Podcasts about holy book

Surah 26 The Poets v69-81 Session 10 Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) attributes everything to Allah SWT except sickness. He says, "And when I become sick, He [ Allah is the One who] heals me. Lineage Prophet Ibrahim (as) ibn (Yatrah) Taareekh ibn Shaarikh ibn Najoor ibn Faaleekh (Hayatal Haywaan). Aazar was the name of an idol and Ibraaheem's (as) father was Taareekh. His mother's name was Shaanee, his wife's name was Saara..(Ibn Kathir). An aged Ibrahim (A.S.) prays for his parents... "O My Lord (SWT)! Pardon me and my parents and all the Believers on the Day the Account will be called for!" (Surah Ibrahim [as] 14:41). The Finest Lineage "On the Day Allah (SWT) The Almighty Created the creation He (SWT) Placed me amongst the best of them then when He (SWT) branched Them out, He (SWT) placed me (saw) amongst the best of the two Branches (Tirmidhi). Waaliday refers to parents. The word abee (or it's derivatives) can also be used for one's uncles as confirmed in the Holy Book itself Surah 2 v133.

Join us as Kaven and Ijaz from NUS Muslim Society explore the timeless wisdom of the Quran. From its profound teachings to its relevance in our daily lives, this discussion will inspire and enlighten. Tune in to learn more about the Holy Book and why Muslims hold it dearly.

https://chusermedia.s3.amazonaws.com/405130925_36670_Jan_12_Dan.mp3 Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:00:00 EST Lenses for Life: #2 MADE HOLY - Book Study of 1 Corinthians

On Sunday morning, rebels seized control of a Damascus television station and hailed the “fall of the criminal Assad regime.” Assad decided to step down and leave the country, according to Russia's foreign minister. A collapse of Syria's government might lead to the rise of something even worse. This is happening during our political purgatory as the Biden administration may commit to a war effort but leave Israel and possibly Turkey to do their dirty work. We are in a series of multiple wars on all fronts. Only historians and religious scholars have the luxury of calling it World War III or the beginning of the Apocalypse. As the Book of Isiah reads: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.” Tonight on Ground Zero (7-10 pm, pacific time) Clyde Lewis talks about WHY SO SYRIA? HOLY BOOK VENGEANCE. Listen Live: https://groundzero.radio Archived Shows: https://aftermath.media

adrat Zayd ibn Thaabit (ra), Session 28 The Scribe of The Quran The Concession - 'The Water is from The Water' (Muslim). During the reign of Uthmaan (ra) Zayd (ra) was 35. Uthmaan (ra) would leave Zayd (ra) in charge of Al Medina whenever he went for Hajj (Al Bidaya). Zayd's (ra) second pivotal role in the preservation of The Holy Book. The 7 recitals. Uthmaan (ra) orders copies of The Quran in the Quraysh recital, whilst returning the original to Hafsah (raa).

From “Horse Teeth” to Hate Trains, the world has tried to humble Kim, but this b*tch won't die. She wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she was born with a gold bar up her ass and came into the world screaming, “I'M THAT GIRL.” In this episode, Kim outlines her formula for building and rebuilding confidence and defines confidence as believing the sh*t that comes out of your mouth by proving to yourself you're not full of it. Whispers like “she's so full of herself” are nothing new for a girl who would rather be full of herself than the insecurities they're selling online. Kim teaches the girls how to close the gap between who you think you are and who you actually are. Because saying you're “that girl” and actually being “that girl” are not the same, and building confidence happens as you become her. She wants to remind you that being an outsider is likely your superpower because, by definition, outsiders are outliers—and most successful people are exactly that. Kim's biggest takeaway? In the words of Toni Morrison, “You are your best thing.”Let's be friends!Step 1: LEAVE ME A 5-STAR REVIEW (bonus points for a compliment!)Step 2: Follow me on Instagram @richlittlebrokegrlsStep 3: oh, and  Join the RLBG Collective at richlittlebrokegirls.com/join for live updates and access to exclusive events & live conversations.Step 4: Follow the international pop star SlimKim on TikTok and Instagram!

The Word is Our Standard   (audio)   David Eells (9/15/24)  We see in Hebrews 2:2For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3 how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard.   How shall we escape if we neglect this wonderful salvation? What is salvation? Well, it's Jesus. You want to see what salvation looks like? Look at Jesus. When you get saved and filled and sanctified, look at Jesus because He said, ….behold 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. You're coming into the image of Jesus. That was God's plan from the beginning.   Let me just point out a few verses to give you the flavor of this teaching and then the Good News at the end. It says in verse Luk 21:10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; (That certainly sounds a little like our time.) 11 and there shall be great earthquakes, (that certainly sounds like our day, doesn't it?) and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. (Again, this sounds like warnings for our day and the days that are coming, right?)   Verse 25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; (We're certainly seeing that) and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (and they have been shaking.)   And verse 34 But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting(Overindulging in things of the world), and drunkenness(Not seeing things in reality.), and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: And it will; it is coming as a snare, the Lord has shown us.)   35 for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. We know that there are those who dwell in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, by abiding in His Word and Spirit. But this is going to come upon those that dwell on the Earth; they're earthly bound.   36 But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. What do we need to do to be counted worthy to escape? Well, one verse that comes to me is Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; And we know that this means that we need to have the renewed mind of the Word. We need to agree with the Word when it speaks about what is sin and what is our sin. And we need to agree with the Word when it speaks about justification through faith and the blood of Jesus when we repent of our sins. If we don't repent of our sins, we don't really get that.   So …let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, Justified means accounted righteous. To escape all these things, you have to be accounted righteous, and you have to agree with God. Some people because of their pride, they pervert and twist the word, or they just don't apply the Word, so they neglect their salvation. That thou mightest be justified in thy words. (Your words have to justify you so that you can have God's benefits.) And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment,   Is judgment coming upon the world? Everybody that really, truly knows God knows that it is, and that it's here now. So, we need to escape. We need to be justified by our words by agreeing with God, by being humble enough to say, “Yes, Lord, this is right and I am wrong, and I have sinned; and I need you. And I thank You, Father for Jesus bearing this curse upon Himself.” Now, in willful disobedience, you don't have any benefit of the Passover Lamb because if we sin willfully after we receive a knowledge of the truth, there remains no sacrifice for sin; Heb 10:26. So don't sin willfully; if you do sin, do it in failure. But don't do it willfully.   Also, you probably know this by heart: Rom 10:10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (See something has to start in the heart. You have to believe; you can't be self-deluded and grow in your salvation, which is, as we said, Christ in you.)   … and with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. That is in the thoughts of your heart you believe unto righteousness; believing what God says about you and what He says about your future. Now the devil has to change this in some kind of a way in your mind about your circumstances. He has to get you to believe something else because salvation is sure if you do this. He has to pervert the Truth. Many people act as though they believe they're under the authority of the devil and are not justified in that. And if you know that you're not under the authority of the devil, why are you not walking out from under there? Because faith without works is dead, right? You have to get up and walk in the light by faith in God. Amen   We see in Rom 12:2 And be not fashioned according to this world: In other words, don't be molded by the world around you, the circumstances, the curse that was passed down to you. Don't be molded by anything but the Word of God. The Word of God gives you authority over all the power of the enemy. People who are not taking that authority are just going around in a circle in the wilderness, not getting to their promised land. So, He says, … And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,… Now let's see, God says if you're transformed, it's because your mind is renewed. So if you renew your mind, you'll be transformed. Just to pound the point home.   If you're not being transformed, your mind mind isn't being renewed. Are you believing with your heart? Are you confessing with your mouth that Jesus is your Savior? If you're not continuing to renew your mind, you're not continuing to be transformed. If in some area of your life you're not transformed, you haven't repented and believed. You have not renewed your mind. You have not said, “God, You are right here, this is truth.” Are you seeking out your own salvation with fear and trembling? The Holy Book is what God renews your mind with and with that, you are transformed.   He says …that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In other words, we can't say that we abide in Him unless we walk as He walked. If we want to walk as He walked, we have to have a renewed mind. We have to repent and believe. Concentrate when you read the Word and do not quickly pass up any point where your conscience convicts you. That's how you renew your mind. Repent means change your mind, believe what God says to believe. Well, it really is always simple so us children can receive it. People have to make it complicated to not understand it, and the simplest of minds can understand it. It's a gift from God, He draws us unto Himself. The theologians couldn't understand it but the fisherman and tax collectors could.  So what is our warfare? Our warfare is to renew our mind and not accept the things that have been programmed in there through our history, through our sins, through what was passed down through our parents and through demonic bondages. The devil seeks to and must convince us of something other than the Word of God in order to take authority over us. When you see somebody that stays under the authority of the devil, they are not repenting, they are not believing the Word. We see that, …with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. They are not acting on the Word. They are not being transformed because they're not believing and confessing the Word. There is a stronghold.   We are told in 2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (Yes, and many Christians get caught up in warring according to the flesh. And God doesn't give any victory there. We have to go by the rules, right? And the rules restrain us from fleshly warfare. The spiritual man has dominion, not the flesh. So we have to fight a spiritual warfare.) 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds).  Strongholds are places where the enemy has dominion. Where he has not been routed out; he has not been attacked with the Word and cast out. A stronghold is a place where Satan rules because of ‘reasonings or imaginations' that are against God because the next verse says,)   5 casting down imaginations.. There is all kinds of reasonings that are against the Word of God, that the devil has put there in order to protect his ground. He does not want you to renew your mind. If you do, he loses his house! So he has to convince you that those reasonings are reasonable and to be accepted. Those imaginations that are against God have to be accepted by you to give the devil this stronghold. He wants to have this control in your house.   All who receive the Holy Spirit as they did in the book of Acts with gifts will have power and discernment over the devil and his demons to destroy those strongholds. It was expected of those who got saved to be filled with the Holy Spirits power.  Back to our text …Casting down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. There it is, carnal worldly thinking and dead religion will keep us from knowing our rights and the devil will be sure to take advantage of that. So be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The devil wants, at all costs, to keep you from knowing about your authority over him. Luk 10:19-20 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. 20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. But he has to deceive you out of this authority because he has no legal right to keep that ground if you know this. That ground was given to you by Jesus Christ. You ‘behold Christ in the mirror' by faith, right? The Israelites took that ground as they put their trust in God and they lost ground when they put their trust in themselves. The old man took over the promised land or kept it, and he had no legal right to it.   Verse 6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full. Jesus said, ‘get the board out of your eye so you can see clearly to get the moat out of your brother's eye'. Be careful, don't let the devil distract you into judging other people because there's unforgiveness, criticism and every foul work there. People that get caught up in that do not grow, they fall away. That's the way God generally treats people who judge and criticize and slander and so on. They always fall away. Always, without exception.   And 2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, (There's as many Jesus's out there as there are Christian religions.) or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him. God demands repentance. He demands that we hold strictly to the Word so that we cannot be deceived. We should say, “the sum of thy word, is truth” Psa 119:160, so that we cannot be deceived.   We can be continually transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, if we'll continually repent. If we'll continually change our mind, we'll be transformed by the renewing of the mind! So we have to hold to the Standard, and that is the sum of thy Word; not just a little bit here and a little bit there. We see all kinds of doctrines made-up that way.   Now I'm going to Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness. (Seek wisdom, seek knowledge, and be seeking to have a transformed mind. The renewed mind is most important.) 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened; (In other words, your steps will not be conformed or limited. You have a lot of freedom when you are full of the Word of God. But there's a lot of bondage when you're not full of the Word of God and you cannot be trusted by God, so He limits your walk. We walk into a large place the Bible speaks about when we walk into the freedom of Jesus Christ.)   12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. (Yes, people who stumble are in darkness, so get out of the darkness, get into the Light, get into the instruction of the Lord.) 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.Notice, instruction from the Lord, instruction from a wise Father like Solomon. The words of Solomon which he taught to his sons. Don't be talked out of the Word of God by deluding spirits because they cater to your flesh.   And 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on. 16 For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. Yes they are continually on their beds calculating how they can come against their enemies or how they can answer, or retaliate, or how they can criticize or destroy someone else, because that's what the devil does. He has to program you.   But you have to be programmed by the Word of God. The restraint of the Word of God puts you on your cross. But these people can't sleep because they're continually thinking about what they can do to someone else because of their competition, jealousy, or anger.   17 For they eat the bread of wickedness. When a person is partaking of that, they are not partaking of the clean Bread of the Word of God. It's the bread of wickedness. When you're giving your mind over to Satan to speak to you against other people, that is the bread of wickedness.   …And drink the wine of violence. Wine is intoxicating. The violent and the people who retaliate, they feel a high when they've been vindicated by their own violence. But they're killing themselves and they don't know it.   18 But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, They are seeing more and more light until the perfect day comes, which is when the sun is straight up and there's no shadows. And it says, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. There's no shadows, it's all Light. 19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble. Yeah, you can look at the people who are overcome by wickedness and you think, ‘how foolish.' But they can't see it. They think they are wise. They don't even know at what they stumble.   20 My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings. Hear them; not just know them. People like to know them, and they think they're something because they know them. But it's only if you hearken are they going to do you any good. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; David said, “I will put no evil thing before my eyes.”  Keep them in the midst of thy heart. When they are in the midst of thy heart, they are life! Your ‘thoughts' is what He's talking about. Again, being transformed by the renewing of your mind. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh. Notice, a renewed mind is a healthy flesh. The flesh is where you get chastening from the Lord. The things that hurt, things that come against your flesh are chastening. And many of God's people are under chastening of the Lord for their sins and for their rebellion against the Word. But a person who has a renewed mind, can have healthy flesh.   23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life. Life comes out of your own heart when it is renewed with the Word of God. They are life unto those that find them. That's His Word, the Word of God! You want life? The renewed mind is the way be transformed; that's Life. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.   A condition is in 24 Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee. As we read earlier, …with the heart believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If we confirm the Word in our hearts, if we confess Him before men, Who is the Word, we will have Life. But a wayward mouth speaks out of an evil heart; a heart that's not transformed. Just as the words of Life come out of you as Life and brings Life to everything around you, like the river in the Book of Revelation that brought Life. Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. So a wayward mouth brings destruction and death and perverse lips put far from thee, 25 Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee. In other words, don't get them out of the path of life; fill them with scripture.   And it says in Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear: What does regard mean? It means to give heed to, to have respect of, to listen to. What is iniquity in your heart? Well, again, we're talking about those thoughts that defile a man. Giving heed to these thoughts in your heart that are not of God. The devil keeps many people in bondage and they've been that way from their youth because they had the sins passed on from the parents through their blood. Demons get passed on from their inheritance, or sins they received later. These demons rule and they reign from these high places and from these strongholds. The only way they can be taken down is repentance and faith through confession. They don't have a right there. Jesus took away their rights to be there.   If you regard iniquity in your heart, these evil thoughts and reasonings that are against the word of God, then the Lord will not hear you. That's what He says in that verse. In other words, He doesn't forgive you. You don't have forgiveness because you're following, listening to, heeding, hearkening to the devil. Jesus said that If you're not for Him, you're against Him.   Now we're still talking about, how are we going to escape? We cannot neglect our salvation. We're talking about the manifestation of this salvation. And then we read in Ecc 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. Wow, there must be a lot of it, right? Wanting means falling short of. And Ecc 7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? Who can straighten it out? No one but Him! So therefore what we have to do is have the renewed mind which is His mind. Then He can straighten it out. Psychiatrists can't straighten it out.   This reminds me of a time when Michael and I were building a table and everything looked real good until the last board for the tabletop. And when we put the last board up against the nice straight boards, we could tell there was a gap in the middle, it touched on both ends, but there was a gap in the middle. And so it is when you're around people that are straight and somebody ‘crooked' gets around them; he sticks out like a sore thumb, doesn't he?    And how can you take that board if you've only got just so much to cut on there because you don't want to lose the width of the whole tabletop right? You only have so much to cut so you can take that board and stick it in a table saw. And if the board is longer than the guide of the saw is wide, and you run it through there, it'll just put the same curve right back in it. You'll just put the same bow right back in and you stick it through there until you don't have enough wood left to use your tabletop.   So the only way to correct it is to go back to the standard. Unless you have a guide on your saw that's twice as long as the board you can't cut a curvature, or the warpage out of that board. And that's because the guide slips up into it, it gives way to the warpage. It goes into the warpage, so it just follows around it. Then you cut the warp in it again. So what you can do is you can get a straight board as a standard.   Now we know Who the straight Board is. It's Jesus! He is our Standard. If you don't go by the standard, no matter what you do, that's going to be a crooked table. And Jesus is our Standard; He is straight. If you want know what straight is, what right is, you look at Jesus. Now you can take a straight board like Jesus and you can lay it on top of that other board and use it as a straight edge and mark it and then cut it with a saw and it will be straight. If not, it's going to be crooked, there's nothing you can do about it. You've got to go back to the Standard, just exactly like we're reading here in Proverbs, and reading in Romans. You must go back to the Standard.   If you build a house and you don't start by squaring the house, everything in the house will be crooked. Because you're laying things up against things that are crooked, they will all become crooked. If you have a nice square wall and you throw a piece of plywood up there, or you throw a piece of sheetrock up there, it's going to fit, and the next one will fit and the next one will fit. Otherwise, you're going to spend an awful lot of time and money cutting things to fit a house that's not square and it'll drive you crazy. It will be a waste because you did not square it from the beginning and keep it square as you went, right?   A square is a standard. You can build many things on the sand, but if you haven't laid it on the Standard, which is the Rock, it's never going to be right and it will not hold up to the problems of life, the troubles, the tribulations; it just will not hold up. You can use a Plumb Bob to find out what is upright. We know what upright means to us, right? It means righteous; it means right, and pure.   You could use a Plumb Bob and it always is going to tell you the truth as long as there's gravity, it's going to tell you the truth. But you've got to use a standard. If you don't go back to the standard, everything you build on it will be crooked. Your house will be crooked, your table will be crooked, and everybody will look at that and know you don't know what you're doing.   So, we have to get back to the Standard. If you've got a problem, if you've got something crooked in your life, you've got to go back to the Standard. You've got to change your mind; you've got to be renewed in your mind so you can be transformed. And each one of us is a house that's being built. And some of us are master craftsmen and some of us are not because they don't know the principles of going back to the Standard, Who is Jesus.   And one thing we have to do in order to renew our minds so that we can go on is make sure that we're thinking on the right things. Paul tells us how to think inPhp 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,… Now, is it true? How do you know it's true? Have you ever had a thought in your mind about a brother? Is it true? How do you know it's true? Did you go by the rules? Did you receive it not unless you had two or three witnesses, as the Bible commands? Is it the Word of God? Is it in agreement with the Word of God? If it's “no”, it's not true. The word of God lays down the rules. If you don't go back to the rules, you're building a crooked house and everything you put on it after that is going to be crooked. Nothing is going to be right.   …whatsoever things are honorable, Is it honorable? Is your thought honorable? Is it a good thing? Is it something you could say openly without being embarrassed? Well, maybe it's not honorable then. Are you saying something behind somebody's back that you wouldn't say to their face? Well, then you're not honorable. You're crooked. …whatsoever things are just, So are your thoughts justice; is it God's justice? Is it the world's justice? Is it right? Is it correct?   whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely (God says a lot of lovely things about us in His Word.), whatsoever things are of good report(You remember the guys that brought back the bad report about the Promised Land? They made the heart of the people fail. They spoke the word of the devil. They didn't bring back the faithful report of what God said about it and they're still not doing that. They don't believe you can even take the Promised Land and those guys are all going to die in the wilderness.)   … if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (He wants us to meditate on the good things. As we've said before, you can always tell the bad things by knowing the good things, but you can't study enough of the bad things to know all bad things. It would take you too many lifetimes. But the good is the Standard, that's what we need to keep in our minds. That's what we need to know and know it well, because anything that doesn't measure up to the Standard is wrong.)   9 The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you. You'll live in peace. Praise be to God! The things that you see in the apostle Paul, mimic; he is showing us the Standard. Now, the devil doesn't want you to think on all these things. Because you're renewing your mind when you do. You're casting out thoughts that are those strongholds he put there, when you think on these things.   So now I'm going to Jas 4:6-12 But he giveth more grace. (We need more grace, don't we?) Wherefore the scripture saith,God resisteth the proud, (Proud people will not speak in agreement with God's word, because it's humbling.) but giveth grace to the humble. (We need to humble ourselves to the Standard. Like laying that crooked board up to a straight one, it's the crooked one that needs to be fixed. Now you can take that same crooked board and use it for a standard but the whole tabletop will be crooked. They'll all fit together but you've got a crooked top. It doesn't measure up to the Standard and so “a little leaven leavens the whole lump”. If you copy the crooked, then you've lost the Standard and it's corrupt. It's not worth having.)   7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Why does he flee? Because he has no authority if you submit to God. If you let Him straighten you out, if you receive His straight thoughts, His good thoughts, the devil will flee because he has no authority and he knows it. Sadly many Christians don't know the Gospel and that the devil has no authority when you submit to the Standard.)   8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. (This actually means two-souled. There's the soul of the flesh (worldly thinking), and then there's the soul of the spirit. A person cannot quite walk straight when they're double minded. They need to spend more time in the Word, to give them a Standard so they can be renewed in their minds, be transformed by the Word.)   9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: (That sounds like repentance to me.) let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you. 11 Speak not one against another,brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, (He's not receiving those good thoughts.) speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.   12 One only is the lawgiver and judge, even he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor? Don't let critical thoughts into your mind. Don't let jealousy, wrath, slanderous thoughts come into your mind against someone else that has no foundation because you haven't submitted to the Standard. You have no right to think things that have no biblical foundation. The devil puts them there on purpose because he wants to defile you. And speaking of defilement, you know that according to the scriptures, if a person is defiled, they cannot partake of the Passover, which means they cannot escape. Passover is when the death angel passes over you because you're living under the blood of Jesus Christ.   Now I'm going to Mar 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, (It's what's in your heart that really counts here.) and goeth out into the draught? This he said, making all meats clean. (No matter what you've heard about having to abstain from certain meats, that's the doctrine of demons according to the scriptures. The parable there means to not partake of unclean animals, beasts, all their false natures and so on. Jesus made it plain. He's talking about what goes into the heart, that defiles a man or what comes out of the heart, that defiles him.)   20 And he said, That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed (Thoughts that are contrary to God's Word.), fornications, thefts, murders,adulteries (If you hate your brother, you're a murderer, Jesus said. And adulteries, if you lust after someone in your heart, you've committed adultery, right?),   22 covetings, (Desiring something that's not yours.) wickednesses, (that covers a lot, doesn't it) deceit, (People who love to dwell on deceit do so because it permits them to do whatever they want and live after the lust of their flesh.) lasciviousness, (which is a license to do excess, what you want, to overindulge in things.) an evil eye, (an eye not single on the things of God.) railing, (People who rail against people do so from anger, unforgiveness and criticism.) pride, (It doesn't let someone repent, they're good enough like they are. They're maybe proud of their heritage from their natural parents, which is foolishness. That's the next word.) foolishness: 23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.   So how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Amen. I tell you God's word is awesome! I mean, if you don't love it, ask Him to make you love it! Because it's for your own good that you spend time with the Word of God.   I'm going next to Luk 6:39 And he spake also a parable unto them, Can the blind guide the blind? shall they not both fall into a pit? (That's like taking a crooked board to use for a straight edge.) 40 The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher. (You got to make sure your Teacher is the Lord, Who is the Word, and it's Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and Paul and Peter. Make sure these are your teachers, and if you're listening to anyone who's not teaching what's there, you're getting away from the Standard; you'll never be perfected. You'll never be transformed, and you will not escape as we've seen.)   41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, (These are people who are critical of other people, judgmental of others, correcting others when they're doing the same themselves.) cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. (You must have the Standard in you before you can pass it on. If anybody uses you as a straight edge, are you going to corrupt the whole building, the whole table? Many of these went to Bible school and they're corrupting everybody. Just like the rest of the Pharisees that they were born from.)   Luk 6:43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; (Again your life proceeds from the thoughts that are in your heart.) and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. (So we got to get back to the Standard and lay the right foundation and the foundation has got to be right. Not the sinking sand of man's ways.)   Here's a good word about standards in Amo 7:1 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts (That sounds like the army that destroyed God's people in Joel 2. It represents demon forces that have come against God's people to take away their fruit and blessings.)in the beginning of the shootingup of the latter growth; (You know how a nice rain causes the grass to suddenly shoot up? Well, that's because it just loves that nitrogen. You can water it with your hose for a week and you won't get that result. This latter growth is at the time of the latter rain, which we're about to receive.) and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. (We have certainly seen the King's mowings. He's been cutting down the grass and Peter said, ‘All flesh is as grass.' So this fruit is going to come after the King's mowings and He's been cutting down the flesh!)   2 And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? For he is small. (In other words, ‘There's a lot of flesh, Lord, and if he eats up that flesh, there won't be anything left.' Well, some people are small in God. And if their flesh gets eaten up, there's nothing left. We have to be gradually transformed by the renewing of our minds.)   3 Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah. (Well, that was the first threatened judgement.) 4 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, the Lord Jehovah called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the land. 5 Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease,I beseechthee: how shall Jacob stand? For he is small. 6 Jehovah repented concerning this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah. (That's the second threat, answered by mercy.)   7 Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall (A wall is separation from the world outside, it represents sanctification or holiness. It means a renewed mind.) made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. 8 And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. A Plumb line is this, you put a Plumb Bob on the end of that line and you hold it up and it shows you what's straight up and down because the Plumb Bob hangs down by gravity; it is a law. It tells you according to the law what is upright. That's what a plum line and the Bible does.)   Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; (In other words, He's going to check them out to see if they are upright, perfectly upright according to the law, which is the Word. It's a Standard. You know when God relents a few times, He delays judgment a few times so fruit can be born. He can hold up the Standard and say, “Nope they're still crooked. It's time to tear this thing back down to the foundation. It's on sand anyway, so we'll tear it back down and start all over.” Well, that can be major, major judgment. Continuing He said, I will not again pass by them any more; (meaning I'm not going to pass by them with judgment anymore. It's coming now. I'm going to judge according to the Word. That's what He says in His Word; every man is going to be judged according to the Word.)   9 and the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. Well, Jeroboam is the guy that factioned Israel away from the House of David. He is the critical, angry, judgmental leadership of Israel when they fell into their apostasy and started worshipping the golden calf instead of God in His Temple in Jerusalem. That represents a lot of people out there, a lot of Judases and a lot of people that are judging other people. They themselves are crooked and Jeroboam made everybody else crooked. He made the whole House crooked and they were full of faction, full of railing and full of rebellion and warfare against the House of David.   Now I'm going to share some revelations that confirm the importance of how we should build a sure Foundation.      A Sure Foundation   Lorrie Deeter 01/09/2009 (David's notes in red)   While being still before the Lord, I drifted off to sleep: A group of people appeared to be in a classroom seated at desks. As I watched I saw different people as teachers standing over each one. I looked down and saw a group of people sitting, holding in their hands each a different book. I looked closer and saw the faces of the teachers who were standing over them, on the cover of the textbooks. (The poor apostate Christians are coming into the image of their false teachers rather than Christ, as 2Co 3:18 demands: 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.)   I looked around the room and in a far corner were cubicles. I walked over to them. As I looked, in each one sat a single person, alone, reading a bible; in another praying and in another being still, each having a bible. (Representing those teachers getting a personal revelation from God's Word to lay a good foundation.) I was saying, “What is this, my Lord?” A person then stepped out of the cubicle and walked to the group of people seated at the desks. The textbook was gone from the people seated at the desks and now placed in their hand was a ruler to each person. The cubicle person began to open the Bible and was sharing what the Lord had given. (Those who study the Word and fellowship the Lord individually, without the teachers of men, are blessed by their Lord to bring direction to those trained by false leaders.)   All of a sudden the people seated became angry and began pointing (Accusation/Judgment) with one hand while hitting the person on the hand with their rulers (With what measure you judge it shall be measured unto you). As I continued to watch each person come from the cubicles to the seated people, each time they were rejected from the people seated at the desks. (Those of denominational mindsets.) The people from the cubicles returned after being rejected with Bibles, returned each time to and remained in their cubicles; some were ushered out of the room. (The righteous are judged and rejected of the apostates. Judge not lest ye be judged.)   All of a sudden, I heard raging wind and I looked and saw a gathering tempest in the middle of the classroom. Very quickly it was picking up everyone and everything becoming more powerful by the second. (Judgment on those who reject the true messengers of the Word.)   Then it began to spit things out. It was pulling shelves off walls, as nails were pried loose. Everything was pulled from its place, desk and chairs thrown to and fro. Then I saw some people fly out of the storm and thrown out to the outside and they were no longer in sight. The storm continued to spit everything out -- the teachers and the textbooks until only those with the Bibles remained in the eye where it was calm. (Those founded on the Rock of the Word are safe.)   I then heard this spoken forth: "REST! Rest in the eye of My storm! Be anxious for nothing! Do not be shaken! I AM doing a SWIFT SIFTING! Plant your feet in righteousness, For lo I Am with thee always".   The wind picked up but there was silence inside the storm. Then I looked and the middle of the room and the floor started to buckle as though there was something underneath it. It started to crack. (As Jesus said the storm comes to those on the foundation of shifting sand.) The surface of the floor looked like matte linoleum. The cracks started to spread to the corners as though it was being torn from the underside of the surface. (These are like the wind and waves that destroyed the house built on sand that Jesus spoke of.)  Then I saw the sharp tip of something silver beginning to pierce through. It twirled slowly like a corkscrew and as it came to the surface it was a large screw. When this giant screw was all the way through I noticed all of the fresh soil around its base it burrowed through. (It came from beneath like hell.) Suddenly, many smaller machines sprung out of the ground around the screw and in the distance. They circled the screw. The machines opened up and multitudes of bats flew out and covered the sky. (These are creatures which live in darkness and do not have eyes to see.) Then this was spoken: "Demons of Doctrines". (This represents the destruction of those whose foundation is based on the shifting sands of Demon Doctrines instead of the Word.)   Then I saw a LARGE rod, and then a LARGE staff come above the storm. (The shepherd's guidance and protection of the sheep in the midst of the storm.) The whirlwind picked up and everything in its path was destroyed. I looked at all of the debris that littered the ground. The surface of the floor was destroyed. The linoleum was scattered in large and small pieces. The parts of the machines that had been destroyed by the storm also lay scattered. Then I looked and saw a large rake that came through and cleared all of the debris to the side and then it was gone.   The Holy Spirit spoke forth again: "Once more I will turn the soil, for these are they whose foundation is not built upon Me, says the Lord".   1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (The Word) Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.   Upon waking up this was spoken forth: "Those who speak falsely in My Name and are carried about by doctrines of men shall be spewed out of My tempest!"   Job 27:21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.   Isa 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.   Isa 32:2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.   Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.     Escaping Judgment By Abiding in Christ   Gordon Borneman 03/23/2012 (David's notes in red)   Last night I had a dream. I was walking/hiking in a mountainous area on the West Coast. The ocean was just on the other side of some rocky peaks to my left. There were some peaks of lesser height above me and also one ultimate high peak in this set of mountains. Just then I saw a tsunami wave crest the lower peaks and water rush over those into the high meadow below them. In that high meadow, I had a white stucco house (house of the Lord) to run to, even though it was in the path of that water.   I was not in the path of the water, but after it flooded the meadow, it would have drained off, coming right back at me. I started running to the house. I got to the house in no time (indicating it's not a physical place, but a spiritual house always with the saints). I reached the door, got inside the house, then looked out the window to see a giant sea rush of dark grey water blanketing the meadow and the house was right in the path. The grey sky reflected in the surface of the massive, dark grey water surge. The doors were closed and I took notice of the many foundation bolts in the treated wood floorboards that anchored the house to the foundation (a properly-built house of God is firmly anchored to Jesus Christ).   The water hit the house hard and began to rise to near the top of the windows. No water got into the house at all. The walls were open on the inside, showing the studs (not always plush inside the house of God, but always safe) and I ran around to check all of the seals at the floorboards and they were holding. I felt a particular emphasis on the anchors to the foundation as the key to safety. None of the water got into the house at all. I did not see much of any of the floor plan of the house and it was small and simple.   I knew in my spirit this dream was from God and shows our safety amidst the flood of the end times inside of God's house, a clean house made of white that is firmly anchored to our Lord Jesus. (The safety of the white house represents abiding in Jesus Christ, the secret place of the Most High of Psalm 91. Psa 90:1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.)   I have pondered this with the Lord more since the dream. I think this is much more general judgment than an actual tsunami. It is the woes and judgments on the world -- "the end will be as a flood", for example. The emphasis on this dream is more about the house of God and protection therein. The water came over the lower peaks, but not the highest peak. There was a mountain there in the range that the water could not reach (likely spiritual Mount Zion). Within the house of the Lord, we were completely safe.  It may not always be extremely plush or massively comfy, since all was laid open (nothing hidden), rather than finished drywall inside. This agrees with other UBM dreams in which people were at a camp and one says to another, "I don't think I can stay here". I.e., It's not comfortable to the flesh to be there. That's the nature of the cleanness, the whiteness of the house. The meaning is interlinked with the open walls within and all is seen, nothing hidden in darkness or closed behind walls. Emphasis was placed on the soundness of the floorboard anchors to the foundation.   The house was in a very high meadow, relative to the highest peak, with some peaks higher than the house, but not the highest peak. The water came with speed and it was like a wave cresting against a rocky shoreline. It was the speed of the water, along with the total volume that splashed it over these lower peaks. Even when rushing to the relatively humble house of God and building speed on the downhill, there was not enough power behind that wave to overtake that little white house in the high meadow. There are two senses of these lower peaks:   1. Those lower peaks are kingdoms of the world overtaken with judgment, even who were part of the range of mountains right by Mount Zion.   2. Those lower peaks may be those organizations which are their own kingdoms trying to usurp the power of the saints on Mount Zion by attaching themselves to them. But these have not the power of Mount Zion and are still overtaken.   This little white house in the high meadow reminds me of protection of the Israelites in Goshen during the 10 judgments of Egypt where, after the first four judgments, the judgments could not overtake the Israelites safe in Goshen. These judgments destroyed the great empire of Egypt, but Goshen was spared and preserved.   When I started to run for the house, I was not in the direct path of the water. But after the water hit the house, it would come back toward me soon. It was better to run into the refuge and fortress, even when it was in the direct path, rather than be outside trying to stay out of the way of the water. (Many may be in the direct path of terrible judgments but eating all of the Passover Lamb; the Word of God is our deliverance, as it was in Egypt. They had to abide in their house for this disaster to pass over. Jesus is our house. 1Jn 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. Notice that modern religions will not be a covering, only the original Word received will deliver.)     The House That Stood   Michael Boldea - June 2012   On April 11, 2016, I had this short dream.   …I have always found fasting to be a great bringer of clarity, and given the times and the seasons that are upon us, who among us couldn't use a little more clarity? The first day of the fast, I had picked my brother Sergiu up from the airport in Chicago, brought him home, and gone to bed, when I had a dream.   I dreamt I was walking down a street, but to the left and the right of me everything was utterly destroyed. If not for the foundations sticking out of the earth, one would not have known anything had once stood there. I have seen the aftermath of earthquakes while living in California in the '80s; I have likewise seen the aftermath of tornadoes live and in person, and this looked like neither of the two. The best way I can describe it is that the entire street seemed to have been razed. From trees, to homes, to fences, everything had been flattened and annihilated.   The street curved to the left, and as I followed it turning the corner, I was surprised to see a house standing a couple hundred yards ahead of me on the right. There was nothing special about the house. A single story home, with a porch and a porch swing, once painted white by what I could gather, but having taken on a charred look. I quickened my pace, as even in my dream this seemed odd and surreal, and as I approached the house I heard what could only have been prayer coming from inside. This was no typical prayer. It was passionate, and fervent, and the only time I remember having heard prayer like this, is when we would have prayer nights in our home in Romania during the Communist occupation.  (My note: This reminds me of seeing a report in CA where a fire had swept through an area and the top of a mountain where there was a circle of homes. All were burnt to the ground but one. When the reporter put his mic in front of the owner asking why their house was untouched, he probably wished he hadn't. The woman spoke boldly saying. This is God's house and we have prayer meetings here or something close to this.)  This was anything but a restrained prayer gathering, and the voices coming from inside the house were praising God, and giving glory to Him. I stood just short of the front step, and listened to the prayers coming from within the house, until in my dream, I woke up. As I awoke from my dream within a dream, the man I have grown accustomed to seeing was standing at the foot of my mattress.   "Do you understand what you've just seen?", he asked without prelude.   "I believe I do", I answered somewhat confidently. The man gave me a look one might give to a slowwitted individual and said, "Perhaps in part", then reached out and touched my shoulder.   Suddenly I was back on the same street, and I realized this only because of the house with the porch swing, now a pristine white. It was the only thing that was the same as in my previous dream, because now there were trees, and homes, up and down the block. It looked and sounded like a typical neighborhood, but above the din of chirping birds and barking dogs; I could hear prayer coming from inside the home with the porch swing. It was the same kind of fervent, passionate prayer I had heard on the previous occasion. I strained to hear what they were praying for, but I could only hear snippets from time to time. As I made to climb the first of three steps, I was back in my bed, with the man standing patiently by my mattress.   "Now you understand", he said, "Tell them not to fear, but to draw close to the Father in whom is shelter from the storm, and protection from destruction". I then woke up, disoriented, wondering for a while if this was yet another dream within a dream. Realizing that it was not, I knelt beside my mattress and started to pray.   I have not released a dream or a vision in two years, and if not for the specific instruction "tell them" I would have been hesitant in releasing this dream as well. As I explained in a recent radio interview, the reason why I have not released any visions or dreams is because many within the household of faith have become, for lack of a better term, prophecy junkies. At every gathering, at every meetings, there is always the inevitable "What's the Lord been showing you lately?" as though He hasn't shown us enough, or as though His word is not clear enough.   I specifically asked permission of God to withhold what He was showing me for a season, and have single-mindedly focused on preaching Christ, and Him crucified wherever I was asked to preach, because our safety, our shelter, and our protection is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Savior and King.   Our refuge, our shelter, our place of safety is not a geographical location; it is in the arms of Jesus, in the will of God, in fellowship and intimacy with Him. If we are walking in the will of the Father, then we have nothing to fear. If we are being obedient to His word, His guidance, and His leading, then wherever He will guide us will be a safe place, and wherever He will lead us will be a place of shelter. Our safety is found in obedience. If God has told you to go to a certain place, then do as He has commanded. If however God has not spoken, then be at peace where you are, for God is able to protect you in the midst of the storm.   It is time to draw closer to God than ever before, to come before Him in prayer, and fasting, in righteousness, and purity of heart. The day draws near when we will behold the miracle working power of our God firsthand, when we will see what our God can do, and glory in His omnipotence.   (Psa.18:25-30) With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks. For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.   (Psa.25:4-5) Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.     Judgment on Apostate Ministries   (David's Notes in red and Joyce in Green)   First let me share a little background to this dream I received in 1992. I was in New Orleans sharing my faith and making disciples when I noticed that a lot of people could not grasp or see the real, living Jesus. After a long day of sharing my faith and running into this wall of apathy, I prayed under my breath, "They just don't get it".   That night I was given this dream:   I was in a black cast-iron helicopter, seated with Jesus. I was surrounded by total PEACE. I was there to observe what was happening below. In the air were other black cast-iron helicopters, also. (The helicopters were cast-iron, strong and shielded. This represents the protection afforded those who are seated with Christ in heavenly places. They will witness the judgment but not be affected by it. The helicopters are "in the air" for our battle is not against flesh & blood but principalities and powers, rulers of the air.)   To my right was a skyscraper that resembled the Bank One Tower in downtown Fort Worth. I looked down and noticed several tornadoes sprouting on the ground, growing in numbers and growing in intensity. I looked again at the skyscraper. The skyscraper began to shatter. (The skyscraper represents man-made prosperous mega churches; towers of Babel. Those who try to reach to the heavens without Jesus, the foundation they build on is SELF.) Some of the shattered glass came into the helicopter and into my mouth and on my arm. I spit out the glass and wiped the glass from my arm. (Joyce: Jesus showed me in 1992 that 8 years later these ministries would briefly influence me. The shattered glass represents their easily shattered false teachings. The shattered glass went in my mouth because I spoke these false teachings, but later spit them out. The glass was on my arm because my works were influenced by these teachings. The megachurch ministers are being bribed as we speak to join into a corporate false prophet to trap the harlot body into the U.S./U.N. Bablon DS Tower of Babel.)  I looked down again and there was a theological seminary building. (I used to live down the street from the Southwestern Baptist Seminary so I recognized it as a theology building.) Jimmy Swaggart ran out of the building and down the stairs. He was running as if he was very frightened. (Some megachurch leaders will discover the trap they and their followers have been led into as their rights are taken away and the mark of the beast approaches.) (Fear of judgment coming to apostate teachers and their false doctrines that are taught in the prosperous religious institutions of man.) He was wearing a nice shiny suit and he got into a green Mercedes Benz. (The Mercedes represents materialism, and the color of the car is green, which represents money and envy.)   The wind took the Mercedes and it was being blown around in a circle very fast. (They will be very disoriented because of their lack of understanding and the judgments to come.) The earth split open and the Mercedes crashed into the uprooted earth. (Just as the "earth opened its mouth" and swallowed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram because they were usurping the authority of the truly ordained servants of God.)   I then looked down and saw BLIND EYES on a man who was running without shirt and shoes. (The blind eyes represent the ministers to whom it is not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. The lack of a shirt represents the ministers who have not put on the Lord Jesus Christ's teaching and works. Having no shoes says that they have not been shod with the preparation of the true gospel of peace. They and their lukewarm churches are BLIND and NAKED.) The man was yelling, "The occult! The occult!" (As in Jesus' day, the apostates will blame their problems on the true servants of God, who to them are always of the devil. However, their judgment is from God and only through the mouth of God's servants.)   End of dream   You see the judgments are on the false teachers, false doctrines, religious institutions, prosperity preachers and those who have profited at the expense of the blind, lukewarm sheep. Jesus answered my prayer with understanding in 1992. The apostates "just don't get it".   An interesting confirmation is that the skyscraper in the dream was across the street where I worked in 2000 in Ft. Worth. A tornado hit downtown Ft. Worth and that skyscraper was shattered and stood condemned for years. The glass came into our building and we had a lot of damage. I picked that glass off my desk and carpet for months. Things that make you go, “Hmmm”!   My prayer: Father in the name of Jesus give us a love for Your Word. A desire to be holy before You. A desire to please You and You alone. Lord, give us this gift, we desperately need it! Lord, judgment is at the door and we need a Passover. Yet many, many of your people are defiled by their thought life, and they deserve no Passover. They're defiled by what comes out of their mouth and what is in their feet as far as the way they walk. I ask You to give everyone a respect for the foundation, a respect for the Standard, which is Jesus Christ and what is upright. Everybody should fear the Plumb-line. Everybody needs to fear to be straight up and down with God. Lord, we ask You to give Your people a deep, deep respect for the Word of God, so that they can be transformed by their renewing of their mind, so that they can escape all these things and to stand before the Son of man. Lord give us that grace to escape all these things that we see coming upon the world. Lord we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. 

This week Magnum & Izzo discuss the Codex Gigas, commonly known as the Devil's Bible. EPISODE 127 OF THE SWERVE PODCAST ↩️

This question has occupied almost all of our minds. What really happens after death? Will we simply disappear and cease to exist? After death, will everyone go to the same place or will different people be transferred to different places? Is there really such a thing as heaven and hell? The Bible not only confirms the life after death, but also describes it as eternal and very glorious: "The Holy Book also says that God has prepared things for those who love Him that no man has ever seen or heard. And it has not occurred to him either.

Rev. Brian Habig

Susun Weed answers 90 minutes of herbal health questions followed by a 30 minute interview with Author Z Budapest. Z Budapest is author of the acclaimed The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries (1989) originally published in 1975 as The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows. This book served as the first hands-on guide to lead women into their own spiritual/Goddess heritage. The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries contains just about everything you need to know and then some for actualizing a goddess-centered lifestyle. This interview is for any woman seeking to know more about themselves, women's spirituality, and the goddess movement. Zsuzsanna “Z” Budapest was born in Hungary in 1940 and emigrated to the United States in 1959. She grew up respecting and appreciating Mother Nature as god. Following her family's spiritual tradition, she ultimately started the Women's Spirituality Movement. She also founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number l, the first feminist witches' coven, which became the role model for thousands of other spiritual groups being born and spreading across the nation. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published in hundreds of women's newspapers across the country. She has powerfully influenced many of the future teachers and writers about the Goddess. https://www.goddess-fest.com/

Susun Weed answers 90 minutes of herbal health questions followed by a 30 minute interview with author Z Budapest. Z Budapest is author of the acclaimed The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries (1989) originally published in 1975 as The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows. This book served as the first hands-on guide to lead women into their own spiritual/Goddess heritage. The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries contains just about everything you need to know and then some for actualizing a goddess-centered lifestyle. This interview is for any woman seeking to know more about themselves, women's spirituality, and the goddess movement. Zsuzsanna “Z” Budapest was born in Hungary in 1940 and emigrated to the United States in 1959. She grew up respecting and appreciating Mother Nature as god. Following her family's spiritual tradition, she ultimately started the Women's Spirituality Movement. She also founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number l, the first feminist witches' coven, which became the role model for thousands of other spiritual groups being born and spreading across the nation. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published in hundreds of women's newspapers across the country. She has powerfully influenced many of the future teachers and writers about the Goddess. https://www.goddess-fest.com/

In this episode of Pray the Word on Isaiah 34:16, David Platt asks God to help us experience and spread life through His Word.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 14:20-40 Within the context of a discussion of the gift of tongues, Paul instructs the Corinthians about proper decorum in worship … ending with the exhortation: "All things should be done decently and in order" (1 Cor 14:40).  The abuse of the exercise of the gift of tongues is at the center of chapters 12-14 in this letter.  In this passage Paul outlines the proper exercise of this miraculous gift and the precise purpose for its use.  In a worship service, tongues were to be used sparingly … at most two or three people speaking, and only when someone with the gift of interpretation would be able to translate the declaration (1 Cor 14:27,28).  The specific purpose for the exercise of tongues was that it was to be a sign to unbelievers of the truthfulness of the word of God (1 Cor 14:21,22). The goal of a worship service … as understood by mature thinking … is that hearers (both unbelievers and believers) will respond by being convicted of personal sin, and 'falling on their face' in worshiping God.      English martyr, archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) wrote: "...Every man that cometh to the reading of this Holy Book ought to bring with him first and foremost the fear of Almighty God; and then next, a firm and stable purpose to reform his own self according thereunto, and so to continue, shewing himself to be a sober and fruitful hearer and learner."

Al-Bayyina or The Evidence  البينة "The Clear Proof" is the 98th Chapter of the Qur'an, with 8 or verses[1] The Surah is so designated after the word al-bayyinah occurring at the end of the first and fourth verses Summary 1-2 The idolaters stagger at the revelations of the Quran 3-4 Jews and Christians (a.k.a. "the People of the Book") dispute among themselves since the advent of Muhammad and his new religion 5 Nonbelievers of all classes threatened with divine judgments 6 Those who disbelieve, from the People of the Book, and polytheists are the worst of all creatures, destined for hell[2] 7-8 'Those who believed and performed righteous deeds' are “the best of creatures”; their reward is heaven[3] Tafseer By Abul A'la Maududi The Surah is so designated after the word al-bayyinah occurring at the end of the first verse. Period of RevelationWhere it was revealed, at Makkah or Madinah, is also disputed. Some commentators say it is a Makki revelation according to most scholars; others say it is a Madani revelation according to most scholars. Ibn Az Zubair and Ata bin Yasar hold the view that it is Madani. Ibn Abbas and Qatadah are reported to have held two views, first that it is Makki, second that it is Madani. As for its contents, there is nothing in it to indicate whether it was revealed at Makkah or at Madinah. Theme and Subject MatterIts having been placed after Surahs Al-Alaq and Al-Qadr in the arrangement of the Quran is very meaningful. Surah Al-Alaq contains the very first revelation, while Surah Al-Qadr shows as to when it was revealed, and in this Surah it has been explained why it was necessary to send a Messenger along with this Holy Book.First of all the need of sending a Messenger has been explained, saying: The people of the world, be they from among the followers of the earlier scriptures or from among the idolaters, could not possibly be freed from their state of unbelief, until a Messenger was sent whose appearance by itself should be a clear proof of his apostleship, and he should present the Book of God before the people in its original, pristine form, which should be free from every mixture of falsehood corrupting the earlier Divine Books; and which should comprise sound teachings.Then, about the errors of the followers of the earlier Books it has been said that the cause of their straying into different creeds was not that Allah had not provided any guidance to them, but they strayed only after a clear statement of the Right Creed had come to them. From this it automatically follows that they themselves were responsible for their error and deviation. Now, if even after the coming of the clear statement through this Messenger, they continued to stray, their responsibility would further increase.In this very connection, it has been stated that the Prophets who came from Allah and the, Books sent down by Him, did not enjoin anything but that the way of sincere and true service to Allah be adopted, apart from all other ways, no one else's worship, service or obedience be mixed with His, the salat be established and the zakat be paid. This same has been the true religion since ever. From this also it automatically follows that the followers of the earlier scriptures, straying from this true religion, have added extraneous things to it, which are false, and Allah's this Messenger has come to invite them back to, the same original faith.In conclusion, it has been pointed out clearly that the followers of the earlier Books and the idolaters who would refuse to acknowledge this Messenger are the worst of creatures: their punishment is an everlasting Hell; and the people who would believe and act righteously, and would spend life in the world in awe of God, are the best of creatures: their reward is eternal Paradise wherein they will live for ever. Allah became well pleased with them and they became well pleased with Allah

«Cuando regreso a mí, a mi sendero, a leer y estudiar, escuchando a los grandes del pasado, me basta una sonata de Corelli para maravillarme de la creación». El 18 de mayo de 2021 moría, a los 76 años, Franco Battiato.  Sonata No. 12 in D minor Follia, Op. 5: I. Tema - Variazione 1 (Adagio) + Sonata Da Chiesa No. 1 in D Major, Op. 5: IV. Adagio + Sonata Da Chiesa No. 5 in G minor, Op.5: III. Adagio de Arcangelo CorelliOttavio Dantone, Stefano Montanari Corelli: Violin Sonatas Op. 5, Nos. 1-12L'Ombra Della Luce Franco Battiato Come Un Cammello In Una Grondaia (2008 Remastered Edition)Torneremo ancora Franco Battiato y Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Torneremo AncoraBayaty + Chant from a Holy Book de G. I. Gurdjieff  Anja Lechner y Vassilis Tsabropoulos Gurdjieff, Tsabropoulos: Chants, Hymns And DancesHaiku Franco Battiato Inneres Auge (Il Tutto E' Più Della Somma Delle Sue Parti)Aria Di Neve Franco Battiato FleursLa Quiete Dopo Un Addio Franco Battiato Inneres Auge (Il Tutto E' Più Della Somma Delle Sue Parti)Secondo Imbrunire Franco Battiato UnprotectedL'animale Franco Battiato Last Summer Dance - LiveI Treni Di Tozeur Franco Battiato y Alice Collezione ItalianaLa Cura Franco Battiato  L'ImboscataEscuchar audio

You need something right now, right?  You're waiting for something other than God, right? Praying for something other than God, right? But God only gives God.  Give thanks.  "Count your blessings, knowing you can't count that high."* Count it all joy - when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.** God is still God.  Which means you're still good.  Smile.  Breathe.  I Love You nik Support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings *********************** *Counting My Blessings - Song by Seph Schlueter  **James 1:2-4 "A hand lifted to Alläh is never let down." -@trustingservant via IG  "Great name of yours is upon me, you who lack nothing, you Self-Generated One, who are close to me. I see you, you who are invisible to all. Who can comprehend you? Having known you, I have now mingled with your constancy. I have armed myself with the armor of light. I have become bright. The Mother was there for the lovely beauty of grace. So I have stretched out my two hands. have been formed in the circle of the riches of light." - The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, Nag Hammadi Scriptures  "Pray simply: "Lord, grant me Your grace!" When there is a dark cloud of sorrows approaching you, pray: "Lord, grant me Your grace!" And the Lord will make that thunderstorm pass you by."- St. Nectarius of Optina 

Are those plants... moving? Join Brittney and Joshua as they chat about horrifying plant life in this 2008 teen horror!The Ruins (2008) - IMDbThings We MentionedZoroastrianism | Definition, Beliefs, Founder, Holy Book, & Facts | BritannicaTaken (2008) - IMDbHostel (2005) - IMDbThe tourist bubble- presenting a place to a visitor (linkedin.com)The Mayans: Where Are They Today? - HistoricaLittle Shop of Horrors (1986) - IMDbFind us at:Podcast Website: https://swordsstarships.buzzsprout.comInstagram: Brittney and Joshua (@swordsnstarships) • Instagram photos and videosEmail: Starships@coosbaylibrary.orgOur Library's Facebook Page: Coos Bay Public Library | FacebookCoos Bay Public Library's Instagram: CoosBayLibrary (@coosbaylibrary) • Instagram photos and videos

Author Matt Lozano talks with Lisa Livezey and host Jacqueline HarperTempted to jump out a window when it comes to holiness? In this final episode of our Free to Be Holy book study, the author himself speaks!We discuss Chapter Seven where Matt invites us to learn from his own mistakes. He shares his personal backstory of realizing he had believed the enemy's lie. We learn what led Matt to write this book which he calls, “One of the graces of the pandemic.”Chapter Seven is an informal introduction to Unbound ministry – helping people expose deceptions that keep them in bondage, to practice the Five Keys, and to walk in freedom.If you've hit a wall while pursuing a lifestyle of holiness, ask the Holy Spirit, “Show me what I'm not seeing,” suggests Matt. The Holy Spirit can help us identify internal struggles, patterns of thinking and behaviors which reflect ways we aren't free.Hear a “Cliff-notes version” of Common Lies of the Enemy and know that God can take what the devil intended for destruction and turn it into great blessing,Our Free to Be Holy series ends with Matt speaking the last lines of his book as a prayer. Join us!Find Matt's book Free to Be HolySee our upcoming eventsJoin us for our April Freedom in Christ Conference near PhiladelphiaRelease: April 2024Music by Christian HarperArtwork by Rosemary StrohmProduction by  Henry Aquino

He's Right Here!!Jenn hosts Neal and Lisa for a distinctive discussion during Week Three of our Free to Be Holy book study.Free to Be Holy means being “free to walk in holiness,” says Neal and “free to grow in holiness,” adds Lisa.One reason we fail is because we aren't free. Hear Neal's story about a prayer recipient exclaiming at The Father's Blessing, “He's right here! He was always right here!”Even when we mess up, Jesus is with us. He respects our free will, but is always there with the hope and the knowledge that we will yield. We discuss Matt's list of what God will do and won't do, followed by a beautiful story surrounding the one question God may ask at life's end: “Did you learn how to love?”Growth in holiness looks different for each individual, like spring flower bulbs that push up through dirt towards the light, each one displaying unique beauty.Trivia Quiz from this episode:1. What was Neal's original title for his book Unbound?2. What theological thought does Neal first remember having at age four?3. What four-year-old in Lisa's life exemplified discipleship?Find these answers and more inside this podcast. We'll meet you there!Find Matt's book Free to Be HolySee our upcoming eventsJoin us for our April Freedom in Christ Conference near PhiladelphiaRelease: April 2024Music by Christian HarperArtwork by Rosemary StrohmProduction by  Henry Aquino

Max and Casey sit down with game designer Evan Noone of Imp Games to chat about writing western-themed RPG adventures, exploring new genres in 5E, and the process of building new mechanics. Plus, Evan gives us a sneak preview of his new western fantasy adventure, Twice Dead in Terminus.Ready to run your own western-themed adventure? Mage Hand High Five listeners will get 20% off Twice Dead in Terminus and the Holy Book of Armaments at the links below:Twice Dead in Terminus 20% offHoly Book of Armaments 20% offFollow Evan's work at @impgames_ on Twitter!Join us on Patreon!Leave us a review! If you do, we may shout you out on the show!Edited by Max Weinberg and Rowan McStayMage Hand High Five and Badlands logos by Shane Smithmagehandhighfive.comFollow your new third-favorite actual play podcast on our socials:DiscordFacebookInstagramTikTokTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The J's are in the house” this week as Jenn and Janet Lozano along with Jacqueline Harper sum up Chapters Three and Four of Matt Lozano's book Free to Be Holy.“Reading Chapter 3 was like going into the throne room. I just encountered the Lord,” said Jenn.God is totally other – completely unique and excellent in every way. And yet He's excellently accessible to us!Jesus carried the world's sin on the cross, but it didn't change Him. He emanated perfect excellent love.Listen to Janet describe an Unbound conference in Poland where she profoundly experienced God's presence, giving her courage to intercept security guards and minister to someone in desperate need.Learn what we can do to see God with the eyes of our heart, plus three aspects of God's grace. Discover the difference between guilt and shame.Picture Matt seeing the stars unhindered while on a camping trip to West Virginia. Compare that to Unbound ministry, where a filter is removed allowing someone to see God's love, presence, his activity in their lives.If you haven't yet read Free to Be Holy, check it out. Go somewhere quiet, sit down, and expect an encounter with God. At the very least, listen to this podcast! “There is always more to see,” writes Matt.Find Matt's book Free to Be HolySee our upcoming eventsJoin us for our April Freedom in Christ Conference near PhiladelphiaRelease: April 2024Music by Christian HarperArtwork by Rosemary StrohmProduction by  Henry Aquino

On this Holy Thursday, we begin studying Matt Lozano's book Free to Be Holy.  What is Holiness? The Hebrew word kadosh translates as “set apart, sacred, holy.”  This applied to items used in the temple vessels and nothing made holy could be returned to ordinary service. Proper ritual allowed outward participation, but not interior restoration. Through Jesus, God removes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh.There are fascinating parallels between the purposes of blood in the human body and the work of Jesus' blood upon our soul. Blood animates, heals, and reproduces. Holiness is a lifestyle of making oneself available to God. We limit holiness by continuing to earn God's favor yet“We can't be holy without Jesus,” writes Matt.What isn't holiness? False approaches to holiness include: performance, out-of-reach holiness, and having false standards. When we put something above Jesus, we inevitably fail and can fall prey to the enemy's traps of shame, self-hatred, or pride. Escaping our sense of inferiority means putting off self-justification and pressing into Jesus. Our relationship with Christ is what we need to rely on. The Pharisees were so focused on Jesus actions that they missed Him – the Savior right in front of them.Deepening our walk in holiness means being available to Jesus. It's not just about what we avoid but what and Whom we embrace.Find Matt's book Free to Be HolyUse code FREE2B for 20% off of Free to Be Holy  through the remainder of Holy Thursday, March 28.See our upcoming eventsJoin us for our April Freedom in Christ Conference near PhiladelphiaRelease: March 2024Music by Christian HarperArtwork by Rosemary StrohmProduction by  Jacqueline Harper

Susun Weed answers 90 minutes of herbal health questions followed by a 30 minute interview  Z Budapest is author of the acclaimed The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries (1989) originally published in 1975 as The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows. This book served as the first hands-on guide to lead women into their own spiritual/Goddess heritage. The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries contains just about everything you need to know and then some for actualizing a goddess-centered lifestyle. This interview is for any woman seeking to know more about themselves, women's spirituality, and the goddess movement. Zsuzsanna “Z” Budapest was born in Hungary in 1940 and emigrated to the United States in 1959. She grew up respecting and appreciating Mother Nature as god. Following her family's spiritual tradition, she ultimately started the Women's Spirituality Movement. She also founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number l, the first feminist witches' coven, which became the role model for thousands of other spiritual groups being born and spreading across the nation. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published in hundreds of women's newspapers across the country. She has powerfully influenced many of the future teachers and writers about the Goddess.  

There are many religions in the world, and many holy books. Even a cursory examination shows that they do not agree with each other. Clearly, they can’t all be right. So, are they all wrong? Are any of them right? How would we be able to tell? Christians claim that the Bible is the one true, written revelation from God. That’s a big claim! Can the claim be tested? What’s the evidence? Dr Mark Harwood says the Bible can, indeed, be both tested and trusted. Join the conversation as he provides evidence from five different areas: perfectly fulfilled prophecies, observations of the world around us are consistent with the Bible, the Bible has a unified message (though written by 40 authors over 1,500+ years), the Bible is inerrant, the impact of the Bible on people’s lives And if the Bible is true, how should we respond? ✍️ Links and Show Notes Should we trust the Bible? New Testament manuscripts Can we believe the Gospels Do we have enough evidence to trust the Bible? Claimed Bible errors Where Did the Bible Come From? Part 1 Where Did the Bible Come From? Part 2 Bible Questions and Answers

Join us for Part 2 of Shahe's inspiring One80 and hear more about God's loving and faithful pursuit of her to saving faith. Part 2 continues with a God-concealed pregnancy, a moving sermon on The Prodigal Son, The Judgment House, her dramatic coming to Jesus story with the mysterious "Good Job" man and what God did with her amazing Holy Book test.You will be encouraged as you hear the heart of someone from a totally different culture growing up among you and the very different perspectives Shahe had of Christianity before coming to faith herself.If you have a heart for Muslims but don't know how to reach out, today's One80 will be inspiring.Share your One80, here's how.Shahe's BlogBorn Afghan, Born American, Born Again, bookEl Greco paintingShalwar kameez, Afghan dressPrayercast AfghanistanPrayercast TalibanPrayercast Kabul Follow One80 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.Never miss a One80. Join our email list. Follow us on Instagram.Share One80, here's how!OneWay Ministries

Philippians 3:12-15 As each of you begins this New Year, I wonder this morning how much of 2023 you've allowed to stick?  How much of last year has come across as unwanted baggage into this year?  Do you know that for many a soul, their future has been mapped already for them by events that lie in the past? The child who all their life was told, you'll amount to nothing finds that those wretched words follow them into adulthood!!  The infant that falls from a tree and breaks a leg, in their later years rediscovers that old injury as it returns to bite with vengeance!!  I'm no skeptic, but the facts on this one speak for themselves!! To a large extent tomorrow's future is shaped by yesterday's past; this year by the years preceding it, Brethren, if we're not careful, we can become victims of past failings, prisoners of yesterday's woes — serving a sentence that we've allowed to be imposed upon us when the text of this Holy Book states that Christ came to set us free!  This sermon is a call to leave the past behind and to reach forward to those things that lie before!

Topics discussed on today's show: Thanksgiving Week, Birthdays, History Quiz, How are babies made?, 20 in 23, Trashy Thanksgiving, Evil Lyric or Holy Book.

Heavenly Father, we recognize that we live as fallen people in a fallen world. Yes, it's all because of our own rebellion and subordination of trying to reject your authority. Lord, we understand that we live in a world that is under the curse. Lord, in this world, we do experience suffering and pain and we experience trials and tempest. Sometimes life becomes tempestuous. Storms come. Lord, in those moments when the storms do come, I pray that you give us the power of the Holy Spirit to stand unflinching on the gospel and the word of God. That you are a great God, there's nothing outside of your control. You are sovereign and that you are good God. You love us and you long to bless us. Sometimes you bless us by protecting us from the storms.Sometimes the greatest blessing is your own presence and protection within the storm. Lord, I pray from the holy scriptures today, remind us that a fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace. That we are to be a people who are characterized, defined by peace, the tranquility of heart, despite the storms. Lord, when the winds of this world blow and they blow against us, I pray that we are not blown from one doctrine to another, but we stand fast and hold on to the anchor of our souls, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that you bless our time in the holy scriptures and we pray all this in Christ's beautiful name. Amen. We are continuing our sermon series to the Gospel of Mark. We've entitled this, "The Gospel of Mark and The Secret of God's Kingdom."The title of the sermon on this communion Sunday is the Storm Calming King. One of the most accurate gauges for how strong your faith is, is to take an inventory of your current fears, anxieties, and worries. What worries you the most today? Perhaps the state of the economy or your own personal finances. How are we going to keep paying the bills? Perhaps it's inflation or politics or war or disease or perhaps you're more concerned about finding love or keeping love, about losing health or aging. For the wellbeing perhaps of your children, you're most concerned, or not measuring up intellectually, physically, financially. Or how about death? Do you experience fear when you consider death, of what it would mean to meet the living God?The Holy Word proclaims that God gave us the spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control. The spirit of fear is not from God. God doesn't want you living in a constant state of panic. Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. So we are to be calm and cool, even in the face of storms. The most effective, sustainable way to counter our fears is with a greater fear, a fear of God, and to truly believe in God, to truly know Him as He is to fear Him. Our text today is Mark 4:35-41. Would you look at the text with me? "On that day when evening had come, he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.' And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was.And other boats were with him and a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling, but he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And when they woke him up, they said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Be still. Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'" This is the reading of God's holy, inerrant, infallible, authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts.Three points as we walk our way through the text, a great storm, a great calm, and a great fear. First, a great storm. Jesus had called these disciples by coming to them and commanding them, "Follow me." His very first sermon, both to them and to everyone else, was the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe. What he's saying is, "I am the king. I'm the king of everything. The way you enter my kingdom is repenting of sin and believing in me." Those are the two most important lessons of the Christian faith. This is how everything begins and this is how everything continues. Repent of your sin and believe and follow Jesus Christ.Then Jesus spends in chapter four, parable upon parable explaining to the disciples, trying and impress upon their hearts the importance of paying attention to God's word, of listening in a way that you actually hear and heed and obey the word of God. So after teaching his disciples lesson upon lesson and preaching, now comes the test. You've all taken tests. Are you a good test taker? What makes for a good test taker? Is it just the power of recall? It's more than that. It's the power of recall under pressure. In particular in a pop quiz, you weren't ready. Pop quiz, here we go. Do you know the information? Have you mastered it? We learn about truth, the truth about God and who we are from the Holy Book. Then we're called to apply this truth in real life.That's the real test. Can you apply the truth in real time? Often God does test our faith and he does so with sudden unexpected storms. Will your faith be blown off course? Usually, the storms come in the form of some pain, some suffering. Can you continue trusting God when the skies have darkened, when lightning strikes, when you feel like you're sinking? Can you trust God, believe in God when it matters most? So Jesus administers the test in Mark 4:35. "On that day," it says, "when evening had come, he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.'" On that day and in context, we see what happened on that day in Jesus' taxing life of ministry.The day started where he's casting out demons and then the Pharisees and the scribes of the Pharisees, they accused Jesus of doing the work he was doing by the power of Beelzebub or Satan himself. Jesus says, "No, you saying that is actually blasphemous." There's tensions. Whenever there's a conflict, whenever there's tension, there's all adrenaline pumped exhaustion. That's what Jesus went through. The second event of that day was when his mother and his brothers came to take Jesus by force almost. Then Jesus turns around and He looks at his disciples and He says, "Who's my mother? Who's my brothers? Who's my sisters? It's those that do the will of God." Then He spends all day preaching to the biggest crowd yet.There were so many people that He was forced to back off from the shore and start preaching from a boat using the boat as his pulpit. So after exhausting day of ministry in the hot sun, Jesus says, "Let us go across to the other side." The Greek tense reveals a note of urgency in Jesus' decisions to depart. Perhaps he's hit a wall physically where you just can't continue. He didn't have the physical strength to go on. So He tells the disciples, "Let's go out to sea." Whose idea was this? This is important to notice. Whose idea was it to get in the boat that evening and to go into the sea that night? It was Jesus' idea. It was Him taking them right into the storm almost as if it's a setup and it is.He's setting them up to test their faith. He loves them and He wants to strengthen their faith in God and fear of God. God does not promise that when we serve Him, when we obey Him, when we believe in Him that we're going to lead a life of smooth sailing. Jesus doesn't promise to protect us from experiencing storms. He promises to protect us in the midst of storms. The sermon of the Mount in chapter 7, verse 24, Jesus says this, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on the house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell. Great was the fall of it." But notice in both of these paths, the people that obey God, the wise people and the people that disobeyed God, the foolish people, they both experience storms. The question isn't, "Are you going to experience a storm?" The question is, "Will your faith weather the storm?" Obedience to God takes them right into the heart of the storm, into the eye of the hurricane, so to speak. This shows us that service to Christ even does not exempt us from storms.The 12 disciples seem to be doing all the right things, forsaking everything, following him, listening to his teaching, growing in their faith, doing all He commands. They're as obedient as you'll find. Jesus says, "Let us go to the other side." The other side was predominantly the Gentile Decapolis, a region where most of the people there were Gentiles, they were pagans. They did not believe in Yahweh. So Jesus here is showing us that He's the prophet similar to Jonah being sent to the Gentiles except Jesus did it willingly. Verse 36, "And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was and other boats were with him." So He's been preaching in the boat and then He just goes to the back of the boat and to the stern, finds a cushion, and goes to sleep.What kind of boat was this? It was probably one of the ordinary 15-passenger boats, 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, 4.5 feet high, with a little platform in the stern that protected from the elements. Also, notice it says that other boats were with him. The other boats aren't mentioned later in the text. It does nothing to further the plot. Why is this detail here? Because it's just showing us this is eyewitness account as they remembered this detail. So Jesus is exhausted from his day, climbs into the back of the boat. The boat hoist sail and begins the five-mile trip across the lake. Verse 37. "And a great windstorm arose, and waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling."The sea of Galilee is about 700 feet below sea level and it's surrounded by mountains, by Mount Herman and the Eastern Shore. The mountains go up about 9,200 feet above sea level. So there's about a 10,000-foot difference between the top of the mountain and the bottom of the sea. What happens is cool air sometimes rushes from the top of the mountain down to the sea, which is warmer and it creates this thermal buildup. Tremendous storms, violent changes of weather were known in that area, come out of nowhere severe and treacherous. We know that God is creator of all things and He is the controller of the natural world and natural phenomena.This is also the God that once in a while, He tames or uses creation in order to provide salvation for His people. For example, when he's leading His people out of the exodus and they get to the Red Sea, an east wind was sent by God and dried up the waters. Already Mark has shown that Jesus is the Son of God. At His baptism, the heavens were torn open and the Holy Spirit comes down upon Jesus. God the Father speaks, "This is my son in whom I'm well pleased." Jesus has already proven that He's king over demonic by exercising demons. He's proven that He teaches with a new ring of authority as if it's His word, which it is. He heals the sick, which shows that He has power over sickness. Here Jesus shows us that He has power over creation, but not yet.He waits until the disciples are unnerved. A tempest arises. The waves are breaking into the boat and the boat is filling up with water. The verb translated breaking in is a strongly expressive verb, meaning literally hurled upon. The description of the storm reminds Biblical readers of the story of Jonah. Note the similarities between the two narratives. There's departure by boat, a violent storm at sea, a sleeping main character, badly frightened sailors, and a miraculous stealing related to the main character, and then a marveling response by the sailors. Even the vocabulary that's used is similar. We're about to die or the sea died down or they feared a great fear. But also, we have a significant difference between this text and the Jonah's story.Unlike Jonah, Jesus is not fleeing the will of God no matter how hard it is. No, He's actively involved in accomplishing God's will. Also, the disciples don't ask Jesus to pray to the Father. They go to Jesus directly. So they had faith that He could save them. That's why they're asking for the help. Jesus is greater than Jonah in that He has power over creation. So Jesus is more God than Jonah. Life storms are like this. The disciples had smooth sailing for a bit, and then out of nowhere, immediately a storm is upon them. In life, this happens often. Everything's fine and then you get that one phone call. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? It means to be a learner and there are infinite lessons to learn. Sometimes those lessons are learned by reading.Sometimes those lessons are learned by weathering storms. Though the disciples were mostly oblivious to this in the moment, the terrifying storm was actually God's grace and teaching them more about God and more about God's power in their lives. Storms and hardship are an adversity, are essential in our spiritual development. God is a loving father. He does not give us a life without difficulties or trials or stresses or pain or suffering or setbacks or failure. Why? Because He wants us to be strong. He wants us to be as strong as possible in the faith. Verse 38, "And he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?'"By the way, these are very experienced fishermen. Peter and Andrew had their own fishing business, and John and James had their own fishing business. They've seen storms, but here this one terrified them. So it must've been some storm. They're freaking out and they wake Jesus. There's a hint of resentment, of reproach as they rebuke him. It's almost as if they're mad at Jesus for allowing this situation. Jesus, we did all the right things. We did everything that you told us to do. Why would you allow this to happen in our life? Jonah, for example, Jonah's situation, yes, that storm was punishment for his disobedience, but they had been obedient. That's why they feel aggrieved. Jesus is in the stern. I love the detail that he's asleep on the cushion, climbs in there, just finds a pillow.He's like, "This one's for me," and just goes into comatose, so a nap, just a tremendous nap. By the way, be like Jesus once in a while, take a nap. There's something here that's majestic about this detail if you meditate on. Jesus, He did get exhausted in His human form. He's God incarnate, but in the human body, He's bone tired after an exhausting day of ministry. Even the storm couldn't wake Him up. In a moment from now, Jesus would calm the storm, but first, He slept in a weary body. Here we have a grand display of the opposites of weakness and omnipotence coalesced into harmony too magnificent to be the product of human imagination. No other religion, no other worldview, no other ideology comes even close to something.God incarnate, God becoming one of us, remaining fully God, yet fully human. There's something so reassuring here that Jesus knows the human experience from the inside. He's been through it. He knows what it's like to be human, and we know His sleep is intentional, thus the cushion. So He is completely in control. He controls the weather, therefore He could have foretold the weather. So this is all a setup. It really is a test. God loves saving at the very last moment, in the 11th hour, when the odds are insurmountable where it just seems impossible. So Israel, as they're coming out of Egypt and the Exodus, they get up to the Red Sea. You got the Egyptian army breathing down their neck. They're trapped, they're doomed.Then in the last hour, God saves them. Or Gideon's army or Sarah or Ruth or widow loses her son or even Lazarus. Jesus goes to Lazarus' funeral and they're like, "Why are you here? If you came a little sooner, you could have healed him. Why are you here? It's too late." It wasn't too late. Jesus resurrects him. Jesus sleeping here indicates His calm trust in God. Psalm 4:8 says, "In peace, I will both lie down and sleep for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." The disciples call out that Jesus as they're awakening Him. They call him teacher or rabbi. Rabbi's been teaching them and they don't realize that the rabbi's continuing to teach them. They cry out, "We're perishing, we're about to die."This verb, the identical form in the Septuagint and the Greek translation of the Hebrew is used in the Jonah story. Then the crux of their question is, "Do you not care? Do you not care?" The question uses the negative particle in the Greek, ou. It's asked in a way that makes clear. They think they know He cares, but at this moment, they're not sure. "Jesus, you care, right? Jesus, you care for us, don't you?" That's what they're saying. I think we've all felt this. We've all had moments in life where it feels like God just disappears. God just hid His face or it feels like God is asleep and they're crying out, "Lord, save us. We're about to die, we're overwhelmed, we're crushed."Worry in our lives comes from either forgetting the power of Jesus over the storm that He is great, or doubting his commitment to us in the storm that He's good. We either doubt that He's great or we either doubt that He's good. In those moments, I'd like you to remember three things. First, realize that feelings of anxiety or fear, trepidation, those are natural, but we are not to trust in our feelings. Our feelings are fallible. The size of the waves and the fury of the wind and the sight of the water accumulating at the bottom of the boat, the boat is sinking deeper and deeper into the water, into the lake. All of this makes the disciples almost forget everything they've learned about Jesus. J. C. Ryle says this, "Sight, sense, and feeling make even believers very poor theologians."Here you got the theology of what's happening in that moment, in that storm, when all the theologists throw out the window. We have to pause, we got to meditate, because right now, here and now we are not in a storm. It's times of peace in which we need to study God's word and not just learn the truth, but embody the truth. Where the truth becomes so much part of us that we understand that God is in control. At this moment, you could have said to the disciples, "Hey, do you really suppose that God's plan for the world is going to come to an end in some unforeseen accident? Do you really suppose that the Messiah Himself would drown as He's crossing the sea of Galilee?"Couldn't they see that no boat ferrying the son of God, no boat carrying the savior of the world was going to sink? Couldn't they see that high as those waves were deep as the water was getting in the boat, as wild as the winds were, there was no safer spot in the world than being in that boat with Jesus Christ? Faith knows that God is sovereign, but sight forgets it often. At these moments, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Meaning don't just judge everything you see physically, but what do you see with the eyes of your soul, with your faith? Second, salvation isn't always from circumstances but through. We'll get to that in the second point.Then third, even when you feel like you're drowning, even when you feel like everything is falling apart, you are sinking, just dismantling of everything, at those moments, it's okay to run to Jesus and wake Him up. No matter how much He was enjoying that nap. Have you ever had a nice nap and then someone awakens you? What's your first reaction? I know what mine is. It's irritation. You're just groggy. Jesus doesn't get irritated for them waking Him up. He is grieved by their lack of faith, by their lack of trust, but He doesn't rebuke them for their fretting cries for help. In these moments, we are to remember that when we run to God, when we cry out to Him honestly, from the depth of our soul, He hears those pleas and He will answer. So Jesus is awakened.This brings us the second point of great calm, verse 39. "And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." So He says to the sea, "Silence, peace." Then he says, "Be still." That's the same verb that's used in chapter 1, verse 25 where Jesus casts out a demon. He tells the demon, "Be still", but in the Greek, it's more than that. It's be muzzled, or one translator says, "Shut up." He's telling the storm to do what He says because He's king over the storm. He doesn't rescue them from the storm, but He stills the storm itself. Only the one who had initially created the sea and the wind, it's only His place to rebuke the storm and the storm and the wind's instant obedience show us who's in control.It's God himself that's in that boat. It's Jesus Christ, the creator. In Him all things were created, through Him all things were created. He's also the redeemer. It's significant that when Jesus lends his authority to His disciples to go cast out demons and do miracles, He never gives them power over creation itself, over nature itself. That power belongs to the Son of God, king over the natural world. When the authors of the Psalms reflect on the fact that God doesn't just help us in the storms, He also sends us those storms. Psalm 46, for example, the Psalmist says, "God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in trouble. Though the waters roar and foam." Psalm 65 says, "He stilled the roaring of the seas and the roaring of their waves." Then it says, "There was a great calm."That's the same verb that's used for the calming of the sea in the Jonas' story. Remember the other boats, there were other boats with them? Well, the text doesn't say anything else about those boats, but that detail shows us that the calming of the storm wasn't just for the salvation or preservation of these disciples, but also, it was a miracle of mercy in a wider scale. Psalm 107:23-32 is an incredible parallel passage to meditate on. Some went down to the sea in ships doing business on the great waters. They saw the deeds of the Lord, His wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths. Their courage melted away in their evil plight.They reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters are quiet and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man. Let them extol him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the elders." Whenever you are experiencing a storm in life, let us never forget that with the Lord Jesus Christ, everything can change in a second. With the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible. No stormy sins are so strong that He can't tame them or He can't save us from them.No conscience is so disturbed that He can't speak peace to it and make it come. No despair is so deep that it can't be replaced with unspeakable joy. No sinner, not even one is beyond the reach of our savior. Christ can speak so to any stormy soul, "Peace! Be still!" Scripture says, "Greater is he that is in us than he who is in the world." Matthew 4:40, He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" After conquering the external threat of the storm, Jesus turns to the internal threat. This is His follower's unbelief. After rebuking the storm, He now rebukes His disciples and He says to them, "Why are you so afraid?" The word for afraid here is deilos, which means cowardly. So Jesus here is rebuking them for their cowardice, for their timidity, for their lack of courage.They challenge Jesus by saying, "Don't you care?" Now He's challenging them by saying, "Why are you so cowardly? Why are you such cowards?" By the way, what would your answer be if you were the disciples? We almost died, Jesus. That's why we were cowardly. We were almost dead, wiped out. Yes, you are the God of the world we know, but in that moment, come on. There's a reason for it. So why is Jesus calling it out? What He's doing is He's pointing out that a secondary fear has become a primary fear on their hierarchy of fear. He says, "Why are you so afraid? Why are you so cowardly?" Meaning you are afraid of something more than God. You fear something more than God. What was that in their case?Perhaps suffering, perhaps pain, perhaps drowning, perhaps death itself. They fear death itself more than fearing the God that was in the boat and that's why they rebuked Him. The Lord rebukes cowardice. Here are a few points just to point out. As believers, we are to grow in courage. This is what it means to be encouraged. God infuses courage in our hearts. Sometimes for that courage to grow, we need a nice rebuking and Jesus Christ rebukes his disciples. If you have a Jesus that never rebukes you for anything, that's not the Jesus of reality, that's not the real Jesus. If you have a God that never contradicts anything you do, never calls you to repentance, never calls you to change, you don't have a God that's the real God of reality.The real God does rebuke and we are to look to scripture for training and for teaching and for encouragement and edification. But we are look through the scripture and say, "Lord, rebuke me. Teach me where I need to change." Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." This is what Jesus is rebuking them for. The Lord's sleep did not only show His very natural weariness, it also showed His tranquil faith. He did not doubt that God is sovereign. Here Mark shows that faith and fear are mutually exclusive in scripture. It was because of their lack of faith that they feared that they were about to drown. So it was for a lack of faith that they are rebuked. The command and scripture that has reiterated more than any other is do not fear.Jesus says, "Why are you afraid? And then have you still no faith? Don't you have faith yet?" Here Christ is showing that He, God, takes our craving and fear as a personal insult. Where is your faith, disciples? Is it in me? If it isn't me, I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere. I was right there with you the whole time. So we need to hear from time to time from our savior that our faithless ways, especially in light of the Lord's demonstration over and over years in our lives of his faithfulness, our faithlessness is inexcusable. It's actually a sin that we must repent of and put to death. There is no excuse for us to not understand that when we experience troubles and trials and storms of life, it's because God allowed them in our life. They passed through His hands.If He is for us, then who can be against us? So we need this rebuke and the rebuke itself is a powerful encouragement that we can grow more courageous. We can grow out of our cowardly ways and we can become deeper believers. In our passage, faith seems to have two aspects. On the one hand, it's a trust like Jesus. Here He is exuding a basic confidence in God's provident care. On the other hand, faith is also trust in Jesus. By the end of our passage, faith has come to mean a perception of who He really is, His cosmic stature. He is the son of God and the conviction that nothing bad can ultimately happen to the person who was with Him. In this text, we see this progression that Jesus moves just from being an example for our faith to actually being the object of our faith.Isaiah 45:6 and 7, "I am the Lord and there is no other. I form light and create darkness. I make wellbeing and create calamity. I'm the Lord who does all these things." I want to walk you through Psalm 23, one of my favorite psalms, one of our favorite psalms, one of the most famous ones. I want to show you that all of these truths are right there in that psalm and just show you that transformation is promised when we keep trusting the Lord. Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Unfortunately, a lot of people believe that's where the faith ends. You come to the Lord.He's your shepherd and He's going to take you in bucolic green pastures, delicious running water. He takes care of all your needs. That's awesome. No, that's just the beginning and then the story continues. Verse four, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they come from me." How in the world did we end up from green pastures... Bucolic running water is tremendous. How do we go from there to a valley of the shadow of death? The shepherd led him there. The good shepherd led him into the valley of death. God loves us and bad things happen. Both are true. Jesus was perfect and bad things happened to Him.David here, he doesn't fear that despite seeing only shadows, experiencing near death, he takes comfort in the fact that the shepherd is close. The shepherd has been leading me. He continues to lead me and He will surely lead me through and out. Jesus doesn't always lead us around danger or protect us from danger. Sometimes He leads us into green pastures. Sometimes it's into danger and sometimes He protect us by means of danger. Perhaps the valley of shadow of death was to train David, to learn, to grow in wisdom, to not go through bigger valleys, deeper valleys of shadow of death. He allows us to experience present pain often to protect us from future pain.In verse three, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." So the path of righteousness sometimes goes through green pastures and often it goes through valleys of death. Most importantly, David didn't lose sight of the shepherd. I just want to point out that his relationship deepened with the shepherd after going through the valley of the shadow of death. Look at how he changes the way he addresses the good shepherd. In verse two, "He makes me lie down. He leads me besides still waters." Verse three, "He restores my soul." Verse four, "Even though I walk through the valley of shadow death, I will fear no evil for..." It doesn't say he, it's no longer he. It's for you are with me.Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil and my cup over overflows. His relationship with his shepherd changed. It became more personal, it became more real. God became more present, and this is the universal experience of God's people. If you ask a believer, "At what times in your life did you experience the presence of God like never before?", and they will no doubt tell you a time when they had to walk through a valley of the shadow of death. Charles Spurgeon said, "I've learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages." God doesn't always shield us from danger, but He shields us in the danger, sometimes with the danger and leads us through it all.Sometimes He does it all so that we get a cup that overflows with comfort for others. Sometimes He sends us affliction so that we learn to be comforted to pass through the affliction and then we become even more useful instruments in His hands to comfort others. 2 Corinthians 2:3-6 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer."What a difference it would've made if the disciples had exercised faith that night. Imagine if they got a take two. Jesus, let's do this again. We are terrible at that first pop quiz. This is awful, but imagine if the next storm, all of a sudden, Jesus is in the cushion. They were like, "Jesus, we know what you're doing." All the storm comes, it's filling up. I'd be standing right next to Peter. Peter would be the wild man. Just be fishing off the boat, just enjoying it, just maniacal smile, laughter. All of a sudden, the suffering, the storm turns into an adventure. No matter what, I'm in the hands of God. No matter what, until Jesus says we are invincible, we are immortal until our job is done. Imagine being brought to the brink of death but preserved. That would've been the gift of a deepened faith.Point three is a great fear. In verse 41, it says, "They were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'" They were filled with the great fear. That's the same idiom that's used in the Jonah's story when the sailors saw the power of God. Here Jesus' great authority leaves them in awe. The word for fear here is different than the previous word for afraid. The word for fear here is phobos, which is the proper response to a manifestation of the divine. They see that God is with them. Whereas the other word, deilos was cowardly. It was reprehensible because they didn't trust in the Lord. The disciples respond to Jesus' question about their cowardice with another question, "Who is this with us in the boat?"Well, who is this? This is the Messiah. This is the Son of God, the one that Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18. He said, "A greater prophet is coming after me. Obey him." The idea here has been magnified. Magnified because obedience is rendered to Jesus, not just by people, but even by creation itself. Even the wind, even the sea, they obey Him and leaving the disciples stunned. If the storms obey Him, if the sea obeys Him, if the wind obeys Him, then who are we to disobey Him? That's the sentiment here. Who are we to defy Him? This is the fear that they're experiencing. He is creator. We are creation and they stand in fear and on reverence of Christ. Do you stand in a right relationship with your creator? That right relationship must include a healthy respect for God.You can fear God without loving Him. That's what the demons do. They fear God. They know God but they don't love God. But you can't love God without fearing Him. To truly love Him is to truly know who He is and to truly know who He is to fear Him. What is the fear of the Lord? It's not just pure dread, it's not just shrinking back from Him in terror. You can obey God because you're terrified of him or terrified of the consequence. But if that's the only reason why you obey, then you don't really know God either because God is a loving God. He is God the Father. We are to fear God in the sense that we are to fear offending Him, displeasing or grieving Him. Therefore, our relationship must not be glib or flippant. We are to fear His rebuke more than just respect or reverence.The word does use the word fear. In Exodus chapter 20, Moses comes down from the mountain given the 10 commandments of God. The people see this. They see that God has been with Moses. Moses has been with God, and they say, "Moses, don't have God speak to us. You speak to us." They're in trepidation. Then this is what Moses says in Exodus 20, "Do not fear for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." Do not fear but fear. What is he saying? He's saying, "Do not fear approaching God for mercy. Do not fear looking at the 10 commandments and realizing that you have transgressed the commandments." What are we to do? We deserve the infinite eternal condemnation of God upon ourselves for rebelling, for insubordination.Here Moses says, "Do not fear coming to God for mercy." This is what Christ says. Do not fear coming to the cross asking God for forgiveness. But once you do receive Jesus Christ as savior, recognize that He's also your Lord. As you approach this God, we are to fear kindling His wrath against sin. We are to fear His rebuke. Psalm 25:14 says, "The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him and he makes known to them his covenant." It's incredible that the Lord would offer His friendship, but this is what the Lord's saying. He's like, "I would rather just be friends." This is why I tell my kids. I got four daughters. I hate the rebuking. I hate the discipline part. I hate that. I hate that. Can't you just do what I say first time?What I want to say is can't you just know what I want you to do? Can you just read my mind? Haven't we been together long enough and then we can just be friends? We can just hang out. This is what God is saying. He's like, "Do I want to stand over you and tell you what to do?" I want the word to be planted in you so that you don't just learn these truths, but you embody the truths and then your relationship with the Lord is a relationship of friendship. Martin Luther made a distinction between servile fear and filial fear. Servile comes from Latin servus, which means slave, and fillus means son. He says, "Sometimes people have the servile fear of God where they're just slaves and they never understand the relationship with God as children."Luther is thinking of a child who has tremendous respect and love for his father or mother and who dearly wants to please them. Hebrews 10:31 says, "It's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God." It is, and this is why we need Christ. So we don't fall into the hands of God's wrath. But also, once we are forgiven, it's like we are in the hands of God the Father and still a very fearful thing to be held lovingly by these same hands. Psalm 130:1-4, "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you, there is forgiveness that you may be feared."That last verse is fascinating. With you is forgiveness that you may be feared. Why include fear with forgiveness? Well, because you begin to understand what it took for forgiveness to be procured. It took the cross of Jesus Christ. The bloody cross was the terrible price for our sin, for our disobedience. We have broken God's commandments. We deserve His eternal wrath. Yet God sends Jesus Christ to the cross, Jesus Christ, fully obedient who did the will of God from the heart perfectly. This same Jesus goes to cross to pay the penalty for our lawbreaking. On the cross, what does Jesus say? He says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I'm perishing. God the Father, why are you allowing me to perish?"God the Father allows the son to perish so that we do not. What do the disciples say? We're perishing. Do you not care? What does Jesus say with His life? How long until you truly believe that I have come so you do not perish. I have come to perish so that you'll be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, so that whosoever believes in Him, in Jesus would not perish but have eternal life. The good shepherd is the one that lays down His life for His sheep. Friends, hell is real. It's reality. The lake of fire is real and the condemnation is for eternity. The suffering is for eternity. Jesus Christ came to save us from the ultimate storm of God's judgment, which is hell. The cross of Jesus Christ is as close of a glimpse of hell that true believers will ever get.That's hell, God the Son experiencing it. Why? So that we would never have to. All we have to do is turn to Him, turn from sin, repent and believe. What is the storm? The storm is an expression of the curse. The curse was pronounced upon all creation when the first Adam sinned and fell. The ground was cursed and the fabric of creation was disordered and chaotic and became dangerous. Then Jesus is second Adam, the God man came to make His blessings flow as far as the curse is found. He did what the first Adam did not do. Jesus kept covenant with God perfectly. He obeyed. He bled and He died and the curse fell on him. It was etched into Him and the storm of divine wrath engulfed Him and there was no peace for Him.Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'" The disciples were afraid that they would perish that night. They didn't understand that Jesus came to give them life and life eternal. He would perish that they might live and that's why He came to give us life at the cost of His own. The final question is, who really got woken up in the story? Who really got awakened? We see the disciples trying to wake Jesus up. They wake Jesus up. At the end, it's the disciples that got awakened. They're like, "Who is this? We're in the presence of God Himself." They fear Him with a good godly fear. If you fear God, there's nothing else to fear.If God is number one in your hierarchy of fears, there's nothing else to fear. There's no one else to fear. This is how we fight lesser fear, secondary fears. We fight them with the greatest fear, fear of God that displaces all the others. Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." This is the Jesus that we worship. This is the Jesus that we follow. He didn't have to save our souls, but He did. He's a good God. If you're not sure where you stand before God today, if you're not sure if you die today where you'll spend eternity, today in your heart of hearts, cry out to Jesus Christ, "Lord Jesus, do you not care?"He will respond, "Of course, I care. Look at the cross. Look at my death, my burial and my resurrection and my ascension." The moment you repent, the moment you believe, you are saved and you are given eternal life. One of our favorite hymns that we sing at Mosaic is Amazing Grace. We sing in particular when people get baptized. If you've not been baptized a believer, let us know. We can't wait to baptize you and then sing the song. In the song, it goes like this. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind, but now I see. It was grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace, my fears relieved. How precious did the grace appear the hour I first believed?I'll close with Psalm 42:7-11 before we transition to holy communion. "Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night, his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock, 'Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?' As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God? Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.'"Well, we celebrate holy communion at Mosaic every first Sunday of the month. We celebrate holy communion as it was commanded to us by our Lord and Savior that we are to do this in remembrance of him. For whom is holy communion? It is only for repentant believers in Jesus Christ. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, if you're not a Christian, if you're not a follower of Christ, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service. It'll do nothing for you. Instead, meditate on what you've heard. Or if you today repent of your sins and you become a Christian, you're welcome to partake. Then if you are a believer living in known unrepentant sin, please refrain from this part of the service. Instead, take time to repent and pray.If you haven't received the elements and would like to, raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring them to you. Would you please pray with me over holy communion? Lord Jesus, we thank you that you gave us this ordinance to remember your suffering, bread that you said is to remind us of your broken body. Your body was truly broken. You suffered on that cross and the cup was given to us to remind us of your blood, the blood of the Holy Lamb of God that was shed for us in order to make atonement for our sins, provide a way for salvation. Jesus, bless our time in holy communion now. We take this moment to repent of sin. We repent of pride. We repent of selfishness. We repent of our own desire to be our own gods, to define good and evil as we deem.We repent of transgressing your commandments. We repent of not loving you with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and not loving our neighbor itself. Lord, we pray that you give us grace and mercy and pray that you forgive us and also give us grace to empower us, to fear you above all else, and to not be cowardly, to truly grow in our courage in particular when we testify to the world of your name. Bless our time in the holy communion. Now we pray this in Christ's name, amen. 1 Corinthians 11:23 says, "For I received from the Lord what I also deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'In the same way also, he took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant of my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."If this is your first time partaking communion with us, there's two lids, one at the top to open the cup and then one at the bottom to get the bread. On the night that Christ was betrayed, He took the bread and after breaking it, He said, "This is my body broken for you. Take, eat, and do this in remembrance of me." He then proceeded to take the cup and He said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured out for the sins of many. Take, drink, and do this in remembrance of me." Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time of spiritual nourishment from the richness of your holy scriptures.Lord, we pray that these lessons that we learned don't just stay in our minds, but we pray that they set roots into our hearts and that we become a people who are not just hearers of the word but doers of the word, because we embody the word. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you God incarnate, you showed us what it means to truly live a life of obedience to you and service to people, love to you and love toward people. Lord, we do fear you and we pray that you deepen our fear of you.As we grow and fear of you, I pray, Lord, that we become more effective servants for you, courageously proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who would hear. Give us opportunities even this week to go and to share the good news, to share the fact that anyone who repents of sin and turns to Christ is forgiven, is given eternal life, and is welcome into an eternal kingdom, a kingdom that will stand the test of time and no storms will shake. We pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen.

Heavenly Father, we recognize that we live as fallen people in a fallen world. Yes, it's all because of our own rebellion and subordination of trying to reject your authority. Lord, we understand that we live in a world that is under the curse. Lord, in this world, we do experience suffering and pain and we experience trials and tempest. Sometimes life becomes tempestuous. Storms come. Lord, in those moments when the storms do come, I pray that you give us the power of the Holy Spirit to stand unflinching on the gospel and the word of God. That you are a great God, there's nothing outside of your control. You are sovereign and that you are good God. You love us and you long to bless us. Sometimes you bless us by protecting us from the storms.Sometimes the greatest blessing is your own presence and protection within the storm. Lord, I pray from the holy scriptures today, remind us that a fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace. That we are to be a people who are characterized, defined by peace, the tranquility of heart, despite the storms. Lord, when the winds of this world blow and they blow against us, I pray that we are not blown from one doctrine to another, but we stand fast and hold on to the anchor of our souls, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that you bless our time in the holy scriptures and we pray all this in Christ's beautiful name. Amen. We are continuing our sermon series to the Gospel of Mark. We've entitled this, "The Gospel of Mark and The Secret of God's Kingdom."The title of the sermon on this communion Sunday is the Storm Calming King. One of the most accurate gauges for how strong your faith is, is to take an inventory of your current fears, anxieties, and worries. What worries you the most today? Perhaps the state of the economy or your own personal finances. How are we going to keep paying the bills? Perhaps it's inflation or politics or war or disease or perhaps you're more concerned about finding love or keeping love, about losing health or aging. For the wellbeing perhaps of your children, you're most concerned, or not measuring up intellectually, physically, financially. Or how about death? Do you experience fear when you consider death, of what it would mean to meet the living God?The Holy Word proclaims that God gave us the spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control. The spirit of fear is not from God. God doesn't want you living in a constant state of panic. Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. So we are to be calm and cool, even in the face of storms. The most effective, sustainable way to counter our fears is with a greater fear, a fear of God, and to truly believe in God, to truly know Him as He is to fear Him. Our text today is Mark 4:35-41. Would you look at the text with me? "On that day when evening had come, he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.' And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was.And other boats were with him and a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling, but he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And when they woke him up, they said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Be still. Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'" This is the reading of God's holy, inerrant, infallible, authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts.Three points as we walk our way through the text, a great storm, a great calm, and a great fear. First, a great storm. Jesus had called these disciples by coming to them and commanding them, "Follow me." His very first sermon, both to them and to everyone else, was the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe. What he's saying is, "I am the king. I'm the king of everything. The way you enter my kingdom is repenting of sin and believing in me." Those are the two most important lessons of the Christian faith. This is how everything begins and this is how everything continues. Repent of your sin and believe and follow Jesus Christ.Then Jesus spends in chapter four, parable upon parable explaining to the disciples, trying and impress upon their hearts the importance of paying attention to God's word, of listening in a way that you actually hear and heed and obey the word of God. So after teaching his disciples lesson upon lesson and preaching, now comes the test. You've all taken tests. Are you a good test taker? What makes for a good test taker? Is it just the power of recall? It's more than that. It's the power of recall under pressure. In particular in a pop quiz, you weren't ready. Pop quiz, here we go. Do you know the information? Have you mastered it? We learn about truth, the truth about God and who we are from the Holy Book. Then we're called to apply this truth in real life.That's the real test. Can you apply the truth in real time? Often God does test our faith and he does so with sudden unexpected storms. Will your faith be blown off course? Usually, the storms come in the form of some pain, some suffering. Can you continue trusting God when the skies have darkened, when lightning strikes, when you feel like you're sinking? Can you trust God, believe in God when it matters most? So Jesus administers the test in Mark 4:35. "On that day," it says, "when evening had come, he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.'" On that day and in context, we see what happened on that day in Jesus' taxing life of ministry.The day started where he's casting out demons and then the Pharisees and the scribes of the Pharisees, they accused Jesus of doing the work he was doing by the power of Beelzebub or Satan himself. Jesus says, "No, you saying that is actually blasphemous." There's tensions. Whenever there's a conflict, whenever there's tension, there's all adrenaline pumped exhaustion. That's what Jesus went through. The second event of that day was when his mother and his brothers came to take Jesus by force almost. Then Jesus turns around and He looks at his disciples and He says, "Who's my mother? Who's my brothers? Who's my sisters? It's those that do the will of God." Then He spends all day preaching to the biggest crowd yet.There were so many people that He was forced to back off from the shore and start preaching from a boat using the boat as his pulpit. So after exhausting day of ministry in the hot sun, Jesus says, "Let us go across to the other side." The Greek tense reveals a note of urgency in Jesus' decisions to depart. Perhaps he's hit a wall physically where you just can't continue. He didn't have the physical strength to go on. So He tells the disciples, "Let's go out to sea." Whose idea was this? This is important to notice. Whose idea was it to get in the boat that evening and to go into the sea that night? It was Jesus' idea. It was Him taking them right into the storm almost as if it's a setup and it is.He's setting them up to test their faith. He loves them and He wants to strengthen their faith in God and fear of God. God does not promise that when we serve Him, when we obey Him, when we believe in Him that we're going to lead a life of smooth sailing. Jesus doesn't promise to protect us from experiencing storms. He promises to protect us in the midst of storms. The sermon of the Mount in chapter 7, verse 24, Jesus says this, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on the house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell. Great was the fall of it." But notice in both of these paths, the people that obey God, the wise people and the people that disobeyed God, the foolish people, they both experience storms. The question isn't, "Are you going to experience a storm?" The question is, "Will your faith weather the storm?" Obedience to God takes them right into the heart of the storm, into the eye of the hurricane, so to speak. This shows us that service to Christ even does not exempt us from storms.The 12 disciples seem to be doing all the right things, forsaking everything, following him, listening to his teaching, growing in their faith, doing all He commands. They're as obedient as you'll find. Jesus says, "Let us go to the other side." The other side was predominantly the Gentile Decapolis, a region where most of the people there were Gentiles, they were pagans. They did not believe in Yahweh. So Jesus here is showing us that He's the prophet similar to Jonah being sent to the Gentiles except Jesus did it willingly. Verse 36, "And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was and other boats were with him." So He's been preaching in the boat and then He just goes to the back of the boat and to the stern, finds a cushion, and goes to sleep.What kind of boat was this? It was probably one of the ordinary 15-passenger boats, 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, 4.5 feet high, with a little platform in the stern that protected from the elements. Also, notice it says that other boats were with him. The other boats aren't mentioned later in the text. It does nothing to further the plot. Why is this detail here? Because it's just showing us this is eyewitness account as they remembered this detail. So Jesus is exhausted from his day, climbs into the back of the boat. The boat hoist sail and begins the five-mile trip across the lake. Verse 37. "And a great windstorm arose, and waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling."The sea of Galilee is about 700 feet below sea level and it's surrounded by mountains, by Mount Herman and the Eastern Shore. The mountains go up about 9,200 feet above sea level. So there's about a 10,000-foot difference between the top of the mountain and the bottom of the sea. What happens is cool air sometimes rushes from the top of the mountain down to the sea, which is warmer and it creates this thermal buildup. Tremendous storms, violent changes of weather were known in that area, come out of nowhere severe and treacherous. We know that God is creator of all things and He is the controller of the natural world and natural phenomena.This is also the God that once in a while, He tames or uses creation in order to provide salvation for His people. For example, when he's leading His people out of the exodus and they get to the Red Sea, an east wind was sent by God and dried up the waters. Already Mark has shown that Jesus is the Son of God. At His baptism, the heavens were torn open and the Holy Spirit comes down upon Jesus. God the Father speaks, "This is my son in whom I'm well pleased." Jesus has already proven that He's king over demonic by exercising demons. He's proven that He teaches with a new ring of authority as if it's His word, which it is. He heals the sick, which shows that He has power over sickness. Here Jesus shows us that He has power over creation, but not yet.He waits until the disciples are unnerved. A tempest arises. The waves are breaking into the boat and the boat is filling up with water. The verb translated breaking in is a strongly expressive verb, meaning literally hurled upon. The description of the storm reminds Biblical readers of the story of Jonah. Note the similarities between the two narratives. There's departure by boat, a violent storm at sea, a sleeping main character, badly frightened sailors, and a miraculous stealing related to the main character, and then a marveling response by the sailors. Even the vocabulary that's used is similar. We're about to die or the sea died down or they feared a great fear. But also, we have a significant difference between this text and the Jonah's story.Unlike Jonah, Jesus is not fleeing the will of God no matter how hard it is. No, He's actively involved in accomplishing God's will. Also, the disciples don't ask Jesus to pray to the Father. They go to Jesus directly. So they had faith that He could save them. That's why they're asking for the help. Jesus is greater than Jonah in that He has power over creation. So Jesus is more God than Jonah. Life storms are like this. The disciples had smooth sailing for a bit, and then out of nowhere, immediately a storm is upon them. In life, this happens often. Everything's fine and then you get that one phone call. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? It means to be a learner and there are infinite lessons to learn. Sometimes those lessons are learned by reading.Sometimes those lessons are learned by weathering storms. Though the disciples were mostly oblivious to this in the moment, the terrifying storm was actually God's grace and teaching them more about God and more about God's power in their lives. Storms and hardship are an adversity, are essential in our spiritual development. God is a loving father. He does not give us a life without difficulties or trials or stresses or pain or suffering or setbacks or failure. Why? Because He wants us to be strong. He wants us to be as strong as possible in the faith. Verse 38, "And he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?'"By the way, these are very experienced fishermen. Peter and Andrew had their own fishing business, and John and James had their own fishing business. They've seen storms, but here this one terrified them. So it must've been some storm. They're freaking out and they wake Jesus. There's a hint of resentment, of reproach as they rebuke him. It's almost as if they're mad at Jesus for allowing this situation. Jesus, we did all the right things. We did everything that you told us to do. Why would you allow this to happen in our life? Jonah, for example, Jonah's situation, yes, that storm was punishment for his disobedience, but they had been obedient. That's why they feel aggrieved. Jesus is in the stern. I love the detail that he's asleep on the cushion, climbs in there, just finds a pillow.He's like, "This one's for me," and just goes into comatose, so a nap, just a tremendous nap. By the way, be like Jesus once in a while, take a nap. There's something here that's majestic about this detail if you meditate on. Jesus, He did get exhausted in His human form. He's God incarnate, but in the human body, He's bone tired after an exhausting day of ministry. Even the storm couldn't wake Him up. In a moment from now, Jesus would calm the storm, but first, He slept in a weary body. Here we have a grand display of the opposites of weakness and omnipotence coalesced into harmony too magnificent to be the product of human imagination. No other religion, no other worldview, no other ideology comes even close to something.God incarnate, God becoming one of us, remaining fully God, yet fully human. There's something so reassuring here that Jesus knows the human experience from the inside. He's been through it. He knows what it's like to be human, and we know His sleep is intentional, thus the cushion. So He is completely in control. He controls the weather, therefore He could have foretold the weather. So this is all a setup. It really is a test. God loves saving at the very last moment, in the 11th hour, when the odds are insurmountable where it just seems impossible. So Israel, as they're coming out of Egypt and the Exodus, they get up to the Red Sea. You got the Egyptian army breathing down their neck. They're trapped, they're doomed.Then in the last hour, God saves them. Or Gideon's army or Sarah or Ruth or widow loses her son or even Lazarus. Jesus goes to Lazarus' funeral and they're like, "Why are you here? If you came a little sooner, you could have healed him. Why are you here? It's too late." It wasn't too late. Jesus resurrects him. Jesus sleeping here indicates His calm trust in God. Psalm 4:8 says, "In peace, I will both lie down and sleep for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." The disciples call out that Jesus as they're awakening Him. They call him teacher or rabbi. Rabbi's been teaching them and they don't realize that the rabbi's continuing to teach them. They cry out, "We're perishing, we're about to die."This verb, the identical form in the Septuagint and the Greek translation of the Hebrew is used in the Jonah story. Then the crux of their question is, "Do you not care? Do you not care?" The question uses the negative particle in the Greek, ou. It's asked in a way that makes clear. They think they know He cares, but at this moment, they're not sure. "Jesus, you care, right? Jesus, you care for us, don't you?" That's what they're saying. I think we've all felt this. We've all had moments in life where it feels like God just disappears. God just hid His face or it feels like God is asleep and they're crying out, "Lord, save us. We're about to die, we're overwhelmed, we're crushed."Worry in our lives comes from either forgetting the power of Jesus over the storm that He is great, or doubting his commitment to us in the storm that He's good. We either doubt that He's great or we either doubt that He's good. In those moments, I'd like you to remember three things. First, realize that feelings of anxiety or fear, trepidation, those are natural, but we are not to trust in our feelings. Our feelings are fallible. The size of the waves and the fury of the wind and the sight of the water accumulating at the bottom of the boat, the boat is sinking deeper and deeper into the water, into the lake. All of this makes the disciples almost forget everything they've learned about Jesus. J. C. Ryle says this, "Sight, sense, and feeling make even believers very poor theologians."Here you got the theology of what's happening in that moment, in that storm, when all the theologists throw out the window. We have to pause, we got to meditate, because right now, here and now we are not in a storm. It's times of peace in which we need to study God's word and not just learn the truth, but embody the truth. Where the truth becomes so much part of us that we understand that God is in control. At this moment, you could have said to the disciples, "Hey, do you really suppose that God's plan for the world is going to come to an end in some unforeseen accident? Do you really suppose that the Messiah Himself would drown as He's crossing the sea of Galilee?"Couldn't they see that no boat ferrying the son of God, no boat carrying the savior of the world was going to sink? Couldn't they see that high as those waves were deep as the water was getting in the boat, as wild as the winds were, there was no safer spot in the world than being in that boat with Jesus Christ? Faith knows that God is sovereign, but sight forgets it often. At these moments, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Meaning don't just judge everything you see physically, but what do you see with the eyes of your soul, with your faith? Second, salvation isn't always from circumstances but through. We'll get to that in the second point.Then third, even when you feel like you're drowning, even when you feel like everything is falling apart, you are sinking, just dismantling of everything, at those moments, it's okay to run to Jesus and wake Him up. No matter how much He was enjoying that nap. Have you ever had a nice nap and then someone awakens you? What's your first reaction? I know what mine is. It's irritation. You're just groggy. Jesus doesn't get irritated for them waking Him up. He is grieved by their lack of faith, by their lack of trust, but He doesn't rebuke them for their fretting cries for help. In these moments, we are to remember that when we run to God, when we cry out to Him honestly, from the depth of our soul, He hears those pleas and He will answer. So Jesus is awakened.This brings us the second point of great calm, verse 39. "And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm." So He says to the sea, "Silence, peace." Then he says, "Be still." That's the same verb that's used in chapter 1, verse 25 where Jesus casts out a demon. He tells the demon, "Be still", but in the Greek, it's more than that. It's be muzzled, or one translator says, "Shut up." He's telling the storm to do what He says because He's king over the storm. He doesn't rescue them from the storm, but He stills the storm itself. Only the one who had initially created the sea and the wind, it's only His place to rebuke the storm and the storm and the wind's instant obedience show us who's in control.It's God himself that's in that boat. It's Jesus Christ, the creator. In Him all things were created, through Him all things were created. He's also the redeemer. It's significant that when Jesus lends his authority to His disciples to go cast out demons and do miracles, He never gives them power over creation itself, over nature itself. That power belongs to the Son of God, king over the natural world. When the authors of the Psalms reflect on the fact that God doesn't just help us in the storms, He also sends us those storms. Psalm 46, for example, the Psalmist says, "God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in trouble. Though the waters roar and foam." Psalm 65 says, "He stilled the roaring of the seas and the roaring of their waves." Then it says, "There was a great calm."That's the same verb that's used for the calming of the sea in the Jonas' story. Remember the other boats, there were other boats with them? Well, the text doesn't say anything else about those boats, but that detail shows us that the calming of the storm wasn't just for the salvation or preservation of these disciples, but also, it was a miracle of mercy in a wider scale. Psalm 107:23-32 is an incredible parallel passage to meditate on. Some went down to the sea in ships doing business on the great waters. They saw the deeds of the Lord, His wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths. Their courage melted away in their evil plight.They reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters are quiet and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man. Let them extol him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the elders." Whenever you are experiencing a storm in life, let us never forget that with the Lord Jesus Christ, everything can change in a second. With the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible. No stormy sins are so strong that He can't tame them or He can't save us from them.No conscience is so disturbed that He can't speak peace to it and make it come. No despair is so deep that it can't be replaced with unspeakable joy. No sinner, not even one is beyond the reach of our savior. Christ can speak so to any stormy soul, "Peace! Be still!" Scripture says, "Greater is he that is in us than he who is in the world." Matthew 4:40, He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" After conquering the external threat of the storm, Jesus turns to the internal threat. This is His follower's unbelief. After rebuking the storm, He now rebukes His disciples and He says to them, "Why are you so afraid?" The word for afraid here is deilos, which means cowardly. So Jesus here is rebuking them for their cowardice, for their timidity, for their lack of courage.They challenge Jesus by saying, "Don't you care?" Now He's challenging them by saying, "Why are you so cowardly? Why are you such cowards?" By the way, what would your answer be if you were the disciples? We almost died, Jesus. That's why we were cowardly. We were almost dead, wiped out. Yes, you are the God of the world we know, but in that moment, come on. There's a reason for it. So why is Jesus calling it out? What He's doing is He's pointing out that a secondary fear has become a primary fear on their hierarchy of fear. He says, "Why are you so afraid? Why are you so cowardly?" Meaning you are afraid of something more than God. You fear something more than God. What was that in their case?Perhaps suffering, perhaps pain, perhaps drowning, perhaps death itself. They fear death itself more than fearing the God that was in the boat and that's why they rebuked Him. The Lord rebukes cowardice. Here are a few points just to point out. As believers, we are to grow in courage. This is what it means to be encouraged. God infuses courage in our hearts. Sometimes for that courage to grow, we need a nice rebuking and Jesus Christ rebukes his disciples. If you have a Jesus that never rebukes you for anything, that's not the Jesus of reality, that's not the real Jesus. If you have a God that never contradicts anything you do, never calls you to repentance, never calls you to change, you don't have a God that's the real God of reality.The real God does rebuke and we are to look to scripture for training and for teaching and for encouragement and edification. But we are look through the scripture and say, "Lord, rebuke me. Teach me where I need to change." Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." This is what Jesus is rebuking them for. The Lord's sleep did not only show His very natural weariness, it also showed His tranquil faith. He did not doubt that God is sovereign. Here Mark shows that faith and fear are mutually exclusive in scripture. It was because of their lack of faith that they feared that they were about to drown. So it was for a lack of faith that they are rebuked. The command and scripture that has reiterated more than any other is do not fear.Jesus says, "Why are you afraid? And then have you still no faith? Don't you have faith yet?" Here Christ is showing that He, God, takes our craving and fear as a personal insult. Where is your faith, disciples? Is it in me? If it isn't me, I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere. I was right there with you the whole time. So we need to hear from time to time from our savior that our faithless ways, especially in light of the Lord's demonstration over and over years in our lives of his faithfulness, our faithlessness is inexcusable. It's actually a sin that we must repent of and put to death. There is no excuse for us to not understand that when we experience troubles and trials and storms of life, it's because God allowed them in our life. They passed through His hands.If He is for us, then who can be against us? So we need this rebuke and the rebuke itself is a powerful encouragement that we can grow more courageous. We can grow out of our cowardly ways and we can become deeper believers. In our passage, faith seems to have two aspects. On the one hand, it's a trust like Jesus. Here He is exuding a basic confidence in God's provident care. On the other hand, faith is also trust in Jesus. By the end of our passage, faith has come to mean a perception of who He really is, His cosmic stature. He is the son of God and the conviction that nothing bad can ultimately happen to the person who was with Him. In this text, we see this progression that Jesus moves just from being an example for our faith to actually being the object of our faith.Isaiah 45:6 and 7, "I am the Lord and there is no other. I form light and create darkness. I make wellbeing and create calamity. I'm the Lord who does all these things." I want to walk you through Psalm 23, one of my favorite psalms, one of our favorite psalms, one of the most famous ones. I want to show you that all of these truths are right there in that psalm and just show you that transformation is promised when we keep trusting the Lord. Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Unfortunately, a lot of people believe that's where the faith ends. You come to the Lord.He's your shepherd and He's going to take you in bucolic green pastures, delicious running water. He takes care of all your needs. That's awesome. No, that's just the beginning and then the story continues. Verse four, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they come from me." How in the world did we end up from green pastures... Bucolic running water is tremendous. How do we go from there to a valley of the shadow of death? The shepherd led him there. The good shepherd led him into the valley of death. God loves us and bad things happen. Both are true. Jesus was perfect and bad things happened to Him.David here, he doesn't fear that despite seeing only shadows, experiencing near death, he takes comfort in the fact that the shepherd is close. The shepherd has been leading me. He continues to lead me and He will surely lead me through and out. Jesus doesn't always lead us around danger or protect us from danger. Sometimes He leads us into green pastures. Sometimes it's into danger and sometimes He protect us by means of danger. Perhaps the valley of shadow of death was to train David, to learn, to grow in wisdom, to not go through bigger valleys, deeper valleys of shadow of death. He allows us to experience present pain often to protect us from future pain.In verse three, "He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." So the path of righteousness sometimes goes through green pastures and often it goes through valleys of death. Most importantly, David didn't lose sight of the shepherd. I just want to point out that his relationship deepened with the shepherd after going through the valley of the shadow of death. Look at how he changes the way he addresses the good shepherd. In verse two, "He makes me lie down. He leads me besides still waters." Verse three, "He restores my soul." Verse four, "Even though I walk through the valley of shadow death, I will fear no evil for..." It doesn't say he, it's no longer he. It's for you are with me.Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil and my cup over overflows. His relationship with his shepherd changed. It became more personal, it became more real. God became more present, and this is the universal experience of God's people. If you ask a believer, "At what times in your life did you experience the presence of God like never before?", and they will no doubt tell you a time when they had to walk through a valley of the shadow of death. Charles Spurgeon said, "I've learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages." God doesn't always shield us from danger, but He shields us in the danger, sometimes with the danger and leads us through it all.Sometimes He does it all so that we get a cup that overflows with comfort for others. Sometimes He sends us affliction so that we learn to be comforted to pass through the affliction and then we become even more useful instruments in His hands to comfort others. 2 Corinthians 2:3-6 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer."What a difference it would've made if the disciples had exercised faith that night. Imagine if they got a take two. Jesus, let's do this again. We are terrible at that first pop quiz. This is awful, but imagine if the next storm, all of a sudden, Jesus is in the cushion. They were like, "Jesus, we know what you're doing." All the storm comes, it's filling up. I'd be standing right next to Peter. Peter would be the wild man. Just be fishing off the boat, just enjoying it, just maniacal smile, laughter. All of a sudden, the suffering, the storm turns into an adventure. No matter what, I'm in the hands of God. No matter what, until Jesus says we are invincible, we are immortal until our job is done. Imagine being brought to the brink of death but preserved. That would've been the gift of a deepened faith.Point three is a great fear. In verse 41, it says, "They were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'" They were filled with the great fear. That's the same idiom that's used in the Jonah's story when the sailors saw the power of God. Here Jesus' great authority leaves them in awe. The word for fear here is different than the previous word for afraid. The word for fear here is phobos, which is the proper response to a manifestation of the divine. They see that God is with them. Whereas the other word, deilos was cowardly. It was reprehensible because they didn't trust in the Lord. The disciples respond to Jesus' question about their cowardice with another question, "Who is this with us in the boat?"Well, who is this? This is the Messiah. This is the Son of God, the one that Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18. He said, "A greater prophet is coming after me. Obey him." The idea here has been magnified. Magnified because obedience is rendered to Jesus, not just by people, but even by creation itself. Even the wind, even the sea, they obey Him and leaving the disciples stunned. If the storms obey Him, if the sea obeys Him, if the wind obeys Him, then who are we to disobey Him? That's the sentiment here. Who are we to defy Him? This is the fear that they're experiencing. He is creator. We are creation and they stand in fear and on reverence of Christ. Do you stand in a right relationship with your creator? That right relationship must include a healthy respect for God.You can fear God without loving Him. That's what the demons do. They fear God. They know God but they don't love God. But you can't love God without fearing Him. To truly love Him is to truly know who He is and to truly know who He is to fear Him. What is the fear of the Lord? It's not just pure dread, it's not just shrinking back from Him in terror. You can obey God because you're terrified of him or terrified of the consequence. But if that's the only reason why you obey, then you don't really know God either because God is a loving God. He is God the Father. We are to fear God in the sense that we are to fear offending Him, displeasing or grieving Him. Therefore, our relationship must not be glib or flippant. We are to fear His rebuke more than just respect or reverence.The word does use the word fear. In Exodus chapter 20, Moses comes down from the mountain given the 10 commandments of God. The people see this. They see that God has been with Moses. Moses has been with God, and they say, "Moses, don't have God speak to us. You speak to us." They're in trepidation. Then this is what Moses says in Exodus 20, "Do not fear for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." Do not fear but fear. What is he saying? He's saying, "Do not fear approaching God for mercy. Do not fear looking at the 10 commandments and realizing that you have transgressed the commandments." What are we to do? We deserve the infinite eternal condemnation of God upon ourselves for rebelling, for insubordination.Here Moses says, "Do not fear coming to God for mercy." This is what Christ says. Do not fear coming to the cross asking God for forgiveness. But once you do receive Jesus Christ as savior, recognize that He's also your Lord. As you approach this God, we are to fear kindling His wrath against sin. We are to fear His rebuke. Psalm 25:14 says, "The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him and he makes known to them his covenant." It's incredible that the Lord would offer His friendship, but this is what the Lord's saying. He's like, "I would rather just be friends." This is why I tell my kids. I got four daughters. I hate the rebuking. I hate the discipline part. I hate that. I hate that. Can't you just do what I say first time?What I want to say is can't you just know what I want you to do? Can you just read my mind? Haven't we been together long enough and then we can just be friends? We can just hang out. This is what God is saying. He's like, "Do I want to stand over you and tell you what to do?" I want the word to be planted in you so that you don't just learn these truths, but you embody the truths and then your relationship with the Lord is a relationship of friendship. Martin Luther made a distinction between servile fear and filial fear. Servile comes from Latin servus, which means slave, and fillus means son. He says, "Sometimes people have the servile fear of God where they're just slaves and they never understand the relationship with God as children."Luther is thinking of a child who has tremendous respect and love for his father or mother and who dearly wants to please them. Hebrews 10:31 says, "It's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God." It is, and this is why we need Christ. So we don't fall into the hands of God's wrath. But also, once we are forgiven, it's like we are in the hands of God the Father and still a very fearful thing to be held lovingly by these same hands. Psalm 130:1-4, "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you, there is forgiveness that you may be feared."That last verse is fascinating. With you is forgiveness that you may be feared. Why include fear with forgiveness? Well, because you begin to understand what it took for forgiveness to be procured. It took the cross of Jesus Christ. The bloody cross was the terrible price for our sin, for our disobedience. We have broken God's commandments. We deserve His eternal wrath. Yet God sends Jesus Christ to the cross, Jesus Christ, fully obedient who did the will of God from the heart perfectly. This same Jesus goes to cross to pay the penalty for our lawbreaking. On the cross, what does Jesus say? He says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I'm perishing. God the Father, why are you allowing me to perish?"God the Father allows the son to perish so that we do not. What do the disciples say? We're perishing. Do you not care? What does Jesus say with His life? How long until you truly believe that I have come so you do not perish. I have come to perish so that you'll be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, so that whosoever believes in Him, in Jesus would not perish but have eternal life. The good shepherd is the one that lays down His life for His sheep. Friends, hell is real. It's reality. The lake of fire is real and the condemnation is for eternity. The suffering is for eternity. Jesus Christ came to save us from the ultimate storm of God's judgment, which is hell. The cross of Jesus Christ is as close of a glimpse of hell that true believers will ever get.That's hell, God the Son experiencing it. Why? So that we would never have to. All we have to do is turn to Him, turn from sin, repent and believe. What is the storm? The storm is an expression of the curse. The curse was pronounced upon all creation when the first Adam sinned and fell. The ground was cursed and the fabric of creation was disordered and chaotic and became dangerous. Then Jesus is second Adam, the God man came to make His blessings flow as far as the curse is found. He did what the first Adam did not do. Jesus kept covenant with God perfectly. He obeyed. He bled and He died and the curse fell on him. It was etched into Him and the storm of divine wrath engulfed Him and there was no peace for Him.Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'" The disciples were afraid that they would perish that night. They didn't understand that Jesus came to give them life and life eternal. He would perish that they might live and that's why He came to give us life at the cost of His own. The final question is, who really got woken up in the story? Who really got awakened? We see the disciples trying to wake Jesus up. They wake Jesus up. At the end, it's the disciples that got awakened. They're like, "Who is this? We're in the presence of God Himself." They fear Him with a good godly fear. If you fear God, there's nothing else to fear.If God is number one in your hierarchy of fears, there's nothing else to fear. There's no one else to fear. This is how we fight lesser fear, secondary fears. We fight them with the greatest fear, fear of God that displaces all the others. Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." This is the Jesus that we worship. This is the Jesus that we follow. He didn't have to save our souls, but He did. He's a good God. If you're not sure where you stand before God today, if you're not sure if you die today where you'll spend eternity, today in your heart of hearts, cry out to Jesus Christ, "Lord Jesus, do you not care?"He will respond, "Of course, I care. Look at the cross. Look at my death, my burial and my resurrection and my ascension." The moment you repent, the moment you believe, you are saved and you are given eternal life. One of our favorite hymns that we sing at Mosaic is Amazing Grace. We sing in particular when people get baptized. If you've not been baptized a believer, let us know. We can't wait to baptize you and then sing the song. In the song, it goes like this. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind, but now I see. It was grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace, my fears relieved. How precious did the grace appear the hour I first believed?I'll close with Psalm 42:7-11 before we transition to holy communion. "Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night, his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock, 'Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?' As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God? Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.'"Well, we celebrate holy communion at Mosaic every first Sunday of the month. We celebrate holy communion as it was commanded to us by our Lord and Savior that we are to do this in remembrance of him. For whom is holy communion? It is only for repentant believers in Jesus Christ. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, if you're not a Christian, if you're not a follower of Christ, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service. It'll do nothing for you. Instead, meditate on what you've heard. Or if you today repent of your sins and you become a Christian, you're welcome to partake. Then if you are a believer living in known unrepentant sin, please refrain from this part of the service. Instead, take time to repent and pray.If you haven't received the elements and would like to, raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring them to you. Would you please pray with me over holy communion? Lord Jesus, we thank you that you gave us this ordinance to remember your suffering, bread that you said is to remind us of your broken body. Your body was truly broken. You suffered on that cross and the cup was given to us to remind us of your blood, the blood of the Holy Lamb of God that was shed for us in order to make atonement for our sins, provide a way for salvation. Jesus, bless our time in holy communion now. We take this moment to repent of sin. We repent of pride. We repent of selfishness. We repent of our own desire to be our own gods, to define good and evil as we deem.We repent of transgressing your commandments. We repent of not loving you with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and not loving our neighbor itself. Lord, we pray that you give us grace and mercy and pray that you forgive us and also give us grace to empower us, to fear you above all else, and to not be cowardly, to truly grow in our courage in particular when we testify to the world of your name. Bless our time in the holy communion. Now we pray this in Christ's name, amen. 1 Corinthians 11:23 says, "For I received from the Lord what I also deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'In the same way also, he took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant of my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."If this is your first time partaking communion with us, there's two lids, one at the top to open the cup and then one at the bottom to get the bread. On the night that Christ was betrayed, He took the bread and after breaking it, He said, "This is my body broken for you. Take, eat, and do this in remembrance of me." He then proceeded to take the cup and He said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured out for the sins of many. Take, drink, and do this in remembrance of me." Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time of spiritual nourishment from the richness of your holy scriptures.Lord, we pray that these lessons that we learned don't just stay in our minds, but we pray that they set roots into our hearts and that we become a people who are not just hearers of the word but doers of the word, because we embody the word. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you God incarnate, you showed us what it means to truly live a life of obedience to you and service to people, love to you and love toward people. Lord, we do fear you and we pray that you deepen our fear of you.As we grow and fear of you, I pray, Lord, that we become more effective servants for you, courageously proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who would hear. Give us opportunities even this week to go and to share the good news, to share the fact that anyone who repents of sin and turns to Christ is forgiven, is given eternal life, and is welcome into an eternal kingdom, a kingdom that will stand the test of time and no storms will shake. We pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen.

*) Israeli troops gather around Gaza City, kill several Palestinians in occupied West Bank Israeli ground troops encircled Gaza City in their invasion of Gaza, as top US diplomat Antony Blinken arrived in Israel. The Israeli army announced that four more Israeli soldiers had been killed in overnight fierce fighting in Gaza with Palestinian fighters. And in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said eight Palestinians were killed in separate incidents overnight. *) EU prevention of pro-Palestine rallies shows double standard The prevention of pro-Palestinian rallies in some European Union countries constitutes a "double standard," Türkiye's foreign minister has said at a meeting organised by the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. Minister Hakan Fidan was quoted as saying "Those who allow attacks on our Holy Book, the Quran, under the guise of freedom of expression are blocking those who want to protest the brutal killing of civilians in Palestine." He added that it “is an unacceptable double standard." *) Tunisia postpones vote on law criminalising relations with Israel Tunisia's parliament postponed voting on a draft law that would criminalise the normalisation of relations with Israel. The decision was made during an evening session of the legislative assembly, according to Parliament Speaker Ibrahim Bouderbela. Parliament started discussions over the proposed law in August. *) MSF: Greece 'normalised' illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers Doctors Without Borders accused Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government, stating that Greece has "normalised" abusive pushbacks of asylum seekers within a broader European Union policy that disregards violence against vulnerable individuals in a statement. The organisation also said in a report that MSF teams have borne witness to how normalised pushbacks have become, and to the stark absence of protection for people who seek safety in Greece. *) Air pollution in India's New Delhi turns 'severe' People in New Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic haze, and some schools were ordered to be shut for two days as the air quality index entered the "severe" category in several parts of the Indian capital. Residents complained of irritation in the eyes and itchy throats with the air turning a dense grey as the AQI hovered around 480 in some monitoring stations in the city. *) Egypt's Bassem Youssef slams Gaza deportation plan An Egyptian heart surgeon turned comedian has criticised a leaked proposal by Israel to forcibly deport Palestinians from the besieged Gaza to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, asking why Europe, which has 44 countries, or 50 states of US "take the Israelis" to end the Middle East's protracted conflict. Bassem Youssef said the Israeli proposal of forcible transfer of some 2.3 million Palestinians of Gaza to Sinai was "the worst possible solution", in an interview with British TV host Piers Morgan.

Welcome to another enlightening episode of the Light Reflection podcast. Dive deep with us as we explore the profound meanings behind Surah Al-Fatir, verse 32, and its significance in understanding the chosen inheritors of the Quran. Discover the wisdom of the Ahlul Bayt al-Islam and their unparalleled insights into the Holy Book. From the miracles of the Imams to the essence of true guidance, join us on this spiritual journey as we bridge the past with the present, shedding light on the path of true understanding. Don't forget to subscribe for more illuminating discussions!

Welcome to Episode Four, Season Ten of the Thoth-Hermes podcast. Today, Rudolf meets with Charlotte Cowell, translator of The Solar Way (Silver Age Russian Occult Rosicrucian Schools) and author of multiple other titles. Charlotte is the founder, owner and editor of Shin Publications. Charlotte is a delightful guest, simultaneously a fierce, warm and self-effacing intellectual presence in the conversation. A graduate of Oxford University (MA in Ancient and Modern History), Charlotte has pursued the Mysteries for several decades after receiving solo and spontaneous esoteric Christian rebirth in college. Charlotte cites The Meditations on the Tarot (Anonymous) as a cornerstone text for her during her initiatory unfolding. She is also refreshingly frank, in moments, around reconciling the dual paths of Christian… Esotericism. An example being, reading “Meditations” as distinct from using the Cards directly. Listeners on a similar trajectory may well relate to these personal processes. Charlotte brings us into the stark and resilient journeys of Valentin Tomberg, Vladimir Shmakov, Nina Roudnikova and G.O. Mebes (the last, Swedish). These thinkers faced true and visceral danger from Russian political turmoil, in the face of this making many strategic decisions to preserve their body of work for future seekers. Alongside this important history, Charlotte and Rudolph explore the significance of “Shin”. The conversation re-examines “neutralization of the binary” (a term from last week's interview) and the interplay with triangular transcendental synthesis. Charlotte emphasizes her respect for the pragmatic effort made by the persecuted initiates, analogizing her work to laying a memorial wreath in their honor. Charlotte writes in one of her publications that her intention is “…a tribute to the Masters, from time immemorial until the present day, who've served to inspire and shine light on the otherwise solitary path of the seeker; a gift for those who find themselves peering across the abyss for such lights, or stand looking back at the ocean from the refuge of safe shores, searching the distant horizon for memories of the crossing…” from whatever personal vantage point, may this conversation inspire listeners. ABOVE: The cover of those four highly interesting books we speak about in the episode. Click anywhere on them to be brought to Shin Publications website to learn more and order them BELOW: The original painting that inspired the cover of the Shmakov book. It is by artist ArtTheurg, who also created the wonderful illustrations in The Holy Book of Thoth. Click here for Charlotte Cowell's homepage Find the books on Amazon Charlotte's YouTube Channel Music played in this episode The Gnossiennes are several piano compositions by the French composer Erik Satie in the late 19th century. The works are for the most part in free time (lacking time signatures or bar divisions) and highly experimental with form, rhythm and chordal structure. The form as well as the term was invented by Satie. Satie himself was for some time part of Joseph Paladan's Rosicrucian group in Paris, for which he also wrote ritual music. The pieces are performed by Reinbert de Leeuw 1) GNOSSIENNE 1 (Track starts at 9:22)

The post The Bible in Wonderland: The Holy Book Shrinks. Big History Grows. appeared first on Common Thread Church.

Atheists and skeptics such as Bart Ehrman have enflamed fear and doubt regarding the reliability of the Bible for years by mentioning staggering numbers such as the roughly 500,000 variants found in the Old and New Testament manuscripts. The goal behind these statistics (usually provided without any context) is to undermine our confidence in the Holy Book. Textual critics and scholars, Dr. Peter Gurry and Dr. John Meade are here to set the record straight in their fantastic new book, Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible. In this week's episode Frank gets down to the tough questions like; How many variants are there really? How much do these variants change or compromise the reliability of today's Bible? Should we be concerned about people intentionally changing the original texts? How much of this field is simply guesswork? and Can we still believe our modern-day Bible is both inspired and inerrant? Plus, you'll get a quick overview of the canonization of the Bible we have today. Why were some books included and others excluded? To hear the answers to these important questions make sure you listen to this fascinating interview. To dive deeper into this topic make sure to order your copy of Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible HERE, or consider inviting Dr. Gurry & Dr. Meade to your church for their Scribes & Scripture: A Conference on the History of the Bible. To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST for either of these interviews, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It's the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. If you would like to submit a question to be answered on the show, please email your question to Hello@Crossexamined.org. Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!! Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9 Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher  

Susun Weed answers 90 minutes of herbal health questions followed by a 30 minute interview with Author Z Budapest. Z Budapest is author of the acclaimed The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries (1989) originally published in 1975 as The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows. This book served as the first hands-on guide to lead women into their own spiritual/Goddess heritage. The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries contains just about everything you need to know and then some for actualizing a goddess-centered lifestyle. This interview is for any woman seeking to know more about themselves, women's spirituality, and the goddess movement. Zsuzsanna “Z” Budapest was born in Hungary in 1940 and emigrated to the United States in 1959. She grew up respecting and appreciating Mother Nature as god. Following her family's spiritual tradition, she ultimately started the Women's Spirituality Movement. She also founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number l, the first feminist witches' coven, which became the role model for thousands of other spiritual groups being born and spreading across the nation. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published in hundreds of women's newspapers across the country. She has powerfully influenced many of the future teachers and writers about the Goddess. Topic: The importance of sisterhood.  With the majority of the women population, we are mostly educated now and ready to use 'mother power."  Mother power what is that? We know where we came from and whose shoulders we stand on. Take back the magic mirror, the MEDIA .   

Can a practice really be said to be evidence-based if it only looks at a certain type of evidence? Can it really be scientifically-based reading research if only certain methods are allowed to ask certain types of questions? And that's the whole problem with the liturgical chants of “evidence” and “evidence-based” and “scientifically-based research” made by the Science of Reading Comedy Club to support a litany of practice taken from their direct-instruction Holy Book.That's the whole problem in Special Ed World with their declaration of faith stating that only practices used to manipulate and control behavior are “evidence-based”. These represent a simplistic understanding of research in the social sciences. Within Special Ed World and the Science of Reading Comedy Club, and even the US Department of Education, controlled experimental studies (CES) are thought to be the only way of establishing causal relationships, that one thing causes the other thing to happen.

 THE CLINCHER: Look closely. Listen intently. THIS is how we know that God's Word, on record in the Bible, is the only Holy Book on the earth! (Isaiah 46:9-10) - "Declaring the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10) Amazing. Only God could have foretold things that were going to happen long before they did. ..... all other "sacred" books or writings are counterfeits... Quran, book of Mormon, etc. Fulfilled prophecy is the cardinal reason we know that there's only 1 Holy Book on the earth - The Holy Bible.HOMEPAGE:   https://safeguardyoursoul.comSUPPORT:  https://safeguardyoursoul.com/donate/STORE:   https://store.safeguardyoursoul.com/ABOUT:  https://safeguardyoursoul.com/about/email Todd:  info@safeguardyoursoul.comBackground Music by: Thad Fiscella https://www.thadfiscella.com/ 

It is hard to believe that we have come down to the final words of the final chapter and final verses of both the Book of Revelation and the Bible itself! In these words, we have a wonderful and final invitation. We have a final warning, and we have a final word! Did you notice how the Book of Revelation begins with a promised blessing. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). But then it ends with a pronounced curse upon anyone who tampers with the Word of God by taking or adding anything to it (Revelation 22:18-19)! The Book of Revelation was the last book of the canon of Scripture that was written by the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos as he was in exile. We understand that he wrote it around 96 CE. The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses between 1450 BC to 1400 BC. This means that the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years. I'm convinced that the Bible is the divinely inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. Inspired means “to be God-breathed”. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-7, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Peter reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the divine Author of the Word of God. 2 Peter 1:20-21: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” The Bible is the “Holy Book” and is God's inspired revelation that has been preserved for us miraculously over the centuries! We don't need anything added to it and nothing needs to be taken from it! You can choose to believe it, or you can choose to deny it, but you will never be able to destroy or change it! It is interesting to me that in these final words that we are told that the same Holy Spirit, who inspired the Bible is giving us the final invitation found in it! As far as I'm concerned, the entire Bible is an invitation to come to know the God of creation in a personal, intimate, and real way through His Son Jesus Christ! So, it is fitting that here in verse 17, John writes that the Spirit and the bride say, “Come”. “Come”! What a beautiful and awesome word that we love to hear! Jesus Himself said that the Holy Spirit would come and “teach us all things” (John 14:26). In John 16:7-14 Jesus went on to say: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ….. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John seems to like this word “come”. In his Gospel, he tells us that when he and Andrew asked Jesus where He was staying, Jesus answered, “Come and see” (John 1:39). He uses this word “come” several times in these final verses. Today, the Holy Spirit is asking you and me to still come to Jesus! If we are not saved, we should come for salvation! If we are saved, we should come daily for cleansing and fellowship! And since we are the Bride of Christ, the church, we should join the Holy Spirit in inviting others to come to Jesus too!

Historian Meredith Lake with the Bible's Australian history, from the convict era, to the Mabo land rights campaign, and the modern-day Pentecostal churches (R)

Historian Meredith Lake with the Bible's Australian history, from the convict era, to the Mabo land rights campaign, and the modern-day Pentecostal churches (R)

Katherine Sonderegger's May 2022 article in Pro Ecclesia, "The Bible as Holy Scripture", argues that modern understandings of scripture have been overly determined by notions of either "history" or "story",  and the result is that the Torah has been diminished, and that Messianic readings have come to be seen as the only legitimate mode of Christian interpretation. Sonderegger wants to challenge all of this by paying attention to Scripture's self-identification as writing, as "Holy Book". 

Aye, y'all, what's good?!?! Ever since I figured out I was going to have this conversation with Pastor Trey, I haven't been able to keep in my excitement. We talk about the Bible, the Holy Book that I grew up with and continue to love. However, this is a conversation about the Bible many who know me have not heard me voice because of my fear to share my uncertainties about the Bible. Pastor Trey walks us through how his view of the Bible evolved, how college was a crucial time for his inquisitiveness, and God's sustaining hand.  If you have any questions you can always reach out to me on Twitter at ZeruFitsum, or Facebook and Instagram, which are under the same handles.  You can listen to more of Pastor Trey on the 3 Black Men on all Podcast Platforms and The New Living Treyslation where he teaches from passages in the Bible in his unique way. 

This week not only to we talk about our long weeks but we talk about the different sexual characteristics we found thru the Holy “Book of the Face” lol…. Listen and tell us how close the “Holy Book of the Face” is to your Zodiac Sign!!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Click here for the SermonClicking here will take you to our webpageClick here to contact usWelcome to the Westside church's special Monday Morning Coffee podcast with Mark Roberts. Mark is a disciple, a husband, father and grand dad, as well as a certified coffee geek, fan of CS Lewis' writings and he loves his big red Jeep. He's also the preacher for Westside church.

Topics discussed on today's show: National Beer Day, Evil Lyric or Holy Book, Birthdays, History Quiz, Social Media Animals, The Trendmill, Schmoes Movie Reviews, Movie Password, Caroline Rhea stops by the studio, and Apologies.

We've recently seen the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Russia is mentioned in the Bible, Pastor JD answers the bigger question. What do you tell people when they ask, 'What does the Bible say about, fill in the blank.' This is the very reason you must know the contents of God's Holy Book.

The Bhagavad Gita is a discourse between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Arjuna chose Lord Krishana for his guidance before the Kurukshetra War. In the Treta Yug, Lord Krishna taught many lessons to Arjuna that are a full package of perspectives and rituals about life. Not only that, The Gita is the Holy Book of Hindus and it consists of ritual values that help us to live our life happily and stress-free. The Bhagavad Gita is the book where all the possibilities of the world and the values of life are defined. Today, I am here with you all to share some of the best lessons that I have learnt from listening to the episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christians have a book, a Holy Book. In that book we have a message from God to us. But not only do we have a book, we have a Word to help us interpret the book. Jesus is the Word of God in flesh appearing, as the carol says, and each Sunday we take our Bible's and come and adore the Word through taking our Bible's to turn to hear from God.