Podcasts about His Lordship

Title: Eyes to See and Ears to Hear Text: Acts 28:23-31 FCF: We often struggle humbly heeding the Word of God. Prop: Because God alone acts to save sinners, we must humbly heed the Word of God. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we will read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 23 and going to the end of the book of Acts. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Today is a bittersweet day. Today we close out our exposition of the text of the book of Acts. Next week we will do one final review sermon as we provide a bird's eye view of the major themes in the book. It will be difficult to move on from this two-year study, but very soon we'll begin our next sermon series on the letters to the Thessalonians. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's be reminded of where we are in the book of Acts today. Paul has just settled in to his situation in Rome. He is under house arrest, guarded constantly by a Roman sentry. He does not have the freedom to leave his home to do any sort of preaching ministry within the city, but he has called the Roman Jewish leaders of the synagogue to come to him in his home. He has explained why he is here so they wouldn't think he was a criminal. Of course, they hadn't heard anything about Paul coming to Rome. But they had heard about the Nazarene Sect and how much trouble it has caused the Jewish communities around the Empire. They are very curious to learn more and understand why there is so much contention. Paul will now have an opportunity to meet with these Jewish leaders at length to speak about the hope of Israel. Which is the gospel of Jesus their Messiah. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Savior God, You are our Redeemer. Father You have planned our redemption within the counsel of Your will since before the dawn of Your creation. Jesus You have been eternally begotten of the Father to go and accomplish this Redemption for a people You have elected before the foundations of the world. Spirit You have proceeded from the Father and the Son and like the Son You raise us up and wash us in the waters of regeneration so that we may be united to the redemption provided to us by the Son. Savior God, You, and You alone, are our Redeemer. Nothing can save us but You. Help us then Lord to hear from Your Word today and believe that You act alone in our salvation, so that we can respond to this great salvation by humbly heeding Your Word. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Augustine of Hippo: “The grace of God does not find men fit for salvation but makes them so.” Benjamin Beddome “God's grace can save souls without preaching, but all the preaching in the world cannot save souls without God's grace.” W.E. Best “The sinner apart from grace is unable to be willing and unwilling to be able.” These thoughts are fundamental to the message Paul has for the Roman Jews. Let's look at what he says. I.) Mere logic and persuasion cannot move the heart of sinful man to repent and believe the gospel, so we must humbly heed the Word of God. (23-24) a. [Slide 3] 23 - And when they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly bearing witness about the kingdom of God i. So, the Jews return in great numbers to Paul's rented abode. ii. They are highly motivated to learn about the Nazarene sect and why they are hearing reports against it from everywhere. iii. Paul begins by speaking intently with them. The one Greek word translated here “solemnly bearing witness” implies not simply testifying or giving of information but urgent reporting on matters of grave importance. iv. What is so important? v. It is the coming of the Kingdom of God. vi. This eternal Kingdom that is spoken of by their own prophets, greatest of which was John the Baptist – has now come. And they need to respond. This promise IS for the children of Israel. vii. But entry into this Kingdom is not granted based on that status. viii. Being born of Abraham is not enough to inherit this Kingdom. ix. So how do you enter? b. [Slide 4] and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, i. You must be born of the Spirit. You must go through Jesus. ii. As has been a central theme to the book of Acts since the beginning, the Jews have a unique position in the redemptive plan of God, in that Jesus is their Messiah. iii. Jesus is the central and key figure to gain access to God and to this eternal Kingdom. iv. Jesus is Yahweh's Servant who has borne griefs and healed wounds. He has purchased Israel's pardon. v. And they have been granted the Scriptures which contain prophesies concerning this one who will come to redeem not just them, but the whole world. vi. Paul takes them through these books to show them Jesus. c. [Slide 5] from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, i. What do they need to do then? ii. They do not need to join a new religion in order to inherit the Kingdom. iii. No. iv. They need simply to realize that to repent and believe on Jesus as the Christ is what their own law and prophets have told them to do since the beginning. v. If they intend to continue to be Jewish, in the truest sense of the word, they must repent and trust in their own Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. d. [Slide 6] from morning until evening. i. Paul earnestly contended with them on this point for many hours. ii. He probably showed them from their own scriptures how Jesus had fulfilled over 300 prophesies by his birth, life, death, and resurrection. iii. How Jesus becomes our new Adam, our new representative. How Jesus is the new Abraham in establishing a New Covenant. How He is the new Moses, being the Great Prophet. How Jesus is the Great High Priest offering a sacrifice that does not need to be repeated since He was the sacrifice. How Jesus is the Son of David and that human King prophesied to reign over Israel forever… and the whole world. iv. From morning until evening Paul gave it all he had. He preached, he discussed, he debated, he argued, he strove, with all the persuasiveness that he could. v. What were the results? e. [Slide 7] 24 - And some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others were not believing. i. Well, the results were decidedly… mixed. ii. Some of them were being persuaded. Notice the passive voice here. 1. While it largely depends on context, many times in scripture when the passive voice is used, it is what we call a divine passive. 2. This occurs when God does something but does not wish to overtly say He is doing the action in that specific context. 3. We know from the greater context of scripture, and even in this very text, that natural man is spiritually dead and unable to hear and respond to the gospel message unless the Holy Spirit actually enables them to hear it and respond to it. 4. No matter what theological background you come from, everyone prays for the lost the same. We all pray that God would open the eyes of sinners to help them receive the gospel. 5. Christians may define what happens there differently. But the long and the short of it is, that God must move first and God must move in an individual's heart not just in an event for a broader people group. 6. It is not Paul's words that are persuading them… it is God's Spirit opening their eyes to see the truth of what Paul is saying. iii. But the others, the majority, do not believe on Jesus. iv. But how does this happen? v. How can the apostle Paul, a skilled Rhetorician, speak for hours, expounding from the scriptures how Jesus is the Messiah, and yet many do not believe, and the ones that do believe do not do so because of Paul's persuasiveness? vi. If Paul cannot convince his own kinsmen, what hope do we have to convince anyone of the gospel? f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: In the last episode of Luke's record of the early formation of the church and the Kingdom of God expanding to the uttermost parts of the earth, Luke chooses to conclude on a sermon by Paul. It is a sermon preached over several hours to his own kinsmen, Jews of the city of Rome. Luke says he spoke passionately and urgently to them communicating from the Mosaic law and the prophets how Jesus was the Messiah and the King promised of old who would bring with Him a New Kingdom. Paul preached passionately that this kingdom has come and is here and the evidence that this is so, is the expansion of the church throughout the Roman Empire. But despite all his theological arguments, despite his rhetorical skill, despite his logic, despite his passionate pleas, most of those listening did not believe. Only some were persuaded as God opened their eyes and ears to receive the truth of what Paul spoke. Luke's purpose in this book is to give Theophilus assurances that what he has believed is true. One great assurance to Theophilus is that the wisdom of men in logic and persuasion cannot actually convince sinners to repent and believe the gospel. Theophilus was not conned by skilled speakers to believe a lie. Instead, his eyes were opened to believe the truth by God Himself. This is true of everyone who receives the gospel. God calls and draws. Then and only then do we respond. And so, what is our application to such a point? We must humbly heed the Word of God. We must be the kind of people who are ready to listen and to obey what God reveals. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] Still, our curiosity forces us to ask why don't they believe? Is there something deficient in them? What qualities make up a person who will not believe? And how do we avoid that? II.) God hides the gospel from the arrogant and disobedient, so we must humbly heed the Word of God. (25-27) a. [Slide 10] 25 - And when they disagreed with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one word, i. So, this devolves fairly quickly. ii. We have these once loosely untied Roman Jews, coming to Paul for information on the Nazarene sect of Judaism, and as the hours go on, now they are disagreeing so sharply that those who do not believe Paul abandon him and their fellow Jews and leave the house. iii. Luke records that they did this especially when Paul said one word. iv. Well which word? v. What follows is a sermon from Isaiah 6. vi. So which word makes them leave? vii. Well, the word translated “word” can mean a single word or it can mean a message. viii. In the expression “what's the word?” we are not asking what is the single word. We are asking, what is the news? ix. In a similar way, Luke records this mini-sermon that Paul spoke that turned out to be too much for the unbelieving Jews to handle. x. What did Paul say that chased them away? b. [Slide 11] “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, i. First of all, Paul goes to the prophet Isaiah. ii. Psalms and Isaiah account for half of the citations of the Old Testament in the New Testament. iii. Some commentators refer to the book of Isaiah as the fifth gospel. iv. Secondly, Isaiah's prophesies include both strong warnings and judgment proclamations as well as great and wonderful promises to the children of Israel. v. Paul is probably not going to the promises here. He is responding to the unbelieving Jews and their slowness to receive the message of their own Messiah. vi. In this way, he says that the Spirit of God inspired Isaiah rightly when he spoke to their ancestors. vii. This is a euphemistic way to say, in so many words, you are behaving just like your ancestors… that's good right? WRONG! viii. Notice that Paul does not claim them to be his own ancestors because he does not behave like them. ix. So, what does Paul quote for them? c. [Slide 12] 26 - saying, ‘GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; i. Paul is quoting from Isaiah 6:9-10. This is the initial call of Isaiah to be God's prophet to Judah during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. ii. We'll take a look at this passage in a moment, but why is Paul quoting this passage? iii. Because he feels similar to Isaiah. Isaiah was told that he would proclaim the Lord's message but that Judah as a whole would not listen to him. There would no doubt be some who would and remain faithful to Yahweh, but the majority would not. iv. Paul has experienced the exact same thing as he has traveled through three different missionary journeys across the Roman Empire. Some Jews heard and believed on Jesus… but most did not. And it seems like the same will be true here in the city of Rome. v. So Paul quotes this passage to try to expose why these people are so slow to believe in Jesus. vi. Paul, through quoting Isaiah, gives two interconnected reasons that they do not believe. vii. First, though they will able to hear the truth of the gospel message, they will be unable to understand and perceive it… let alone believe it. viii. If we were to put this in medical terms, we would conclude that something in the brain is broken. ix. All the biological necessities are there for them to hear and see but something is broken to the point that the brain cannot interpret the signals coming from the eyes or the ears. x. They will be rendered unable to believe. xi. Well, why will this be their condition? d. [Slide 13] 27 - FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, i. Now it is interesting here that Paul quotes the Septuagint of this text. ii. Paul would have been familiar with the Hebrew version, but his hearers would not. iii. So, what are the differences between the Hebrew and the Septuagint? iv. [Slide 14] The Hebrew version puts these verbs in the imperative. They are commands of God to the people and to the prophet Isaiah. Let's look at the LSB's translation of Isaiah 6:9-10 to see the difference. 1. God tells Isaiah to tell the people… Keep hearing but do not understand 2. Keep seeing but do not know 3. These commands are given to Isaiah to tell the people. To command them to keep hearing and seeing without understanding or perceiving. 4. The next command seems to be issued to Isaiah with regard to his role in preaching this message. 5. Render the hearts of this people (notice God does not say my people) insensitive (or fat – full to the point of not being able to take any more in) 6. Render their ears dull and their eyes dim. Make them unable to perceive. 7. Lest (to keep them from) seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their hearts, and return and be healed. 8. In other words, this doesn't read like a prediction but a judgment. v. So, does this mean that the Septuagint corrupted the text? No. vi. The translators of the Septuagint were obviously uncomfortable with assigning to God the blame for their condition of not hearing and obeying His Word. vii. Their dynamic interpretation of the Hebrew then, is to assume that God uses these words in hyperbole to get them to respond. viii. By setting the verbs into the indicative mood, the translators place the blame on their ancestors. ix. [Slide 15] But they do not remove God's role in this entirely. 1. Notice that the heart of this people has become dull. 2. Well, who made their heart dull? 3. The subject is not identified. 4. The Septuagint translators softened the text but did not completely change it. 5. They simply inserted a divine passive to take the place of the harshness of God's commands. 6. Meaning that within this last segment of Acts 28 those who are persuaded of the truth of the gospel and those who's hearts have become dull to the gospel are both activities God does but does not overtly say He is doing. x. But we need to understand the WAY Paul is using this. xi. Paul quotes the LXX which changes the commands into future tense verbs. That something WILL happen to the people. And why is he quoting it? He is quoting it because at this moment what WAS said in Isaiah, is being fulfilled. xii. In other words, God commanded Isaiah to render their hearts dull and eyes dim… and now Paul says… that has happened. Their heart has become dull. xiii. Paul uses the intentional softening of the Septuagint to pierce the heart of these Jews… showing them that they have succumbed to what God commanded Isaiah to accomplish by preaching to them. xiv. What Paul is saying is that the blindness of the Jews to the gospel in the 1st century AD is the fulfillment of Isaiah's preaching ministry in the 8th century BC. xv. By extension, of course, the Jews who have believed are also the fulfillment of that same preaching ministry. xvi. Again – Isaiah is the fifth gospel. And the gospel divides. xvii. So, how did they come into the state in which they could not believe? Well, in fulfillment of the preaching ministry of Isaiah, their hearts have become dull. And what else? e. [Slide 16] AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; LEST THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I HEAL THEM.' i. As the quote continues, and as we analyze the context of Isaiah 6 and the whole book itself, we recognize that God has only decreed this end upon them after the people have been continually a people characterized by unbelief and disobedience. ii. There is a necessary correlation here between God making their hearts dull and their rebellion and disobedience. iii. The sun's rays both hardens the clay and causes fertile soil to spring forth vegetation. iv. Already barren and rocky soil will only be baked in the sun's heat while fertile soil will produce crops and a harvest from the same sun's rays. v. In the same way, the Word of God preached, warnings given, commands expressed, to the heart of one who is humble and obedient will produce more of the same. vi. While the same words will produce resentment and disdain from those who are arrogant and rebellious. vii. Again, Isaiah's preaching ministry has two outcomes and both of them are present in this text. The Jews who believed on Jesus inherit the promises of the Servant songs in the latter half of Isaiah. But those who do not believe the gospel inherit the judgments of the same book. viii. So, although the first reason they do not believe is that they are not able to… the second reason is that they are unable because they are also unwilling. They are characterized by continued pride and disobedience. f. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: Through the text of Paul's sermon from Isaiah, Luke stresses the key reason that these Jews, and by extension every other unbeliever, do not believe the gospel when it is preached. Why is it that two people can hear the same message and one believes and the other does not? We've already seen how those who believe do so because God enables them to. What about those who do not believe? Is that God's fault too? The scriptures are quite clear on this. Those who continue in obstinate rebellion and self-determined beliefs and values are not able to understand and perceive the gospel message. God only hides the gospel message from those who are arrogant and disobedient. God does not allow people to understand or perceive the gospel message who continually refuse to be humble and listen to Him. Paul says this is why these Jews today were walking away in disbelief. It is because the Holy Spirit prophesied rightly through Isaiah to their fathers whom they are living like. God has had enough and will not let them see or hear the truth. This is why it is abundantly necessary for all those under the sound of my voice to humbly heed the Word of God. Always. Not just the gospel itself but all that God has said, we must humbly heed it. Transition: [Slide 18 (blank)] So, what is the application of this text from Isaiah 6? How does Paul apply this harsh reality to them? III.) God saves all men by grace through faith in Christ, so we must humbly heed the Word of God. (28-31) a. [Slide 19] 28 - Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God was sent to the Gentiles—they will also hear.” i. Because they have continually closed their eyes to the gospel and shut their ears to scarcely hear… ii. Because the soil of their hearts, the land of their souls has been polluted. iii. Because the hearts of the Jews have become rocky ground where little grows. iv. God has turned aside to shine His gospel light on different fields. v. This is not necessarily God turning his back on the Jews forever. We've seen this in Jeremiah where the Lord continues to call those whom He has divorced, to repentance. vi. But it is God leaving behind the Jews, extending the gospel to the gentiles, to make the Jews jealous. vii. And Paul's final comment is what ultimately forces the unbelieving Jews to walk away in disgust. viii. It isn't necessarily that the gospel will go to the gentiles. ix. But Paul says, they will also hear. 1. The word hear, is the same word used before to communicate their ability to hear even though they didn't understand. 2. But Paul uses the middle voice of this verb. 3. Middle voice is when the subject does the action… to or for themselves. 4. To hear for yourself… implies not just a perception of sound or noise, but to receive or heed it. x. This is quite shocking. xi. It is probably difficult enough for the Jews to accept that God is sending the message of salvation to the Gentiles. xii. But Paul intentionally, by wordplay, makes a direct comparison. xiii. The Jews before him today, what they cannot and will not do, the Gentiles will do. xiv. This last comment is too much for these Roman Jews to take. xv. This is the “word” that forces them to walk out. b. [Slide 20] 29 - [When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.] i. You'll notice that I have this verse in brackets and in yellow on the screen. ii. Many of the oldest, and most reliable manuscript copies of the book of Acts that we have are missing this verse. iii. When the chapter divisions and verse numbers were assigned, we had not yet discovered these manuscripts and therefore had no reason to question the authenticity of this particular verse. iv. Since the KJV was translated we have discovered almost 6,000 manuscripts of the New Testament. Most of which affirm and authenticate the manuscripts that the KJV translators had available to them. v. But occasionally, we find a verse like this where the evidence does not support a verse being included. vi. As to the motive of the addition it is actually fairly obvious. vii. If this verse isn't in the text, we must make an intuitive leap that it was the fact that Paul said the Gentiles would believe the gospel that caused these Roman Jews to leave Paul's residence in frustration. viii. Everything in verse 29 is mentioned earlier which again reinforces the idea that this was probably added as a comment to remind the reader or point out to the reader that this was the real reason the Jews left. c. [Slide 21] 30 - And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, i. Finally, Luke concludes his book with a look to the remaining two years of ministry Paul has in the city of Rome. ii. For the next two years Paul welcomes all who came to him and we should very much see this as Luke's assertion that Jews and gentiles alike were welcomed to come and visit with him. Not just the gentiles. iii. Many of his visitors were his companions visiting with him and ministering to his needs. iv. From his letters we know that Paul had sent many of his visiting companions to relay messages all around the Roman Empire to various churches. v. We are reasonably sure that Paul wrote the letters of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon during this time. d. [Slide 22] 31 - preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, unhindered. i. But Paul was not merely writing letters and entertaining Christian guests. ii. He was also preaching the gospel to all who would hear. iii. He did this boldly and without any restraint on him. iv. And so, the gospel goes to the Jews and the Gentiles of Rome, and Paul ministers to the church there while he awaits his trial. v. This is how Luke's record for Theophilus ends. vi. And we know that Paul will be released and will travel on a 4th missionary journey after this, and possibly even to Spain after that. vii. And so, the promise of Jesus from Acts 1, that His church will take the kingdom of God to the uttermost parts of the earth, has been fulfilled. viii. And with that bookend, the book of Acts is complete. e. [Slide 23] Summary of the Point: Luke finishes his book declaring the wonderful grace of God. Though the soil of the Jews had grown rocky and hard, God is still gathering a people to himself from all nations. Jews and Gentiles will be gathered in by His grace. He will open their eyes and allow them to understand and perceive the truth of the gospel. He will enable them to believe on Jesus of Nazareth as their Lord and Savior. He will graciously create a Kingdom of Priests who are the bride of His dear Son. As John the Baptist said, he could raise up stones to declare His praises to Him if He desired. So, God has determined to raise up a people that were not a people to be His people. A people made of Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, rich and poor, from every tribe, tongue, nation and culture. And Paul spends the next two years in Rome with that application. That God is shining the light of the gospel to the gentiles and that they will hear it. So, what must we do today? Humbly heed the Word of God today my friends. Join this Kingdom that is and will be forever. Conclusion: So, what have we seen here today CBC that corrects and informs our beliefs and shapes and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 24] How fitting it is for Luke to conclude his two-scroll tome to Theophilus with a scene in which Paul continues the same ministry he always had. Preaching the gospel to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. Paul's sermon demonstrates the final word to Theophilus on why he must hold fast to what he has believed. He did not believe because of the persuasive power of those who preached the gospel to him. Instead, he believed because the Lord opened his eyes so he could humbly heed what the Word of God said. He, like all other believers, was saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus of Nazareth. All these points combine together to deliver to us a single message of truth. Theophilus must know the certainty of the gospel because… the gospel is that God alone acts to save sinners. He does so by the washing of regeneration so a sinner can grasp hold of the purchased redemption of Christ by faith. This is all according to the power of God to change people who are dead in their sins and children of wrath by nature… into sons and daughters. Theophilus must know that the gospel is true, because he has been brought to life by the power of God. No man can do what has been done to him. In fact, the litmus test for the true gospel, is how much of man's power is in it. If there is any at all… it is not the gospel. So, we must humbly heed the Word of God. Certainly, we must hear and heed the gospel command to repent and believe on Jesus Christ. But also, in every facet of life, we must humbly heed God's Word. No matter what it says no matter how much we naturally disagree, and no matter how much it means we must change. Let God's Word be true and everything else be a lie. But let me attempt to apply these concepts to our everyday life. 1.) [Slide 25] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that salvation is accomplished in an individual's life by God alone. a. Paul's sermon to the Roman Jews consisted of several hours of preaching the kingdom of God manifested in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth, which was predicted in the Mosaic law and the Prophets. b. For hours he reasoned with them passionately. c. In the end some did come to faith in Jesus Christ. But Luke does not give credit to Paul for this. d. God opened their eyes to the truth of what Paul taught. e. We saw this in Acts 16 when Lydia did the same. f. And Paul himself says this in I Corinthians 2, that this was true when he preached in Corinth. g. Paul didn't convince anyone of the gospel. Paul didn't lead anyone to Christ. h. The scriptures teach us that GOD draws sinners to Himself. How? Through the word of God being proclaimed. i. In this the preacher is merely the means God uses to connect those whom He is calling to faith in Jesus Christ. j. You see, not only has the price been paid through the redemption of Jesus Christ, but God even acts to bring sinners to that realization. k. If your view of the gospel has any whiff of man's effort, man's work, man's action, or man's ability… it is not the gospel you are believing. l. If your gospel says that God has done everything except for… you can stop right there… because it isn't the gospel anymore. m. God did not do 99.99% of your salvation and awaits you to contribute your .01%. n. God accomplished EVERYTHING. o. In Romans 8 we see that God foreordained, predestined, called, justified, and glorified His people. p. Paul takes us from before the foundations of the world to the eternal kingdom and shows that in an individual Christian's life… God has done everything. q. When He desires you to be connected by faith to the redemption Jesus has purchased with His blood, He will enable you to believe by opening your eyes to see the truth of the gospel and believe it. r. The scriptures clearly teach us that salvation is not of works, it is all a gift, so much so that even repentance and faith are called gifts of God in the New Testament. s. So, my friends, we must, for the sake of the purity of the gospel, we must eradicate every last shred of human work, no matter how small, from our understanding of the gospel. t. For if we don't… it just isn't the gospel anymore. 2.) [Slide 26] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God resists the proud and disobedient and hides the gospel from them. a. Do you remember the parable of the soils which Jesus taught. b. It is one of the few parables where Jesus actually explains its meaning to His disciples. c. The farmer is the same. The seed is the same. The distribution of that seed is the same. d. The only thing that changes is the soil in which the seed is cast. e. The first soil is soil that is hard. It is a pathway. It is not tilled. It is not soft. It is not open to receiving the seed. f. On this soil the devil comes and snatches away the seed scattered there because it did not penetrate the soil. g. This is essentially what Paul says has happened to the unbelieving Jews. They are so arrogant and so disobedient that though they have eyes, they cannot see, though they have ears they cannot hear… though the soil of their heart has dirt… it is hard, beaten down, and eroded. It is incapable of receiving the seed. h. James says that God resists the proud. i. The fact of the matter is that a heart that is proud, self-focused, self-ruled, disobedient and defiant… such a heart can never receive the gospel message. j. But there is a tension here that we need to recognize. 3.) [Slide 27] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God has given salvation to only one specific people group. a. As shocking as it was for the Jews to hear that God is giving salvation to the gentiles, so it will be just as shocking for us to hear that God is not giving salvation to one kind of people. b. God is giving salvation to Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists, Atheists, Agnostics, Hindus, and even Satanists. c. God is giving salvation to homosexuals, pedophiles, transgenders, murderers, adulterers, thieves, traitors and liars. d. God is giving salvation to Democrats, Republicans, Rich people, poor people, black people, red people. e. As long as the heart of that person is soft to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ… they will receive it. f. But all these labels along with their beliefs, allegiances, and practices, all bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ when one truly receives the gospel. g. Gentiles will hear the gospel… but that doesn't mean they can keep worshipping their pagan gods. h. But God is not just saving those who attend church all their lives. i. His people are scattered throughout the world. j. They could be your neighbors, your co-workers, your family, your friends, your nurses, doctors, lawyers, financial advisors. k. They may have a different political party than you. They may currently be practicing a different religion. l. We don't know who they are. So we preach Christ crucified and rely on God's power to change them. m. It is a lie for us to believe that anyone is beyond the reach of the gospel. n. Look at Paul… how many times has he preached to the Jews in various cities and how many times has the result been the same? Very few believe. Many do not… And then they oppose the gospel. o. Yet here he is again… preaching to Jews in Rome. p. May we have the same drive of Paul to preach the gospel to any and all we come into contact with. 4.) [Slide 28] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must humbly heed the Word of the Lord. a. Generally speaking, God resists the proud but exalts the humble. b. True and humble belief in His Word is always accompanied by obedience. c. James says we must be doers of the word and not hearers only. d. The Jews had a long history of struggling with this as a nation. e. There were always those who did humbly heed the Word of the Lord. f. They were the remnant. True Israel. g. If we are God's children, we too must humbly hear and heed the Word of God. h. Do you have that view of God's Word? Or do you find yourself always interpreting the of the Word of God to make it fit what you already believe or what you are already doing? i. When is the last time you had to crucify something you believed or practiced because of what God's Word said? j. If you can't think of a time that that has ever happened… or if that has rarely happened in your life…you may want to search your heart. Is it too hard to be molded by God's Word? 5.) [Slide 29] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Will you humble yourself and obey the gospel? a. The book of Acts really is part two of the gospel of Luke. b. It is a gospel. It makes much of the person and work of Jesus Christ. It does so by way of seeing His followers forever changed by His saving power in their lives. c. This rag tag group of 20 somethings, nothings from nowhere, had suddenly turned the world upside down with the message of the gospel. d. My friends… what will you do with this Jesus? e. He is not a great prophet who spoke many wise words. He is not an example for us to show kindness and love to all people. He is not someone we can quote to support this political position or that… f. He is the Son of God, the Lord of all, and He will come to judge the living and the dead. g. He will judge them according to their works. h. All those who are judged by the books which record their works will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. i. Only those who are not judged by those books but by the book of life… only they will enter into His Kingdom. j. So I ask again… what will you do with Jesus Christ? k. What should be done with Him? l. If all that Jesus said, did, and claimed of Himself, the world, and The Kingdom of God is true.. then you must humble yourself before His Lordship… beg for His mercy… and place all your hope in His death and resurrection to be your death and resurrection. m. Jesus Christ should become your… EVERYTHING. That is what it means to obey the gospel. n. It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, what you have believed up to this point, or where you think you are going… o. Humble yourself, repent and believe on Jesus and you will have life in Him. p. If this is you today – don't leave without talking to an Elder. We'd love to hear and help in any way we can. [Slide 30 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs. Lord, today you have set before me out of your word a glorious mystery—a righteousness of your Son that I did not know or care about before. I see now my happiness lies there. No matter what happens to me in the world, and no matter what happens to my name or my worldly possessions, I am forever secure if I have Christ to clothe me. Lord, if righteousness did prevail, then you would be honored more than ever. We would have the joy of our hearts, we would be delivered from the temptations we encounter, and your saints would not suffer as they do. We pray that you would make righteousness prevail in our hearts, in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Until we meet again, go in peace.

In this episode, we explore what it truly means to confess “Jesus is Lord.” From the opening words of John 1:1–13, we see the eternal Word who brings light into darkness and gives new birth to those who receive Him. Though the world often fails to recognize or receive Jesus (John 1:10–11), those who believe in His name are given “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12–13).This new birth—“born of God”—is more than a private belief; it's a public declaration of allegiance to King Jesus (Romans 10:9). As we walk through Scripture—from John 3:5 to Titus 3:5 and Isaiah 43:16–21—we'll see how God is still doing a new thing: forming a new people who recognize, receive, and reflect His Lordship in every part of life.When Jesus is Lord, everything else falls into place—our time, our relationships, our finances, and our fears. God is making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Are you ready for Him to do a new thing in you?

Join Pastor Derek as he delves into the story of Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. This video explores the significance of this event as a sign of Jesus' divine power and its meaning for believers. Discover how this miracle symbolises transformation and the abundant life offered through faith in Christ. Pastor Walker explains the spiritual message behind the miracle, encouraging viewers to invite Jesus into their lives for a personal transformation. The first sign-miracle of Jesus in John 2 was turning water into wine, which was a demonstration of what He will do for us if we believe in Him. This is a picture of our New Birth and our ongoing transformation by the Spirit of God. The way this miracle happened shows that we must give Jesus the right to turn our water into wine, by submitting to His Lordship.

Join Pastor Derek as he delves into the story of Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. This video explores the significance of this event as a sign of Jesus' divine power and its meaning for believers. Discover how this miracle symbolises transformation and the abundant life offered through faith in Christ. Pastor Walker explains the spiritual message behind the miracle, encouraging viewers to invite Jesus into their lives for a personal transformation. The first sign-miracle of Jesus in John 2 was turning water into wine, which was a demonstration of what He will do for us if we believe in Him. This is a picture of our New Birth and our ongoing transformation by the Spirit of God. The way this miracle happened shows that we must give Jesus the right to turn our water into wine, by submitting to His Lordship.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.” “We mustn't live like those with ‘little faith' who compromise for the sake of food and clothing. What we do matters. And not every job is a good job.” “I understand that there are different expressions of Christianity in different cultures. Contextualization is essential for the growth and expansion of the church. But there is a difference between contextualization and compromise. Using goat's milk for communion in a culture that has never heard of wine or grapes is contextualization; sacrificing the goat is compromise. Having a Saturday night service because we have run out of room in all four Sunday services is contextualization; having a Saturday night service to accommodate and/or appease people who are ‘too busy' on Sunday is compromise.”~Voddie Baucham (March 11, 1969 to September 25, 2025), American pastor and author, who left this world too early “If God is Creator of the Universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His Lordship. That means no part of my life must be outside of His Lordship.”~R.C Sproul, American theologian (1939-2017) “When Jesus is truly our Lord, He directs our lives, and we gladly obey Him. Indeed we bring every part of our lives under His lordship - our home and family, our sexuality and marriage, our job or unemployment, our money and possessions, our ambitions and recreations.”~John Stott, British theologian (1921-2011)SERMON PASSAGE1 Peter 2:1-12 (NIV) 1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:     “See, I lay a stone in Zion,       a chosen and precious cornerstone,       and the one who trusts in him       will never be put to shame.”   7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,     “The stone the builders rejected       has become the cornerstone,” 8 and,     “A stone that causes people to stumble       and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

In Luke 20:1–8, the religious leaders question Jesus' authority, but His wise response exposes their hypocrisy and fear of man. Even today, many avoid answering the real question: Who is Jesus to you? This episode calls us to acknowledge His authority and submit to His Lordship before it's too late.

In this first part of the Walking by Faith series, we explore what true biblical faith really is. The Bible says it's impossible, not just difficult, to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). But faith is more than just belief. Belief acknowledges truth, but faith acts on it. Abraham didn't just believe God's promises; he left home and followed. The heroes of Hebrews 11 weren't remembered for what they believed, but for what they did by faith. Many today confuse belief with saving faith, but Scripture is clear: we are saved by grace through faith, a faith marked by repentance, surrender, obedience, and transformation. The question is not simply, “Do you believe in Jesus?” The real question is: “Have you placed your faith in Him, turning from sin, surrendering to His Lordship, and living daily by faith?”

The sermon centers on Christ's worthiness as the Lamb of God, revealed through John's vision of the heavenly throne room in Revelation 5. It explores the challenge to find one worthy to open a seven-sealed scroll, ultimately demonstrating that only Christ, the Lion of Judah and the slain Lamb, possesses the authority and sacrifice necessary to redeem humanity and reign over creation. Drawing connections to Old Testament prophecies and emphasizing Christ's role as the perfect sin-bearer, the message underscores the importance of recognizing His Lordship and dedicating lives to His service, ultimately celebrating His power, wisdom, strength, and eternal glory.

On this edition of the Reardon Roundtable, Mark is joined by Jane Dueker, Jeff Rainford and James Knowles to discuss a variety of topics including the ICE rhetoric, Jimmy Kimmel's return to all affiliate stations, the takedown on Tylenol, and much more! Mark opens hour two with a little discussion about smoke detector madness he's been having recently. Then Paul Hall of Common Guy's Film Review discusses some of the most recent interesting films that were showcased this week. In hour 3, Mark is joined by Leland "Lucky" Vittert, a News Anchor at NewsNation, a former Fox News Reporter, a former KMOX Intern and a St Louis Native. He discusses his new book, "Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, a Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism" and his event tomorrow at Annie Gunn's in St Peters on Saturday from 1-3 with Charlie Brennan. He's then joined by Jeff Jarrett, the Senior Vice President and Partner at Contemporary Productions and James Walborne with His Lordship. They both promote this weekend's Evolution Festival in Forest Park. Dan Reardon then recaps day one of the Ryder Cup and Mark wraps up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

In hour 3, Mark is joined by Leland "Lucky" Vittert, a News Anchor at NewsNation, a former Fox News Reporter, a former KMOX Intern and a St Louis Native. He discusses his new book, "Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, a Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism" and his event tomorrow at Annie Gunn's in St Peters on Saturday from 1-3 with Charlie Brennan. He's then joined by Jeff Jarrett, the Senior Vice President and Partner at Contemporary Productions and James Walborne with His Lordship. They both promote this weekend's Evolution Festival in Forest Park. Dan Reardon then recaps day one of the Ryder Cup and Mark wraps up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

In this segment, Mark is joined by Jeff Jarrett, the Senior Vice President and Partner at Contemporary Productions and James Walborne with His Lordship. They both promote this weekend's Evolution Festival in Forest Park.

All Temples give God's blueprint for us as His ultimate Temples. Man fell into sin & lost God's Presence, but He's restoring us to be His Temples – He'll dwell within us & shine out of us forever. All the different Temples encode different aspects of His ultimate Temple, each providing a piece of the puzzle. We get the whole picture by putting together the revelation from them all. (1) Our SPIRIT = HOLY of HOLIES, (2) our SOUL = HOLY PLACE, (3) our BODY = OUTER COURT. We're made with His THRONE in our SPIRIT to live under His authority. When we receive Christ & He's enthroned within us, we discover our true identity, ability & personality, for His Spirit of grace flows from His throne to fill & transform our souls & empower us to do His will & be fruitful. Christ is the perfect human Temple; God was enthroned in His spirit and His Spirit filled His soul & flowed out of Him. But we were born spiritually dead, so His Spirit did not indwell us. Christ came to make us into true Temples, like Him. So, He died as our SIN OFFERING to take away our sins, and as our BURNT OFFERING to give us His perfect righteousness. Mercy Seat = ‘Place of Propitiation' where God's righteous judgment is fully satisfied by the Blood. He sees the Blood & declares us forgiven, so He's now free to bless us. Once the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat & accepted by God, Israel came under mercy for another year. But she had to repeat this ritual every year signifying man's sin wasn't yet put away (Heb 10:1-4). Christ accomplished this (Heb 10:5-10). So, Tabernacle rituals pictured what Christ would accomplish in establishing the New Covenant in His Blood in the Heavenly Temple, and activating it in His redeemed human Temples (Heb 9:7-12). As the High Priest, He offered Himself as the final Sacrifice and took His Blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on God's Throne, the Mercy Seat, as full payment for our sin & every blessing of grace (Heb 4:16). His Blood in Heaven ever speaks on our behalf, and is the basis for the everlasting New Covenant (Heb 12:22-24). Having done this, He sat down to signify His finished work, and entered into His work as Mediator of the New Covenant for His people (Heb 1:3, 10:11-12, 9:23-26). The Heavenly Temple is an image of God's ultimate Temple (Man), so when we receive Christ, He also sprinkles us with His Blood & sanctifies us to Himself (1Pet 1:2, Heb 9:13-14). By His Spirit, He entered our holy of holies, and applied His Blood to our spirit, cleansing it from all sin & sanctifying it to Himself, making it a perfect new creation, and then sits enthroned there by His indwelling Spirit, to mediate the new covenant in our lives. This happened at our New Birth. He activated the New Covenant in us, so we're now under grace. We became a functioning Temple. Having sprinkled & cleansed us with His Blood (Heb 9:13-14), He now brings us into our inheritance (v15). It's a Throne of Grace, for the Lamb's Blood has been accepted by God on our behalf, and He sits at God's right hand dispensing His River of Grace to us (Rev 22:1-2). This also pictures us as Temples, with Christ enthroned as Lord in our spirit, releasing His river of grace from His throne in our spirit, flowing down into our heart & life. The trees = thoughts & emotions in our soul. As we trust in Christ who lives in us, and submit to His Lordship, we receive His river of blessing into our hearts. When God entered the Tabernacle, He sat in His glory, enthroned on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and there He met with Moses & spoke with him (Ex 25:21-22). Likewise, He sits on the throne in our spirit, His base of operation in us. 3 items in the HOLY PLACE (Heb 9:1-4) = our SOUL: *(1) MENORAH = our MIND, illuminated by the oil of His Spirit. *(2) TABLE of SHOWBREAD (‘the Bread of the Presence') = our EMOTIONS, kept ever fresh from God's Presence, shining from the Holy of Holies. *(3) The ALTAR of INCENSE next to the Holy of Holies = our HEART or WILL, at the deepest part of our soul, called the Golden Censer (‘the Place of Incense') in Heb 9:4, where it's described as belonging to the holy of holies. Thus, our HEART is the junction & connection between our SPIRIT & SOUL, receiving God's life from the spirit, so that it flows into our soul (Heb 4:12, John 7:38). By God's design, the heart should be under the spirit's control, so a worshipping heart is necessary to receive God's grace into our souls. As we submit our hearts into God's Hand (the Holy Spirit), He can guide & empower us (Prov 21:1). To reign in life, put our heart into His Hand (His Spirit), who manifests in us as rivers of living water. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant containing 3 items, hidden under the Throne (under His control) = 3 aspects of God's grace, He wants to release into our soul by His Spirit: (1) the Tablets of the Covenant, (2) Aaron's Almond Rod that budded, and (3) the Golden Pot of Manna (Heb 9:3-5)

All Temples give God's blueprint for us as His ultimate Temples. Man fell into sin & lost God's Presence, but He's restoring us to be His Temples – He'll dwell within us & shine out of us forever. All the different Temples encode different aspects of His ultimate Temple, each providing a piece of the puzzle. We get the whole picture by putting together the revelation from them all. (1) Our SPIRIT = HOLY of HOLIES, (2) our SOUL = HOLY PLACE, (3) our BODY = OUTER COURT. We're made with His THRONE in our SPIRIT to live under His authority. When we receive Christ & He's enthroned within us, we discover our true identity, ability & personality, for His Spirit of grace flows from His throne to fill & transform our souls & empower us to do His will & be fruitful. Christ is the perfect human Temple; God was enthroned in His spirit and His Spirit filled His soul & flowed out of Him. But we were born spiritually dead, so His Spirit did not indwell us. Christ came to make us into true Temples, like Him. So, He died as our SIN OFFERING to take away our sins, and as our BURNT OFFERING to give us His perfect righteousness. Mercy Seat = ‘Place of Propitiation' where God's righteous judgment is fully satisfied by the Blood. He sees the Blood & declares us forgiven, so He's now free to bless us. Once the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat & accepted by God, Israel came under mercy for another year. But she had to repeat this ritual every year signifying man's sin wasn't yet put away (Heb 10:1-4). Christ accomplished this (Heb 10:5-10). So, Tabernacle rituals pictured what Christ would accomplish in establishing the New Covenant in His Blood in the Heavenly Temple, and activating it in His redeemed human Temples (Heb 9:7-12). As the High Priest, He offered Himself as the final Sacrifice and took His Blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on God's Throne, the Mercy Seat, as full payment for our sin & every blessing of grace (Heb 4:16). His Blood in Heaven ever speaks on our behalf, and is the basis for the everlasting New Covenant (Heb 12:22-24). Having done this, He sat down to signify His finished work, and entered into His work as Mediator of the New Covenant for His people (Heb 1:3, 10:11-12, 9:23-26). The Heavenly Temple is an image of God's ultimate Temple (Man), so when we receive Christ, He also sprinkles us with His Blood & sanctifies us to Himself (1Pet 1:2, Heb 9:13-14). By His Spirit, He entered our holy of holies, and applied His Blood to our spirit, cleansing it from all sin & sanctifying it to Himself, making it a perfect new creation, and then sits enthroned there by His indwelling Spirit, to mediate the new covenant in our lives. This happened at our New Birth. He activated the New Covenant in us, so we're now under grace. We became a functioning Temple. Having sprinkled & cleansed us with His Blood (Heb 9:13-14), He now brings us into our inheritance (v15). It's a Throne of Grace, for the Lamb's Blood has been accepted by God on our behalf, and He sits at God's right hand dispensing His River of Grace to us (Rev 22:1-2). This also pictures us as Temples, with Christ enthroned as Lord in our spirit, releasing His river of grace from His throne in our spirit, flowing down into our heart & life. The trees = thoughts & emotions in our soul. As we trust in Christ who lives in us, and submit to His Lordship, we receive His river of blessing into our hearts. When God entered the Tabernacle, He sat in His glory, enthroned on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and there He met with Moses & spoke with him (Ex 25:21-22). Likewise, He sits on the throne in our spirit, His base of operation in us. 3 items in the HOLY PLACE (Heb 9:1-4) = our SOUL: *(1) MENORAH = our MIND, illuminated by the oil of His Spirit. *(2) TABLE of SHOWBREAD (‘the Bread of the Presence') = our EMOTIONS, kept ever fresh from God's Presence, shining from the Holy of Holies. *(3) The ALTAR of INCENSE next to the Holy of Holies = our HEART or WILL, at the deepest part of our soul, called the Golden Censer (‘the Place of Incense') in Heb 9:4, where it's described as belonging to the holy of holies. Thus, our HEART is the junction & connection between our SPIRIT & SOUL, receiving God's life from the spirit, so that it flows into our soul (Heb 4:12, John 7:38). By God's design, the heart should be under the spirit's control, so a worshipping heart is necessary to receive God's grace into our souls. As we submit our hearts into God's Hand (the Holy Spirit), He can guide & empower us (Prov 21:1). To reign in life, put our heart into His Hand (His Spirit), who manifests in us as rivers of living water. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant containing 3 items, hidden under the Throne (under His control) = 3 aspects of God's grace, He wants to release into our soul by His Spirit: (1) the Tablets of the Covenant, (2) Aaron's Almond Rod that budded, and (3) the Golden Pot of Manna (Heb 9:3-5)

Pat welcomes guitarist, singer and songwriter James Walbourne to the Zoom Room to promote the new His Lordship album "Bored Animal" and discuss his career in music with Pretenders and The Rails!Credit Photo of James Walbourne by Photographer Larry NieheusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pastor Micah Klutinoty in John 17:1-5 reminds us that Jesus, the eternal Son of glory, stepped into the world of shame to accomplish through the cross what no one else could—securing salvation and eternal life for those who believe. His prayer acknowledges His coming glory through the cross, His Lordship over all, the gift of eternal life, the finished work of redemption, and His eternal divine glory.

Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God – God's rule and reign. It did not come as everyone expected. People had to change their mind (repent) and believe in Jesus the King. In this panoramic look at the acts of Jesus after He announced the Kingdom we see the nature of His Kingdom and what happens 'When The Kingdom Comes' among us. As you listen, expect God's Kingdom to invade your life. Allow Him to change your thinking and embrace His Lordship in your heart. This message is available at https://www.preachtheword.com now in MP3 audio format...

Christ made all of what we know and experience in this world. He holds it altogether. Our hearts are drawn to His existence in an inexplicable way, and even science itself points to the need for an intelligent designer and a force that holds all things together. As Pastor Ken will warn in today's message, one day this will be made clear to all men. We can choose to trust in Him by faith, submitting ourselves to His Lordship, or we can wait and be subjected to judgment when He establishes His eternal Kingdom. 

Ce soir, Marjorie Hache ouvre la semaine avec une émission dense mêlant nouveautés, classiques rock et hommages. Le moment fort revient à Rick Davies, cofondateur de Supertramp, disparu ce week-end, avec un live parisien de 1979. L'album de la semaine est "Cutthroat" de Shame, post-punk londonien audacieux, présenté dans plusieurs titres. Sébastien Tellier signe son grand retour avec "Refresh", tandis que Nine Inch Nails dévoile "As Alive As You Want Me To Be", extrait de la B.O. de "Tron Ares". Jeff Beck et Joss Stone réinterprètent "I Put A Spell On You" de Screamin' Jay Hawkins et Les recommandations de Francis Zégut nous mènent à His Lordship. On croise aussi Jehnny Beth, Janis Joplin, Idles, The Hives ou X-Ray Spex, pour une soirée entre hommage, énergie brute et élégance électrique. Idles - Rabbit Run U2 - Vertigo Prince Buster -Take It Easy Feist - Mushaboom Supergrass - Pumping On Your Stereo Faith No More - Epic Janis Joplin - Cry Baby Shame - Cutthroat Electric Light Orchestra - Don't Bring Me Down The Hives - Go Right Ahead R.E.M. - Uberlin AC/DC - Thunderstruck Jehnny Beth - No Good For People Jeff Beck - I Put A Spell On You (Feat Joss Stone) Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know Supertramp - Ain't Nobody But Me (Live in Paris) His Lordship - Old Romantic The Doors - Roadhouse Blues Electric Six - Gay Bar Nine Inch Nails - As Alive As You Need Me To Be Neil Young - Heart Of Gold Oasis - Supersonic Sebastien Tellier- Refresh Depeche Mode - A Pain That I'm Used To Pain - Party In My Head X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents The Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling B.B. King - Call It Stormy Monday Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

On His way to Jerusalem to give His life on the Cross, Jesus turns aside to the crowd following Him ... summoning those that would follow Him to wholehearted allegiance to His Lordship in thier lives. (Lk 14:26) As we do so, we find the abundant life Jesus said He came to give. (Jn 10:10)

Spring Lake Church – Bellevue and DowntownSermon: Road MapsTeacher: Jack GuerraPassages: John 2:11, John 11:1-4, John 14:6, etc...In “Road Maps,” Pastor Jack Guerra looks at the miracles and “I Am” statements of Jesus in John, showing us how Christ reveals His power and identity. From turning water into wine to raising Lazarus, each sign points us to His Lordship. Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, and the Way, Truth, and Life. As a church, we're called to step in through serving, inviting, and praying. What is your part to play in this season?springlakechurch.org | springlakechurch.org/give | springlakechurch.org/prayer

Sin and temptation are something every person faces. From the Garden of Eden to our lives today, temptation shows up in many ways — social media, overindulgence, procrastination, gossip, and more. But when we call Jesus our Lord, we are invited to live under His Lordship and walk in holiness. In this message, Pastor Robin looks at 1 Corinthians 10:13 and James 1:13–15 to remind us that temptation can lead to sin, but God always provides a way out. We'll explore how to resist temptation by asking God for wisdom and applying it, staying connected through community, and practicing the power of prayer and fasting. Watch and be encouraged as you trust God's promises and take steps to walk in holiness. Speaker: Robin Djokoto Publication Date: August 24, 2025

This week, guest speaker Pastor Lorne Meisner launches our three-part series “The Treasure” with a powerful message from 2 Corinthians 4:1-18. Paul reminds us to not lose heart—even when life feels overwhelming—because everything points back to Jesus and His Lordship. Discover how God places His treasure in jars of clay and calls us to live with courage, faith, and hope.✅ Topics: The Treasure, faith in trials, perseverance, Christ's lordship, hope in Jesus

https://www.maynardvillefellowship.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Carr-ST-7-23-25.mp3 In this lecture, Pastor Carr explores the third way God reveals His Lordship— as Father. Discover how Scripture defines the Patriarchal nature of the Kingdom, and what it means for God to be Father.

This week, Chris invites us to see from a spiritual perspective, Jesus isn't shaken by our confusion He sits with us because He sees the victory. It's not about what we know, but how close we are. The courageous are those who accept His Lordship and choose to be born again, no longer led by feelings, but by conviction.These are the scriptures referenced: John 3:1-12To stay connected and to support this ministry click here:⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/hopeandanchorchurch?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

Sometimes the Jesus we want isn't the Jesus we get. As Jesus begins His journey to the cross, He reveals His true identity—and it demands a response. The crowds shout “Hosanna,” hoping for the kind of king they expected. But Jesus came not just to save, but to rule. His Lordship means dethroning ourselves and surrendering fully to Him. From the fig tree that appeared alive but bore no fruit, to the temple He cleared with righteous authority, Jesus exposes spiritual hypocrisy and calls us to full submission. He is King, Judge, and Lord of all—and when we welcome Him in, He comes with authority, ready to purify our hearts and realign our lives with His mission and His ways. That purification may bring disruption, but it's a holy disruption—a reordering of our lives under His rule. It challenges us to ask: does Jesus have access to every area of our lives—our time, our resources, our giftings—or are we still holding the reins?You can join our OneLife Sunday morning gatherings via livestream at 8:45am and 10;30am CST every Sunday morning. Or if you're local to the Bay Area of Houston, we'd love to have you join us in person Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 8:45am, 10:30am, or 12:30pm!Subscribe to our YouTube channel to join us live on Sunday mornings: https://www.youtube.com/@onelifechurch381Listen to more messages from OneLife Church at https://www.onelifehouston.com/messagesIf you would like to give to OneLife Church, you can do that here https://www.onelifehouston.com/giveAt OneLife, we want to be and make disciples of Jesus who love God, one another, and our world. We are God's people making much of Jesus in everyday life for the good of the neighborhoods in the Bay Area of Houston and beyond.For more information about us and our gatherings, visit https://www.onelifehouston.comConnect with us over social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onelifehouston​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelifechurch

Sometimes the Jesus we want isn't the Jesus we get. As Jesus begins His journey to the cross, He reveals His true identity—and it demands a response. The crowds shout “Hosanna,” hoping for the kind of king they expected. But Jesus came not just to save, but to rule. His Lordship means dethroning ourselves and surrendering fully to Him. From the fig tree that appeared alive but bore no fruit, to the temple He cleared with righteous authority, Jesus exposes spiritual hypocrisy and calls us to full submission. He is King, Judge, and Lord of all—and when we welcome Him in, He comes with authority, ready to purify our hearts and realign our lives with His mission and His ways. That purification may bring disruption, but it's a holy disruption—a reordering of our lives under His rule. It challenges us to ask: does Jesus have access to every area of our lives—our time, our resources, our giftings—or are we still holding the reins?You can join our OneLife Sunday morning gatherings via livestream at 8:45am and 10;30am CST every Sunday morning. Or if you're local to the Bay Area of Houston, we'd love to have you join us in person Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 8:45am, 10:30am, or 12:30pm!Subscribe to our YouTube channel to join us live on Sunday mornings: https://www.youtube.com/@onelifechurch381Listen to more messages from OneLife Church at https://www.onelifehouston.com/messagesIf you would like to give to OneLife Church, you can do that here https://www.onelifehouston.com/giveAt OneLife, we want to be and make disciples of Jesus who love God, one another, and our world. We are God's people making much of Jesus in everyday life for the good of the neighborhoods in the Bay Area of Houston and beyond.For more information about us and our gatherings, visit https://www.onelifehouston.comConnect with us over social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onelifehouston​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelifechurch

https://www.maynardvillefellowship.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Carr-ST-7-16-25.mp3 What does it mean to live under the rule of the One True King? In this lecture, Pastor Carr explores the second way God reveals His Lordship—through the Kingdom. Discover how Scripture defines the nature and timing of that Kingdom, and what faithful citizenship looks like in light of it.

Christ in you is the hope of glory. Because He dwells within us, He is changing us from the inside out—and that change should be visible. We are called to shine, to radiate His glory, to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Every part of our lives—our marriages, families, work, and leadership—is meant to reflect the gospel to the world. Colossians 3 shows us that God has a divine design for our relationships, and all of it falls under the authority of Jesus. The challenge isn't just admitting He's Lord—it's submitting to His Lordship in every area of our lives. As we focus and dwell more on Him, we begin to reflect Him even more to the world. Listen to this sermon about reflecting God's design in the seventh part of our In The Word series, walking through the book of Colossians. Check out our video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/u0P3HnD4DCISubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/8wmeCwBf_zkLearn more about us at chestnutmountain.orgFollow us on Facebook & Instagram @chestnutmtn_Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave a review, and let us know what you think.

SURRENDER Matthew 8.18–22 Dr. Gordon Dabbs Recognizing Jesus as Lord isn't optional; it's essential for having a genuine relationship with Him. Why? Because any version of Jesus that leaves out His Lordship is a made-to-order, incomplete version of Him—a Jesus of our own design, not the real One. And that's what a lot of people miss in the Gospels. They want Jesus as life coach, not Lord. But the real Jesus doesn't let us pick and choose. Matthew 8.18-22 (ESV) Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Four anchor points hidden in these short conversations: · Jesus – v.18 · Teacher – v.19 · Son of Man – v.20 · Lord – v.21 You can't say, “Jesus, take the wheel” and then reach over and grab the emergency brake every time he turns somewhere uncomfortable. John 12.26 (MSG) If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me. What's your version of “I'll follow you, but first…”? That's the area where surrender needs to happen. Maybe it's time to stop letting what life did TO you be bigger than what Jesus did FOR you.Subscribe to PRESTONCREST - with Gordon Dabbs on Soundwise

SURRENDER Matthew 8.18–22 Dr. Gordon Dabbs Recognizing Jesus as Lord isn't optional; it's essential for having a genuine relationship with Him. Why? Because any version of Jesus that leaves out His Lordship is a made-to-order, incomplete version of Him—a Jesus of our own design, not the real One. And that's what a lot of people miss in the Gospels. They want Jesus as life coach, not Lord. But the real Jesus doesn't let us pick and choose. Matthew 8.18-22 (ESV) Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Four anchor points hidden in these short conversations: · Jesus – v.18 · Teacher – v.19 · Son of Man – v.20 · Lord – v.21 You can't say, “Jesus, take the wheel” and then reach over and grab the emergency brake every time he turns somewhere uncomfortable. John 12.26 (MSG) If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me. What's your version of “I'll follow you, but first…”? That's the area where surrender needs to happen. Maybe it's time to stop letting what life did TO you be bigger than what Jesus did FOR you.Subscribe to PRESTONCREST - with Gordon Dabbs on Soundwise

Because the Sabbath command was given as a sign of the old covenant that has been fulfilled with the coming of Christ, we must now rest our faith in Him, submitting the whole of our lives to His Lordship. I. The Law of the Sabbath Was Central to God's Old Covenant with the Nation of Israel Ex 20:8-11 (1) It was the Law of the Land (2) It was a Sign of the Covenant (3) It was a Test of their Faith II. The Sabbath Principle of Rest from Labor Points Us to the Goodness of God (1) The Gift of Work and Rest (2) The Grace of Compassion to Others (3) Our need to find rest in Christ by Faith III. We are no longer under the Law of the Sabbath because we have something far better in Christ! Col 2:16-17 (1) Jesus is the Substance of Salvation the OT Shadows like the Sabbath only pointed to! (2) We Keep Sabbath, not by resting on a Day, but by resting by faith in Christ! (3) In the New Covenant we don't have a Sabbath Day to keep, but a Lord's Day to Celebrate!

1 Corinthians 16:22, "If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed!" There are many who profess to be Christians, who attend church, read Scripture, and maintain a moral life. But there is a solemn and searching question that pierces through all outward forms and reaches the very heart: Do you sincerely love the Lord Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares in the most direct terms that love to Jesus is not optional--it is essential. "If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed!" This is not mere emotional affection, but a deep, Spirit-wrought devotion flowing from the soul that has been redeemed by grace. To lack genuine love for Jesus is to prove oneself still in darkness, still under divine wrath, and an utter stranger to salvation. Why is this the test? Because true salvation unites the soul to the Lord Jesus. He is not merely the Giver of blessings--He is the blessing itself. The regenerated heart is drawn irresistibly to Him. It delights in His beauty, trusts in His sin-atoning sufferings and death, rests in His righteousness, and yearns for His presence. Love to Jesus is the surest fruit of the new birth. It is the mark of one who has seen Him as precious, who has tasted His mercy, and who has surrendered to His Lordship. This love is not perfect, nor is it always fervent. At times it may flicker low. But it is genuine. The believer may mourn his coldness, weep over his dull heart, and cry with Peter, "Lord, You know that I love You!" But he cannot deny his love for Jesus--for it has been planted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, and it binds his soul to his Savior. On the other hand, many merely

This week on the Yellow Brit Road, we celebrated the 58th anniversary of The Beatles' genre defining proto-concept album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There's a mini-Kingston reunion as we see The Codas, Tiny Horse and Kyra live! And newest tunes from:Skunk Anansie, Suede, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Cyn Cwsg, Rosellas, Nilüfer Yanya, Rightkeysonly, His Lordship, Deyah, Future Utopia, Lava La Rue, The Bug Club, the north, Eje Blakk, Girlband!, Red Telephone, Kyra, Party Dozen.Find this week's playlist here. Do try and support artists directly!Touch that dial and tune in live! We're on at CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, or on cfrc.ca, Sundays 8 to 9:30 PM! Listen back to full shows in the linked CFRC archive for 3 months from broadcast.Like what we do? Donate to help keep our 102-year old radio station going!Get in touch with the show for requests, submissions, giving feedback or anything else: email yellowbritroad@gmail.com, Twitter @⁠YellowBritCFRC⁠, IG @⁠yellowbritroad⁠.PS: submissions, cc music@cfrc.ca if you'd like other CFRC DJs to spin your music on their shows as well.

Real Discipleship, Real Cost, Real ImpactLuke 14:25-35The Village Chapel - 05/25/2025You were made for more. More than mere survival. More than greater success. More than just discovering your “self”. Beneath every craving for purpose, every longing to belong, and every restless ache for something more—is a deeper call. It's the voice of Jesus, saying, “Follow Me.”But His call on our lives isn't a casual invitation. It's a summons to a whole new way of being and living—to a life where Christ is not merely an accessory, but at the very core and center. A life where our loves are reordered, where meaning runs deep, and our stories get rewritten in light of eternity.Join Pastor Jim for this study Luke 14:25-35 where we'll explore what it really means to follow Jesus. Not just to believe in Him, but to follow Him so closely you walk in His dust. Not just to receive His gifts, but to also live under the freedom of His Lordship. Not just to become more religious—but to live a life of real impact, following Jesus as one of His disciples!To find more resources like these, follow us:Website: https://thevillagechapel.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQVTzDbaiXVUAm_mUBDCTJAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tvcnashville/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvcnashvilleX: https://twitter.com/tvcnashvilleTo support the ongoing mission of The Village Chapel go to https://thevillagechapel.com/give/. If you are a regular giver, thank you for your continued faithfulness and generosity!

By Mary Lindow The words, “The Harsh Winds of Life”  have been playing themselves over and over in my mind. As I have pondered them and have allowed the Voice of the Holy Spirit to instruct me as to why I have been impressed with this statement, I sense the Lord addressing many deeper issues that are well anchored and maintained within our souls as believers.   HARSH WINDS These blustery currents in the natural can be devastating to property, trees, and all living-breathing creatures. We have all seen what the devastation of hurricanes and tornadoes can do in a very short amount of time. Often when listening to the traumatic stories of those who have lived through a nightmarish storm, the realities of what they hold near and dear have been laid bear and brought to the surface. Many weep over the loss of family photographs or tender things like Grandma's old chipped china and are unconcerned about larger material items, but are deeply thankful for the safety of family members after a traumatic event. Others, are shaking fists at the sky and are enraged that they have been infringed upon during a difficult time, and want somebody else to pay for it!   THE HARSH WINDS OF LIFE BLOW UPON THE GODLY AND THE UNGODLY.  NO ONE IS EXEMPT. There are some of life's storms that threaten to blow away everything we've depended on as well. Friendships are tested, relationships are strained, and the Lord uses these harsh winds blowing against our lives to remove the crusty chaff that can form and harden around the seed of our lives. Those who are independent in nature find a bitterness creeping into their attitudes and heart. They feel infringed upon when things are not easily controlled or maneuvered in their favor. And so, the Holy Spirit allows the winds to blow until a conviction penetrates the self centered soul, and exposes the fleshy comfort zone of, ‘My Way, My World, My Rights”! "No man has power over the wind to contain it;  So no one has power over the day of his death.  And no one is discharged in time of war,  So wickedness will not release those who practice it." -Ecclesiastes 8:8   HOW LONG WILL THE HARSH WINDS BLOW? As long as we practice wicked behavior in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot stop it! He is winnowing us, allowing us to be caught up into the refining wind of the Holy Spirit's conviction so that the chaff and waste places in our souls are removed. And trust me my friends, anything that you may be hiding or pretending wasn't “that bad”, that harmed someone else, well God will allow it to come to the light to be either judged or to be cleansed and yes, there may be consequences that you don't like.   WE CAN'T HARM OTHER PEOPLE, OR ABUSE THEM, SEXUALLY PREY UPON THEM, SPIRITUALLY ABUSE AND DOMINATE OR SLANDER, and then pretend that it wasn't “that big of a deal”! It's a huge deal to God and he will continue to pursue us in order to cleanse us if we will allow him access. (Yes you can say "ouch" right about now!)   CHAFF MUST BE REMOVED.  BUT WHY? Chaff is a waste material plowed into the soil or burned. Chaff, as a waste product from grain processing, shows us a symbolic use of the idea that refers to something seen as worthless. Now, this is where we read, "to separate the wheat from the chaff" from Matthew 3. It means to separate things of value from things of no value. Another example is in Psalm 1 which says: "Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away".   WE CHRISTIANS OFTEN PRESUME THAT BECAUSE WE ARE REDEEMED THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE OF CHRIST FOR OUR LIVES, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EASIER AND MORE PRIVILEGED LIFE. This is simply not so! We are given a shield and a holy stamina to withstand the wiles of this world, but no free passes to a life of ease.   THE LORD LOVES ALL OF MANKIND. He longs for ALL of mankind, (that includes you and I) to come to a place of trust in His way, not “our way”. Fully stripped of self-will, self-gratification, self- justification, and self-focus. Matthew 5:45 says~  “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”   I KNOW! I KNOW! THIS STINGS! "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth." James 3:14 About now, I can hear a few righteous folks saying, "I would never boast about envy! " Well! Selfish ambition is well hidden in our personal behaviors. We offer gifts or opportunities for others to be blessed or helped as long as we are feeling in control and benevolent at the time of the offer or good intention. But when the winds of life shift and the Lord allows the chaff of "waste materials" in our soul to be Tornadoed —bitterness and exclusive rights abound! Huffiness, abrupt harshness and passive aggression (which means getting even) will manifest and expose the soul's clinging nature, which does not want the hand of God striping away any safety veneer that we use to protect our approach to life.   A CHANGE IN THE SPIRITUAL CLIMATE HAS OCCURRED! John 6:18 says, “A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.” Jesus allowed the wind to be a teaching point for his disciples. They had walked with Him, talked with Him and served alongside Him. But trusting Him when the Storms and Harsh winds blew revealed a weakness that we all must look at, and often. We trust the Lord when things are going our way, but when the Harshness of a storm blows us off the course that we set, many times we run to our own devices or “Plan B”.   SO MANY AT THIS TIME IN THIS DIFFICULT AGE ARE SCREAMING, “Lord! Don't you care about me? The winds are blowing, and I am fearful for my life! If you Love me, why are you allowing this horrid event to occur?” Even Peter in his zeal to get out of the boat and see if it was indeed Jesus calling to him to come, once he was out of the safety of his own control and the winds blew against him, he focused on the wind, and not upon Jesus, who was there the whole time. Peter cries out, "LORD I am perishing! SAVE ME!”   CONTROL IS A DEEP, DEEP NEED. Perhaps THE deepest need people have, is for control. When we feel out of control, we experience a powerful and uncomfortable tension between the need for control and the evidence of “inadequate control”. Without the Presence of God in our lives, we will attempt to control everything, every event, and every person around us in order to attain the sense of order and “identity power” that we crave.   DRAWING NEAR TO GOD It was James, the brother of Jesus, who wrote to the believers in Jerusalem, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded people!" (James 4:8). If we draw near to God, he will respond and draw near to us. Drawing near to God is spending time with Him, worshiping Him, praying and talking to Him, inviting Him into every aspect of our lives. EVERY.  PART.  OF.  OUR.  LIFE.   BRING YOUR HEART UNDER HIS LORDSHIP James gives us the blueprint for drawing near or “right up close” to the Lord.  If you've committed sin, confess it, get rid of it. Next, ask the Lord to examine your heart, your motives, and the things that make you do what you do.   Bring your heart under His Lordship as well. May our actions be manifestations of a clean heart and conscience. Allow HIM to remove the Chaff, the wasted time controlling things, and TRUST Him to align your life. Notice that when he writes about this he says, "Purify your hearts, double-minded people."   WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY "DOUBLE-MINDED"? Well, a person who is double-minded is drawn in two completely different directions. And so he or she will get nowhere fast because loyalty is divided. They will vacillate between faith and unbelief. And, a double-minded person is unstable in all his/her ways and his/her spiritual walk is inconsistent because he/she tries to serve God and his/her own interests, and gamble their life against the Harsh Winds. We've all learned that this kind of living never works.    YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS. Friends again I say this under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the master that you serve whether it be hiding something that is a secret sin or offense to The Lord, or things that you are aware of that have dishonored others, they will be brought into the light one way or the other. If you think you can hide it, if you think you can gloss it over, God will eventually bring it into the light and have you exposed for deception. Or, you choose to get the help you need and you can humble yourself! Yes, there may be consequences you don't like, because of your actions and choices. But repentance and accountability will save your soul. It may not save your marriage, it may not save your ministry, and it may not save your job or your relationships. But it will save your soul, because humility enters, and God can re-create what has been destroyed and damaged.   GOD DOESN'T PLAY GAMES! No one is going to get very far with God by playing spiritual games. It will soon be discovered that the only people playing the game with you will be you, yourself, and again, YOU.  It's just like people thinking that they can "ride the fence" into the kingdom. There is no riding the fence; there is no lukewarm support group. You're either in or out. If we really want to know Him, we are going to have to get serious about our relationship with Him.   WE DON'T WANT DIFFICULT!  I will tell you right now, that even as I write and speak these words, I can feel the resistance to pruning and more change in my gut!   Are you in a pruning, shocking, "getting trimmed back" difficult season right now?  Most everyone is!  Feeling like your wings have been clipped? Are you seeing a pattern of lethargy and a dullness of joy maybe in your daily life?  Don't waste those struggles friends! Know that God is very... VERY... intentional. And, He has a good plan for all of it.  Every challenge is an opportunity to practice walking one day at a time, with really clear thinking and gratitude, and He is right there, inside you, to help you.   LIKE I SAID BEFORE! WE DON'T WANT DIFFICULT!  But my oh my, I do want to be like Him! So I'm in surrender-mode now, friends.  I'm saying, “Cut away, Lord. Go deep.”  WHY? Because I want ALL that He has for me.  I want the fruit.  I want all that abundance, and I know it's waiting for me when this weird and awkward season changes.   THERE IS ANOTHER PHENOMENON I FIND THAT HAPPENS DURING THE PROCESS, WHEN THE HARSH WINDS OF LIFE ARE BEARING DOWN. And, one that I find that is unhealthy to ignore. The enemy of our soul is observing and is feverishly “taking notes” about this difficult process, and I believe he finds it quite enjoyable; he laughs and ridicules and flings missiles of insults that shout that, "only a loser needs this kind of difficult adjustment ”.  This of course, is a lie but, one which we can tend to believed on a bad day! Listening to the wrong voice can tempt us to believe the blowing away of chaff in our lives is punishment, and comes from God being mad at us.  It can cause us to pull back from deeper fellowship or social engagements (social distancing tools too, like Face Time, ZOOM, integral) these paralyze honesty, transparency and humility. It can lead to self-hatred, self-protection, denial about how we hurt others with half-truths, and so on!   I AM TRULY BECOMING MORE AWARE IN MY SPIRIT THAT GOD CAN ONLY USE ME—OR “BEST USE ME”, THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP OF HIS POWER AND MY WEAKNESS.    A wise and well-tested man by the name of Alan Hood must have had a few pruning clippers dig into his life at time or two and learned this lesson. He stated,  “To Be Pruned Is To Lose The Resources, Whether Monies or Physical Strengths Upon Which Everyone Around You Measures You As Successful.” LET'S READ THAT AGAIN…      …S  L  O  W  L  Y !    “To Be Pruned Is To Lose The Resources, Whether Monies or Physical Strengths Upon Which Everyone Around You Measures You As Successful.”   TRYING TO USE OLD THINGS WHEN GOD IS TRYING TO GIVE US NEW THINGS IS REALLY SUCH FOOLISHNESS!  Psalm 85 talks about Restoration, Re-tooling and Revival. Verse 8 says,  “I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to his people, His saints —but let them not return to folly.”   I'M TRUSTING THE LORD'S GOOD AND GRACIOUS HAND IN THE PROCESS THAT THE WORLD IS EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.  I know God does not intend to leave even a healthy fruit-bearing branch how it is, but He is always after a more abundant harvest for His people. I don't get it, I don't like or want difficult!  But I also don't want a puny little sick looking basket of bitter, green, unusable fruit out of life!  He will “give the increase” when I reach the end of this seeming devastation of stymied ideas and “put on hold” plans, and let me tell you something crazy, I feel it coming!  The increase! I'm learning to WALK in harmony, in tune with the truth that, “He is dwelling like healthy sap, in me, and will keep sin and despair from having dominion over my life”. (Romans 6:14) YOUR LIFE TOO!    A MOMENT IN HIS ANGER - A LIFETIME IN HIS FAVOR. God disciplines for a moment when He wishes to get our attention and our lives may indeed become painful for a period, but then comes His favor. God doesn't delight in either our depression or our damage.  And, when He begins to deal with the chaff in our lives, it is for our advantage, that we may be conformed to His likeness and reflect His holiness. When we sense God's disapproval, when it appears He has withdrawn from us, it is only so that we see our utter need of Him.   WHEN LIFE SEEMS TO BE SO SOUR, WHEN EVERYTHING CRUMBLES, then we must remember what we “say we believe”, that God's favor is with us, because of Christ's worthiness given to us, because we are adopted and are His - which means, that His favor always wins out over His disapproval.   THIS PICTURE IS PAINTED WELL BY THE WORDS "WEEPING REMAINS FOR A NIGHT."  Weeping and sorrow are pictured as a traveler who comes to stay for a night. The pain and sorrow we feel may seem as though it has moved in with us like an unwelcome guest, who decides to stay for a very long time.   REJOICING THOUGH, COMES IN THE MORNING. Your “mourning”, will dissipate in the morning”. Your winter, will melt into summer. God will replace your sighing, with singing. Grief, will give way to gladness. What was once bitter, will be made sweet. And, what was once a desolate wilderness, will be transformed into a paradise.   LIKE THE FIRST RAYS OF THE SUNRISE WHICH DISPEL THE HARSH WINDS AND GLOOM OF NIGHT,  GOD GIVES US JOY WHEN THE DARKNESS OF OUR PROBLEMS SEEM AS THOUGH THEY'LL NEVER LEAVE.   YOUR CROSS IS HIS GLORY What is so crucial to understand is that as a Christian, your life will be filled with times of weakness and strength, with want and wealth, with disgrace and honor, with crosses and comforts, miseries and mercies, joys and sorrows, delight and mourning. As this cycle of separating “Chaff” from our lives reoccurs many times in our lives, and it moves us from the cross to glory. For your own health and so that you find all your satisfaction in Christ alone, God will send you times of great growth and other times of emptiness. When the harsh winds blow, know that God desires that you find your hope and comfort by His own fire. When the balmy breezes come, give Him praise and thanksgiving for the warmth He provides. Psalm 57:1 says, "Have mercy on me, O God, Have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”   (PROPHETIC EXHORTATION AND WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE NOT INCLUDED IN WRITTEN MESSAGE CONTINUE IN THE AUDIO MESSAGE FORMAT BEGINING AT AUDIO PLAYER TIME MARKER 21:38) Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed 
provided that complete message, podcast link and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You!
 Copyright 2025 " THE MESSENGER "  - "THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE" ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com Your Gracious Support and Donations Are So Very Helpful  And Assist Mary In Publishing Her Teaching Podcasts  and Audio Messages. THANK YOU! Please go to PAYPAL to donate  or support this blog:  Donate to the tax-deductible ministry name of:  paypal.me/mlindow    (His Beloved Ministries Inc.)  Or  You Can Mail a Check or Cashiers Check to:  His Beloved Ministries INC  PO Box 1253  Eastlake CO 80614  United States

After pointing out how to tell between true and false prophets, Jesus goes on to describe the reality of those who claim to be His disciples, but who in fact are not. He reveals that we cannot discern a disciple based on amazing and good works they do in His name.  “In the end, there is one basis of salvation; it isn't mere verbal confession, not “spiritual works,” but knowing Jesus and being known by Him. It is our connection to Him — by the gift of faith that He gives to us — that secures our salvation. Connected to Jesus we are secure; without connection to Him all the miracles and great works prove nothing.” -David GuzakWe cannot base our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven upon anything but Jesus--not anything we do or say or perform, no matter whose name we claim to serve—it is Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ's work on our behalf by which we enter. Let us take these words to heart, submit our lives to His Lordship, rely upon His all-sufficient Grace and seek Him as our only source of Life. In Christ alone are we secure.Prepare for this week's message by reading Matthew 7:21-23 with Paul's words of assurance in Ephesians 2:4-10 and Romans 8:31-39

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJohn 15 Jesus continues His discourse with the Apostles. Jesus identifies Himself as “the true vine.” His followers are like branches that draw nutrients from Him. To “abide in Him” is to be connected to Jesus, to hear His words, and to gain strength from His power. This must result in good fruit born by the branches. To bear the fruit of good works is to prove to be His disciple. Love binds the Vine to the branches. Jesus has shown His love by laying down His life for His friends. His friends show love in return by keeping His commandments and loving one another. The world hates Jesus and His followers, but love will define His people. Jesus again promises the Apostles that the Holy Spirit will help them in their work.  As noted in the previous chapter, some of this content is unique to the Apostles. The Holy Spirit would testify through the Apostles in miraculous ways. The Holy Spirit is also at work for us; He teaches us through the scripture. Many other elements of this chapter apply to us all. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. We must remain connected to Him and bear fruit, lest we be cut away by the Father. Specifically, Jesus demands that we keep His commandments and love our fellow believers. We will be maligned by the world for serving Jesus because people of the world reject His Lordship. But fellow Christians should always be a source of love and support.   Creator God, we know that You have made us to bring honor to You. And that means living obedient lives and loving others the way You love us. Will You help us see how desperately we need Jesus to do these things? Show us how to connect to Jesus and how to draw our strength and direction from Him. We are committed to bearing the good fruit of obedience and love in a world of disobedience and hate. Show us how to love Christians in an enduring way, and please help us through the presence and teachings of Your Holy Spirit. Thought Questions: -       Are you abiding in Christ and bearing fruit through His strength? What examples in your life demonstrate this process to others? -       The Lord has commanded us to love one another. Can your faith be a saving faith if you do not actively love and serve Christians? -       The worldly have no excuse for living in sin and disregarding the King. How can you help them see their need for Jesus?

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJohn 7 Jesus' unbelieving brothers encourage Him to go to Jerusalem and publicly work miracles. Jesus refuses and later goes up more privately, and He eventually enters the temple and teaches the people. He gives all glory to His Father for His words of wisdom. Though many believed in Jesus when He acknowledged having come from the Father, many Jewish leaders sought to kill Him. Jesus makes a series of beautiful claims. He is soon to return to His Father. All who come to Him with spiritual thirst will be gifted a flowing river of living water. Those who believe in Him will be given the Holy Spirit. These messages divide the crowd. Some proclaim Him as the Christ, but the Pharisees will not believe and become even more angry.  Even Jesus' brothers had doubts about Him before His resurrection from the dead. Jesus continues to be patient with them and with all His disciples in His teaching. He is also insistent that He has come from the Father, and He has all authority to teach and would be returning to the Father. The kingdom would leave no middle ground for disciples to believe in His blessing without also trusting in His Lordship. Jesus will come and take us home with Him. He will fill us with eternal life and the Holy Spirit. But there cannot be doubt within us. We must confidently assert Him to be “the Prophet” and “the Christ”, even in the face of those who reject Him.  God of Grace, You have shown Your deep love for us in sending Jesus to guide us back to You. Thank You for His ministry, His wisdom, and the undeniable proofs of His Sonship. So many will not believe in Him. So many are inconsistent in their willingness to obey Him. We pray for the resolve to put our lives in the hands of the Prophet and to surrender to Him as the Christ. Please fill us with salvation from Your Holy Spirit. We also ask for boldness to always defend Your honor and to invite others to surrender to Jesus. Thought Questions: -       Many hated Jesus because He exposed their sinful deeds to be evil. Do you also have to see sin as evil to be a follower of Jesus? -       Jesus always redirected glory away from Himself and to the Father. In what ways should we be openly redirecting all praise to God?   -       The Pharisees rejected all testimony about Jesus. What leads hearts to be that hard to truth, and how do you avoid that same fate?

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJohn 5 Jesus returns to Jerusalem and heals a man who has been lame for 38 years. The Jews begin to persecute Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day. Jesus responds by proclaiming that He is carrying out His Father's work. The leaders understand Jesus to be claiming a special relationship with God, so they seek to kill Him. Jesus claims to be sent by God and presents testimony to prove it. Firstly, the preaching of John the Baptist verifies the deity of Jesus. Secondly, the miracles of Jesus prove His heavenly power. Thirdly, the Old Testament scripture, including the teachings of Moses, prophesy concerning Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus has the authority to speak for God and He will be the final judge over all men on the last day! It must have been incredible to be healed by Jesus after 38 years of illness. Jesus levels a powerful message to the healed man: “Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” Surely this man lived the rest of his days in faithfulness to God. The Jewish leaders were too busy arguing about Sabbath rules to see the amazing things Christ was doing. We must be like the healed man and not the Pharisees. We are healed from a life of sin by Jesus. And we are charged with faithfulness in His honor. Jesus has proven His power to save and direct us. If we stay humble, we will have compassion for everyone who needs Jesus.  Dear Father, before Jesus found us, we were burdened by sin and unable to stand justified on our own. But Your Son has saved us by His grace. Help us to live every day in thankfulness to Him. He has also directed us to flee from sin and honor His Lordship. Please teach us how to do those things joyfully. Strengthen us to have hearts of faith that believe the testimony about Jesus, and hearts that lovingly adore Him and care about others as much as He does. We will love Him and live in readiness for His return. Thought Questions: -       What has Jesus healed in you that was previously a heavy burden? Are you thankful enough to “not sin anymore” in His honor? -       Jesus provided testimony to prove His Lordship. What evidence would you provide to convince someone Jesus is God? -       Jesus is coming again in the final judgment. Are you ready for that day to come? How do you do your best to stay ready?

Return of the Man-Child (8)  (audio) David Eells – 4/16/25  Father, in Jesus' Name, we thank You so much, Lord, that we can fellowship around Your Word. We know and trust in Your Word that is going to reveal to us those things that we need to know for the days to come and things that will enable us to cooperate with You in this process of sanctification and holiness, and also in the ministry of the Lord. We thank You that the Lord Jesus is coming in His people in order to fulfill in His Church that which You stated You would do from the beginning. We thank You, Lord, that You have taught us that what has been shall be, so that we can see how history repeats and see how wonderfully You have told us in the Word exactly what You are going to do. In the name of Jesus, Amen.  Well, we left off in Matthew 4, where we saw wonderful things that God is going to repeat in our day. The Lord had told me that everything that happened in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts would be repeated in our day, except that the cast of characters would be multiplied many times over, as more people are born into the world. The same thing has happened in history, but now it just happens with more people.  Let's pick up right after Jesus was anointed and had been tempted of the devil. Note that the Bible speaks about a “great light” that He was going to bring into the world, especially the world of God's people. (Mat.4:12) Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee; (13) and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: (14) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, (15) The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, (16) The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring up. What could this light be other than the Lord Jesus Himself? Not only that, but what the Lord Jesus was sharing with people was the command to repent and believe.   Light is necessary in both of these areas if we want to walk in the Kingdom of God. We are walking out of one kingdom and into another. We are walking out of the kingdom of the world, much like walking out of Egypt, and we are walking into the Kingdom of God, which means under His Lordship and guidance. I believe the next verse begins with a revelation of that. (Mat.4:17) From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  That just happens to be a perfect quote from John the Baptist, who said, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mat.3:2). Of course, John went on in verse 7 to say to the Pharisees, who were coming to be baptized because it was a politically correct thing to do, (Mat.3:7) Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance (What does someone who has repented look like? What kind of fruit should they have?): (Mat.3:9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father … Don't a lot of Christians say the same thing? “Hey, I'm a Christian; I had my experience with the Lord years ago and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.” Yes, but do you have fruit worthy of repentance? I believe that the light is going to come to the Church, which has not even understood what repentance means. The first thing Jesus did was to take up where John left off. You notice that when we left off in verse 12, He realized that John was delivered up, and that's when Jesus came into this particular area of the country where they said they saw great light. Like John, He said, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance is necessary for the next revelation, which is the Gospel of the Kingdom. For those who repented, Jesus shared the Gospel of the Kingdom, the Good News of the Kingdom of God.  My friend Xavier once went to share with an apostate preacher who was living in fornication. He had the “greasy grace” that says, “It's okay; the Lord will forgive me. That's what the Gospel is all about, right? Forgiveness.” But no, that's not it. That's just a part of the Gospel. There is forgiveness, and then there is sanctification. Forgiveness is just a way to have a relationship with God until sanctification has done its work. There was another man in this church who recognized that the preacher was a sinner, but he told Xavier, “It would be wrong for you to judge him.” Of course, Xavier was sharing verses with the man, and the truth is that, yes, there is judgment. There is judgment in the Church. John the Baptist was judging when he said, “Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance.” He wanted to see their repentance. He did not want to see somebody say they were sorry and then continue on in their debauchery. The word “repentance” is metanoia, which means “to change your mind; to go the other way.” We have the authority to do this. We have the authority to change our mind and go the other way because of what Jesus did at the cross. He took away our sins; He delivered us out of the power of darkness; He made us free from sin. (Heb.10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  When Xavier and I spoke about this, here's one of the verses I shared with him: (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? What Kingdom of God is he referring to? The Kingdom of God is where God rules over you. It's not some place you go to after you leave this earth. It's some place you enter into when you repent. Notice what he's saying. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived (there is much deception out there concerning this): neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Where are you to inherit the Kingdom of God? Here and now. As a matter of fact, some people are waiting to go to Heaven to inherit the Kingdom of God. They will never see Heaven if they wait. You have to enter the Kingdom of God here and now, and you enter it through repentance and faith. Faith gives you the blood covering and repentance gives you the opportunity of entering the Kingdom. Without repentance, you cannot enter the Kingdom.  John the Baptist came in order to preach repentance to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord in their life. The Lord does not come into your life without repentance. If you received the first-fruits of Christ, which is a born-again spirit, and do not go on to get a born-again soul through your obedience to the truth (1 Peter 1:22,23), you are going to be an unprofitable servant. A “servant” refers to someone who has come to Him in one form or another. You will be an unprofitable servant who is good for nothing but to be cast out and trampled under the feet of men and cast into outer darkness. (Mat.5:13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (Mat.25:30) And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Now notice what he says in the next verse. (1Co.6:11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed (He is saying, “Some of you people were in these same sins, but you were washed.”), but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. The Lord demands repentance for you to enter into His Kingdom, which is where He is King over you. That's how you enter His Kingdom.  If you look elsewhere in 1st Corinthians, Paul said somewhat of the same thing. (1Co.5:3) For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing. Paul judged him. Was he wrong in that he judged? No. Paul had the Spirit of God and what he wrote here was from the Spirit of God. He judged him because this man was in willful disobedience, had not repented of his sin, and had not believed the Gospel. If you believe the Good News that Jesus took away your sin, then your faith has power to walk away from anything. Everyone who believes can repent and walk away. Belief is not merely mental assent, like it is in most of the Church. (1Co.5:5) To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh (I would say that's judgment! He is turning him over to the curse.), that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. People will repent when they are turned over to the devil. This is very common. If you want to know why you are living under that curse, you should question whether or not you are in willful disobedience or whether you have repented of everything and are walking by faith because the devil does a great job of bringing people to repentance. Many people come to the Lord because of what the Lord permits the devil to do.  (1Co.5:6) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (He means that, in the Body of Christ, there are people who are fornicators, liars, and thieves.) (1Co.5:7) Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump (“Purge out the old leaven”; in other words, get rid of them.), even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, [even] Christ: (1Co.5:8) wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (9) I wrote unto you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators; (10) not at all [meaning] with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world: (11) but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.   Well, this parishioner who was not in the fornication, but was saying that you could not judge the pastor who was in it, was saying, “Hey, Jesus ate with publicans and sinners.” But Paul tells you here quite clearly, “If any man that is named a brother be” in one of these sins, no, not to eat with him. It is not only abstaining from eating with him physically, but spiritually, as well, because he's talking about keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We eat when we study the Word of God. Jesus said, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Mat.16:6). In other words, “Don't eat their leaven; don't partake of their doctrine.” Paul goes on to say, (1Co.5:12) For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? So there was judgment; there was judgment from John the Baptist and judgment from Jesus, concerning people who are in willful disobedience and do not want to repent and believe the Good News that they don't have to walk in their sins anymore.  Clearly, there is judgment from the Bible, and that pastor and parishioner were trying to condemn Xavier for judging willful disobedience and lack of repentance when he was merely showing them what the Father had said in His Word. Look at what the Lord says in Ezekiel. (Eze.3:18) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life … How is it judgment when you say, “Hey, that's fornication and you can't enter the Kingdom like that”? They say, “Oh, but I'm saved.” No, you're not saved, as long as you walk in willful disobedience. You are not in the Kingdom. “Be not deceived,” Paul said, but speak “to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life.”   (Eze.3:18) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. So God is saying, “If you don't tell them they're sinning, if you don't tell them, ‘Look, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven (which has to be entered here, by the way), while you are in willful, outward immorality,' then I will require his blood at your hand.” It's the very opposite of what those people say. They do not want to repent, so they try to condemn the person who brings the message.  Notice, the Lord said, “When I say to the wicked.” We just read what God said to the wicked. You can tell anybody what God said to the wicked, whether you are judging or not. That's a moot point. The question is, are they going to enter the Kingdom by repentance? Or are they going to try to shift the blame over on you? The truth is, He says to have no company with them, to cast out the old leaven. If a person will not confess his sins but try to justify them or think that they are acceptable in the sight of the Lord because of the blood of Jesus, there is no hope for him. By the way, Jesus' blood does not cover willful disobedience. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. It says, If we walk in the light (Walking in the light is not walking in sin. Everyone would agree with that.) as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another (He tells you, “Don't have any fellowship with people walking in willful disobedience.” Period.), and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1Jn.1:7). That's a wonderful promise! If you will repent and believe and walk in the light, He will cleanse you of that sin. (1Jn.1:8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If a person doesn't want to confess his sin and wants to justify himself and hold onto his sin and wants to blame you for condemning him or bringing Scriptures showing where the Father has condemned him, then this person is not going to have any part of the Kingdom of God. The Lord says it very plainly, and we have to tell him the exact truth here concerning this. The light of the Gospel has to come. The true light of what repentance actually means is going to be brought on the scene here pretty quickly, folks. The overwhelming majority of Christianity don't understand what repentance is. They don't have any hope that repentance could actually deliver them from their sin and that they will not have to worry about that sin or walk in that sin anymore because of what Jesus did at the cross. He took their sin and nailed it on that cross. You do not have it anymore. Repentance and faith are necessary.  Back to where we were in Matthew, we found that Jesus took up where John left off. The next thing He does is to go out and gather His disciples. (Mat.4:18) And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. (19) And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. (20) And they straightway left the nets, and followed him. (21) And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. (22) And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus has just begun His ministry here. The people whom He was going to were seeing a great light and He was gathering together His “elders” of the Church. He was raising up His forefathers of the Church, like Jacob raised up the 12 patriarchs, who were the elders of the Church. As you know, from here on out, He carried them with Him, demonstrating to them the truth of the Gospel by His works of healing, delivering, setting free, etc., so that they could live in the Kingdom of God.  In the Kingdom of God, all the promises come to pass; the Kingdom of God is where God rules. We pray; Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth (6:10). When God's Kingdom comes on Earth, it is as it is in Heaven. Is there any sickness in Heaven? Are there any demon-possessed people in Heaven? Is there anybody lacking in Heaven? The provision of God's Kingdom is total and complete in this earth, and we want to enter into it because that's where all of God's provision is. (Eph.1:3) Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ. He's blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.   As we enter into Christ, we have all these spiritual blessings that God has in His Heavenly Kingdom. He is gathering up His disciples, with whom He is going to walk, and send them forth into a much broader path than He could walk in. They, in turn, were going to raise up disciples who were going to do the same thing in a geometric progression that was going to bring a great revival. This is a type and shadow of the Man-child ministry that's coming, in whom Jesus is come to be manifested. Jesus raised up disciples in whom He was manifested here, and the same thing is going to happen in our day. Disciples are going to be raised up as forefathers to the Church of our day, except there will be many more because the Man-child is not an individual, but a corporate body.  It goes on to say, And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Mat.4:23). So He preached repentance, and then He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. What is the Gospel of the Kingdom? Gospel means “Good News,” the Good News of the Kingdom. The Good News is that you can enter into God's Kingdom on Earth through repentance and faith. Well, God's Kingdom is where God rules in your life, and this is the Good News, that you can walk in obedience to God; you can walk in the Kingdom of God, under the leadership and rulership of God. The reason we know that you can do this now is because of what Jesus did at the cross. He made reconciliation: He took your sinful life and nailed it on that cross, and He gave up His Life. Do you believe it? Do you believe that He sanctified you on that cross? That He washed you on that cross? That He delivered you from sin on that cross? The Bible says in Romans 6:18 that He made you free from sin. He delivered you.   See, here is the great light that is going to come. Most of the Church believes that the only opportunity you have is forgiveness from God, and that is the beginning, but that is not the great revelation that God's people are going to get. They already know that. The great revelation is that the Bible is actually true. Jesus actually did deliver you from your sin; He actually did heal your body; He actually did deliver you from the curse; He actually did deliver you out of the power of darkness. Hallelujah! He did this. This is going to come as a sudden shock to a lot of people, but the Gospel is actually true; it's not just a nice saying, but it's actually true.  I want to backup a little here. (Mat.4:16) The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light (He was talking about His people), and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring up. He's referring to walking in the light, which was what Jesus was about to show them. He was about to show them that they can walk in the light and be delivered of their sin, washed of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9). This is the Good News that most of the Church has never heard. Oh, they have heard the Gospel, but they didn't realize it was really true. They never had any faith, only mental assent. Folks, He is talking about the nature of sin, about delivering you out of the power of darkness. It does not have any power over you. That is an awesome revelation that's going to come to the Church through the raising up of this Man-child ministry and disciples who walk in the steps of Jesus Christ.  Then Jesus went out to demonstrate this by “preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing all manner of disease.” Most of the Church does not understand that you have a right to healing, that you are not under the curse because you are a new creation. They don't understand that old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). They don't understand that you have been delivered of sin (Romans 8:2) and God accounts you righteous through your faith in Him (Romans 4:3), your faith in what the Bible says. It needs to be real faith. This is the light, the sudden revelation that a lot of the Church is going to get and that some of you have already received.   (Mat.4:23) And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. (24) And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. (25) And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and [from] beyond the Jordan. He was demonstrating the Gospel that these people were not guilty anymore, demonstrating that God was forgiving them by healing them and delivering them of every curse that came upon them. Those curses came because of their disobedience to God and also because of the sin they inherited when they were born. They were born into sin. Some people say, “Well, God made me this way.” What does that have to do with anything? You were born in sin, you came into this world with the nature of sin, and so you say, “Because I was born this way, I'm supposed to keep it”? That will not float, folks. In the Kingdom of Heaven, you need to repent of this.  Let's read more of how Jesus demonstrated the Gospel. (Mat.8:16) And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. He carried His disciples with Him and demonstrated to them how to minister and administer this Gospel of the Kingdom. Everyone who repented and believed could have these gifts because they were no longer under the curse, as they were no longer under sin. That's the Great News of the Kingdom. God not only forgave them, He washed and cleansed them, He healed them, He delivered them, and He took away every other form of the curse. It was just like the Passover. The Passover was the Death Angel, the Destroyer, passing over them because they actually had the blood upon the doorpost (Exodus 12:23). How do you get the blood upon your doorpost? The Bible is pretty plain about that. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses us of all sin. Walk in the light. You take those steps in the light because of repentance and God will wash you, cleanse you and deliver you.  We see here something that is going to be fulfilled in our day on a much larger scale. The Man-child ministry is going to go forth to deliver, heal, bless, and demonstrate the Gospel. Not only that, there will be the saving of souls who are in bondage to sin, which many of you have experienced, but many more are going to experience that. Do you know how we know this is going to be repeated? Because this was a repetition in itself; this had happened before. You ask, “When did it ever happen before?” Well, go back and look in the Old Testament because in Hebrews 3, the author compared Moses' house and Christ's house. There is a comparison because Moses was the Man-child in his day and he did the exact same thing that Jesus did, even bringing the same Gospel.   Let me show you how we can see that. I know that it's in the types and shadows, but when it's pointed out to you, you can see it. For instance, when Jesus was anointed, the Bible tells us that He was given the throne of David, His father (Luke 1:32). Jesus was to rule over Israel, and His anointing was compared with the anointing that David had to rule over Israel. That is what's happening to Moses here. (Exo.3:1) Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro (whose name means “His excellence”), his father-in-law … Why is Moses' father-in-law called “His excellence”? Because his father-in-law was also the Father of the Bride. Is that not still true today? Exactly so. Moses was keeping the flock. Remember, David was keeping the flock before he was anointed to be king. Moses was doing the same thing.  (Exo.3:1) Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. (2) And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned … Moses saw this sight and wanted to go investigate and when he did, he stepped onto holy ground, meaning he became holy. The Lord told him to take his shoes off, that he was standing on holy ground, and Moses did not want to be separated from holiness (Exodus 3:5). He was holy before God, and this is where he got his ordination to lead his people out of bondage in Egypt. As a matter of fact, the Lord said, And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land (Exo.3:8). “I am come down.” Is that not what the Lord said in Hosea 6:2-3? He said there that He would come as the latter rain on the morning of the third day, and that's exactly what's going to happen. The Lord is coming down to deliver His people out of bondage in Egypt, which is a representation of the world.  (Exo.3:16) Go, and gather the elders of Israel … That's the first thing the Lord told Moses to do, the same thing Jesus did. He gathered the elders of Israel. Who was Israel? Israel was Jacob and Jacob raised up 12 patriarchs, which is exactly what Jesus raised up, 12 patriarchs. So there you have it. It's a perfect parallel here. “Go and gather the elders of Israel.” Why? It's because they were to walk with Moses, just like those elders walked with Jesus. The Gospel had to be demonstrated; the power of God was demonstrated to them. They were to walk in the same path.   (Exo.3:16) Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and [seen] that which is done to you in Egypt: (17) and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt … There it is. He's going to deliver them from the curse of Egypt, the affliction of Egypt. He had said, “I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” Who are the Egyptians? The Egyptians are the old man, the old flesh, the bondage to the flesh. What He's saying is, “Look, I'm going to deliver you from the god of this world (that is, the old man, the flesh), and I'm going to deliver you from the curse because you've been obeying them both.” That is the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is what Jesus was preaching.  (Exo.3:17) And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. These were the “ites” that represented the old man, the same thing the Egyptian represented, which was the one who had brought them into bondage. You are not supposed to be in bondage to your flesh anymore. The Lord has already delivered you at the cross; it has already been done. He has already accomplished it. That's the Good News of the Kingdom. Why is God bringing them into the Promised Land? He's doing it in order to put to death those people who were ruling in the land. The Israelite was to rule in the land, not these people. He brought the Israelites in there for the purpose of putting them to death. Most Christians today want to live with the old man, but when Israel did that and let the enemies stay in the land, they became thorns in their side for the rest of their life. So the Jews did not inherit all of the land the Lord gave them, and they lived under a curse, under warfare, because they did not obey God. He said, “You take up your sword and go in there. I will be with you. You put them to death and take their house to live in and raise up your crop, your fruit in that land” (Deuteronomy 7). That's the Gospel.  (Exo.3:18) And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us (As if He had not been there all along! Actually, He came down in a much mightier way than He had ever done in the 400-odd years that they had been in bondage, and that's how He is about to come today. He's about to come in a more powerful way than any of us have ever experienced, for the purpose of delivering His people out of Egypt and out from under the god of this world.): and now let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. They had to serve God in the wilderness. Moses was taking the elders of Israel with him at this time, just as Jesus was, and demonstrating unto them the Gospel.  Here is the gathering of the elders again. (Exo.4:29) And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. When Jesus gathered the elders, He was not gathering together the apostates. He started all over, which is what He is going to do this time as well. He is not going to the apostates, but He will start all over with some new, humble people who did not go to Bible school. He is going to raise them up. Paul is one of those who obviously went to Bible school, but He had to prove that He could do it, and He did. But what is represented by Moses and Aaron here? We're looking at a parallel of what Jesus did and now we see Moses and Aaron, but it had said earlier, And thou (Moses) shalt speak unto him (Aaron), and put the words in his mouth (Exo.4:15). Moses was to put the words in Aaron's mouth? That's a little like what the Lord does to us, which is what He's about to say. (Exo.4:15) … And I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. (16) And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.   Interesting. He is likening Moses to God, like Jesus was to God. Now let me say, if a Man-child comes in our day, Who is it Who is going to be with him, putting words in his mouth? Jesus, Who is God! Moses is being used of God, and Aaron is being used as his prophet to speak his words, to do his work, and to take the staff that he did to do the miracles. In this case, we're seeing Aaron as the Man-child and Moses as Jesus in the Man-child or behind the Man-child to do the works. (Exo.4:29) And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (This is much like Jesus did; His Father God was in Him doing the works. Jesus was the spokesman, the mouthpiece; He gathered together His disciples and did the miracles, and Aaron is doing the same thing here.): (Exo.4:30) and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. So it was Aaron speaking the words and doing the works, just like Jesus did.  “Aaron” means “bright” or “illumined.” He represents the glory of God shining out of a person, like this says: (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. There are three glories: star glory, moon glory, and sun glory (1 Corinthians 15:40-41). It gets brighter and brighter and brighter. This is the shining forth of God in His people. He is coming in “Aaron,” His first-fruits. Jesus was called the first-fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20), and there is a first-fruits in our day. David also represented the first-fruits and Joseph, as well. It is not the only fruits, just the first-fruits. He is planning on doing this with His whole Body. (Exo.4:31) And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. This was a monumental time in their history because they were about to be delivered out of bondage to the old man, the Egyptian, Pharaoh, the god of this world, and to the curse they were under because they were serving them.  (Exo.5:4) And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? … Some people think you have to put up with your “works” the rest of your life, that there is nothing you can do about it because you're always going to be a “sinner saved by grace.” That is an anti-Christ gospel. They were setting the people free from their works, from their service to the old man and to the devil, who is the god of this world that ruled over them, like Pharaoh did. They were being set free and the devil did not like it. “Get you unto your burdens.” In other words, “Get back under the heavy weight of your burden.” (Exo.5:5) And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. This is what the Lord brought us out of bondage for, to enter into His rest and to cease from our own works, the works of the flesh. We do not serve the flesh anymore. We serve the spiritual man now. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and it sets people free. Even the devil had to admit that they were setting them free from their works.  (Exo.6:9) And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses … You cannot set someone free unless they believe the Gospel of the Kingdom. Moses came there to set the Israelites free. God ordained him on Mount Horeb, representing the Kingdom of God, to go and bring them out of bondage and take them to that mountain, too, but they had to believe him first because the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Rom.1:16). (Exo.6:9) … But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. God had to do a work in them before they could actually receive this light of the knowledge of the Kingdom. (Exo.6:10) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (11) Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt … The word “Pharaoh” means “temple of the sun.” He was God to the Egyptians. They believed he was divinity, believed that he was the sun god. Pharaoh was not the Son of God and not even a close facsimile to the Son of God, but he was usurping God's position over the people of God.  The devil does that today. He usurps the position of the Son of God over the people of God, and they do not know that the one they're serving is the devil. They don't know that they're serving the old man that serves the devil, which is the Egyptian. We know that the Egyptian represents the old man because when the Israelites went through the Red Sea, Paul called it a “baptism.” In the baptism, the old man died in the Red Sea, and the Israelite came up on the other side; the new man, the spiritual man came up out of the water. The carnal man died and the spiritual man was made alive, so we know this parable is true. (Exo.6:11) Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. Do you suppose this Man-child is going to have this same authority to tell the devil to set God's people free? Well, Jesus was doing it. He commanded the devil to loose them; He commanded the sickness to come out of them; He delivered their mind from the fogginess of their fallen state. And, yes, this is what not only the Man-child but the witnesses and the elders who are raised up by the Man-child are going to do. They're going to have the authority to say, “Turn them loose, devil,” and it's going to happen.  (Exo.6:12) And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? Does the devil have to listen to you when you tell him to turn people loose if they do not believe? No. When you preach the Gospel and they believe it, only then do you have the authority to say, “Turn them loose, devil.” This is exactly what Moses complained of. He was saying, “Hey, they don't believe me yet, so why would Pharaoh listen?” (Exo.6:13) And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. That was their ordination, their command from God, Who said, “Bring them out.   You have the authority to do this.” Jesus had the same authority, by the Isaiah 61 anointing, which Luke 4:18 also speaks about. (Isa.61:1) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound. Who were they bound to? They were in bondage to their old man, in bondage to the devil, and they were living under the curse. Jesus took care of all three and that was all involved in the Gospel of the Kingdom. Now we know that Moses, too, was dealing with the Gospel of the Kingdom and trying to get those people to believe what he said. Praise the Lord!  (Exo.12:21) Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel (I'd like to point out to you that these elders were with him exactly as the disciples of Jesus, all the time, and he was demonstrating to them the Gospel. Actually, here is the Gospel in a nutshell.), and said unto them, Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families, and kill the passover. We're told that they had to eat all of the lamb (Exodus 12:8-10) and that the blood was to be put on the doorposts (Exodus 12:7), so that the Death Angel, the Destroyer, would pass over them and smite the Egyptians (Exodus 12:13). Jesus said, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves (Joh.6:53). Most of the Church is refusing to eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, The life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev.17:11). They are refusing the life of Christ through unbelief. Moses is not able to exercise any authority over Pharaoh because of their unbelief. Jesus was the bread Who came down out of Heaven (John 6:51) that gives life to the world, and that was His Body, the Word of God.  We are also told this: (Exo.12:15) Seven days (that is the last seven “days”) shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses (This is the house that we live in. There shall be no leaven, no polluting the pure Word of God.): for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. This is a dire warning to God's people that during the Tribulation period, you cannot continue onward believing the doctrine of these apostate religions. (Mar.8:15) … Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, too, because there are many who are worshipping the government. They're worshipping their country, their nation; they're pledging allegiance to a wicked, worldly nation. This is not to say that you aren't supposed to submit to them in every way, except when God tells you to do otherwise. Your allegiance is to the Lord, and you will bow to no one else. We see here that Moses was leading them to partake of the body and blood of Christ, and this was causing a Passover so that they did not have to live under the curse. Praise be to God!  (Exo.12:29) And it came to pass at midnight, that the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. (30) And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. In every house there was one dead. So if we are the house, there has to be one dead, and that's the old man. He is the firstborn of Egypt, born of the flesh, born of the world. He is dead and we know that he is dead, and we are free because of what Jesus did at the cross because we were crucified with Christ. The Lamb was slain here, but the Bible says, we were crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live, but it is Christ Who lives in us (Galatians 2:20). That is the new man and that is how faith in the Gospel works. We continue to believe what the Bible says, that, “Yes, this old man is dead. He was put to death, so I don't have to serve him anymore because he is dead, and he was crucified with Christ. Now the new man lives and rules in me.” That new man is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col.1:27). We behold with unveiled face as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit (2Co.3:18). Like Aaron, who was the “brilliance,” the shining forth of the Lord in him, so the people of God will be.  (Exo.12:31) And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Pharaoh finally gave up, and the devil is going to turn God's people loose. The god of this world, the sun god, the one who imitates the Lord and usurps His authority over God's people, is going to turn them loose, is going to obey the command of Moses. When does that happen? It happens when they, “the people,” believe they're no longer in bondage to Satan because the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom, is the power of God to save the one who believes. It's the power to save them from the old man, from the devil, and from the curse. You will be delivered of those three things when you believe and continue to walk in the faith of the Gospel that sets free.  (Exo.17:5) And the Lord said unto Moses, Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go. (6) Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Here, Moses was still demonstrating the power of God's provision for God's people. Jesus multiplied the fishes and the loaves, and here Moses was still demonstrating it with the authority and the power of God to the elders and the people. (Exo.18:12) And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. Praise the Lord!   This is, once again, Jesus raising up His elders and the Man-child in our day, raising up the elders to be free from the bondage of Satan and free from the bondage of the flesh. The harvest started getting bigger and bigger, and more and more people started coming into the Kingdom, just as it was also said about Jesus. (Exo.24:1) And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off: (2) and Moses alone shall come near unto the Lord; but they shall not come near; neither shall the people go up with him. As you know, Moses went up on the mountain and was caught up unto the throne of God. This is the first mention of the 70 elders. He had already mentioned them, but now He refers to them as the “seventy.”  We have already discussed Jesus raising up the elders, but He also raised up the 70. (Luk.10:1) Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. (2) And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. Obviously, the 12 were not enough. This was a great revival for many hungry people; there was a need. Even with Moses, his father-in-law Jethro had said, “You're going to kill yourself trying to serve all the people by yourself” (Exodus 18:14-18). Then Jethro gave Moses the wisdom from God to raise up elders unto the people to judge them, meet their needs, and so on (Exodus 18:19-26).   Jesus said, Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luk.10:3). (4) Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way. (5) And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to this house. (6) And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again. (7) And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. (8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: (9) and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. The Kingdom of God is where people are healed, delivered, prospered, blessed, delivered from sin, etc.  (Luk.10:10) But into whatsoever city ye shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into the streets thereof and say, (11) Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you: nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh. That is judgment; He brought judgment. These people brought judgment upon the ones who refused the Gospel. They cleaned their shoes off as a judgment against them. Don't believe that God did not do something about that because He goes on, (Luk.10:12) I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. (13) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (14) But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you.  God bless you, saints! Just remember, the Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom is about to be preached with mighty power, and a great revival is going to go forth from it. God bless you! 

Matthew 8 | 3/23/2025 | Pastor Matt Jones. Pastor Matt dives into Matthew chapter 8 and explores the incredible sufficiency of Christ and His Lordship. In Christ, we have everything we need in this life and the one to come.

Matthew 8 | 3/23/2025 | Pastor Matt Jones. Pastor Matt dives into Matthew chapter 8 and explores the incredible sufficiency of Christ and His Lordship. In Christ, we have everything we need in this life and the one to come.

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comLuke 11 Jesus gives beautiful instructions on prayer. He teaches how to approach God, the importance of being persistent in prayer, and the crucial need for faith that God will answer. He proclaims that God sends His Spirit and that His answers are always good. Jesus follows this by casting a demon out of a mute man. At this point, the Pharisees come on the scene accusing Jesus of working with the devil! They ask Jesus for more signs to prove His relationship with God. Jesus strongly rebukes them and speaks of how Nineveh repented at the call of Jonah, and Israel does not repent at the call of God's Son! Following more accusations against Him, Jesus strongly condemns the Pharisees as hypocrites and as people guilty of leading others away from God.   Jesus demonstrates the most committed and accomplished prayer life of all time. When He speaks of how to address God, or how often to address God, or with what confidence we should address God, we would do well to listen. There will always be accusers like the Pharisees, and hypocrisy around us, but our connection with God is the power we must have to stand against them. This requires consistent, spiritual, and hopeful prayer. Sadly, unbelievers may never see enough to follow Jesus, and they may attack all they are shown. This manifests darkness, selfish pride, and brokenness in their hearts. Like Jesus, we must keep shining, patiently teaching, and warning others of the consequences of hardness toward God and others.  Precious Lord, we are grateful to be able to come to You in prayer. Thank You for hearing us, for desiring this time with us, and for Your promise to respond according to Your divine will. We pray in Jesus' name. His authority and presence in prayer give us great courage. So many reject His Lordship. Some accuse Him, some question Him, while others will see His majesty and believe. Father, help us to always have believing, hopeful hearts. Please give us the wisdom to speak His name into the lives of those who are lost and confused.   -       How will Christ's teaching on prayer affect the way you talk to God today? Will You follow His direction, be frequent, and believe? -       The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who seek guidance (vs. 13). What does that mean to you, and how are you comforted by this? -       Hypocrisy is ugly. Jesus always sees right through it. Is there some area of hypocrisy in your life where you need to be honest with Him?

Jessica Andover needs money to pay off the mortgage on her estate. Instead of capitulating to her blackmailing neighbor who holds the mortgage and marrying him, Jessica decides to go to London and act on the stage, under an assumed name. In Regency England, this is her way of soliciting a protector. Philp Romney, Earl of Linton is the clear choice for Jessica, though many men vie for her, as she is a sudden sensation on stage. Philip quickly suspects there is more to Jessica's story, even as she closely guards her past. Unsurprisingly, they fall in love along the way, complicating things. In a genre filled with convenient marriages and “oh no I love my wife” revelations, Joan Wolf's 1982, His Lordship's Mistress, takes a path less trod.Check out Sara's writing about mistresses in historical romance.Support us on our Patreon!Visit our website for transcripts and show notes: reformedrakes.comFollow us on social media:Twitter: @reformedrakesInstagram: @reformedrakesBeth's TikTokChels' TikTokEmma's TikTokChels' SubstackEmma's SubstackThank you for listening!

Pastor John Munro asks a very important question: What difference does the Gospel make in your life? Because for followers of Jesus Christ, every area of our lives should reflect His Lordship. People should see a difference. We're thinking of this marvelous transformation of the Gospel, as John continues his study in Colossians.

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary: Today the Lord has chosen to manifest Himself in and through His people. This is where you will find His Word, leading and Lordship. Walking with Christ is simply walking with a revelation of Christ in your brother and sister as you submit to one another in the fear of Christ. Show Notes: The Lordship of Jesus Christ is manifested through people. The Word and leading of the Lord many times comes through your brother and sister. The Lord has placed Himself in His family and that is where He is being manifested. We must have spiritual eyes to see the Christ in our brother. We must trust in the Lord and not lean on our understanding of things to enter into this walk with Christ. We must stay connected to those that the Lord has placed in our midst. We walk with His Lordship in our spiritual family. Quotes: The Lordship of Jesus Christ, the enemy of it, it's the headship of man versus the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Lordship of Jesus Christ comes through people. ...that word you're looking for, that direction you're looking for, is going to come through your brother or your sister. If you're saying that you're submissive to the Lord, then what you're really saying is, I'm submissive to my brothers and sisters... The lordship

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comMark 8Jesus has a compassionate heart. This leads him to feed thousands because He sees that they are hungry. This is a sign of His power and love. However, the Pharisees come asking for more signs. For them, nothing Jesus does will be enough to believe. It is this hard-heartedness He warns the disciples to avoid. Jesus then heals a blind man. This physical sight given by faith is set in contrast to the Pharisees who think they see and yet remain spiritually blind. Jesus then asks His disciples who they believe Him to be. They say, “You are the Christ.” This faith would be crucial, as their faith would be tested by His arrest and death, as well as the extreme sacrifices they would be called to make in His name.  Jesus demonstrates His glory and His right to be called the Christ. We must choose whether to believe in Him or not. But this cannot be done halfway. His call to disciples is extreme. It starts with demanding we understand that His Lordship would require His death. Peter struggled with this. More than that, He demands allegiance from us for His glory. We must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. We must lose our life in devotion to Him to see the salvation of our lives in eternity. Many will want to give everything to be saved in the judgment and will have nothing to give. We must serve Him now, confessing His name courageously in this world.  Great Father, we thank You for your lovingkindness and the compassion that Your Son has for us. We know that His ability to help us is only limited by the borders of our faith. Help us to expand our trust and surrender our entire lives to Him. We sometimes fall into pride, blindness to truth, and even doubts about Your will. But great God, we believe Your Son is the Christ sent to die for our salvation. Forgive our failings and restore us to commitment and strength and to never be ashamed of our Lord.   Thought Questions: -       Do you believe Jesus sees you and feels for you in times of struggle? How do you trust in that, even when results do not come right away? -       The Pharisees had things in their hearts that blinded them to Christ's glory. What has He done in your life to keep your heart from hardening? -       What does it mean to lose your life for His sake? And what would it profit you to keep your life and gain the world but not have Jesus?

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comMatthew 21Jesus makes His final trip to Jerusalem before His death. He is honored and praised by many as He fulfills prophecy by riding in on a colt. Jesus goes into the temple and upsets the Jewish leaders by overturning the money tables and healing the lame and blind. The next day the leaders question Him, but they are silenced by His wisdom. He goes on to tell them two parables. The first is about two sons, one of whom said he would do good and then did not do it. This was an indictment of these chief priests and scribes. The second story is about vine growers who decide to kill the owner's son to seize his inheritance. This is a prophecy of what the Jews are planning to do to God's Son.  The contrast in this chapter is striking. So many followers worship Jesus as He enters the city. He heals many in the temple and they rejoice in Him. They believe in Him, and they will enjoy life in His kingdom. At the same time, the men in the temple are disrespecting the Father and have a fervent hatred for the Son. They question Him and seek to accuse Him. This same Jesus invokes two very different reactions. Sadly, Jesus knows they will not repent. He tells parables and quotes Scripture to indicate that the kingdom will be removed from them. Christ would be a rock of foundation for some and would crush others. They made their choice. Have you?  All powerful God, Creator, and Sustainer, thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior and King. His message is strong and demanding. But Father, He is also the source of all grace and peace. So many in this world fight His teaching and seek to eliminate Him and seize their inheritance. Great God, may we forever forsake a life apart from Jesus. Help us to always stand upon the Rock and never be crushed by it. Father, will you lead us today to tell someone about the two paths of life and show them and teach them to choose Jesus?  Thought Questions:  -       If you were alive in Jesus' day, would you have laid your coat on the road and praised Him as He entered? How can that spirit be shown today? -       Jesus said His disciples could move mountains “if you have faith and do not doubt.” How can your prayer life show God you believe that? -       How can you avoid a hard heart that sees the evidence but simply will not believe it? Has Jesus convinced you of His Lordship?

And lo, the Magi came from afar, guided by a heavenly star to worship the Messiah of Mar-a-Lago. Bearing precious gifts of flattery, cash, and bitcoin, the corporate Magi fell to their knees in awe when they beheld the Orange Aura in his gilded manger.These starry-eyed worshippers are not religious seekers, but überrich CEOs of Wall Street banks and corporate giants. Abandoning any shred of principle and self-respect, they rushed to Florida this month on their private jets to suck-up to The Donald, crassly trying to cash-in on the plutocratic rule of his incoming Trump Taliban.Especially embarrassing is the sight of avaricious high tech titans seeking favors. These self-proclaimed paragons of “laissez-faire” economics are largely funded by us taxpayers, and they're now trying to get more government giveaways the old-fashioned way: Bribery. Such billionaire tech elites as Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, have greased their appeals by paying a million dollars each to Trump's coronation committee – just to get a meeting with him!Interestingly, both Bezos and Zuckerberg had previously condemned Trump's flagrant xenophobia, racism, and misogyny. But now, their repulsion has turned to adulation. After all, billionaires don't let ethical principle get in the way of their financial principal.Do you have a million dollars to buy a meeting with His Lordship? What are today's young people to make of greedheaded creeps like Bezos and Zuckerberg, who insist that not only can they openly buy government favors… but mock our people's democratic ideals? Young people are right: The system is corrupt. Trump aside, our Number One political goal must be to ban corporate money from politics.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

“His Lordship from Transylvania would like to purchase a nice house in our small town . . . it will take a bit of effort . . . a bit of sweat and perhaps . . . a bit of blood . . .” This is the story of the Great Death in Wisborg in 1838.  Nosferatu is a 1922 classic horror film, one of the first ever made. It sort of recalls Bram Stoker's Dracula—enough to build a copyright lawsuit—but, fortunately for us, Nosferatu weathered the controversy via unlicensed copies and has survived into the twenty-first century. The film isn't just Dracula revamped though, it contributed brand new techniques to the horror genre. The cinematography is also state-of-the-art for the 1920s, tastefully employing physical film tricks (à la Georges Méliès) and practical effects.  We'll take you through the film so you can truly appreciate it, following Herr Thomas Hutter and his young wife Ellen as they meet Count Orlok and face the consequences. Without spoiling too much: it gets bloody.  ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.  Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices