Podcasts about his righteousness

Jesus came and demonstrated the Righteousness of God with the Life He lived and then offered to us His Righteousness through His death on the Cross

Jesus came and declared with His own Life the Righteousness of God, then offered us His Righteousness through Faith in His Death

Jesus came and declared with His own Life the Righteousness of God, then offered us His Righteousness through Faith in His Death

Calling California home, our guest today, Howard Becker, was raised in a devout family, but found himself adrift in his early twenties. By his mid-twenties, experiences led him to the startling realization something was missing in his life. This moved him to seek answers for what that "something" is, which led him to the Bible and the key to living an abundant, fulfilled life. He cites as his life theme the words of Jesus: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”Read his insightful book, The Spiritual Meaning of Scripture, available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Title: “God vs. Magic” Part 1 Text: Acts 19:11-16 FCF: We often struggle to believe that God alone is sufficient for all we need. Prop: Because God's power is greater than magic, we must trust God alone without polluting His exclusive worship. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 19. In a moment we will read from the ESV starting in verse 11 and going to verse 20. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last time we learned of the incredible success that the Lord is giving to Paul in his third missionary journey. For two years he is able to preach the gospel and teach the commands of Christ to many in the city of Ephesus. He does this with very little opposition and the Lord blesses his ministry allowing the gospel to go out from Ephesus to all the province of Asia and many believers are strengthened. Today, we will see one final episode occurring in Ephesus forming the climax of Paul's missionary career. The reason I say this, is because in the book of Acts we will see Paul endure a great number of trials from this point forward. God will test him as Jesus said He would to Ananias the day Paul was converted. Paul will know what it is to suffer for the name of Christ. This final episode includes two scenes that go hand in hand with one another. We won't quite have time to see the effect of these two scenes on the city of Ephesus and on the believers there – but we will get a deep look into the cause of that effect this morning and God willing we will pick up the rest next time. So, without further delay, please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most High God, we come to You today as Your children whom You have called out of the kingdom of darkness to join You in Your Kingdom of light. We were once Your enemy, deserving only Your wrath. We were the children of the devil and had unknowingly but willingly sworn allegiance to him and his vile program against You. We were subject to his tyranny over us with his weapons of sin and death. But Your Son has conquered both of these weapons formed against us. He has borne our sin, bearing in His flesh the wrath of God that was meant for us. He has died our death and has been raised to life. We now inherit Life through Him. And though the forces of darkness pursue us and hunt us – we know that when we resist and submit to You, they must flee. Your power is great. And the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. We beg You today to be among us and to teach us from Your word. We ask this in the name of Your Dear Son, the Second person of the Godhead, co-equal in essence and authority eternally begotten by You, Amen. Transition: We have much to get to today, so let us get right into the text. I.) God's power is greater than magic, we must trust God. (11-12) a. [Slide 2] 11 - And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, i. Holy relics have been a part of many religions since the age of ancient empires. ii. Even Judaism had holy relics placed inside the ark of the covenant, which was itself a holy relic. iii. The Israelites began to treat the ark of the covenant as a good luck charm, taking it into battle to assure their victory. iv. This led to God judging them and having the Philistines defeat them in battle and take the ark from them. v. From this we can see that completely divorcing relics from the God who is behind them or treating them as if they were as special as the God behind them is a form of idolatry and something the Lord hates. 1. Some branches of Christendom today come dangerously close and I would say actually do cross the line into this error concerning relics. 2. They venerate or regard with great respect or reverence certain relics which are said to have great significance being connected to Christ, His apostles or famous members of the church. 3. The line between worship and veneration is not clear though. Even for these Christians who venerate these relics, it would be difficult for them to parse out exactly what it means to worship God and how that is different from what it means to venerate a relic. vi. So why all this discussion? vii. I think this passage has a great lesson for us regarding religious relics and what we should think about them. viii. Luke tells us that what God does in this passage is extraordinary. ix. The Greek literally says, that God was doing not ordinary miracles. They are odd, different than He usually does. x. This doesn't necessarily mean better or more powerful or more magnificent. xi. The NLT actually translates this – unusual miracles. I think that hits the nail on the head. xii. Luke's point is not to suggest that what is happening in this text is grand or marvelous. Simply what is not usual. xiii. So, what is happening through Paul that is unusual? b. [Slide 3] 12 - so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. i. So, with all that discussion about relics, I want to point out something here that I think we might miss. ii. Since Luke is not saying that what is happening with Paul's handkerchiefs and aprons is majestic or magnificent, or marvelous – but is instead not the same kind of miracles God normally does… iii. We can reasonably conclude that nothing is special about the handkerchiefs, aprons, or even Paul for that matter. iv. In other words, these relics are not special because Paul had them or even that they had touched his skin. That is not why they are different. v. They aren't even really different because of the miracles they perform. God has done these miracles of healing and exorcism through His apostles before. vi. They are different because God is using them to heal people and cast out demons of people, by someone simply touching them. vii. God does not normally do this. viii. That should lead us to ask the question… Why? Why is God doing this? What is the purpose that Paul's clothing should give healing to others? ix. The answer to this question is abundantly simple. x. God chose to heal in this way because of the superstitious nature of the Ephesians and their love of magic, incantations, spells, witchcraft, sorcery and exorcisms. xi. Although the Roman empire in general was awash with all kinds of magical practices connected to pagan gods and even the worship of the Emperor, Ephesus was at the very center of that. xii. So much so, that Clement of Alexandria, when speaking of magic spells written on papyri, calls them Ephesian writings. We get the impression that all spells had earned this monicker because of the city of Ephesus' connection to magic. xiii. God stooped to heal people in this way to draw a direct comparison between Himself, His Kingdom, His Son and His apostle Paul, to the magical powers and spirits that were an integral part of the Ephesians' lives. xiv. But God does not normally function this way. xv. What did Abraham say to the rich man in hell when he asked if Lazarus might go and warn his brothers about that terrible place he was in? Abraham said, they have Moses and the prophets, if they will not listen to them, then even if someone who was raised from the dead goes to them, they will not be convinced. xvi. God's only means of drawing people to Himself is by His word. xvii. Mere miracles won't convince anyone to believe. xviii. But God does sometimes send signs and wonders to people who are slow to believe. He provided many such signs to the Israelites in leading them out of Egypt. xix. God also provides signs to those who are especially wicked - to deepen their punishment for continuing in disbelief. xx. He provided a sign for Ahaz that God should be believed and the sign was that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son. xxi. Jesus during His ministry said that a wicked and perverse generation asks for a sign, because it is only people who are slow to believe or wicked who need signs. And only wicked people would want to be a people who need signs in order to believe. xxii. In other words, miraculous signs and relics are only as good as their ability to authenticate God and His messengers. xxiii. And that is exactly what it did for Paul in the city of Ephesus. xxiv. Suddenly Paul has been granted a voice to speak the message because he is apparently… more proficient at magic then their magicians… at least this is what the Ephesians would have thought. xxv. But Luke tells us that it was God… not Paul. c. [Slide 4] Summary of the Point: Luke's point in reference to the entire book of Acts here is again proving that God is the gatherer and grower of His church. He expands His Kingdom's reach. The specific permutation of that teaching here is by comparison to the Kingdoms that stand opposed to His. The kingdoms of darkness and the kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdom of God and His Christ. In the heart of the Roman Empire, in the heart of magic and pagan worship, with the temple of Artemis on full display, God stoops to prove that He is more powerful than the magic that they have trusted. He condescends to prove this to them by providing unusual miracles done through Paul's sweaty clothes. In this He shows that there is nothing that can stop His Kingdom and His gospel power. Nothing at all. By direct comparison all the attempts of men to gain power, natural and supernatural, fail to compare to the stooped power of our God. So, what application shall we draw from this? What else other than that we must trust God. Not in God as if to believe He merely exists. But to trust God. All that He says, all He commands, all He does, all He will do, we must put our trust and hope completely in the triune God Yahweh. Transition: [Slide 5 (blank)] In what seems like a new episode, Luke moves on from this event to another event during the course of Paul's stay in Ephesus. But I believe Luke sets this in close proximity, and even that they are chronologically related to one another. To the extent that we must view verses 11 through 20 as one narrative episode and not two. What follows is the strength of those who wield magic. What is their power compared to God's? Let's look. II.) God's power is greater than magic, we must not take the Lord's name in vain. (13-16) a. [Slide 6] 13 - Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” i. What is recorded here is the object of Jewish myth and legend. 1. Josephus in his work of Jewish Antiquities noted that Solomon had legendary power to cast out demons. This power was believed to have been transmitted via incantations and formulas by family blood lines to first century exorcists. 2. Both in Matthew 12 and Luke 11 it is presupposed that these exorcists existed. And to some degree they were able to have success although it is clear from their writings that the Jewish Rabbis of the day did not approve of the practice. 3. Therefore, these Jewish exorcists were outliers. Jewish to some degree but only tangentially. 4. They would be something like those who practice Voodoo today. Voodoo has elements of paganism but is mixed with elements of Christianity. 5. Most Christians would not perceive those who practice Voodoo as being Christians. In a similar way, most Jews, especially those from Judea, would not perceive these Jewish exorcists as being Jews. 6. But the Gentiles would. In fact, they would probably care very little as long as the exorcists were successful in their craft. ii. The art of exorcism is another matter we must discuss. 1. Exorcisms at this time were primarily the use of one spirit or deity's power to cast out another spirit. 2. This gives some clarity as to why the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. a. Beelzebub is the Philistine God of flies or filth. By the first century the Pharisees had come to regard Satan as this same entity and described him as the lord or prince of demons. b. With both of these things in mind, Jesus' comments about a kingdom divided against itself make a lot of sense and repudiates the common thought of how to perform exorcisms. c. Although it may seem like one spirit invoked causes the removal of another – Jesus' words considered would lead us to understand that though one demon may give way to another more powerful one – ultimately, they are all on the same side. d. The removal of a spirit by any power save by the power of God is at best a stall and at worst, part of a grander plan to possess the person to an even greater degree. e. Why do I say that? f. For two reasons really. i. First, In Matthew 12 where this confrontation occurs with the Pharisees, 1. Jesus actually gives an example of how demons return to people after they have gone out of them. 2. And when they return, they bring more spirits more powerful than they are with them. ii. Second, in Luke's gospel, the man who was possessed by a large number of demons that called themselves Legion, had been possessed many times before. iii. Perhaps this indicates that he had received exorcisms before, which only increased the appeal of more demons to return and possess him in greater numbers. 3. Along with exorcisms, the name of the particular spirit or deity is of great significance. a. According to Jewish and Pagan legend and mythology, to know the name of a demon or spiritual entity is to possess power over it. b. This is no doubt where stories like Rumpelstiltskin got their inspiration. c. And so, unsurprisingly, these exorcists had observed Paul and his preaching and recognized Jesus as nothing more than a great power source to tap into and ply their trade. d. They attempt to use Jesus' name in vain (using it without the honor or respect it deserves to do something selfish), namely to bind or force this demon to leave this man. e. The word adjure means to command someone under penalty for failure. iii. Before we get to what happens, Luke has a few details he wishes to convey to us about these men. b. [Slide 7] 14 – Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. i. The significance of this comment is somewhat lost on us. ii. Sceva is a Latin name. It means “the left-handed or The Left hand”.” His name occurs nowhere in the records of the high priests associated with the temple in Jerusalem. iii. Having seven sons who are all powerful in exorcism magic communicates the inherited nature of some special bloodline of power. iv. Sceva being linked to the high priests may indicate that he is of a Levitical line. v. Some suggest that he pretended to be of the high priestly line but it was only a title he gave himself. vi. I think that he was probably of a line of so-called priests, descended from those who inherited the legendary secrets of Solomon for casting out demons. Perhaps a priestly line different than the Levitical line that God established. vii. Perhaps the title meaning Left-handed actually refers to him being the Left hand of God. A way God works that is through evil or darkness. viii. But assuming any of this is true, why does Luke tell us this without explaining its significance? ix. I believe this comment is primarily for Theophilus insomuch that perhaps the line of Sceva and his great spiritists were still known when Luke wrote to Theophilus in the early 60s. x. To know what happens next in light of these people still be regarded as great magicians, would do much to prove to Theophilus that what he believes is true beyond doubt. c. [Slide 8] 15 - But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” i. This verse is, perhaps, one of the most chilling verses in the scriptures. ii. Not perhaps as chilling as “depart from me for I never knew you” but it is certainly high on the list of sending chills down your spine. iii. Here we are given the words of this evil spirit, and they are a warning to us as we consider the power of demons and their place in the world, even to today. 1. First, we should observe that Luke says it is the evil spirit that answers. Is this with the use of the vocal cords of the person he possesses? Perhaps. a. We do know that these spirits are intelligent spirit creatures, meaning that they are probably able to speak and have voices of their own. b. Indeed, as creepy as it might be to consider, the voice could have come from within the man and without his lips moving. c. We spoke about this in Acts 16 where the girl was crying out with a demon's voice. The word used there is where we get our word for ventriloquism. 2. Second, we should take a look at what this demon says. Essentially, it says three things. a. Jesus, I know. i. The word “know” here is the Greek word which implies an experiential knowledge of something. ii. It is a more deep, more personal, more intimate knowledge. iii. Obviously not going so far as to mean love… but it is a knowledge borne of familiarity. iv. This demon knows Jesus. v. It is well aware of the God-Man Jesus Christ and His defeat of the forces of darkness via His death and resurrection. b. Paul, I recognize. i. The word for “recognize” is the Greek word which implies cognition. ii. Something learned, heard of, acquainted with, or recognized. iii. This does not imply a familiarity or experiential knowledge but rather a passed down through the grapevine kind of knowledge. iv. It is the word from which we derive the word epistemology, which is the study of how we come to know something as more than merely opinion. c. But who are you? i. Greek sentences do not have punctuation. ii. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether what is being said is a question or a statement. iii. In this case, whether we put a question mark or not, the evil spirit is not asking a question at all. iv. It is not asking who these men are… it is making a statement. v. That statement is that they do not have the pedigree to be able to cast it out of the man it is possessing. 3. This is quite the chilling little sentence for a few reasons. a. First, it is chilling to know that the demons do not resist Jesus because they do not know Him. Indeed, they are quite familiar with Him and still hate Him. James says they believe in Him and tremble. b. Second, it is chilling to know that the demons know our names… or at least can know our names. For this demon had heard of Paul. c. Third, it is chilling to know that demons do not fear any of us. Not in and of ourselves. iv. One final point before we move on… 1. What is clear here is that invoking the name of a more powerful deity or spirit to push out another spirit is obviously not the “key” or “secret” to exorcisms. 2. Combining what we observed from Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees, it seems Jesus was well aware of the game that demons would play with these exorcists, allowing themselves to be removed to convince these exorcists that they had some sort of power and to make room for even more possessions in the future. 3. In this particular case, this demon wasn't playing along. Why? 4. My guess is that it probably didn't want to voluntarily leave at the behest of Jesus' name – for to do so would only give the name of Jesus and Paul credibility among the Ephesians. 5. One thing we are clear on here, is that merely invoking Jesus' name is not enough to cast out demons. As if it were some magic spell that beats them every time. 6. In fact, to invoke Jesus' name in such a way for selfish ends, while not being His servant, is a form of breaking the third command not to take the Lord's name in vain. 7. But when Jesus' name is invoked by one who knows Him, serves Him, and it is the will of God to do as the one who invokes His name has requested… then there is nothing that can stop it… 8. This, my friends, is why we pray in Jesus' name. v. So, how does the demon react to these men who think they have power over it? d. [Slide 9] 16 - And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. i. In short, the spirit used the body of the man he possessed to beat the snot out of these 7 sons of Sceva. ii. The fact that there were 7 of them contributes to the supernatural aspect of this beating. iii. Even some of the most well-trained martial artists, if they are outnumbered 7 to 1, it is not likely they will make it through unscathed if they make it through at all. iv. The more people you face at the same time in a fight exponentially increases the likelihood of losing. v. The only way this can be overcome, is by significant difference in force. 7 starving men against a Master, or 7 men against 1 with a machine gun. vi. The fact that these 7 men were so squarely defeated, to the extent that their robes were ripped from them and they all left wounded… proves that this man was indeed possessed. e. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: Luke's primary point endures as we take the somewhat comical story of some people being healed and cleansed of evil spirits by Paul's sweat rag, while others cannot cast out demons even though they invoke the name of the Jesus that Paul preaches. This proves once again that God is greater than magic. All the powers and all the forces and all the works of witchcraft and wizardry – all the legends, all the ancestry, all the secret and forbidden knowledge, all the might of all the armies of all the kingdoms of hell, if we stack it all up against God's divine will and power… it is not a comparison worthy to be made. God wins. Without effort. Without breaking a sweat. So, what is the application for us? The name of God, The Father, His Son, and His Spirit, is not to be used in association with anything else. In fact, it is not able be used for personal gain, power, or selfish purposes. We must refuse to see Jesus, the Father, or the Spirit, as little more than a talisman or good luck charm to make our lives better. Instead, His name must be honored and revered. He must be worshipped and served. We are His. And because we are His and because He offers Himself to us, and because we desperately need Him to be what HE wants us to be… He is ours. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC, and how shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 11] Although we must leave the text this morning before we take a deeper look at the effect of these events on the people of Ephesus, there is already much for us to process this morning. Luke's primary point in this passage is a direct comparison between the power of God and all the would-be powers that exist in this world. We saw the wisdom of the gospel proved to those who were the wisest that humanity had to offer in Athens, but now we see the power of God and His gospel directly compared to the greatest power that can be attained in the world. The power of magic. Though magic is often a concept only conveyed to us in stories, the bible speaks of magic as real power granted to people through created beings who are opposed to the work of God. These real powers by force or by permission lend their aid to humans for their sinister purposes. To consider them to be extinct or in hibernation would be to adopt a hyper materialistic view that any missionary who has spent time in darker countries could immediately rebuff. These forces still exist today – not just in cute stories, but in reality. And there is real power that can be gained from the use of magic. But hear me now… it is nothing compared to the power of God. Even when God condescends to display His power in the same way magic does, His power still dwarfs it. There are two things we must do because of this. First, we must trust God. What He says, commands, does, will do – we must put all our eggs in His basket because there is only hope in Him. Secondly, which is a further explanation of what it means to trust God, is to not trust Him only so we gain something from Him. Our God cannot be used as a talisman, a good luck charm, a relic, or an icon to give us blessings or good fortune. He will not allow this to be the case. He is too great to enter into some kind of pact with us. He needs nothing from us. In fact, we are completely dependent on Him. We are nothing without Him. We cannot use Him to help us get what we want… because He is all we should ever want or need. That is the only relational arrangement that is appropriate with Yahweh, the God of the bible. He is either our everything or we are nothing. But how do we apply this more concretely to our lives today? 1.) [Slide 12] 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 there are other sinister powers at work in this dark world. a. We have all grown up in an age of materialism. b. What I mean by that is that the basis for rational thought, science, philosophy, psychology, medicine, and even theology to some degree, is built upon the belief that all things are material. c. All that is can be experienced by our senses. d. Added to this we have TV shows, books, movies, and video games, and other media conveying to us through the medium of make believe the absolute absurdity of the spiritual realm being in any way real. e. Whether we want it to or not, this concept infects our understanding of biblical passages to where many so-called churches now find materialistic ways of explaining the miracles we see in the scriptures. f. And stories like the one we have seen today, are interpreted through the lens of dramatic license of the biblical authors. As if Luke spins a yarn to convey a deeper theological truth. g. But the bible speaks of a spiritual world that runs parallel to this one. It does not do so to any degree of grand specificity. It does not provide to us the exact hierarchy of the angels or demons. It does not tell us the inner workings of the war between light and darkness to any great detail. h. But occasionally it does prove to us, through stories like these that sometimes that spiritual world connects, intersects, and pushes into our physical world. i. And unless they are messengers of God, all other powers and forces have sinister and nefarious intentions toward the God who created them. They have rebelled and have aligned themselves with Satan. They have taken up the cause to oppose the Lord and His people. j. If the bible is true, then how dangerous is it to be convinced that such forces and powers do not exist in reality. k. This is a terribly frightening story, the thing of horror novels. l. Magicians and exorcists, necromancers and witches performing spells and incantations, invoking spirit beings to force them to use their power for the benefit of the spell caster. m. If the scriptures speak of these things, we gain nothing by denying their existence. In fact, we put ourselves in a rather vulnerable position on a couple levels. i. First, we are vulnerable because we have to interpret these passages in such a way that it calls into question what exactly we can ever glean from the scriptures. 1. We must have a consistent hermeneutic. 2. It is not a strange coincidence that those who deny the miracles in the bible are now claiming that women can be pastors and have authority over men in the church. 3. It is not a coincidence that those who deny the spiritual nature of these dark powers are suddenly supporting the LGBTQIA+ agenda. 4. Once you begin to interpret the scriptures in such a way that what is plainly said is interpreted to mean the opposite somehow – that hermeneutic applied to every other passage of scripture allows for you to make the bible say whatever you want it to. ii. Second, we are vulnerable because if the bible is true and these dark powers do actually exist, we can rest assured that we will never see their oppression or possession coming. 1. If these creatures are real and are intelligent evil in our world – do you think they would want the world to believe they exist? 2. Perhaps at one time they did. Prior to Christ's coming and achieving victory over them. 3. But now, they hide in plain sight. They do not reveal themselves to the whole world. So that they might do their hunting in peace. n. We gain nothing by denying that magic, witchcraft, sorcery, demonic possession and oppression exist. o. Indeed, we stand to lose much in doing so. p. I do not have a command from the Lord for you to stop reading, watching, or playing things where these powers are included in the make-believe world… but I do have an application for you – DO NOT ALLOW these pass times to convince you that these forces are fake, benign, or under your control. q. But while we affirm that these horrible forces and powers exist… as we concede that these principalities and powers of this dark world do continue to oppose our God even now, and even here in the US… r. We MUST deny… 2.) [Slide 13] 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 such powers are greater than our God. a. It isn't even close folks. b. That doesn't mean that God does not allow them to have minor victories. That doesn't mean that God does not grant them minor successes and minor influences in the world. c. For as we see with the crucifixion of Christ – such successes are actually grave defeats to them. d. God turns their victories into defeats and their defeats into His glory. e. He is not troubled by them. He is not bothered by them. f. Though we call it a war between Light and Dark – that is creature talk. If the Lord so desired, the war could be over with a mere thought. g. But God's purposes are bigger, even bigger than the war between Angels and Demons. h. Bigger than the souls of mankind. i. Bigger than the kings and kingdoms of this world. j. Bigger than this world itself. k. God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is so far beyond all that is a creature… l. All else besides Him is a finite creation. He is the infinite Creator. m. My friends. As real and as powerful as magic, demons, witchcraft and sorcery are – They are nothing compared to the glory, the majesty, the power, the wisdom, the might, the holiness of our great God, Yahweh, the Most High. n. Indeed, although other things are called gods in the scriptures, because God is so far above them – they do not deserve the classification. For the Scriptures also plainly declare that there is no God but Yahweh. He is in a category by Himself. And none approach Him. o. So, what must we do? 3.) [Slide 14] 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 trust God alone. a. If these powers exist and actively oppose our God, but they do not even come close to His power, then we would be fools to attempt to oppose them without His strength. b. Like the sons of Sceva, we would find ourselves woefully outmatched. c. Instead, we must put our full confidence, hope, and trust in God alone. d. Not just for salvation, but for everything. e. For life, for eternal life, and for protection from these forces. f. God is all we need. g. He tells us to seek His Kingdom and righteousness first and then, when we do that, all our other concerns will be taken care of. h. Because His Kingdom and His Righteousness are all that really matter. Everything else… is just extra. i. We must trust the God who saves and the God who is in a category all to Himself. j. But that means we must stop doing something else… 4.) [Slide 15] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop merely adding God to what we already worship. a. Many people in America claim to be Christians. b. They claim this because they attend a Christian church, or their family did, or they prayed a prayer and asked Jesus into their heart, or they have some vague affiliation to or affection of Jesus. c. But in reality, most people who claim to be Christians in this nation do so with little better motives than these sons of Sceva who used His name to try to gain power over this demon. d. Many people claim Jesus as their Savior because they want to be saved from hell, but that is as far as the relationship has gone. They want forgiveness but no commands. Love but no Lordship. Acceptance but no correction. Mercy but no authority. They want heaven but would very much like to keep practicing all the fruits of hell. e. They live their lives as if Jesus is a wonderful addition, giving them security for their next life as they live this first one for their own pleasures, lusts, desires, and plans. f. My friends, such affiliation to Jesus is idolatry. It is taking the Lord's name in vain. g. To profess belief in Jesus only insofar as he forgives the sins you keep committing and gets you out of the hell you keep living for – such a Jesus doesn't exist. h. Jesus' name cannot be invoked, manipulated, manhandled. He cannot be strongarmed, seduced, deceived or abused. i. Our God is so far above you – that the only person you are fooling… is you. j. Our God demands exclusive, unpolluted, undivided, worship. And You don't bring anything to that worship that God actually needs from you. You only bring what He deserves from you. k. In this we find His mercy, for without Him we are nothing. l. God is all we need and God is all we have. m. Without Him we are nothing. Without us, He is the same. n. Therefore, to add God, Jesus, His Spirit, to our lives and live for ourselves is the most subtle of all forms of idolatry… and no man will be saved who confesses Christ in this way. o. God is either all you worship or you don't worship Him at all. p. My friends, God is too big and too powerful, too wise, too holy to be a god you add to your life. q. He demands to take over your life. That is true Christianity. That is true conversion. 5.) [Slide 16] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” There is no other god besides our God. a. The passage today is scary. b. These beings exist. They know our names. And they hate our God. c. It would be all we could do but to flee in fear… d. But our God is greater. e. Our God is stronger. f. There is no god but our God. g. Trust in nothing else. Trust in nothing less. [Slide 17(end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer Martin Luther Lord, there is no doubt that we are poor sinners, and by our disobedience we have deserved infinitely more severe discipline than we are now bearing. But look, Lord, at the wicked enemy's intentions. The enemy hates you and your name, and hates us too because we hold fast to you and your name, because we find comfort in your word, and because we hope for mercy through your death and merits. Therefore, dear Lord Jesus Christ, punish our enemy, and help us for your name's sake! Such a thought cheers our hearts, giving us confidence and boldness to pour ourselves out to you in prayer. For this reason the prophets also prayed in this way, constantly pleading the name of God, as David does: "Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered" (Psalm 44:22). So we now pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Benediction: May the Lord your God be to you a safe retreat In troubled times, a stronghold and refuge when you are oppressed, So that you can say, I will be glad and rejoice in you, I will sing praise to your name O Most High. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Real Righteousness   Series - The Gospel of Luke   Jordan Rice   Luke 3:15-22   Beloved in Christ: Finding Freedom in His Righteousness.   Give to support the ministry of Renaissance Church: https://renaissancenyc.com/give   Keep up with Renaissance by filling out a connection card: https://renaissancenyc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/5/responses/new

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, not your own agenda,” Jesus is essentially saying. Most of our worry comes from being overly concerned about ourselves, our plans, and the events in our lives which affect us one way or another. In this message Martin McCorkle helps us keep God's perspective. “Worry is… The post Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness appeared first on Trinity Community Church.

Matthew 6:31–33 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But SEEK first His KINGDOM and His RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be given to you as well.

A new MP3 sermon from Reformation Church of Elizabeth is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Glories of His Righteousness and Wonders of His Love Subtitle: Romans Speaker: Kevin Swanson Broadcaster: Reformation Church of Elizabeth Event: Sunday Service Date: 12/1/2024 Bible: Romans 3:26-31 Length: 49 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Reformation Church of Elizabeth is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Glories of His Righteousness and Wonders of His Love Subtitle: Romans Speaker: Kevin Swanson Broadcaster: Reformation Church of Elizabeth Event: Sunday Service Date: 12/1/2024 Bible: Romans 3:26-31 Length: 49 min.

Our Podcast Girls walked away from this week's discussion with a few intimate statements. My prayer is that you will do the same. Here are the words of our hearts: "Rest in His Righteousness," "Die to myself and feel Jesus takeover." "Give it, whatever "it" is, to the Spirit for guidance." "Taking up my cross---loving Jesus with all my heart, mind, and soul---will allow me to live unhidden as the Holy Spirit filled Temple." Such beautiful truths! SelahJoin us for the Temple study!Use the link below to access the video and podcast links to the Temple study and order your workbook.https://www.womeninseparable.com/temple Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How would life change if we actually believed God loved us deeply and had our backs? Let's dive in and find out! Join Kent this Sunday at Harmony. EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). Get the fill in the blank bulletins my.harmonychurch.cc/bulletins. ------------------------------- OPENING ILLUSTRATION: How many times a day does worry or anxiety pop up in your mind? I don't want to lose you by getting you to jump into anxious thoughts, but think about it for a second… Here's a few things I find myself anxious or worried about -I'm not sure how we're going to pay that bill -How are we going to get everyone to where they need to go -When am I going to have time to finish that project with everything I've got to do -I'm afraid I'm not going to be home on time because of this meeting -Oh no, my phone is ringing, what do I do? ;) -I feel like I'm losing my kid -I wonder if a person is secretly judging me -I'm worried we won't have enough for retirement -I don't know what to do with my kids -I can't figure out what I did wrong with my spouse I mean, let's be honest, we could go on and on, couldn't we? Worry and anxiety are at epidemic levels in our country. Look at this chart: [put chart on screen] If you are older, you don't get it and if you're younger, you don't know how someone couldn't get it… This calls for compassion and some reconsidering of our how we order our world… b I think it calls for going back to the one who created you and listening to see if His words could have some meaning in your life… I want to read some of Jesus' words and look at them in the context of how we all live our everyday life and then ask the question What if we took Him seriously - what would life look like for you? Mt 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Does anybody else feel like at this point you are wanting to say to Jesus “don't worry about life and eat or drink? That's all I do Jesus is worry” I feel like some of us make worry out like it's a sport - we're so good at it that if there was an olympics in worry, we'd have been in Paris this last summer… I want you to notice something about what Jesus is doing here. Jesus is trying to elevate your vision - move your eyes upwards. b “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” ILLUSTRATION: Years ago, I had a really good friend who I was talking with. After a few minutes of talking with him he stopped me and said, “Hey, what's going on with you, you haven't shared one real thing about your life with me, you're just keeping everything at a surface level.” Jesus is trying to get you past a surface level of life. He wants you to find joy and freedom, to be able to really embrace life - but you know as well as I do that when you are caught up constantly worrying about the next bill, worrying about your time, your food, your whatever that you are not living life, you are staying on the surface… Life is more… and your anxious, controlling, and predicting the future is keeping you from the now. 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? I want to ask you two questions that Jesus asks you here - really ask them. Are you more valuable than birds to God? It seems like a silly question at first - probably your instant answer is “yes”. But can I ask it another way? Do you really believe you are valuable to God? My experience has been most people can believe that others are valuable to God, but not themselves. I personally struggle with that. Intellectually I know God loves me, but at a gut level, I wonder how He could… Part of your anxiety, and mine, comes from an inability to rightly believe how much God really loves you. b What would change if you really believed God was good and that He loved you madly? some of you need to stop listening to this sermon and spend the rest of the service thinking about that question. Jesus asks - Can you add a single hour to your life through worry? No, we can theoretically add to our lifespan in modern times, but guess what, when you die, you are dead, there is no adding to that time. Your lifespan is not theoretical, at some point it will be defined. Your worry does not change that end - it's an illusion. 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? The NIV always translates this as “you of little faith” or “why do you have so little faith”, but I've heard Greek scholars say it would be better translated as Little Faiths (the Greek word is oligó(little)pistos(faith)) Can I give you a little encouragement… Jesus is talking about this because He expects we'll struggle with it. He gives the prescription because we all have the ailment. b His disciples who saw, walked, ate, ministered with Him - Jesus gives them the nickname “Little Faiths.” You are not alone in this… 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus very clearly tells us to not worry, but how can we do that? His answer is simple Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. b When worry pops up, when anxiety fills your brain - lift your eyes up, ask yourself, how can I seek His Kingdom and Righteousness today? Honestly, it won't be long till that turns into, “Jesus, how can I seek your kingdom and righteousness today - here and now… God is saying, “when you care for the things I care about, I will take care of you.” Actually as I really meditated on this something hit me that had never hit me before. CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: Recently Jenni and I had a huge financial burden strike us that we hadn't expected. I was really freaking out if I'm honest - I grew up poor and feel an incredible responsibility to care for my family and honestly always try and keep us from being in that position. I didn't know what to do. I prayed and just kept going towards Jesus and serving Him. Here's what's crazy. I got an envelope given to me - honestly, I didn't even open the envelope for a few days. But when I did, I found out it had exactly the amount we needed to pay the bills. It was crazy. But can I tell you what's even crazier? That has been my experience over and over again. That God takes care of our needs. He is faithful. One of the things that struck me is when you are seeking first God's Kingdom and His Righteousness - you tend to be around people who are doing that as well - we call this the church. And all of the sudden we are taking care of one another. I don't think Jesus is saying this will be magical. What He is saying is that when you are submitting your will to His Will, He will take care of you, part of how He does that is by using people who's will is submitted to Him as well. Can I tell you a secret? This isn't a get rich scheme. You can't do this to get God to pay your bills. He knows your heart and what you really seek. What it is, is insurance that if you give up letting money and security be your God and let God be your God, that He will take care of you. A great example of this is I heard recently how one of our connect groups stepped up to help a family in the group and supported one another - people giving money to care for the needs of others… See, When you give yourself wholly to Jesus you find a holy Jesus who holds you in His hands. --------------------------------

Seeking God's Kingdom and His Righteousness before seeking everything at all times

Seeking God's Kingdom and His Righteousness before seeking everything at all times

Learning to seek God's Kingdom and His Righteousness before everything are every moment

Pastor Randy continued his sermon series through the book of Romans with the message titled, -Justice Will Be Served- from Romans 3-1-8.--God's Justice is based on--- His WORD. -vs. 1-2-- His FAITHFULNESS. -vs. 3-4-- His RIGHTEOUSNESS. -vs. 5-8-

Pastor Randy continued his sermon series through the book of Romans with the message titled, "Justice Will Be Served" from Romans 3:1-8.God's Justice is based on: His WORD. (vs. 1-2) His FAITHFULNESS. (vs. 3-4) His RIGHTEOUSNESS. (vs. 5-8)

Learning to walk in the footprints Jesus left us. The footprints of His Righteousness

Learning to walk in the footprints Jesus left us. The footprints of His Righteousness

Seeking first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness. Amen.

Matthew 6:25-34 can be summarized in one sentence: Jesus does not want you to be anxious. The cure for anxiousness and worry is seeking God's Kingdom and His Righteousness. God promises to take care of the rest. 

Early Church records; "World" at Jesus's time; Kingdom not of this "world"; Golden Calf; Lk 13:27; Rightful king of Judea; Leaven?; Baskets?; Giving power to tyrants; Freewill vs forced offerings; Fate of the Gauls; Creating collateral for a nation; Communism; Tables of rulers; Not to be that way with you; Welfare snares; Idolatry; Disliking what Jesus taught; Mark 9:1; Mt 16:28; Lk 9:27; Jn 8:52; Heb 2:9 - tasting death; Style of Hebrews; "power" = "dunamis"; Tasting death - thanatos; Metaphoric?; Dead burying the dead; Cruelty of forced offerings; Mt 17:1; Mk 5:37; Lk 5:1; Peter-James-John; Essene community; Dead Sea scrolls; Being the courts; Boaz/Ruth example; Offices of power or service; Charity; Mercy; Cause/effect; Force is anti-Christian; Charity rightly divided; vs Degeneration by force; Pure Religion; Religious Order of Apostles; Apology to Antonius Pius - why?; "Christian Conflict"; Transfiguration?; Overshadowing cloud; Wrath of God; Choosing unrighteousness; Forfeiting your power of choice; Spiritual realm; v14; "Scribes"; Challenging the scribes' interrogation; Inciting loyalty; Your relationship with Jesus; Self-deception; Dumb spirit?; Importance of "belief"; Help with unbelief; Fear of leaving Herod's system; Spiritual eviction; Prayer and fasting; What is prayer?; Possession?; v29 "kind"; Fasting - from what?; Conforming to righteousness; Who should be greatest?; No exercising authority; Biting one another; Mt 24:5 - "Name" of Jesus; Mk 13:6; Lk 21:8; Jn 14:26; Holy Spirit?; Spiritual ways; "Republic"; Ear-ticklers; Entertaining devils; Who will repent?; Sacrifice daily?; Pick-pocketing your neighbor; Are you at peace?; How to be at peace; Operating by faith, hope and charity; Red heifer?; Seeking Kingdom of God and His Righteousness; Don't be afraid of sacrifice!

The Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 08-20-2024) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include: What is The Now and Not Yet?/Was Jesus' Blood imputed to Us or was it His Righteousness?Is Mandatory 10% Tithing Biblical for Christians/Is this a “Partnering” Requirement?What to Look for in A ChurchDo Christians Have The Dietary Restrictions of The Mosaic LawWho is Billy Burke?Is Church A Business?/Is Church Necessary?Should Pastors Make Political Endorsements?Is AI OK?August 20, 2024

The Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 08-20-2024) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include:What is The Now and Not Yet?/Was Jesus' Blood imputed to Us or was it His Righteousness?Is Mandatory 10% Tithing Biblical for Christians/Is this a "Partnering" Requirement?What to Look for in A ChurchDo Christians Have The Dietary Restrictions of The Mosaic LawWho is Billy Burke?Is Church A Business?/Is Church Necessary?Should Pastors Make Political Endorsements?Is AI OK?August 20, 2024

The Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 08-20-2024) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include: What is The Now and Not Yet?/Was Jesus' Blood imputed to Us or was it His Righteousness?Is Mandatory 10% Tithing Biblical for Christians/Is this a “Partnering” Requirement?What to Look for in A ChurchDo Christians Have The Dietary Restrictions of The Mosaic LawWho is Billy Burke?Is Church A Business?/Is Church Necessary?Should Pastors Make Political Endorsements?Is AI OK?August 20, 2024

Seek First The Kingdom of God and His Righteousness comes with a promise to the early disciples of Jesus. The principles embodied in this text help us to understand the will of God for our lives. Take your life to the next level as you ponder the message and begin to practice it in your life.Worried about the uncertains of the future and the state of the world amidst wars and nuclear threats. See how beautifully God has interwoven his promises to continue life on this planet.Will Planet Earth Be Destroyed? I use NALA to send money home, along with 100,000 others. Join with code WILLIAM-128438 and get $5.00 https://join.iwantnala.com/WILLIAM-128438Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/all-bible-prophecy-fulfilled--2642968/support.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Mat. 11:28-30. Know this, only He can forgive you of your sins, take you in, and lead you into His Righteousness. Whenever you are ready, remember Jesus is waiting. Blessings, Elder Barbara Hayes Jesus Calling | LAB

His Righteousness; Media untruths; Accepting corrections; Security in our beliefs; Our loyalty to our knowledge; Why marry?; Free bread?; Biting one another; Waiving your rights; Bondage; "qorban"; Oppression of Pharisees; Finding out what the Gospel is about; Repentance; Tree of knowledge; Forcing neighbors?; Importance of the next generation; Witnessing to the Gospel; John 16:1; Don't be offended; "skandalizo" - impeding your way; Bing put out from Synagogue; Herod's social safety net; Organized charity; "Tens"; Thinking of Christ = Word (logos); Exercising authority; Is Jesus your king?; Sharing beyond synagogue; Kingdom of God; Communism; Agreeing to bite each other?; Going back into bondage; Oppression; Sitting in the seat of Moses; Letting go of old ideas; Giving time for neighbors to accept Christ; City of God?; John 14:25; Holy Spirit teaching; What Christ believed; Welfare snares; Benefit of Christ's leaving; Gathering together; John 16:7 transferring dependence upon Holy Spirit; What makes us good/bad; Spiritual journey; Walking according to Holy Spirit; Rome in Judea; Spirit of control - fast from that; Spiritual protection; Tree of Life requires humility; Judgement by Holy Spirit; Praying for others; Fear = anger; Finding Holy Spirit for yourself; Fearing to reveal truth; "Expedient"; Resurrection and spiritual truth; Changing the course of history; John 16:22; "chara" - joy -> charity; Joy that remains; You can't change others; Ensnaring your own soul; The source of our salvation; Your private image of Jesus; Iniquities; Moses/pharaoh; Setting people free; Free assemblies: Roman Imperial cult; Not to be that way with you; Jesus' "name"; Legal system?; God can set you free!; Helping you look; Bondage of Egypt - key elements; Revelation of the Holy Spirit; Prodigal sons; Believing without signs; Helping with unbelief; "Belief"; Letting people judge you; Studying?; Doing!; Fasting from the world; Wearing your religion; Finding Tree of Life; Serving others; Be a light - not a flamethrower!

A Devotional on Lamentations 1:18 18 The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. His Righteousness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ-fMPG0ByE

Come journey with me yo the Cosmos and engage His Righteousness

2-4-24 AM "The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness" Scripture Reading: II Corinthians 5:12-21 I. The Persons in the Great Exchange A. The Sinless Christ B. The Believing Sinner C. The Reconciling God II. The Objects in the Great Exchange A. The Sin of the World B. The Righteousness of God III. The Result of the Great Exchange A. A Perfect Reconciliation B. A Gospel Plea Rev. Greg Lubbers

A new MP3 sermon from Hopewell Associate Reformed Presbyterian is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Imaging God, Knowing Him, and Submitting to His Righteousness in Christ Subtitle: Family Worship Speaker: James Hakim Broadcaster: Hopewell Associate Reformed Presbyterian Event: Teaching Date: 12/18/2023 Bible: Romans 10:1-4; Leviticus 18:1-4 Length: 13 min.

The Priority of God has and always will be the message of The Kingdom of God.There is only one way to get in (Jesus), and once you are in, there are only two things to focus on, (seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness).Now Let's Adjust Our Crowns!

"I AM ELOHE CHASEDDI" Do you have a deep desire to know God more for yourself? Like, TRULY KNOW Him? I know this has been such a deep desire for me, and this season, I feel compelled to draw as close to Him as possible. To generate intimacy with anyone, we must first know who they are; the same goes for our relationship with God. Let's get to know God better together by praying through the names of God. Resource used:  Book by Tony Evans, Praying Through The Names of God Spend some intimate time with God after listening, then read Psalm 59 and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as Elohe Chaseddi. SHOW DETAILS: Welcome to 6AMer, a daily devotional podcast with your host @conecia  This space is where we give God the first fruits of our day as a community, personally and intimately.   6AMer is here to help us return our hearts to God and receive from Him wholeness through His grace, mercy and love.  Join me daily as we Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness!  "But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Why 6AMer?  "6" = On the 6th day, God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)  "AM" = Acknowledging God as the great I AM who desires to partner with us (Exodus 3:14)  "er" = as a noun suffix "er" refers to one who yields, is connected with, who does and who produces   So, the 6AMer partners with God and actively seeks Him with all their heart! God wants us to seek Him, know Him and know who we are through Him. 

"I AM EL ELOHE YISRAEL" Do you have a deep desire to know God more for yourself? Like, TRULY KNOW Him? I know this has been such a deep desire for me, and this season, I feel compelled to draw as close to Him as possible. To generate intimacy with anyone, we must first know who they are; the same goes for our relationship with God. Let's get to know God better together by praying through the names of God. Resource used:  Book by Tony Evans, Praying Through The Names of God Spend some intimate time with God after listening, then read Genesis 33 and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as El Elohe Yisrael. SHOW DETAILS: Welcome to 6AMer, a daily devotional podcast with your host @conecia  This space is where we give God the first fruits of our day as a community, personally and intimately.   6AMer is here to help us return our hearts to God and receive from Him wholeness through His grace, mercy and love.  Join me daily as we Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness!  "But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Why 6AMer?  "6" = On the 6th day, God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)  "AM" = Acknowledging God as the great I AM who desires to partner with us (Exodus 3:14)  "er" = as a noun suffix "er" refers to one who yields, is connected with, who does and who produces   So, the 6AMer partners with God and actively seeks Him with all their heart! God wants us to seek Him, know Him and know who we are through Him. 

"I AM EL BETHEL" Do you have a deep desire to know God more for yourself? Like, TRULY KNOW Him? I know this has been such a deep desire for me, and this season, I feel compelled to draw as close to Him as possible. To generate intimacy with anyone, we must first know who they are; the same goes for our relationship with God. Let's get to know God better together by praying through the names of God. Resource used:  Book by Tony Evans, Praying Through The Names of God Spend some intimate time with God after listening, then read Genesis 35 and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as El Bethel. SHOW DETAILS: Welcome to 6AMer, a daily devotional podcast with your host @conecia  This space is where we give God the first fruits of our day as a community, personally and intimately.   6AMer is here to help us return our hearts to God and receive from Him wholeness through His grace, mercy and love.  Join me daily as we Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness!  "But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Why 6AMer?  "6" = On the 6th day, God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)  "AM" = Acknowledging God as the great I AM who desires to partner with us (Exodus 3:14)  "er" = as a noun suffix "er" refers to one who yields, is connected with, who does and who produces   So, the 6AMer partners with God and actively seeks Him with all their heart! God wants us to seek Him, know Him and know who we are through Him. 

"I AM ADONAI" Do you have a deep desire to know God more for yourself? Like, TRULY KNOW Him? I know this has been such a deep desire for me, and this season, I feel compelled to draw as close to Him as possible. To generate intimacy with anyone, we must first know who they are; the same goes for our relationship with God. Let's get to know God better together by praying through the names of God. Resource used:  Book by Tony Evans, Praying Through The Names of God Spend some intimate time with God after listening, then read Deuteronomy 3 and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as Adonai. SHOW DETAILS: Welcome to 6AMer, a daily devotional podcast with your host @conecia  This space is where we give God the first fruits of our day as a community, personally and intimately.   6AMer is here to help us return our hearts to God and receive from Him wholeness through His grace, mercy and love.  Join me daily as we Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness!  "But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Why 6AMer?  "6" = On the 6th day, God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)  "AM" = Acknowledging God as the great I AM who desires to partner with us (Exodus 3:14)  "er" = as a noun suffix "er" refers to one who yields, is connected with, who does and who produces   So, the 6AMer partners with God and actively seeks Him with all their heart! God wants us to seek Him, know Him and know who we are through Him. 

God, who are You? "I AM JEHOVAH" Do you have a deep desire to know God more for yourself? Like, TRULY KNOW Him? I know this has been such a deep desire for me, and this season, I feel compelled to draw as close to Him as possible. To generate intimacy with anyone, we must first know who they are; the same goes for our relationship with God. Let's get to know God better together by praying through the names of God. Resource used:  Book by Tony Evans, Praying Through The Names of God Spend some intimate time with God after listening, then read Genesis 2 and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as Jehovah. SHOW DETAILS: Welcome to 6AMer, a daily devotional podcast with your host @conecia  This space is where we give God the first fruits of our day as a community, personally and intimately.   6AMer is here to help us return our hearts to God and receive from Him wholeness through His grace, mercy and love.  Join me daily as we Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness!  "But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Why 6AMer?  "6" = On the 6th day, God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)  "AM" = Acknowledging God as the great I AM who desires to partner with us (Exodus 3:14)  "er" = as a noun suffix "er" refers to one who yields, is connected with, who does and who produces   So, the 6AMer partners with God and actively seeks Him with all their heart! God wants us to seek Him, know Him and know who we are through Him. 

God, who are You? "I AM ELOHIM" Do you have a deep desire to know God more for yourself? Like, TRULY KNOW Him? I know this has been such a deep desire for me, and this season, I feel compelled to draw as close to Him as possible. To generate intimacy with anyone, we must first know who they are; the same goes for our relationship with God. Let's get to know God better together by praying through the names of God. Resource used: Book by Tony Evans, Praying Through The Names of God Spend some intimate time with God after listening to read Genesis 1 and ask Him to reveal Himself to you as Elohim. SHOW DETAILS: Welcome to 6AMer, a daily devotional podcast with your host @conecia  This space is where we give God the first fruits of our day as a community, personally and intimately.   6AMer is here to help us return our hearts to God and receive from Him wholeness through His grace, mercy and love.  Join me daily as we Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness!  "But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Why 6AMer?  "6" = On the 6th day, God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27)  "AM" = Acknowledging God as the great I AM who desires to partner with us (Exodus 3:14)  "er" = as a noun suffix "er" refers to one who yields, is connected with, who does and who produces   So, the 6AMer partners with God and actively seeks Him with all their heart! God wants us to seek Him, know Him and know who we are through Him. 

Dressed in His Righteousness alone, prepares me for the heavenly throne. Obadiah1, Hebrews 2, Proverbs 26:13-22 Doris and Marshall 

The difference between a TITHE and an OFFERING Romans 11:16 (NAS 1995)“If the first piece of the dough is holy; the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are also. Matthew 6:21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 6:38 (NAS 1995)Give, and it will be given to you. They will [a]pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38 (TPT)“Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! The measurement of your generosity becomes the measurement of your return.” "THE GIVING PRINCIPLE" 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NAS 1995)6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]bountifully will also reap [b]bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS [c]ENDURES FOREVER.” (LEGACY) 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality (generosity), which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. GENEROUSITY IS OUR HONOR!!! Philippians 4:19And my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. GENEROUSITY IS OUR HONOR!!GENEROUSITY IS A BLESSING!!!GENEROUSITY IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF FATHER GOD!! 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (NAS 1995)8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

The difference between a TITHE and an OFFERING Romans 11:16 (NAS 1995)“If the first piece of the dough is holy; the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are also. Matthew 6:21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 6:38 (NAS 1995)Give, and it will be given to you. They will [a]pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38 (TPT)“Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! The measurement of your generosity becomes the measurement of your return.” "THE GIVING PRINCIPLE" 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NAS 1995)6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [a]bountifully will also reap [b]bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS [c]ENDURES FOREVER.” (LEGACY) 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality (generosity), which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. GENEROUSITY IS OUR HONOR!!! Philippians 4:19And my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. GENEROUSITY IS OUR HONOR!!GENEROUSITY IS A BLESSING!!!GENEROUSITY IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF FATHER GOD!! 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (NAS 1995)8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

Parsha Nitzavim ["you are standing THIS Day..." from Deuteronomy 29:9 through chapter 30] contains what Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa contend is one of the most graphic and undeniable refutations of some of THE Biggest Lies in all xtianity...things that are NOT in the Real Book, but get taught in sun-god-day skool as if they actually were. It also contains THE singular Two Word Summary of not only His Instruction, but how to "rightly divide the Word," which applies even if it even appears to the 'uneducated and untaught' as if there is some conflict. The Erev Shabbat reading makes it clear: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SSM-9-8-23-Nitzavim-Deut-30-teaching-podcast-xxx.mp3 The Sabbath midrash explores the depth of the Big Lie that most of us were taught - wrongly - in a church which first tried to claim "the Law" was "done away with," and then followed up with the caveat, that, well, 'NOBODY but jesus could possibly KEEP it anyway!' Worse, is that both of them try to claim the Creator and Author of Scripture Himself is a liar for so clearly saying otherwise! But ALL of that comes to a head in this parsha, where the lessons of this season's Fall Feasts combine with a 'greater Exodus,' still to come, to show WHY those lies are so devastating. "Nitzavim: Debunking the Big Lie that's NOT in The Book - with His RIGHTEOUSNESS" https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WT-CooH-Nitzavim-Chose-HaYom-His-RIGHTEOUSNESS-Tzadekah-podcast-xxxx.mp3 The combined two-part teaching is here:

God is in the rescue business and it is a good thing, or ALL OF US would be lost.  Remember, God is also in the Justice/Judgment business.  Absent His help, His mercy, His wrapping us in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, we'd all be toast. Without Jesus, every single one of us is on the wrong team: the unrighteous team. Everybody. But here's the good news: He makes a way that HIS righteousness can count for us. Noah pictures this.  He is the "herald of righteousness." He is the "trumpet-shell" through which this message to mankind starts. It gets rolling with Noah and then is a juggernaut in Jesus. God is in the RESCUE BUSINESS.Bewithme.us is the way you can get this tomorrow unless God rescues me fully tonight. Alternatives are Apple Podcasts, google podcasts, Spotify, or cashbox. LISTEN, don't just read the blurb. 

Lydia brings a timely message about Hunger and Thirsting for His Righteousness, and not being distracted in our relationship with King Jesus. 

Our identity is not in our purpose ...... Our identity is not in our roles .... our identity is in Him. We were born to be image bearers of His Righteousness. that's Righteous Leadership (led by our righteous nature).

What it's like being self employed, and more importantly, what it truly means to genuinely seek The Most High and His Kingdom and His Righteousness first.

Sermon by Connections Pastor, David Garcia. Series "You Have Heard It Said." Week 2 "His Righteousness."

Sermon by Connections Pastor, David Garcia. Series "You Have Heard It Said." Week 2 "His Righteousness."

Join Michael, Chris, Andrew and Dillon as they consider the various tactics employed in modern-day counseling, even so-called Christian counseling.  How do we respond when Christian counselors rely upon the tools of psychology rather than the Word of God?  For example, is it okay for Christians to undergo hypnosis to get to the root of their problems?"The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness" - book by Jerry Bridges & Bob Bevington"Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace" - book by Sarah Mackenzie"A Display of God's Glory" - booklet by Mark Dever"Grieving: Your Path Back to Peace" - book by James R. WhiteIf you have questions you would like “Have You Not Read?” to tackle, please submit them at the link below:https://www.ssbcokc.org/have-you-not-read/