves. It's at those times when I'm really tired, stressed, when I'm really not feeling good, that I have to reach beyond my feelings and say, "Dear Lord, give me the grace to still think about others when I feel like just thinking about me." In other words, "Jesus, would you please help me, because I want to be like You!"

In the Tom Hanks film “Castaway,” the main character, Chuck, finds himself in the ultimate terrifying situation. Chuck's plane goes down in the ocean, and he finds himself stranded on a very deserted island.Years pass.Chuck's family and friends long ago gave up on him, and why not? No one could have known he was sitting on a remote pile of sand in the Pacific Ocean.He learns to survive, but then reflects on the future. What happens if he gets sick? What happens if he's injured?Staying put isn't an option.**SPOILER ALERT** Next thing you know, he's pushing away from the island on a homemade raft. This risky adventure eventually puts him right in the path of a ship.When He went to be with His Father in heaven, Jesus left His disciples with a simple but big adventure idea: Go tell people about me. It won't be safe, and you might even be in danger, but life depends on it.Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'”Jesus called us to ride the ultimate wave.Let's pray.Lord, sometimes life intimidates us. But we have you as our lifeboat, and we thank you for not letting us drift away. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

This episode explores the dramatic cleansing of the temple in John, Chapter 2. Reverend Eric Alexander guides us through the context of this event, bringing to light Christ's consuming zeal for His Father's glory and the souls of men. Be reminded of the glorious truth that God is rebuilding a people in whom His glory may dwell on Hear the Word of God. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29

John 6:59-60 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” Today, we learn that the teaching about the bread of life took place in the synagogue of Capernaum. We also learn that it wasn't just the crowd that balked at His teaching. Many of His disciples had a hard time with the statement Jesus made. I think the difficult statement was in verse 56. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” Who can listen to it? Or we might say in the context of eating, “Who can stomach the idea of eating His flesh or drinking His blood?” Something to note about Jesus' love for God and for these people: He wanted His Father to get all the glory. He didn't try to be relevant or present His message in such a way that His listeners could understand what He said from a natural mindset. Rather, He spoke the truth of the gospel with 100% trust in the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't try to communicate God's word as clearly as we can, but ultimately, only the Holy Spirit can open the heart to understand and effectually believe. Like Jesus, we want to love them by speaking the truth as clearly as we can, but trusting God to do His work of drawing them to Jesus. There are many difficult or puzzling statements made by Jesus that are recorded in the gospels. If we focus on them, we may find ourselves plagued with many doubts. However, we aren't responsible to do something with what we don't understand. We are responsible to respond to what we do understand. Deuteronomy 29:29 attests to this fact. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” The context is different, but the truth is timeless. Let's not stumble or grumble about the things we don't understand or that are difficult statements. Instead, let's be amazed at the truth about Jesus that we do understand, apply it to our lives, and share it with others. The encouragement I draw from these verses is that in living to love with Jesus, there will be times I don't understand what's happening, but I can trust Him, nonetheless. In the following verses, we'll see that is the attitude of some of the disciples. Bottom line is this: Love flows out of trust. May we trust in Jesus no matter what happens in our lives. He is worthy of our trust and worthy of the glory it brings Him when we do so. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Our Father Luke 11:1–13 What kind of Father invites you to pray? One who gave His Son for you. When Jesus teaches us to pray, He begins not with “Almighty God” or “Righteous Judge,” but with “Father.” That one word changes everything—it reveals not just a title but a relationship. In Christ, His Father is now your Father. His prayer is now your prayer. And yet, how easily we forget. We treat prayer like a last resort or a vending machine. We love the gifts more than the Giver. We go it alone. Earthly fathers, too, fall short—speaking in anger, failing to guide, or remaining absent. The Law shows us where we fall short as children and as parents. But Jesus points us to the cross, where the Father gave His Son to make us His own. In Holy Baptism, the Spirit teaches us to cry, “Abba, Father.” He gives us the courage to ask, seek, and knock. And the Father listens. He delights to hear your voice. That's why, just before the Supper, we pray the “Our Father.” It's the family table prayer of God's children. Here, the Father feeds us with the Body and Blood of His Son and says, “Welcome home.” ✝️ Worship with Us at Trinity – Sheboygan, WI Sundays – 8:00 & 10:45 a.m. Mondays – 6:30 p.m. https://trinitysheboygan.org

Our Father Luke 11:1–13 What kind of Father invites you to pray? One who gave His Son for you. When Jesus teaches us to pray, He begins not with “Almighty God” or “Righteous Judge,” but with “Father.” That one word changes everything—it reveals not just a title but a relationship. In Christ, His Father is now your Father. His prayer is now your prayer. And yet, how easily we forget. We treat prayer like a last resort or a vending machine. We love the gifts more than the Giver. We go it alone. Earthly fathers, too, fall short—speaking in anger, failing to guide, or remaining absent. The Law shows us where we fall short as children and as parents. But Jesus points us to the cross, where the Father gave His Son to make us His own. In Holy Baptism, the Spirit teaches us to cry, “Abba, Father.” He gives us the courage to ask, seek, and knock. And the Father listens. He delights to hear your voice. That's why, just before the Supper, we pray the “Our Father.” It's the family table prayer of God's children. Here, the Father feeds us with the Body and Blood of His Son and says, “Welcome home.” ✝️ Worship with Us at Trinity – Sheboygan, WI Sundays – 8:00 & 10:45 a.m. Mondays – 6:30 p.m. https://trinitysheboygan.org

In this audio, I discuss how the enemy has hidden the true Gospel story so that people don't see how Messiah is fulfilling His Father's seven holy convocations to redeem the bride.Here's a link to the Revelation Timeline Decoded website home page, where you can save a Fulfillment Chart and Summary Study PDF's, and request a PDF copy of the Revelation Timeline Decoded Book Summary.https://revelationtimelinedecoded.comIf you find value in these explanations and want to support this ministry, click on https://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/support-this-ministry/On the www.BibleProphecyDecoded.com website you will find one-page PDF summaries that you can save and print, links to videos, links to request free copies of the prophecy fulfillment books, and links to order printed copies.

The most important thing about heaven is that the Lord Jesus Christ is there at the right hand of His Father. This truth only emphasizes the great grace displayed by the Son of God who willing left the glory of heaven to come to earth to save His people.

In the Nicene Creed, the phrase "Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven" turns our attention from the person of Christ in relation to His Father as the eternal Son of God, to the work of Christ in relation to us as the Lord Jesus Christ - the eternal Son made flesh. This work of Christ for us takes place in two states of His incarnation in human flesh: His Humiliation and His Exaltation.What does it mean that this work is "for us"?

Saturday, 26 July 2025   For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:8   “For Lord, He is – even of the Sabbath – the Son of Man” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus cited Hosea 6:6 to support His stand against the Pharisees. That verse said, “For mercy I inclined, and not sacrifice” (CG). With that in mind, He next says, “For Lord, He is.”   The reference is not yet stated, but the intent of the words is that the One spoken of is in a position of authority. As such, what He determines concerning the scope of His lordship is acceptable because it is at His disposal. In this case, the lordship extends to “even of the Sabbath.”   Some source texts omit the word kai, even. But based on His words of a previous verse, it seems the word is appropriate. This is because Jesus is referring to Himself. That is seen in the final words of the verse where He identifies the referent, saying, “the Son of Man.”   Some interpret this to mean man in general. Ezekiel was called the son of man numerous times in his book. If this were the case, it would make the Sabbath, one of the Ten Commandments, subservient to all men for any reason. If this were so, and because it is a part of the Decalogue, that authority would, by default, extend to all of the Ten Commandments.   Rather, Jesus repeatedly uses the term Son of Man when referring to Himself. It would be an outlier for Him to use it in a different manner here. Instead, He is referring to Himself and stating an a fortiori argument.   The showbread was reserved for the priests, but David's needs stood above the reserved use for the bread, demonstrating that the needs of the man prevailed. Likewise, the Sabbath was proclaimed as seemingly inviolable for the people, and yet some of the people profaned it and were not held guilty. Thus, the needs of the temple were greater than the prescription for the Sabbath.   But Jesus said in verse 12:6, “And I say to you that the temple – greater, it is here.” Therefore, if the needs of the temple were greater than the prescription set forth in the Sabbath, and Jesus' body was greater than the temple, then His needs, by default, were greater than the Sabbath, because He is Lord even of the Sabbath.   It is once again a claim to deity. The temple was set forth to serve the Lord. The priests were there to minister to the Lord. If Jesus is the Lord even of the Sabbath because He is greater than the temple, He must be God incarnate.   This is especially certain because of His citation of Hosea 6:6, “For mercy I inclined, and not sacrifice.” The words refer to interaction with the Lord, not with others. The word mercy refers to a state of “loyalty to God's covenant” (HELPS Word Studies).   Jesus placed Himself in the position of receiving this loyalty to the covenant. His Father was working (John 5:17) to maintain the covenant. Jesus, the Son of Man, is the instrument through whom this was being worked out. Israel should have seen this and responded with the covenant loyalty toward Him that He deserved. This extended to the fact that He is Lord, even of the Sabbath.   Jesus' claim to deity is on full display as He continues His ministry to Israel, fulfilling the covenant set forth by God and accepted by the people at the foot of Mount Sinai.   Life application: The Sabbath was a set standard of the Law of Moses. It was mandated for the people of Israel to observe as part of the covenant law. This covenant was cut with Israel alone. No other group of people was ever required to observe a Sabbath.   In Jesus' fulfillment of the law, the prescription no longer applies because the law is fulfilled and annulled. Hebrews 4:3 says to the people, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” The state of rest that the Sabbath only anticipated is realized through belief in Christ.   To mandate a Sabbath day as a supposed requirement for salvation or continued salvation is thus heretical. Such a teaching anathematizes the Seventh Day Adventists, the Hebrew Roots adherents, and other sects and cults who hold to this view.   They have set aside grace. They are attempting to earn what God has already granted through the giving of His Son. Paul clearly defines this heretical thinking in Romans and Colossians –   “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.” Romans 14:5, 6   “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17   If you want to observe a particular day to the Lord, that is up to you. If you are doing it because someone has told you your salvation is dependent on your observance of it, you have fallen from grace because you are trusting in your own merits for salvation. Think! Be wise and don't be pulled into the trap of legalism and supposed self-merit for salvation.   Lord God, thank You for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have done it all through Him. We are the recipients of His wonderful workings. May we never set aside this blessing of grace. Rather, may we rest in it and be joyful for it all our days. Amen.

Our Father Luke 11:1–13 What kind of Father invites you to pray? One who gave His Son for you. When Jesus teaches us to pray, He begins not with “Almighty God” or “Righteous Judge,” but with “Father.” That one word changes everything—it reveals not just a title but a relationship. In Christ, His Father is now your Father. His prayer is now your prayer. And yet, how easily we forget. We treat prayer like a last resort or a vending machine. We love the gifts more than the Giver. We go it alone. Earthly fathers, too, fall short—speaking in anger, failing to guide, or remaining absent. The Law shows us where we fall short as children and as parents. But Jesus points us to the cross, where the Father gave His Son to make us His own. In Holy Baptism, the Spirit teaches us to cry, “Abba, Father.” He gives us the courage to ask, seek, and knock. And the Father listens. He delights to hear your voice. That's why, just before the Supper, we pray the “Our Father.” It's the family table prayer of God's children. Here, the Father feeds us with the Body and Blood of His Son and says, “Welcome home.” ✝️ Worship with Us at Trinity – Sheboygan, WI Sundays – 8:00 & 10:45 a.m. Mondays – 6:30 p.m. https://trinitysheboygan.org

The devil offered Jesus the dominion that Adam had lost. This is just what Christ came to regain, but only by the conquest of the cross. Today, Sinclair Ferguson delights in Christ's unwavering devotion to His Father's will. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/all-the-kingdoms-of-the-world/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

The disturbing implications? For years, America was led by a cognitively impaired president, while his scandal-plagued son acted as a key adviser behind the scenes. On this week's episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” Hanson asks the question: Who was really running the White House during Biden's term? “ He just said about the laptop—in which he is seen using drugs, he's in pornographic poses, but most importantly, he references his father as “the big guy” and "the 10% guy," and he laments that he is the bagman for the family. It's very incriminating. But he doesn't—as he has before—he has never denied that it was his.  “What I'm getting at is this: It's very dangerous to think that for four years we had a president who was mentally challenged, cognitively disabled, suffering dementia. And the close circle around them—whether they were former Obama operatives or Biden senatorial family, or his own real family—that these people were running the country. And the last year or two, if you look at photographs, videos of Biden giving a speech, Biden traveling, there's one constant. It's Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden was his eyes and his ears. And he was a close—and maybe the closest—adviser to his father.”

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 43-45; 1 Peter 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, your host Hunter guides you through another inspiring leg of our year-long journey in the Scriptures. On this 25th day of July, we dive into Isaiah chapters 43 through 45 and wrap up with 1 Peter chapter 4. Hunter reminds us that the heart of our time together is not just reading the Bible, but being transformed by the God who is love. As we reflect on passages about God's faithfulness, the folly of idolatry, and the call to rely on the true Source of life, Hunter encourages us to see beyond self-reliance and to trust in the one Creator of heaven and earth. Through beautiful prayers and thoughtful insights, we're invited to approach each day with a heart open to God's peace, love, and provision. Settle in, open your heart, and get ready for some “soul food” as we read, reflect, and pray together. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Ashes or Bread? In Isaiah 44, we're given a stark image: “the poor deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can't help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, is this idol I'm holding in my hand a lie?” There's a deep truth here about the human heart. When we look for life, sustenance, or salvation from the work of our own hands—be it idols of wood or deeper idols of self-sufficiency—we end up with ashes, nothing that can truly satisfy. There's a lie at work, a pride and self-reliance that blinds us from the reality of our true need. The good news is that Jesus has shown us a better way. Remember how Jesus, in his hunger in the wilderness, refused to turn stones into bread? Instead, he relied on His Father, looking to the true Source of life. He lived for us what he calls us all to believe: that there is only one God, not a god of our own making, not the god of our own striving or efforts—but the Creator of heaven and earth. Even in his teaching, Jesus encourages us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” reminding us to look to the Source of everything, to rely not on ourselves but on God's faithful provision—day by day, moment by moment. There's an old Jewish prayer still prayed today: “Blessed are you, O God of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” That's a prayer that Jesus himself would have known and lived by. We are not made to feed on ashes or to bow to idols of our own hands, not even the idol of self-reliance. Instead, we're invited to look to God, to receive from him all that we need. He is faithful. He is the sustainer and giver of life, and he alone is worthy of our trust, our prayers, and our worship. That's my prayer for my own heart today: That I would turn to the God who brings forth bread from the earth, that I would be faithful to pray for daily bread, trusting him as the source of all things. That's my prayer for my family—for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Loving God, you have knit us together in the body of Christ from every nation and tongue. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Where hatred stirs, let us bear your love. Where wounds run deep, let us be agents of pardon. Where fear grips hearts, may we speak faith. Where sorrow hangs heavy, may we carry joy. Teach us to listen more than we speak. To understand before we are understood. To love. For in surrender we find abundance. In mercy, we discover grace. And in dying, we rise into your life. In the name of Jesus. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

John 6:48-51, I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. Let's be encouraged today by what Jesus says about Himself in these verses. First, He is the Bread of Life. Second, He came down so that the one who eats of Him will not die. Third, the one who eats of Jesus, the Living Bread, will live forever. The bread which Jesus gives is His flesh. How can we be encouraged to live to love with Jesus from these verses? Jesus is the life of the world, and the one who has Jesus has the life (1 John 5:12). To eat the bread of life, is to abide in Jesus. It is to receive who He is, embracing His purpose of glorifying God by loving with His Father, doing His will. As we abide in Jesus, He loves through us. We will be doing this forever! Just reading those words that the one who eats of the bread of life will “not die… He will live forever,” produces such hope, joy, and love for the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. His love poured out in our hearts becomes the fountain from which all love flows. To use the metaphor used in these verses, it's like we are the baskets that have the extra bread to be shared with the world. Doesn't that encourage you to live for the purpose of sharing the bread of life with others? Doesn't His love move you to express His love to others? I hope so. Let's also notice the extent to which Jesus went in order to give us the bread of life. He gave His body to be broken so we might have eternal life. God's love is the sustained direction of the will toward the highest good of another, no matter what the cost, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God. That's the kind of love and the extent to which we must also go to love in His name and to love with Him. We should not be surprised if He asks us to lay down our lives, expend all our energy, suffer great hardship, persecution, and rejection. That's how we will know to a greater depth the love of Jesus for us. We'll know first hand, to a small degree, what Jesus meant when He said the bread which He gives is His flesh. We may expect God to give us the grace we need to live to love with Jesus. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Jesus shifts his attention to how we must respond to Him. He rebukes apathetic and dismissive responses, calling instead for repentance. Then He shows us that repentance is actually the acceptance of an invitation to know His Father and to experience a rest that only He can give.

Matthew 26 begins with ongoing plots from the High Priest to destroy our Lord Jesus Christ. Next, comes the anointing of Jesus' feet by Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, with the precious ointment- which became the catalyst for greedy Judas to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Following this is the record of the Lord's Supper being kept in what thereafter would be a memorial of his sacrifice by sharing bread and wine. Luke says that Jesus had prepared to eat this memorial supper with his Apostles with an intense and fervent desire: Luke 22 verses 15-16. Preparations had been made in secret so that nothing, or nobody, could thwart this vital time to steel and fortify his disciples for the trials that would soon confront them. Our Lord then prophesied of his betrayal by Peter, which in turn was a citation of the words of Zechariah 13 foretelling this.After these events came Jesus' intense personal struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane; where three times he prayed and was strengthened having subjected his own will to that of his Father's. It was here that our Lord's greatest trial and his greatest triumph occurred. In his great agony Jesus sweat as it were great drops of blood. Having completely subjected his own will to that of His Father the victory on the stake was ensured. The Apostle Paul comments on this in Hebrews 5:7-8. The temptation of our Lord Jesus was sharp and intense and real. Despite being tried to the limit Jesus was perfectly obedient. He has become the captain of our salvation and is able to succour us in our trials. Our Lord's betrayal came next. Here, one of the twelve named Judas Iscariot, led the heavily armed band of thugs sent from the temple to arrest the meekest man to have ever walked upon the earth. How tragic that Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. There was a short ensuing resistance led courageously by Peter, who was rebuked by Jesus. The Master miraculously heals Malchus and passively surrenders himself to be led away to the High Priest's palace awaiting the sentence of death by a process that was illegal in every detail. Note the adjuration of the High Priest in verse 63 was contrary to divine law. Jesus answered citing Daniel 7 verses 13-14 in verse 64, which indicated that the High Priest was knowingly defying God and would incur coming judgment as a result. Peter's pathetic threefold denial and intense remorse close the record.

Send us a textWhy does God ask us about our anger? What does our countenance reveal about our hearts? These profound questions form the foundation of today's powerful devotion from Genesis 4:6-7.When the Holy One asks Cain, "Why are you angry?", all human justifications fall flat. We can explain away our anger to others—citing violated rights, hurt feelings, or personal offenses—but these explanations crumble before the Righteous Judge. Dr. Jackson guides us through Scripture's portrayal of God's righteous anger toward Israel's idolatry and sin, demonstrating how divine anger always flows from perfect holiness and justice.But what about our anger? The devotion draws a crucial distinction between righteous indignation that fights for others' rights versus self-centered rage over personal slights. Jesus' temple-cleansing anger protected His Father's house and defended the exploited. Similarly, anger that motivates constructive action against injustices like abortion can be appropriate when channeled productively.The episode features a powerful testimony from Jimmy McPhee, who spent 46 years in prison. He reveals that 20-30% of inmates are incarcerated for crimes of passion stemming from unbridled anger—with many remaining angry despite years behind bars. Jimmy's own transformation came only through an encounter with Jesus in solitary confinement, highlighting that true heart change requires divine intervention.Perhaps most striking is Dr. Jackson's exploration of how our facial expressions reveal our hearts before we speak. Whether observing toddlers fighting over toys or adults in conflict, our countenance betrays our inner condition. Christians filled with the Holy Spirit carry a radiant presence—"the aroma of Christ"—that stands in stark contrast to Cain's fallen countenance that foreshadowed violence.Listen to discover how God addresses the lion of sin crouching at our door, and join us next week as Dr. Jackson continues with practical wisdom for "lion taming and mastering sin." Subscribe now for weekly biblical devotions that transform your understanding of Scripture and daily life.Support the showhttps://www.jacksonfamilyministry.comhttps://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/

John 6:43-45, Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to Me, unless the Father, who sent Me, draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” Look at the trust and confidence the Son of God has in His Father. This is our Live to Love scripture encouragement today. We have the life of the Son in us, and therefore we have His trust and confidence in the Father as we abide in Him. Jesus wasn't striving to get this crowd to believe in Him. He was resting in His Father's work, the work of teaching His listeners about Him, and then drawing them to Him. We have that same confidence as we love people with Jesus. We don't need to feel pressure to get results or to get people to make a decision for Christ. That will rob them of their assurance. Their assurance comes from the experience of listening to and learning from the Father. The Father does His teaching and drawing ministry through His Word, the circumstances of life, and His providence as we love, share God's Word, and trust Him. Do you remember how the Father taught you and drew you to Christ? That's why you came to Jesus. We can depend on the power of God to draw people to Christ as we love with Him. This frees us from unbelief because we aren't looking at ourselves or the people we serve. We are focused on the power of God from the beginning of the encounters with people until the end. We are encouraged in these verses that if the Father teaches and draws them, then Jesus will raise them up on the final day. That's security, and therefore the source of our assurance and confidence. So today, let us love boldly and share with confidence in the power of God to accomplish His will for His glory. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Kelly and Mark discuss this unforgettable episode. We Hope you enjoy it!  “His Father’s Son” is the twenty-third episode of Season 5 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, aired on May 10, 1997. Written by Carl Binder and directed by Jerry London, it's the 116th episode of the series. In this episode, Sully struggles with his role as Brian's father figure, allowing Dr. Mike to set rules, which leads to Brian's misbehavior with friend Anthony. Sully eventually recognizes Brian's need for paternal guidance. Meanwhile, Brian, jealous of his sister Katie, acts out after receiving a letter from his biological father, Ethan, causing mischief like starting a fire and getting injured while hopping a train to Mannitu. Dr. Mike confronts Andrew over unethical practices at Preston's hotel, where the American Medical Society holds a convention. Now there’s a place to buy Dr QuinnCast Merchandise! https://www.etsy.com/shop/ForYourLittleHouse The post His Father's Son first appeared on Dr.QuinnCast Podcast.

Read OnlineMary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. John 20:11–12Early in His ministry, Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary of Magdala. As a result, she became an exceptionally faithful follower of Jesus. She was most likely one of His followers who provided for Jesus and the disciples out of her own resources as they traveled. She listened to His teachings, witnessed His miracles, was present when He was condemned, stood at the foot of the Cross with Jesus' mother, helped to prepare His body for burial and was the first person recorded in Scripture to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection.The Gospel for today's Mass tells the story of Mary going to the tomb early Sunday morning to complete the anointing of Jesus' dead body as He laid in the tomb. But much to her surprise, the tomb was empty. Therefore, she ran to tell the Apostles, which makes Mary Magdalene the first of His followers to witness to the Resurrection. After telling the Apostles, she returned to the tomb with Peter and John; and, after Peter and John left, she remained outside the tomb weeping, as is mentioned in the Gospel passage quoted above.Mary's tears are beautiful. They are an expression of her deep devotion to her Lord. She did not yet understand that He had risen, but her fidelity to Jesus is a testimony to her love. Jesus had restored her dignity. He freed her from the seven demons who tormented her. She most likely had been a sinful woman in the past, but now she was singly devoted to the Savior of the World.The witness of Mary of Magdala is one that should inspire us all. Though few people are possessed by seven demons, we are all tormented in one way or another. We all sin. We all are weak. We all have a past we regret. And we all are invited to do better. Mary's “better” was a life that was given to Jesus with the utmost fidelity. She didn't care if the authorities saw her at the foot of the Cross. If they were to persecute her as a result, it did not matter. She was faithful. She didn't care if the soldiers would have harassed her when she went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus—she only thought of that last act of love she could offer Him. And when she saw Jesus risen and thought He was the gardener, she didn't care if He saw her heartbroken and in tears—she only wanted to see the body of her Lord.As a result of her unwavering fidelity, Jesus gave her a gift beyond imagination. He appeared to her, after being resurrected from the dead, and sent her to be an apostle to the Apostles. He sent her to go to the Apostles to tell them that Jesus had risen and that He was preparing to go to His Father in Heaven. Reflect, today, upon the holy soul of this woman. She was a repentant sinner who turned her whole life around. She devoted everything to Jesus and, in return, received even more. In Heaven, Mary Magdalene will forever cling to Jesus and adore His Sacred Heart. May we all strive to imitate her by turning from our own life of sin and becoming unwaveringly faithful to our Lord. My resurrected Lord, You appeared first to Mary of Magdala after Your Resurrection. You now invite her to share in Your glorious life in Heaven. Help me to learn from her by turning away from all sin and becoming deeply devoted to You. May my fidelity to You, dear Lord, be absolute and unwavering, so that I, too, will one day share in the glory of Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Fondazione Cariplo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The beloved imagery of Psalm 23 has long captivated Christians' minds. The LORD is the Shepherd who guides His flock to needed sustenance of both body and soul. He gives, and we joyfully receive. Even in the darkness of death, we know that He is with us, and so we follow Him in confidence as He takes us through death and into life. Even as enemies surround us now, we rest and find refreshment at His overflowing table, knowing that He will pursue us and lead us into His house forever. As Jesus prays this psalm, He receives His Father's faithful answer, so that we know that in Jesus, we have the answer to this psalm ourselves: Jesus is our Good Shepherd who has laid down His life and taken it back up again for us.  Rev. Merritt Demski, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church-Hanover in Alta, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Psalm 23.  To learn more about St. John Lutheran, visit stjohnhanover.org. Join Sharper Iron this summer to study selected Psalms. In the Psalter, God speaks His Word to us and teaches us how to speak back to Him in prayer. Even in the great variety of the Psalms, each one points us to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

These verses cover the last three hours that Jesushung on the cross at Calvary. During the first three hours during the morning fromnine to twelve, Jesus made three statements: "Father, forgive them.They know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). To the thief, Hesaid, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). Andin John 19:25-27, He turned to John the disciple and Mary His mother, who wereclose by, and said, "Woman, behold your son," and to John,"Behold your mother." He ensured His mother, whose husband Joseph hadpassed away, was taken care of as He was dying on the cross. TheBible tells us in Mark chapter 15 that at the sixth hour, darkness covered thewhole land until the ninth hour. For those last three hours, from noon tothree, what took place was between God and His Son. Remember Jesus had alwayscalled God His Father previously in all the Gospel accounts of His ministry.The last four statements of Christ on the cross, we believe, took place at theend of those three hours according to the Gospel of Mark 15:33-41. “When thesixth hour came, darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour. At theninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lamasabachthani," which is translated, "My God, My God, why have Youforsaken Me?"  Webelieve this was the fourth statement Jesus made to His Father but notice He addressedHim as “God”. Then He said, "I thirst," in John 19:28, and inJohn 19:30, just before He gave up His spirit, He said, "It isfinished." I believe the work of salvation was complete on the crossof Calvary.  Thelast statement Jesus said was, "Father, into Thy hands I commit Myspirit." In His final statements, Jesus first said, "My God, MyGod, why have You forsaken Me?" Did you notice that in His first statementand His last saying on the cross He addressed God as His Father. Now, why didHe call Him “My God” instead of “My Father”? Because during those threehours of darkness God had turned His back on His Son and did not recognize Himas His Son any longer as He paid the full punishment for our sins. Jesus wasestranged and separated from God. That's what real death is. It means separationfrom God!  SomehowJesus became separated from God in their Father-Son relationship. How Jesus didthat while being God is a mystery. You might have noticed in the Gospels that Jesus'favorite phrase for God was "My Father." In the Gospels, Herefers to God as "My Father" some 61 times, and 34 times inthe Gospel of John alone. But now on the cross, He says, "My God, MyGod," the only time He does so. In the Old Testament, no one had arelationship with God as Father. No Old Testament saints addressed God as “MyFather”. The only times your find the title “Father” capitalized in the Old Testamentis in these verses, 1 Chronicles 28:6; 29:10; Psalms 89:26; Isaiah 9:6;Jeremiah 3:19; and Malachi 1:6; 2:10.  WhenJesus taught His disciples to pray in Luke 11:1-4, He said, "Pray likethis, Our Father which art in heaven." Interestingly, the term "OurFather" is only mentioned twice in the Gospels, here in Luke and in Matthew:6:9-15,where Jesus taught us what is called the Lord's Prayer.  Myfriend, this is so important. Something the Old Testament saints could not experienceor enjoy Jesus came to show us how we can now have a personal, intimaterelationship with God because of His payment for our sins on the cross and Hissending of the Holy Spirit to abide in us. In Romans 8:14-16, we learn that Godis our “Abba Father”, a special Father, a Daddy Father, that we canboldly come to because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, being separatedfrom God.  Ilove how the Word of God makes so much sense when we understand that Jesusintroduces us to God, not as a God of wrath, but as a God who loves us as aFather loves, cares for, and protects His children. This ought to speak to ourhearts today.

SPONSORS: 1) MANDO: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code JULIAN at https://shopmando.com ! #mando (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Dr. Kenneth Dekleva is a former physician-diplomat with the U.S. State Department and a Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is also a senior fellow at the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations and the author of two novels, The Negotiator's Cross and The Last Violinist. PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey KEN's LINKS - IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecipherbrief/# - X: https://x.com/thecipherbrief - WEBSITE: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/kenneth-dekleva - KEN WORK: https://www.blackwoodadvisorysolutions.com/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Ken's Past Guests, Role in State Admissions, Starting in Moscow, Truth About US Diplomats Abroad 09:23 – Intro to Psychiatry, Jim Grigson, Forensic Evaluation Techniques 20:45 – Ken's Most Intense Case, Prison Psychiatry Reality, Core Philosophy: “Nothing Human is Alien,” Language Shifts in Interviews 32:45 – Having Empathy for Monsters, Emotional Toll, Testifying in Child Abuse Trials, Evaluating Inmates for Release 41:24 – Causes of Predatory Urges, Shocking Classmate Reveal, Reconciling Faith with Catholic Abuse Scandals 49:33 – POW Camp Stories, Parents Meeting Post-WWII, Love for Language and History 57:35 – Why Psychiatry, Ken's Biggest Influence, Most Brilliant Interviewer Ever Met 01:07:31 – Trait of Elite Interviewers, Joining State Department 01:15:47 – First Day in Moscow, Love for Russia, Stress of Diplomatic Work 01:26:41 – Why People Distrust Psychiatrists, Balancing Career & Marriage Abroad 01:32:51 – Benefits for Kids Raised Overseas 01:37:06 – Havana Diplomats, Monthly Parties, Falling Into Geopolitics 01:47:49 – Presenting with Jerrold Post, Karadžić's Shift, T4 Program, Why Humans Commit Atrocities 01:59:02 – Studying Putin, Evil in Human Nature, Social Media's Dark Path 02:03:27 – Challenging Radical Beliefs, Stalin's Hero Revival, Is Kim Jong Un Rational?, What Worries Ken 02:18:01 – Profiling Xi Jinping, His Father's Story, Rumors of Xi's Fall, China's AI Race 02:26:25 – Retaining Foreign Talent, New Cold War, Kai-Fu Lee, National Space Heroes 02:35:32 – The Most Evil Mind Ken Studied, Guardrails for Social Media, Youth Mental Health, COVID Fallout 02:45:52 – Staying Tied to Government, Working with Cancer Patients, Human Side of Medicine, Does Ken Fear Death? CREDITS: - Host & Producer: Julian Dorey - Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 321 - Ken Dekleva Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrusting Your Life to Jesus - Matthew 17:14-27All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. - 2 Tim. 3:16-17All the Scriptures were perfectly written between 1500 BC & 100 A.D. But the printing press wasn't created until A.D. 1455. That means every fragment and copy of the Bible was hand-copied before the printing press.Why we can fully trust that the Bible we have from copies is TRUE:Tens of thousands of copied manuscripts, unlike any ancient document.Remarkable consistency across 2 MILLION pages of biblical text.Understandable differences as copies were made over centuries.Earliest texts to help clarify what the original text said.In today's text we are going to see Jesus interact with people during some very frustrating moments in life. We will see Him exhort us all with words and deeds that show we can entrust our lives to Him.Matthew 17:14-27Disciples have to entrust family member's health to Jesus - V. 14-18Jesus' words in verse 17 seem harsh at first, but remember that He had just been up on the mountain and got to interact with ancient saints known for great faith and focused living for God. But now he's back with disciples caught up in unbelief and petty arguing.Mark 9:21-24 lets us know that Jesus can do anything we ask Him to do. We can approach Him with full confidence that if healing now is His will, it will happen. But if you struggle to believe that, use this father's words to voice your prayer to Jesus – “Lord I believe; help my unbelief.”Disciples have to entrust their frustrations to Jesus - V. 19-21When you are frustrated and ‘in the flesh' sin blocks you from focused prayers and successful ministry to others. You are blocked from trusting God and entrusting your situation to God.“If I regard iniquity (sin) in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” - Ps. 66:18The key to faith is not the amount of it but the object of it. What confidence our faith in Jesus brings! If it is His will for the mountain of our circumstance to move, He will say ‘Yes' to our prayer. If He says ‘No' or ‘Wait,' we can be confident the no will be for a greater ‘Yes.'“Even a small amount of faith can move a mountain, assuming that the move is in God's will.” - David JeremiahDisciples have to entrust what distresses them to Jesus - V. 22-23Suffering and death are not the worst things that will happen to a believer – failure to live by faith in the midst of our circumstances is. Prosperous circumstances and things going our way often keep us from growing faith.Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. - 1 Peter 4:1-2Disciples have to entrust their finances to Jesus - V. 24-27With all the travel and experiences Peter must have been physically and emotionally exhausted when he got home to Capernaum. And what does he encounter there? The tax man!This tax was the Temple tax going all the way back to Exodus 30. Men over 20 years of age were to pay this tax every year for the upkeep of God's house in Jerusalem.Knowing all things, including what Peter was feeling, verse 25 says Jesus spoke to him first. Jesus knew Peter needed encouragement in this time of distress, and He gave it to Peter. He knows you and I need it too!Jesus is saying He is the Son of God here. Prince's don't have to be taxes in their father's house. Since Jesus is the Son of God, He doesn't need to pay taxes to support His Father's house!A stader was worth 4 drachma, enough to pay off their tax bill and model good citizenship.

Forthe first three hours, Jesus hung on the cross, the people mocked Him, theymade fun of Him, they laughed at Him, and they yelled at Him. Thenat the sixth hour, which would have been noon, verse 44 says there was darknessover all the earth until the ninth hour. The three hours of darkness was amiracle. It was not an eclipse because that would have been impossible duringPassover because it was the season of a full moon. It was a God-sent darkness, recognizingand also amplifying the fact that the whole world was in darkness, in sin andshame, and men were loving that darkness. Even when Jesus began His ministry, Matthew4:16 tells us: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to themwhich sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”. Andnow when this darkness takes place, remember it is the time of the feast of thePassover. This reminds us of Exodus 10:21-22 which tells us of the last plague whichwas a darkness that was sent over all the land of Egypt for three days. Thiswas just before the Passover lamb was slain and the blood was applied to thedoorpost in Exodus 12. When Jesus was on the cross, three hours of darknesspreceded the death of God's Passover Lamb for the sins of the world (John1:29).  Nowfor three hours, the earth is shrouded in darkness as God made His Son tobecome sin for us who knew no sin, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21. It was asthough all nature was sympathizing with the Creator as He suffered and died.  And so we see that Jesus was on the cross,dying on the cross as the Lamb of God in these three hours of darkness. Nowalso we believe that on the cross, Jesus, at this time, somewhere during thesethree hours of darkness, according to Matthew 27:45-46 and Mark 15:33-34, criedout, quoting from Psalm 22:1, "My God, My God, why have You forsakenMe?"  Tomorrow,I'm going to take more time to talk about how many times Jesus called HisFather. In fact, this last three hours on the cross ended when Jesus' lastprayer on the cross was, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit."But during these three hours of darkness, I can't explain it totally. I cannever understand it completely, but as far as I'm concerned, as I've looked atand studied it over the years, it was during these the three hours of darkness thatJesus suffered an eternity of outer darkness, an eternity of hell.  TheBible says that hell is a place of outer darkness. Jesus went into outerdarkness. There in these three hours, the wrath of God was poured out on Him.He was bruised by God (Isaiah 53), as we talked about yesterday, for our sins.He suffered. He was separated from His Father. His favorite reference, the mostused word in the Gospel of John, is the word Father. Jesus loved His Father.His Father loved Him. But now His Father turned His back on His Son and pouredout His wrath upon Him to be crucified, to die, to shed His blood for my sinsand your sins.  Myfriend, what great love that God had. And that's why Jesus cried out, "MyGod, My God," somehow God turned His back on His Son. Again, I don'tunderstand it, but He did according to the Scripture. And then it says in verse45 that “the veil of the temple was torn in two”. The Gospel accounts ofMark and Matthew add, “from top to bottom”. My friend, this is becauseGod from heaven miraculously tore that veil that separated “The Most Holy Place”from everyone except the High Priest once a year.  Thismiracle announced to the priests and people that the way into God's presencewas open for all who would come to Him by faith through Jesus Christ (Hebrews9:1-10:25). No more do sinners need earthly temples, altars, sacrifices, orpriests, for all had now been fulfilled in the finished work of the Son of God. Areyou experiencing and enjoying this open access to our Father in heaven today? Godbless!

John 6:38-39 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. These two verses give us some very important, encouraging information by answering five questions. Where did Jesus come from? What did He come to do? What is the will of the Father for Jesus? What is the will of God for those given to Jesus? What hope do those who are given to Jesus have? Where did Jesus come from? He came down from heaven. He isn't from this world. He is separate from His creation and therefore isn't tainted and corrupted by this fallen world. What did Jesus come to do? He came to do the will of His Father, who sent Him. What is the will of the Father for Jesus? It is the Father's will that Jesus not lose anything or anyone the Father has given Him, and that He present all that He was given back to the Father in a redeemed state on the last day of the history of the world. And the last question: What hope do those have who are given to Jesus ? On the last day of the history of the world, they will be presented by Jesus to the Father, not in a fallen state, but raised up into a redeemed state. Look at the security we have in Christ! None will be lost. The life which Jesus gives is eternal life. Once it is given, it cannot be lost, otherwise it wouldn't be eternal life. These verses fortify Jesus' previous comments that all the Father gives to Him will come to Him, and He will not cast them out. He won't cast them out because they were given to Him by the Father for the purpose of raising them up, out of their fallen state. My, how we have been loved. We were loved before the foundation of the world and given to Jesus. Why do we believe? Why do we come to Christ and surrender our lives? Because we were given to Him by the Father, and it is the Father's will to save us in Christ. That's the love of God: the sustained direction of the will toward our highest good, no matter what the cost, for His glory. Our highest good is to be raised up for the glory of God. Our confidence is that God's will won't change, and Jesus is faithful over His house to do His will, whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end (Heb. 2:6). It is out of this confidence and sealed in God's love that we live our lives with Jesus. He lives in us to raise us up. We are being raised up daily by the power of His love and presence into His image, filled with His life, and displaying His fruit—the same kind of love. So we have much to praise God for, as we are encouraged by John 6:38-39. We praise Him for His gracious will toward us, for sending His Son to raise us up, and let us boast of the hope we have in Him. May our praise and thanks be expressed as we love with Jesus today. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Day by day, Jesus attentively submitted to His Father's Word. This obedience led in one direction: to the cross. Today on Things Unseen, listen as Sinclair Ferguson turns to a prophecy that reveals Christ's submission to death and defeat of the grave. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/the-saviors-open-ear/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

LESSON 197It Can Be But My Gratitude I Earn.Here is the second step we take to free your mind from the belief in outside force pitted against your own. You make attempts at kindness and forgiveness. Yet you turn them to attack again, unless you find external gratitude and lavish thanks. Your gifts must be received with honor, lest they be withdrawn. And so you think God's gifts are loans at best; at worst, deceptions which would cheat you of defenses, to ensure that when He strikes He will not fail to kill.How easily are God and guilt confused by those who know not what their thoughts can do. Deny your strength, and weakness must become salvation to you. See yourself as bound, and bars become your home. Nor will you leave the prison house, or claim your strength, until guilt and salvation are not seen as one, and freedom and salvation are perceived as joined, with strength beside them, to be sought and claimed, and found and fully recognized.The world must thank you when you offer it release from your illusions. Yet your thanks belong to you as well, for its release can only mirror yours. Your gratitude is all your gifts require, that they be a lasting offering of a thankful heart, released from hell forever. Is it this you would undo by taking back your gifts, because they were not honored? It is you who honor them and give them fitting thanks, for it is you who have received the gifts.It does not matter if another thinks your gifts unworthy. In his mind there is a part that joins with yours in thanking you. It does not matter if your gifts seem lost and ineffectual. They are received where they are given. In your gratitude are they accepted universally, and thankfully acknowledged by the Heart of God Himself. And would you take them back, when He has gratefully accepted them?God blesses every gift you give to Him, and every gift is given Him, because it can be given only to yourself. And what belongs to God must be His Own. Yet you will never realize His gifts are sure, eternal, changeless, limitless, forever giving out, extending love and adding to your never-ending joy while you forgive but to attack again.Withdraw the gifts you give, and you will think that what is given you has been withdrawn. But learn to let forgiveness take away the sins you think you see outside yourself, and you can never think the gifts of God are lent but for a little while, before He snatches them away again in death. For death will have no meaning for you then.And with the end of this belief is fear forever over. Thank your Self for this, for He is grateful only unto God, and He gives thanks for you unto Himself. To everyone who lives will Christ yet come, for everyone must live and move in Him. His Being in His Father is secure, because Their Will is one. Their gratitude to all They have created has no end, for gratitude remains a part of love.Thanks be to you, the holy Son of God. For as you were created, you contain all things within your Self. And you are still as God created you. Nor can you dim the light of your perfection. In your heart the Heart of God is laid. He holds you dear, because you are Himself. All gratitude belongs to you, because of what you are.Give thanks as you receive it. Be you free of all ingratitude to anyone who makes your Self complete. And from this Self is no one left outside. Give thanks for all the countless channels which extend this Self. All that you do is given unto Him. All that you think can only be His Thoughts, sharing with Him the holy Thoughts of God. Earn now the gratitude you have denied yourself when you forgot the function God has given you. But never think that He has ever ceased to offer thanks to you.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

LESSON 197It Can Be But My Gratitude I Earn.Here is the second step we take to free your mind from the belief in outside force pitted against your own. You make attempts at kindness and forgiveness. Yet you turn them to attack again, unless you find external gratitude and lavish thanks. Your gifts must be received with honor, lest they be withdrawn. And so you think God's gifts are loans at best; at worst, deceptions which would cheat you of defenses, to ensure that when He strikes He will not fail to kill.How easily are God and guilt confused by those who know not what their thoughts can do. Deny your strength, and weakness must become salvation to you. See yourself as bound, and bars become your home. Nor will you leave the prison house, or claim your strength, until guilt and salvation are not seen as one, and freedom and salvation are perceived as joined, with strength beside them, to be sought and claimed, and found and fully recognized.The world must thank you when you offer it release from your illusions. Yet your thanks belong to you as well, for its release can only mirror yours. Your gratitude is all your gifts require, that they be a lasting offering of a thankful heart, released from hell forever. Is it this you would undo by taking back your gifts, because they were not honored? It is you who honor them and give them fitting thanks, for it is you who have received the gifts.It does not matter if another thinks your gifts unworthy. In his mind there is a part that joins with yours in thanking you. It does not matter if your gifts seem lost and ineffectual. They are received where they are given. In your gratitude are they accepted universally, and thankfully acknowledged by the Heart of God Himself. And would you take them back, when He has gratefully accepted them?God blesses every gift you give to Him, and every gift is given Him, because it can be given only to yourself. And what belongs to God must be His Own. Yet you will never realize His gifts are sure, eternal, changeless, limitless, forever giving out, extending love and adding to your never-ending joy while you forgive but to attack again.Withdraw the gifts you give, and you will think that what is given you has been withdrawn. But learn to let forgiveness take away the sins you think you see outside yourself, and you can never think the gifts of God are lent but for a little while, before He snatches them away again in death. For death will have no meaning for you then.And with the end of this belief is fear forever over. Thank your Self for this, for He is grateful only unto God, and He gives thanks for you unto Himself. To everyone who lives will Christ yet come, for everyone must live and move in Him. His Being in His Father is secure, because Their Will is one. Their gratitude to all They have created has no end, for gratitude remains a part of love.Thanks be to you, the holy Son of God. For as you were created, you contain all things within your Self. And you are still as God created you. Nor can you dim the light of your perfection. In your heart the Heart of God is laid. He holds you dear, because you are Himself. All gratitude belongs to you, because of what you are.Give thanks as you receive it. Be you free of all ingratitude to anyone who makes your Self complete. And from this Self is no one left outside. Give thanks for all the countless channels which extend this Self. All that you do is given unto Him. All that you think can only be His Thoughts, sharing with Him the holy Thoughts of God. Earn now the gratitude you have denied yourself when you forgot the function God has given you. But never think that He has ever ceased to offer thanks to you.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

This is The Zone of Disruption! This is the I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST! His name is Michael Rapaport aka The Gringo Mandingo aka aka The People's Pickle aka The Jewish Brad Pitt aka Captain Colitis aka The Disruptive Warrior and he is here to discuss: Phone Addiction 2025, rocking a weighted vest, upcoming standup shows, what's next for LeBron James, sniffing for Fantasy Football, The Epstein Rabbit Hole, Elmo's X account gets hacked, Zohran & His Father & a whole lotta mo'. This episode is not to be missed! CaptainPicks To Win In Sports Betting: https://www.winible.com/checkout/1357777109057032537?store_url=/captainpicks&c=kickoff Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Send questions & concerns to: iamrapaportpodcast@gmail.com Subscribe to Rapaport's Reality Feeds: iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/867-rapaports-reality-with-keb-171162927/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rapaports-reality-with-kebe-michael-rapaport/id1744160673 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3a9ArixCtWRhfpfo1Tz7MR Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/rapaports-reality-with-kebe-michael-rapaport/PC:1001087456 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a776919e-ad8c-4b4b-90c6-f28e41fe1d40/rapaports-reality-with-kebe-michael-rapaport Stand Up Comedy Tickets on sale at: MichaelRapaportComedy.com If you are interested in NCAA, MLB, NBA, NFL & UFC Picks/Parlays Follow @CaptainPicksWins on Instagram & subscribe to packages at www.CaptainPicks.com www.dbpodcasts.com Produced by DBPodcasts.comFollow @dbpodcasts, @iamrapaport, @michaelrapaport on TikTok, Twitter & InstagramMusic by Jansport J (Follow @JansportJ) www.JansportJMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday, 15 July 2025   All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Matthew 11:27   “All, it was delivered to Me by My Father. And none, he knows the Son if not the Father, nor any he knows the Father if not the Son, and whom if the Son He should will to reveal” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus acknowledged the Father's decisions, noting that it was satisfaction before Him. Now, to build upon that thought, He next says, “All, it was delivered to Me by My Father.”   The context of the word “all” determines the meaning. He has just referred to things hidden by the Father from the wise and prudent but which have been revealed to infants. Jesus is saying that these hidden things have been delivered to Him by His Father. He is the central focus of the illumination of the plan that the Father has set forth. From there, He continues with, “And none, he knows the Son if not the Father.”   Jesus has rebuked the cities where His miracles took place. He came in the Father's name because He is the Messiah. Only the Father knew this at first because He was with the Father in the beginning. Eventually, the time came for God to reveal Himself in the Person of Jesus, the incarnate Word and the Son of God. Only the Father could reveal this because He came from the Father –    “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.'” John 8:42   God could have established His covenant with the Peruvians or the Thai people. Instead, it was with Israel. He chose them to reveal Himself and His plans and purposes. At a certain point, He could have chosen someone named Ben Gad to witness to Israel. Instead, He chose Isaiah. He could have chosen Gibeah to be His capital, but He instead chose Jerusalem.   God has been guiding the plan of redemption in a carefully set forth and methodically implemented way that ultimately leads to the coming of Christ. Along the way, He selected people to receive, write, and compile His word. The word tells of Christ Jesus, but not everyone has accepted that premise. But the Father knows the Son. Likewise, Jesus continues, saying, “nor any he knows the Father if not the Son.”   Because Jesus came from God, He intimately knows the Father. They are in eternal union. The knowledge of the Father is thus to be understood as knowing the Son. Again, Jesus said this to them explicitly –   “Then they said to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?' Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.'” John 8:19   Jesus unambiguously ties the knowledge of Himself to having knowledge of the Father. If the Son is rejected, the Father is by default rejected. It would make no sense to say, “I want that piece of bread, but I don't want the dough in it.” The dough is the bread, and the bread is the dough. How much more is God One!? He is. He is unchanging. He is One. With this stated, His words of this verse finish with, “and whom if the Son He should will to reveal.”   Jesus uses the same word, apokaluptó, to take off the cover and thus disclose, that He just used in verse 11:25. He is tying the two thoughts together –   ...You revealed them to infants ... and whom if the Son He should will to reveal   The hidden things of God are revealed by God. His word didn't come through the Edomites or Moabites. It came through Israel. God revealed Himself to Abraham, He covenanted with him, and continued His revelation through a particular chosen line. He presented Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai in a formal, covenant-making way.   He revealed His faithfulness to them despite their constant turning from Him. He sent His word through the prophets. He judged, exiled, and returned the people at the time of the Babylonian exile. He faithfully maintained them under foreign rule, and He sent His Messiah into the world at the time prophesied in His word.   And there stood Jesus, the fulfillment of all that God laid forth from the beginning. And yet, despite His works that validated His messiahship, the people refused to believe. The wise and sagacious of Israel, the stewards of God's word, failed to believe their own writings –   “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:37-40   Despite their failure to acknowledge the Son and thus the Father, there are those who believe. These are those to whom the Father and the Son are revealed –   “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13   The choice of revealing by God is not active in the sense that God says, “I will make this person believe and this person not believe.” Rather, the choosing spoken of here is in the sense of, “I will present My Son to the world. Some will believe Him, some will not. Those who do are those whom I have chosen to reveal Myself to.” Paul confirms this when he says –   “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” Acts 26:19, 20   Paul could have said, “I just cannot accept these things. I am checking into a hospital to clear my head and get back to my work. However, he had sufficient evidence to support his calling. He chose to accept it, and he continued on in his apostleship from there.   Life application: Because of what Jesus says in His words in Matthew 11:27, and because it aligns with everything He said and that the Bible proclaims concerning a right relationship with God, there is a formula we must consider.   Jesus is not physically here among us today. Jesus has claimed that we cannot know the Father without knowing Him. We cannot know Jesus, because of His absence, without knowing the word that tells of Him –   You cannot know God without knowing Jesus. You cannot know Jesus without knowing the word that reveals Jesus. Therefore, you cannot know God without knowing the word.   Read and know the Bible if you desire to know, be pleasing to, and have a right relationship with the God who created all things. And when you read it, look for Jesus. In finding Jesus, you will find the Father –   “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47   The word tells of Jesus. To accept the writings of the word, one must accept Jesus. And in knowing Jesus, God will be made manifest –   “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18   Jesus is the One who exegetes the Father, declaring Him to the world. Look to Jesus and you will find God.   Lord God, help us to fix our eyes on Jesus. In doing so, we will have our eyes on You because You have revealed Yourself through Him. May we always come to Your word with this in mind as we seek out Your glory in the manner You have chosen to reveal it. Amen.

We all have stories. Some we share openly—and some we bury deep. But what if the very breakthrough we're praying for is hidden behind a conversation we're afraid to have?In this powerful episode of Visibly Fit, I sit down with BJ Communicates—an author, speaker, and communications coach who knows firsthand the weight and freedom found in speaking the truth in love. We talk about the healing power of hard conversations—what they are, why we avoid them, and how they might be the key to living a more authentic, healthy, and whole life.BJ opens up about his personal relationship with his father, what he wishes he'd known before it was too late, and how that loss birthed his compelling urban fiction series designed to reflect our untold stories. We also explore why people hold back in relationships, how to speak up without being overly assertive, and what genuine communication looks like in marriage, parenting, and friendships.If you've ever felt misunderstood, distant from someone you love, or just tired of carrying emotional weight in silence, this conversation is for you. It's about healing from the inside out, restoring relationships, and honoring God through our communication.Let this episode be your permission slip to speak up, lean in, and love betterChapters:[00:00] Podcast Preview[00:38] Podcast Introduction[01:21] Topic and Guest Introduction[04:02] Introduction to Hard Conversations[07:03] BJ's Personal Story with His Father[09:58] Defining Hard Conversations[14:37] Healing Through Communication[16:10] Navigating Conflicting Perspectives[20:10] BJ's Urban Fiction Series Explained[23:45] Why We Can't Move Forward Without Healing[26:14] Inspiration Behind Writing[27:57] Relating to Angel: A Story of Father Wounds[29:35] A Real-Life Breakdown That Led to Breakthrough[32:13] God Gave Us Communication for Connection [34:05] Closing Thoughts and PrayerResources mentioned:

BURNT: The Sacred Center of Christ Leviticus 1 “All the offerings taken together give us a full view of Christ—as many mirrors arranged to reflect in various ways the figure of that true and perfect sacrifice.” —C.H.M. (C.H. Mackintosh)   A Story of Pure Devotion My mind recalls a young, dark-haired Canadian girl, whose beauty lay not so much in her features as in the quiet creativity of her words. She was a writer of poetry and prose, able to describe a moment with the grace of a Victorian novelist. My eyes would often drift to the tattered journal she carried—the weight of it owed not to its binding, but to the sheer volume of ink pressed upon its pages. She never parted with it. Its contents, I am certain, were treasures untold. One random Saturday turned quietly unforgettable when I asked why she had left her cherished treasury behind. “I burnt it,” she said. I gasped at the waste. “Why?” She looked directly into my eyes. “Some things,” she whispered, “are for Him alone.” The hours, thoughts, pains, sorrows, joys, and life lessons she penned rose to His eyes alone. Her ink became incense. Her intent was to give her most cherished work to Him—and this, she did.   What Is Burnt Is Gone When something is truly burnt, it passes beyond possession. It can no longer be handled, owned, or used. It is consumed. Surrendered to the flame, it becomes smoke ascending, curling upward— beyond the reach of man, beyond sight of man, beyond the control of man. It cannot be claimed by anyone but the heavens to which it ascends. This fully and finally.   The Burnt Offering Such is the burnt offering of old. It is an offering for God alone. Unlike the other sacrifices, it is laid upon the stones for one purpose only: to rise to God. It is the first of the offerings described in Leviticus. When the animal is burnt, it passes beyond possession. It can no longer be handled, owned, or used. It is consumed. Surrendered to the altar, it has become smoke—ascending, curling upward— beyond the reach of man, beyond the sight of man, beyond the control of man. It cannot be claimed by anyone but the God to whom it ascends—fully and finally.   Christ, the Sacred Burnt Offering This is a divine type and shadow, revealing to us the sacred center of Christ's heart— the sacred center of His manifold sacrifice. When Christ was laid on the altar of the cross, He could no longer be handled, owned, or used. He was, in a real sense, consumed by death. Surrendered to God, He became a sweet-smelling savor, curling upward— beyond the reach of man, beyond the sight of man, beyond the control of man. He could be claimed by none but His Father, to whom He ascended fully and finally. Christ, the final burnt offering—an obedience to God, just for God. Ephesians 5:2 — “…a sacrifice to God.”   Commentary from the Saints C.H. Mackintosh writes: “It was exclusively for God. God alone was the object of Christ in the burnt offering aspect of His death.” “Here is the deep-toned devotion of the heart of the Son presented to, and appreciated by, the heart of the Father.” In the burnt offering, Christ's charms shine bright through His unshakable devotion to His Father. Spurgeon notes: “The burnt offering was all for God. So was Christ. His death was above all things God-ward.” The Holy Spirit reveals to us in this shadow that Christ loved the Father before the church. What excellency! What beauty and perfection! Surely His love to the Father is sufficient to rouse love in our hearts. Mackintosh continues: “The true believer finds in the cross that which captivates every affection of his heart… There are heights and depths in the doctrine of the cross which man never could reach.”   Christ's Willing Offering The offering of Himself to His Father was voluntary. He was not forced or coerced. He revealed: “No one takes My life from Me. I lay it down of My own initiative.” (John 10:18) Matthew Henry writes: “Voluntary. What is done in religion, so as to please God, must be done by no other constraint than that of love.” His offering was not laborious duty but loving devotion.   The World Sees Waste—Heaven Sees Worship The natural mind calls this—not cooked but burnt—a waste. But Christ's loving devotion to His Father transforms what the natural man sees as waste into worship. John 14:31 — “So that the world will know that I love the Father.” The sacred center of His sacrifice was this public display of affectionate devotion to His Father. He didn't merely accept God's will—it was His intention, His motive, His reason. (See Hebrews 10:5–10; John 6:38–39; 10:17–18; Luke 22:42) John Owen describes it: “The free act of love to the Father.” Spurgeon echoes: “He came not with sigh but a song to do His Father's will.” Owen again: “The greatest demonstration of the love of Christ unto the Father is His giving Himself up to the death of the cross, to manifest what love and accomplish His will.”   The Burnt Sacrifice Was Innocent The burnt sacrifice, as the chapter foreshadows, had to be an innocent other. Christ was not only innocent—oh, much more—He was without defect. He fit the foreshadow perfectly. He alone is clean inside and out. Mackintosh: “No one had ever perfectly, invariably, from first to last, without hesitation, without divergence, done the will of God.” “It was no surface work with Him… The more the depths of His being were explored, the more clearly was it manifest that pure devotion to the will of the Father…”   Every Part of Him Aflame I mean to exalt Christ's burning love for God and His voluntary offering of Himself to God alone as the sacred center of our revelation of what Christ is actually like. Every part of Him aflame to God. Oh, how unlike us is Christ. By this, we know what love for God looks like: the surrender of our whole selves. Romans 12:1 — “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Though our love is but the flicker of a faint flame, His sacred center quickens our hearts. For He exemplifies a love that stands apart from all others—ascending to God in fragrant flame. No portion eaten. No fragment withheld. No part left over. Every sinew of His sacred humanity—thoughts, deeds, motives, breath, blood— all offered up to God.   A Few Notes from Leviticus 1 The offering was made morning and evening. He is this both day and night. In the noonday sun and in the blackest night. No shade of life would alter His surrender. The offering could be an ox or a bird. He is this in the great and the small. No action was too small to be wholly surrendered to God. The bird was plucked and unsevered. Christ had His beard plucked in mockery—and yet His divinity was never severed from His humanity. He died as the God-Man. The sinner laid his hand upon the sacrifice, symbolizing imparted guilt and acknowledgment of deserved death. A foreshadow of the One upon whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53). The Subtle Trap of Looking to Ourselves Henry Martyn, a missionary to India, once wrote that when he tried to find comfort by examining his life and searching for evidences of grace, he actually lost the brokenness of spirit he longed to keep. The more he looked to himself, the less he could rest simply at the foot of the cross. Many of us try to find peace by measuring our own faithfulness: Have I prayed enough? Have I served enough? Have I conquered this sin consistently? We think that if we can point to enough evidence of our devotion, we will feel secure. But here is the irony: the more we look to our own performance, the more we lose humility, dependence, and the sweetness of simple trust in Jesus. It is a subtle trap. Even good things—prayer, ministry, obedience—can become props we lean on to feel worthy, rather than gifts that flow from grace. Martyn only found peace when he stopped searching for comfort in himself and began to pray as a dying man—helpless and needy—resting on Christ alone. This is the lesson: Our comfort never comes from our own faithfulness, but from Christ's faithfulness for us. Brokenness of spirit and assurance of love thrive best when we lay aside self-scrutiny and fix our gaze on the cross.   Christ in the Burnt Offering As a burnt ox – He gave all His strength and labor to God. As a burnt sheep – He meekly followed God to death, patient and quiet in suffering. As a burnt goat – Though sinless, He was thought to be a sinner, sent in the likeness of sinful flesh. As a burnt dove – He was pure, single-eyed, plucked, unsevered, and holy.   The Preacher's Duty The priests were to arrange the wood and position the sacrifice. John Gill sees this as a type of the preacher's duty: “Evidence given of Him in the gospel, in which He is clearly set forth in His person, nature, and offices.” Trapp agrees: “The minister must rightly divide and dispose the Word of God, and evidently set forth Christ crucified.” Trapp also writes of the fire consuming the sacrifice: “Typifying the scorching wrath of God upon Christ—or the ardent love of Christ to God.”   The Sweet-Smelling Savor In all this, we see the “sweet-smelling savor unto God.” Christ as the burnt offering: the perfect Man, without defect, pure in and out, in action and thought, motive and deed, great and small—voluntarily offering Himself in love and devotion to His Father. To miss this is to reduce the gospel to a scheme for man's relief. If we fail to see this, we are but a step away from shaping the gospel into a man-centered escape plan, robbing God of His rightful glory in the work of His Son. Spurgeon wrote: “Christ did not die out of mere pity for man, but first of all out of love for the Father.” The salvation of man was the love song of the Son to the Father.   Three Effects on My Soul Adoration of such a lovely individual A desire to receive Him as my own A longing to surrender myself As Matthew Poole writes: “To serve the Lord with all singleness of heart, without self-ends, and to be ready to offer to God wherein we ourselves should have no benefit.” God has graciously met our need— and may He give us an enlarged capacity to enter into and enjoy His provision.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Micah 5-7; Hebrews 7 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, host Hunter takes us through the readings from Micah chapters 5 through 7 and Hebrews chapter 7, reflecting on profound questions about justice, mercy, and the true cost of forgiveness. Together, we explore what God truly requires of us—not endless sacrifices or offerings, but to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. Hunter delves into the challenges we all face in living out these commands and points us to the ultimate answer found in Jesus, our high priest who has perfectly fulfilled what we could not. Join us for a time of scripture, thoughtful reflection, and prayer, as we seek to understand more deeply the heart of God revealed through Jesus—the One who is enough and invites us to walk with Him today. TODAY'S DEVOTION: How much is enough? How much do we owe for our mistakes, our regrets, the pain we've caused? That's the deep question Micah puts before us in today's reading. We try to measure it: burnt offerings, rivers of oil, some attempt to set things right, to pay enough to cover our sins. But here's Micah's answer—“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good… to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” That's the call. Not endless sacrifices or rituals, but a life lived rightly, one that loves mercy and walks humbly with God. And yet, as poetic and right as that sounds, we find ourselves falling short. We're invited to a life most of us cannot live in our own strength. Adam didn't. Neither have we. We've all missed the mark, failed to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly. But here is the good news: there is One who has not failed—Jesus, our Savior, the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. He did what we could not. He lived rightly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with His Father. He paid the price once and for all for the sins of the world—not by repeated offerings, but by offering Himself. So what will cover our past, our shortcomings, the missing sum in our own ledger? The answer is not more striving, not more doing, but Jesus. Because of Him, we're invited to participate in a life with God. No longer do we need to keep trying to pay—He is enough. As we receive Him, we're set free to live out justice, mercy, humility—not as a debt to be paid, but as a life that overflows from Him. That's my prayer today: that I will participate in this with-God life, that I will receive what has already been accomplished and live in it. He has included me in Himself, and He has included you as well. Everything we need to walk with God today is ours in Jesus. Let us learn from Him now. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Loving God, you have knit us together in the body of Christ from every nation and tongue. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Where hatred stirs, let us bear your love. Where wounds run deep, let us be agents of pardon. Where fear grips hearts, may we speak faith. Where sorrow hangs heavy, may we carry joy. Teach us to listen more than we speak. To understand before we are understood. To love. For in surrender, we find abundance. In mercy, we discover grace. And in dying, we rise into your life. In the name of Jesus. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Let me know if you'd like this prayer formatted differently or if you need prayers from other episodes transcribed as well!   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Read OnlineA woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. Matthew 9:20–21What a tremendous amount of faith this woman had! She had suffered for many years and continued to suffer with her hemorrhages. How did she know that touching Jesus' cloak would cure her? The only answer to that is faith. Faith is not just wishful thinking or hoping. Faith is a certain knowledge, given by a special grace and revelation from God, by which a person freely assents to belief. God spoke to her heart, she listened, she responded, and she was cured.One thing that is very inspiring in this Gospel story is the humility with which this woman approached Jesus. She didn't feel as though she needed to bother Jesus, to speak to Him, or to trouble Him with her problem. Instead, in her humility, she presented her need to Jesus through her gift of faith, interiorly and silently, and the grace of God was given her because God sees the heart and responds to such humble and sincere faith.Imagine if everyone had this depth of faith in our Lord. Imagine if all of us knew, with the deepest conviction of certitude, that God would take care of every need we have. And imagine if we turned to our Lord with this deep conviction of certitude every day with every need. If we could do that, then our Lord would be able to continually care for us in every way.One key component to this woman's healing is that it was God the Father who spoke to her and invited her to touch the cloak of His Son Jesus. And it was Jesus who sensed the healing she received, since He was in perfect union with the will of His Father. Therefore, touching Jesus' cloak was not simply a magical act by which whatever this woman wanted would be granted to her. Instead, it was a response to the interior invitation she was given by the Father.In our lives, we must work to do the same. Too often we present our preferences to God and tell Him what we want Him to do. God does not respond to such requests. Instead, we must seek His will...and His will alone. This woman knew she would be healed, because God the Father spoke to her in her mind and heart and inspired her to touch the cloak of Jesus His Son, and she responded, and the healing took place. God must speak first, we must hear and respond, and then His will is accomplished. Reflect, today, upon the gentle Voice of God as He speaks to you in the depths of your heart. Do you hear Him? What is He inviting you to do? What healing does He want to bestow? As you ponder God's Voice, try to respond only to Him. Set aside all of your own preferences and ideas of what God should do and seek only what He is speaking to you. Say “Yes” to Him, do so with certitude and conviction, and trust that whatever He speaks to you, if you have faith in what He says, He will do it. My gentle Lord, You speak to me day and night, calling me to the healing I need. Help me to hear Your Voice and to respond to You in faith. May my faith and confidence in You grow strong and become the source of Your glorious action in my life. Jesus, I do trust in You.Image: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.