Podcasts about his god

Quiet.  Steady.  Resolute.  These words describe the life-long faith of Isaac  And because of this, he was able to trust His God despite watching his personal wishes for his two sons get completely derailed.

REVELATION Ep1 Full Disclosure Just as Genesis is the book of beginnings, Revelation is the book of consummation. In it, the divine program of redemption is brought to fruition, and the holy name of God is vindicated before all creation. Although there are numerous prophecies in the Gospels and Epistles, Revelation is the only New Testament book that focuses primarily on prophetic events. Its title The Apocalypse means “unveiling” or “disclosure” or “revelation.” It is also called The Revelation of Jesus Christ. This means both a revelation which came from Christ and a revelation which is about Christ—both are true. Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  2. who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.  3. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. 4. John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, (theme of past present and future) and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,  5. and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,  6. and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NB theme of past present and future) 9. I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,  11. saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”(turkey not Jerusalem) 12. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13.  and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.  14. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;  15. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;  16. He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  18. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.  19. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.  20. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of who and what Jesus is to the church to the world and to eternity. Scholars have viewed these prophecies through four primary lenses. While each perspective seeks to honour the work of the Holy Spirit, I hold  the Futurist view in this study because it mentions things that have happened in history, inspires faith in the "here and now" of Christ's absolute authority over and through His Church and it looks forward to the future Second Coming with a living hope. 1. Preterist - depicting the current Roman struggle against the church and not future prophesy throughout the ages of the second coming of Christ. They say he came in 70 AD when Rome destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. But we see in Revelation 1:7 that John was prophesying the Day of The Lord - the Second Coming and judgement. 2. Historical - The struggle of the church against the world system through the ages. 3. Spiritual - depicting nothing literal or historical at all, but purely symbolical. 4. Futurist - depicting events that would surely take place in the church, the world and eternity, after the time of John, and beginning significantly with the opening of the first of the seven seals in chapters 5 and 6 (also see Ch.4 vs 1 – things to come)  Revelation 4:1… And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” This leads us to take note of the three divisions of time. Revelation 1.19 write the things that you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. 1. Things you have seen - chapter 1 2. Things which are - chapters 2 to 4 – the 7 churches. 3. Things with shall be - chapter 4 onwards. There are three persons involved in this revelation – Jesus – John – The messenger. I submit to you that the messenger, or angel that gave this prophecy to John is Enoch, and we will now look at some evidence.  1. Records in Genesis 5 and Hebrews 11 confirm that Enoch is physically in Heaven with God. This creates a theological necessity – Enoch has been given a Divine exemption and is released from the prison of his appointment with death.  Hebrews 9:27 it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. But he is not the only one! There will be a generation of people who will be caught up from the earth to meet Jesus in the air when he returns.   Psalm 102:18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD…From heaven the LORD viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death, 2. The Bible link for Enoch  Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him - and Jude 14  Jude 14. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all. This prophecy of the Second Coming is virtually identical to Revelation 1:7 3. When linked with the messenger's self-identification in Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.  And ch.22:9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, The evidence presents this historical figure as being uniquely commissioned to return and declare the unveiling to John. The Book of Revelation was written about 95-AD by the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos while he was in exile under the persecution of Domitian. The apostle Peter and Paul had been martyred just previously under the persecution of emperor Nero. This dating mainly comes from early church testimony, especially Irenaeus in the second century, who said the vision was seen “toward the end of Domitian's reign.” Irenaeus lived from 120 to 202 AD, and the future hope of the return of Christ became the dominant position in both Eastern and Western Christianity and still is. Added to this is the fact that the seven churches in Asia Minor that John writes to would logically have been more developed and established at that time. The book of sevens  Revelation 1:4 - John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be to you, and peace, from him which is, which was, and which is to come - and from the seven spirits which are before his throne. (see also vs.20) Here there are mentioned seven spirits and seven churches, and of great significance later in the book are 1. The 7 seals 2. The 7 trumpets from seven agels 3. The 7 vials 1. The seven seals - the seven seals are seals of a book of events which are to happen worldwide (ch5.1) Which include the revelation of a conquering church, judgments upon the earth, and signs and wonders in the heavens. These events take place progressively and will be studied in detail later. The 7th seal actually contains another series of events called the seven trumpets.  2. The seven trumpets- The seven trumpets blown by seven angels are also a series of worldwide events that are judgments upon the earth, they are not final judgments but are meant to turn people to God. And the 7th trumpet contains in its blast, the seven vials.  NB The 5th angel releases locust/scorpion spirits which torment people for five months but those sealed with the Holy Spirit are protected – just as Noah and family were protected for 5 months in the ark. I met up with some close Christian friends from Inverell at a function this week and I shared that I'd be teaching the Book of revelation this coming Sunday, and they mentioned the passages about the scary demonic locusts that had a sting like scorpions (ch.9). They said that some people thought they were symbolic of fighter planes etc. But we agreed that they were definitely of a spiritual nature, set free by an angel for five months and not allowed to kill those with the seal of God – the Holy Spirit. And the next day, Thursday there was a report from the Whitehouse that the Senate had been asked to disclose information about aliens and UFO's… Three years ago the USA Senate were asked to disclose that information about aliens and UFO's, and the topic was quashed, because the number of reports and polarising opinions was causing too much chaos. The same thing happened in the early 70's in the midst of a move of the Holy Spirit. At that time there were reports from aeronautical scientists and the AirForce and the Military about Roswell and objects seen to be moving at incredible speed. Odd but human-like little aliens were reported to have even been captured or preserved or whatever. That report was shut down many months later under suspicious circumstances. So now the senate is about to do the disclosure of all the evidence of the various reports from over the years. And conveniently on Thursday there appeared ads of a new release of a movie called ‘Disclosure Day' directed by Stephen Spielberg about aliens and UFO's and cosmic chaos in the Heavens.  I don't know why the Government and the media and Hollywood or whoever else are hitting the global airwaves with this and trying to control some sort of cultural narrative but it will have a scary chaotic spiritual influence on our current society. It will be deceptive bur will contain enough true documentation to get people all over it with the usual opinions and political and tribal disputes If I am going to be asked questions I'd like to be as prepared as I can be because there will be distortions and confusion abounding.  Luke 21:11 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights (phobitron- frightening things that strike terror) and great signs from heaven. 3. The seven vials - the seven vials are seven final judgments which come up on the earth during the time of the great tribulation. The key verse- Revelation 1:7 - behold he comes with clouds. And every eye shall see him, and they also who pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen This is ‘The Day of The Lord' – which incorporates  1. The Resurrection of the dead (including they who pierced him, the Romans, the Jews, our sins),  2. The inauguration of Judgement,  3. The unveiling of Christ,  4. Books being opened and  5. Creation being brought into its final state before God (Romans 8:21)  All this will occur in stages as we see in the Book of Revelation, in a way beyond our imagination or earthly view, as if of some court case in a grand mammoth court. This book is an unveiling of the character and program of God and that is what we shall be seeking to understand through the Holy Spirit in our study of Revelation Paul OSullivan  pauloss @me.com

It's hard to lead a double life tulad ni Tait na nagsinungaling sa kanyang pamilya, mga kaibigan at fans, even to his bandmates. His God-honoring ways on stage did not match what he was actually doing every day away from people's eyes. All Rights Reserved, CBN Asia Inc.https://www.cbnasia.com/giveSupport the show

What would it mean to you to have someone know you – to know your strengths and your weaknesses and to know this accurately? All of us carry a fear of being found out and rejected. The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus does Know us Completely *and* has not rejected us. No! On the contrary He loves us more deeply than we can even comprehend. Remember: *Jesus is who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father – to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (Rev 1:5-6)* This is the One who is moving in His church even today. And this is the One who is speaking through His word given to us in our Bibles. And this is the One speaking to these churches in Asia. Ephesus was a seaport city and a place where the Apostle Paul founded a church. The temple of Artemis (or Diana) was ranked among one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Apostle John also spend time in Ephesus ministering to the Ephesian church there. In Acts 19:1-10 we read of how the gospel went forth out of Ephesus and in Acts 19:23-41 we read of how the silversmiths feared a loss of income from their sale of idols by the rise of Christianity there.To really make the most out of this week's message (and this series) we encourage you to read Acts 19, the book of Ephesians and Revelation 2:1-7. It would take about 30 minutes, less then a podcast episode!, and will greatly enhance your understanding of the church in Ephesus, give insight into what they were facing, how God has been at work among them, and the means of maintaining Love and Devotion to Jesus – who is Worthy of it all.Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Revelation 2:1-7, with Acts 19 and Ephesians 1-6

How hard was the temptation in the desert for Jesus? How do we know the "difficulty level" of those temptations?Well, angels show up.  That's how we know.  They show us to minister to Jesus's needs.  Wait, why does Jesus have NEEDS? He has emptied some of His God-privileges all the way down to humanity.  He has turned Himself into a worthy replacement for us. That is, Jesus is on His way to the cross.  If you know all you wish to know about Jesus, don't subscribe. For the rest: https://youtu.be/YJAf_r4EGe0

Today's Reading: John 20:19-31Daily Lectionary: Exodus 20:1-24; Luke 4:1-15“but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The eleven have seen the Lord. Thomas doubted, witnessed, confessed, and believed. Peace be with you, the disciples are ordained into ministry, the crucified and risen Word made flesh breathes on them the Holy Spirit. That Holy breath that gives life to God's creation. The ministry these eleven disciples will enter in is not about being a good person or making sure everyone goes along to get along. This ministry will deal with life and death. So Jesus breathes on them and charges them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Men, sent by God in His place to forgive sins. That's the ministry these disciples would enter into. They would not be alone. God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit would be with them and with the church. God the Father would care for them as He always has, God the Son would intercede at His right hand, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter, would proceed from the Father and the Son to point the bride, the church, to her Bridegroom, Christ Jesus. That by the marks from His hands and His side, she would be made whole to endure all the world throws at her. Those disciples saw and bore witness, Thomas doubted, witnessed His resurrected Lord and His God, and believed. Blessed are you who have not seen and yet have believed, as our Lord says. Who have received the Holy Spirit in the waters of your Baptism, who have been united to the one whom they have pierced, with nails and spear, and are nourished with the blood that flowed from His very side and strengthened by His body, given and shed for you. For the forgiveness of sins. Of course, Jesus did many other signs that are not written by John, but these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you may have life in His Name. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord's resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for the Second Sunday of Easter)

Find Joy in the Wilderness by Autumn Dickson When I was studying the Doctrine and Covenants last year, my pattern revolved around learning about the people who were receiving the revelations and how they were feeling so that we could better relate to them and receive the same comfort in the revelations that they did. As I've studied the Old Testament thus far, I've found a different pattern for learning principles from God. Namely, I look at the details in the class Old Testament stories, and I find the parallels for our day. It's been powerful and helpful. So without further ado, here's another detail from the Moses and Plagues story. The God of the Hebrews is working to free His people from slavery in Egypt. There are some questions that we could ask as to why He didn't jump right in with the death of the firstborn, but those questions can be asked another time. As the Lord continues on with His work through Moses, Pharaoh appears to relent a couple of times. He tells Moses, “Take back the frogs, and I'll let them go.” But then he hardens his heart and refuses to free them. It happens again with the flies. Pharaoh tells Moses to take away the flies and he will let the people go. Here is how Moses responds. Exodus 8:29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. Of course, Pharaoh goes back on his word and refuses to release them. Maybe he was hoping Moses and His God would run out of power and not be able to send any more plagues? Regardless, Pharaoh still holds the Israelites captive. There is a lot of goodness here, but I want to draw your attention to one detail. Moses wants the Israelites free so that they can go sacrifice to the Lord in the wilderness. This is not the only time this is mentioned. More than once, Moses specifically says this. Pharaoh needs to free the Israelites so that they can go and sacrifice to the Lord out of Egypt and in the wilderness. Oof. Is there a better way to describe life after we finish our ordinances? We are made free by the death of the Firstborn, we pass through the gate, and what do we see? A whole lot of wilderness. For a long time. Why are we here in the wilderness? It seemed so exciting to be free before. Now it just seems dusty, hot, hard, and uncomfortable. Interestingly enough, we didn't walk through those gates to make it into paradise immediately. The gate was just the first step. We've been freed from slavery, but we don't know how to be happy and healthy yet. There are many more lessons to learn. There is a lot of sacrifice to be made so that we can understand what it means to grow to be like the Lord and find what He found. We have a long journey ahead of us. It's funny. I remember being on my mission and working long hours with minimal breaks. I remember rushing to write in my journal at night so that I could pass out in my bed on time and get as much sleep as possible because I was so dang tired. I remember mentally aching when I had to leave the dinner table at the houses of members I was close to. I think that was one of the things I missed the most while I was on the mission. I grew up in a family where we all ate dinner together and talked the whole time. We had a lot of family come into town for holidays, and we would sit at the table for a long time afterwards and talk and laugh. I missed that resting while on my mission. I remember getting on the plane, and I was so excited to eat a meal and then do nothing afterwards. I was excited to rest. Lol. I did get some rest for a while, but heaven knows life only speeds up after that. We came here to struggle in the wilderness, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to make sacrifices and grow and learn what we're supposed to learn. We didn't come here to finish all of that so we could rest. We came to sacrifice in the wilderness. Which sounds horrible, but it doesn't have to be. This was a timely lesson for me. I have a goal right now to be grateful for the opportunity to wear myself out in the name of the Lord. I'm not talking about being a martyr, though sometimes that seems to be my default mode. Rather, I'm talking about completely turning my perspective upside down. I didn't come to earth to preserve energy and my body. I didn't come here to try and completely annihilate stress from my life or reach some magical point where I feel great enough to give all of myself. Rather, when I catch the true feeling behind this goal I made, I find rest when I let go of my own concerns and cheerfully and willingly take advantage of these incredible opportunities God has given to me. Someday I'll get enough sleep (or my body won't need sleep? I don't know?). Someday, I'll have a perfect body and perfect perspective and all my needs met, and I won't have to reach for those things anymore. They will be given to me. I'll have a perfectly clean house with everything I could ask for. Sometimes we get mixed up and wear ourselves out on the things that don't matter, things that will be freely given to us on the other side. We're putting all of our energy and hopes and focus on setting foot on that promised land. What if we let go and trusted that the promised land will make it to us at the right time? What if instead, we focused on the gift of the wilderness and what it has to offer? I have found that when I stop striving to put my feet in the promised land here in mortality, I find beauty and rest and hope and peace in the wilderness. Moses had it right. He didn't tell Pharaoh that he was taking the Israelites to the promised land. Sure, that was the eventual goal, but there were some really important goals along the way before they would even be able to enjoy the promised land. Moses told Pharaoh to release the Israelites so that they could go and sacrifice in the wilderness. When we let go of trying to hold on to ourselves, we find joy in the sacrifices we're asked to make in the wilderness. That's a true principle. I'm grateful my Savior redeemed me. I'm grateful He let me walk through the gate and bind myself to Him through the ordinance of baptism. I'm grateful that He gave me a path with lessons along the way. I'm grateful that I don't have to worry about reaching the promised land; He's got that handled. All I have to worry about is learning along the way, sacrificing along the way. I'm grateful for my testimony that He will provide for all that I need in the wilderness. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 7–13 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Today's Reading: Job 19:23-27Daily Lectionary: Exodus 17:1-16; Hebrews 11:1-29“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Job endured the cross God had laid on him. That sure didn't seem fair. Yet Job is not without hope; he knows that God has not abandoned him. Job had everything taken away from him. Lives of his children and wife, his own health, and his fortune. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness had died and left Job for dead. Yet sitting down in the midst of such darkness, Job bears his cross and knows God is with him. His God is with him, even through the worst of times, through the worst of friends, through the darkness; God is there.Job's words were written; they were inscribed in a book. That by reading Job's words, you would believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing in Him, you, as Job did, would have life in His Name. Job's words—written with iron, or lead, engraved in rock, or ink engraved on paper, forever.It is in Job's suffering that He sees how much he has lost, and yet it is in that suffering that he makes that great confession, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” Job knew he was a sinner, deserving nothing. Yet, despite losing everything, he had not lost God. “And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” So it was for Job, and it still remains true for us today. Though we suffer and bear crosses laid on us by God, though we live in an unfair world, we are not without hope. We who deserve nothing better than Job, who no man was like, who feared God and turned away from evil cling to the God who lays the cross, and at the proper time when my skin has been destroyed we may see the God who also took on flesh, who suffered, who wept, who cried out, took up His cross and died.The God who suffers and dies is Jesus of Nazareth, your Redeemer who rose again, and lives and reigns at the right hand of His Father. He will stand upon the earth at the last, and you who suffer, who have conquered as a baptized child of God, joined to your Redeemer, will rise, live, and serve Him in His Kingdom for all eternity. It's not fair, yet it is glorious. Christ is risen, He is risen indeed! Alleluia!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus, my Redeemer, lives; Likewise I to life shall waken. He will bring me where He is; Shall my courage then be shaken? Shall I fear, or could the Head Rise and leave His members dead? (LSB 741:2)

(This podcast was previously published on November 24, 2020)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Both Peter and Jude warned us there would be false teachers among the churches in the end times.  (II Peter 2 & Jude)   Jesus also warned us about the people who come to us in the last days, saying,  "Jesus is Lord."  Because they say HE is Christ, they will deceive many.  (Matthew 24:1-4)   In November, 2020, a man sent me an email identifying himself to me as being a pastor.   He told me how much he liked my book, Preparing Yourself for the Return of Jesus.  (Amazon)   He asked me to send him more books for his church and for his pastors.   I explained that Amazon does not give me books and that he would have to get my books directly from Amazon.   I also explained that Amazon allows us to give free e-books which he would need to order from Amazon.   In his next letter, he signed his name "Reverend".   I responded by telling him no man should call himself "Reverend".   Jesus called HIS ministers as follows:   Ephesians 4:11-12  And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;   For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:   There is only one time the word "Reverend" is used in the Bible.   Psalm 111:9 HE (God) sent redemption unto HIS people: HE hath commanded HIS covenant for ever: holy and reverend is HIS (God's) name.   This man responded immediately saying he agreed and he would remove the name "Reverend" and tell his pastors to remove the name "Reverend" and he was sorry he had done this.   But he twisted everything and said we should not use the name "Pastor" either.   I told him immediately that it is proper to use the name "Pastor" for Jesus HIMSELF called HIS ministers by the names:  apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher  (Ephesians 4:11)   But not "Reverend".   *****   The next letter he sent to me he signed his name, "Evangelist".   I wrote to him immediately, trying to straighten this out.   I tried to help him see the difference between Evangelist and Pastor in the calling of Jesus.   Evangelist goes from city to city speaking to the world salvation through Jesus.   Pastor usually works with one church group in one city, giving them teachings from the Bible.   ***   In his next letter, he signed his name, "Brother in Christ".   In that letter he asked me to pray that God would provide for him a computer and a projector.   He explained that it was very hard to share my teachings with his church group without a projector.   I sent him the following letter.   Matthew 11 Jesus says:  HIS yoke is easy.  So if something is difficult you can know you are trying to do something you should not be doing.   Therefore if it is hard to share my teachings, just share Bible.   Joan Boney   ***   In his next email, he asked me to send him a computer and a projector.   I responded:  "If I were you, I would get a part time job or a job at night and work until I had enough money to buy a computer and projector."  Joan Boney   ***   He responded that he could not do secular work because it took all his time to do the ministry work.   I thought of the apostle Paul who did secular work as a tent maker and still went from church to church speaking as an apostle and teacher.   In this letter, he asked me if I would send him a computer that we are not using.   ***   I turned to God and asked God:  "What do YOU want me to do?"   I had the answer rather quickly.   I sent email to this man as follows:   "I see you as a beggar, thief, and extortioner.  And if you choose to go this way, you doom yourself to always being a beggar, thief, and an extortioner."  Joan Boney   (It was clear that this man did not turn to God over his needs but turned to humans for them to supply his needs.)   ***   The apostle Paul says:   I Corinthians 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.   13  put away from among yourselves that wicked person.   This is what I will do with this man.   *****   In this man's first letter to me, he placed an attachment showing an outline of subjects and scriptures which he planned to teach to his church group the next Sunday.   How could a man this confused in thinking write such a clear, concise outline?  I wondered.   Then I realized he probably didn't write that outline.  It was probably another person's outline which he planned to teach to his church group.   *****   This is just one example of how very mixed up preachers are today in church groups.   When a man has no understanding, I do not believe "that man" is from God.   When we have the Spirit of Truth in us, HE will teach us all things, remind us of all that Jesus has said to us, guide us into all truth, and show us things to come.   John 14:26  Jesus says:   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY  name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.   John 16:13  Jesus says:  Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.  

Life's choices are described as a series of paths and crossroads decisions.Jesus calls us His flock, safe in His/God's hand.PASSAGE OF THE DAY 73"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."Matthew 18: 19 & 20

Four hours after turning in their manuscript “Emptied,” Jonathan Pitts' wife, Wynter, passed away in his arms. With four young girls to raise, Jonathan speaks from a personal place about his confidence in life and death.Jonathan is Executive Pastor at Church of the City in Franklin, Tennessee. He previously served as the Executive Director at the Urban Alternative, the national ministry of Dr. Tony Evans. Jonathan is also carrying on his wife's ministry to tween girls called “For Girls Like You,” a bimonthly magazine that equips girls to walk boldly into who God has created them to be, and a resource to their parents to raise strong Christ-following God girls who say yes to His plans for their lives.Some of the things Jonathan shares: “I am in a new place, but with the same God, which is really comforting.” “I do remember thinking I have to take care of my girls. Speaking to them the confidence that I have had all my life that we all have a point of time to live and a point of time to die.”He and the girls often sat on the bed singing hymns together, as they had when their mother, Wynter, was alive. He explains, “Worship is everything.”Jonathan speaks on healing and marriage by being emptied. “Christ took on the form of a servant EMPTIED Himself to the point of death even death on a cross. GOD literally TO LOVE US WELL GAVE UP HIS LIFE.” - JonathanWidower, Jonathan Pitts, knows the love of His God and Savior even walking through valleys. In this episode hear of loss, yet healing. Hear of the last book he and his wife, Wynter, wrote together called, “Emptied” where one finds fullness in being poured out.Jonathan's family were guest hosts of Parent Compass Season 1 Family Episode 2 “Discovering Destiny.” Click link to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBumACjWDZA They are related to well-known pastor and radio host, Dr. Tony Evans. The oldest daughter in the Pitts family, Alena, starred in the box office hit movie, “War Room,” a movie on how prayer can powerfully change a marriage and the life of a family.For shows and more subscribe at parentcompass.tv/subscribe. Download the Parent Compass App. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1493/29?v=20251111

For 10 years, David could not properly worship God. How he must have longed to be in God's presence, to make sacrifice offerings to His God...loving God's house prepares you for the things of this world...

Stewardship begins with the heart. When Joseph stood before Pharaoh, his stability flowed from humility and devotion—he was a meek man and a man of God. Because he stewarded himself well, he was trusted with much. His God-given strategy preserved a nation through famine, proving that wise planning honors the future. And when the storehouses filled, provision wasn't hoarded—it was shared. True stewardship isn't about control; it's about faithful management for God's glory and others' good. Hold the line—what you steward today may bless generations tomorrow.

Stewardship begins with the heart. When Joseph stood before Pharaoh, his stability flowed from humility and devotion—he was a meek man and a man of God. Because he stewarded himself well, he was trusted with much. His God-given strategy preserved a nation through famine, proving that wise planning honors the future. And when the storehouses filled, provision wasn't hoarded—it was shared. True stewardship isn't about control; it's about faithful management for God's glory and others' good. Hold the line—what you steward today may bless generations tomorrow.

What happens when Jesus doesn't fit our expectations? In Luke 4, Jesus delivers what could be called His manifesto in His hometown of Nazareth. The crowd begins amazed and ends enraged. Why? In this message, we explore why Jesus' words about spiritual poverty, freedom, and God's grace for all nations stirred such intense rejection. His mission wasn't just for one group. It was for the poor in spirit, the captive, the blind, and the oppressed everywhere. And that same mission continues today.• Jesus defines His mission: good news for the spiritually poor, freedom for the captive, sight for the blind• The danger of expecting a Messiah who serves our agenda instead of surrendering to His• God's grace extends beyond borders, calling us to care about the unreachedKey Scriptures:Luke 4:14–30Isaiah 61:1–21 Kings 17:8–162 Kings 5:1–14If Jesus challenged your expectations today, don't ignore it. Ask God to reveal where you may be resisting His truth and to give you a heart for the nations. Share this message with a friend or family member who needs to hear that the gospel is for everyone.Bayou City Fellowship Cypress Campus | George Terry | February 15, 2026https://linktr.ee/bayoucityfellowship

What’s Next: Section Two WEEK THIRTY FIVE: WEEKLY READING PAGE 116 Naso “lift up” Torah: Numbers 4:21–7:89 Ketuvim: Writings-Narrative: 2 Chronicles 27-36 Nevi’im: Prophets/Poetic: Isaiah 15-21 Brit Chadashah: New Testament: Philemon 1; Hebrews 1-2 Scripture Memory: 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us reveals the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” Revelation 1:5-6 “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

What’s Next: Section Two WEEK THIRTY FIVE: WEEKLY READING PAGE 116 Naso “lift up” Torah: Numbers 4:21–7:89 Ketuvim: Writings-Narrative: 2 Chronicles 27-36 Nevi’im: Prophets/Poetic: Isaiah 15-21 Brit Chadashah: New Testament: Philemon 1; Hebrews 1-2 Scripture Memory: 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us reveals the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” Revelation 1:5-6 “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

What’s Next: Section Two WEEK THIRTY FIVE: WEEKLY READING PAGE 116 Naso “lift up” Torah: Numbers 4:21–7:89 Ketuvim: Writings-Narrative: 2 Chronicles 27-36 Nevi’im: Prophets/Poetic: Isaiah 15-21 Brit Chadashah: New Testament: Philemon 1; Hebrews 1-2 Scripture Memory: 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us reveals the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” Revelation 1:5-6 “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Keith Miller Meadowbrooke Church January 25, 2026 Behold Our Great God Revelation 1:1-8 Introduction In a world that exalts earthly power and demands allegiance, the book of Revelation pulls back the curtain and shows us the true throne of heaven. It calls Gods people to place their hope and loyalty not in the rulers of this age, but in Jesus Christthe One who governs history and alone deserves our allegiance. To grasp Revelation rightly, we must consider the circumstances in which it was given. Most scholars agree that the book was written near the end of the first century, likely between AD 90 and 95, during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian. John tells us that he received this revelation while exiled on the island of Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 1:9). His exile was not a voluntary retreat, but punishment for unwavering faithfulness to Christ. John had lived a long and costly life of discipleship. He had outlived the other apostles, witnessed the rise and fall of emperors, and seen friends and fellow believers martyred for their allegiance to Jesus. He had watched the brutality of Rome unleashedmost notably in the devastation of Jerusalemand he had seen firsthand what happens when earthly powers claim absolute authority. Long before Romes pressure intensified, many Jewish believers in Jesus had already been pushed out of their own communitiesexcluded from synagogues, cut off from family life, and treated as apostates rather than brothers. Faithfulness to Christ often meant losing ones religious home before ever confronting the power of the empire. By the time John was exiled, the pressure on the church had intensified. Under Domitian, emperor worship became a test of loyalty, especially in Asia Minor. For most citizens, participation was routine. For Christians, it was a crisis. To confess Jesus is Lord was to deny Caesar that title, and refusal could lead to social exclusion, economic loss, exile, or worse. This was not a moment of widespread slaughter, but of steady compromise. Christians were not being asked, Will you die for Christ today? They were being asked, Will you bendjust a little? It is into this world that Revelation was given. The very wordrevelationmeans unveiling. God is not hiding His purposes; He is revealing them. This book was written to a pressured church to show who truly reigns, how history is moving, and why faithfulness to Jesus is always worth the cost. And that is where Revelation begins. Behold the Blessing (vv. 1-3) When it comes to Revelation, the book is notRevelations. It is not a series of secret disclosures reserved for the most skilled students of prophetic Scripture. It is not a collection of clues designed to help us identify the next antichristespecially since we are told that many antichrists have already come. It is also not a puzzle to figure out the timing of Christs return, for Jesus even said, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matt. 24:36). Revelation isarevelationbut more precisely, it isthe Revelation of Jesus Christ. That is how the book begins, and that is what the book is about. So what does Revelation reveal about Jesus? Everything. From beginning to end, Revelation presents Jesus in the fullness of His person and work. He is thefaithful witness, thefirstborn from the dead, and theruler of the kings of the earth(1:5). He is theFirst and the Last, theLiving One (1:1718), theHoly One, theTrue One(3:7), and theoriginator of Gods creation(3:14). He is theLion of the tribe of Judahand theRoot of David(5:5), yet also theLamb who was slainand theWorthy One(5:6, 9, 12). He is theSon of Man(14:14), theWord of God(19:13), and theKing of kings and Lord of lords(19:16). He is theAlpha and the Omega, theBeginning and the End(22:13), theRoot and the Descendant of David, and theBright Morning Star(22:16). For this reason, the book of Revelation may rightly be calledthe most Christ-centered book in the Bible. How can I say that? Because, as Paul tells us,all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christand Revelation is the book that shows us, again and again, how Jesus is Gods Yes to every promise He has ever made. This is the primary reason why we are assured a blessing for all who read, hear, and keep what is written in Revelation. You do know, dont you, that you can read something and not hear it right? You can read a verse in the Bible and not really hear it, just as easily as someone can tell you something and it goes in one ear and then out the other with little to no effect. I believe part of that blessing is reflected in whatThe Center for Bible Engagementdiscovered through a large-scale study on Bible engagement involving more than 600,000 participants. The results surprised many peopleincluding those who conducted the research. The study found that individuals who engaged with Scripture at least four times a week experienced: a30% drop in loneliness a32% drop in anger a40% drop in bitterness in marriage and relationships a57% drop in alcoholism a60% drop in sexual sins, including pornography addiction a62% drop in those who felt distant from God So what does it mean to keep the book of Revelation? It means more than reading it or debating itit means treasuring its words and following the Christ it reveals in obedient faith. The very first sentence of the book gives us this clue:The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servantsThe word translatedservantsis the Greek worddoulos, a term that speaks of belonging, allegiance, and obligation. A true Christian, then, is not someone who merely speaks well of Jesus, but someone who gladly submits to Himyielding not just words, but life itselfin faithful service to the One who is revealed as Lord. And this is why we are called to read, hear, and keep the words of Revelationnot only because of the blessing it promises, but becausethe time is near.What time is near? Not simply the final return of Christ, though that hope is never absent. Rather, John is pointing to the nearness of pressure, opposition, and persecution that come when allegiance to Jesus collides with the demands of the world. Revelation prepares Gods people to remain faithful when conformity is rewarded and faithfulness is costly. Behold Our Triune God (vv. 4-6) So why should we press on in light of what is coming? Why read, hear, and keep the words of this book? Because of who God is. Our God is the LORD AlmightyYahwehand there is no one like Him. He is the One who greets His people and extends grace and peace to those who belong to Him. Johns greeting is not casual; it is deeply theological and addressed to the seven churches. These were seven real, historical congregations located in strategic cities of Asia Minor. Yet because the number seven signifies fullness and completeness, they also represent the church as a wholeGods people in every generation and in every place. In that sense, the seven churches represent us. And it is to this churchthen and nowthat grace and peace are given. They come first from the eternal, self-existent God, the One Isaiah proclaimed when he said,Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god(Isa. 44:6). This is the God who stands at the beginning and the end of historythe God who is never threatened, never surprised, and never displaced. This God is also all-sufficient and unchanging. James calls Himthe Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change(Jas. 1:17). In a world where rulers rise and fall and circumstances shift, God remains the same. That is why His grace does not fade and His peace does not fail. In Revelation 1:4, He is described as the Onewho is and who was and who is to come.This is God the Fatherthe great I AMwho once set His people free by crushing Pharaoh and now meets His suffering church with grace and peace. This grace and peace also come from the sevenfold Spiritthe Holy Spirit. The language of seven spirits speaks not of multiple beings, but of the fullness and perfection of the one Spirit who proceeds from Gods throne. It is the Holy Spirit who applies Gods grace to our hearts, sustains us in suffering, and empowers faithful witness. And finally, this grace and peace come from Jesus Christ, the Son. John describes Him asthe faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.Jesus is the faithful witness because He perfectly revealed God and bore faithful testimony to the trutheven unto death. As the firstborn from the dead, He conquered death on our behalf, guaranteeing resurrection life for all who belong to Him. As Paul declares,Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep(1 Cor. 15:20), and again,He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent(Col. 1:18). Our risen Lord is not waiting to ruleHe already reigns. He is not described as one whowill bethe ruler of the kings of the earth, but as the One whoisthe ruler of the kings of the earth. Having lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and risen in victory, Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of the Father. As Scripture declares,At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father(Phil. 2:911). But thats not all, dear brothers and sisters. Scripture tells us that truth is established by two or more faithful witness. Again and again, God confirms His testimony through two witnesses. And in Revelation 1:56, John gives us exactly that. Christ bears witness to His love for us in two unmistakable ways:He has freed us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us a kingdompriests to His God and Father.These two witnesses proclaim one glorious truthnot merely what Christ has done, but who we are to Him. They testify to this above all else:He loves us. He loves us. The love of Christ is never passive. The One who loves us frees us, and the One who frees us forms us into something new. Revelation does not simply assure us that we are lovedit tells us who we now are because we are loved. And that is where John now turns our attention. Behold the Coming King (vv. 7-8) Where is the love of Christ leading us? What was it in these words that was meant to encourage John and the seven churches? Jesusthe faithful witness who lived the life we could never live, the firstborn from the dead who died the death we deserved, and the ruler of the kings of the earth who has made us a kingdom of priestsis coming back for us. How is He coming back? He is coming to be seen, and He is coming in glory. Long before John ever saw this vision, the prophetDanielwas given a glimpse of that day when he wrote,I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away(Dan. 7:1314). When Jesus returns, every eye will see Himincluding those who pierced Him. Jesus Himself described what John records in Revelation 1:7 when He said,Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt.24:30). At His appearing, the tribes of the earth will mournthose who rejected Him, mocked Him, and sought to silence Him by silencing His church. But not all tears will be tears of grief or fear. For those who belong to Christ, for those who have longed for His appearing, our tears will be tears of joy, relief, and celebration. Throughout the book ofRevelation, Jesus promises His coming again and againno fewer than seven times (2:25; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20). This is the first of those promises, but it will not be the last. So what confidence do we have that this will happen? What guarantee do we have that Jesus is truly coming back? Our assurance rests not only in the empty tomb He walked out of, nor only in His promise as the faithful and true witness, but in God Himselfthe One who declares,I am the Alpha and the Omega.He is the great I AM. He is the Lord Almightythe One who is and who was and who is to come. Because He does not change, His promises do not fail, and it is this unchanging God who has guaranteed that these promises belong to His redeemed sons and daughters. Conclusion Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the risen and reigning Christ, rather than to the temporary powers and fleeting trends of this world. Anchor your plans, your hopes, and your very lives in Him alone. Let your hearts rest in the deep assurance of His unfailing lovethe love that has freed you from your sins by His precious blood and has made you a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. As you await the glorious appearing of the King who will come with power for all to see, endure the pressures that seek to silence your testimony, resist the subtle temptations to compromise, and hold fast to the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. Do all this with unshakable confidence and living hope, for the One who calls you is faithful, and He will surely fulfill all that He has promised. So here is what I want to leave you with. If you would remember what it means to read, hear, and keep the words of the book of Revelation, remember this one word:HEAR. H Hold fastto the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. E Endurethe pressures that seek to silence your testimony. A Anchoryour plans, your dreams, and your hopes in the incomparable Christ. R Resistthe subtle temptations to compromise, trusting that God will fulfill all His promises.

Keith Miller Meadowbrooke Church January 25, 2026 Behold Our Great God Revelation 1:1-8 Introduction In a world that exalts earthly power and demands allegiance, the book of Revelation pulls back the curtain and shows us the true throne of heaven. It calls Gods people to place their hope and loyalty not in the rulers of this age, but in Jesus Christthe One who governs history and alone deserves our allegiance. To grasp Revelation rightly, we must consider the circumstances in which it was given. Most scholars agree that the book was written near the end of the first century, likely between AD 90 and 95, during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian. John tells us that he received this revelation while exiled on the island of Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 1:9). His exile was not a voluntary retreat, but punishment for unwavering faithfulness to Christ. John had lived a long and costly life of discipleship. He had outlived the other apostles, witnessed the rise and fall of emperors, and seen friends and fellow believers martyred for their allegiance to Jesus. He had watched the brutality of Rome unleashedmost notably in the devastation of Jerusalemand he had seen firsthand what happens when earthly powers claim absolute authority. Long before Romes pressure intensified, many Jewish believers in Jesus had already been pushed out of their own communitiesexcluded from synagogues, cut off from family life, and treated as apostates rather than brothers. Faithfulness to Christ often meant losing ones religious home before ever confronting the power of the empire. By the time John was exiled, the pressure on the church had intensified. Under Domitian, emperor worship became a test of loyalty, especially in Asia Minor. For most citizens, participation was routine. For Christians, it was a crisis. To confess Jesus is Lord was to deny Caesar that title, and refusal could lead to social exclusion, economic loss, exile, or worse. This was not a moment of widespread slaughter, but of steady compromise. Christians were not being asked, Will you die for Christ today? They were being asked, Will you bendjust a little? It is into this world that Revelation was given. The very wordrevelationmeans unveiling. God is not hiding His purposes; He is revealing them. This book was written to a pressured church to show who truly reigns, how history is moving, and why faithfulness to Jesus is always worth the cost. And that is where Revelation begins. Behold the Blessing (vv. 1-3) When it comes to Revelation, the book is notRevelations. It is not a series of secret disclosures reserved for the most skilled students of prophetic Scripture. It is not a collection of clues designed to help us identify the next antichristespecially since we are told that many antichrists have already come. It is also not a puzzle to figure out the timing of Christs return, for Jesus even said, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matt. 24:36). Revelation isarevelationbut more precisely, it isthe Revelation of Jesus Christ. That is how the book begins, and that is what the book is about. So what does Revelation reveal about Jesus? Everything. From beginning to end, Revelation presents Jesus in the fullness of His person and work. He is thefaithful witness, thefirstborn from the dead, and theruler of the kings of the earth(1:5). He is theFirst and the Last, theLiving One (1:1718), theHoly One, theTrue One(3:7), and theoriginator of Gods creation(3:14). He is theLion of the tribe of Judahand theRoot of David(5:5), yet also theLamb who was slainand theWorthy One(5:6, 9, 12). He is theSon of Man(14:14), theWord of God(19:13), and theKing of kings and Lord of lords(19:16). He is theAlpha and the Omega, theBeginning and the End(22:13), theRoot and the Descendant of David, and theBright Morning Star(22:16). For this reason, the book of Revelation may rightly be calledthe most Christ-centered book in the Bible. How can I say that? Because, as Paul tells us,all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christand Revelation is the book that shows us, again and again, how Jesus is Gods Yes to every promise He has ever made. This is the primary reason why we are assured a blessing for all who read, hear, and keep what is written in Revelation. You do know, dont you, that you can read something and not hear it right? You can read a verse in the Bible and not really hear it, just as easily as someone can tell you something and it goes in one ear and then out the other with little to no effect. I believe part of that blessing is reflected in whatThe Center for Bible Engagementdiscovered through a large-scale study on Bible engagement involving more than 600,000 participants. The results surprised many peopleincluding those who conducted the research. The study found that individuals who engaged with Scripture at least four times a week experienced: a30% drop in loneliness a32% drop in anger a40% drop in bitterness in marriage and relationships a57% drop in alcoholism a60% drop in sexual sins, including pornography addiction a62% drop in those who felt distant from God So what does it mean to keep the book of Revelation? It means more than reading it or debating itit means treasuring its words and following the Christ it reveals in obedient faith. The very first sentence of the book gives us this clue:The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servantsThe word translatedservantsis the Greek worddoulos, a term that speaks of belonging, allegiance, and obligation. A true Christian, then, is not someone who merely speaks well of Jesus, but someone who gladly submits to Himyielding not just words, but life itselfin faithful service to the One who is revealed as Lord. And this is why we are called to read, hear, and keep the words of Revelationnot only because of the blessing it promises, but becausethe time is near.What time is near? Not simply the final return of Christ, though that hope is never absent. Rather, John is pointing to the nearness of pressure, opposition, and persecution that come when allegiance to Jesus collides with the demands of the world. Revelation prepares Gods people to remain faithful when conformity is rewarded and faithfulness is costly. Behold Our Triune God (vv. 4-6) So why should we press on in light of what is coming? Why read, hear, and keep the words of this book? Because of who God is. Our God is the LORD AlmightyYahwehand there is no one like Him. He is the One who greets His people and extends grace and peace to those who belong to Him. Johns greeting is not casual; it is deeply theological and addressed to the seven churches. These were seven real, historical congregations located in strategic cities of Asia Minor. Yet because the number seven signifies fullness and completeness, they also represent the church as a wholeGods people in every generation and in every place. In that sense, the seven churches represent us. And it is to this churchthen and nowthat grace and peace are given. They come first from the eternal, self-existent God, the One Isaiah proclaimed when he said,Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god(Isa. 44:6). This is the God who stands at the beginning and the end of historythe God who is never threatened, never surprised, and never displaced. This God is also all-sufficient and unchanging. James calls Himthe Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change(Jas. 1:17). In a world where rulers rise and fall and circumstances shift, God remains the same. That is why His grace does not fade and His peace does not fail. In Revelation 1:4, He is described as the Onewho is and who was and who is to come.This is God the Fatherthe great I AMwho once set His people free by crushing Pharaoh and now meets His suffering church with grace and peace. This grace and peace also come from the sevenfold Spiritthe Holy Spirit. The language of seven spirits speaks not of multiple beings, but of the fullness and perfection of the one Spirit who proceeds from Gods throne. It is the Holy Spirit who applies Gods grace to our hearts, sustains us in suffering, and empowers faithful witness. And finally, this grace and peace come from Jesus Christ, the Son. John describes Him asthe faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.Jesus is the faithful witness because He perfectly revealed God and bore faithful testimony to the trutheven unto death. As the firstborn from the dead, He conquered death on our behalf, guaranteeing resurrection life for all who belong to Him. As Paul declares,Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep(1 Cor. 15:20), and again,He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent(Col. 1:18). Our risen Lord is not waiting to ruleHe already reigns. He is not described as one whowill bethe ruler of the kings of the earth, but as the One whoisthe ruler of the kings of the earth. Having lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and risen in victory, Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of the Father. As Scripture declares,At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father(Phil. 2:911). But thats not all, dear brothers and sisters. Scripture tells us that truth is established by two or more faithful witness. Again and again, God confirms His testimony through two witnesses. And in Revelation 1:56, John gives us exactly that. Christ bears witness to His love for us in two unmistakable ways:He has freed us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us a kingdompriests to His God and Father.These two witnesses proclaim one glorious truthnot merely what Christ has done, but who we are to Him. They testify to this above all else:He loves us. He loves us. The love of Christ is never passive. The One who loves us frees us, and the One who frees us forms us into something new. Revelation does not simply assure us that we are lovedit tells us who we now are because we are loved. And that is where John now turns our attention. Behold the Coming King (vv. 7-8) Where is the love of Christ leading us? What was it in these words that was meant to encourage John and the seven churches? Jesusthe faithful witness who lived the life we could never live, the firstborn from the dead who died the death we deserved, and the ruler of the kings of the earth who has made us a kingdom of priestsis coming back for us. How is He coming back? He is coming to be seen, and He is coming in glory. Long before John ever saw this vision, the prophetDanielwas given a glimpse of that day when he wrote,I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away(Dan. 7:1314). When Jesus returns, every eye will see Himincluding those who pierced Him. Jesus Himself described what John records in Revelation 1:7 when He said,Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt.24:30). At His appearing, the tribes of the earth will mournthose who rejected Him, mocked Him, and sought to silence Him by silencing His church. But not all tears will be tears of grief or fear. For those who belong to Christ, for those who have longed for His appearing, our tears will be tears of joy, relief, and celebration. Throughout the book ofRevelation, Jesus promises His coming again and againno fewer than seven times (2:25; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20). This is the first of those promises, but it will not be the last. So what confidence do we have that this will happen? What guarantee do we have that Jesus is truly coming back? Our assurance rests not only in the empty tomb He walked out of, nor only in His promise as the faithful and true witness, but in God Himselfthe One who declares,I am the Alpha and the Omega.He is the great I AM. He is the Lord Almightythe One who is and who was and who is to come. Because He does not change, His promises do not fail, and it is this unchanging God who has guaranteed that these promises belong to His redeemed sons and daughters. Conclusion Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the risen and reigning Christ, rather than to the temporary powers and fleeting trends of this world. Anchor your plans, your hopes, and your very lives in Him alone. Let your hearts rest in the deep assurance of His unfailing lovethe love that has freed you from your sins by His precious blood and has made you a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. As you await the glorious appearing of the King who will come with power for all to see, endure the pressures that seek to silence your testimony, resist the subtle temptations to compromise, and hold fast to the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. Do all this with unshakable confidence and living hope, for the One who calls you is faithful, and He will surely fulfill all that He has promised. So here is what I want to leave you with. If you would remember what it means to read, hear, and keep the words of the book of Revelation, remember this one word:HEAR. H Hold fastto the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. E Endurethe pressures that seek to silence your testimony. A Anchoryour plans, your dreams, and your hopes in the incomparable Christ. R Resistthe subtle temptations to compromise, trusting that God will fulfill all His promises.

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that Goliath's challenge with the army of Israel was not just physical, it was spiritual. David, with tremendous faith, was so sure of God's power in this battle, that he not only runs towards Goliath He runs toward His God confident of Israel's victory.

To the amazement of the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul boasted in chapter 11 of all his various sufferings and hardships. He boasted of all the painful persecution that he had endured in his physical and emotional natural man, not so he would be thought of as strong, or crazy, but so he could actually boast about the power and strength of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. His boast was always in His God and never in his flesh.  And so, he continues with this same theme of boasting in the Lord in chapter 12.

St. Justin Popovic (+1979) the great Serbian theologian of the 20th century, explains the nature and veracity of God being Judge of all creation. "It is natural for the heavenly Sower," writes St. Justin, "who has abundantly sown the seed of eternal, divine truths in the earth of the human soul, to come and see how much of that seed has rotted in the mire of lust, been strangled by the thorns of passion or withered by the coals of sinfulness, and how much has grown and yielded divine fruit, and, also, to reap and winnow the ripe ears of corn."A reading from The Orthodox Church and Ecumenism by St. Justin Popovic, p. 85-88.NOTE: The meaning of Theanthropic: divine (in Greek theos = God) and human (in Greek anthropos = man); the Theanthropos = the God-Man, i.e. Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.

You may not be interested in the horror genre, but you still might enjoy Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Carl Sederholm—the best apologist I've heard for why horror can be such an insightful and meaningful genre. For one, it trusts young protagonists with frightening "adult" problems. It also explores the fears we keep tucked in our subconscious, giving us a safe space to confront them. And sometimes, it even provides a strange kind of anxiety relief by letting us see that someone else's day is going much worse than our own. In this book, nine-year-old Tricia becomes lost in the woods of Maine, tormented by mosquitoes, spooked by mangled deer heads, and ultimately confronted by the bear of her nightmares, the "God of the Lost." Facing what seem like impossible hurdles, Tricia survives in part because of her unwavering admiration for her baseball hero, Tom Gordon. His God becomes the one she believes can carry her through. And even if the book isn't always enjoyable, the ending is the icing on an otherwise unsavory cake. But you have to make the survival trek to appreciate it. In my opinion, it's totally worth it.  

November 16 2025 Sunday Your Words Matter / Week 41 / T. Stacy Hayes #findoutwhoyouare My Vision My vision is to teach the world Who They Are In Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior! To Teach them what the Bible says about them and who they have been made to be in the promises of God's Word. This changed my life years ago and completely transformed me from a person full of doubt, fear and unbelief to a strong confident Christian that knows I can do anything through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. And I'm determined to teach the world what God has taught and commissioned me to teach and that is His Word.  That commission takes me to jails and detention centers weekly along with other open doors at many churches and ministries that are wanting to teach these important truths to the world. My podcast goes out 6 days a week to help the people I am ministering to grow in the truths that God has taught me for many years now. This podcast is free to all that want to listen and grow strong in who God has made them to be in Christ Jesus their Lord and Savior. Isaiah 53:5  Healing… Matthew 18:19  Agree with God's Word… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Acts 10:34  God is no respecter of persons "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10 KJV "This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 1 John 4:10 NLT "In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins." 1 John 4:10 AMPC "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." 1 John 4:15 KJV "All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." 1 John 4:15 NLT "Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God." 1 John 4:15 AMPC "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." 1 John 5:1 KJV "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too." 1 John 5:1 NLT "EVERYONE WHO believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring)." 1 John 5:1 AMPC "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:4-5 KJV "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:4-5 NLT "For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]?" 1 John 5:4-5 AMPC "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11-12 KJV "And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life." 1 John 5:11-12 NLT "And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life." 1 John 5:11-12 AMPC "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Revelation 1:5-6 KJV "and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen." Revelation 1:5-6 NLT "And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, [Ps. 89:27.] And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father–to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it). [Exod. 19:6; Isa. 61:6.]" Revelation 1:5-6 AMPC Romans 10:9-10  Salvation… Romans 10:17  Faith in God comes from hearing His Word… Matthew 11:28-30  Jesus'Yoke is Easy… John 3:16  God gave Jesus to pay for our Salvation… God Loves The abortion dr As Much As He Loves The Babies They Are Killing… Philippians 12:2  Work out your own Salvation… Romans 8:1  No condemnation in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…  Luke Chapter 15 The Story Of The Prodigal Son… Philippians 4:19  God will supply all your needs let Him… Romans 4:20  Don't Stagger at What God Is Saying In His Word… John 15:5 We can't do anything aside from Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… 2 Corinthians 5:17  We are new creatures in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… 2 Corinthians 5:21  We are The Righteousness of God In Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Ephesians 2:8  We are Saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Believe God's Word Above All Opinions God Loves The abortion dr's As Much As He Loves The Babies They Are Killing… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Share This Podcast On Your Social Media… Website https://the-prodigalson.com Email tstacyhayes@gmail.com  YouVersion Bible App https://my.bible.comi iOS App https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prodigal-son/id1450529518?mt=8 …  Android App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.prodical  Social Media https://www.facebook.com/The-Prodigal-SON-209069136315959/ https://www.facebook.com/noreligion1511/ https://twitter.com/noreligion1511 https://www.instagram.com/noreligion1511/ https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPx4s1CLkSYef6mp4dSuU4w/featured

A man named Jack accidentally fell off the edge of a steep cliff. On the way down he was able to grab ahold of a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror discovered that there were hundreds of feet between him and the bottom of the canyon. He couldnt hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him. HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? HELP! He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. Jack, Jack. Can you hear me? Yes, yes! I can hear you. Im down here! I can see you, Jack. Are you all right? Yes, but who are you, and where are you? I am the Lord, Jack. Im everywhere. The Lord? You mean, GOD? Thats Me. God, please help me! I promise if, youll get me down from here, Ill stop sinning. Ill be a really good person. Ill serve You for the rest of my life. Easy on the promises, Jack. Lets get you off from there, then we can talk. Now, heres what I want you to do. Listen carefully. Ill do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do. Okay. Let go of the branch. What? I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go. There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE? What is faith? Here is the way the Bible defines it: Faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1; BSB). Abraham became known for that kind of faith, but it took a lifetime for him to get to the place of utter dependance upon God. I am not sure what Abrahams hopes and dreams were before he met God, but his home was in the City of Ur where Nanna, the Mesopotamian Moon god, was worshiped and his wife and family lived. Although childless, Abraham was prosperous, settled, and old. What he may or may not have known was that he was a descendant of Noah ten generations removed. When Abraham first heard God's calling, he was seventy-five years old, and his wife Sarah was sixty-five (see Gen. 12:4; 17:17). Despite their advanced age and the fact that they had no children, God gave Abraham a remarkable promise: I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). This was a profound and hopeful message, especially considering that Abrahams birth name was Abram, meaning Exalted Fathera title that must have felt ironic for a man with no children at seventy-five, and a wife (Sarai) ten years his junior. The name Abram brings to mind other individuals who have been given ironic or unfortunate names, such as the character mentioned in the following well-known song lyric: Well, my daddy left home when I was threeDidn't leave very much to my mom and meExcept this old guitar and an empty bottle of boozeNow I don't blame him 'cause he run and hidBut the meanest thing that my daddy ever didWas before he left, he went and named me Sue[1] God made three foundational promises to Abraham: first, He pledged to give him a land of his own; second, He vowed that Abraham would become the father of a vast multitude of descendants; and third, He assured that all nations would be blessed through him, signifying Gods plan of redemption. Trusting in these promises, Abraham left his home in Ur and journeyed to the land that God would reveal to him. The Promise (Gen. 17:1-9) Before we get to Genesis 17, I need to help you appreciate what Abraham (still Abram) was feeling and experiencing. When we come to Genesis 15, Abraham and Sarah are still childless about 10 years after they were promised a child! Abraham followed God out of obedience and brought his wife with him on the basis of a promise made by God that included many descendants, land, and a legacy that would bless multitudes in the future! At 85ish years old, God reassured Abraham (Abram), but what Gods reassurance was is up for debate based on the different ways Genesis 15:1 can be translated. Consider the ways NASB and the NKJV translated this verse: Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great. (NASB2020) Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. (NKJV) So what is it? Based on Gods promise in Genesis 13:1-3 and how He will reiterate the promise later in Genesis 15, I think it is both. Here is one way you could paraphrase this verse: Because I am your reward, your reward will be great. Abraham was about ready to give up on believing the promise include a biological son, but then God swore on behalf of His own name that He would honor the promise He made to Abram and Sarah. God then entered into what is called a unilateral covenant of which He was obligated to honor that was not conditioned on anything that Abram did or did not do. God swore to Abraham (Abram), One who will come from your own body will be your heir (15:4b). What was Abrahams response? We are told in Genesis 15: Then he believed in the Lord; and He credited it to him as righteousness. Then about a year later, Sarah (still Sarai) developed a plan for her husband to get her maid, Hagar, pregnant; to have the heir God promised through her. After all, God said the promised heir would come from Abraham a year ago but did not seem to mention Sarai! So again, the forces of darkness were at work to prevent the Descendent promised to Adam and Eve, who would crush the head of the serpent from ever being born.[2] Hagar did get pregnant with Abrahams child, but all that did was bring more dysfunction into Abrahams home, among other problems. Abraham (still Abram) was 86 and Sarah (still Sarai) 76, with no child to show for the promise God made long ago. Now we come to the promise made yet again in Genesis 17, but this time it is 24 years since the couple left Ur and 13 years since the whole mess they create with Hagar and the birth of Ishmael. Before I go any further, let that settle in your heart and mind for a moment. For 24 years Abraham and Sarah waited, longed, hoped for the son that Almighty God promised them. Then 13 years later while Ishmael had reached the age of maturity and Abram resigned that there would be no heir by Ishmael, God appeared to Abraham (still Abram) and spoke yet again: I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly (17:1-2). It is in this moment that God gave Abram the name Abraham which means father of a multitude. The blessing would not come through Ishmael, but through another son. So that there would be no room for confusion, God said to Abraham: As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her (17:1516). Abrahams response is understandable: Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth to a child? (v. 17). Nearly one year later, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old, she gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise (Gen. 21:1-8). The promise made to Adam and Eve, to Noah, and to Abraham would now come through Isaac. A promise that included land, descendants (a great multitude), and the blessing of the nations. Abraham received the promise when he was 75 and his wife past menopause which means to have a child together would have been a miracle at their respective ages, but for 90-year-old Sarah to carry the child of her 100-year-old husband was impossible! And that is the point, isnt it? There was nothing that Abraham or Sarah could do to make Gods promise possible, they could not make it happen sooner, they could not adjust Gods timing, all that they could do is trust and wait for God to do only what He could in His own timing. Their part in Gods promise was to trust, obey, and wait. The Promise of a Better Son (Gen. 22) We are not told how many years it was after Isaacs birth, but when we come to Genesis 22 we are told that God spoke to Abraham and said some of the most horrific words Abraham would ever hear: Then He said, Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you (Gen. 22:2). Things were different this time; Abraham was different this time, for he had known God for many years since he was first called out of his homeland. The Bible tells us that that Abraham, ...got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him (v. 3). There were no arguments, no debate, no protest Abraham simply obeyed because He believed if he followed through with the sacrifice of his own son; God was big enough to raise him up from death to life. This is why when Abraham took Isaac up the mountain, he told the young men he brought with him: Then Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (v. 5). Although the exact number of years between Isaacs birth and Gods command for Abraham to sacrifice his son is not specified in the text, we can make a reasonable estimate based on several clues about Isaacs age. First, Isaac was old enough to walk alongside his father for the entire three-day journey while Abraham, advanced in years, rode a donkey. Second, Isaac had the strength to carry the wood for the burnt offering up the rugged slope of Mount Moriah after days of travel. Third, Isaac was old enough to make a critical observation: Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? (v. 7). These details suggest that Isaac was not a small child; my guess is that he was at least 13 years old. There is something else you should be aware of about Abraham and Isaacs journey and what was said to the young men just before Abraham and Isaac made their way up Mt. Moriah: The journey would take 3 days to get to the place of Isaacs sacrifice. Most scholars believe that Mt. Moriah was the site where Jerusalem would eventually be built. On the third day, Abraham said to the young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (v. 5). In other words, Abraham believed that there would be a resurrection after he slaughtered his son... ON THE THIRD DAY! So what happened? Did Abraham follow through with what God commanded? Abraham had seen too much to doubt Gods ability and character to do what He had promised. God promised a child through whom would come a great multitude and the nations would be blessed. Here is what happened: Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. He said, Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham would have followed through with killing his one and only son had God not stopped him because no longer did he put God in a box He was too big for any boxes because now He knew His God. What was Gods response? He simply reiterated His covenant promise: By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice (Gen. 22:16-18). Why did God command Abraham to sacrifice his son, and why did He refer to the child as, your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac (v. 2)? The significance lies in the foreshadowing of a greater Son who would come from Isaacs lineageJesus Christ, Gods own Son. In other words, Isaacs story points forward to a future sacrifice on another mount known as Golgotha, God the Father would do what He prevented Abraham from doing: He would slaughter His only unique Son, whom He loved, for the sins of the multitudes to redeem a people for himself by the blood of the greater and more perfect Isaac! While the "lesser Isaac" was confused and unsure of the purpose for the wood he carried, the "greater Isaac," Jesus Christ, carried a wooden cross fully aware of why He was doing it and with unwavering commitment to die in our place as the Lamb of God. Where God provided a ram to spare Isaac, Jesus willingly became our substitute, submitting to the Father's will and taking on the penalty for our sins. Isaac had to be bound before being placed on the altar, but Jesus embraced the cross freely, allowing sinful men to bound Him to the cross on our behalf. Oh dear brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is the true and better Isaac of whom the Scriptures testify: God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). [1] Johnny Cash,A Boy Named Sue,performed by Johnny Cash, written by Shel Silverstein, recorded at San Quentin State Prison, 24 Feb. 1969, released onAt San Quentin,Columbia Records, 1969. [2] Now Sarai, Abrams wife, had not borne him a child, but she had an Egyptian slave woman whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Gen. 16:12)

A man named Jack accidentally fell off the edge of a steep cliff. On the way down he was able to grab ahold of a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror discovered that there were hundreds of feet between him and the bottom of the canyon. He couldnt hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him. HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? HELP! He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. Jack, Jack. Can you hear me? Yes, yes! I can hear you. Im down here! I can see you, Jack. Are you all right? Yes, but who are you, and where are you? I am the Lord, Jack. Im everywhere. The Lord? You mean, GOD? Thats Me. God, please help me! I promise if, youll get me down from here, Ill stop sinning. Ill be a really good person. Ill serve You for the rest of my life. Easy on the promises, Jack. Lets get you off from there, then we can talk. Now, heres what I want you to do. Listen carefully. Ill do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do. Okay. Let go of the branch. What? I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go. There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE? What is faith? Here is the way the Bible defines it: Faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1; BSB). Abraham became known for that kind of faith, but it took a lifetime for him to get to the place of utter dependance upon God. I am not sure what Abrahams hopes and dreams were before he met God, but his home was in the City of Ur where Nanna, the Mesopotamian Moon god, was worshiped and his wife and family lived. Although childless, Abraham was prosperous, settled, and old. What he may or may not have known was that he was a descendant of Noah ten generations removed. When Abraham first heard God's calling, he was seventy-five years old, and his wife Sarah was sixty-five (see Gen. 12:4; 17:17). Despite their advanced age and the fact that they had no children, God gave Abraham a remarkable promise: I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). This was a profound and hopeful message, especially considering that Abrahams birth name was Abram, meaning Exalted Fathera title that must have felt ironic for a man with no children at seventy-five, and a wife (Sarai) ten years his junior. The name Abram brings to mind other individuals who have been given ironic or unfortunate names, such as the character mentioned in the following well-known song lyric: Well, my daddy left home when I was threeDidn't leave very much to my mom and meExcept this old guitar and an empty bottle of boozeNow I don't blame him 'cause he run and hidBut the meanest thing that my daddy ever didWas before he left, he went and named me Sue[1] God made three foundational promises to Abraham: first, He pledged to give him a land of his own; second, He vowed that Abraham would become the father of a vast multitude of descendants; and third, He assured that all nations would be blessed through him, signifying Gods plan of redemption. Trusting in these promises, Abraham left his home in Ur and journeyed to the land that God would reveal to him. The Promise (Gen. 17:1-9) Before we get to Genesis 17, I need to help you appreciate what Abraham (still Abram) was feeling and experiencing. When we come to Genesis 15, Abraham and Sarah are still childless about 10 years after they were promised a child! Abraham followed God out of obedience and brought his wife with him on the basis of a promise made by God that included many descendants, land, and a legacy that would bless multitudes in the future! At 85ish years old, God reassured Abraham (Abram), but what Gods reassurance was is up for debate based on the different ways Genesis 15:1 can be translated. Consider the ways NASB and the NKJV translated this verse: Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great. (NASB2020) Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. (NKJV) So what is it? Based on Gods promise in Genesis 13:1-3 and how He will reiterate the promise later in Genesis 15, I think it is both. Here is one way you could paraphrase this verse: Because I am your reward, your reward will be great. Abraham was about ready to give up on believing the promise include a biological son, but then God swore on behalf of His own name that He would honor the promise He made to Abram and Sarah. God then entered into what is called a unilateral covenant of which He was obligated to honor that was not conditioned on anything that Abram did or did not do. God swore to Abraham (Abram), One who will come from your own body will be your heir (15:4b). What was Abrahams response? We are told in Genesis 15: Then he believed in the Lord; and He credited it to him as righteousness. Then about a year later, Sarah (still Sarai) developed a plan for her husband to get her maid, Hagar, pregnant; to have the heir God promised through her. After all, God said the promised heir would come from Abraham a year ago but did not seem to mention Sarai! So again, the forces of darkness were at work to prevent the Descendent promised to Adam and Eve, who would crush the head of the serpent from ever being born.[2] Hagar did get pregnant with Abrahams child, but all that did was bring more dysfunction into Abrahams home, among other problems. Abraham (still Abram) was 86 and Sarah (still Sarai) 76, with no child to show for the promise God made long ago. Now we come to the promise made yet again in Genesis 17, but this time it is 24 years since the couple left Ur and 13 years since the whole mess they create with Hagar and the birth of Ishmael. Before I go any further, let that settle in your heart and mind for a moment. For 24 years Abraham and Sarah waited, longed, hoped for the son that Almighty God promised them. Then 13 years later while Ishmael had reached the age of maturity and Abram resigned that there would be no heir by Ishmael, God appeared to Abraham (still Abram) and spoke yet again: I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. I will make My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly (17:1-2). It is in this moment that God gave Abram the name Abraham which means father of a multitude. The blessing would not come through Ishmael, but through another son. So that there would be no room for confusion, God said to Abraham: As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her (17:1516). Abrahams response is understandable: Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth to a child? (v. 17). Nearly one year later, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old, she gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise (Gen. 21:1-8). The promise made to Adam and Eve, to Noah, and to Abraham would now come through Isaac. A promise that included land, descendants (a great multitude), and the blessing of the nations. Abraham received the promise when he was 75 and his wife past menopause which means to have a child together would have been a miracle at their respective ages, but for 90-year-old Sarah to carry the child of her 100-year-old husband was impossible! And that is the point, isnt it? There was nothing that Abraham or Sarah could do to make Gods promise possible, they could not make it happen sooner, they could not adjust Gods timing, all that they could do is trust and wait for God to do only what He could in His own timing. Their part in Gods promise was to trust, obey, and wait. The Promise of a Better Son (Gen. 22) We are not told how many years it was after Isaacs birth, but when we come to Genesis 22 we are told that God spoke to Abraham and said some of the most horrific words Abraham would ever hear: Then He said, Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you (Gen. 22:2). Things were different this time; Abraham was different this time, for he had known God for many years since he was first called out of his homeland. The Bible tells us that that Abraham, ...got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him (v. 3). There were no arguments, no debate, no protest Abraham simply obeyed because He believed if he followed through with the sacrifice of his own son; God was big enough to raise him up from death to life. This is why when Abraham took Isaac up the mountain, he told the young men he brought with him: Then Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (v. 5). Although the exact number of years between Isaacs birth and Gods command for Abraham to sacrifice his son is not specified in the text, we can make a reasonable estimate based on several clues about Isaacs age. First, Isaac was old enough to walk alongside his father for the entire three-day journey while Abraham, advanced in years, rode a donkey. Second, Isaac had the strength to carry the wood for the burnt offering up the rugged slope of Mount Moriah after days of travel. Third, Isaac was old enough to make a critical observation: Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? (v. 7). These details suggest that Isaac was not a small child; my guess is that he was at least 13 years old. There is something else you should be aware of about Abraham and Isaacs journey and what was said to the young men just before Abraham and Isaac made their way up Mt. Moriah: The journey would take 3 days to get to the place of Isaacs sacrifice. Most scholars believe that Mt. Moriah was the site where Jerusalem would eventually be built. On the third day, Abraham said to the young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (v. 5). In other words, Abraham believed that there would be a resurrection after he slaughtered his son... ON THE THIRD DAY! So what happened? Did Abraham follow through with what God commanded? Abraham had seen too much to doubt Gods ability and character to do what He had promised. God promised a child through whom would come a great multitude and the nations would be blessed. Here is what happened: Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. He said, Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham would have followed through with killing his one and only son had God not stopped him because no longer did he put God in a box He was too big for any boxes because now He knew His God. What was Gods response? He simply reiterated His covenant promise: By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice (Gen. 22:16-18). Why did God command Abraham to sacrifice his son, and why did He refer to the child as, your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac (v. 2)? The significance lies in the foreshadowing of a greater Son who would come from Isaacs lineageJesus Christ, Gods own Son. In other words, Isaacs story points forward to a future sacrifice on another mount known as Golgotha, God the Father would do what He prevented Abraham from doing: He would slaughter His only unique Son, whom He loved, for the sins of the multitudes to redeem a people for himself by the blood of the greater and more perfect Isaac! While the "lesser Isaac" was confused and unsure of the purpose for the wood he carried, the "greater Isaac," Jesus Christ, carried a wooden cross fully aware of why He was doing it and with unwavering commitment to die in our place as the Lamb of God. Where God provided a ram to spare Isaac, Jesus willingly became our substitute, submitting to the Father's will and taking on the penalty for our sins. Isaac had to be bound before being placed on the altar, but Jesus embraced the cross freely, allowing sinful men to bound Him to the cross on our behalf. Oh dear brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is the true and better Isaac of whom the Scriptures testify: God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). [1] Johnny Cash,A Boy Named Sue,performed by Johnny Cash, written by Shel Silverstein, recorded at San Quentin State Prison, 24 Feb. 1969, released onAt San Quentin,Columbia Records, 1969. [2] Now Sarai, Abrams wife, had not borne him a child, but she had an Egyptian slave woman whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Gen. 16:12)

1 Chronicles 22 commences with David's preparation for the building of the temple. Since David had been forbidden from building he could have left the task to Solomon. But no, he shows a wonderful spirit in totally throwing his energies into preparing for building the temple. David then charges his son with the responsibility of the task. Yahweh tells of Solomon's part in the building of that magnificent house. God outlines that Solomon would be a son of the promise, which was restated. But Solomon could not fulfill all the terms of the covenant since Solomon came to the throne while David is still living. Also, God's mercy departed from Solomon who in his later life strays from the ways of His God. Additionally, Solomon was not literally the Father's son. Brother Islip Collyer in his magnificent book - "Conviction and Conduct" on page 142 wrote of David's wonderful spirit as follows: "that David's plan to build the temple was inspired by pure zeal for Divine things and not with an idea of self-aggrandisement; for despite hisfrustrated intention he still thanked God for the mercies promised and started with zeal on such work as was permitted". Chapter 32 of Ezekiel contains a lament on Egypt, who is likened to a dragon (crocodile) lying in the Nile. The annual blessing that came from the deposit of rich alluvial sediment, due to rains falling in central Africa, would cease. This has happened ever since the completion of the Aswan high dam. The construction of that dam has been disastrous. Disease has increased and there has been a massive reduction of agriculture and fishing. These disasters have resulted in the once mighty Egyptian empire becoming a minor nation. Like many of the other nations Egypt would be brought low. Egypt is thus another testimony to the fact that: "the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men" Daniel 4:17. In Ephesians 3 the Apostle Paul outlines the 'mystery' (the Greek word simply means 'secret') that God always intended for the Gentiles to be included in the blessings of the gospel. From verses 14-22 we read of the Apostle's prayer for the believers' spiritual strength and growth. Notice that the love of God surpasses understanding and includes four dimensions - length, breadth, depth and height. This indicates that the love of the Father cannot be measured. Chapter 4 contains a plea for unity among the body of believers. In the truth there is a sevenfold unity (verses 4-6). This is essentially because God, our Father is one. Those verses cite several Old Testament Scriptures supporting this purpose - Psalm 68; Deuteronomy 30. The result is that the distribution of gifts is defined by the function they fulfil in promoting and producing a united body. Each believer has been called to a new life described in verses 17-32. Carefully read verses 20-24 which tell us how faithful believers in Christ live by modelling their lives on his. Also contemplate the need to replace old evil habits with positive beneficial behaviours as verses 25-32 teach us. The last three verses say that any failure to act in a way that reveals that we arethe children of the Almighty will grieve our loving Heavenly Father. The only way to overcome sin is by"replacement therapy".

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Bible Readings Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Luke 14:25-35, Philemon 1:1-21, Worship Folder Pastor Paul A. Tullberg Sermon text: Revelation 1:5-8 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. Take a Moment to recall something from today's message. Ask Jesus to create for you opportunities to use your words, activities and thoughts to glorify Him this week. We value your friendship and the opportunity to share the love of Jesus together with you!

In this special live-audience episode of Thriving in Tandem, Robert and Kay Lee welcome back long-time friends and returning guests, Jim and Martha Brangenberg. From running a real estate development project to revitalizing their small town, serving as volunteer firefighters and chaplains, caring for aging parents, hosting their radio show I Work for Him, and spearheading community events — Jim and Martha live a full, fast-paced life. Yet, despite the chaos, they've learned the value of slowing down, setting boundaries, and keeping God at the center of their marriage. Together, we unpack the disciplines, decisions, and daily habits that help them work as a team in both life and business. They share how prayer has been their “secret sauce” for 43 years, why listening to each other's God-given instincts matters, and how choosing connection over conflict has kept their relationship strong. From avoiding “hangry” arguments to navigating seasons where traditional date nights are impossible, Jim and Martha offer practical, real-life strategies for staying close in the busiest of seasons. Whether you're building a business, leading in your community, or simply juggling the everyday demands of marriage and family, this episode will encourage you to protect your partnership, prioritize your quiet time with God, and let go of the small stuff that doesn't matter in the long run. Jim and Martha's story is a reminder that thriving in tandem isn't about perfection — it's about intention, grace, and staying on the same team no matter what. Listen to them on https://www.iwork4him.com/  Listen to episode 82 https://marriedentrepreneur.co/blog/dance-business-spous https://www.iwork4him.com/  Key Takeaways: Prayer is a powerful anchor — begin and end your day with it, even if everything else falls apart. Listen to and respect your spouse's instincts, especially when they feel prompted by God. Protect your marriage from unnecessary tension by “letting go” of minor irritations. Seasons of busyness may require redefining date nights — connection matters more than formality. Set boundaries with your time, use your calendar intentionally, and be willing to say no to protect your priorities. True teamwork means surrendering your agenda to God's direction and committing to run the race together. Bio: Jim Brangenberg An entrepreneur for life, Jim has grown several start-ups and mentored many business owners. His God-gifted ability to ask the right questions lends itself well to his role as host of the iWork4Him program, the Faith and Work mouthpiece founded in 2013. Martha Brangenberg Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus. Together, Jim and Martha are passionate about living out faith at work, building strong marriages and regularly offer marriage retreats. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. Want to live a better balanced life and win in marriage AND business at the same time? Purchase our (audio) book Tandem: The married entrepreneurs' guide for greater work-life balance. https://www.thetandembook.com/ Download the 5 Daily Habits to Thrive in Tandem https://marriedentrepreneur.co/5-daily-habits-download  Need some insight into how to balance it all? Schedule a free discovery call. https://marriedentrepreneur.co/lets-talk  

As Dr. Mitchell has said, these words from our Lord deals with personal relationships. Jesus speaks on the topics of love and hate especially with reference to enemies.Once again our Lord speaks to those who would be citizens of the kingdom of heaven. He now directs their attention to the difference between what they had been told concerning love for one's neighbor but hate to one's enemies. What is especially precious in this passage is how God the Father is perfect and impartial to both the good and evil, both to those who are righteous and to those who are unrighteous. How precious is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also our Father who is in heaven. Remember that Jesus referred to God as His God and our God, His Father and our Father. Let's join Dr. Mitchell, here on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast in Matthew 5:43.

How big is the God you see? Reduced perception of God will always shrink the level of the glory that you experience with Him. Look at David. When he faced off with Goliath, the giant's size was irrelevant; what mattered was the scale of the greatness on which David perceived His God. The size of the God you perceive determines the level on which you receive from Him. Change how you see God, this will automatically change the level that you receive from Him.

David, in Psalm 27, demonstrates His confidence in His God.  Through the words of this Psalm, we see the genuine emotional reality of trusting God, doubting God, and growing our desire to seek Him and His presence. All these things culminate in David being able to trust in God and seek His presence no matter the circumstance

Dave Brisbin 7.13.25 How many times have you asked God for a sign? Desperately cried out for any toehold you could get on some certainty…imploring, making bargains. Great scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, begging for a sign but too focused on his pain to see all the signs along the road until he's finally stopped in his tracks, forced to admit his loss of control. Art imitating life. When religious authorities ask Jesus for a sign, he refuses, calling them an evil generation—bisha in Aramaic—literally unripe, unready, unprepared. He knows as with almighty Bruce, no sign will be enough to convince them of anything until they are prepared to see. Except for the sign of Jonah. We all know Jonah: God asks him to preach to the people of Nineveh but he hates them so much, wants to see them burn, that he runs away aboard a ship only to be swallowed by a great fish. He camps in the fish for three days, until he can finally admit his loss of control. Ironically, Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet who successfully preaches a people to repentance, but when God spares the city, Jonah is not happy. This is why he ran away. He knew his God, the extent of God's love and compassion. But his own love was still tribal. His God should not be their God. God's love should not extend to those he hated. The descent of his three days in the belly of the beast brought him to the gates of Nineveh, but he'd need another descent before he could extend his love all the way to the enemy. This is the way of it. No sign will ever be enough to overcome our human fears and need for tribal certainty. But the sign of Jonah, descending deep enough, long enough to implode our narrow view of life and love, is the only way to become free enough to see a greater expanse. Whether through external trauma and loss, or internally through intentional spiritual formation, if we're willing to surrender to the beast, we still won't find certainty—that's impossible. But in stripping off illusion, the reality of love extending everywhere, filling every crack, can convince us our borders are artificial, our tribes too small, and our identity defined only in each other.

Dave Brisbin 7.13.25 How many times have you asked God for a sign? Desperately cried out for any toehold you could get on some certainty…imploring, making bargains. Great scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, begging for a sign but too focused on his pain to see all the signs along the road until he's finally stopped in his tracks, forced to admit his loss of control. Art imitating life. When religious authorities ask Jesus for a sign, he refuses, calling them an evil generation—bisha in Aramaic—literally unripe, unready, unprepared. He knows as with almighty Bruce, no sign will be enough to convince them of anything until they are prepared to see. Except for the sign of Jonah. We all know Jonah: God asks him to preach to the people of Nineveh but he hates them so much, wants to see them burn, that he runs away aboard a ship only to be swallowed by a great fish. He camps in the fish for three days, until he can finally admit his loss of control. Ironically, Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet who successfully preaches a people to repentance, but when God spares the city, Jonah is not happy. This is why he ran away. He knew his God, the extent of God's love and compassion. But his own love was still tribal. His God should not be their God. God's love should not extend to those he hated. The descent of his three days in the belly of the beast brought him to the gates of Nineveh, but he'd need another descent before he could extend his love all the way to the enemy. This is the way of it. No sign will ever be enough to overcome our human fears and need for tribal certainty. But the sign of Jonah, descending deep enough, long enough to implode our narrow view of life and love, is the only way to become free enough to see a greater expanse. Whether through external trauma and loss, or internally through intentional spiritual formation, if we're willing to surrender to the beast, we still won't find certainty—that's impossible. But in stripping off illusion, the reality of love extending everywhere, filling every crack, can convince us our borders are artificial, our tribes too small, and our identity defined only in each other.

In this week's episode Rabbi Kohn asks the question of why the Torah says that Pinchas acted zealously for "his G-D". Why does the Torah use the singular wording in this context? With 2 answers Rabbi Kohn teaches about the concept of Leshaim Shomayim(for the sake of heaven) and the idea that we must view situations taht G-D has commanded us specifically to act.  Subscribe to The Practical Parsha Podcast. For questions or comments please email RabbiShlomoKohn@gmail.com. To listen to Rabbi Kohn's other podcast use this link- the-pirkei-avos-podcast.castos.com/  Chapters (00:00:00) - The Practical Parasha Podcast(00:01:05) - Parshas Pinchas(00:04:35) - The Parsha(00:06:08) - Pinchas(00:10:45) - He Was Zealous for His God(00:17:23) - Moshe Appointing Yeshua as the Next Leader of the

Matthew 9 verses1-8 speak of our Lord Jesus Christ healing a paralytic man. Note our Lord's love, compassion and authority all shown in this miracle. Jesus demonstrates the link between sin and sickness. Adam's sin brought suffering, sickness and death. Jesus' life and offering brought deliverance from these: Jesus Christ is the Lord of life. And his life caused men and women to glorify God. In verses 9-13 Jesus called Matthew, ie Levi, to follow him. Many murmured that Jesus would ask a tax collector to become one of his disciple. Our Lord responds by quoting the words of Hosea 6:6 to explain why he ministers to the needy and not the self righteous. In verses 14-17 Jesus responds to a question about fasting by saying that his disciples were not fasting while the bridegroom was with them. The disciples of our Lord were like supple wineskins who were able to grow with his teaching rather than being stifled by adherence to mere tradition. Verses 18-26 speak of Jesus' restoration to life of Jairus' daughter. Jairus was the ruler of the Capernaum synagogue. This miracle again proves that Jesus is "the Lord of life". Just prior to restoring life to Jairus' daughter Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood. The unnamed woman could not be cured by any of Israel's doctors. Our Lord did what the Law and its rigid followers were incapable of doing. In verses 27-31 Jesus heals two blind men. What he requires of them is faith that he can heal: not only physical disease but more importantly sin. In verses 32-34 our Lord cures a deaf man. This is a reminder of Messiah's kingdom rule: Isaiah 35 verses 1-10. Read slowly aloud and pause and ponder. Verses 35-38 tell of our Lord's mission and motive. Why did he heal? Because God had anointed him to do so: Isaiah 61:1-4; and because he came to open the blind eyes: Isaiah 9:1-7. What moved him to so act - zeal for His God and compassion for God's children: Matthew 9 verses36; Numbers 27 verses17. The great volume of work moved our Lord Jesus to say Jesus: Pray for God to send more labourers into His plentiful harvest.

In this episode, catch some behind-the-scenes as I pressed record on a topic my friend was curious about! Half way through the recording I realized this content would be VERY helpful for other starting entrepreneurs... not just my friend Krista. Lee started by referencing Revelation 1:5-6, "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." And from there shared about Kingdom roles in business and ministry!

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 2:30PM Session   Tim looks at Isaiah 24-39 and reflects on key thoughts and topics.   Isaiah 24-35 - Impending Judgment on the Earth 24 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. 2 And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. 3 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty[a] people of the earth languish. 5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are [b]desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left. 7 The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh. 8 The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases. 9 They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. 10 The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in. 11 There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone. 12 In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction. 13 When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea. 15 Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. 16 From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: “Glory to the righteous!” But I said, [c]“I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.” 17 Fear and the pit and the snare Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 And it shall be That he who flees from the noise of the fear Shall fall into the pit, And he who comes up from the midst of the pit Shall be [d]caught in the snare; For the windows from on high are open, And the foundations of the earth are shaken. 19 The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel[e] to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. 21 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth. 22 They will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the [f]pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously. Praise to God 25 O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 2 For You have made a city a ruin, A fortified city a ruin, A palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the [g]terrible nations will fear You. 4 For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 You will reduce the noise of aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be [h]diminished. 6 And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of [i]choice pieces, A feast of [j]wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” 10 For on this mountain the hand of the Lord will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. 11 And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride Together with the trickery of their hands. 12 The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, And bring to the ground, down to the dust. A Song of Salvation 26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. 2 Open the gates, That the righteous nation which [k]keeps the truth may enter in. 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is [l]everlasting strength. 5 For He brings [m]down those who dwell on high, The lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust. 6 The foot shall [n]tread it down— The feet of the poor And the steps of the needy.” 7 The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, You [o]weigh the path of the just. 8 Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You. 9 With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10 Let grace be shown to the wicked, Yet he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, And will not behold the majesty of the Lord. 11 Lord, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see. But they will see and be ashamed For [p]their envy of people; Yes, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them. 12 Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works [q]in us. 13 O Lord our God, masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your name. 14 They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish. 15 You have increased the nation, O Lord, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the [r]borders of the land. 16 Lord, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them. 17 As a woman with child Is in pain and cries out in her [s]pangs, When she draws near the time of her delivery, So have we been in Your sight, O Lord. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, [t]brought forth wind; We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 19 Your dead shall live; Together with [u]my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. Take Refuge from the Coming Judgment 20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her [v]blood, And will no more cover her slain. Israel Will Be Restored 27 In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea. The Restoration of Israel 2 In that day sing to her, “A vineyard of [w]red wine! 3 I, the Lord, keep it, I water it every moment; Lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day. 4 Fury is not in Me. Who would set briers and thorns Against Me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. 5 Or let him take hold of My strength, That he may make peace with Me; And he shall make peace with Me.” 6 Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit. 7 Has He struck [x]Israel as He struck those who struck him? Or has He been slain according to the slaughter of those who were slain by Him? 8 In measure, by sending it away, You contended with it. He removes it by His rough wind In the day of the east wind. 9 Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be covered; And this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: When he makes all the stones of the altar Like chalkstones that are beaten to dust, [y]Wooden images and incense altars shall not stand. 10 Yet the fortified city will be desolate, The habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness; There the calf will feed, and there it will lie down And consume its branches. 11 When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; The women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; Therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, And He who formed them will show them no favor. 12 And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will thresh, From the channel of [z]the River to the Brook of Egypt; And you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. 13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Woe to Ephraim and Jerusalem 28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the [aa]verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. 3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, Will be trampled underfoot; 4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the [ab]verdant valley, Like the first fruit before the summer, Which an observer sees; He eats it up while it is still in his hand. 5 In that day the Lord of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people, 6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7 But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean. 9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the Lord was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught. 14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, 15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” A Cornerstone in Zion 16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. 17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place. 18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it. 19 As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report.” 20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it. 21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon— That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His [ac]unusual act. 22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, A [ad]destruction determined even upon the whole earth. Listen to the Teaching of God 23 Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my speech. 24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods? 25 When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow the black cummin And scatter the cummin, Plant the wheat in rows, The barley in the appointed place, And the [ae]spelt in its place? 26 For He instructs him in right judgment, His God teaches him. 27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, And the cummin with a rod. 28 Bread flour must be ground; Therefore he does not thresh it forever, Break it with his cartwheel, Or crush it with his horsemen. 29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in [af]guidance. Woe to Jerusalem 29 “Woe to [ag]Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year; Let feasts come around. 2 Yet I will distress Ariel; There shall be heaviness and sorrow, And it shall be to Me as Ariel. 3 I will encamp against you all around, I will lay siege against you with a mound, And I will raise siegeworks against you. 4 You shall be brought down, You shall speak out of the ground; Your speech shall be low, out of the dust; Your voice shall be like a medium's, out of the ground; And your speech shall whisper out of the dust. 5 “Moreover the multitude of your foes Shall be like fine dust, And the multitude of the terrible ones Like chaff that passes away; Yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly. 6 You will be punished by the Lord of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire. 7 The multitude of all the nations who fight against [ah]Ariel, Even all who fight against her and her fortress, And distress her, Shall be as a dream of a night vision. 8 It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, Who fight against Mount Zion.” The Blindness of Disobedience 9 Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. 10 For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. 11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a [ai]book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 Then the book is delivered to one who [aj]is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” 13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” 15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” 16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Future Recovery of Wisdom 17 Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? 18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. 19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the [ak]terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off— 21 Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; 23 But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. 24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine.” Futile Confidence in Egypt 30 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who [al]devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; 2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt Shall be your humiliation. 4 For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes. 5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, Or be help or benefit, But a shame and also a reproach.” 6 The [am]burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit; 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her [an]Rahab-Hem-Shebeth. A Rebellious People 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; 10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 11 Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.” 12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them, 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you Like a breach ready to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. 14 And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter's vessel, Which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments [ao]A shard to take fire from the hearth, Or to take water from the cistern.” 15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, 16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! 17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a [ap]pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. God Will Be Gracious 18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of [aq]affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. 22 You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, And the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; You will say to them, “Get away!” 23 Then He will give the rain for your seed With which you sow the ground, And bread of the increase of the earth; It will be [ar]fat and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed In large pastures. 24 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground Will eat cured fodder, Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan. 25 There will be on every high mountain And on every high hill Rivers and streams of waters, In the day of the great slaughter, When the towers fall. 26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound. Judgment on Assyria 27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, Burning with His anger, And His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, And His tongue like a devouring fire. 28 His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err. 29 You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord, To [as]the Mighty One of Israel. 30 The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones. 31 For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be [at]beaten down, As He strikes with the rod. 32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the Lord lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it. 33 For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it. The Folly of Not Trusting God 31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord! 2 Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not [au]call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity. 3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. God Will Deliver Jerusalem 4 For thus the Lord has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the Lord of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. 5 Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.” 6 Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves. 8 “Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor. 9 He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem. A Reign of Righteousness 32 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice. 2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a [av]cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. 3 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, And the ears of those who hear will listen. 4 Also the heart of the [aw]rash will understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. 5 The foolish person will no longer be called [ax]generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful; 6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. 8 But a [ay]generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand. Consequences of Complacency 9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech. 10 In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come. 11 Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists. 12 People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. 13 On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; 14 Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks— 15 Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. The Peace of God's Reign 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, 19 Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation. 20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. A Prayer in Deep Distress 33 Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, You will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, They will deal treacherously with you. 2 O Lord, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be [az]their arm every morning, Our salvation also in the time of trouble. 3 At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered; 4 And Your plunder shall be gathered Like the gathering of the caterpillar; As the running to and fro of locusts, He shall run upon them. 5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure. 7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, [ba]He has despised the [bb]cities, He regards no man. 9 The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. Impending Judgment on Zion 10 “Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up. 11 You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire. 13 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.” 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on [bc]high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. The Land of the Majestic King 17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. 18 Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?” 19 You will not see a fierce people, A people of obscure speech, beyond perception, Of a [bd]stammering tongue that you cannot understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, A tabernacle that will not be taken down; Not one of its stakes will ever be removed, Nor will any of its cords be broken. 21 But there the majestic Lord will be for us A place of broad rivers and streams, In which no [be]galley with oars will sail, Nor majestic ships pass by 22 (For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us); 23 Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey. 24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity. Judgment on the Nations 34 Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. 2 For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. 3 Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree. 5 “For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it shall come down on Edom, And on the people of My curse, for judgment. 6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, It is made [bf]overflowing with fatness, With the blood of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom. 7 The wild oxen shall come down with them, And the young bulls with the mighty bulls; Their land shall be soaked with blood, And their dust [bg]saturated with fatness.” 8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. 9 Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever. 11 But the [bh]pelican and the [bi]porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness. 12 They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, But none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing. 13 And thorns shall come up in its palaces, Nettles and brambles in its fortresses; It shall be a habitation of jackals, A courtyard for ostriches. 14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the [bj]jackals, And the wild goat shall bleat to its companion; Also [bk]the night creature shall rest there, And find for herself a place of rest. 15 There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs And hatch, and gather them under her shadow; There also shall the hawks be gathered, Every one with her mate. 16 “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: Not one of these shall fail; Not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them. 17 He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it among them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they shall dwell in it.” The Future Glory of Zion 35 The wilderness and the [bl]wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert[bm] shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen the [bn]weak hands, And make firm the [bo]feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. 7 The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.     Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2VpvWOWpLg   Duration 41:06

April 26, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 3 - 8:00AM Session   During this session Jason reflects on the justful, righteous nature of God and how he handles Israel.   Isaiah 27-34 -Israel Will Be Restored 27 In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea. The Restoration of Israel 2 In that day sing to her, “A vineyard of red wine! 3 I, the Lord, keep it, I water it every moment; Lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day. 4 Fury is not in Me. Who would set briers and thorns Against Me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. 5 Or let him take hold of My strength, That he may make peace with Me; And he shall make peace with Me.” 6 Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit. 7 Has He struck Israel as He struck those who struck him? Or has He been slain according to the slaughter of those who were slain by Him? 8 In measure, by sending it away, You contended with it. He removes it by His rough wind In the day of the east wind. 9 Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be covered; And this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: When he makes all the stones of the altar Like chalkstones that are beaten to dust, [c]Wooden images and incense altars shall not stand. 10 Yet the fortified city will be desolate, The habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness; There the calf will feed, and there it will lie down And consume its branches. 11 When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; The women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; Therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, And He who formed them will show them no favor. 12 And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will thresh, From the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; And you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. 13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Woe to Ephraim and Jerusalem 28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. 3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, Will be trampled underfoot; 4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valley, Like the first fruit before the summer, Which an observer sees; He eats it up while it is still in his hand. 5 In that day the Lord of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people, 6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7 But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean. 9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the Lord was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught. 14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, 15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” A Cornerstone in Zion 16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. 17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place. 18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it. 19 As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report.” 20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it. 21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon— That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act. 22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, A destruction determined even upon the whole earth. Listen to the Teaching of God 23 Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my speech. 24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods? 25 When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow the black cummin And scatter the cummin, Plant the wheat in rows, The barley in the appointed place, And the [i]spelt in its place? 26 For He instructs him in right judgment, His God teaches him. 27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, And the cummin with a rod. 28 Bread flour must be ground; Therefore he does not thresh it forever, Break it with his cartwheel, Or crush it with his horsemen. 29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance. Woe to Jerusalem 29 “Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year; Let feasts come around. 2 Yet I will distress Ariel; There shall be heaviness and sorrow, And it shall be to Me as Ariel. 3 I will encamp against you all around, I will lay siege against you with a mound, And I will raise siegeworks against you. 4 You shall be brought down, You shall speak out of the ground; Your speech shall be low, out of the dust; Your voice shall be like a medium's, out of the ground; And your speech shall whisper out of the dust. 5 “Moreover the multitude of your foes Shall be like fine dust, And the multitude of the terrible ones Like chaff that passes away; Yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly. 6 You will be punished by the Lord of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire. 7 The multitude of all the nations who fight against Ariel, Even all who fight against her and her fortress, And distress her, Shall be as a dream of a night vision. 8 It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, Who fight against Mount Zion.” The Blindness of Disobedience 9 Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. 10 For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. 11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” 13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” 15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” 16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Future Recovery of Wisdom 17 Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? 18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. 19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off— 21 Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; 23 But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. 24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine.” Futile Confidence in Egypt 30 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; 2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt Shall be your humiliation. 4 For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes. 5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, Or be help or benefit, But a shame and also a reproach.” 6 The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit; 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab-Hem-Shebeth. A Rebellious People 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; 10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 11 Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.” 12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them, 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you Like a breach ready to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. 14 And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter's vessel, Which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments A shard to take fire from the hearth, Or to take water from the cistern.” 15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, 16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! 17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. God Will Be Gracious 18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. 22 You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, And the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; You will say to them, “Get away!” 23 Then He will give the rain for your seed With which you sow the ground, And bread of the increase of the earth; It will be fat and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed In large pastures. 24 Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground Will eat cured fodder, Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan. 25 There will be on every high mountain And on every high hill Rivers and streams of waters, In the day of the great slaughter, When the towers fall. 26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, And the light of the sun will be sevenfold, As the light of seven days, In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people And heals the stroke of their wound. Judgment on Assyria 27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, Burning with His anger, And His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, And His tongue like a devouring fire. 28 His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err. 29 You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord, To the Mighty One of Israel. 30 The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones. 31 For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be beaten down, As He strikes with the rod. 32 And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the Lord lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it. 33 For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it. The Folly of Not Trusting God 31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord! 2 Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity. 3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. God Will Deliver Jerusalem 4 For thus the Lord has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the Lord of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. 5 Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.” 6 Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves. 8 “Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor. 9 He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem. A Reign of Righteousness 32 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice. 2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. 3 The eyes of those who see will not be dim, And the ears of those who hear will listen. 4 Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. 5 The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful; 6 For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. 8 But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand. Consequences of Complacency 9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech. 10 In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come. 11 Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists. 12 People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. 13 On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; 14 Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks— 15 Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. The Peace of God's Reign 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, 19 Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation. 20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. A Prayer in Deep Distress 33 Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, You will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, They will deal treacherously with you. 2 O Lord, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, Our salvation also in the time of trouble. 3 At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered; 4 And Your plunder shall be gathered Like the gathering of the caterpillar; As the running to and fro of locusts, He shall run upon them. 5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure. 7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. 9 The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. Impending Judgment on Zion 10 “Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up. 11 You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire. 13 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.” 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. The Land of the Majestic King 17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. 18 Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?” 19 You will not see a fierce people, A people of obscure speech, beyond perception, Of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, A tabernacle that will not be taken down; Not one of its stakes will ever be removed, Nor will any of its cords be broken. 21 But there the majestic Lord will be for us A place of broad rivers and streams, In which no galley with oars will sail, Nor majestic ships pass by 22 (For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us); 23 Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey. 24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity. Judgment on the Nations 34 Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. 2 For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. 3 Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree. 5 “For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it shall come down on Edom, And on the people of My curse, for judgment. 6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, It is made overflowing with fatness, With the blood of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom. 7 The wild oxen shall come down with them, And the young bulls with the mighty bulls; Their land shall be soaked with blood, And their dust saturated with fatness.” 8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. 9 Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever. 11 But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness. 12 They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, But none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing. 13 And thorns shall come up in its palaces, Nettles and brambles in its fortresses; It shall be a habitation of jackals, A courtyard for ostriches. 14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the jackals, And the wild goat shall bleat to its companion; Also the night creature shall rest there, And find for herself a place of rest. 15 There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs And hatch, and gather them under her shadow; There also shall the hawks be gathered, Every one with her mate. 16 “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: Not one of these shall fail; Not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them. 17 He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it among them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they shall dwell in it.”   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH_4X6QAIxE   Duration 37:16

Introduction: John 19:28-30 - After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Revelation 16:17 - The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” The Hope is Real: The Truth About Heaven (Revelation 21:1-8) Everything is New. (Rev 21:1-2) Every day is in God's Presence. (Rev 21:3) Everything that Hurts is Gone. (Rev 21:4-5) Everything is Yours. (Rev 21:6-7) Romans 8:16-17 – The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Everyone is Not Going. (Rev 21:8) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the Scripture,"I thirst." A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on ahissy branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished."He bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Over this past month, we've been examining God's Word tosee that the Son of God came to finish some things. And we've been trying to just answer one question.What is finished? Jesus made the declaration, "It is finished." Well, what is? Well, I guess to put itall in one word, salvation. The way of salvation, it's done. The work is done. And we've been spendingtime looking at different facets of salvation. First, we saw justification. The guilt is gone.You realize Jesus has taken your sin away. There are no grounds for punishment when you're in Christ.The guilt is gone. He's made you righteous. And then we saw reconciliation. The relationship isrestored. By nature, you are not God's friend. The Bible says by nature, we are enemies of God.And Jesus Christ came to restore the relationship with God. Pastor Taylor a couple of days agotalked about redemption. The price was paid. There was a literal price that was paid. You see, youhave sinned against God, and it wasn't as if God was like, "Oh, that's okay. Don't worry about it. I'mjust going to forget about it." No, no, no. As Pastor Taylor pointed out, you owe God an infinite debt.And God paid that Himself through the death of His Son. It is finished.You know, you think of those words on the cross, "It is finished." You know,that's not the only time that Jesus declares that something is finished.It's only the first time. Do you know the next time Jesus says it is finished?It is when God pours out judgment. Revelation 16-17, it's the last bold judgment. The book ofRevelation talks about there's seal trumpets and trumpet judgments and bold judgments. When thelast judgment of God is poured out, look at this, Revelation 16-17, the seventh angel poured outHis bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done."That's the next time Jesus says it is finished. Today I want to talk about the last time He says it.Do you know the last time Jesus declares something is finished?As after He creates a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation chapter 21, I want you to turn there.Revelation chapter 21,Revelation chapter 21, look at verses 5 and 6. It says, "And He who was seated on the thronesaid, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" Also, He said, "Write this down. For these wordsare trustworthy and true. And He said to me, 'It is done.'"Like, wait, wait, what is He talking about here? What is finished, the promiseof glorification? That is, the hope is real. The hope is real. We're going to talk about hope today.Because when we talk about hope, we use it in a different way than the Bible uses the word hope.When we say hope, what we mean is wish. You know what I mean? We say, "I hope it doesn't rain today."What are we saying? "I wish that it doesn't rain." Or we say, "I hope that the pirates win today."What are we saying? We're saying that our theology allows for miracles.But you see, that's not how the Bible uses the word hope.Biblically, church, listen, hope is the confident anticipation of receiving Jesus' promises.Biblically, hope, it's in the bag. It's happening. I'm just waiting for it to take place. But it'sgoing to happen. I'm not wondering if it's going to happen. I can't wait. I know it's going to.I'm just waiting for that to happen. That's biblical hope. That's the receipt that we hold on tothat says it's coming. I know that it's coming. And I can't wait for that day. That is biblical hope.See, that's what we're here to celebrate today.Actually, every Sunday we celebrate this. And actually, for the Christian,you celebrate this every day of your life. That Jesus Christ rose from the dead.We've been spending so much time talking about the fact that He died for our sins. Yes,that's true. But three days later, He rose from the dead to give us the promise of eternal life.And the Bible says that He went back to heaven. And you're like, "Well, what's He doing now? Doyou know what Jesus is doing right now? Like, right now, do you know what He's doing?"He told us in John chapter 14 what He would be doing. He says, "I go to prepare a place for you.Right now, Jesus Christ is building a place for His people in heaven."We're going to talk about heaven today, the place of our hope. Do you know what heaven's like?Sadly, there's so much confusion about heaven because people embrace ideas about heaven thatjust aren't in the Bible. I think for a lot of people, their ideas of heaven come more from aBugs Bunny cartoon than from what God actually said. There's just so much nonsense aboutthat people believe about heaven. It's just not true biblically. You know what number one is,by the way? The most nonsensical, wrong, false thing that people believe about heaven that's justabsolutely not true? Is that good people go to heaven. You have to be a good person to go toheaven. That's just bombarded onto us from society. Good people go to heaven. Good people...Well, that's not true. If that was true, heaven would be empty. We're going to talk more about thatin a bit. But no, you do not get to heaven by being a good person.But you know, even Christians, honestly, even Christians are clueless about heaven.Just grab your Christian, your average churchgoer, and say, "Well, what's heaven like?"You're going to get answers like, "Well, I'm thinking grandma's there."They're like, "Well, what are you doing heaven?" "Well, I guess you play a harp."And then you sit on clouds. And yeah, that's all I got. Like, well, maybe you've been gettingyour theology about heaven from Bugs Bunny or from a far-side cartoon.But I think many Christians aren't really excited about heaven because they don't know what theBible actually says about it. You know, we had a funeral last week for the oldest member of ourchurch. She was two weeks shy of 99. And she's having a good day. What a great celebration of her lifeand a celebration of the fulfillment of her faith. But I think a lot of people, even that we're sittingin that funeral, might not have been excited because they don't really know what she's experiencingin heaven. What is coming in the future in heaven? We need to educate ourselves, church.I mean, think about it this way. Imagine if I booked you a three-month vacation.Imagine that. If I booked you, I'm like, "You know what? You've been working hard. You know what?I'm going to get you the plane tickets. You know, you just bring your wife, jump at the airport,and get on the plane, three-month vacation on me." Would you want to know where you're going?Would you want to know what you'd be doing? What if you said, "Oh, thanks, Pastor Jeff. That wasreally nice of you. Where am I going? What am I doing? What if I said, "Don't worry about it. You'lllike it." No, I want to know where I'm going to be spending three months of my life. And I'm like,"Oh, it'll be nice. What am I going to be doing there? Fun stuff."Wouldn't you want more information of where you're going to be spending three months of your life?Okay, reminder, heaven is eternal. Wouldn't you like to know what it's going to be likefor eternity? If you do, you're in the right place this morning, because that is exactlywhat we're going to be seeing from God's Word. So on your outline, take some notes.The hope is real. The hope is real. The truth about heaven.The truth about heaven. Number one, write this down. Everything is new.Everything is new. Verses 1 and 2 in Revelation 21, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Stop there. New heaven and new earth. Why?Why do we need a new heaven and new earth? Well, because this is talking about what'shappening in the future. And at this point, the heaven and earth now, the one that you'resitting on right now, will be vaporized by God's glory according to 2 Peter 3, according to Revelation2011. He talks about this new Jerusalem. Like, what is new Jerusalem? What's the capital cityof the new heaven and the new earth? And John describes it as coming down from heaven onto thisnew earth. It's a fascinating study. You can really dig into it on your own. Just to give you a littleoverview. Verses 15 and 17 give us the dimensions. And by the way, these are literal measurements.The Bible is clear about that. But new Jerusalem is a massive city and it's shaped like a cube.And each wall is 1,380 miles long. And each wall is 216 feet thick. You're like,"Can you give me a frame of reference?" Yeah, absolutely, I can. If you were to take this newJerusalem and put it on our current earth, just drop it onto North America. If you were to dropit onto North America, it would go from Canada to the Gulf of America. It would go from the AtlanticOcean. I'm still trying to adjust to that. I'm sorry. It would go from the Atlantic Oceanto Colorado. That is the size of new Jerusalem. You're like, "Why do I need to know this?That is the place that Jesus is preparing for you right now."And this passage describes the final and eternal heaven. And over and over, he usesthe greatest word possible that he could use to describe anything. And it's the word "new."New. Look at verse 5. This is the best verse in the Bible. And I know somebody would say,"Well, actually, Pastor Jeff, it's all God's word." Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. But this is the bestverse in the Bible. It says, "And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all thingsnew.'" Look, that is awesome. And we can relate to that, can't we? Because there's nothinglike getting new stuff, right? Don't we love new things? New shoes? A new car? New jeans?A new phone? I'm pleased to announce that Pastor Taylor finally upgraded from his iPhone 8.Yeah, a little bonus celebration today. But wasn't it so exciting getting that new phone, Pastor Taylor?You know what? I thought it was bad until Jane Auer showed me. He has, what do you have an SE?Yeah, take good care of that, Jay. We're going to put that in the museum.So we love getting new stuff, right? Getting a new computer. Men, get that new fishing rod. Ladies,get the new purse. How about a new puppy? Oh, that's the best. But there's nothing likegetting new stuff. And you know, the Bible says in heaven everything is always new.So a little tip for you. If you're in Christ and if you are, you will end up in heaven. I just wantto encourage you, if you're trying to make friends, to not walk up to somebody in heaven and say,hey, what's new? Because they're going to say, you are an ego because I don't know if you got thememo, but everything here is new. I had people say to me sometimes like, you know, heaven soundskind of boring. Like, what are you talking about? That is a clueless statement. Boring.Everything is always going to be new.And if that's not a beautiful enough description with that little word,he gives us a word picture that really drives it home. He says, it's preparedas a bride adorned for her husband. Like Jesus, what kind of care and attention are you puttinginto creating this new heaven and earth, this new Jerusalem? You know, what kind ofmeticulous care is going into preparing this new city? The Bible says it's like a bridepreparing herself for her husband. That's a word picture that really impacts me.Because I've been to a lot of weddings. It's part of my job. I've been to a lot of weddings.And you know something that I've never, ever, ever seen in a wedding is this. Like, it's wedding dayand you know, I come to the front of the chapel or the woods or the barn or whatever we're havingand like, and like, oh, they have them everywhere now, but like, I'm up there with the guys, right?And here comes the bridesmaids and they take their place. Oh, it's the big moment.The music shifts, right? And you know what's next. Here comes the bride, right?You know what I've never seen? It's the doors fling open and there's the bridein a college hoodie.Wearing sweatpants and crocs.Crocs will not be in heaven, by the way. Well, the Bible doesn't say. I'm justthinking it's a safe assumption, but I've never seen her where she's got a near-terminal case of bedhead.I've never seen that ever. Do you know what I have seen though? Every time.A breathtakingly beautiful bride.How did she get that way? She prepared. Do you know how much time and effort and energy and moneyand detail and it goes in? She puts everything into making herself as beautiful and perfect as she canfor her husband.And that is the kind of attention and care that Jesus is putting into preparing this placefor his people. Wrap your brain around that. But the Bible says in heaven,everything is new.Oh, it gets even better than that. Because number two, write this down, every day is in God's presence.Everything is new and every day is in God's presence. Look at verse three. Verse three.He says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is withman. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as theirGod.'" Every day is in God's presence.Don't you wish that you lived at the time that Jesus lived? Wouldn't it have just been absolutelyamazing to watch Jesus, like to sit down with Him, to hear Him teach, to watch Him heal,to watch Him feed the thousands with the little kids lunch? Wouldn't that have just been awesometo personally be in the presence of Jesus Christ?Well, I got good news for you. In heaven, you're going to get that, like every single day.Because according to verse three, we're always in God's presence.You see, that's good news, my friends, because I think if we're honest, sometimes God seems distantright now. I mean, He's not, right? He's not distant.But can we just be honest in church for a second and say sometimes it feels like He is?You know, we go through trials. We're hurting. Maybe you've been betrayed.Disappointed. You're just worn out. And you're like, "God, where are you?"Seems like I need you the most right now. You seem absent. Where are you?Well, never again will God seem distant.The Bible says He is going to tabernacle with His people. He is going to pitch a tentin unprecedented, perfect fellowship in the midst of His people. Every day of heavenis being in the presence of God. It's the truth about heaven. Everything's new.Every day is in God's presence. In number three, everything that hurts is gone.Everything that hurts is gone. Look at verse four."He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there bemourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.No mourning, no crying and no pain." Do you know what that means?That means no a lot of other things. That means no depression. That means no cancer.That means no diabetes. That means no organ failure. That means no autism.That means no wheelchairs. That means no mental health problems.That means no dentist appointments.I see somebody rejoicing in the back greatly over that.But I get to tell you in the first service, there was a group of dentists sittingright about where the Zentcos are right now. I told them, "Look, we're going to be out of a job in heaven.Nobody's going to need to hear about Jesus from me. Nobody's going to need their teeth fixed by them."There's no more tears. There's no more death. There's no more goodbyes.Every bit of pain and heartache and discouragement. Never again. Never. Everything that hurts is gone.People ask, "Well, will I remember the failures of my life on earth?"Because I would think if I could remember my failures of my life on earth, that, boy,there'd be some tears over that in heaven. Will I remember the failures of this life?I don't know. But I do know this for a fact.That if you do remember the failures of this life, it's not going to bother you.Because there's no more mourning or pain. I'm sure about that.And you can get to this point, you're like, "Really?" Hang on a second.This sounds just a little too fantastic. Really? Well, look at verse 5 again."And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'Also, he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"Oh, everything is made new. Everything stays new. And you're like, "Is that really true?"Jesus says here, "Write this down. You write this down. You take this to the bank.You build your life on this, man. This is trustworthy and true."Listen, this isn't fantasy stuff. This isn't like fairy tale stuff that we say toplacate children when grandma passes away.Jesus says this is real. This is trustworthy and true."Every hurt is forever behind you." Everything that hurts is gone. Number four,oh, it gets even better. I know you don't think it can, but check this out.Number four, everything is yours. Everything is yours.Look at verse 6, "And he said to me, 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,the beginning and the end, to the thirsty. I will give from the spring of the water of lifewithout payments.'" Who are the thirsty? Who are the thirsty? I hope you are.Thirsty refers to people who realize their spiritual need and genuinely thirst for God.Heaven is for people who know they need Jesus Christ and they receive Jesus Christ and they loveJesus Christ. That's what he's talking about here. You see, water biblically is a symbol offulfillment. It's a symbol of satisfaction. "I was thirsty in a need. Now from the living water,I have been satisfied." That's what water is talking about. That's what the Bible is talkingabout when it talks about water. It's satisfaction. It's great news. That means heaven is not goingto be lacking anything that would add to your satisfaction. You know that? That means you'renot going to be walking around heaven and say, "You know what? This place is pretty good, butI have a few ideas that would make it a little better."You're going to be absolutely, totally, perfectly satisfied in heaven.And this, this is your heritage. Look at verse 7. He says, "The one who conquerswill have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my Son."We talked about this with justification. We don't live in fear of God as judge. If you're in Christ,that is. You're not afraid of God as judge. You live in the freedom of God as Father.That He adopted us as His children.But being a child has implications for the future.Like what do you mean? What I mean is, if you're a child of God, you receive an inheritance.Look at Romans chapter 8 here.Romans 8 says, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And ifchildren, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Himin order that we may also be glorified with Him."You see, Paul wrote this to the Romans and Roman adoption was very interesting. I was readingabout it this past week. Do you know in Roman culture adopted children actually received greaterhonor than naturally born children in the home? Like if a couple has natural children, it's like,well, you just came into the world the regular way. But if you adopted someone, it was, ah, you,though on the other hand, you were chosen to be a part of this family. But there's something elseinteresting about Roman children, including the adopted children, by the way, that they allreceived an equal share of the inheritance. You're like, good for the Romans. What does that haveto do with me? Here's what this has to do with you. Look at this. We are fellow heirs with Christ.Do you know what that means? I can tell some of you aren't very excited about that. So we're goingto walk through this together. You are fellow heirs with Christ. Do you know what that means?That means you will receive the same inheritance that Jesus receives.So what does Jesus own? Everything. So what do you stand to inherit? Everything.Everything. You're like, wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on a second there, Pastor Jeff.You was talking about the new heavens earlier. Do you mean I'm going to inherit the new heavens?Everything. And if you're like, oh, well, he's creating the new earth. Do you mean I'm going toinherit that new earth too? That's going to belong to me? Everything. And you're like, well, thatgiant city that you was talking about, am I going to inherit that too? Is that going to belong to me?Like, look, I'll do respect. What part of everything do you not understand? Everything will belong to you.But do you know the greatest thing that you're going to inherit?Is God Himself? Do you see that in verse 7? He says, "I will be His God." Oh, no, let's not gloss over thatbecause that's like the Levites in the Old Testament. Remember, Israel was told, you know,that they were going to receive an inheritance in the Promised Land. But you got like Deuteronomy 18-2.The Levites did not get an inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. They were toldthat God is their inheritance.And if you get God, you get everything. If you're a fellow heir with Christ,that means someday everything is yours.And finally, number five, truth about heaven, everything's new.Every day's in God's presence. Everything that hurts is gone and everything is yours.But we do have to say this because it's in the text. Everyone is not going.Now look, you know, it'd be real easy to come into Easter service and we're all wearing ourspiffy clothes and the music is fantastic and it would be so easy to get caught up in this passageand get excited about a heaven that some of you aren't going to see.Look at verse eight. John says, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable,as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars,their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur," which is the second death.See this list? These are people that love their sin more than they love Jesus.But I could ask you, are you on that list?Is there anything here that characterizes you?Understanding that murder means hateful and sexually immoral means lustfuland immoral.Are you there?You know the one that always sticks out to me in this list is the first one, cowardly.What does that mean? It's not saying, being afraid of stuff is a sin, like in the sense ofI'm afraid to go camping because I'm afraid of bears and snakes.And that's not what that's talking about at all. It's talking about being afraid to follow JesusChrist because there is a cost. And what will my friends think? And what am I going to have to giveup? And refusal to follow Christ, God says, "You're a coward." You mean He bought your way to heavenwith the blood of His Son? And you're too afraid to receive Him because of what your goofy friendsmight think. Because of what sinful thing you might have to give up. You're a coward.And that's not my opinion. That's God's opinion. Well, I guess it is mine if it's God's.But He said it.You think following Christ is easy? You think it's easy to trust God?Do you think it's easy to say no to sin? Do you think it's easy to say yes to serving Christwhen it's inconvenient or difficult or harder than we thought it was going to be?This ain't for cowards, okay?All of the items on this list characterize people who have never repented. They've never receivedChrist. And these are just evidences. He's saying that this is what they lived like.And I have to ask you, if you took an honest inward look at yourself, would you say that my life isgenerally characterized by a love for Jesus Christ? Or would you say my life is generallycharacterized by a love of my sin, myself, my way? Which one is it for you?Because if it's the latter, then none of these promises about heaven, none of this hope is for you.If I can have the worship team join us back up on the platform here.It is finished.It is finished. Someday, you're going to hear Jesus say those words again.For some of you, you're going to be horrified to hear him say it when he brings judgment.And for some of you, you will rejoice when you hear him say itbecause he's giving you everything, the hope of heaven.It is finished. Today, today, we hear those words from the cross.So if you have received Jesus Christ, your sin has been taken away. If you have received JesusChrist, he rose from the dead to give you eternal life. And if you have received Jesus Christ,you do not need to wait for heaven to rejoice in him. So let's stand and let's celebrate himfor who he is and all that he's done. Let's rejoice in the victory of Jesus Christ. Small Group DiscussionRead Romans 8:16-17, Revelation 21:1-8What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What are some wrong ideas about heaven that even many Christians believe?What is an aspect of heaven covered in Revelation 21 that was new or surprising to you?What does it mean that we are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17)? What exactly do we inherit?BreakoutPray for one another.

When the Father turned away from Him as He hung on the cross, Jesus realized that even though He felt abandoned by God, He was still His God. Jesus knew that His relationship with the Father could never be broken by His circumstances. And on the next Treasured Truth, Pastor Ford will remind at how as believers, we too can learn from Jesus’ example and be certain that this truth applies to our own lives as well. To learn more about how we should respond when we feel abandoned by God, join us for the next Treasured Truth. Treasured Truth is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here. To learn more about Pastor James Ford, Jr., click here. To learn more about Treasured Truth, click here. Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/treasuredtruthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send me a Text Message!Henry Blackaby said that "A love relationship with God is more important than any other single factor in your life." Did you live your day or your week as though your relationship with God was the single most important factor in your life? Listen, the witness of the church is so intimately related to the manifest presence of God, that without it, the peoples of the world cannot and will not, believe. And that's what we have...the presence of God. Moses was a man who had experienced the power of God in ways most of us could only dream about.  But he was also a man who knew His God; they talked together face to face as a man would with a friend. And when the time came for Moses to choose between the presence of God and the power of God, it was no contest. So the question is...do I value His presence over His power. Am I God's friend?

Elijah taught the people that you either belong to God or you don't. Elijah was about to reveal His God to all the prophets of Baal. God preforms a miracle in front of all the people and reveals His Glory as the One, True God.

Revelation 1:1-8   1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”     BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give     STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net

SUMMARY “From the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus has been intimately connected to God (cf. 1:1), and the previous pericope gave a vivid demonstration of the unity of God and Jesus, the “I am” in the burning bush and on the sea. As much as this pericope completes the larger picture of chapter 6, it also propels the Gospel's narrative forward, forcing us to confront the person of Jesus as the fullness of God. Jesus has confessed dramatically His true identity; He will now challenge his interested followers to see if they are willing to accept him as he truly is.” - Edward Klink KEY TAKEAWAYS    Main Idea: Jesus, as the Bread of Life, promises eternal life to those who believe in Him. What are the promises that Jesus makes?  The Promise of True Satisfaction (35) You shall not hunger You shall never thirst The Promise of Eternal Security (37–40) God will accomplish His work of Salvation God will preserve those who are His God will bring about a future reality The Promise of Eternal Life (41–51)  God gives eternal life to those who believe in Jesus  God gives eternal life to those who eat the living bread

Britton Taylor discusses Revelation 1:5-6—“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Welcome to Episode #166 of Way of the Bible podcast. This is our sixth of eight episodes in our Twenty-First mini-series entitled, Sermon on the Mount Part 2. On today's episode we're going to take a look at Fasting in the Kingdom.On our last episode we looked at Why Jesus came to earth. On that episode I noted Jesus' coming was revealed by Paul in Ephesians 3:10-11 – His (God's) intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Before starting today, I wanted to add another passage from Ephesians 1 that makes it even more clear why Jesus came. Ephesians 1:7-10 – In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.Paul explains this most compactly to the Colossians in Colossians 1:19-20 – For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.The point being, it is not now, nor ever was all about you or us… You and I are not the center of the universe around which everything swirls as God stirs thoughts in his mind. We are but a puff of smoke, a vapor in time soon to be swept away. What! You say. “I don't like thinking about such things” If that is you, I encourage you to hear the words of Joshua and David, both on the precipice of crossing through the veil of dimensionality and into eternal life. First from Joshua 23:14 – “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.”Joshua was not wringing his hands about what was coming next in his life. Rather, he used this opportunity to witness to whoever would “hear” that the promises God made to Israel were fulfilled, none were lacking. The understanding is, to believe God, do what he says, and receive the blessings of God as a result of obedience. Similarly, David repeated this same thought to his son Solomon in 1 Kings 2:1-4 – When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'The point of life being but a puff of smoke is to get us to see, truly, what life as a puff of smoke is about.  Life is meaningless without Jesus. Only two groups of people recognize the significance of this statement. The first group would be those who try to disprove it scientifically or philosophically. Remaining on this deep downward path eventually leads to the inescapable utter darkness of atheistic nihilism.

Within the context of our "Come to the Table" series, I invite you to join me and spend time on an overlooked but essential event in the Christian liturgical calendar today, tucked between Easter and Pentecost. Ascension has become one of my most cherished treasures, because it speaks of a hope that is certain, and a future that is glorious. First, Ascension means that a human body is present in the Throne Room of God right now – that is Jesus Christ today. His incarnation made Jesus a member of humanity; His Ascension made His membership permanent. I cannot wrap my head around this, but one thing I can do is fall on my face to worship in awe and wonder. The corollary to Ascension, Pentecost, means that the Spirit of God is present in human flesh right now – that is you and me today. Ascension and Pentecost tell us that Christ reconciles God to man in His own body. He declares at Pentecost our ultimate reality: “on earth as it is in heaven!” He declares at Ascension the corollary, “in heaven as it is on earth!” Just as He was God on earth, He is now human in heaven. Just as He prayed as God on earth for us, He prays now as our Great High Priest in heaven for us. Ascension and Pentecost are Jacob's ladder, a two-way relationship of body and spirit, earth and heaven, reconciled in One. Upon His ascension, Jesus, in His glorified human body, received from the Father the Holy Spirit, whom He sent to us to inhabit our own not-yet-glorified bodies. Heaven will be intoxicatingly delightful. So unbearable for our current bodies, in fact, that we will be given brand new, glorified bodies – like Christ's – so that we can withstand the intensity of delight and pleasure that awaits us. Our heavenly bodies will be like a chocolate masterpiece to our current cocoa-pod bodies: similar, but unimaginably more glorious. From starter seed to perfected fruit. We have yet to experience heavenly chocolate, so we struggle to see its connection to our humble cocoa pod-like current body. It is ultimately a matter of time. We are the “body of Christ” – it means in some real way we are in the Throne Room with Him already. It is ultimately a matter of space. Good thing heaven is beyond time and space. Jesus described His ascension to Mary Magdalene as His going “to my Father and your Father; to my God and your God.” (John 20:17). This is astounding. Jesus is irreversibly identifying with us: His Father is our Father; His God is our God. It means, in essence, that He represents God to man, and man to God: this is the role of the Great High Priest. Had Jesus not ascended to heaven, he could not officiate as our Great High Priest right now, fulfilling at least three primary missions for the church age: interceding for us, teaching us to pray, and making things above real for us. Let's unpack, seeking continually the things that are above. First, Jesus is interceding for you right now. In John 17, considered by many as the “Holy of Holies” of the New Testament, He gives us a glimpse into His current prayer on our behalf. If you want to know how Jesus is praying for you right now, read John 17 again. And again. Jesus prays that we be one with Him as He is one with the Father. Unity with Christ means unity of purpose and life – living like He lives, praying like He prays and, one day, ascending like He ascended. His present intercession provides the continued effectiveness of His redemptive mission. He maintains His victory by the word of His mouth – in prayer to the Father even now. He bears forth into each one of us, members of His body, the deliverance He accomplished on the cross. He manifests the victory He obtained. His unceasing intercession gives our prayers a power we never had before. Which means, secondly, that Jesus teaches us to pray. He speaks through our prayers; we become the vessels to speak on earth His intercession in heaven, by the Holy Spirit. In Him we join the never-ceasing, never-failing prayer-conversation constantly weaving before the Father. In other words, what He prays passes through us, and what we pray passes through Him. Mind-boggling. And thirdly, He makes it all real to us in experience. His birth, life, death, and resurrection secured our destiny and effected our reconciliation with God. And now He wields His limitless intercessory power to make this reconciliation real and personal to each one of us, members of His body. He is the head, we the body: which means we cannot be separated from Him, since death is abolished. Ascension teaches this: Where He goes, we go; where He is, we are; that is heaven. Pentecost teaches this: where we go, He goes; where we are, He is: on earth, as it is in heaven. Just as Acts 1:6-11 describes Ascension from Earth's perspective, Daniel 7:13-14 describes it from Heaven's perspective: “Behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” Jesus is this Son of Man, and He is now back in the Throne Room, as the reference to the cloud makes clear. “To him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” Daniel describes what Jesus is doing right now, then ends with the future that awaits us: “his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Jesus, the Son of Man who identifies with humanity in His divinity, has carved a trajectory from the Incarnation to the Ascension that leads to His glory and our destiny in Him. No wonder “Son of Man” was one of Jesus' favorite titles for Himself. Speaking of what awaits us, let us keep on seeking the things that are above. Each year on Yom Kippur, the Great High Priest would atone for his people and, upon leaving the Holy of Holies to reenter the world, he would bring out with him a blessing for his people. Jesus will come back the same way He left, once His John 17 work of intercession in the Throne Room is accomplished. And He will bring out with Him at least three blessings. The first blessing is ours already: His Holy Spirit becomes ours and brings spiritual gifts of His own, which Paul links directly to Ascension (see Ephesians 4:8-10). Second, Jesus inaugurated a reign that had never been exercised thus before. We are coheirs with Him, training today for reigning tomorrow in the dominion of His Kingdom. Because human flesh sits enthroned in heaven, we will reign with Him. Thirdly, a wedding feast awaits us. The covenantal words Jesus shares on that final night are the verbatim words of a Jewish bridegroom to his bride during a traditional betrothal ceremony. “I am preparing a place for you, and I will come back so that you may be where I am.” (John 14:1-4). Jesus is the Bridegroom poised to come back to fetch His bride, bringing heaven to earth for her. We the bride, the church universal, His body, are feast-bound. No wonder heaven will be intoxicatingly delightful. In French, my native tongue, the word “delight” is délice. But wait; this word délice means something else, too: it means “delicious.” In French, there is no difference between delight and deliciousness. While it might explain much of our French hedonism, it tells me this, too: God is both delightful and delicious. This will make the wedding feast of heaven the climax of delicious delightfulness. Until then, Jesus invites us to speak His words of intercession from heaven to earth. That, indeed, is the glory of Ascension this side of creation. You can't pray in His name unless you live in His name, too. Ascension and Pentecost together tell us it is now possible: we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. Saint Augustine would agree. He capped his Ascension homily thus: “While in heaven Christ is also with us; and we while on earth are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love.” Indeed, and Amen." Don't forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don't miss out! It's at https://www.gospelspice.com/store We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ God's glory, our delight  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Send us a textOn this week's Ask Me Anything, episode, we are answering the question, "Could you talk about fear of the future on the UncommonTEEN Podcast? I'm really scared of everything going on in the world. I know I should give all my problems to God, but I'm still so scared and don't know what to do. I feel like God isn't listening to me and isn't helping at all.On thing I have learned about fear is that it is meant to paralyze us. It's meant to make use doubt God, doubt ourselves and doubt others. It's meant to consume uses that the enemy can stop us in our tracks. Fear is something that I dealt with from a young age. On one hand, I lived my life in fear and on the other hand I was addicted to it--drawn to it. I didn't give my life to the Lord until I was 17, but even so, I was still addicted to fear. I couldn't wait for the next horror movie to come out. I remember the last horror movie I ever saw. I was in college and a bunch of my friends from the Christian organization on campus and I went to go watch it. There was one girl in our group who wasn't used to watching horror movies and it scared her pretty badly. While we were on our way back to our dorm rooms, one of the guys in our group went ahead of us and pulled a prank on that girl...something to do with the movie, scaring her more. She just laughed it off and so did we...not thinking any more about it. The next day, I was talking to a guy (who is now my husband), telling him about what happened the night before, thinking it was funny and he looked at me and said something I will never forget. He said, "Why would you intentionally invite fear into your life when God so clearly says in His Word not to fear?" Ouch! You may be thinking, "I'm not intentionally inviting fear into my life, it just happens. I can't help it, but see it when I look around me." And you're right. We live in a fallen world and just looking out there it's crazy! However, we aren't the first generation to face pretty crazy things. It's happened to every generation up to this point. The question we need to ask is: why are some people not affected by the craziness going on around us...meaning they aren't in fear...while others fall prey to it? The answer, it's what we focus on. If we focus on our circumstances more than we focus on God, we will step into fear. However, if we focus on our God more than we focus on our circumstances, it will produce peace. Think about the Israelite army when they were up against the Philistines. The Israelites were hiding in terror. They were focused on the big problem in front of them...Goliath. However, when David saw Goliath, he wasn't afraid at all. He was focused on how big His God was and knew that together they could take down Goliath! The same is true for you!Ladies, we have had challenges recently with the UncommonTEEN App and had to close it down. Don't worry, a new app is coming soon!!If you still want to ask your Ask Me Anything Questions or if you need prayer, head on over to UncommonTEEN.com.For the Ask Me Anything Questions, click on the RED BUTTON at the top of the screen. These questions may used on a future episode of the UncommonTEEN Podcast!For any prayer requests or more personal questions, click on the YELLOW CHAT TAB at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. These will not be used on the podcast unless you say you would like it to be used. Connect with Us!Website: UncommonTEEN.comInstagram: @uncommon.teenUncommonTEEN Live Conference: UncommonTEENlive.com