Podcasts about his holy spirit

God transforms our lives by His Holy Spirit. He makes us what we ought to be – more loving and joyful. We'll learn how it happens today on The Dwelling Place. We've come in our study of Galatians to chapter five verses sixteen through eighteen To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1425/29

Fellowship with other Christians means let Jesus shine the light of God's Word by His Holy Spirit. Weekend broadcast #535To help support this podcast, please visit walkwiththeking.org/donate and select "Podcast" from the dropdown menu.To hear more from Bob Cook, you can find Walk With The King on Facebook or Instagram.

Pastor Stan Mitchell expresses his God-given desire for daily spiritual growth and closeness to Jesus, emphasizing God's everlasting love and the significance of the cross. He reminds us to be committed to living by scripture, and to ask the Lord to empower us by His Holy Spirit. He repeatedly shares the encouragement to seek God for daily guidance.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 18th of June, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Luke 8:48: “And He said to her (Jesus), “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Then we go to Romans 8:11: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” What beautiful scriptures! Remember the woman who had the issue of blood? She could not stop bleeding. She had been to the doctors. She had spent all her money and the doctors had tried to help her, twelve years she was in that state then she went on her own when she knew Jesus was coming. She pushed through the crowd and she said to herself, “If I can only just touch the hem of His garment, I'll be healed." And of course, she did, she pushed through, I can just imagine her going through the crowd and getting nice and low, touching the hem of His garment, and instantly the blood dried up and she was healed. Jesus turned around and said, “Who touched Me?” And the disciples said, “Lord, there are people pushing from all angles. How can we know who touched You?” And she said, “It was me, Lord.” And what did Jesus say? He said, “Go in peace because your faith has made you well.”On Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, just a short while ago, I took the service here at Shalom, and I told them I would be praying for the sick. A lady brought her son to be healed. He was a grown man. He had cancer of the brain. She came forward, we anointed him with oil like we did with all the people who came forward. We prayed a simple prayer of faith, and God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, touched that young man and healed him. Now, she went to the specialist the next week, and she said to the specialist, “My son has been healed in Jesus' name.” She claimed his healing! The specialist looked at her and said, “No, he has got cancer.” She said, “Please do another MRI on him, another test." He did that.He was very, very skeptical and he wanted to know what happened. She said she had been to a healing meeting and she believed her son was healed. Well, reluctantly, he went and did it and afterwards he came out and his face was quite pale. And he said to her, “There is no cancer in your son's brain. He is healed!”Today, claim your healing from Jesus.Have a wonderful day!

To Kill the Firstborn by Theresa T Stark Amazon.com Reading this book will let you see the full richness and soundness Jesus Christ crucifixion and resurrection are personally for you. It will become perfectly clear regarding God's heart towards you and why He manifested the Bible through man. When he sent the bible for us, He means for us to read and follow it while we are here on earth. You will find out that God never wanted us to be in darkness but under His covering within the power of His Spirit. You will understand that once born in the earth from God's Kingdom we arrive equipped to be filled by His Spirit. Although created in an earthen vessel capable of living in the earths atmosphere we obtain a sinful nature. You will learn that it is up to us to get rid of the earthen vessel's characteristics. To renew ourselves back to God and end the earthly lifestyle by reading the Bible daily for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. You have to make a choice. We are created for God's Glory and to be filled with His Holy Spirit like Adam and the Lord Jesus Christ. Just make sure it's God's Holy Spirit. This book will answer questions regarding: How the work of the Cross completed your direction for destiny Christianity is not what you thought. It is real. We came from God's Kingdom Your destiny is through the Holy Spirit of God. How to overcome the character you built Releasing your will for eternal life with God Dying is easy with the Holy Spirit Don't play with your life. Now is the time to get it right with God and your eternity. Your soul is worth more alive than dead. Jesus gave His Soul to God. Guess what? And so should you as His follower. Become a vessel for the Master's use. "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21, KJV).

When everything feels like it’s falling apart, where do you turn? In this powerful devotional, Cindi McMenamin encourages us to place our hope not in answers or outcomes—but in the God who holds all things together. With Scripture, personal insight, and a look at sobering mental health trends, she makes a compelling case for anchoring our hearts in the “God of hope” (Romans 15:13).

But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' Luke 16:29 ESV I don't know if it's a “guy thing,” but I seem to never be able to find anything in the refrigerator. I'll stand there staring, looking for one thing, absolutely convinced it isn't in there, then insist that what I need was never available in the first place. It isn't until I humble myself (usually out of immature frustration) and ask my wife, “Babe, do you know where this is? I don't see it!” that things get solved. Two seconds tops:“Top shelf, behind the ketchup.” After all my insistence, what I needed was in front of me the whole time. I usually find what I need, but it takes some humbling to get there. Most of the time in life, what we need is right in front of us. As Christians, God has given us everything necessary to thrive: His Word, His Holy Spirit, and our eternal connection to Him through His Son, Jesus. Yet there are many moments when we don't see any of that, even when it's staring us in the face. Sometimes it's due to self-inflicted wounds like apathy, selfishness, or outright rebellion. But often, I'd argue, the issue is far more subtle, and far more dangerous. We fail to see what's in front of us because of comfort. Comfort comes from many sources, our time, money, heritage, zip code, and resources, and it makes us feel secure. But that very comfort can press us to forget, or even disregard, what we've been called to. When we get too comfortable, we're prone to miss everything God has graciously given us. In Luke 16, the rich man had everything, but he missed the suffering man at his gate and the truth of God's Word. His comfort blinded him to eternal realities. So we ask: • What is the Christian truly called to do in life? • In what ways are we ignoring the commission we've been given? • Who do we overlook or avoid because we assume we're already set for eternity. This week, we'll explore these questions and more.

Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God is different, and empowered by His Holy Spirit, its citizens live differently.   ---    Jesus was the greatest teacher the world has ever known, and His teachings continue to shape lives still today. Not far from His ministry base of Capernaum, a hill on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is traditionally known as the site from which Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. In this beautiful place, Jesus sat down and shared a paradigm-shifting message that became the most famous sermon in history – the greatest sermon ever preached!    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49447887 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

By granting us His Holy Spirit, God guarantees us all the blessings of the gospel as our gracious inheritance. From his exposition of the book of Ephesians, today R.C. Sproul explains why everyone who truly trusts in Jesus can have the assurance of everlasting salvation. Get R.C. Sproul's commentary on Ephesians for your donation of any amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/4098/donate   Live outside the U.S. and Canada? Request the ebook edition of R.C. Sproul's commentary on Ephesians for your donation of any amount: https://www.renewingyourmind.org/global   Meet Today's Teacher:   R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.   Meet the Host:   Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, and host of the Ask Ligonier podcast. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Continuing with our series “UNSTOPPABLE Church” today, Pastor Jodi teaches on Unstoppable Power. Violence. Destruction. Division. Anger. These words describe the current condition in our world. We are in a battle. However, the Lord has provided for us everything we need for life and Godliness by giving us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's power enables us to do exceedingly, abundantly more than all we could imagine or think as we engage our broken world and bring the Good news of the resurrection of Jesus.Holy Sprits Power Referenced in:Acts 1:8, 2:22, 3:12, 4:7, 4:33, 6:8, 8:10, 8:13, 10:38, 19:11Key Scriptures:2 Cor 10:3-5, Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, 2:17-18, 3:12, 4:7, 4:33, Rom 8:11

In Acts three, we see some pretty amazing things take place. A lame man is healed, the people are astonished, and Peter reminds them that the lame man's healing was a word of God through His Holy Spirit. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29

On Sunday we continued in our Pentecost series with a teaching from Pete on Acts 1v1-9.  In this key passage we find Jesus expressing a promise to His disciples, that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus explains that this baptism will bring power, which will enable them to fulfill their purpose as His witnesses in all the world. We too, like the disciples, are invited to continually wait and pray for the filling of His Holy Spirit. When we are filled He will strengthen us to share the gospel, to cast out the demonic, to love our neighbor, to grow in holiness, and so much more. Thank you God for being so generous in the outpouring of your Spirit, may we remain ever aware of our need for it.   Link to Sermon Guide & Activations: 06.08.25 Sermon Guide

Power often refers to the ability to control or influence people and events. But true power belongs to and comes from only God--given to us by His Holy Spirit. This power is not derived from human strength and it is transformative. Join us for a compelling workshop of Acts 2.

Can I encourage you today with a powerful truth? The Lord fights for you. Main Points:1. As we face the many battles of this life, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relational, and financial, we don't face them alone. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.2. His Holy Spirit is in us and with us. He will give us strength when we are weary, peace when we are confused, joy when we are sad, and wisdom when we are confused.3. There is no limit to his power, his creativity, his wisdom, and his love for you. Just as a loving earthy father would do everything in his power to protect his children, our Heavenly Father, loves and protects us as well.Today's Scripture Verses:Exodus 14:10-13 - “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”Deuteronomy 20:4 - “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”1 Corinthians 15:57 - “ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Dave Lomas teaches on God's desire to pour out His Holy Spirit and fill His followers. Slides available at https://bit.ly/4kVKyBU

This weekend, Christians commemorate the historical event when God poured out His Holy Spirit upon the first 120 believers as referenced in Acts chapter 2. This was the catalyst that truly changed the world as men and women, filled with God's Spirit, were sent out as witnesses of Jesus Christ. Today, as we gather together, we are pausing to discuss and pray for the baptism with the Holy Spirit in our generation. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead and launch us into all that God has called us to do! Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon Scripture: John 3:3, John 20:21-22, Matthew 3:11, Acts 1:4-8 Series: Stand Alone Messages For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Shavuot - Episode 7 Let's consider those amazing connections between what happened at Sinai and during Pentecost shortly after Jesus' ascension.  These amazing connections are pictures to us today of God's amazing power to bring us to a deeper and more enhanced understanding that the feasts of the Lord, all eight of them, are shadows of the Messiah.  Consider … Both events occurred on mountains known as "the mountain of God." Exo 24:13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. (Ex. 24:13; Isa. 2:3).  The mountain of God in the Sinai when the Lord gives the Ten Commandments. But, the mountain of God moves.  The Lord changes its location.  Consider what we read in the book of Isaiah, “And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”  (Isa 2:3 ) Or in the book of Joel we read, “Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, And strangers will pass through it no more.” (Joe 3:17) Then again in the book of Micah, “And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.' For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Mic 4:1-2) Both events happened on day 50. They arrived at Sinai in the third month on the very day (Ex. 19:1). “In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.” (Ex. 19:1) In Hebrew “on that very day” means they arrived on the third day of the third month exactly 50 days after their first Passover meal in Egypt. The feast of Shavuot is to happen on the 50th day after the weekly sabbath during Passover and Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:15-16). Both involved similar sounds and symbols, such as wind, fire, and voices (Ex. 19:16-19; Acts 2:1-3). Note that the Hebrew for "thunder" (kolot) means "voices" (Acts 2:4). Jewish tradition said that the Israelites heard God speak in 70 languages or, to translate direct from the Hebrew, God spoke in tongues! Both events involved the presence of God (Ex. 19:18,20; Acts 2:4). About 3,000 people died because of their sin when Moses received the Torah (Ex. 32:28). About 3,000 people believed (were born again into new life) when the Spirit came (Acts 2:41). At Mount Sinai, God wrote his revelation on stone tablets (Ex. 31:18). On the fulfillment of Pentecost, God wrote his law on people's hearts as he had promised He would (2 Cor. 3:3; Jer. 31:33). Torah means "teaching." The Spirit, given on Shavuot, also became the "Teacher" of the new community of Jesus' followers (John 14:26) Many Jews from all over the world heard in their own language from a bunch of kids, young men and women, who only knew Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew.  These 120 disciples of Yeshua received "power" and spoke in other language they didn't know or understand.   All the people, probably hundreds of thousands at the Temple on Shavuot, heard the Gospel!! Peter did a short five minute speech and 3000 wanted to be baptized.  It was as if it was SINAI REPEATED!! This is part of what Jesus meant when He said they'd receive “power.” Both events were times when God's people entered a NEW covenant with the Lord. Israel became a new nation, a nation of priests, and nation that would be the light of the world (Ex. 19:6, Isa. 49:6). And, for us, we have entered a NEW covenant with the Lord as we take the cup of Messiah in His Last Seder meal (Luke 22:20). We too become a new people, a new nation, a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9-10). We to are to be the light of the world (Mat.5:14, Acts 1:7-8).  But, this time, this covenant is the covenant to restore all people to Himself as our sins our totally cleansed and forgiven. This is the final covenant for Jew and Gentile to become one flock with one shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the Messiah Jesus (John 10:14-16). The Shadow of Messiah. On Shavuot there is a special sacrifice. Amazingly it uses two loaves of LEAVENED BREAD (Lev. 23:17). Is God giving us a picture that Jew and Gentile are a new people, a new culture, a holy nation, His two flocks coming together as ONE permeated and saturated with His Holy Spirit dwelling in us and through us?  Is God helping us see that His Bible is ONE book, about ONE God, about ONE Gospel, ONE Baptism, and ONE Savor of all – Yeshua!

As we look forward to Pentecost, we want to spend a few weeks exploring the third person of the Trinity, Holy Spirit. This week, Alex shared how the Church is the family of God, living by the Spirit in every way, revealing the desire of God. The people of God were always meant to live with the Spirit of God, as an apocalyptic community. The word apocalypse in Greek means “uncovering, disclosure, revelation.” We are meant to be a people who reveal the hope of resurrection and the glory of God in the midst of life on this earth. We reveal this through our dependence on Him and connection to Him Our greatest blessing is to live with the Presence of God, His Holy Spirit.    Link to Sermon Guide & Activations: 06.01.25 Sermon Guide

God gives us the deposit of His Holy Spirit as a guarantee that he will not walk away and forget about the rest of the things he has promised us. Dr.Sarah Hall | June 1, 2025 ________________________________________________ We're Incarnation Tallahassee! Visit our website! www.incarnationtlh.org/
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Trying to be a witness for God without the power of the Holy Spirit is like trying to drive a car without gas in it. Yes, you have the passion and the drive to reach people for Jesus, but you need that supernatural fuel to get things really going. Pastor Bill teaches you today about how the early Church was driven by the Holy Spirit, empowered to spread the Gospel in a world that was still hostile to the teachings of Jesus. The Lord can and will do amazing things through you by His Holy Spirit.

Trying to be a witness for God without the power of the Holy Spirit is like trying to drive a car without gas in it. Yes, you have the passion and the drive to reach people for Jesus, but you need that supernatural fuel to get things really going. Pastor Bill teaches you today about how the early Church was driven by the Holy Spirit, empowered to spread the Gospel in a world that was still hostile to the teachings of Jesus. The Lord can and will do amazing things through you by His Holy Spirit.

By Jon Davies - God expects to harvest fruit from His garden - those who are given His Holy Spirit.

By Tony Stith - In a world growing ever darker and more spiritually diseased, God has given His people a powerful gift: His Holy Spirit. This Pentecost message explores how the Holy Spirit functions not only to strengthen us individually, but also to protect and preserve the spiritual health of the Body of Christ

April 26, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 3 - 9:00AM Session   Current thoughts are that the book of Isaiah was not written at one time by the prophet Isaiah. But instead that the book was written over 3 different times, because of the accuracy of foretold events. Wayne leads a discussion how these thoughts are incorrect and reflect a doubt of the inspired word and the ability of God to provide knowledge to a prophet.   Isaiah 60-66 - The Good News of Salvation 61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.” 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Assurance of Zion's Salvation 62 For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the Lord will name. 3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the Lord, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. 4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, And your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. 6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, 7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand And by the arm of His strength: “Surely I will no longer give your grain As food for your enemies; And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, For which you have labored. 9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it, And praise the Lord; Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.” 10 Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples! 11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.' ” 12 And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. The Lord in Judgment and Salvation 63 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.” God's Mercy Remembered 7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His loving kindnesses. 8 For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old. 10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them. 11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: “Where is He who brought them up out of the sea With the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them, 12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses, With His glorious arm, Dividing the water before them To make for Himself an everlasting name, 13 Who led them through the deep, As a horse in the wilderness, That they might not stumble?” 14 As a beast goes down into the valley, And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, So You lead Your people, To make Yourself a glorious name. A Prayer of Penitence 15 Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained? 16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. 17 O Lord, why have You made us stray from Your ways, And hardened our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants' sake, The tribes of Your inheritance. 18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while; Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary. 19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, Those who were never called by Your name. A Prayer for Help 64 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence— 2 As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! 3 When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence. 4 For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. 5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned— In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved. 6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. 7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. 8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. 9 Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look—we all are Your people! 10 Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and beautiful temple, Where our fathers praised You, Is burned up with fire; And all our pleasant things are laid waste. 12 Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord? Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely? The Righteousness of God's Judgment 65 “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,' To a nation that was not called by My name. 2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; 3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick; 4 Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. 6 “Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom— 7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,” Says the Lord, “Who have burned incense on the mountains And blasphemed Me on the hills; Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.” 8 Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,' So will I do for My servants' sake, That I may not destroy them all. 9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there. 10 Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me. 11 “But you are those who forsake the Lord, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. 12 Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not hear, But did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.” 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; 14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit. 15 You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord God will slay you, And call His servants by another name; 16 So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes. The Glorious New Creation 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. 20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, And their offspring with them. 24 “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the Lord. True Worship and False 66 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. 3 “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine's blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, 4 So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.” The Lord Vindicates Zion 5 Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name's sake, said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy.' But they shall be ashamed.” 6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies! 7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. 9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. 10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11 That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.” 12 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” The Reign and Indignation of God 14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. 15 For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many. 17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the Lord. 18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord. 22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GJ3xf7r1WQ   Duration 39:01

By Nicholas Sergio - The world is in darkness. God gives us His Holy Spirit so we might shine as lights in the darkness. Do we respect this gift that God has given us to do His will?

God has shown these things to us, through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who looks into all things, even the secrets of God and shows them to us. Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 10-12, & John 11: 30-57. Hpys

From the moment God created Adam, He desired to have a relationship with humanity. But when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, that bond between man and God was broken. Pastor Bill teaches you today that just as mankind was given life by the breath of God, it was the last breath of Jesus on the cross that restored the bond that man had broken. And just like you've received that new breath of life in Jesus, He also wants to breathe His Holy Spirit to live inside you as well.

From the moment God created Adam, He desired to have a relationship with humanity. But when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, that bond between man and God was broken. Pastor Bill teaches you today that just as mankind was given life by the breath of God, it was the last breath of Jesus on the cross that restored the bond that man had broken. And just like you've received that new breath of life in Jesus, He also wants to breathe His Holy Spirit to live inside you as well.

Sanctification and Christian service cannot be separated. God sanctifies us through His Son, through His Word, and through His Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ appeared on Calvary for our justification, He is now in heaven praying for our sanctification, and He will appear in the clouds for our glorification. As we are sanctified, we will develop the mind of Christ, we will become more like our Saviour, and we will faithfully give the Good News of Jesus Christ to others!

Psalm 84:11–12For the LORD God is a sun and shield;the LORD bestows favor and honor.No good thing does he withholdfrom those who walk uprightly.O LORD of hosts,blessed is the one who trusts in you!Last week, we looked at the authors of Psalm 84—the sons of Korah. This week, we'll look at the Psalm itself. I went back and revisited some thoughts from an earlier episode, as well as adding new thoughts and commentary.  Paraphrasing F.B. Meyer: In our need, God becomes exactly what we lack—light in darkness, protection in battle, grace for the moment, and glory to come.I found “grace for the moment” by remembering that God doesn't withhold good. He gives us Himself. He gave us His beloved Son and sent His Holy Spirit to live in us.If you would like to support this podcast with a monthly or one-time donation, thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sherriyoungward.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To find out about upcoming gatherings and new projects, please join my email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sherriyoungward.com

It's such a simple word. Three letters. Just one syllable.  So why is joy so elusive?  We try so hard to find it –but, you know…   Why is Joy in Such Short Supply? Well, it's great to be with you again this week and we are starting a new series on the programme called, "It's Time to Start Enjoying My Life". I really am looking forward to this series because "joy" is such a big issue in life. It's such a simple little word – just three letters, one syllable – "joy" and yet it seems in such short supply; it's more precious than gold or silver. Think about it, how many of the people that you know, would say, if asked, "I'm really enjoying my life?" And if I ask you, how much, on a scale of zero to ten, are you enjoying your life, right now? How would you answer? Most people hover somewhere around the middle or bottom half of that "zero to ten" scale. Why is it though that joy seems to be in such a short supply in this world? There's not one person that I know if I asked them, "Would you like to experience joy in your life?" I don't know anyone that would say, "Aw no, no, I don't think I need joy in my life." Joy is such a wonderful thing, it's such an important thing. Now I've travelled to lots of parts of this planet; places where people are really wealthy, I mean mega wealthy; places where people are moderately well off and places where people live in abject poverty. I know people who are rich and people who are poor, tall and short, black and white, thick and thin, but you know something? None of those distinctions seem to have much to do with whether they are enjoying their lives or not. Those external things, at the end of the day, that's not really where it's at. You can have everything that money can buy – the latest plasma screen, the biggest new car, the finest clothes, jewellery, all those things and more; a wonderful husband or wife and great kids – you can have all of those things and still not really be enjoying your life. I heard a well known, really wealthy business man on TV the other night and he can have anything he wants. You could tell though, as he spoke and you looked at him, you could tell that he had an unsettled life; he was looking for something. See so often, when it comes to joy and the levels of joy that we experience, they're so low and we blame those things on the outside. "Well, I'd enjoy my life if I had more money." "I'd enjoy my life if I had a better job." "I'd enjoy my life if other people weren't so difficult; if it wasn't for the politics at work or the tension at home, or my loneliness or … You name it, we can blame it – then I'd enjoy my life." You know what I am talking about; blame, blame, blame. But you know why I know that it's not the things on the outside that give us joy? Because I used to be one of the people that thought that it was. I could holiday in five star resorts, I did. Had gold plated taps in the en suite – you name it, I could have it and I had no joy. I actually felt desperately miserable. You see, there's a big swindle going on in society and I don't care whether you live in a wealthy country or whether you live in a poor country. Maybe you have heard me talk about it before perhaps and I take aim at the advertising industry. It's not really their fault because it's a symptom of a greedy society. See, they flash up on television and in the media and on radio, seductive images of success and they link them to the product that they are trying to sell us and the message is, "If you buy this product you will be happy." So you do – you buy that product; you spend your hard earned cash and you discover that there is just no joy in it. And so we watch the next ad and we buy the next thing and it still doesn't satisfy and we do the next thing and it still doesn't satisfy. "Oh, when I'm happily married, then I'll enjoy my life." But you know something? Another person can't make you happy! I have a wonderful wife – truly. Jacqui is my absolute favourite person on planet earth but I can easily still feel empty and hollow and unhappy, even though I have her; even though I have a comfortable home to live in. See, we live in a world based on greed. Companies know that so they trade on our dissatisfaction; they trade on our lack of joy; they trade on our desire to discover joy as the basis for earning more money to fill people's pockets to make them happy but it never does. That's the swindle! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not against capitalism; I'm not against free enterprise; I'm not against people working hard – those things on their own though just don't bring you joy. And yet, over and over and over again, we go looking for joy in all the wrong places. "Ah, if I am entertained, I'll enjoy myself then." Sure for a short time, some entertainment might make us feel good but that's not what I am talking about. I'm talking about a deep, abiding contentment; a deep joy that never goes away – right through the highs and the lows and the ups and the downs and the good times and the bad times – a joy that's deep inside somewhere, that words can't describe. That's what I'm talking about. Joy; real, abiding joy! Now you might say to me, "Berni, is that what life's all about? Aren't you being unrealistic? Are you being a Christian hedonist – you know, the whole point of knowing God is that so you feel good?" Well, let me tell you something – one of God's greatest promises is the promise of joy when we have a relationship with Him – it's not an optional extra. He talks about it literally hundreds of times through the Bible. We are going to look at some of those over the coming weeks. Psalm 126, verse 5 says: Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Jesus said … you can read it in John chapter 16, verse 24. By the way, if you have a Bible grab it, we are going to need it today. John chapter 16, verse 24: "Until now,” He said “you have not ask for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.” Joy is not some optional extra in our relationship with God. It's an integral part of God's plan for our lives. So often God says He is going to do this or do that so that our joy would be complete. See, He wants complete joy for us – a joy that never fades; a sweet calm delight in our hearts – no matter what life throws at us. And it's a joy – a joy that comes from Him. Problem is so many people are trying to chase down this elusive thing called "joy", just looking in the wrong places.   Whose Idea is Joy Anyway? There is something awesome about being around a person who has a deep sense of joy. Maybe you know one or two people like that. Often they are not sort of over the top, really out going people; sometimes they are quiet and gentle but you just know that there is something inside them that you want. They seem to cope so well with the curved balls that life throws at them. They seem to have so much to give. They have like…like a quiet, understated kind of gentle confidence – maybe confidence isn't the right word, maybe contentment is the word I am looking for – and that person's joy kind of invades our heart space. We just want to be around them. It feels good because they're safe and encouraging and they are just great to be around. Most of us only know one or two people like that but what we know is that we want to be around them because it does us a whole bunch of good. My hunch is we kind of all relate to that. Joy is a commodity that seems to be in such short supply. The advertising industry, as I said earlier, tells us "Buy this product and you will experience joy" – it never happens. It's a symptom of a greedy world – me, me, me, more, more, more. But the more that we chase after this precious commodity that we call "joy", the more … well, the more elusive it becomes. For much of my life I truly subscribed to the philosophy that if all my needs were met – all my desires – I would experience joy. I had the big house, I had the latest car, I had gadgets galore but they never brought me the joy and the contentment I was looking for. So where do you get it? Christians sometimes get a little bit uncomfortable with the fact that we are talking about "joy" because it appears to be self-centred that we would be chasing after "joy". When Jesus came to this planet, He came proclaiming … what? The Kingdom of God; the reign of God in our lives and people got confused. They saw the Roman occupation in first century Israel and they thought, "Here is this Messiah to set us free from that kingdom of oppression and re-establish God's Kingdom in Israel; like when David was King – back to the good old days." Now, that's not what He was talking about at all. He was talking about something that happens in our hearts. In Luke chapter 17, verse 20: The Pharisees asked Him about the Kingdom of God and they said when would it come? And Jesus replied “The Kingdom of God isn't coming in a way that you can see. People won't say “Here it is” or “There it is” because the Kingdom of God is within you. People thought it was a physical kingdom; God had another plan. The Apostle Paul – he puts it really well in Romans chapter 14, verse 17 – he's talking about religious rules here. But he says: The Kingdom of God is not a matter of food or drink but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Isn't that interesting? The Kingdom of God isn't about these physical things; not rules and regulations about what to eat and drink, it's about three things – righteousness which is what we have when we believe in Jesus and we experience His forgiveness; a right standing with God through our faith in Jesus Christ; getting our lives back on tract. And through that we then get a peace and a joy – these are the things that the Kingdom of God is all about. And they come to us not through buying the latest gadget or extending the house or renovating the bathroom. No, they come to us through the Holy Spirit. And it's not a peace and a joy that the world offers – it's not something you can buy off the rack in the store, not that at all – it's a gift from God and it's something that Jesus talked about over and over and over again. Flip your Bible across from Luke to John chapter 15, verse 11. Jesus disciples were afraid; Jesus is about to be crucified. Everything they have believed and seen over the last three and a half years is falling in a screaming heap and look at what Jesus talks about: I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” “I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Jesus is about giving us God's joy even in those incredibly difficult times and in fact, especially in those times, and making our joy complete. Let me share something really interesting and profound with you. The Greek word – remember the New Testament was written in Greek – the Greek word for "joy" used right through the New Testament, is closely related to the word for "free gift" and the word for "grace". You see, God's joy is this thing that He wants to lavish on us freely – it's part of His grace; it's an integral part of who He is and what He has done through Jesus Christ. And over and over and over again, what we see is that the joy that Jesus talks about isn't the joy from the world. It's the joy that comes from God. It's not some joy we conjure up for ourselves; it's not something we experience because something good happened to us today or we bought some new clothes or something. No! God is a God of joy. Now, I challenge you – no we are not going to go there today – but I challenge you to read just one chapter in the Bible, its Luke chapter 15. Jesus tells three parables: one is about a shepherd who loses a sheep; one is about a widow who loses a coin and one is of a father who loses his son. And in each case these people regain what they had lost. Jesus told these stories to explain to us what God is like. The point of it is the joy in God's heart when He gets us back. The father of the prodigal son responds with such joy, he just lavishes it on his son who once was lost but now is found – he throws a party. My experience is I tried to get joy hits in so many different places before I met Jesus. I had the money to spend, so I did. I spent a fortune trying to capture joy and get it in my heart, but I never did until one day I encountered Jesus Christ. His presence; His Spirit is what flooded my heart with joy. It overflows out of me into the lives of other people – not perfectly – but in a way that words can't describe. Peter the Apostle, puts it this way in First Peter chapter 1, verse 8: Even though you haven't seen Him with your own eyes, you love Him and even though you don't see Him now, you believe in Him and you are filled with an unspeakable and glorious joy because you are receiving the goal of your faith, salvation of your souls. I didn't realise it at first but as my relationship with Jesus began to grow, that unspeakable and glorious joy; a joy that – I'm good with words, but I can't find words to describe because it's unspeakable and glorious. That wondrous joy filled my heart. It's not something you and I can conjure up. It's God's joy and He pours it into our hearts, through His Holy Spirit as we experience His forgiveness and start to live in His goodness and ditch the rubbish we used to think and speak and do. That's why Paul wrote God's Kingdom isn't about rules and regulations and physical things. It's about righteousness and peace and joy – God's righteousness, God's peace and God's joy that are given to us through the Holy Spirit. It's totally out of this world. Jesus was talking about His peace – He said: My peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I don't give it to you the way the world does so don't let your hearts be troubled and don't let them be afraid, He says in John chapter 14, verse 27. See until we experience it we just don't understand it. Even when we do, it's impossible to find words to describe the wondrous reality of the joy and the peace Jesus Christ brings. They're not from this world; they come from Him. And we can look in as many holes and under as many logs as we like but it's not until we put our trust in Him, completely in Him, that we experience His joy. We dwell in His presence, we pray, we are filled with such a wonder and such an awe and such a joy unspeakable. Entering the Gates of Joy We have been talking about the fact that God's plan is to fill us with joy but sometimes people look at God from a distance and they say, "Well, you know, I don't believe that that joy is for me. I don't know." Let me share a story with you. I visited a barber's shop recently to have my hair cut and as Bert the barber went to work we began to talk. We talked about … well, all sorts of things – sport, as you do in a barber's shop, politics, interest rates. Eventually we ended up on the subject of God. Bert says to me, "You know Berni, I don't believe that God exists." "That's interesting," I said, "Why do you say that?" Here's what he said: "Well you just have to go out onto the street to realise that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be so many abandoned children? If God existed would there be pain and suffering? I can't imagine a loving God would allow these things to happen." I thought about it but I didn't want to get into an argument with him so, when my haircut was done, I just paid and headed out the door. But just outside the door there was a man in the street, with long stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt so I turned around and headed straight back into the barber's shop and I said to Bert, "You know what Bert, barbers don't exist." He was a bit taken aback. He said, "How can you say that? I'm here, I'm a barber, I just worked on you." "No", I said, "Barbers don't exist because if they did there wouldn't be any people with dirty, long hair and untrimmed beards like that guy outside." But Bert was sharp as a tack. He said, "Ah, but barbers do exist – that's what happens when people don't come to me." "Exactly, that's the point – God does exist too but all that stuff you were talking about – that's what happens when people don't go to Him." End of discussion! You get my point? People want to criticise God from a distance but you can't do that. We are talking this week about joy – God's joy and if we want to enjoy our lives we have to enter into that joy. We can't stand at a distance and complain about God and can't say He's not real and criticise Him. If we want to have that joy we have to enter into the joy. I love poetry, always have. There's a beauty and wonder in taking something profound and expressing it in poetry. And the Book of Psalms; Psalm 100, verse 3 says this: Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name for the Lord is good and His love endures for ever. His faithfulness continues through to all generations. God has a heart full; a God sized heart full of joy that He wants to pour into our hearts. That's what we have been looking at on the programme today. Jesus said it over and over again. He said: I have said these things to you so that My joy might be in you and that your joy might be complete. And where we kind of sit back at a distance, either totally scornful of God, as I used to be, or maybe kind of believing in Him at a distance; believing that … well, He's God but never, never really believing that … "He would want to fill me – me – with His joy." Come on, wake up! God's joy – a joy that we can't find anywhere else in this world; a joy that words can't express; a joy unspeakable – is an integral part of His plan for our lives. But we have to walk through the door; we have to enter into that joy, to "enjoy". That's what "enjoy" means, to enter into the joy. We need to ask and thirst and spend time with Him and pray and beat His door down and don't leave Him alone until He does what He said He would do – to give us His joy and so make our joy complete. It's a joy that fills us in the good times and the bad times. Ask, search, knock! Whoever asks receives! Whoever searches finds! Whoever knocks, well, to that person the door will be opened! If we as parents, evil as we are, give our children good gifts, how much more do you think our Father in heaven will give us good gifts when we ask? I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Our Father is so cool to give us His Holy Spirit. Who orchestrates such an amazing life! Today the Lord asked me to share about recent experiences with relationships. Specifically the ones that seemed to suddenly jackknife without explanation!

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. INTRODUCTION: There's a cry coming from hungry hearts, who want to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a greater way. The salvation experience, though it was wonderful, can only be the beginning. It's by His grace that we can have more as we seek Him. SHOW NOTES: The Lord wants to be the most important relationship in our lives each day. When we embrace each day like a child, then we are humble enough for the Lord to impart His kingdom. God completes His work in us by renewing our mind and bringing a fresh awareness of Him to our hearts. Even though the Lord is capable to do everything Himself, He has chosen to move through us, the Body of Christ. Christ gifted His people with the Holy Spirit, so we can have a fresh and alive experience with Him every day. QUOTATIONS: He has to make it simple in us moment by moment in telling us who He is and how He's bringing us forth. And so we have to become like those children who know moment by moment. It's God doing all of this and we're just these humble vessels here that He's doing it through. We have to remind ourselves that it's by His grace and His kindness. We cannot do it without Him, but you know what? He has elected to not do it without us. The very purpose of Him sending His Son was to create a people for His habitation. There's many that'll be just like Him. He's the first. Be Christ in the earth. Let Christ have arms and legs and walk in the earth. We are His body functioning in the earth, being led by His Holy Spirit. REFERENCES: Luke 8:10 An He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

Join us as we hear a powerful word from Evangelist Greb Hubbard on the saving nature of God. God loves us and, by the stirring of His Holy Spirit, wants to bring all people into a fully surrendered life. We pray that this message blesses you today!

Today's episode is a reair from 2021, however, the message is timely. Let us review that we might be assured that we are prepared to move forward…into Kingdom authority. Where to dive in: (0:00:10) - Kingdom Chronicles in Review (19 Minutes) This chapter of Kingdom Chronicles reflects on a re-aired episode titled "Kingdom in Review," highlighting the enduring sovereignty of Jesus and the importance of aligning ourselves with God's kingdom in a time of global uncertainty. I share insights on the necessity for believers to embody God's authority on earth, stressing that we are often the answer to the world's questions. We explore the significance of the upcoming Hebrew year 5782, marking the time since God gave His laws to Moses. Through prayer and reflection, I encourage a return to fidelity with God and a renewed focus on unity and love within the body of Christ. This is a call for a spiritual revival and reconciliation, urging us to embrace our roles as sons, citizens, and servants of God's kingdom. (0:19:16) - Living as a Kingdom Disciple (12 Minutes) This chapter explores the fundamental concept of representing the Kingdom of God in various spheres of life, whether it be in science, government, business, or ministry. We emphasize the importance of understanding God's sovereignty and how the Holy Spirit's conviction should guide our actions beyond cultural or democratic influences. The conversation highlights that God's principles do not change with shifting cultures and underscores the necessity of aligning our lives with the righteousness and holiness that God demands. We also discuss the role of kingdom authority, where believers are empowered to speak and see their declarations manifest, drawing parallels with biblical figures like Elijah and Moses. As representatives of God's kingdom, we are called to make challenging decisions, prioritizing divine truth over societal norms, and to embody the character and integrity of God in our daily lives. (0:31:35) - Seeking God's Guidance in Kingdom Discipleship (18 Minutes) This chapter addresses the spiritual practice of seeking guidance directly from God rather than solely relying on external sources such as books or social media for answers. Referencing scripture from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, I discuss Jesus' teachings on discipleship and the importance of prioritizing divine wisdom. I emphasize the need for believers to consult the Holy Spirit and seek God's kingdom first, rather than becoming dependent on the interpretations and experiences of others. The chapter underscores the idea that while other resources can provide valuable insights, the primary source of guidance should always be the relationship with God and His Holy Spirit. About the host:  Apostle Dr. Brett A Griffin founded Harvest 2100, Inc. in 2013 as a result of increased consultation with leaders in various realms of influence who were looking to grow and build in their respective capacities. With a national reach that began as a United States Veteran, and over 30 years of ministerial service, Dr. Griffin demonstrates the application of protocols interpreted through God's Kingdom purview. Whether a leader's influence is found in music, government, business, community or ministry, Dr. Griffin has found one constant upon which she helps other to build and has become the foundation of Harvest 2100: "YOUR INCREASE...BEGINS WITH YOU!" She resides in Palmdale, CA. Dr. Brett A Griffin reaches a global listening audience weekly through her podcast channel, entitled, 'Kingdom Chronicles'. Here, Dr. Griffin conveys the mind of God and heart of The Heavenly Father - the purpose for this Earth and man's residential existence.

Introduction: 2 Kings 18:4 – He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery (Matthew 5:27-30): Adultery Is a DEVASTATING SIN. (Matt 5:27–28) Matthew 15:19 – For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. Titus 1:15 – To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. Adultery has DIRE CONSEQUNECES. (Matt 5:29–30) 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Adultery requires DRASTIC MEASURES. (Matt 5:29–30) Romans 13:14 - But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 – And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:27-30What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain Matthew 5:28 in your own words.What did Jesus mean by gouging out your right eye and cutting off your right hand (Matt 5:29-30)? What are some practical ways to apply this teaching?Is Jesus saying a believer who commits adultery will go to hell? Who exactly is “thrown into hell”?What would you say to a professing believer who confesses that they can't break free from lusting? BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up those Bibles to Matthew chapter 5.If you're visiting with us today, we are going through the Sermon on the Mount verseby verse.And Happy Mother's Day, the title of today's sermon is "Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery."I, I, um, we go where the text goes, okay?That's what we do.We go where the text goes.So let's do that.I'd like you to bow your heads please and just pray for me to be faithful to communicateGod's Word.And I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what is an extremely challengingpassage.Let's pray.Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word.We're not going to shy away from it.We just heard two testimonies of the way that Your Word has transformed lives.We're going to hear at least four more in the next service.That's why we, um, we just want to go after Your Word, God, because we believe that YourWord does Your work because that's what You said.And that is certainly what we've seen.So Father, I pray for all of us here today, all those who are going to be listening, watchingthis stream or downloading the podcast.Father I pray that You would bring revival in each and every heart in a way that greatlyglorifies Your name.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said, "Amen."Amen.Matthew chapter 5, are you there?In Numbers chapter 21, you have Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the promisedland and Israel complained and grumbled against God, against Moses.And the Lord sent these fiery serpents who, and these serpents bit some of the Israelitesand many of them died.Well they repented.And God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole.And if the Israelites, when they were bitten by one of the snakes, if they looked at thisbronze serpent, they would live.Well then fast forward, Israel in the land established and they had kings.Some kings were very bad and some kings were just not as bad.Right?Can you relate to that at all?And Hezekiah was a king who was not as bad and he brought a lot of reforms to Israel.Here's one.We put this verse up from 2 Kings chapter 18.Hezekiah says, "He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the ashram.He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made for until those days the peopleof Israel had made offerings to it."It was called Nahushdin.See what happened?You see what happened?People took a blessing that God gave them for their benefit and they turned it into anidol.That's exactly how it is with physical intimacy.It is a gift that God gave those in the covenant of marriage, but we have turned it into anidol.So on your outline today, this is it."Thou shall not commit adultery."I want you to write some things down.Number one, write this down.Adultery is a devastating sin.Adultery is a devastating sin.Now just that statement alone, it's a hard sell because we are a sex-obsessed culture.You've taken this gift from God and we've perverted it and we worship it.Do I have to point that out at all?Look at all the homosexuality madness, all the transgender stuff.And you're like, "Yeah, you know what, Pastor Jeff, you're right.You're right.It's bad out there."And I would say, "Church, it's bad in here."I was reading some polls for what they're worth.But according to one poll, one half of self-identifying Christians believe that casual sex is okay.Consenting but not in a relationship.They believe that's okay.Half.Think that's alright.What?I read a poll about pornography use among non-Christian men.Non-Christian men, 65%.Like, yeah, that's pretty bad.Christian men, 64%.The same poll, lest you think, "Yeah, creepy men, right?Creepy men, same poll, 51% of women."And you know at this point, you could be like, "Well, look, Jeff, we're only human.Everyone does it.It's not hurting anyone."Well according to Jesus, it's a devastating sin.Look at verse 27, Matthew chapter 5.Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'"Stop there.Adultery.What is adultery?Well the technical term is defined as intercourse with another person's spouse.But it's become a catch-all term for relations with anyone who is not your spouse.And you're going to see in this passage, it's very clear that that's how Jesus was usingthe term in the most general sense possible.You go to Exodus chapter 20 and verse 14, you see that it's the seventh commandment.You go to Deuteronomy chapter 22 and verse 22, you'll see that under the law in Israel,adultery was punishable by death.And I don't have time to get into it this morning.We've done whole sermon series on this, by the way.But I just encourage you, if you're ready to just brush it off as, "Oh, church people,just making a big deal out of nothing," read Proverbs 5, 6, and 7 sometime.And you will see that adultery is a devastating sin.I heard one pastor this past week call it a sin for fools.And I think that's a very good description.adultery is devastating.I mean, it wrecks you, destroys your reputation, affects your relationship with your spouse,relationship with your kids.Oh, and the other person, what about them?It affects, now if they're married, it affects their relationship with their spouse.If they have kids, it affects their kids.And what has done to their reputation.But the devastation of adultery is way deeper than that.Look at verse 28.Jesus says, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent hasalready committed adultery with her in his heart."Do you notice verse 27, verse 28?Jesus said, "You have heard, but I say to you," what was Jesus doing?Pastor Taylor talked about this last week.Same thing with murder.Same thing.Jesus was contrasting their definition of sin with God's definition of sin.Because their definition of sin in Jesus' day was all about externals.So when they hear adultery, they're thinking only in terms of the physical act with anotherperson.But that, not alone, is adultery.And Jesus says, "No, you're not taking it far enough.And you're understanding.It's a hard issue.Like murder.You don't have to actually kill someone to be considered a murderer in the eyes of God."Jesus is saying the same thing about adultery.You don't have to physically be with another person to be an adulterer.Look at verse 28 again.He says, "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has alreadycommitted adultery with her in his heart."Now you have to understand this looking with lustful intent, it's not an accidental glance.This is literally in the process of continuing to look.It's looking in such a way that you are fueling your sexual imagination.When that happens, the deed's already done.Adultery has happened.Now listen, I don't want you to misunderstand because it's even worse than you think itis.Listen, Jesus did not say that looking at a woman with lustful intent causes you to commitadultery in your hearts.Jesus said looking at a woman with lustful intent means you already committed adulteryin your heart.Jesus is saying that you looked with lustful intent because it was already in your heartto commit adultery.I think this is where a lot of people get this mixed up.It's not, "Oh, I was going about my business and I just stumbled across this woman andI looked at her and that is what caused me to lust."That's not the extent of it.It's this, I have an adulterous heart that's looking for a woman with lustful intent.See the difference?The look did not cause the lust.It is the lust that caused the look.You see the difference?Look, look, I can't, there's no way I can overstate this.This is a real problem.And this is a real problem that people sitting here have right now and are not dealing withit.You're not an adulterer because of something you do, it's who you are.It's a heart thing.You see with adultery like murder, as Pastor Taylor talked about last week, before it'san act, even if it doesn't become an act.That is what is in your heart.This is the heart of the law.Jesus said in Matthew 15, 19, "For out of the hearts, out of the heart come evil thoughts,murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander."You see that?The sinful acts are symptoms of a sinful condition.Committing the act of adultery, those are the leaves on the tree that has the root ofan adulterous heart.And if you're sitting here still somehow magnanimously saying in your head, "I would never committhe act."I did not and I would never commit the act of adultery.But if that sin is in your mind, if that sin is constantly in your imagination, you havea real problem.That's why pornography is such a big business.Why?Because sinful hearts are literally searching for it.And you have to understand that if that's your issue, the sin started even before yougot online because it's in here.It's a devastating condition to live in.You're unable to live a holy and upright life because when your heart is full of adultery,it perverts everything.And consider Titus 1.15.Look at this verse.Paul says to the pure, "All things are pure."But to the defiled and unbelieving, meaning your heart is full of perversion and sin,to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.But both their minds and their consciences are defiled.Do you know what that means?That means that when you're in that latter condition, you cannot look at another womanpurely.You cannot see another woman as a sister, as a mom, as even just another human being.When this is where your heart is, every woman that you encounter, you're evaluating.And many become objects in your minds and hearts of fantasies.Lust just becomes all-consuming.And the people that live in this defiled state don't even see a problem.God's gift of marital intimacy has become an idol that you use to gratify your flesh.So see, Jesus is telling us out the gate, this is a devastating condition.And secondly, I shall not commit adultery.Not only is adultery a devastating sin, but adultery has dire consequences.Adultery has dire consequences.Look at verses 29 and 30.These two verses kind of saying the same thing, but this is some of the most startling stuffJesus ever said, in my opinion.He says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for itis better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is betterthat you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."And you're like, "Man, gouge out your eye?Like cut off your hand?"Like, "Man, that seems awfully extreme."If that's the part you're focusing on, then you have completely missed the point.Because neither of those things are extreme.They're not extreme at all compared to hell.Notice twice Jesus says, "Thrown into hell."Thrown into hell.What's the obvious implication, right?We get it.We get what He's saying.Jesus is saying here that people with adulterous hearts go to hell.If you're still not convinced, Paul backs this up, verse Corinthians 6, verses 9 through10.He says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?"Meaning go to heaven.Meaning go to hell.He says, "Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral nor adulterers nor men whopractice homosexuality nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlerswill inherit the kingdom of God."Your priority in this life, more than anything, should be preparing yourself for eternity.Are you doing that?Because the Bible says your decisions in this life matter.And someday you're going to stand before God.So if lust is a problem for you, if lust characterizes you, and look, I can't answerthat.I can't answer that for you.But you know if this sin consumes who you are.And if it characterizes you, there are consequences.As we talked about before, here and now, apparently, obviously, easily seen, there are consequencesfor adultery.But Jesus says there's also consequences when you take your last breath.Adultery has dire consequences.So let's talk about the other big thing in these verses.Number three, adultery requires drastic measures.Look at them again.He says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for itis better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is betterthat you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."Weren't you just blessed by the obedience of those who were baptized today?Didn't you say obedience is a wonderful thing?Awesome.Who's first?I mean, didn't Jesus just say if your hand causes you to sin, to cut it off?Who's first?We're not going to do it over the tub because we get more baptisms in the next service.And you're like, "Yeah, what about the other verse?"Well, don't worry.We can take care of the eye, too.We'll get Pastor Taylor up here.We'll do them both at the same time.You won't know.You won't even know what's going on when both of them are happening at the same time.And you're like, "Man, gouging out your eye and cutting off your hand.Man, that sounds drastic."Oh, it absolutely is.Maybe even more than you think.Because you see, Jesus was speaking to Jews.And the Jews viewed the right greater than the left.Just as a general thing.If you're left-handed, I don't need any hate emails.Okay?That's just the way it was, right?Sitting at the right hand.My right hand, man.The idea was right is better than left.So your right eye and your right hand and the Jewish mindset, those were the two most importantthings that you own.What Jesus is saying is this, there is nothing that is too important to eliminate from yourlife if it is causing you to sin.Adultery is destructive, it's enslaving, it's condemning.We got to deal with that.We have to deal with it.Do you believe that?Whatever.Listen.Whatever it is that feeds the lust in your heart, no matter how important that thingis, it has got to go.It's got to go.If you're feeding your lust through your phone or maybe a tablet, smash them up.And you're like, "Pastor Jeff, I have the newest iPhone.I spent a lot of money for that."It's not worth hell.Is it your laptop?Smash it up.Or you know, take your laptop to the kitchen and only use it around your family.You're like, "Oh, Pastor Jeff, my family is really nebby."Good.So glad to hear that.It's not worth hell.Maybe for some of you it's your social media accounts where you're having inappropriaterelationships, conversations with people online or looking at things through those that youshouldn't be looking at.Delete them.Delete those social media accounts.You're like, "But Pastor Jeff, that's how I stay connected.Join a small group."You're like, "Put Pastor Jeff, the social media, that's just my leisure time.Take up pickleball.It's not worth hell."You know what?Maybe we'll just take care of all this.Call and cancel your internet if it's a problem.If it's leading you to feed this lust, Jesus says, "It has to go."And you're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, I need the internet for my job.Get a new job.I will find you a job where you don't need the internet because it's not worth hell."Maybe for some of you as we are approaching summer, maybe it's a membership in a publicpool.Like, you know what?I go there, Pastor Jeff, and I look at the women there, and I get to tell you what didJesus say.You've got to get extreme here, people.But Pastor Jeff, my pool membership, that's just kind of our thing like we do in the summer.Swim at home.And I don't have a pool at my house.Do you have a bathtub?It's not worth hell.And I know people are like, "Okay, Pastor Jeff, I hear what you're saying, but I'm goingto be honest with you."It's going to be kind of embarrassing to have to explain to people why I smashed my phoneand canceled my internet.It's going to, I'm going to have to explain to people why I did that.That's kind of embarrassing.I'll tell you what's going to be more embarrassing than that is you not cutting off your sin,and someday you're going to stand before God.And God's going to say, "Do you remember the strangest Mother's Day sermon you've everheard?"Why didn't you listen?Why did you despise my word?Why did you think following me was not worth cutting off the stuff that keeps you from followingme with your whole heart?Why did you find me not worthy?Notice Jesus says it's better.It is better to lose your eye, lose your hand.It's better.What's better than going to hell?Literally anything.Anything you have to lose for the sake of your soul is going to be worth it.Romans 13, 14, same thing.Paul's saying the same thing.Maybe not in as graphic terms as Jesus, but it's the same thing.He says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratifyits desires.Make no provision.Take drastic measures to cut off anything that feeds the flesh."It's like that old story I heard, an old metaphor.Maybe you've heard about the guy.He had a white dog and a gray dog.And every time he put food out for them, the gray dog would whoop up the white dog, takeall the food.The white dog would get none.After a while, the white dog, not eating, got weaker and weaker and weaker and the graydog getting all the food, got stronger and stronger and stronger.The guy said, "I've got to do something about this."So he put both the dogs on a leash.And for a month, he only fed the white dog.This isn't a real story, by the way.Don't call it PETA.But he only fed the white dog.The gray dog barely surviving.But after that time of only feeding the white dog and not the gray dog when he let themoff the leash, now the white dog was strong because it was the one that got fed.The gray dog was weak because it was the one that got starved.And I think you see the obvious application.The dog you feed is going to be the dominant dog.And the dog you starved was going to be the weak dog.See in this analogy, the white dog represents walking by the Spirit.The gray dog represents walking in the flesh.I think some of you are so weak because you're not feeding the Spirit, so to speak.You're not into Word.You're not worshiping.You're not praying.You're not in fellowship.You're not listening to good biblical podcasts.You're starving that.When instead you need to be starving the flesh.Make no provision for the flesh.Starve the adulterous heart by making no provision for whichever dog you feed is going to bethe dog that is strong.And the dog that you don't feed is the dog that gets weak.And you're like, "Man, Pastor Jeff, this sounds impossible."Oh, it is.Absolutely.That's why we put Romans 13 back up there, please.It is impossible.Hence the first phrase in this verse, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ."Reformation is not going to work.If your goal here is to just try to clean up your act, you're not going to get very far.You need transformation.You need the life of Christ in us to be able to make these choices.Oh, and by the way, earlier we read, well, 1 Corinthians 6, we read verses 9 and 10.I'd like to go back and I'd like to look at the very next verse.Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?Do you not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor adulterers, nor adulterers, normen who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers,nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God?Look at verse 11.And such were some of you that you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, youwere justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.I just want to ask you today, are you an R?Or are you a Wurr?Because today, today could be the most important day of your life because today you can becomea Wurr.Like it about your heads as the worship team makes their way back up.Just like it about your heads.Close your eyes.Look, this is a between you and God thing here, alright?There's some of you that have been trapped because you don't know Jesus Christ as yourLord and Savior.You don't have the power or resources to overcome this sin because you're living in the flesh,not by the power of His Holy Spirit because you don't know.Today can be the day that you receive Him.And you know what?We're baptizing in the next service.Pastor Taylor would be thrilled to be able to baptize you because you've repented fromyour sin and turned to Jesus Christ.But if you, heads bowed, eyes closed, if you're sitting here and you're like, you know whatpastors, I am a believer in Jesus Christ, but I'm honestly, I'm stuck in this sin.I just want to ask you, Christian, stuck in this sin.Why in the world would you indulge in a sin that Jesus died for?Today Christian, you need to repent.Today Christian, you need to do some cutting.Father in heaven, I just simply ask today that you open up the eyes of our hearts that wedon't look at this sin from a worldly perspective because the world celebrates it.Father, let us see this sin from your perspective.It's a horrible sin.Father, let us see the consequences that Jesus laid out for us.There is eternal separation from you for the heart that chooses to live in lust insteadof walking by the Spirit.Father, I pray that you would give us the wisdom, you would give us the strength, andyou would give us the faith to be able to cut some things today.It's ultimately going to bless us to be free from this bondage, but the end goal of allthings, Father, is for the glory of your name.Father, I pray that you would glorify your name through a work of your Holy Spirit, bringingpeople to you in repentance and bringing your people back from a willing bondage tosin.Please, Father, let our life, let our very life be an act of worship in the way we repent.We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Ever felt like God is distant or silent in your struggles? Megan J. Conner reminds us of the powerful truth from Romans 8: absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. Whether you’ve drifted through busyness, pain, or doubt, God’s presence remains constant and faithful.

By Dan Dowd - What does Christ's “new” commandment in John 13:34 have to do with God giving His Holy Spirit to His church?

Today,It is my prayer today that our Heavenly Father will open our hearts to His Wordand help us understand the true nature of His kingdom and how it transforms usfrom within. And that He would guide us by His Spirit to live as citizens of Hiskingdom. ThePharisees were looking for a kingdom they could see. Along with most of theJewish people thew were looking for a grand, political empire that wouldelevate their nation and crush their enemies. They wanted a Messiah who wouldarrive with pomp, power, and a clear timeline. When John the Baptist showed upwith his message, some thought he might be the Messiah (John 1:19-27). But thenthe attention of the nation turned to Jesus, especially after John wasbeheaded. Jesus'response to their question about the kingdom turned their expectations upsidedown. The kingdom of God, He said, doesn't come with “observation”, which meantit wasn't going to come with fanfare or visible signs you can point to and say,“There it is!” God's plan for a visible, millennial kingdom was dependent uponthe Jews' accepting the spiritual truths of the kingdom as preached by John andJesus (John 3:1-12). The mystery parables of Matthew 13 reveal that the plan toestablish an earthly kingdom was postponed because of the Jews' attitude towardthe King. Instead, Jesus answer is that His kingdom is already present, workingin a way they couldn't imagine: within people's hearts. Jesus'words should challenge us to rethink what God's kingdom is. It's not aboutexternal power, wealth, or status. It's not confined to a specific place or adramatic event. The kingdom of God is spiritual, transforming us from theinside out. It begins when we surrender to Jesus as King, allowing Hislove, grace, and truth to reign in our hearts. This kingdom changes how wethink, act, and love others. It makes us humble where we were proud, generouswhere we were selfish, and hopeful where we were discouraged. WhenJesus told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is within you,” He wasn't sayingthey already had it—they rejected Him! Instead, He was pointing to Himself, theKing standing in their midst, and urging them to recognize the kingdom'spresence through a changed heart. For us, this means the kingdom is alreadyhere, accessible through faith in Christ. It's in the quiet moments when wechoose forgiveness over bitterness, service over selfishness, or trust in Godover worry. It's in the way we reflect Jesus to the world. Jesustaught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come….”. In Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus gave usthe “principles of the kingdom”. Only by the new spiritual birth (John 3:3-7),can we see or enter this kingdom. And then only by His Holy Spirit living withinus can we experience the reality of living by the principles of His kingdom. Today,this truth should challenges us. Like the Pharisees, we can get caught uplooking for God's kingdom in the wrong places, expecting it in materialsuccess, public recognition, or a perfect life. Jesus calls us to look inward.Is His kingdom ruling in our hearts? Are we living as His ambassadors, showingHis love and truth in our everyday actions? Maythe Lord help us to focus on cultivating God's kingdom within. Before I get outof bed each day, I pray the Lord's Prayer to remind myself that I want to experienceHis Lordship in every aspect of my life. Today, would you take five minutes topray and ask God to reveal one area of your heart where He wants to reign morefully, maybe it's an attitude, a habit, or a relationship. Then, take onepractical step to align that area with His kingdom values.   Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank Youfor being our King and bringing Your kingdom near. Help us to seek Your kingdomwithin our hearts, not in the things of this world (Matthew 6:33). Transform usby Your Spirit to live as Your people, reflecting Your love and truth. Guide usin this week's challenge to let You reign in every part of our lives. Amen.

God is going to pour out His Spirit, for a new infilling of His Holy Spirit, to all who seek a fresh baptism. The post Infilling of the Holy Spirit appeared first on Jubilee Church.

InLuke chapter 17, Jesus, on His way to Jerusalem, is teaching His disciples somepowerful lessons they'll need to learn and practice if they are going to befollowers of Jesus, making a difference in the world and turning it upside downfor the kingdom of God. He teaches about forgiveness—you're going to beoffended, sometimes by those closest to you, and you have to forgive. Then,you'll need faith to do that, which means being obedient.  You'realso going to practice faithfulness in such a way that, no matter how hard youwork, how much you serve, or how tired you are, you simply do the task at handbecause God has commanded you to do it—not out of duty, but out of love andcompassion for Him. You depend on His Holy Spirit to fill you to accomplishthat purpose as a servant of the living God. We are called to the privilege ofserving the Lord; it's not a right, but a privilege, a calling from God forevery believer. From there, we learn thankfulness, and that's what this lessonis about. Nowin Luke 17:11-19, “It happened as Jesus went to Jerusalem, passing throughthe midst of Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a certain village, He met tenmen who were lepers, who stood afar off. They lifted up their voices and said,“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them, He said, “Go, showyourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed. One of them, whenhe saw that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, glorified God. Hefell down on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks—and he was a Samaritan.Jesus answered and said, “Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Werethere not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, “Arise, go your way; your faith has made youwell.” Jesusis talking about how, when God does wonderful things for us, we experience Hisgoodness, grace, and mercy. As we are being obedient and faithful, we should bethankful. Gratefulness is an attitude of the heart that reflects our humilityand the grace of God in our lives, recognizing that every good gift, everyperfect gift, and every opportunity we have to serve—every divine appointmentwe're part of—comes from the Lord Himself. We have that wonderful privilege,and we should return to give Him thanks. Whatwe had here were ten men who were lepers, a picture of sin. These men werelost, helpless, and hopeless. They hear the Master coming—one of them aSamaritan—in the midst of Galilee and Samaria, as Jesus is on His way toJerusalem. They call out, “Master, Teacher,” the same word Peter used,recognizing that He has command over everything. He can command demons toleave; He can command sickness to leave.  Sothey called out in faith, believing He can do something, and Jesus says, “Go,show yourselves to the priests.” They weren't healed when He spoke the word,but as they turned to go, they were immediately healed. Can you imagine that?They turned to go, and all of a sudden, that leprosy was gone. The nine of themran to fulfill the law, but the one who was a Samaritan ran to the One who wasthe fulfillment of the law—Jesus Christ. He fell down and worshiped Him. Thenine went to worship in a temple; this man made an altar at the feet of Jesus.He fell at His feet and worshiped Him. Jesussaid to him, “Arise, go your way; your faith has saved you.” Those nine men gothealed physically; this man got healed spiritually as well when he found thegrace of God through a thankful, humble heart. “For by grace are you savedthrough faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,lest any man should boast.”  Myfriend, be grateful, be thankful, and live a life of gratitude to a holy God,because when we're not thankful, we become vain in our imaginations, and ourfoolish hearts are darkened (Romans 1). Beforgiving, be faithful, and be thankful.

Saturday, 3 May 2025   But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 9:34   “And the Pharisees, they said, ‘In the ruler of the demons He ejects demons'” (CG).   In the previous verse, it said that the multitudes marveled over what Jesus had done, noting that nothing like it had ever been seen in Israel. Now, in an obvious jealous response to this, it records, “And the Pharisees, they said, ‘In the ruler of the demons He ejects demons.'”   The people, having seen Jesus' miracles, were overwhelmed with awe at the demonstrations of power and healing they had seen. But in complete contrast to that, the Pharisees, who were considered the spiritual elite, certainly felt that their authority was being challenged by the things Jesus was doing, of which they had no such ability.   Therefore, to diminish Jesus and His works in their eyes, they ascribe His power not to God but to Satan. In Matthew 12, the charge will be made again. Although getting ahead of the narrative as Matthew presents it, at that time, they will use the term Beelzebub to describe this ruler.   It is a reference to Satan, but the name itself is derived from the Hebrew words baal, lord or master, and z'vuv, a fly. As such, it would indicate Lord of the Flies. It is a title that speaks of corruption and malignancy as much as anything else. It speaks of Satan's power over the demons (as in demonic flies).   Further, they use the word en, in, to describe the matter, “in the ruler of the demons.” The sense is that it isn't just that Jesus is using the authority of the ruler of the demons, but that He is in a state of union with him. Because He is supposedly so aligned with Satan, He has the power and authority to eject the demons that work on behalf of Satan.   Life application: The New Testament uses the word en, in, when referring to a positional status, such as, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” 1 Corinthians 15:22. These are the two great distinctions for man. One is either in Adam and fallen or he has moved to Christ and has been redeemed by God.   As such, the positional status is what is being referred to. The change is not something that occurs and can be undone. Rather, it is a permanent move. This is why Jesus says this to the people in John 6 –   “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40   One can see the ridiculous nature of the argument for the loss of salvation. People who teach this view know it is. Therefore, as the evidence mounts against them with verses presented in their proper context, the arguments become more and more outlandish to continue to justify the unjustifiable. Eventually, the argument is, “Well, what if someone changes his mind and wants to go to hell?”   The answer is not that Jesus suddenly takes away their salvation and they are condemned to hell. The answer is that Jesus will raise them up at the last day, and He will deal with their lives at that time. The positional status of a person no longer changes when one comes to Christ. There is nothing in Scripture to even hint at that. Therefore, teaching the doctrine of “loss of salvation” is unbiblical.   Be sure not to get duped by such failing arguments. God's integrity is on the line. He has saved the person who believes. He has sealed that person with His Holy Spirit, the guarantee that the person possesses until the day of redemption. From there, that person will be raised. After that, Jesus will handle the rest. This is what the Bible teaches. Be sure to convey it properly to those who want to argue an alternative, nonsensical position.   Lord God, we know Your word is true. Because of this, we know that those who believe in You will be raised. At that time, You will sort out all of the baggage of our lives, revealing our strengths and forgiving our shortcomings. We stand in awe of You who would save such poor and wayward sinners as us. Thank You, O God, for Jesus who makes this possible. Amen.  

Pastoring Your Congregation Through Worship with Ben Haley Episode Summary In this powerful session from the Church Front Conference, Ben Haley shares three essential foundations for effective worship ministry that truly shepherds congregations. Drawing from scripture and personal experience, Ben explains how worship leaders must know their hearts, know their Bibles, and know their people to lead worship that transforms lives. Show Notes Key Timestamps 00:00 - Opening quote and introduction 00:59 - Ben shares the moving story of his father's final moments 03:18 - The profound influence of worship music and responsibility it brings 05:35 - What should be the foundation of worship ministry? 06:37 - Foundation #1: Know your heart 11:06 - Foundation #2: Know your Bible 15:35 - Practical tips for selecting and using worship songs 17:44 - Foundation #3: Know your people 21:29 - The danger of prioritizing programs over people 24:27 - Final encouragement to show off God's glory 25:39 - Closing quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones Key Topics The Lasting Impact of Worship Songs Ben's father, despite being sedated and on a ventilator, communicated "It is well with my soul" in his final moments People rarely remember sermon details but often recall songs throughout their lives and even on their deathbeds What we sing has a profound influence on us, creating great responsibility for worship leaders Foundation #1: Know Your Heart Reference to 1 Timothy 4 - "Watch your life and doctrine closely" Cultural conditioning has led us to value competency over character Ephesians 5:18-19 commands being filled with the Spirit before addressing singing Many things can cause us to neglect our hearts: busy schedules, tasks, praise, or personal struggles "If our ministries are to bless the congregations that we lead, then our ministries have to be led and staffed by people who know that we have a great need for Jesus." Foundation #2: Know Your Bible Compare Ephesians 5:18-19 with Colossians 3:16 - singing flows from being Spirit-filled and Word-filled Technological and musical excellence alone don't make disciples "What truly makes disciples is the Word of God revealed by His Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of His people." "The song book of a church is an indicator of that church's maturity." People need biblically rich lyrics to help them through grief, shame, and cultural confusion Practical Song Selection Guidelines Songs should use biblical language and themes Songs should be singable for the congregation Find creative ways to incorporate Scripture into worship times (slides, readings, etc.) Style preferences (old/new, simple/complex, upbeat/slow) are secondary to biblical content "When your people are moved by a melody...make sure that what you are giving your people to sing is something worth singing from the Word." Foundation #3: Know Your People Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 both emphasize singing "to one another" Corporate worship is both vertical (to God) and horizontal (to each other) We need each other's voices when we're struggling to worship Practical implication: music shouldn't be so loud that congregants can't hear each other "The church is Jesus's bride. These are his people. He cherishes them. He gave his life for them." You can't shepherd people you don't know The Ultimate Goal of Worship Ministry Help people do what they were designed to do - worship God Attempts to reform behavior or conform people to church culture will fail "What you win people with is what you win them to." "Use those instruments, use those melodies, use the soundboards, use the lighting controllers to show off God's glory, and give your people the kinds of songs that they will sing on their deathbeds." Memorable Quotes "What we sing has a profound influence on us." - Ben Haley "With great power comes great responsibility." - Ben Haley (quoting Uncle Ben from Spider-Man) "We have been conditioned by our culture to value competency over character. We prefer platform over piety. We choose hype over holiness." - Ben Haley "Great melodies don't make disciples. A brighter projector doesn't make disciples. An online service with better EQ doesn't make disciples." - Ben Haley "The song book of a church is an indicator of that church's maturity." - Ben Haley "Church music is not a one-way street from an individual to God. It's also something we do with each other and for each other." - Ben Haley "Church leaders are not leaders of nobody. We are leaders of people." - Ben Haley "I can forgive a man for a bad sermon...if he gives me some dim glimpse of the majesty and the glory of God, the love of Christ my savior, and the magnificence of the gospel." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones (quoted by Ben Haley) Scripture References 1 Timothy 4 - "Watch your life and doctrine closely" Ephesians 5:18-19 - "Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" Psalm 146 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul" John 10 - Jesus knows his sheep and they know his voice Resources Mentioned Stephen Miller (author referenced regarding worship leadership) Charles Spurgeon (quoted regarding personal worship) Martyn Lloyd-Jones (quoted in opening and closing) Next Steps For worship leaders and tech teams wanting to implement Ben's teaching: Evaluate your personal worship habits and spiritual disciplines Review your church's song selections for biblical content and singability Make an effort to build deeper relationships with congregation members Consider ways to incorporate more Scripture into your worship services   Apply to Join Churchfront Premium Apply to Join Churchfront Pro Free Worship and Production Toolkit Shop Our Online Courses Join us at the Churchfront Conference Follow Churchfront on Instagram or TikTok: @churchfront Follow on Twitter: @realchurchfront Gear we use to make videos at Churchfront Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN  

The Bible tells us of a day when Jesus will come back to reign on the earth. It says… The last enemy to be destroyed is death. But we don't have to wait until that day to experience Jesus' victory. If you decide to give your life to Jesus, He will trade it in for a new, revitalized life filled with His Holy Spirit. Do you yearn for that deep, lasting peace? Well, you can have it. 
Why not ask Him for it today? Pray with me… Jesus, I give my old life to you. All of my wrong, all of my sin, all of my destructive behavior and words and actions. I'm sorry. Wash me clean— let my old self die away and be resurrected to new life. Will you make me a new creation? I choose this day to follow You, Jesus, as the Lord of my life. Amen. Always remember there is hope with God. I'm Andrew Palau. Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 15:26 radio.hopewithgod.com

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

The most convincing witness of our relationship with God comes from His Holy Spirit indwelling us. This is far greater than some dramatic experience or form of emotionalism. Visit https://enjoyingthejourney.org/you-can-know/ to download the FREE “23 Birthmarks of the Believer” handout. 

(1 John 2:20, 26-27) If you know Christ as your Savior, His Holy Spirit dwells within you. With Him comes unction and anointing for His will. What do these two words really mean? (0993250416)    Visit https://enjoyingthejourney.org/you-can-know/ to download the FREE “23 Birthmarks of the Believer” handout. 

When we give our lives to Christ, we hand over the keys to ourselves and let His Holy Spirit come in and clean house. He is the one that does the cleaning, we just need to submit our lives to Him.

Sin followed by subsequent shame and guilt can send us into some of the darkest places of loneliness, isolation, and weariness… places where the Lord never intended for us to be. After all, Jesus came to bring abundant life (John 10:10) and rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-29).   Dawson Cooper, who spoke at our live gathering in Mountain Brook, Alabama, beautifully reminds us of these truths as she recounts her journey of walking through an unplanned pregnancy and subsequent marriage to becoming a parent and letting go of childhood dreams.  In her story, Dawson sweetly shares the gospel message of redemption, as she encourages us to look to Jesus alone to fulfill our needs and see the moments of life where His Holy Spirit has shown up - reminding us His fingerprints are all over our stories.    IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:   - Admitting your weaknesses to others can be powerful in the hands of God.  - God never intended for you to carry shame and guilt - He longs for you to bring those heavy burdens to Him.  - Your past doesn't define you - you are righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ.   Links:   Listen to similar stories:  Ep. 82- Addie Lamberth: “The Unexpected Gift of Life”;  Ep. 219- Chapple Chandler: "A Life Renovated"   Give to StoryTellers Live in honor of Dawson and our past storytellers.    Become a Patreon Insider to access bonus content.   Need a summer Bible study?! Shop for our When God Shows Up Bible Study series, including the newly released Discovering God in Stories of Faith!   Register for our online workshop being offered on May 6th: Finding God in the Details: A Guide to Discerning His Voice and Discovering Your Story