Podcasts about his holy spirit

While we live in an imperfect and broken world and await a perfect place...heaven, God has given us His Holy Spirit. We only need to surrender and align our will to His will, choose to abide in Him and in doing so, we will live a victorious and joy filled life this side of heaven.  By Dave Bartlett

I testify that Jesus Christ leads His people today through prophets, apostles, revelation, and through His Holy Spirit. His voice is reaching nations. His hand is moving among peoples who have never known Him. And His call is going forth to every soul who will receive Him as King.Those who turn to Him—whether in America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the islands of the sea, or any corner of the earth—will be strengthened, protected, and transformed by His power. This is His work. This is His gathering. And He is now preparing the world for His return.I bear this witness to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.Apostle D. Todd HarrisonApostle of Jesus Christ to All NationsSet apart through revelation as a witness of the risen LordYear Seven of Global Apostolic Witness

We continue to explore the value of seeking God's guidance in our lives. He is Truth, Life and Love. His character is such that He can not lie, He is eternal and He is the source of Love – His very nature. The gift of His Holy Spirit to us, placed in us, is priceless and always available, always listening. Are we? Take these moments as you listen, and listen for Him – it is His words we are hearing – teach us the proper path, Lord. We will draw near – tell us the secrets of Your promises. Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us. Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser

'So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is a good servant or not. When the Lord comes, he will turn on the light so that everyone can see exactly what each one of us is really like, deep down in our hearts. Then everyone will know why we have been doing the Lord's work. At that time God will give to each one whatever praise is coming to him. 'I have used Apollos and myself as examples to illustrate what I have been saying: that you must not have favorites. You must not be proud of one of God's teachers more than another. What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are so great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own? 'You seem to think you already have all the spiritual food you need. You are full and spiritually contented, rich kings on your thrones, leaving us far behind! I wish you really were already on your thrones, for when that time comes you can be sure that we will be there, too, reigning with you. Sometimes I think God has put us apostles at the very end of the line, like prisoners soon to be killed, put on display at the end of a victor's parade, to be stared at by men and angels alike,' (1 Corinthians 4.5-9, TLB). In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul addresses the issues of pride, division, and spiritual arrogance within the Corinthian church. He reminds believers that church leaders are not celebrities to be ranked or compared, but servants of Christ and stewards of God's truth. The primary requirement for a steward is not popularity or human approval, but faithfulness. Paul urges the Corinthians to think of him, Peter and Apollos as mere servants of Christ entrusted with the secret things of God. A servant does what his master tells him to do. We must do what God tells us to do. We must do what God tells us to do in the Bible and through His Holy Spirit. Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right. Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/1B7z2hNDz88  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 10th of June, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Deuteronomy 12:1: “These are the statutes and judgements which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth.” The Lord has given us statutes and judgements to live by, not for His sake, but for our sake, that we might live a life of joy and freedom and direction and fulfilment. To confirm that, we go to John 8:36, where Jesus, Himself, says: “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”.Now, I looked up the Oxford Dictionary to look up the meaning of the word “statute”. It means a rule, a written law, a set up. Then I looked up the meaning of the word, “judgement”. It is sensible opinions, a conclusion, a decision. Can you see now, all of these laws have been put into place so that you and I can live a wonderful, free life. You know that word, “grace”? It is a beautiful, beautiful word. Grace is actually undeserved favour, undeserved loving kindness, given to you and me by Jesus Christ, through the power of His Holy Spirit. When you are born-again and the Spirit of God comes into you, you don't want to break the law anymore. You don't want to walk in untruth and in unrighteousness. You want to walk in freedom. Now freedom comes through obeying the word of God. I really want to encourage you today. This is not a time for you and me to “wing it” as they say, “Just give it a go. It doesn't matter, just do it.” No, the Lord has made you and me responsible people. The people of the world are looking to us to find out what the right way to live a fulfilled, joyous life is, and it is by obeying the rules, by walking in true judgement, by making right decisions. Don't just do things because you think it is a good idea and other people are doing them. No, that is why you read your Bible every morning. God will show you that you must do this because it is right and you must not do that because it is wrong. Of course, your plumb line is the one thing that you stand by, it is the Bible, and the word of God is what sets us free. So today, go into all the world with joy in your heart, knowing that you are doing the right thing because it is what the Bible says.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.Goodbye.

What if the key to a deeper relationship with God is simply losing our fear of bothering Him? In this sermon, we look at how the stories of Mary sitting at Jesus' feet and a neighbour banging on a door at midnight invite us to shamelessly seek a God who is already shamelessly pursuing us with the ultimate gift: His Holy Spirit. Recorded June 7, 2026.

In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul addresses the issues of pride, division, and spiritual arrogance within the Corinthian church. He reminds believers that church leaders are not celebrities to be ranked or compared, but servants of Christ and stewards of God's truth. The primary requirement for a steward is not popularity or human approval, but faithfulness. Paul urges the Corinthians to think of him, Peter and Apollos as mere servants of Christ entrusted with the secret things of God. A servant does what his master tells him to do. We must do what God tells us to do. We must do what God tells us to do in the Bible and through His Holy Spirit. Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right. 'So Apollos and I should be looked upon as Christ's servants who distribute God's blessings by explaining God's secrets. Now the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to. What about me? Have I been a good servant? Well, I don't worry over what you think about this or what anyone else thinks. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but even that isn't final proof. It is the Lord himself who must examine me and decide. 'So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is a good servant or not. When the Lord comes, he will turn on the light so that everyone can see exactly what each one of us is really like, deep down in our hearts. Then everyone will know why we have been doing the Lord's work. At that time God will give to each one whatever praise is coming to him. 'I have used Apollos and myself as examples to illustrate what I have been saying: that you must not have favorites. You must not be proud of one of God's teachers more than another. What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are so great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own? (1 Corinthians 4.1-7, TLB.) Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/a7-urqU8gmI?si=OIiMou5zt-EgCaZ3  For more information on David Hathaway's Ministry https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

(This podcast was previously published on May 21, 2022)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Faith is one of my favorite subjects and one of the most wonderful, and simple.   Words, often instructions, which are given to us by God, are usually brought directly to our minds by HIS Holy Spirit.   The first time this happened to me was in approximately 1975.  I owned a small business in Dallas, Texas.  A woman filed a lawsuit against me.  I heard an instruction which I believed to be from God.  These words were brought to my mind by what I believed to be God, by HIS Holy Spirit:  "Don't testify."   As I obeyed this instruction, many unexpected things happened!   (I share this story on this Podcast.)   Our examples are Noah and Abraham.  And with both, it is the same, God speaks and they obeyed!   Until God speaks, we can't have faith in God.   For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!  Romans 10:17  

Isaiah Fetterman speaks from Joel 2 on how God promises to pour out His Holy Spirit and save all who call on Him, before the final Day of the Lord.

By Sal Cimino Sr - Brethren, while God has given us a powerful gift to enable us to grow and overcome sins in our lives, how often do we see our lack of thankfulness when we disobey his word and cause grief of His Holy Spirit? We should be mindful of not grieving God's Holy Spirit by lack of use or lack of interest.

Greetings, my friends.God's heart is to lift us up and bless us in every area of our lives. Yet, I have learned through years of walking with Him that true success is only secure when it is built on a deep relationship with God. Without Him, even when we reach the heights we once prayed for, we can feel uncertain and unstable. But with God as our foundation, we can stand firm and confident, knowing He is faithful to keep us steady.Over the years, I have seen God lead me and many others through a process of growth and promotion. It always begins with the truth that God has a unique plan for your life, and He longs to give you a vision for your future. Trust that He is guiding you step by step, just as He has faithfully guided me.When we seek an intimate relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we open the door to all of God's best for us. I have witnessed in my own life how His blessings touch every area when we walk closely with Him.God Himself engages with us, equips us, and empowers us for every step of the journey. He is faithful to prepare us for each milestone, guiding us along the path He has set before us.When God promotes us, He empowers us with His Holy Spirit and the promises of the Bible, enabling us to walk by faith and lead with confidence wherever He places us. We can trust that He will provide everything we need to fulfill His calling.  Our position is secured by God.Send Tony a Texthttps://www.seldicompany.com/

Growing In God Podcast Program Number: GIG #304 Title: The Mind vs. the Spirit   Web Description: There are many wars and rumors of wars. But the greatest war that humanity fights is the war between the fleshly mind and the Spirit. As Christians we still find ourselves in that war. But God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us win the war. He has the power to free us from the old mindsets that keep us from receiving the life that God wants us to have in Christ. By His power we can set our minds on the Spirit and be filled with His life and peace.   Show Notes: God has given us a wonderful physical body in which He intends to dwell. And our brain is a part of that physical body. So when we read, "the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace," we are not talking about the physical brain itself. We are talking about the mental processes that we use our brains for. These mental processes are what the Scriptures refer to as the mind. And the scriptural understanding of the mind speaks to our ability to fix or set our mind on something. A term for this in English is "mindset."   The Gospels show us how much our mindset can resist what God it trying to show us. People's mindsets rejected what Christ was saying to such extent that He became their enemy. He became someone who had to be done away with because He was challenging everything that to them was the truth. The disciples of Christ had the same mindsets rooted in their upbringing and traditions. But on the Day of Pentecost, 120 of them received power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. And the power of the Holy Spirit broke the mindsets that had held them in bondage.   It is a simple fact that our past conditioning produces mindsets that resist change. But we do not want to resist what God is speaking to us by the Spirit. Yeshua (Jesus) said, "My Words are Spirit and life." And the people who were resisting His Words were also resisting the life that God was imparting. It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh accomplishes nothing. And we believe for the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome any areas where we are still resisting Him because our own minds have been set on the flesh. Lord, empower us to set our minds on the Spirit where our life comes from.   Key Verses:   •       Galatians 5:17–18. "The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." •       John 6:55–63. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing." •       John 14:6. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." •       John 14:25. "The Holy Spirit … will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said." •       2 Corinthians 10:5. "We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." •       1 Corinthians 2:8–10. "God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." •       Isaiah 43:19. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? •       Acts 1:8. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." •       Romans 8:6–14. "The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." •       1 Corinthians 2:16. "We have the mind of Christ."   Quotes:   •       "It is possible for the mind to be conformed to the Spirit instead of being conformed to an old way of thinking that is battling against the Spirit." •       "What is God trying to do? He is trying to take us completely out of the past. He is trying to take us into something new." •       "We have the mind of Christ. And if we have the mind of Christ, then we are filled with the life of Christ and we know His ways. And we are going to move as the Christ in the Earth."   Takeaways:   1.    There is a distinction between the physical brain and the mind that the Scriptures speak of, which is the way the brain is thinking, the mindset that has developed. 2.    Science uses the mind to try to extend life. But Christ makes it very clear: It is the Spirit that gives life. Life does not come through the efforts of the mind. Life comes to us through the Spirit. 3.    The mind set on the flesh is death. We face the fact that we have a mindset that resists God, resulting in death. But the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. God has given us His Holy Spirit to break us out of our old mindset and enable us to set our mind on the Spirit, resulting in life.

In a few seconds, the Holy Spirit revealed the truth of what the Lord does through His word.  He wants to bring revelation, Fresh Bread, by His Spirit to His people.  It is up to pastors and ministers to make certain they are hungry for the Lord and to know Him better!  Knowing the Lord Jesus through the revelation He promised would come by His Holy Spirit is paramount to the Body of Christ growing in maturity.  In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul prayed that the Lord would grant the Ephesian Church a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Christ.  We must be hungry and thirsty for revelatory knowledge that is foundational in the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34).Download the blog post here:  https://joshuarevivalproject.org/2026/05/a-vision-of-jesus-feeding-his-flock-through-his-word/More prophecies and training resources are available for FREE on our website at joshuarevivalproject.org, and we won't even ask you for your email.  If you are looking for the meat of the word, you have come to the right place.Mark C. Bitelerjoshuarevivalproject.orginfo@joshuarevivalproject.orgX: @markbitelerPodcast: Joshua Revival ProjectRumble: Joshua Revival ProjectYouTube: @joshuarevivalprojectFacebook:  Joshua Revival Project

Speaker: Dane BurgessScripture: Acts 2:1-41Episode Overview:At Pentecost, God poured out His Holy Spirit on the church and began gathering what sin had scattered. Walking through Acts 2:1–41, this message explores how the coming of the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus as both Lord and Messiah, fulfills God's redemptive plan, and calls people to repentance and faith. From the reversal of Babel to Peter's proclamation of the gospel, we see how God brings people from every nation, language, and background into His family through Christ. The same Spirit who empowered the early church continues to draw hearts to Jesus, turning people away from self-rule and into joyful submission to the King who gave His life for their salvation.Key Highlights:• The connection between Babel and Pentecost, and how God gathers what sin scatters.• The significance of the Holy Spirit's arrival and what it reveals about God's kingdom.• Peter's explanation of Pentecost through Scripture and the fulfillment of God's promises.• Why Jesus' death, resurrection, and exaltation stand at the center of the gospel message.• What it means to be "cut to the heart" by the truth of Christ.• The biblical call to repentance, baptism, and faith in Jesus.• The promise of the Holy Spirit for all who belong to Christ.• How Acts 2 points believers toward a life centered on Jesus rather than self.Call to Action:Consider what stands at the center of your life. Where have you been carrying burdens, seeking control, or relying on yourself instead of Christ? Ask God to reveal areas that need repentance and surrender. Trust the One who holds all things together, and take a step of obedience toward Him this week—whether through prayer, reconciliation, baptism, sharing the gospel, or simply placing your confidence once again in His grace and lordship.Redeemer Church211 Northshore Dr. Bellingham, WA 98226www.redeemernw.org

When we are caught up in sin and chasing it with all of our lives, we find ourselves being burned by the sin we're chasing with consequences and destruction. The fire that God can light in us through His Holy Spirit can burn away the desire for sin and stir an all consuming passion in our hearts for chasing after Jesus.

When we are caught up in sin and chasing it with all of our lives, we find ourselves being burned by the sin we're chasing with consequences and destruction. The fire that God can light in us through His Holy Spirit can burn away the desire for sin and stir an all consuming passion in our hearts for chasing after Jesus. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/640/29?v=20251111

May 28, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - 2nd PetitionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 24:1-25; Luke 23:1-25“What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.” (Small Catechism- The Lord's Prayer- Second Petition)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.There are really only two kingdoms in the world. One is the kingdom of Satan, whom Jesus calls the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31). The other is the Kingdom of God, the rightful ruler of all creation. The devil's kingdom is defined by pride, selfishness, anger, jealousy, hatred, lust, and every other evil you can think of. God's kingdom is defined by love, righteousness, holiness, goodness, patience, forgiveness, and all that is beautiful. To be in the devil's kingdom is to be in a kingdom of misery and pain, leading to everlasting death with even more misery and pain. To be in God's kingdom is to know true peace, joy, freedom, and blessedness, leading to everlasting life with pleasures beyond description. As our baptismal liturgy reminds us, “we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own,” (LSB, pg. 268). We are born needing to be rescued from the devil's kingdom and brought safely into God's kingdom. And, since our sinful nature is always fighting against God and urging us back into Satan's kingdom, we need God's help to keep us in His Kingdom forevermore. That's what we're praying for in the 2nd Petition of the Lord's Prayer. We are not praying that God would establish His kingdom; Jesus has already taken care of that. By living a perfectly holy life in the flesh and offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, Jesus has disarmed the devil, broken down the doors of his phony kingdom, and established His own holy Kingdom. As Luther said, “the Kingdom of God certainly comes by itself.” What we are asking is that God would bring us into His Kingdom that He has established by the blood of Christ. We pray that He would rescue us from the clutches of the devil and make us His children, with all the benefits and blessings thereof. But how does God bring us into His kingdom and make us His children? Through faith in Christ. And how does He create this faith in us? It's just as Paul said, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Holy Spirit creates faith by coming to us in God's Word. So we pray that God would continue to send us His Holy Spirit and help us believe His word, so that we would be kept safely in His Kingdom, now and forever. And, since Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and desires that each person come into His kingdom, we pray this Petition not just for ourselves, but for every one of our neighbors. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Draw us to Thee Unceasingly, Into Thy kingdom take us; Let us fore'er Thy glory share, Thy saints and joint heirs make us. (LSB 701: 5)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

It's remarkable to hear how Artificial Intelligence is helping with the task of translating God's Word into different languages. It makes you wonder what the folks in Jerusalem, who were present on the day of Pentecost, would think about the advances of AI. God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples and, as they proclaimed what God had done, we hear that "each one heard them speaking in His own language.” However, what took place at Pentecost was more a miracle of translation.  What followed is a miracle that continues to take place even today.

In Christianity, the Feast of Pentecost is shifted from the Hebrew themes of wheat harvest and the giving of Torah to the arrival of the Creator Himself in the form of His Holy Spirit descending in power. This follows 10 days after King Jesus ascended to His throne at the right hand of the Father, having been handed even more authority than He had before. The Spirit's work in and through us defies description but we take a crack at it in today's lesson on Acts 2. To investigate this most important of stories further, go here. 

On Pentecost Sunday — the 50th day after Passover — something extraordinary happened that changed everything. God wasn't just receiving offerings that day. He was giving the ultimate gift: His Holy Spirit.In this message, we explore Acts 2 and unpack how the Holy Spirit doesn't just help the church — He is the very engine that starts and sustains it. Without Him, we simply cannot do what God has called us to do.Whether you're brand new to faith or have been following Jesus for decades, this message will challenge you to stop trying to do life and ministry in your own strength — and invite the Spirit to fill, lead, and empower you.For the full gathering of this message which includes worship, visit our Youtube channel. Stay Connected With Hillside Community Church.Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/c/HillsideCommunityChurchInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/hillsidechurches/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/hillsidechurchesWebsite | https://hillsidechurches.com

This Sunday, the Church celebrated the Festival of Pentecost.  It's the day that God poured out His Holy Spirit just as Jesus had promised.  It's hard to overestimate the blessings that we've received in this wonderful event. When the apostle says, the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” he's not talking about some impersonal cosmic force or some kind of galactic energy. He's talking about a real person – the third person of the Trinity, who with the Father and the Son is one God – our God whose love and mercy is real and personal.

By Doug Wendt - God has offered us an unbelievable gift! His Holy Spirit is free and has endless power, and teaches us truths that we can not discern on our own. If we want to stay on the path leading to eternal life, we must allow the power of God to guide us in our daily walk. Are we remembering to renew God's

By Don Ward - The greatest event in human history took place on the Day of Pentecost in 31 AD. This was the moment when God began to dwell in mankind through His Holy Spirit. Before this day, God worked with people, guided people, and spoke through His servants. But on Pentecost, something changed in a powerful

May 24, 2026. Pentecost homily by Fr. Matt Lowry about how God sends us His Holy Spirit so that we can be strengthened by His divine life and participate with Him in His mission to renew the face of the earth.

The book of Acts has so much to say not only about our past but also about today and how followers of Jesus are called to live.  This book also speaks to those who don't yet know Jesus as Savior, those on the fence, seekers, doubters and those questioning or interested.   Chapter 2 Acts 2:1-2 "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a soundalike the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." This chapter starts out with the Jewish Festival of Shavuot or Pentecost. And the disciples and others gathered in a house. There would have been 10's of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Jerusalem and at the Temple for this festival.    Acts 2:3-4 "They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit enabled them."  Rushing wind! Tongues of fire!    Acts 2:5ff The group has moved into the streets and Jews from every nation who had come to Jerusalem for the festival, heard the sound of the wind and gathered in bewilderment because each one heard their own language being spoken by those with the tongues of fire. The crowds were amazed to hear the disciples with the tongues of fire declaring the wonders of God in their own languages.    In verse 13 we hear the disciples being made fun of as they speak in tongues. Some people saying they are drunk. But in the following verses Peter speaks to the crowd.    Then   and   Now   Holy Spirit is Predicted by Joel (Acts 16-21) Then: Peter speaks the prophetic words from God given to Joel "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." Peter ends with "and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." They were witnessing what was predicted/prophesied hundreds of years earlier. This book (often referred to as The Acts of the Holy Spirit) shows us the remarkable ways God was moving. Now: Pentecost ushered in a new era in human history. In our day God's spirit is still moving. The gospel of Jesus is spreading around the world like never before. It is everywhere. God continues to move and pour out His spirit and change people's lives. The Risen Christ is Proven by God (Acts 2:22-24) Then: Jesus' miracles and teachings were seen and witnessed. Jesus was crucified on a cross but God raised Him from the dead.  They had living proof. Now: No human life has ever made so powerful an impact than did the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It has changed the world. And we have the recorded history of those who did witness Jesus works, death and resurrection. Messiah was Predicted by David (Acts 2:25-31) Then: Peter quotes David who believed that there was One who would come and not see decay and would be One who would save.  Peter continues by saying this One David talked about was none other than Jesus Christ. Now: God continues to be at work today and the things that Jesus spoke of that would come and those things He predicted are being fulfilled today. Jesus Ascended and was Exalted by God (Acts 2:32-35) Then: Peter tells them how God raised Jesus from the grave and has poured out the Holy Spirit and that they were witnesses to that. Peter tells them that Jesus is Lord! He is worthy of worship! Now: this is true for us today. Jesus is risen! He continues to pour out His Holy Spirit! Jesus is Lord! He is worthy of worship! Accountability because You crucified Him (Acts 2:36-37) Then: Peter gets personal, telling them that "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." And "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?'" The message of Jesus demands a response.  We are collectively guilty of crucifying Jesus. We all have sinned. Now: The message of Jesus still demands a response. It is our sin that put Jesus on the cross. And still today, when people hear and internalize the message of Jesus Christ it changes them. Forgiveness brings New Life in Christ (Acts 2:38-41) Then: Peter called them to repentance and baptism Now: have you heeded the call to come to faith in Jesus. This is still the desire of God, that we come to Him through faith in Jesus, that we repent, are baptized and give our lives to Him.   Pastor closes with a look at the recently discovered Pool of Siloam and its archeological impact on what the Bible says.   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT:   Acts chapter 2 (if you want to read ahead, read chapter 3 as well)     Join the conversation around this teaching. Download our Awake Us Now APP, then join the conversation.   Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com 

Starting in Luke 24, Pastor John talks about the promise of the Father, power from on high, His Holy Spirit and the fullness of His friendship and indwelling.

By Ethan May - This message compares the relationship between God's Law and the Holy Spirit of God, specifically comparing the purposes and intended outcomes that God states for giving mankind His Law with the purposes and outcomes He desires us to have from His Holy Spirit.

God does not just save us and dwell within us; He continually fills and empowers us through His Holy Spirit so we can follow Jesus and live out His mission each day.  We are challenged to stop holding parts of ourselves back from God, to seek the Spirit daily, and to fully surrender our lives so His presence and power can work through us.

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 29—especially explaining how Christ, Who has accomplished our redemption, is also the One Who applies it to us, by His Holy Spirit. Q29. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. The central message of this lesson is that believers are made partakers of Christ's redemption not through their own efforts, but through the sovereign and effective work of the Holy Spirit, Who applies Christ's saving work to individual lives. Drawing from John the Baptist's contrast between water baptism and the Spirit's baptism, and Paul's teaching in Titus 3, the lesson emphasizes that salvation is not based on human righteousness but on God's mercy, accomplished through the 'washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.' This divine operation—justification, faith, and eternal hope—is not merely imputed but personally experienced as the Spirit indwells and transforms the believer. The tone is both pastoral and doctrinally precise, underscoring the necessity of the Spirit's work in making Christ's redemptive sacrifice personally effective. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit is the active Agent through Whom the benefits of Christ's atonement are applied, securing the believer's union with Christ and inheritance of eternal life.

Because God loves us, He has given us His Holy Spirit to protect us from evil. This week, we hear how we receive His help, by prayerfully obeying His Word. Visit: abideatascadero.orgEmail: info@abideatascadero.orgInstagram: @abide.calvary_atascFacebook: @AbideCalvaryAtascadero

Thereis nothing more important than practicing the presence of the Lord and desiringto be in His presence on the holy hill. That is Mount Zion. That is where thetemple was. That is where God made known the glory of His presence among Hispeople. You dwelt in His presence there. Today, we can dwell in His presenceevery day. Asa matter of fact, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So what does“the fear of the Lord mean? It means being continuously aware of and consciousof the presence of the Lord in your life—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Youknow He is there. As Brother Lawrence put it, you “practice His presence.” Thatis what David is asking here. Now,who can do that? Who has the right, the privilege, and the experience ofdwelling in the presence of the Lord? David begins to answer the question inverse 2: “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks thetruth in his heart.” Three things are mentioned right off the bat. First, “walkinguprightly”. Second, “working righteousness”, and “speaking thetruth in his heart”.  Lookat what he says: “He who walks uprightly.” This speaks of integrity. Itmeans a life that is sincere, genuine, and consistent—not perfect, but real. Theword “walk” reminds us that this is a daily lifestyle. Remember, God toldAbraham in Genesis 17:1: “Walk before Me blamelessly.” That is walkinguprightly. That is walking in the right direction following Jesus every day! Youfind this same truth mentioned in Psalm 23:3 “He leads me in paths ofrighteousness for His name's sake.” Righteousness is doing that which isright. So first, we walk with the Lord uprightly. We are cleansed of our sin.We are enjoying fellowship with Him. We are listening to His voice, payingattention to His Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience by faith. We areenjoying a life of experiencing God. We walk uprightly, and it shows forth tothe world around us. That is so important. Thenwe “work righteousness”. Now this is interesting. Righteousness is doingwhat is right. I will never forget, as a young Christian, hearing someone say: “Doright. Do right. Do right. If the stars fall from heaven, do right.” People havecome to me asking for counseling or advice on how to handle a certain situation,and my answer—because of how I have been influenced—is simply this: “Be aChristian. Be a Christian.” “Just do right!” Thatmeans you do right according to God's Word. It means you follow Jesus. You dowhat Jesus would do in that situation, my friend. The only way you can do thatis by first walking uprightly. You walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Remember,our righteousness is as filthy rags. What we do on our own, without the HolySpirit helping us, guiding us, and directing us, “is as filthy rags”. Itmight impress people and make us feel good, but it actually stinks in the sightof God (Isaiah 64:6). Butmy friend, when we follow Jesus, when we are in love with Jesus, when we areenjoying His presence, when we have the fear of the Lord, and when we arewalking in a path that brings glory to His name, people can see the differencein our lives. That is a powerful thing. So our walk matches our profession whenwe walk uprightly. James 1:22 says: “But be doers of the word, and nothearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Abeliever who enjoys close fellowship with God seeks to obey the Lord. Oh, myfriend, that is not sinless perfection, but it is a heart that desiresholiness. May God help us to have that kind of heart. Let us continue over thenext few days looking at Psalm 15. I hope you will take time to memorize it tooand hide it in your heart, that you might not sin against the Lord.Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

May 10, 2026. Sixth Sunday of Easter homily by Fr. Matt Lowry about how Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit to move and advocate within us for our good. By following the Commandments and learning to know His voice in prayer, we can live in the peace, connection, and conviction God created us for.

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

By William Bradford - When we hear the phrase "stir up the Spirit" or "fanning into flame the gift of God," how do we respond? Do we heed the call to action? God has given us His Holy Spirit, a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. We must constantly ensure that we are keeping that flame going strong within us and

May 7, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's PrayerDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23; Leviticus 25:1-55; Luke 12:54-13:17The Second Petition. Thy Kingdom come. What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. As Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, they are reminded that the kingdom of God is not merely a location here on earth or some existential place that is beyond our understanding. The kingdom of God is present in Christ. John the Baptist proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” when Christ was at the Jordan River. In Christ is also the reign of God. We say that in Christ is the “kingdoming” of God. He is the rule and reign of all things. As we pray in the Lord's Prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” we are reminded that the rule and reign of Christ is taking place right now. His reign is not something we are waiting to take place. Luther defines that the Kingdom of God comes through the Holy Spirit, when, by His grace, we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here and in eternity. In the life of the church and her people, there is the kingdom of God. When we receive the true Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament, His kingdom is at hand. Christ comes to us for the strengthening of faith and the forgiveness of sins. As the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us, we are sent out into the world to lead holy lives reflective of our Baptism. The world would like us to believe that the only kingdom is the kingdom here on earth. Our culture insists that there is nothing beyond this world and that there is nothing other than this world. We are encouraged to live lives that feed our flesh and our desires. The world, sin, and satan say that we are in charge of our own destiny. Scriptures teach otherwise. Scriptures point us through the lies of the world and point us to Christ and His kingdom. Scriptures point us to the work of Christ, and in those works is His “kingdoming.” He has fulfilled the law on our behalf. He has paid the price for our sins. He has conquered death. He reigns now and for all eternity. In His reigning we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.May Christ our intercessor be And through His blood and merit Read from His book that we are free With all who life inherit. Then we shall see Him face to face, With all His saints in that blest place Which He has purchased for us. (LSB 508:6)Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

In this sermon on Hebrews 3:7-11, Pastor Keith warns the church of the danger of hardening our hearts while hearing God's word and failing to respond in repentance. Looking at the example of Israel in the wilderness, he shows how the heart grows hard through persistent resistance against God's provision and truth. He reminds us that this warning is for believers today, so we must not delay repentance and obedience. God speaks today in warnings, through His Holy Spirit, to preserve His people, so that the church can respond in faith and repentance toward Christ, who leads us into God's rest.

In week 3 of 40 Days in the Word, Pastor Matt teaches that God has given us His Word as a light for our lives and His Holy Spirit to help us truly understand and apply it. He explains how the Spirit illuminates truth, gives direction, provides protection, and reminds us of God's constant presence as we engage with Scripture. Ultimately, the message challenges us to approach the Bible as a daily encounter with God—ready to listen, depend on Him, and obey what He reveals.

Derek Walker delves into the profound topic of the beauty of holiness and its pivotal role in our spiritual lives. Delve into the dynamic relationship between holiness, intercession, and fellowship with God. Understand the transformative power of God's presence and how it elevates us spiritually. Ideal for those seeking a deeper understanding of faith and holiness. The Beauty of the Lord is His Holiness - the sum and perfection of His moral attributes. When we trust in God and surrender to Him, He imparts His holiness to us through His Holy Spirit. Explore the connection between holiness and intimacy with God, and understand how true holiness is a divine transformation led by the Holy Spirit. Discover the significance of being set apart for God, the role of sanctification, and the spiritual journey towards righteousness. This message offers deep insights into the nature of God's holiness and the essence of a holy life.

Derek Walker delves into the profound topic of the beauty of holiness and its pivotal role in our spiritual lives. Delve into the dynamic relationship between holiness, intercession, and fellowship with God. Understand the transformative power of God's presence and how it elevates us spiritually. Ideal for those seeking a deeper understanding of faith and holiness. The Beauty of the Lord is His Holiness - the sum and perfection of His moral attributes. When we trust in God and surrender to Him, He imparts His holiness to us through His Holy Spirit. Explore the connection between holiness and intimacy with God, and understand how true holiness is a divine transformation led by the Holy Spirit. Discover the significance of being set apart for God, the role of sanctification, and the spiritual journey towards righteousness. This message offers deep insights into the nature of God's holiness and the essence of a holy life.

Knowing what the plan is and even what to do in it is one thing. Having the ability, however, to execute is an entirely other thing. We can't do it on our own, whether it be cleaning up our lives, fixing our homes, or experiencing God. But God gives what He commands. He gives His Holy Spirit.

Week 3 of Life 2.0 answers the question: How do we live the new life Jesus gives us? While many people try to follow Jesus through sheer willpower, the Christian life was never meant to be lived that way. Through resurrection, God gives believers His Holy Spirit, whose power raised Jesus from the dead and now lives within His followers. The Spirit convicts us of sin, guides us into truth, and produces new character in our lives as we walk with Him. Rather than trying harder, we learn to keep in step with the Spirit by inviting His leadership, noticing His guidance, and following His promptings in everyday moments. Because of the resurrection, new life is not only forgiven—it is powered and led by the Holy Spirit. Passage: Romans 8:11-14; John 16:8-9, 13-14; Galatians 5:16-17 Speaker: David Wyman

In Ezekiel 47:1-5, the prophet has a vision about a river flowing from the Temple that is believed to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the vision, the river goes from ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep, and then, it becomes deep enough to swim in. If you are truly saved, you are standing in the river. The will of God is for you to continue downstream, deeper and deeper, more and more surrendered to His Holy Spirit. However, there are many people who got saved and had some spiritual experiences in the river, and after some difficult times, they are now tempted to get out of the water and go completely back to their old life. This week, we’re exploring the truth that the problem isn’t the water; it’s trying to live in two worlds. Discomfort comes when you’re sloshing around in water but still trying to walk like you’re on land.

Audio Transcript All right. Well, beautiful singing. So I’ve not met you. My name is Aaron, and I’m the preaching pastor here. And we’re really glad you’re with us today. So this is every Sunday we get together as a special Sunday, and this is a little bit more special. We have a baptism at the end. So I’ve not met you. I’m glad you’re here with us, and I would love to meet you, actually at the end of service. So please come find me. So if you have a Bible with you, if you open up to the Gospel of Luke, your text to study is Luke 8, verses 4 through 15. And if you don’t have a Bible with you, there are Bibles scattered throughout the seats. It’s on page 504. And if you’re visiting. So we do a style of preaching here called expository preaching. And so the desire that I have is just to let God’s word speak. And so as you open your Bible, please keep your Bible open throughout this service. And so I’m read through the passage, I’m going to pray and ask for God’s blessing this time. And then as I work through the sermon, I’m just actually going to walk us right back through that same text I just read for you. And so please keep your Bibles open and follow along really all throughout the sermon. So Luke 8, starting in verse 4. So please hear the words of our God. Luke wrote this. And when a great crowd was gathering and the people from town to town came to him, he said in a parable, a sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled under foot. And the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock. And as it grew up, it withered away as it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold. And he said these things. He called out, he who has ears to hear let. And when the disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, jew has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. For others, they’re in parables so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is, the seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard. Then the devil calms and takes away the word from their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those when they Hear the word, receive with joy. But these have no root. They bleed for a while and in time of testing fall away. And as for those that fell among the thorns, there are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked out by the cares and riches and pleasures of life. And their fruit does not mature. As for that and the good soil, there are those who hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. So that’s God’s word for us this morning. Would you please pray with me? Lord, thank you for bringing us here together. And Lord, we want to hear from you. And so Lord, please bless the preaching of your word. Bless my folly as I preach. Please help me to be a good communicator. Help me not to stumble over words or to say that which is untrue to this text, to your word. And Lord, I pray for the congregation that indeed you would give them ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to us through this passage. Lord, please bring much glory to Jesus in his time that the great salvation of Christ would extend. In his name we pray. Amen. So one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the church was a man that I’m sure many of us here are familiar with. And this man is as popular as and well known as really any individual in the 20th century. A man named P. Billy Graham, who seems to have preached the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to more people than anyone in human history. Some records indicate that through his over 50 years of preaching, some of which do like massive, I mean massive crusades that Billy Graham preached to well over 200 million people or through the use of live television that aired some of his preaching Crusades. An estimated 185 different countries all around the world were touched by his ministry. With this incredible ministry of Billy Graham centered on the preaching of the seventh simple message of the Gospel of faith in Jesus Christ, message of Jesus death and resurrection from the dead for the forgiveness of our sin, with hopes that men and women, boys and girls, would hear this simple gospel message in ways that they would respond by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ, by turning from sin and by faith calling upon him to be their Lord and Savior. Now it came to this massive ministry of Billy Graham, as mentioned Psalm 150 or 85 different countries where touched by is preaching. Plenty of these countries were in places that had like little to no access to the Gospel of Christ, where Christianity wasn’t prevalent. Some countries were really hostile towards the message of Christ. However, there’s something that Billy Graham would say often, that has really stuck with me over the years, as he thought that one of the primary mission fields in the world was actually the church in America. As Billy Graham feared, like a large portion of those who were active in church life, who could maybe give the right answers when it comes to the Christian faith, yet in their hearts were not actually truly Christians where they had not yet made Jesus the Lord and Savior of their life. Brother Graham feared that a large portion of the church in America were made up of those who were just kind of around the things of Christ but not actually trusting in Him. And one of the reasons why Graham had this fear was not just because what he observed in life in America, where many profess faith but didn’t live lives that reflect that of Christ being at the center or the fruit of their life, didn’t reflect that of the Spirit of God, but more of the works of the flesh. But it wasn’t just what Graham observed that led to him this conclusion, this quote that he would say often, but it’s also what he observed in Scripture that led him to this concern, particularly the warnings that are there throughout Scripture, warnings that like just kind of being around the things of Christ is not enough. We must have faith, personal faith in Him. Which brings us to the next text in our study this morning in our study of the Gospel of Luke, which is a text that warns of different ways that one can respond to Christ in His Word. Now, before we work through this passage, which contains both the parable of Jesus as well as the explanation of Jesus of that parable, let me just remind us where we were in our text last week, which to me is actually one of the more encouraging passages in the Gospel of Luke. You may remember if you’re here, we read about a known sinful, seemingly ostracized woman who by faith came to Jesus Christ in the worship of Him. In our text, Jesus not only received her worship, but he also gave to this woman just great words of assurance that because she had faith in him, not only were her sins forgiven, but she could now live in peace. We talked about it in our text a lot last week. This woman was able to find forgiveness and live with peace because the mercy of Jesus Christ was more, and it’s always more for his people, which is so encouraging to us as the mercy of Christ gives us assurance as we walk through life, through all the ups and downs that it brings, that even when we stumble and fall and sin against him, as we turn back after we sin, he meets us with with his mercy, which to say it again, is a mercy that’s always more a mercy that’s always deeper than whatever sinful pit that we might fall into. Now, today, as we enter our text, this passage is going to be a lot more of a challenging passage to us. What that should challenge us in ways that we should not, like falsely assume the mercy of Christ is on us in ways that we live with some type of false assurance. Which I do think is what Billy Graham was most concerned by as he spoke about his mission field being that within the church that those who live with a false assurance in Christ, some type of false profession of faith, rather than the true assurance that only Jesus Christ can give to the work that only he can do in her life, which is the work that will bear fruit. Okay, so that was an introduction. Please look back at me in the text during verse four. And as you look there, let me just give you three desires that I have for us this morning as we work through this passage that I’m going to circle back to at the end of the sermon. So first is just the desires to let this text search our hearts to expose us if indeed we are living with some type of like false assurance where our heart is actually still spiritually dead before God. Our hearts are like stoned before God because of sin. So that’s the desire to have one of the desires is desire for like a self examination. But then the second desire I have for us, the desire is to not get bogged down in self examination of our own heart. But after this self examination we actually set our focus on the Lord who is the One, by His grace, by His Word, through the power of His Spirit. And the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ takes out hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh which are hearts that now live for God, that bear fruit for God, because they are hearts that receive the forgiveness of sin through the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is something that is actually really important to this text. So this morning I do not want us to get bogged down in self examination, even though we will be doing that. But as we go through self examination, desires that should lead us to put our focus and our attention upon the Lord and the work he has done for us through Christ. So today I don’t want us leaving here doubting in like self examination with our focus like inward on ourselves. Today I want us to leave here believing with our focus on Christ, believing in ways that he is the treasure of our life, that indeed he did die for us on the Cross to take on the punishment of our sin, only to rise again on the third day. This leads to the third hope that I have as we leave here believing, believing what Christ has done for us, that we do so with a desire to do the work that Christ has actually set before us, the work that he came to do, which was to reach his mission field with his love through his message of the Gospel, which is the mission that he actually does through his people, that we are to share that love with others so that others might believe and have their lives changed by him as well. So I’m circling back to that at the end, but I just want to give you those up front. So verse four, gonna take your eyes there where we read that once again, there’s a great crowd around Jesus. As there’s people from town to town, we’re like, coming to him. If you’ve been with us. In our study of Luke, I mentioned this several times, But a large portion of Jesus public ministry, there’s like an incredible buzz and excitement around him as more and more people from all over were coming to him with hopes that indeed he was the Promised Christ. However, as the crowds continued to grow around Jesus, not all in the crowd came to him in ways that they were indeed trusting in him, like believing in him, making these crowds that around him really a part of his mission field, those he was seeking to reach. So in line with that desire of reaching his mission field, in our text, Jesus preached to this crowd by telling them a parable, a challenging parable, a penetrating parable, one that is meant to search our hearts. So verse five, here’s a parable. So we read that a sower went out to a field to sow his seed, where the sower would just, like, walk the field and then scatter the field or scatter the seed all over as he walked. And as the sower scattered the seed, we see that the seed would fall on different types of ground, or in fact, some of the seed fell along the path, path where others would walk, which were made for hard ground as the soil was, like, compacted. And our text tells us that it was, like, trampled underfoot, which meant that for that seed, it would have been, like, really hard to penetrate that soil. So the seed would, like, sit on top of the ground, making it easy for, like, the birds of the air, you know, to get their beaks on the seed and devour it. Verse six of the parable. As a sower sowed his seed, we see that some of the seed also fell upon the Rock where the seed would get just like, enough sun and rain for it to grow. But because the rock was unable to hold any type of meaningful moisture, how the sun would come and the seed would, like, wither away. Verse 7, the sower walked the field, casting the seed all over, we see that some of the seed would also fall among thorns. And as the seed attempted to grow, the thorns would grow up with it. And because of the strength of the thorn, it would, like, choke out the seed, you know, taking everything away from the seed that it needed to survive, so the seed would die. But then in verse eight, as a sower walked the field, sowed his seed, not all of his labors were done in vain, because some of the seed would fall into good soil, so that would be able to extend roots and penetrate the soil, where the soil would be to provide, like, the nutrients needed to keep the moisture that was needed. And because of the good soil, the seed would begin to grow in our text, to grow in ways that it would bring forth a yield that was like a hundredfold, which would be an incredible harvest to come from the seed, which, by the way, can hold on to this. Say it again. Throughout the sermon, the hope is that we examine this. This text would examine our hearts as we try to discern our own hearts. But as you do this, don’t lose heart or lose focus here of the wonder of the seed in the text. As the seed just bears such an incredible harvest, hundredfold fruit will come, which actually we do know that some of the. How important this is, the seeds that do come from or that do produce fruit. Something we talked about in Luke 6, I talked about, like, how good trees bear good fruit. And that’s what this text does here. These seeds that fall on good soil bear good fruit. Then the end of verse 8, as Jesus said these parables, he cries out to the crowd, saying, he who has ears to hear, let him hear, meaning God. Great crowd that’s around me here. Understand what I’m saying to you in this parable here, and understand in ways that this parable is like searching your heart in ways that reveals the soil of your heart, so you may believe in me. As we keep going the text, verse nine, maybe surprisingly, we see that the disciples of Jesus really did not understand this teaching from our Lord. So we see in the text that they went to him just to ask Jesus what this parable meant, to which Jesus graciously responds to them, responds to their question, to their confusion. He honors their request by explaining the parable to him. And all the symbolism that is there. Where graciously, through his written word, he also explains to us as well, so we might hear and understand. Verse 10. Jesus to his disciples. Disciples to you. It has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God which here this secret relates to. Like the work of God that He was doing to bring his people to faith in him. By which he would like build his kingdom. The kingdom that Jesus himself was ushering in through his great salvation. The reason why Jesus said that this was a secret is because on our own we cannot understand. And we cannot enter into. The kingdom of God on our own is like a secret kept from us because of our sin, because of the hardness of our own hearts. So this is a secret that God must graciously reveal to us by giving us a new heart, which he does through the work of His Holy Spirit. Without a new heart. Scripture already told us in Isaiah, chapter six, saying this. Keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull and their eyes heavy. And blind their eyes. Lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. And understand with their hearts and turn and be healed. It’s in the text that Jesus told disciples that in the graciousness of God and His work in his life, that these secrets of the kingdom would be revealed to them. But to others, you see, the kingdom would be kept a secret because of their sin. The words Jesus spoke, this parable to them was just a story with a meaning hidden from them. So in our text, According to Isaiah 6, what I just read. Seeing they not see, hearing they may not understand. So I say it again. The truth of the kingdom of God found in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are truths that we cannot find on our own. They’re a secret, they’re a mystery that are kept from us for us to see and hear and understand. Like we need God’s grace in our life to reveal them to us, which he does through his word, through the gospel, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We can’t change our own heart. Only God has the power to do that. Verse 11. Disciples. Now this parable that was given to you, is this in my grace. I’m going to reveal this to you so you see and understand. The seed that the sower sowed. That seed. So that’s the word of God. The word that declares the kingdom of God. The word that reveals to us the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word that the Spirit of God uses to speak to our hearts. Verse 12. The seed of God’s word is what the sower scatters, where some of that seed would fall along the path that is trampled underfoot, where the birds of the air come and devour it. Disciples, that trampled soil, that represents those who have heard the Scriptures proclaimed. But almost immediately the devil comes and takes that word away from them, from their hearts, takes it away before it can penetrate into their heart. Because the seed of God’s word is almost taken away. You know, they may hear, they don’t believe and be saved. Verse 13. Disciples, the seed that is God’s word that fell on the rock, what that represents are those who hear the Word, the message of salvation found in Jesus Christ. And that represents those where at first there’s some real excitement about what they heard. So in the text, so they received the Word with like some initial joy where, okay, this is it. I’m going to be excited about Jesus. I’m going to be involved in the things of Jesus. I’m going to do the things that he’d asked me to do. You know, I’m finally involved in church life or a Christian community. But in the text, that excitement doesn’t last. Just some type of emotional excitement, not a heartfelt excitement. There’s no like roots to that excitement. So for a time, sure, they might profess that they believe, sure, for a time they might be excited about the things of God. But as life happens, as challenges come their way, as they’re met with various types of testings, our text tells us, which here seem to refer to something like maybe like persecution or maybe some type of threat that can come through faith in Christ. Those without roots, they fall away. The joy that they seem to have for Jesus, they weathered quickly. No roots, no persevering. And by the way, just over the years I’ve seen this take place far too often where there could be someone who’s really excited about the things of God, growing interest and what it means to follow Jesus, getting more involved in Christian community. Only for some type of challenge to arise, some type of testing to come their way that challenges their belief. Sometimes it seems like, often actually it’s like a family or friends that they’re worried that won’t accept them if they live for Jesus. And these challenges are just too much. So testing is not passed with any type of perseverance. So as they quickly walk away from the excitement and they abandon the joy that they seem to have for Christ never to be heard from again. Verse 14. Also something I’ve seen take place far too Often over the years as a church, we interact with a lot of different people in the text. Those who have heard the seed of God’s word, they fell among the thorns. So in a sense, like they kind of heard things, right? They heard the gospel proclaimed, they heard about the riches of the gospel, the joy of Jesus, but they don’t give it really much time or attention or thought. Rather they come, they hear and they leave. And the life changing message of Christ was almost like white noise to them, just playing in the background. So after hearing, there’s this real pull to go their way to get back to like more important thing to them, things to them. So the gospel is like quickly choked away. They’re too focused on the text and getting back to all of the cares and riches and pleasures of life, these things are like dominating their thoughts, their attention, pushing out the things of Christ for us. No doubt. Cares, riches, pleasures have always had a pull on human heart. They become like idols to us. But I think maybe even more so today in the day and age, in the culture that we live in, where we have such abundance all around us, where we live in this age of information that’s always like at our fingertips. We have so many things always pulling at us, always distracting us, let’s be honest, how often are we like doom scrolling on our phones or filling our ears with music or a podcast? We’re often from like one thing to the next, to the next, to the next. Always busying ourselves with our hobbies, our interests, which are becoming more important to us. And if we’re faced with having to pick Christ or these other things that we care about, the thorns of our heart pick the things that we care about, always on the run, always have the million things pointed at us, no time to reflect, no time to consider, no time to ponder, no time to count the cost. These things are like a tractor beam that keep pulling us away from Christ, the cares, the riches, the pleasures around us. So, yep, we could hear the word but quickly move off. The word never lands in our heart. In the text, our life never produces any type of fruit that matures. By the way, one of the things I read this week in the commentaries, after I read this verse here, point out how the cares and riches and the pleasures, how they have the same damning effect on the soils of one life as the devil in verse 12 and seed along the path, as well as the thread of suffering and persecution and trial in verse 13, seed on the rocky ground. I also wonder this week how the cares, the riches, the pleasures that are so readily available in our society compared to others around the world. I did wonder if maybe that’s why Billy Graham felt so strongly about the mission field that’s there within the church and our society, even though he ministered throughout the 20th century, where we have so much more today, even then there are so many distractions that would take away our attention back to text and finally we’re going to end our text today. Where the parable ends, verse 15, where Jesus then explained as for the good soil, the good soil that saw the seed grow and yield a hundredfold harvest that represents those who hear the Word, and they hear in a way is that they like hold fast to it because the seed has like penetrated their hearts in ways that like there’s like a new heart, the ones now that’s alive for God where there’s deep roots. So indeed they do see, they do hear, they do understand. There is a desire to seek after God, to follow and obey, to trust his word, where the heart does beat for Jesus, because indeed he is the treasure of their life, where he is such a strong desire, such a great treasure, they pick him over other things because that seed has penetrated in hearts in ways that there’s a new heart where God’s Spirit dwells inside. So in the text they have like an honest and a good heart towards God. And their lives bear fruit, good fruit of God’s work in them through the Word, through the power of the Spirit, through the life changing message of Jesus Christ that they believe in. In the text they bear fruit, including the fruit of patience. We should just note that patience actually lists of the fruit of the Spirit which are fruit that one will have in one’s life as they receive the new heart from God, as they believe in Jesus, as God’s word falls on fertile soil. So Galatians 5. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. When one has good soil, these things rise out. These are the fruit that comes from it. And for us, we’re going to end our texture study today. Before we close the sermon, I do want to circle back to the three desires that I have for us that I mentioned at the start. So first, to kind of finish up here, so let this passage examine the soil of your heart. Okay, so this is clearly at the forefront of the teaching of Jesus Christ as he spoke to this great crowd that was following after him. So this parable was to be an examination for them, to examine the hearts of the crowd where I have no Doubt this examination that was given to this parable. So in this great crowd, like the soils in the text were probably represented in that crowd. Or yes, in the great crowd, there are those who were around Jesus. They heard him proclaim the scriptures. But those seeds didn’t land on fertile ground. Not all of them at least. And if I can be honest with us, I kind of assume in this room this morning the various types of soils are probably represented here as well. And if I can ask, can we be humble to see what soil that is there in our own hearts, I do wonder maybe for some of us here, sure, you’re hearing about things of Christ, and maybe there’s some interest that’s piqued, but not enough that you’re willing actually to turn from sin and turn to Jesus in ways that you’re actually going to believe in him. You’re trusting Him. So in the self examination, is that you, you’re in this room, sure, you’ve heard about Jesus, maybe there’s some excitement, there’s some joy maybe that you’re feeling, where in a sense you’re trying to think to yourself, this is what I want, I’m going to do this Jesus thing. But if a challenge, a trial came your way to test your excitement to follow after him, even if that brings hardship, would you walk away? Is that you walk away, not look back, because you planted no roots in the things of Christ. I also kind of wonder in this room, maybe some of us here, we’ve heard of the message of Jesus, but really not given it much of a second thought. Because there’s so many other important things to you right now, things you care way more about, that you’re trying to find way more joy in than Jesus, that are way more valuable to you. And if you’re honest, if you had to choose between those things and the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s actually kind of an easy decision for you. We are not going to sacrifice any of those things in order to have Christ. So things Christ just get choked away pretty quick in your heart. I do wonder if that’s how many of that is true of us here today. But then also there’s some of us here today that by the grace of God, the things that Jesus really are grabbing your heart where you want to serve him and honor him, or you have a desire to follow after him and His Word as you live out your life by faith, you actually do believe in Christ in ways that he is your treasure, where by faith you do see and you do understand the message of this gospel and his wooden cross and empty tomb actually mean everything to you because you know what Christ has done for you so you can be forgiven and brought into relationship with him this morning by the grace of God. I wonder if that’s you, if indeed you are trusting in Christ and for us, we need to let this test or this text here examine our hearts to discern the soil of our hearts, ways that we actually are seeking real assurance that’s found in the good soil, that’s filled with true belief, which I do hope is all of our desire this morning as we leave the text, as we discern the soil of our heart. How do we do that? If you’re wondering, well, we just look by the fruit of our life, while unfortunately we still will stumble and fall in many ways as we live out life. If we have tasted the grace of God, if we have a new heart where we have good soil, how do you know there will be fruit? Including the fruit of a love for Jesus, a desire to be around him and His Word, desire to like worship him with your heart. There will be the fruit of even patience. That’s the first thing this morning. I do want us to let this passage examine our hearts. And if you examine your hearts and you realize you don’t have the good soil, then by grace, by faith, just trust in Jesus and call upon him and believe in your heart that he did die for you and rose again from the dead. And as you call upon the name of Jesus, the assurance we have is that he will answer that prayer and he will bear fruit in your life. You can trust in Him. Second thing, I want to leave this passage. It’s just that let’s let this passage cause us to put our hope in Christ and His Word where we’re indeed like holding fast to Him. And that’s really where I hope our focus is as we leave not in self, not in self examination, overly consumed by the soil of our hearts. Rather, I want us to leave with our focus on Christ, our hope in him. And we come to challenging passages like this in scriptures like this one today that test and search our hearts. Friend, self examination is not meant to keep us in self examination, but it’s there to move us off self examination in ways that we’re fixing our eyes upon Christ. That’s where this test is meant to take us. For us to hope in him, not in self, to hope that Jesus is the one who actually passes all the tests of life for us as a representative. That’s why we’re about to sing in just a bit here, with all passion that our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and his righteousness. In the message of the Gospel, his righteousness is counted as our righteousness. Then apart from him, we can do nothing and we can’t bear fruit on our own. We can’t see, we can’t understand on our own, we can’t change our own hearts. But as our focus is on him, as he is our assurance, we set our eyes on the One who can and does change the hearts of sinners, which is why he is indeed our great hope, the One who sows his seed of love that bears fruit. So yes, again we do need to examine ourselves through this text. But that self examination is to take us to Christ. So our assurance and our hope rest in him and him alone. The One who in his mercy and grace takes out hearts of stone, replace them with hearts of flesh that bear fruit for him, as he is actually the one who promises to hold us fast. This leads to the third thing I’m just going to leave yours with is this. Let this passage lead you to be a faithful sower of seeds. So as Jesus is sowing his seeds through his word, as he’s bringing in his harvest, so how he’s choosing to do that work is actually through his people, his church, which actually is also a fruit of good soil, is that we become sowers of the seed of the gospel. So for us, as we leave just a bit here, as we walk through the field that is your life, all the people you’re interacting with, friends, cast a seed, share the message of Christ, trusting as you cast the seed of the gospel, that your labors are not in vain, that some seed will land on good soil and will bear fruit. Praying, trusting and believing that indeed God will bring a harvest. Just quick things on this front, friends, we are just simply called to plant seeds. Like we’re not the ones who can change the soil in a person’s heart. That’s work that only God can do. We’re just to go faithfully plant seeds. Second, let me just encourage us all to plant seeds in places that you care about and you find pleasures in. So yes, in the text, cares and pleasures, riches living in idols that we choose over Christ. But it’s like, it’s not like necessarily wrong to have things that you care about or find pleasure in for the glory of God. We can have these things in our life. So my encouragement is like whatever places those are for you that you care about, you find pleasure in. Let the people who are there with you in those places. Be the people that you’re faithfully and intentionally sowing gospel seeds with meaning as you enjoy the different things that you care about, find pleasure in. Don’t do so in ways like you isolate your plate or isolate yourself from others, but get to know others. Cast the seeds of the love of Jesus in places that you’re already at, where you already enjoy. Third, sometimes I can actually continue with, when it comes to this, especially as it warms up here, is to cast seeds around your neighborhood or apartment. And if you have a backyard, start planting some type of or planning some type of, like summer get together where you can get to know your neighbors, where you can build relationships with them. Cast seeds. If your apartment has some type of community room, reserve it so you can have some type of summer activity with those you live next to. Or you can be sower of seeds, casting the seeds of the gospel. Where we live, that’s where we spend so much of our time. So let us use that to cast seeds. None of us are going to plant nearly as many seeds as Billy Graham. Literally millions of seeds all over the world. But friends, that’s okay. God has not called us to be really Graham. He’s just called us to cast seeds in the fields. We’re already living in our life, and for us, that’s our great mission field. Knowing that the harvest is plentiful, but the labors are few. Therefore, as a church, may we pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest that he send us out as laborers into his harvest, that by his grace, others would see and hear and understand the truths found in Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for the work that you do in the lives of sinners. You’re the great sower of seeds. And Lord, I just pray that all of us here would have soil that represents good soil. And Lord, if there’s those who came in this morning with soil that is not bearing fruit that’s not yet good soil. Lord, I pray that in this moment today that you would do a great work, that they would indeed believe and trust in Jesus, that they would see Jesus as the great treasure worth leaving all things in order to have. Give them eyes to see and ears to hear. And Lord, please help them just to trust that indeed Jesus did die for them and that he did rise again from the dead. And Lord, I know many here do have good soil because of your gracious work. Lord, please help us to be faithful, to scatter the seeds of the gospel to those around us, Lord, may we not be ashamed of the gospel. May we be found faithful to proclaim the gospel. And Lord, we just pray to you, the Lord of the harvest, that you bless these seeds that we may plant, that indeed they would fall on good soil, that many, many, many more would believe. It’s in Jesus name we pray. Amen. The post The Parable of the Sower – Luke 8: 4-15 appeared first on Red Village Church.

Week 3 of Life 2.0 answers the question: How do we live the new life Jesus gives us? While many people try to follow Jesus through sheer willpower, the Christian life was never meant to be lived that way. Through resurrection, God gives believers His Holy Spirit, whose power raised Jesus from the dead and now lives within His followers. The Spirit convicts us of sin, guides us into truth, and produces new character in our lives as we walk with Him. Rather than trying harder, we learn to keep in step with the Spirit by inviting His leadership, noticing His guidance, and following His promptings in everyday moments. Because of the resurrection, new life is not only forgiven—it is powered and led by the Holy Spirit. Passage: Romans 8:11-14; John 16:8-9, 13-14; Galatians 5:16-17 Speaker: Kevin Stiles

Week 3 of Life 2.0 answers the question: How do we live the new life Jesus gives us? While many people try to follow Jesus through sheer willpower, the Christian life was never meant to be lived that way. Through resurrection, God gives believers His Holy Spirit, whose power raised Jesus from the dead and now lives within His followers. The Spirit convicts us of sin, guides us into truth, and produces new character in our lives as we walk with Him. Rather than trying harder, we learn to keep in step with the Spirit by inviting His leadership, noticing His guidance, and following His promptings in everyday moments. Because of the resurrection, new life is not only forgiven—it is powered and led by the Holy Spirit. Passage: Romans 8:11-14; John 16:8-9, 13-14; Galatians 5:16-17 Speaker: Kevin Ozolins

In Ezekiel 47:1-5, the prophet has a vision about a river flowing from the Temple that is believed to be a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the vision, the river goes from ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep, and then, it becomes deep enough to swim in. If you are truly saved, you are standing in the river. The will of God is for you to continue downstream, deeper and deeper, more and more surrendered to His Holy Spirit. However, there are many people who got saved and had some spiritual experiences in the river, and after some difficult times, they are now tempted to get out of the water and go completely back to their old life. This week, we’re exploring the truth that the problem isn’t the water; it’s trying to live in two worlds. Discomfort comes when you’re sloshing around in water but still trying to walk like you’re on land.

It has always been God's desire to dwell with us and this desire is fulfilled through our belief that Jesus is our Savior. He has bridged the gulf between heaven and earth, coming to us through His Holy Spirit placed in us and through His resurrection, in which we have already risen with Him, from the perspective of eternity. We are encouraged to trust that Jesus is indeed coming back for us while we trust Him as well to lead and guide us where we are now. It is in His house we want to live, and with Him, always. He is with us and we are with Him, even though we don't yet see it fully. Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us. Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser

Pastor Matt began a comprehensive 16-week journey through the Book of Acts, which is part of a larger "Bible in a Jar" series covering John, Acts, and Romans. He explained that while John shows us who to trust, Acts reveals how to live out our faith, demonstrating that Jesus' mission didn't end with His ascension but continues through His Holy Spirit-empowered church. Focusing on Acts 1:1-11, Pastor Matt highlighted a crucial distinction: Jesus' work is both finished and unfinished. The work of redemption is complete—as Jesus declared "It is finished" (John 19:30)—but the work of ministry and proclamation continues. The disciples were instructed to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit because "God's work cannot be accomplished with human strength alone." The key verse, Acts 1:8, provides both the summary and outline for the entire book, showing how the gospel would spread geographically from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. Pastor Matt connected this historical foundation to Hope Church's Vision 2028, emphasizing that understanding the early church's methods and dependence on the Holy Spirit is essential preparation for their future ministry expansion.

It has always been God's desire to dwell with us. This is fulfilled through our faith in Jesus as our Savior. He has bridged the distance between heaven and earth, by giving us His Holy Spirit for guidance and correction. We trust Him and what He said, as recording in the Scriptures as well as what He says to us every day through His Spirit in us. He is with us and we are with Him, even though we don't always see it fully – it is still true – because God cannot lie. Because God wants us to be with Him. Because He loves us so very much.Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us. Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Nancy Holland, Joy Peyton and Adam Maddock

Acts is a book of action - divine action! Christ continues to work in this world through His Holy Spirit in the life of New Testament believers. This record is not just the history of the early church; it is the beginning of our story. If you want to dive deeper into the Book of Acts be sure to study through Scott's verse-by-verse study. Find ALL Acts content HERE. Journey through Acts 1-7: Jerusalem  Journey through Acts 8-9: Judea/Samaria Journey through Acts 10-28: The Uttermost Parts of the Earth  To learn more about sharing your faith, watch How To Tell Others About Jesus   Join our study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/ Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/