Podcasts about hophni

Verse 23 to 36 of 1 Samuel 2. Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord's people are not good. If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli's sons wouldn't listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!“Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,' they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.'”

Verses 1 to 9 of 1 Samuel 4. And Samuel's words went out to all the people of Israel.At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men. After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Heaven's Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake!“What's going on?” the Philistines asked. “What's all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don't, we will become the Hebrews' slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”

Verses 8 to 22 of 1 Samuel 4. Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don't, we will become the Hebrews' slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents. The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.“What is all the noise about?” Eli asked.The messenger rushed over to Eli, who was ninety-eight years old and blind. He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.”“What happened, my son?” Eli demanded.“Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,” the messenger replied. “The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.”When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel's judge for forty years.Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don't be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel's glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. Then she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”

By David Chornomaz - This Sermonette focuses on the biblical lessons found in the story of Eli, the high priest, and his failures as a father to his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. It emphasizes the importance of parental responsibility and the consequences of neglecting the proper discipline of our children.

ILLUSTRATION: You know what is one of the most terrifying questions as a dad? It's when I go to the pharmacy to pick up medication for one of my kids and they say, “What's their birthday” lol, I can tell you the day they were born on, but the year they were born? I still have to ask everytime. I get all nervous pulling up to the window. Can we all admit that there is something really special about moms? Whether you have a mom, are a mom, or just know a mom, there is something special about them. This morning, I just want to speak to the ladies in the crowd and encourage all of us when it comes to the responsibility God has put in our hands… SCIPTURE: In the Old Testament there is a story that I thought would be appropriate for today: There was a man named Elkanhah who had two wives - I know, I have no idea how he did it.. He had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Every year Elkanhah and his family would go up to Shiloh to worship God, this is before Israel had a temple and they would worship God in a tent called the Tabernacle. When Elkanah would go up to worship God he would sacrifice an animal and give a portion to Peninnah for her and his children with her but he would give his other wife Hannah a double portion because he loved her and she was unable to have kids… Every year this would happen but a rivalry between the women happened. Can you imagine your husband having another wife - imagine the jealousy and the rivalry that would come up. You think comparison is bad with today's social media, imagine living next door to that person… Listen to what happened to Hannah 1 Samuel 1:6-8 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?” Can I just speak for a moment to those of you who on this mother's day are feeling excluded? I want you to know that God sees you and you are not alone. I know for some Mother's day is a reminder of loss. The loss of a mother, the loss of becoming a mother or never able to become a mother. Hannah knew what that was like, she was a woman who couldn't have children and had to share a husband with a woman who could and made her feel less than.. and her husband didn't get it… If that's you today, can I remind you of Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. God is close to those who are brokenhearted. Jesus said those who mourn are blessed because they will be comforted. If mother's day is difficult for you, I'd encourage you to run to God and let Him draw you near. Listen to Hannah's desperate prayer to God… 1 Samuel 1:9-11 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” this is the prayer of the desperate… We've all prayed this prayer… The priest Eli actually thinks she's drunk because he doesn't know what's going on and she just keeps mouthing the prayer. when Hannah goes home God answers her prayer and gives her a son that they name Samuel, and this is the part I want to hone in on and challenge us all with. listen: 1 Samuel 1:21-22 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f]of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. Here's what strikes me about Hannah The thing she wanted most was the very thing she gave back to God. b As parents, it's tempting to believe our children are ours, but Hannah knew better. b Our children are gifts from God and it's our job to give them back to Him. b For most of us this means leading them to know Him, to disciple them, to talk to them about Jesus as a normal part of life. CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: The reality is, Jenni is the one who knows things about our kids that no one else knows. She remembers all the sweet things they did when they were little and she has been watching over them all their life. But so have I. As your kids get older one of the hardest lessons to learn is they are not yours really. You are just a steward of them. The question I think God will ask us about one day is what we did with what He gave us. Did we teach them to love others like He does? did we teach them to love God? Or did we just make sure they were good at sports, or didn't annoy us too much? This sermon isn't meant to make you feel guilty, but to remind us of the how much God has entrusted to you - He believes you are capable of raising your children to know Him, it starts with giving them back to Him and realizing He knows everything about your child. Hannah dedicated her son to the Lord and He changed the world, He will be the one who anoints King David and out of King David will come Jesus - all because a mom faithfully committed her son to God's service… ------------------ 1 Samuel 1:1-28 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” Hannah Dedicates Samuel 21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[c] 23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. Hannah prayed for children and God finally gave her Samuel. What's wild is she gives him back to God. The very thing she longed for, she gave to God. The reality is none of our children are ours, we all have the unreal expectation that we can control the outcomes of their lives, but that's not true. What we can control is giving them to God - committing them to Him through: Prayer Intention - raising your kids to know God as a friend Personal commitment

It's not too late In this study of 1 Samuel 2, we examine the sobering contrast between the faithfulness of young Samuel and the corruption of Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Though they held priestly positions, these men had no intimacy with God—referred to in Hebrew as yada—and treated God's offerings with contempt, leading others astray and defiling worship. Their failure, and Eli's refusal to restrain them, invites God's judgment and reminds us that spiritual downfall is never random; it is preceded by choices that dishonor God. In contrast, Samuel's quiet and consistent service to the Lord, even in a spiritually toxic environment, reveals how God honors those who seek His heart. The study challenges us to evaluate whether we are reshaping God's Word to suit our preferences or submitting to it with reverence. Transformation flows from intimacy with God, not religious routine—and the faithful, like Samuel, will grow in favor with God and man, even when surrounded by failure.      

Fr. Mike zeroes in on Samuel's dramatic prophecy and the tragic moment when the Philistines capture of the Ark of God. We learn that God is mighty and holds his people to a high standard. Today we read 1 Samuel 3-5 and Psalm 150. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Today we will learn about Hannah, her son Samuel, and the power of prayer.Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas:*With your child, make a simple poster about things to pray for by gluing pictures onto a piece of construction paper. In the middle, write, "God hears me when I pray." When your child wants to pray, he or she can look at the poster and pick a few things to talk to God about. (ages 2-4)*What do you think you would do if you heard a voice in the night calling your name? What do you think God wants you to do for him? (ages 5-9)*Eli's sons Hophni and Phinehas grew up in the temple, but didn't honor God. They didn't truly know and love God. How can you show God that you know and love him? (ages 10-12)One last thing! This week April asked, "Where is your favorite place to pray?". We would love to hear your ideas! Simply record a voice memo and send it in a text to 636-280-5433. You may even be featured in an upcoming episode. *By sending in a voice memo, you're providing consent for your minor's voice to be on the podcast*Normal Goes A Long Way Website: https://www.normalgoesalongway.com/Normal Goes A Long Way Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normalgoesalongway/Normal Goes A Long Way Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Normal-Goes-A-Long-Way-110089491250735Normal Goes A Long Way is brought to you by Messiah St. Charles: https://messiahstcharles.org/Normal Goes A Long Way is hosted on Zencastr. Create your podcast today! Get 20% off when you choose Zencastr for your podcasting needs: https://zencastr.com/?via=jill#madeonzencastr

Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, dishonoured God while young Samuel grew in faithfulness. In this message, Pastor Pete highlights the dangers of spiritual corruption and the importance of honouring God with our lives. Learn how God raises up the faithful and brings down the corrupt, pointing to the ultimate fulfilment of priesthood in Jesus Christ.

One of the most common accusations against Christians is that they're “hypocrites”. While this accusation is often not justified, sometimes it is. Today we will look at 1st Samuel 2, which is a study in contrasts. We'll see the contrasts between a godly woman, hypocritical leaders, and a godly young man. Join us for another practical study in God's Word. DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    In our study, yesterday, of 1st Samuel 1, what did Hannah pray? What did she do with Samuel when the Lord answered her prayer? 2.    Verses 1 to 11 contains one of the longest prayers from a woman in the entire Bible. It's a beautiful prayer. As you read over this prayer, how does Hannah's prayer life and the content of her prayers compare to yours? 3.    In verse 1, what is Hannah's view of the Lord? Why does she exalt Him? 4.    In verses 2 - 4, what does Hannah exult about the Lord? 5.    What are the doctrines of God that Hannah praises God for in verses 6 to 10? Are there places where you can you follow her example and bring rich doctrine into your prayers? Which ones? Are any of these doctrines difficult for you to even pray? If so, why?  6.    In a bit of spiritual whiplash, now we look at the example of Eli's sons Hophni and Phinehas. How are they described in verse 12? How do their actions in this chapter confirm this description of them? 7.    What would they do in verses 13 to 16? How is this a violation of the sacredness that was necessary for the sacrifices in the book of Leviticus? 8.    What is the Lord's view of their actions in verse 17? 9.    How did they respond to Eli's admonishments in verses 22 - 25? How should they have responded to him?  10.    In verse 29, what did the Lord say to Eli about his own values when it comes to things of the Lord? How is it possible to put our children before the Lord today? How can we guard against this possibility? 11.    How would you describe this hypocrisy of Eli and his sons? What were its roots? How should it have been rooted out? 12.    What was the Lord's judgment upon them in verses 31 to 34?  13.    In verse 35, who will God raise up instead? In verses 18 and 26, how was Samuel different from these men? 14.    This chapter gives us a powerful example of contrasts. What were the contrasts between Hannah and Eli's sons and Samuel? As you think about your own life, is there any area of hypocrisy that needs to be rooted out? Are there any steps you can take to be more like Hannah and Samuel? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Chris Sallade teaches on Hannah from the book of 1 Samuel in a message entitled, "Our Eyes, God's Eyes: Avoiding Comparison Traps."1 Samuel 1There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”

We must determine whether we are truly following God, or only obeying when it is convenient. #daybydaylw Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~ "We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse!" Sheba enters the scene in 2 Samuel 20 with a clear purpose—to stir rebellion. The Bible calls him a "worthless man," a term also used for Hophni and Phinehas in 1 Samuel 2. These were men who disregarded God's authority, choosing their own power and desires over submission to the King. Sheba saw the tension between the northern and southern tribes and seized the moment. Instead of calling David "king" like the rest of Israel, he refused to acknowledge David's rule. That's the mark of a rebel—rejecting rightful authority and drawing others away to serve their own ambitions. Rebellion isn't just an ancient story. It exists today. Some resist God's Word, twisting it to fit their own agenda. Some play along with God's authority until it no longer benefits them. When the heat turns up, they turn away, seeking to build their own little kingdoms rather than submitting to the King of Kings. Sheba's story is a warning. We must examine our hearts: Are we truly submitting to God's rule, or are we resisting His authority when it doesn't serve our own desires? Do we follow Christ wholeheartedly, or only when it's convenient? **Prayer Focus:** - Ask God to reveal any rebellion in your heart. - Pray for humility and submission to His authority. - Lift up Sam & Suzan Jordan, missionaries in Jordan. - Pray for the English Lifeword broadcast in Canada & the U.S. Let's not be like Sheba—choosing pride over obedience. Instead, let's honor the King.

Stress is affecting so many people – in fact, it's a global pandemic. And what we've all discovered is that the shallow, band aid solutions that the world offers us, simply don't work. What we need is power. Power to deal with the stress in our lives, once and for all.   Have a Cheerful Heart Sometimes we need to be pretty direct, pretty blunt about dealing with the blockages in our lives that are interrupting the flow of the power of God in our life. Because God means to bring all His power to bear to deal with the stress that we suffer from, but sometimes, we're working against Him and then we're wondering – hang on, where's that power that Jesus promised? So … … Sorry to be a bit blunt here, but it doesn't hurt every now and then we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves some questions like that. So – are you one of those people that exudes joy or sadness; a positive outlook, or a negative outlook; encouragement or discouragement? Which one are you? Are you a sad sack? Or do you fluctuate between the two – up on the mountain-tops one day, down in the dumps the next? The reason I'm asking is that if you're someone who spends more than a little time down in the dumps, then it's having an impact on you … it's having an impact on the people around you … and it's having an impact on your relationship with them. That's pretty far-reaching. Because if we damage relationships, we damage career prospects, we damage marriages, we damage our children. This is serious stuff. Stress is debilitating and a negative, untrusting attitude that focuses on the problem rather than the on the God who can make all the difference, interrupts the power that He wants to pour out on us. On top of that, the world wants us to believe that we can wave a magic wand and make stress disappear. Here's what one of those body and soul web sites recommends. Ten quirky stress busters it's called. Chew gum, eat chocolate (oh that'll be just fine and dandy when you come down off your sugar high), get a cat, keep a diary, do some yoga, hum a tune, blow up a balloon, snack on walnuts (Well, that is a lot better than sugar filled gum and chocolate I have to admit), have a laugh or ring your mum. Oh please … stress is so much deeper and more profound in our lives. It's a constant companion for many, many people – everything stresses them, or if not everything, then they go through prolonged periods of stress over one or two very important issues or situations in their lives. You've probably figured out that eating walnuts (as good as that maybe for you) is not going to solve the problems in your life or relieve your stress. At least I'm hoping you have. You see the world's answer to stress is to conjure something up out of nothing. Or to apply en external band-aid, to heal a deep, internal wound. Have you ever had this experience? You're driving along in the car and it's bright and sunny – so you pop your sunglasses on. But gradually the clouds roll in and at some point you're thinking, it is so dark and gloomy today. Then you realise you're wearing your sunnies so you take them off and it's only then you realise that it's nowhere near as dark and gloomy as you thought it was. Sure the clouds have rolled in, sure it's overcast, but not that dark and gloomy. The attitudes of our hearts are a lot like those sunglasses. Some people are walking through difficult times, with a gloomy, darkened heart, and so the whole experience feels about a hundred times worse than what it really is. God knows that and that's why He's concerned over the state of your heart. Have a listen to some of the things He says in His Word about what's going on in your heart: An anxious heart weighs you down, but a kind word, cheers you up. (Proverbs 12:25) A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:13) A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22) God's interested in the state of your heart. He's interested in what's going on in your life. Now last time we chatted about how to get God's peace guarding your heart and your mind – do you remember? Philippians Chapter 4, verses 6 and 7: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Simply by praying instead of worrying, giving thanks, laying out our worries and concerns and needs openly before God, He will replace the fear and stress and worry with His peace which will actually guard your heart and your mind. Imagine, God's peace standing guard around you to keep worry and stress away. That's a pretty good deal. But what the Apostle Paul goes on to say straight after that – writing as he is from his cell on death row – is equally instructive in terms of how to foster that peace and how to keep the cheerfulness and joy that God's peace brings, strong in our inside. Philippians 4:8,9: Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. So, instead of mulling over the bad stuff and what might go wrong, think about the good stuff. Now, you might say to me, I can't control what I think. Sure you can. When you find yourself thinking about something negative, you can choose to think about something positive. Try it, it actually works – and if you're struggling you go back to prayer and the Holy Spirit, who is – remember – guarding your heart and mind with God's peace, that same Holy Spirit is right there in you to be a part of that and to help you. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as your counsellor and comforter. And now the exciting thing that happens, is that we get benefit from that on the inside, but other people, the people around us get benefit from that as it oozes out of us on the outside. Do you want to be glum? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life being downcast? Do you want to be feeling down in the dumps all the time? Of course you don't. So now you implement these two simple things – pray instead of worrying, and when you find your mind wandering into the down things, grab it back – with the help of the Holy Spirit who is on your inside and who's on your side – and focus it on the good stuff. The stuff that God is about in your life. The things that bring you joy, the things that God's doing, God's faithfulness, the fantastic things He's done in the past. And now, you are living a much, much better life on the inside. You're at peace. Your heart is cheerful – Jesus wants you to have a cheerful heart. Remember what He said to His disciples, John 16:33: In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. So, now your life is much better, now this peace and joy is oozing out of you, and all of a sudden – you can't help it – you want to encourage others. You're having an impact on their life: A cheerful look brings joy to the heart and good news gives health to the bones. (Proverbs 15:30) So the cheerful look on your face is going to bring joy to someone else's heart. The encouraging word that you give to them, the good news that you can share with them, is going to give health and life to their bones. Your joy touches their lives. Your life improves. Their life improves. Your relationship with them improves. All because you took the time and the wisdom of God to lay hold of the peace and the joy that God has for you. Talk about a stress buster! Not bad, eh? And on top of all that, the Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is your strength. Do you get it? When we let the joy of God fill us amidst the gloom, all of a sudden, we experience His strength, and His power.   Lift Up Your Eyes Well, over these last few weeks, we've been chatting about how to deal with the stress in our lives. Not that all stress is bad – some stress from time to time helps to get things done, gets us to sharpen our game and deliver and perform. Think about an athlete about to run the 100 metre dash at the Olympics will harness that nervous energy, let's call it, as they line up on the starting blocks. That's a good thing. It's just not good, if we're constantly living our lives under stress. And so we've been chatting –in this series that I've called Stress Busters – about dealing with the root cause of the stress. No band-aid solutions, like listening to soothing music, or having a nice cup of tea, or patting your cat. They're all nice and lovely, but when we're under real stress, all those things do is alleviate the symptoms for a short time. What we need, is to deal with the root cause of the stress. Now immediately people think stress, root cause – oh right. It's that person, that situation, that medical diagnosis, that thing out there – that's what I have to deal with. Well, perhaps you do. But pressure and stress are two different things. Those things out there put pressure on us. But stress is all about how we react to them, so if we're looking for the root cause of our stress, it lies inside us, in our hearts, in our minds. In what we feel and what we think. So we've chatted in this series about some real, stress busters. Things that deal with the root cause. Learning to trust in God. Learning how to develop a quiet confidence in Him and how to pray the prayer of peace. How to have a cheerful heart – if you missed any of those messages, you'll find them all in the Series Stress Busters on our website christianityworks.com. So … I'd like to bring all of those lessons together in a practical, case study if you will, by sharing the story of a woman called Hannah. She was the Prophet Samuel's mother in the Old Testament of the Bible. But as with many of the great things that God is doing, Samuel's entry into the world wasn't an easy one. At least, not for Hannah. It was a very stressful time. In fact, she was deeply, deeply distressed over a long period of time. So just sit back and have a listen to her story – it's real, it's stressful … and it's beautiful. Here we go, 1 Samuel 1:1–18: There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.  Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?' After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: 'O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and do not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.' As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.' But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.' So Eli answered, ‘Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.' And she said, ‘Let your servant find favour in your sight.' Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer. It's a beautiful story isn't it? You can't help but feel for Hannah and what she was going through. It was a really big thing in that culture for her not to be able to have a child. The basic belief was that if you were a good person who honoured God, He would bless you with many children. But if you weren't, He wouldn't. So Hannah was looked down upon by all in sundry. Particularly, Penniniah, her rival we're told. The other wife who was delivering plenty of sons. Just imagine how much stress this was putting on Hannah. Firstly, she couldn't have children – any woman whose body clock is ticking and who desperately wants kids but can't have them – knows how devastating that is, just on it's own. But now add to that the constant niggling and whispering and derision from ‘her rival' – there they were, these two women, competing for their husband's affections – I just can't begin to imagine what an awful, additional layer of stress that heaped on Hannah. And then there were the social and religious expectations – everyone treating her like she was some sinner or leper. She could have spent the rest of her life wallowing in that morass of pain and self-pity. But Hannah took some decisive action. She poured it all out to God. Instead of constantly looking down at her terrible circumstances, she lifted her gaze and looked up to Him and, deeply distressed we're told, poured her heart out to God and asked Him to do something. And before she even got an answer, before she even fell pregnant, listen again to the impact of this prayer on her whole being, on her countenance, on her life: Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer. There you have it. The peace that passes all understanding. She did exactly what Paul the Apostle counselled his friends in Philippi to do over two thousand years later: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7,8) We don't need to clean up our act before we go to God. We don't have to be all confidence and self-assured and ‘together'. He just calls us to come as we are and pour it all out. And you should never, ever be afraid to do that. In fact elsewhere, in the New Testament book of Hebrews, this is what God says to us about this very thing: Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) Don't you love that word – with boldness. So as our time in this series – Stress Busters – draws to a close, let me counsel you to do exactly the same. Do what Hannah did – lift up your eyes and pour your stress out on God, and my friend, He will act. And whatever the outcome to your stressful situation, He will give you peace. That's just what He does. God is a God who brings His power to bear for the people whom He loves – His people, the people who have put their trust in Jesus His Son. He doesn't always take away the person or the situation that causes the stress, but what He does do, is He works in our hearts, He gives us strength and courage and joy and peace and power to remove the stress. But there's one thing … on thing that robs us of all that. And that's the thing we're going to talk about.   Blackout Have you ever been in a power blackout? Here where I live, they're quite rare. But in many parts of the world, they're a daily occurrence and in some parts of the world, there's no power at all. I travel quite a bit and I regularly find myself in places where there's no power or there are constant blackouts. In a sense, you get used to it pretty quickly. When you're sitting and talking in a meeting and the power goes out, you just keep on talking until either the generator cuts in, or … if there's no generator, until the power comes back on. It's just a fact of life. You learn to live with it. But when I come back home again, to a place where the power almost never goes out, I have to tell you, it's a much, much better way to live. I think in the three years that I've been living in our current apartment, we've lost power perhaps once or twice. Many people are living their lives, spiritually, emotionally, morally, either in a state of regular power outages, blackouts, or in a place without any power at all. And the thing that flicks the switch on God's power in their lives, is their sin. Have a listen to this, the Apostle Paul, Ephesians 1:17–21: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. Paul's praying that his friends in Ephesus would realise the certain hope, the riches of their inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of God's power that they already have in Christ. The very same power that raised Jesus from the dead and put Him above everything and everyone. Do you see – God means to bring that power, that life-giving power, to bear in your life, to give you the new life that Jesus died and rose again to give you. But when we rebel against God, when we turn our backs on Him through our sin, the power stops. Why? What good father would continue to reward and bless his child when the child is rebelling? As much as the father loves the child, he stops the flow of blessing, so that the child will realise its mistake, and come back to him. It's what dads do. And it's the same with God: Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7) One of the most stressful things that we can ever do is to rebel against God – we talked about that earlier in this series. And as God calls us back to Him, often He turns the heat up on our stress, as we live through the consequences of our sin and our rebellion. When we keep struggling against and kicking against God, when we run away from His goodness and His plans for our life, man, be prepared for a wilderness experience, right? And I know that there are a few people in that place right at the moment. You're experiencing extreme stress, because you've turned your back on God. Well, in a moment we're going to pray together. And this is what we're going to pray about. Peter said to them: ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'. (Acts 2:38) Do you see, when you repent, when you turn back to God, He promises you the power, the power of the Holy Spirit. The greatest stress buster of them all.

A @Christadelphians Video: SummaryThis presentation explores the significance of Melchizedek and his connection to the Psalms, particularly Psalm 110, which is extensively referenced in the New Testament. It delves into the historical context of the priesthood during the time of Eli and the rise of King David, highlighting the importance of the Tabernacle and the establishment of Zion as the dwelling place of God. The presentation also discusses the typological role of David as a precursor to the Messiah, the faithful priest who would build a sure house and walk before the anointed forever.Highlights

The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, act wickedly in their service at the LORD's house, unlawfully taking parts of the sacrifices for themselves and committing adultery with temple servants. Although Eli spoke to his sons about these things, they did not listen, and he did not take decisive action against them. For this, the LORD sent a prophet to Eli to reveal that the priesthood would be taken away from his family, and the LORD would provide for Himself a faithful priest. The portrayal of Samuel throughout this text shows him to be one who will become a faithful priest, and yet, this promise points beyond Samuel to the ministry of the Lord Jesus.   Rev. Joel Haak, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church and School in Fraser, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Samuel 2:12-36.  "A Kingdom Unlike All the Nations” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Samuel. This time in Israel's history has its highs and lows, but the LORD's faithfulness never wavers. He provides His Word to be proclaimed faithfully through prophets like Samuel and Nathan. Even as princes like Saul and David sit on an earthly throne, the LORD remains King over His people, even as He does now and forever through the Lord Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

In this sermon, Pastor Christopher talks about three major sins we need to be aware of and avoid in this passage found in 1 Samuel. He shares with us the difference between 'knowing of' God and 'knowing and following' Him. He breaks down the ways Hophni and Phinehas were disregarding the laws of the people, and how they would not listen to their Godly father, Eli. How did their ignorance affect their father? Why is it important to take lessons from the Old Testament and apply them to modern life? Listen to learn more! LAKEVIEW MISSIONARY CHURCH 810 S. Evergreen Dr. Moses Lake, WA 98837 509-765-5270 www.LakeviewMissionaryChurch.com Pastor Christopher sends a weekly update to our church every Wednesday with an encouraging article, prayer requests, and announcements. Subscribe here, http://eepurl.com/hC7SHD Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

1 Samuel 3:1-21. How does God speak to us today? Can we also mistaken God’s voice for something else? What can we learn from the call of Samuel? The Lord calls and speaks directly to Samuel for the first time giving him his first prophecy. From then on none of Samuel's words fell to the […]

1 Sam 2:12-36. Eli allowed the sinful practices of his sons to continue because of sentimentality. They became proud, arrogant priests who corrupted the priesthood and made Israel transgress against the Lord. Therefore, God is seen to bring down the house of Eli, while also raising up young Samuel who “ministered before the Lord”. God […]

Escaping Apostate Church Judgments (4) (Audio) David Eells 11/27/24 I'm going to pick up where we left off in part 3. This is important for the people of God to know because time is very short now. Let's go to Zec.11:17 Woe unto the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm…. The arm represents your strength by which you do your works with your hands. Isa.53:1 … And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Our strength is Jesus Christ, “the arm of the Lord”, and we do our works through His power. This next verse we will share speaks about the leadership of apostate shepherds that God said He would raise up. Zec.11:17 Woe unto the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, (I.e. he will not have the strength of the Lord to do His works.) and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. The sword shall be upon his right eye, means his spiritual discernment, his ability to see in the spirit, his ability to discern and understand the Word of God, and so on “shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” This very much describes the leadership in most of the Church today. This sounds very much like a verse in Micah: Mic.3:6 Therefore, it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them. We're coming to a day when people who have called themselves prophets and spiritual leaders, pastors, and so on, if they have not followed the Lord in putting to death the old man of their flesh, and submitted to the Word of God, they're going to become more and more blind. God is taking away their discernment. Even now, He's taking away their spiritual discernment and they're not even understanding that it's happening. Mic.3:1 And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice? 2 ye who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; 3 who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them…. What do you think it means to take their skin off of them? Our skin separates us from the world. It also is a protection against the attack of the enemy, isn't it? Our skin protects us against germs and things like that. It's kind of a first line of defense, isn't it? So, again, why are so many of the people of God plundered by these curses? Because they are not trained with the true Word of God! The Word of God is our defense, it's our shield, it's our high tower and there's no protection unless we are trained in it. So Mic.3:3 … they flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. Your bones are where your life comes from. Also we see that the apostate shepherds will devour and get fat off of the flesh of the sheep. People who are not fleshly can't stand these apostate ministers, but the people of God who are fleshly cannot discern them. Even the world can look at the apostate ministers and see that they are plundering the flock, but these poor people have fallen under their spell. They're going to sleep listening to their teachings and so they cannot rightly discern. Mic.3:4 Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not answer them; yea, he will hide his face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings. Well, it was the same in Jesus' day. Jesus spoke to them in parables so that they would not perceive and would not understand and repent, and God would heal them according to Matthew 13:15. We know that the same thing is happening in our day. God is not going to grant most of them repentance. They have done evil in plundering God's people and very few of them are going to escape. Mic.3:5 Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. In other words, anybody who doesn't flatter their ego, well, they're going to make war against them, right? Anybody who doesn't feed their pocketbook or their ego, they're going to make war against them. Mic.3:6 Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets and the day shall be black over them. 7 And the seers shall be put to shame, and the diviners confounded; yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. Remember how when Saul was in a war with the enemy and he was losing the war, he tried to get an answer from God and God would not answer him? And so what did Saul end up doing? Going to the demons. Do you think it's any different today? I don't think so. Mic.3:8 But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord…. “Micah” means “Who is like God.” Micah, who is like God, says, But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Again we've found another Man-child here who is being accosted by the Eli, Saul and Pharisee ministries, right? Mic.3:9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, that abhor justice, and pervert all equity (which basically means “uprightness,” “pervert all uprightness”). 10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. 11 The heads thereof judge for reward (They are hirelings like the Eli ministry.), and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us. 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. So judgment came on Jerusalem, the apostate leadership, because, God's people have followed a Saul ministry, a Pharisee ministry, and so judgment came. And we see once again why this Tribulation is coming upon the world. It's for the same reason. God's people have not represented Him to this world and it has to be done. We're coming to the end. God is merciful in bringing these judgments. It has to be done. So returning to our text in 1 Samuel, we see that even though Samuel had showed up as a child and was not yet matured, and he had not yet come into his position of authority, God was training him. However, during this whole time, Eli was becoming darker and darker in his understanding and dimmer and dimmer in his sight, but the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep,] in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was (1Sa.3:3); (Samuel slept in the presence of God, didn't he? He rested in the presence of God.); that the Lord called Samuel…. Now, to make a long story short, the Lord called Samuel while he was in Eli's house. 1Sa.3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. Wow! That sounds like it comes all the way down to us, doesn't it? If God is prophesying that He's going to judge Eli's house all the way to the end, He must be talking about the end-time here. We know that there are people in Eli's house today because, if you walk in the steps of someone, you're a part of their house; you're a part of their heritage. In the New Testament, we've learned that you pass on your heritage by words and by nature, not by flesh. We are Christians because we have taken on His Name, meaning in Greek, His nature, character and authority – all those attributes. And, of course, you'd be in Eli's house for the same reasons – that you had been taking on his nature, character and authority. That's how you would be in his house in the end times. Well, God says that the days are coming when everything that He's spoken about Eli is going to be fulfilled and I tell you, that's happening in our days, folks. 1Sa.3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated (“purged”) with sacrifice nor offering forever. Have we ever read in the Scriptures where God would not forgive and cleanse and purge a man's sins, a man who is a child of God? Yes, we have. The Bible tells us this very plainly in Heb.10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins. What brings responsibility is the knowledge someone has. Jesus came on the scene so that those who said they saw would become blind and those who didn't see would see. When Jesus came, He brought the knowledge that made people responsible. And He said, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin (Joh.15:22). His knowledge of the Word of God that He gave them made them responsible. In this situation, Eli is being prophesied to through Samuel. God spoke to Samuel to give this revelation to Eli, which Samuel did. God essentially said that Eli's house would not be purged by sacrifice; meaning God wasn't going to forgive him for this. Some of you think God will forgive you for anything if you repent, but I'll tell you what, they weren't going to repent. And did you know, God grants repentance? The Bible says God has to grant repentance. He doesn't do that for everybody. He didn't grant the Pharisees repentance; He didn't grant Saul repentance; He didn't grant Eli and his house repentance; and it was because they all continued to walk in willful disobedience. Heb.10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. You see, there is a place where God will not grant, where the sacrifice of Jesus will not grant a person repentance because they continued to walk in willful disobedience. Back to 1Sa.3:19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. Oh, praise God! Have you ever heard the old saying that the heavens were brass? People prayed and they didn't feel like their prayers were getting into the heavens, but instead, they were bouncing and coming back. Well, none of Samuel's prayers bounced, folks. His name means “heard of God.” In other words, God heard him and when Samuel made a pronouncement it came to pass, and when he prophesied it was the truth. So be happy that we have a ministry like that coming down the road. 1Sa.3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord (Note that this is even though he was a child at this time). 21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh (which was the house of God); for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. He revealed himself to Samuel in the house of God by the word of the Lord. 1Sa.4:1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. There it is, “to all Israel.” Samuel was sending this word forth to all of Israel while the Eli ministry was still in official authority here and so the rest of this chapter is about what happens to those who follow the Eli ministry. As the Word of the Lord was coming to them and making them responsible, it was making them more and more blind and more and more apostate. God was taking grace away. Every time they would reject the true Word of God, they'd lose more grace. Today we see them stumbling around, very foolishly, with false doctrines and bad spirits. Why? They're becoming more and more blind and their grace is being taken away. 1Sa.4:1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. So once again, those who are under the Eli ministry are going up against the Philistines. As you remember, this happened with Saul. His battle against the Philistines was lost and God said the reason for that was that Saul didn't put to death the old man when God sent them out to do that. So now the Philistines were coming back to conquer them and Israel, under the leadership of the Eli ministry, was going forth to battle with the Philistines. 1Sa.4:2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines…. We see the same thing that happened to Saul. The apostate ministry brought destruction at the hands of the old man and the people who followed that apostate ministry died at the hands of the old man, the Philistine. 1Sa.4:2 … And they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. Notice that responsibility brings judgment. Responsibility came because Samuel sent forth the Word to all Israel and, here, all of a sudden, judgment comes upon the apostate ministry and the people who follow them. 1Sa.4:3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines? They didn't understand why they were losing the battle with the Philistines. These are the elders. These are the elders of the church in our day. Why did God smite us? What can we do about this? They did not understand. Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies. 4 So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who sitteth [above] the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. This is false leadership. They had taken possession of the ark of God. Now, let me ask you a question here. You are a child of God because you have the Presence of the Lord in your Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was a part of the Temple. It was the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. So we together, the corporate body of Christ, we are that temple and our spirits are the Ark of the Covenant because God dwells in our spirits. So, because you have the Spirit of God, does that save you? I mean, here they sent to the House of God, they took out the Ark of the Covenant, they brought it with them and they put it in their midst because they thought this would save them. They thought the Ark would save them, but is that really true? Remember what we read in Mic.3:4 Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not answer them; yea, he will hide his face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings. So they've plundered the people of God, as the first text tells us, and now God won't listen to them anymore. This is the same thing that happened with Saul. God would answer him neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets (1Sa.28:6), so Saul turned to familiar spirits and God turned him over to demon spirits. Mic.3:11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money (of course, the sons of Eli were doing all these things): yet they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us. 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field…. You see, the presence of the Lord didn't save them. How is it that they could have the presence of the Lord in their midst and still not be saved from the Philistines? How is this possible? Well, the Bible tells us in Rom.8:12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die…. How is it, if we live after the flesh, we must die? Because if you submit to the flesh, if you let the flesh rule, then it's going to put to death your spiritual man; you're going to spiritually die. You may still be living, but you'll be dead on your feet. You'll be walking in death and you'll have no victory over the Philistine whatsoever. Rom.8:13 … but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body (in other words, if you are putting to death the old Philistine, the old man, he says), ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Now, I ask you, could the people who are following the Saul ministry, the Eli ministry, and the Pharisee ministry, could they be righteous? Could they be sons of God? And could they be following the Spirit of God? No, they couldn't because they couldn't see and perceive that these men were evil. They weren't following the Spirit of God; they were following these men who were not following the Spirit of God themselves. So we see that you can have the presence of God and not be spared. Listen, some people think you're going to be saved because you have the Holy Spirit. That's not so. You're not going to be saved unless you follow the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit will just condemn you because you are capable, and you're able to partake of the inheritance in the saints. Somebody who has the Holy Spirit can do this, but if you're not doing it, then your gift is just condemning you that much more. The presence of the Lord was in their midst, but it wasn't saving them and they lost the next battle. 1Sa.4:5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. Think about this. The old man fears God. The old man will not submit to Him, but he does fear God. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? Actually, that word gods is the word Elohim. It's the same word we just read: “God is come into the camp.” It's talking about our God and they translated it “gods” because they knew it was coming out of the mouth of Philistines, but 2700 times in the Bible this was translated elohim because elohim is plural. God is plural. “Y-H-W-H is Elohim”, the Scripture tells us. The name of the true God is plural. God is One God, but He's One in unity, not in essence. So it should be read here just the way it's translated everywhere else, as 1Sa.4:8 who shall deliver us out of the hands of this mighty God? this is the God that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. 1Sa.4:9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Notice “that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews.” God's plan is that the old man is a servant to the spiritual man. They were afraid they were going to lose their position of authority over the spiritual man, so they said, “Let's fight extra hard here; we don't want to serve the spirit man. We don't want to serve the Hebrews.” And you know the flesh hates the spirit; the flesh dies when the spirit man's in control. 1Sa.4:9 … That ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. 10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten…. Even though the presence of the Lord was in their midst, the Israelites were conquered by the old man who lives in the land. They were conquered. It was because they wouldn't follow the Spirit of God. They were following the Eli ministry and so they were conquered by the old man. We saw the same thing with the Saul ministry. Those who followed Saul died at the hands of the Philistines. Here they followed the Eli ministry and what happened? They were dying at the hands of the Philistines. It made no difference that they were what we loosely call “children of God”; it made no difference that they had God in their midst; they still died. It's what Jude calls twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jud.12). And there's another reason. Psa.78:56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And kept not his testimonies; 57 But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers: They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places…. They had the high places of the altar of Baal and the Ashtaroth in the time of Eli, but Samuel put all that away. 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, And moved him to jealousy with their graven images. This is what Ezekiel called the abomination in chapters seven and nine. The abomination. Here's an abomination. You know what abominations do? The abominations make one desolate. Well, what happens when you're desolate? God leaves your temple. Psa.78:59 When God heard [this,] he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel; 60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh (Aha! That's “an abomination that maketh desolate”.), The tent which he placed among men; 61 And delivered his strength (that was the Ark that came out of the Temple) into captivity, and his glory into the adversary's hand. And we know that when the Israelites were conquered, then the Philistines took possession of the Ark of God. The Israelites had brought it there with their own hands. They brought the Ark out of the Temple of God, out of the House of God, with their own hands. They thought it would save them but, instead, the Philistines captured the Ark. 1Sa.4:10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. When the Ark of God is taken possession of by the Philistines, it means that you, as the temple of God's Presence, are being ruled by the old man. It means that the old man is taking the presence of God where he wants to go. He has taken possession now, you see, and that brings death every time. Rom.8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye must die…. It's death every time. You see, God's presence comes into you so that you, by His Spirit, would be led by your spiritual man. But in this case, they lost their battle with the old man and the old man had taken possession of the Spirit of the Temple of God. Psa.78:61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the adversary's hand. 62 He gave his people over also unto the sword (in other words, the death of the Saul, the Eli, the Pharisee ministry), And was wroth with his inheritance. 63 Fire devoured their young men; And their virgins had no marriage song. 64 Their priests fell by the sword (Hophni and Phinehas fell by the sword); And their widows made no lamentation. Now, I'm going to share a revelation with you.     Not My Father's House Care Sebourn - 06/27/2008 (David's notes in red) The dream starts with Mick and I going through a door of a rental house. (The house that is merchandised, Babylonish religion.) I am carrying a baby boy, he is bald and has huge blue eyes. (The fruit of Christ with heavenly insight and bald in this case, means no submission to Babylon.) As we enter I stop in the first room and look around. I noticed the place is filthy and torn up. (The apostate house of God's people has been trashed.) I can see the kitchen from the room we are standing in and there are stacks and stacks of dirty, gross dishes with food stuck on them. (Their table is unclean.) Mick and I are disgusted and wonder why we would rent such a place. I notice my three children (the ones that still live at home) working like dogs, trying to clean the place up. I tell them to stop and that it is useless to try because it will never clean up. My kids are relieved and almost grateful that I saw it was useless. (It is time to give up trying to clean up Babylon and call the people out. Jer.51:9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country.) Then they drag out a huge box that is covered in dirt. They want Mick and I to see what's inside, so they open it for us. Inside is a guitar covered in dirt, rocks, etc. (Unveiling the hidden corruption in their music and word.) In an instant the room becomes bigger and is filled with furniture and people. Across the room Mick and I spot this man that is sitting at a dining room table. Right away I realize that he is the owner of the house. Mick takes the baby from me and we make our way towards him. As I am walking toward him I run into a thrashed overstuffed chair and couch. I look down and notice the terrible condition of the carpet. Then I move the chair and notice huge rips and tears in the carpet. I then commented to Mick that they tried to cover the holes with furniture. (“There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed”.) How deceiving. Mick agreed with me. He is still holding the baby. I look up and notice the owner is still seated across the room. As we resume our journey towards him I realize that he and many of his “friends” are having a Christmas party. (Babylon's roots are from Babel of the false Jesus and Mary.) We hear someone call the owner “Sal”. (Short for Salvatore, meaning Savior; teachers of false salvation.) These friends of his are smoking (which is partaking of unclean breath or spirits), drinking (out of touch with reality) and partying it up (overindulging in the world). They were eating from huge tables of elegant and rich food as they laughed and socialized. As we continue our way to “Sal”, many of these people stop us and try to engage us in conversation. They offer us food and we turn it down. (Refusing Babylon's spiritual food as did the three Hebrews.) I feel as though they are trying to stop us from getting to Sal. Mick and I join hands (we still have the baby) and we begin to try and maneuver around the people. One by one some of them step in front of us and begin talking to us. All of them are so sweet and friendly. One woman was right in our face smoking a cigarette; she was terribly overly made-up with hideous make-up. (The harlot hinders “the way” of the righteous and protects their leadership.) The room was crowded and smelled nasty. The strange thing was that none of these people noticed the filth or the smell. (They are spiritually assimilated into the harlot and do not recognize holiness.) As we reached the other side of the room, Sal was in the corner. He looked up and saw us walking toward him and got really nervous. (These sons of perdition feel cornered and threatened by the righteous.) He gave us a fake smile and said, “Hello”. I noticed he had a New York (Little Babylon) accent and had the characteristics of a used car salesman. (They are slick con men.) I looked him straight in the eye and told him that he lied to us; this house was torn up and filthy and I wanted all of my money back. (Stop pouring God's money down a rat hole, Church!) Sal dropped his eyes to the ground and ignored me. I repeated my request for the money back. He continued to ignore me. I was aware that people were still partying and going about their business and I could still hear Christmas music (Babylon's false Jesus worship). I stepped away and took the baby out of Mickey's arms and stepped into the other corner where I felt he would be safe. I observed Mick and Sal in an intense discussion and after a long period of time, Sal took out his checkbook, wrote a check and handed it to Mick. Then Mick made his way back to me in the corner, still having to dodge Sal's friends. When he reached the baby and me, I noticed he was disappointed. The check was for $78 and I became angry because I knew that I had given Sal over $2000. (The apostates have stolen 2000 years from the Church and all they want to offer is 78, which means ignorance and idolatry, which I'll explain below.) I handed the baby back to Mick and took the check from his hand. I marched across the room towards Sal, and this time his friends didn't try to detour me or block my way. As I walked, they created a path for me to get to Sal and there was fear in their eyes. When I reached him, I could tell that Sal was not happy that I was back and he began to slowly retreat into the corner as I yelled at him, “This is unacceptable and I will not accept this $78. (Don't accept 78.) I gave you over $2000 and all I got was this filthy house. (The Church has nothing to show for 2000 years of self-effort.) Take back your house and give me back my money”. Sal retreated further back into the corner and the room became dead quiet. Again I repeated my request and told him I did not want the house; I wanted him to refund the money. He ignored me and so I repeated it again. He dropped his eyes to the ground and became despondent, as though he were wishing me away, but I persisted, and again I demanded that he return my money as I held my hand out in front of his face. Reluctantly, he again pulled out the same checkbook, looked me dead in the eyes, and said nothing. I then noticed that Mick and the baby were standing directly behind me. Then I repeated to Sal that I wanted all of my money back. He slithered down into a chair and began to write a check. As he was writing the check, I noticed that he became angrier and angrier. He violently removed the check from the checkbook and slapped it into my hand. When he put it in my hand, I looked down at the check and noticed it was for over $2000. (God is going to restore through the latter rain all that the thieves have taken from His people for the last 2000 years as in Joel 2:25.) I snatched up the check and Mick and I began to exit the house hand in hand. Once we were outside, I noticed it was nighttime. I gave Mick the check and I told him that Sal could not be trusted; we must go now and immediately deposit the check. Then I woke up. This dream represents the ministry of bringing the fruit of Christ to the apostate church in correction. It is full of sin and worldliness. This church is likened unto a rental house because it is merchandised. Jesus told the Pharisees, “Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise”. Their table (food) is unclean. Their leader and owner is Sal, which is short for Salvatore, meaning Savior. Many have trusted in these Pharisees and their word instead of the real Savior and His Word. Sal's friends are a hindrance in the way of the real Church. They have destroyed and corrupted (trashed) the Father's house. As Jesus said, their house is being left unto them desolate. All attempts to revive the system are over and the real Church is moving on. Everything their leaders have stolen for 2000 years will be demanded of them. As in Luke 16, they will have to give account of their stewardship before they are thrown out of office. All they offer the Church in return is 78. I asked the Lord what the ‘78' that the false leaders were offering represented. He gave me the 7th book and 8th chapter of the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 8, which speaks of false knowledge, sacrificing to idols, (which are demons in 10:20), preachers and religious systems, idols and idols temples, defiling the conscience, leading God's people astray, etc. This is what the apostate leaders offer in exchange for their leadership for the last 2000 years. But a great revival and restoration of all things is coming now. PTL!

Escaping Apostate Church Judgments (3) (audio) David Eells – 11/24/24 I'm going begin today by reading Hannah's prayer in 1Sa 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger: Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth. So what did she mean, she had born seven? We know that Hannah had been barren. Well, we're talking about a Man-child here, but the Man-child is not an individual, is he? And why seven? When we read Mic 5:5 …When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. So we see that Micah prophesied that when the Lord returned to his people that He would raise up seven princes, “seven shepherds, and eight principal men,” or eight princes among men, to defend God's people from the Beast. It's seven because there are seven churches and God is raising up the leadership to go to the seven churches. The eighth is mentioned separately because He is the prince of Peace Jesus who is in the midst of the seven. 6 Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. 7 Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, he also lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: (This is her Man-child, that she brought forth to inherit the throne of glory.) For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, And he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail. 10 They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. I believe this is talking about the Eli, Pharisee and Saul ministries, and a lot of ministers in our day who are going to resist and fight against the truth, as they have throughout history. In Jesus' day, the leadership over God's people fought with Jesus; they accused Jesus; they crucified Jesus. They did the same with His disciples, also. They strove with the Lord and He destroyed them. 1Sa 2:10 … And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. Oh, praise God! Who is this king and His anointed? Well, in this case it was Samuel, but it was also Joseph, Moses, David and Jesus, all those good types. He will exalt the horn, the strength of His anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not the Lord. How could they have been the priests of Israel and not know the Lord? Well, honestly, it doesn't take very long to read the Word of God to find out that a lot of ministers nowadays don't know the Lord. They don't know the Lord but do they have some kind of association with religion? Yes. When you come into the Kingdom and you get a born-again spirit, you have a consciousness of God, but, quite frankly, if you don't obey that born-again spirit, it soon dies and you become what the Bible calls twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jud.12). Who was Jude speaking about when he said that? The apostate ministers and many they train. And so you can be in the pulpit and be dead as a doornail. Saul died at the hands of the Philistines and I believe that it's talking about being dead in the spirit while he lived. We know that many of you have come out of churches after you realized they were dead. They were really not walking in the spirit; they were really not sharing the living Word of God. They were dead and you came out because of that. Praise God! 1Sa 2:13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all Israel that came thither. Shiloh, of course, was the house of God in those days, so this is basically the ministers gathering up their tithe, but these people were abusing it. And it's a very good type of exactly what's happening today. They were abusing their position as priests of the Lord, as ministers of God's house, by plundering God's people. Now he's going to point out two main things here about the sons of Eli that are exactly the problems with the leadership of the church in our day and how they are plundering God's people. 1Sa 2:15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw. Of course, that wasn't according to their custom. 16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. So here you have some ministers taking what they feel belonged to them, by force. The only thing was, this was a sacrifice. This was a sacrifice made by the person who was freely giving it, but they were taking it by force. That's an abuse of a sacrifice. Do you know that in the New Testament God has a sacrifice? It's a freewill offering. There is nothing in the New Testament about taking something by Law. Who is it who takes by Law? Well, you're looking at it right here. It's the apostate Eli ministry which is robbing and plundering God's people and taking from them by Law, taking from them because of their position. We don't have any such custom in the New Testament of demanding a tithe. Jesus said, So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple (Luk 14:33). He didn't say 10%; He said everything you have. And Jesus said in Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, Jesus said tithing was of the Law, not of grace. There's no commandment in the New Testament whatsoever for you to do this. Not one. And the rest of the verse says, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Notice that Jesus spoke to the Jews of their Law as being in the past, Meaning the Old Covenant. He never commanded it in the New Covenant because it was “a shadow of the good things to come.” But here is what's commanded: 2Co 9:6 But this [I say,] He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. So it's just according to how much you give and that's really not according to the Law. The Law was 10% -- bring into the storehouse 10%. But now He's saying very plainly, “No, the more you give, the more you'll receive.” 2Co 9:7 [Let] each man [do] according as he hath purposed in his heart…. Well, that's certainly not the Law at all. That's not demanding it; that's a freewill offering. Do as you feel in your heart. This is a man's personal sacrifice to God and to the ministry, and, of course, the ministry today is abusing that because they are dragging people back under the Law, which is forbidden. The Law separates from Christ; it separates from grace and, if you seek to be justified by the Law, you have to keep the whole Law. Gal 5:3 … He is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. So it's not good for ministers to say you have to keep the tithe because you can't be saved that way. If you're seeking to be justified by the Law, then you have to keep the whole Law in order to be justified, but we're justified by grace and God says this is what God wants from His New Testament, born-again people. These are not people who are lost people, who are just following rules and regulations. These are people who have the grace of God in their heart. God expects more as He says in Luk 12:48 And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required…. Now, in the New Testament, when you're born again and you receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in your newborn temple; therefore He expects more because you have God in you and you are the temple. You don't go to the temple, you are the temple of God. God's in us. Col 1:27 … Christ in you, the hope of glory. God is the One Who is living the Christian life in us, you see. That's the whole point. So you would expect more from someone like that. You don't have to force somebody like that to do something and, if you had to, they obviously don't have God in their heart. So what does the Lord say? 2Co 9:7 Let each man [do] according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity … It's not even necessary as a law would be. Well, it's not going to be edifying to a person to not give because giving is the heart of God and giving is how, of course, God multiplies it back to us. 2Co 9:6 But this [I say,] He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. In other words, God wants to bless us and He's telling us that if it's in our heart to give, then good, do it. But He's not putting you under Law. It's not of necessity. Anybody who does put you under the Law is departing from the New Testament and they're doing exactly like Eli's sons, who were using the Law to force the giving. So he says, 2Co 9:7 … For God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work…. That's a powerful promise that covers everything, doesn't it? And it's just because a person gives out of the heart, not because they're under the Law. You know, sure, if you give under the Law, God will give back. When I first learned that the Lord wanted me to give, I did, and for a short time I went under the Law. But when I realized that it wasn't Scriptural, I started to give according to the Spirit because now I had the Holy Spirit to speak in my heart and tell me what to do. In the New Testament, that's why the Holy Spirit is given. You don't need a law because now we have …the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2). You don't have need to have anybody to tell you, “You must do this.” Instead, you want to do it because God is working in you to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). That's what New Testament salvation is all about. God is putting it in your heart. That's the kind of person God wants. He doesn't want a person who has to be forced or they won't do it. What kind of a son is that? That's a servant, but it's not a son and God is creating sons. So if we look back in 1 Samuel 2, we see a problem with the overwhelming majority of apostate ministries nowadays. They want to force the people to give something that should be a sacrifice on the part of the giver. They should just want to give it out of their own heart. In other words, give them the freedom to make the sacrifice the way they see that they want to do it. But, in the apostate ministries, the giving is being forced and that's exactly what we're seeing here in 1 Samuel. But the priest's servant said, 1Sa 2:16 Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord. See, the offering of the Lord is holy because it comes out of holy hearts, people who want to give. They see a need and they are meeting that need. And it may be the need of their brother. Jesus said, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me (Mat.25:40). It may be a need of the brethren. It may not be bringing it into the storehouse, which is a church building or an organization, because the storehouse was not in the church. In the Old Testament, it was in the Temple and we are the Temple. God is going to judge His people by the way they treat His Temple, by what you do to the “least of these my brethren.” Did you feed them? Did you clothe them? Did you visit them in prison? See, that's how He judged the nations when He returned because that's His Temple. So it's very important that the sacrifice be a willing sacrifice in our covenant and not be demanded by Law. The people in ministry who force the giving are despising the offering of the Lord. Going on in 1Sa 2:27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to Pharaoh's house? 28 and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all of the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Wherefore kick ye at mine sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? An Eli ministry gets fat from the offerings of God's people because they have departed from the Word of God; they are plundering God's people. It's not permitted and they will be judged for it, exactly like Eli's sons were being judged for it. You know, we are warned over and over in the Scriptures: Isa 56:9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea,] all ye beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind … Did you know, by the way, that Eli was blind? He became blind. 10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark (In other words, they do not know when the enemy's coming. They don't know how to warn God's people. They don't know that they are the enemy.); dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. How many of God's people are supporting this debauchery in God's church? See, it's totally contrary to the Word of God. What you are supporting when you're doing that, is an Eli ministry. It's going down the drain fast at this particular moment. They're all dyeing. I'm not talking physically, I'm talking spiritually. If they're not dead already, they're going to die. They'd have to repent and come out of plundering God's people. There's nothing in the New Testament about being under the Law for giving. We are, of course, stewards of what belongs to God in the New Testament. Luk 14:33 So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. We are stewards; we're not owners. So, therefore, a person who tithes is a thief because he thinks the 90% belongs to him and the 10% belongs to God. Well, you just stole 90% because Jesus said the rest of that belongs to Him, too. So, if we're not a thief, then we listen to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit tells you what to do with your house, what to do with your car, and what to do with your money. He tells you not only what to give and how much, but where to give it and to whom to give it. He is the One. He is the Lord since you have the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, they did not have the Holy Spirit commonly, so they needed a rule and regulation to tell them what to do. It's not so now. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made you free from the law of sin and death, so you're free from that law and now you're under the law of the Spirit. And the Spirit is the One Who knows your brethren, He knows the needs; He knows exactly what He wants to do and how much He wants to do, so we have to follow the Holy Spirit with everything. The Sabbath is no longer one day; it's every day. We cease from our works and enter into His rest every day. Now, what about the tithe? It's the same thing. See, when Jesus came, He multiplied the Law. Did you notice that in Matthew 5? Everything about the Law He multiplied, He made it bigger, because now God works in us from the inside out to do His Will. He works a desire in us to do what before we were fighting against with our carnal nature. It's a wonderful thing. But the Eli ministries are greedy dogs; they can never have enough. It is astounding how they can see so many people in need, even in their own assemblies, and yet don't lift a finger to help them. Meanwhile, they're flying their personal jet planes and doing all these things. Going on again in 1Sa 2:29 … Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me…. Wow! Did you know God could do that? Have you ever heard that doctrine of unconditional eternal security? Look at that big “but now” in the middle of that verse. Because God's promises are conditional and we have to have faith in Him. Our part is faith; His part is to supply the power. God can drop us like a rock any time. He can empower you to walk in His steps or He can give you up to this world and I'll tell you what: there is no promise for those who don't bear fruit. God is looking for the fruit of Jesus Christ. 1Sa 2:30 … But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Obviously, He's talking about these preachers who were plundering His people and abusing them, and taking an offering from them. You don't “take” an “offering.” That's an oxymoron. 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas…. Do you know what “Hophni” and “Phinehas” mean? “Hophni” means “stiff-necked, self-willed,” and “Phinehas,” I understand, means “a trustworthy face, but the mouth of a serpent.” Isn't that interesting? You know, a lot of people see what they see standing in their pulpit, but that's all they see. They see what they're supposed to see and they see what they are permitted to see, but they don't know what's really going on there. You may remember how I shared with you about one of the first churches I was invited to preach in Pensacola, while I was there I did a lot of teaching. The pastor of that particular church was an Eli pastor and, no doubt about it, he was doing everything that these guys were doing and more. There was a man who came in and he got saved; he came in totally drunk and he got sobered up. Shortly after that, God gave him a vision of the pastor as a serpent standing up behind the pulpit, speaking through a microphone. He did not understand it and he brought it to me and I told him, “Well, it means just what it says, you know.” And that pastor's last name meant “dragon.” He was the dragon, the old serpent. Well, “Phinehas” means “a trustworthy face, but the mouth of a serpent.” 1Sa 2:34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. I'm going to back up a little bit here. 1Sa 2:22 Now, Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. Do we ever hear of that happening nowadays? Yes, quite often, don't we? Evidently, sex and money seem to get hold of an awful lot of people who put themselves in a position of ultimate power over God's people. It seems like men who are not full of God cannot stand too much power, too much authority, too much money, too much esteem of the people, before they begin to take advantage of it. What it's saying is that a person shouldn't seek a position in God's Kingdom unless God puts them there. You know how God puts them there? He prepares them first. They are overcomers. Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. Nowadays, “You can just go to Bible school and you pay for that certificate and now you're a preacher.” You can do this, but you're in trouble because there is not the nature of Jesus Christ there. After all, you have not overcome by going through trials yourself. And so what happens when you get out there and you get all this temptation? Because the Nicolaitan error is a great temptation. Putting a man in a position that is not Biblical is a great temptation that most people cannot stand. And the proof is showing up. I mean, they are lying with the women who do the service of the door of the Tent of Meeting. They're doing it now. The money, the women, the power, the abuse of their power, it's still the problem. We know God never designed a Nicolaitan ministry, anyway. He called for a five-fold ministry. That's what He called for. He distributed the authority among the five-fold ministry. That's His way of doing things. God's going to raise up the five-fold ministry. Remember, Jesus the Man-child raised up the apostles who raised up the five-fold ministry. The apostles ordained the five-fold ministers. They are the ones who started that. Once again, history is going to repeat in these days because the Man-child is going to raise up apostles who are going to raise up the five-fold ministry. He is going to restore the real five-fold ministry this time. I'm talking about people who have overcome, who are given a position by God, who were ordained to that position by God. In the Bible, it was apostles who ordained the five-fold ministry, but nowadays Bible schools can do it, so we have gone astray. We've fallen into what the Bible calls the “Nicolaitan error” (Revelation 2:6). We've gone far, far astray, and the ministers who put themselves in that position, and the people who put the ministers in that position, are not doing them a favor because they really can't hold up to that. God has to do this. God is the One Who ordains ministers, not men, not organizations and not religions. And so we've ended up with quite a lot of the Eli ministry out there. In Jesus' day, how many of the Pharisees, who were Eli ministers, how many of them recognized Him and obeyed Him when God sent His Son? Well, God is doing it again and they're going to do the same thing. The Lord told me that this is where we are right now, in the midst of a Pharisee, Saul and Eli ministry. But coming right down the road is this Man-child reformer ministry led by the Holy Spirit. Looking at the news concerning the church and the pastors and teachers and prophets and so on, we can see the great falling away going on around us. We know that it's happening again and we can tell where we are. God has pronounced judgment upon the Eli ministry and what's going to happen to it. 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm (this is speaking of Eli and his household), and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind…. Oh, praise the Lord! This is what we have coming, folks: faithful priests “that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind.” That's not a small statement there. God will give grace. He will send new leadership. Of course, we know that this priest represents a corporate body in our day, spread throughout the earth, that God is sending to restore His people. 1Sa 2:35 … And I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed forever. Oh, praise the Lord! What do you think that means? Well, most people think it means he'll walk before the Lord. I think that's true, no doubt that this new, faithful ministry will walk before the Lord, but I believe that there's something deeper than that here. Let's turn to the New Testament. 2Co 1:21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God. Stop and think about that. God establishes us in Christ and anoints us. You know, the word “Christ” means “the anointed.” And Christ was the anointed, but Jesus left an individual body to come back in a corporate body in order to be able to do all over the world what He did in that first body, so the body of Christ is to be anointed. 2Co 1:22 Who also sealed us, and gave [us] the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The “anointing” is “to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I dare say most of the church is not filled with the Spirit but, then, most of the church is not anointed. The Lord told me years ago that if we get what the apostles got, we'll do what they did. Read the book of Acts and find out what they had. When Jesus was ministering to the disciples, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh 20:22) and there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind Act 2:2 and… they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues 4, etc. Now, if you get that, you'll do what they did. Most of the church today is very dead because they feel that they have been anointed but they haven't. It's just words, you know. So, if you don't want what they have, you won't do what they did. So “he … establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us.” Why does God anoint us? It's so that we can walk in the steps of Christ, so that Christ can live through us to the world. We need to be anointed. We have to have this anointing, you see. What it said about Samuel was that, “He shall walk before mine anointed forever.” In other words, in this case we're talking about him being the leadership of God's anointed body that God is sending in the earth. He's walking before them as the leader of His anointed body to do His works. The Man-child, in whom Jesus lives, will be a leader of the anointed body of Christ in our day, just as Jesus was in His day. 1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left in thy house…. What does “left in” mean? Well, we haven't gotten that far yet, but his house was wiped out and the people who followed his house were wiped out, at the hand of the Philistines. We know the Philistine represents the old man who lives in the land. There's a war going on between our spiritual man, who is an Israelite and the old man, who is a Philistine, and the war is for the land, which Hebrews 6 tells us is this physical life; this life is that land. Now when he says here, “everyone that is left in thy house,” it means, in other words, there are some people who are going to repent of the Saul ministry and not only of the ministry, but of following the Saul ministry. They're no longer going to be a part of that house and they're going to survive because their old man is not going to conquer them. 1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread. We are the priests of God. As we sacrifice unto the Lord, as we make this burnt offering of flesh to the Lord, each one of us presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, we are the priests of God. You're not sacrificing your life unto the Saul ministry. That's the whole problem; the Saul ministry refused to sacrifice the old man and, therefore, died at the hands of the old man. Now we're seeing the same thing about Eli. And so if we want to be priests, we have to be following the Samuels. There are people who are going to come out from under the Eli and Saul ministries and follow the David and Samuel ministry, and they will be priests of the Lord. Notice how this sounds very much like Joseph. Remember how, after selling Joseph into bondage, his own brothers came into the kingdom and it was he who kept them alive during the seven years of famine? He fed them. They came to him. All Israel, as a matter of fact, came to Joseph because the sons of Jacob, or Israel, all came to him in Egypt and Joseph served them; he met their needs. And we saw, also, that as soon as Saul died on Gilboa, along with the part of Israel that followed him, all the rest of Israel followed David. 1Ch 11:1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Wow, they're actually saying they're the body of David! And so we see that this is about to repeat, folks. These people are dying; not physically, but spiritually they are dying. They're dying at the hands of the old man because they've refused to make war against the old man. 1Sa 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (or “rare”) in those days; there was no frequent vision. It's the same today. There is “no frequent vision” from the Lord. Yes, many people have visions and the frequency of the vision of the Lord is something that the prophetic office is supposed to be sending forth, but it's all been polluted. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see). Notice that when Samuel arrives, the Word begins to speak about Eli's eyesight being poor and it seems to get worse and worse the longer that Samuel is on the scene. There's a reason for that and we'll look at it. But what does it mean for his eyes to begin “to wax dim, so that he could not see”? Well, I think this is talking about a lack of perception, a lack of discernment. As Jesus said, Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Mat.13:13). They lost their eyesight in the days of the coming of Jesus and now it's speaking about the Eli ministry losing their spiritual eyesight. 1Sa 3:3 And the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep,] in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. So here's Samuel in the presence of the Lord and here's Eli losing his spiritual eyesight, meaning his prophetic gift. Now if we go back to one of the verses we read earlier, it says, and the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar (1Sa 2:33). We see that there are some people who are “under” the Saul ministry who are not going to be “of” the Saul ministry because they're going to repent. There's a multitude of God's people who are going to come out of these apostate churches and follow the David ministry, follow the Samuel ministry, and we praise God for that. This is going to be a reformation that's coming. Those who stay will die. There's no doubt about it. If they continue to follow that which is not the leading of the Holy Spirit, not ordained of God, not the Word of God, they will die. 1Sa 2:33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. Remember, David was raised up under the Saul ministry, but he was David; he continued to grow. And here Samuel is raised up under the Eli ministry. This seems to be a parallel all the way through the Scriptures. So he's saying that there are people who are of that house, who will not be cut off from God's altar, but they will be “to consume thine eyes.” Why is this? How could it be that somebody who is righteous and who is going to outgrow that ministry, and who is going to repent, how could it be that these people will consume the eyes of the Eli ministry? Well, believe it or not, Jesus made a statement like that. Of course, we know Jesus was the Samuel, was the man-child of His day. Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and they that see may become blind. So here's the Samuel ministry coming upon the scene and suddenly somebody's becoming blind. Joh 9:40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? 41 And Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth. In our day, those people who say they see are becoming blind, but the people who don't claim to have the understanding, the perception, or the discernment, they're the ones like the kind of people whom Jesus gathered around Him. It was those fishermen, those tax collectors, those harlots, those sinners, it was they who became His staunch disciples and they didn't say that they could see. They didn't claim to be theologians, they didn't claim to know everything about God, but the people who did were becoming blind. In John 9 there's a really neat story about a blind man who's blind from birth and whom Jesus healed of his blindness. Jesus made mud, He smeared it on his eyes, sent him into the pool of Siloam and the blind man came back seeing. When the Pharisees heard of this, they basically called the healed man on the carpet and wanted to know who it was who had done this. So he said it was the one called Jesus. Then they wanted to know how it was that he was healed, so he related the whole story. Of course, they were just trying to pick holes in the story because these were the jealous Eli ministry that really didn't want anybody coming in and taking away their position, their kingdom. Jesus spoke of their ministry in Matthew 21 through the parable of God sending His Son and then those people who wanted the vineyard for themselves killing the Son. Well, it's pretty neat how this man rebuked those Pharisees. After they asked him a couple of times in a row, “How did he do this?” he said, “I told you already. You weren't listening. Why didn't you hear?” And they said, “We know this man's a sinner, that he couldn't possibly be from God.” To which the healed man replied, Joh 9:30 Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and [yet] he opened mine eyes. 31 We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. And how is it that these people didn't know that this man was from God? The healed man told them, “We know that God doesn't hear sinners, but he opened my eyes.” So this man, who didn't say he was a theologian, didn't say he knew everything about God, had a lot more wisdom than these people who were going against the Word of God in trying to justify themselves. This man who was under their ministry, under this Saul-Pharisee-Eli ministry, was now being delivered and it was making them angry. Actually, they excommunicated him; they threw him out of the church, basically because he told the truth, but they didn't want to hear the truth. There are some of you today who are coming out from among them. Like the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, you have tried to bring this Jesus Whom you've found back to your “mother” and some of them really don't want to hear about it (Song of Solomon 3:4). You know what I'm talking about, right? Well, every time that you come out from under those ministries and you bring back the truth to them and they reject that truth, they become a little bit more blind, a little bit more blind. Jesus the Man-child came so that these people would become blind. When Samuel came on the scene, the anointed of God, the Man-child of that day, born of Hannah, then we begin reading over and over that the Eli ministry's becoming blind. You see, in this day, folks, notice that God says, 1Sa 2:33 and the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart. You know how grieving it is to those ministries when you go back and try to share truth with them, simple truth from the Word of God, and they don't want to hear it? And when they deny the Word that you bring to them they become more blind every time. It's interesting, you know, when the man who was healed mildly rebuked the Pharisees, they answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out (Joh.9:34). Who's not born in sin, right? But they're obviously pointing out that if he was blind from birth, his blindness was because of sin. Blindness from birth was quite common in those days. But they wouldn't let anybody teach them, they didn't want to hear from somebody who was not educated, not puffed up because of their religious system, or not somebody who went through their theological training. They don't want to hear anything from those people. You can bring them simple, simple truth; every time they deny it, they get more and more blind. They lose perception and discernment, just as this verse says: 1Sa 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), 3 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out. Now the “lamp of God” here, in a sense, means his prophetic ministry to the people of God, or it could also be talking about the lamp of the eye, as Jesus spoke about it (Matthew 6:22). But, either way, we know, for instance, in Zechariah, that God is going to raise up a foolish shepherd in the land Zec 11:15, 16. God has done it in every generation and in every cycle. Zec 11:15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound…. Of course, we need to be fed the unleavened bread because that's the Seed of God that brings forth Christ in us, which is the only kind of fruit that God is interested in. 16 … Nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat [sheep]…. Once again, we see the plundering of the sheep, living off the sheep, getting fat off the sheep. 16 … And will tear their hoofs in pieces. The Lord pointed out to me one time so eloquently that hooves are what separate sheep from the world. This represents sanctification, which means separation from the world, and separation unto God. God wants us separate from the world, but connected to Him. When Moses went up on the mountain to meet God, He told him, “Hey, take your shoes off, Moses. You're standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3:2). In other words, God didn't want Moses separated from that holy ground. “Holy” and “sanctified” is the same word, right? God did not want Moses separate from holy ground, but out there in the world, God wanted Moses to keep his shoes on because we want to be separate from the world, we want to be sanctified. Well, when you take the foolish shepherd who is breaking the hooves off of the sheep, that means they're doing anything but sanctifying them from this world. Instead, they're making them worldly. Now, I'd like to share a few revelations with you.     The Church Emerging from Religion Servant - 12/30/2010 I see a huge iron structure --mountain-like. It is smooth and brown with bronze tones; smooth, glossy, shiny. It is warm and strong in appearance. Underneath and in the ground a little shoot cries, “Oh, Father, we desire Your presence!” Over and over the little shoot cries, “Oh, Father, we desire Your presence!” SUDDENLY their cry is heard of the Father. He sits forward on the throne. His eyebrows are shaped in a “V” as He looks at the mountain of religion preventing the little shoot. All the balconies of Heaven stand at attention. The earth begins to move to and fro. The mountain begins to sway as the shoot emerges from under the mountain by the power of God. GOD STANDS UP! Shaking, reeling such as never seen before! Then, with a mighty noise, the mountain reels, rips in half and falls in two pieces. The earth shakes: Destruction! Shaking! Such loud noise! Darkness; then all is still. The shoot, the true Church, emerges from the ground. God's glory -- bright, white, brilliant -- covers the shoot and the true refreshing begins. Joy! Strength! Power! The shoot rapidly grows in strength and power. Arms form, much like a mustard tree. This is the true refreshing; this is the power, glory, joy of the Lord. The earth will see and the earth will marvel at the strength, power and glory of the end-time Church. All this must be fulfilled. The Church is arrayed and ready for Jesus. Amen.   Destruction Comes for Apostate Leadership B.A. - 06/23/2015 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I found myself in Jerusalem, back in Jesus' day, and I was looking up at the temple (a temple made by man's hands which God does not inhabit). Act 17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commanded men that they should all everywhere repent: 31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. There were stone steps leading down from the temple and the steps were being occupied by Pharisees and Sadducees. I was standing with a crowd of people in an open area a little ways from the temple and the stone steps, and just as I was looking around me in this crowd of people, I saw a man come forward out of the crowd who began to sternly address the men who were standing up (or exalting themselves) on the stone steps of the temple. I knew that the man speaking was Jesus. Pro 25:6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen. And Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. As Jesus began to speak, I began to recognize the “Word” He was speaking to these men, since I had heard these same words before. Here is what I heard: Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. When Jesus spoke the first “Woe”, I heard a loud pop-like sound and what sounded like a crackling sound. I looked down upon the stone steps of the temple that these Pharisees and Sadducees were standing on and I noticed a large, deep crack had gone right up through the middle of those stone steps, and they were beginning to crack and crumble. I noticed that the deep crack was between the feet of a rather large and extremely overweight man. (This is the apostate leadership overcome by their flesh.) 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Then, when Jesus spoke the second “Woe”, I heard another much louder pop-like sound and more of the crackling sound. I looked around to see where this sound was coming from and I saw that a large, deep crack had gone all around the temple foundation and it was cracking up and crumbling as well. 17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. 19 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel! 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, 30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? 34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: 35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Just as Jesus had finished His Words to these men, the stone steps gave way and all of those men standing on the crumbling stone steps fell down into a deep pit that had opened up under the stone steps. And just after that happened, the entire temple came crashing down on top of them and covered them up. I noticed that from Matthew 23:15 through verse 39, there are “six” woes – “six” being the number of man. Also, I found it interesting that there is a “Woe” in Mathew 23:23 and the date of this dream is the 23rd and 23 means “death.” (This is clearly a reprobation of the apostate leadership and their fake temples, as Jesus pronounced in His day, and now we see a repeat of history in our day.)     Apostate Leaders Fleecing the Sheep B.A.- 04/01/2012 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in some type of city. It was strange because there were no people on the sidewalks or cars on the streets. There were these strange-looking brick buildings (buildings made by the flesh) everywhere I looked. (Sounds like the people of God slaving to make bricks for Pharaoh's buildings.) I decided to go inside one of these buildings. Once inside, I saw a familiar female TV preacher who was hosting an event. I also recognized several other female preachers as well, and others whose faces I recognized but could not remember their names. (Father said, 1Ti 2:12 But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. Read Word, Women and Authority.) There were elaborate tables set up with all kinds of party food and they were all playing games. Each time the hostess presented a new game, she would have on a different outfit. I watched this for a while, then I decided to leave and go see what was going on inside one of the other buildings. Once back out on the street, I saw a long, rectangular, brick building so I decided to go check it out. It was very dimly lit; I could barely see where I was going. This building was huge inside and it appeared to be some kind of art gallery. There were statues on the floor and statues mounted on the walls. Further on up ahead, I saw some people standing around a picture on the wall, so I went to see what they were looking at. As I got closer, all of these people were dressed up like pilots and they were looking and admiring a picture of various airplanes. Some were elaborate jets and some were small Cessna-type planes. I recognized some of these people to be leaders in the apostate church. (Big time prosperity preachers can't fly with us common folks. They have to have at least one private jet. Poor Jesus, He walked or rode a donkey.) Further on up ahead, I saw another group of people standing around a picture on the wall. As I got closer to these people, they were all dressed up like gladiators and they were looking at a picture of a large coliseum (I believe this to be representative of megachurches) and bragging about their own personal coliseum. (The competitive spirit is always trying to best those who are also a part of the body to see who is the greatest, as Jesus rebuked the disciples for.) Then, all the way to the back of the art gallery, I saw several rows of people seated and listening to a man standing at a podium. Behind this man was a large mural of TV and radio stations (the apostate leadership use the media to steal from God's people). He was teaching these people how to successfully get more money from their viewers and God's people in general. (Representing, using mass media to make mass money and live in luxury while not doing the works of the kingdom. Jesus said, Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.) As I stood there listening to this, I cried out to the Lord, “Do you see what they are doing? They are scheming and preparing a plan on how they are going to fleece your sheep during tough economic times!” Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Don't be concerned; their days are numbered.” Then I woke up. (Their greed, debt and sins against God's people will take them out.)     Last House Cleaning Shelly Lynch - 06/23/2013 (David's notes in red) I had a short dream this morning. I saw myself taking a speck out of the corner of my eye. Mat 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Then I saw myself cleaning the corners of a building (Representing cleaning up the last hidden places of leaven), removing the last scraps of spoiled dog food (leaven of false teaching) from the building with a white paper towel (representing the pure Word). Php 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision: (This could be the Bride's last cleansing before the anointing! And the Bride's ministry of removing the speck out of their brother's eye (which can only happen when she has the speck out of her own). Hallelujah!) (However, for Israel, which is a type of the Church and is not cleaned up at the beginning of the tribulation but through the tribulation, this text was given as a warning of coming tribulation.) Eze 7:1-10 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. 'Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the LORD!' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming! 'An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come! Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near-tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. 'My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the LORD, do the smiting. Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your doom has gone forth; the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. (Chastening will bring the elect to righteousness. Isa 26:10-11  Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.  11  Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries. Including their flesh. (The persecution from the apostate Church toward the faithful in the Lord can be seen here.) Act 5:28-29 Saying Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men'. And verses 40-42 And to him (Gamaliel) they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (Considering these two paths, it would be good for the disciples of Jesus to heed our instructions to be spotless and blemishless in the Bride company.) 2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 1Th 3:13 To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Eph 5:27 that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing (speck); but that it should be holy and without blemish. And 2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Sandy Shaw shared at this same time while in prayer she heard, “This is the last cleaning”, and we all believed this would be the cleaning of the Bride of the Lord before the tribulation. She then asked for a word and got by random: 2Ch 29:15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah. 16 And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron. 17 Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovah in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within [the palace], and said, We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table of showbread, with all the vessels thereof. 19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of Jehovah. 20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah. Hezekiah, as a type of the Man-child, “went up to the house of the Lord on the third day” and this was after the failed Senacherib Beast attack on the Bride when they were smitten. She then got by random, “into the ark” in Gen 7:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; and we read back in verse 9 there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

The Birth of Samuel 1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Samuel 1:1-20 11/17/24

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 1 Samuel (1 Kings) 4 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. ...

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 1 Samuel (1 Kings) 1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. ...

0601 何弗尼 Hophni by 靈修廣播站

Will you be faithful to your God? is the question that 1 Samuel 2 asks us by contrasting Hannah and the priests, Hophni and Phinehas. She was faithful, humble, and pure. They were not. How will we respond to God's call on our lives? 

July 19, 2024 Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 2:18-36Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 2:18-36; Acts 15:22-41And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. (1 Samuel 2:35)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This past school year, I taught Old Testament class at our local Lutheran High School. When we made it into the book of 1 Samuel, we were still in the “Judges” mindset of things, when “there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” (Judges 17:6, 21:25) And this seemed to be the case in the early chapters of 1 Samuel, too. Eli was the priest and judge at that time, and the young boy Samuel was in his care. But Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phineas, were worthless. That's not my opinion, it's in the text! (1 Samuel 2:12) They were worthless because they took larger portions of peoples' sacrifices than they were authorized to take (2:13-16); they took advantage of the women who served at the tabernacle (2:22); and if all that wasn't enough, we're told that they didn't know the LORD (2:12). Priests who didn't know the LORD?! How could that be?! Believe it or not, there are “pastors” in “churches” today who teach a kind of agnosticism that says there “might” be a God…MIGHT?! Maybe you can tell that I'm a little fired up about this. It turns out that, in the case of Hophni and Phineas, Eli's parenting was to blame. He attempted to correct them… but it didn't work; it wasn't enough. God's will was to raise up another… a faithful priest to serve Him. Now, we're tempted to think this is Samuel. I mean, he takes over the priesthood after Eli and his sons die. He's a faithful priest, prophet, and judge. But this is one of those times when widening our gaze to look beyond the first likely candidate is helpful. And yes, looking past Samuel, we see the perfect Priest, Prophet, and King– Jesus Himself. In Christ, God has established His house forever. You, dear Christian, and all who call upon the name of Jesus for salvation have been given a place in that household, free from the fear of ever being deemed worthless; God delights in you for the sake of His righteousness! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and most gracious God and Father, we implore You to turn the hearts of all who have forsaken the faith once delivered to Your Church, especially those who have wandered from it or are in doubt through the corruption of Your truth. Mercifully visit and restore them that in gladness of heart they may take pleasure in Your Word and be made wise to salvation through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. -Rev. Dustin Beck is pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Corpus Christi, TX.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Your favorite study Bible is now available in a simple, intuitive app on your device! Distinctively Lutheran notes on the full ESV text, helpful articles, and custom user settings offer an engaging experience in God's Word anywhere you go. Download The Lutheran Study Bible App.

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, July 17, 2024Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.Bible Study: 2:30 p.m. — The Book of HebrewsAll are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relativeVisit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”Archive of BULLETINS1 Samuel 1:1-20 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.” Galatians 5:1-26 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. The Sacrament of the AltarWhat is the benefit of this eating and drinking? These words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.”

Here is something you should always do when walking into a confusing season. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 6. I've titled this chapter "From Confusion to Clarity." In chapter 6, after enduring the consequences of holding the Ark of God for seven months—plagued by both the Black Plague and severe hemorrhoids—the Philistines decided they couldn't bear it any longer. Their solution was to send the Ark back. They placed it on a cart led by a couple of milk cows and watched as it returned to Israel. Here's what unfolds next in verses 13-16: Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron. — 1 Samuel 6:13-16 Intriguing Details This is a pretty interesting moment. The Philistines are satisfied with returning the Ark of God, and the Israelites are also satisfied with its return. But there are four details worth noting: The five kings of Philistine followed behind the Ark of God the entire way back to Israel. The town it comes to is called Beth-Shemesh, the closest Israelite town. The cows stop at a great stone, which they took as a divine sign that God wanted a sacrifice to be made. They strip down the cart and sacrifice the animals as burnt offerings right there on the spot. Then the five kings return. But the most intriguing detail was the town it came to: Beth-Shemesh. This town was not just any Israelite town; it was the home of the priestly tribe, the Levites. This tribe should have been especially careful in following Torah guidelines regarding the proper treatment of the Ark of God. However, in the coming verse, we see that in their excitement, they will fail to adhere to the appropriate care of the Ark of God (Num 4:15, 1 Chr 15:11–15). Strict Obedience When we seek clarity in confusion, we must commit ourselves to strict obedience to God. The priesthood, led by Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, had strayed. Their sinful actions led to the capture of the Ark of God. After its return, we would have expected Israel and the priesthood to repent and resume strict adherence to the Law's customs during the seven months that followed. However, as we will see in the coming verses, they drifted too far. Pain and punishment were about to become their harsh teachers. Our Strict Obedience If you are going through a confusing time in your life, let the wisdom of these Scriptures train you. It's essential to make every effort to obey God strictly. Nothing makes a confusing situation worse than sinful reactions; it only brings unnecessary attention to yourself and your sin. So, if you are facing a difficult divorce, recent layoff, financial crisis, or family conflict, stop making stupid and sinful choices. Instead, strive to be as strictly obedient in this season as possible. Seek the wisdom you need in the Word of God and only make right and righteous decisions. This will prevent further complications and bring clarity to your confusion. If this happens to be you today. Here's a prayer for you today: God, give me clarity in my time of confusion. May my actions and reactions be in strict alignment with your Word and ways. Amen. #ClarityThroughObedience #SeekingGodsWisdom #FromConfusionToClarity Ask This: How can we maintain strict obedience to God's Word in the midst of confusion or challenging circumstances in our own lives? Reflecting on the story of Beth-shemesh and their response to the Ark's return, what steps can we take to ensure our reactions to God's interventions align with His will and bring clarity rather than confusion? Do This: Be obedient in seasons of confusion. Pray This: Father, grant me the strength to obey Your Word diligently in times of uncertainty, seeking clarity and wisdom in every decision I make. Guide my steps and actions to reflect Your will, bringing honor to Your name and peace to my heart. Amen. Play This: Clarity.

Are you ready to reveal God's glory where there is no glory? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 4. I've titled this chapter "Misusing Divine Power." In the first few verses of Chapter 4, we discover that the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. They lose two battles, killing 37,000 men. The Ark of God is taken because Hophni and Phinehas make another stupid decision. They are both killed, and a messenger brings back news: Eli, their father, falls out of his chair because he is fat, apathetic, and blind, breaking his neck and dying. And then this happens to Eli's daughter-in-law: Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” — 1 Samuel 4:19-22 This chapter concludes with the fulfillment of God's prophecy against Eli and his household. In just a few hours, the impact of this prophecy on many generations is evident. Eli, a long-standing Judge, has tipped over and died. His sons, who were high priests, were also slaughtered. Additionally, his daughter-in-law dies during childbirth, leaving his grandson, Ichabod, orphaned. The repercussions are not limited to the family alone - 37,000 families have lost their sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. The spiritual dismay of Israel, a result of the loss of their high priests, is also significant. Furthermore, there is a looming fear of complete destruction as the glory of God has departed from the Tabernacle in Israel. If you are a father or grandfather and you are reading this with me today, I hope you feel compelled to step up your game because your spiritual apathy affects others. Like Eli, you can sit around, get old, blind, and fat, and become apathetic in your old age. Or you can get into the spiritual game and start doing something. My life was changed by a grandfather who refused to sit around in apathy in his old age. In his retirement, he taught me manners, self-care, and chivalry. He gave me driving lessons, taught me a work ethic, and demonstrated how to love, give, and forgive. He spiritually mentored me when I was desperate for a male role model. He tabernacled his life around my needs and then told me about a man who tabernacled his life on this earth to redeem my soul. The Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, and we have seen his glory. — John 1:14. Through Jesus, where there was no glory [Ichabod], glory was revealed. Fathers and grandfathers, start fulfilling your duty to reveal God's glory today before it's too late. #RevealGodsGlory #SpiritualLeadership #FromIchabodToImmanuel Ask This: In what areas of your life do you see signs of spiritual apathy creeping in, and what steps can you take to actively cultivate a deeper connection with God? Reflecting on the legacy of Eli and his family, how can you ensure that your actions today positively impact future generations spiritually, especially as a father or grandfather figure? Do This: Step Up Your Game. Pray This: Father, help me to recognize and overcome any spiritual apathy in my life, so that I may faithfully reveal Your glory in all that I do. Empower me to lead with wisdom and love, leaving a legacy that honors You and blesses future generations. Amen. Play This: Here Comes the Glory of the Lord.

Feeling disillusioned by the state of national leadership? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 4. I've titled this chapter "Misusing Divine Power." In the first few verses of Chapter 4, we discover that the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. They engaged in two battles sustaining devastating losses, first 7000 dead, then 30,000 dead, until the Philistines claimed victory, captured the Ark of God, and then sent the Israelites running. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.— 1 Samuel 4:15-18 What we witness here is not just a catastrophic defeat in battle. This is the end of an era. The end of 200 years of the nation of Israel being led by Judges. It is a sad ending that comes about by an apathetic Priest and Judge who fails to lead. But it also marks the beginning of a new chapter. Samuel, the great Judge, will lead us from a Theocracy led by Judges into a Monarchy led by Kings, a transition that brings with it the promise of hope and change. As I have aged, I have learned a thing or two about national leaders and government powers. There isn't one who isn't corrupted by some form of sin. Israel, God's people, would be led by Judges, Priests, Kings, and Prophets, and not one of these men and their systems were without sin. There was and is only one perfect leader. He is our Judge, Priest, King, and Prophet — Jesus Christ. Till he comes to reign earth again and take us home, he reigns within our hearts. He is the only perfect leader. Till Jesus comes, we will live under the leadership of some unfortunate leader or power. In the next four years, Americans will either be led by a babbling puppet president or a self-absorbed playboy. Those are the choices we have in our Constitutional Republic. It does not matter how you present or position either one of these men. Neither man is our Savior because neither is a match for the Savior. And that is what Eli just learned. His failures in leadership were no match for God's plan, promises, and power. Age, blindness, apathy, poor parenting, and his failure to lead were not an excuse. God held him accountable for all this, tipped over his chair, and took the reigns from another apathetic and pathetic leader. We have a ruler. He is the only ruler. He rules all creation. It doesn't matter who rules and reigns our nation. The only thing that matters is if God rules your heart. If he doesn't, then you will have hell to pay, just like Eli. #DivinePower, #SpiritualLeadership, #GodsSovereignty Ask This: Reflecting on Eli's leadership, how can we ensure we don't become apathetic in our roles of influence, whether in our families, workplaces, or communities? Considering the contrast between human rule and God's sovereignty highlighted in this passage, how can we actively invite God to rule our hearts and guide our decisions in a world filled with imperfect leadership? Do This: Submit to the King. Pray This: Lord, help me recognize and resist the temptation of apathy in my leadership roles. Guide me to lead with integrity and passion, reflecting Your divine power and sovereignty in all I do. Have Your will with our national leaders. Amen. Play This: Champion.

God's promises are greater than your plans. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 4. I've titled this chapter "Misusing Divine Power." In the first few verses of Chapter 4, we discover that the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. They engaged in a short battle between the towns of Ebenezer and Aphek. They sustained some losses, and then they got the crafty idea to bring the Ark of God to battle, so let's see how that turns out in the next reading, verses 5-11: As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. — 1 Samuel 4:5-11 Man Up And Fight As we can see, there was initial excitement about the idea. Even the Philistines were initially frightened by the understanding of how God had defeated an empire in Egypt that was far greater than them. But then the Philistines rally, resulting in a raging slaughter with 30,000 dead, and the ark is compromised. I find it especially interesting that if you look at this situation only from the perspective of the Philistines, you would be convinced that the victory resulted from courage in facing adversity and their resolve to "be men and fight." But we know it wasn't. This situation fulfilled the prophecy spoken by Samuel, stemming from the disobedience of Eli and his sons. God determined the outcome of this battle, not the Philistines or their courage. And because Israel had not trusted in God's power and tried to use his power for their pleasure, he was going to display his power without them. Limited Perspectives Make Wrong Deductions Humanity often has a limited perspective on God's plans. We can only see immediate events, so we make deductions based on what we can see. When we cannot see God's plans, we sometimes become uneasy. Instead of trusting God by faith and obeying him, we take matters into our own hands. In doing so, we justify our actions and make natural human deductions that do not align with God's intentions. Like the Philistines and the Israelites, we may think we need to "man up and fight." While this approach could lead to an occasional victory, it can also result in catastrophic failure. Regardless of the outcome, we must recognize that our deductions and connections may not necessarily be correct, even if we have manned up and fought. Both Israel and the Philistines were about to learn a hard lesson: God's promises are greater than their battle plans. God's Promises Versus Your Plans You have plans. You have career plans, financial plans, marital plans, family plans, and retirement plans. You battle for these plans. Sometimes, you think you need to put in more effort and fight harder. But occasionally, your plans will contest God's promises. Given your limited perspective, you will mistakenly think fight harder. Sometimes, you might win and wrongly think you did it, mustering more courage for another fight. Sometimes, you will lose, causing you to reflect and change course. Before you man up and fight, here are four preliminary actions: Immerse yourself in God's promises. Let God's promises inform your perspective and plans. Be obedient. Trust by faith. Then, man up and fight. If you don't do this first, you will only end up fighting against God, and no man can man up, fight, and win against God's promises. #GodsPromises #TrustHisPlan #FaithOverFear Ask This: How can you discern between your own plans and God's promises in your daily decisions and pursuits? What steps can you take to cultivate a deeper trust in God's promises, even when faced with uncertainty or adversity? Do This: Do all four actions. Pray This: Father, help me to surrender my plans to Your promises, trusting in Your wisdom and sovereignty over my life. Grant me the courage and faith to follow Your lead, even when it requires letting go of my own understanding. Amen. Play This: God of the Promise.

God's power is not your pleasure. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 4. I've titled this chapter "Misusing Divine Power." Today, I am reading verse 1-4, which states: Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. — 1 Samuel 4:1-4 The contention between Israel and the Philistines will continue throughout this book, so it might be helpful to understand the tension between these two peoples. The Philistines and the Israelites, both relatively new to the region, emerged around the same time. The Philistines settled primarily in the coastal plain to the west of the hill country, establishing their dominance in five main cities: Ekron, Ashdod, Gath, Ashkelon, and Gaza. Each city was governed by a Philistine lord or king. This geographical and political context is crucial to understanding the dynamics of the conflict between these two peoples. When we begin Chapter Four, a battle unfolds. But since we have just started reading 1 Samuel, we would be wrong to think this was the first battle. This loss was only one of many battles that had been going on for some 200 years through the time of the Judges. For Israel, this loss in battle was one of many, and it was the last straw that broke the camel's back. You can see Israel returns to Shiloh conflicted about this. They concluded they were defeated by "the Lord" and not by the Philistines, which is perfect theology—making their theology right and their subsequent response wrong. The issue at hand for the Israelites is "Why?" Why has the Lord allowed this to continue for the last 200 years, even though they entered the land with such a promise of prosperity? The "Why" is probably threefold: The disobedience as a nation. The disobedience of Eli and his sons. The promise of punishment to Eli and his house is prophesied by Samuel. But rather than exploring the answer to "why" and seeing the connection to their disobedience, they took matters into their own hands. They decided if God would not use his power to give them victory, they would use his power for themselves. In failing to see God's "why," their theology makes a radical turn. They change their minds about what God is and is not able and capable of doing and make themselves the enemy of God. Listen to their reasoning again: "Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” Initially, they proclaimed God did it. But now they deduce God's proximity is too far; therefore, they do something they should not have done—remove the ark of God from Shiloh. In the coming days, you will see the result of this wrong decision. This happens to believers on a personal level all the time. We are fine with God being sovereign and in total control of the events in our lives until we don't understand the "why." When his "why" evades us, we become irritated because we can only sustain so many losses until we change our minds about what God is or is not doing. We justify ourselves, assuming we are innocent of sin, and then take matters into our own hands because we don't like the mystery and the faith required when there is no answer to the "why." If you find yourself in this place today, wondering why things are happening, rest assured that there is an answer. God knows it and will reveal it in time. However, be careful not to misuse God's power for your own pleasure, as this could lead to an uncomfortable and challenging lesson. Instead of asking "why," have faith in God's timing and power and focus on the more important question: "How can I obey God today?"

Are you misusing God's power, thus missing his power? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 4. I've titled this chapter "Misusing Divine Power." Today, I am reading verse 22, which states: And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” — 1 Samuel 4:22 This verse is the shocking moment in this chapter. It is a statement of national stupidity. Israel made foolish choices, thinking they could harness God's power for personal means, which led to the capture of the ark of God. For those unfamiliar, the ark was a sacred chest containing the Ten Commandments that rested in the Temple, symbolizing God's presence and power. Humanity has long been intrigued by God's power. Even if we don't fully comprehend the intricacies of religion, we know that God, by nature, is considered all-powerful. The idea that God's power could somehow be harnessed for our benefit is undeniably attractive. The thought of this takes me back to those old classic Indiana Jones movies, like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Last Crusade" where notorious explorers are allured by the proposition that the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail hold power that one could harness for personal pleasure and means. For many, God's power is exactly what draws them to God. Consider the businessman burdened by anxieties and challenges. In desperation, he comes to God, praying that God's power will give him success or prevent the success of his competitors. If God's power can do that, the businessman sees value in God. Or consider the unbeliever who is terminally ill. Even though they have lived a prayerless life, their illness brings them to one of those "Hail Mary Prayers" for God's healing power. If God can offer that, then they see some value in God. The applications of this twisted understanding of God's power are endless. But this is exactly what the followers of God in Israel attempt to do in 1 Samuel 4. Believers attempt to harness the power of the ark of God for their own personal means, resulting in a mass casualty event of proportions that is catastrophic to the people of Israel. And that is what the woman in this text has learned. Her husband (Phinehas), brother-in-law (Hophni), and father-in-law (Eli) are all dead because they misunderstood and misused the power of God. This entire chapter warns everyone about the misuse of God's power for personal pleasure. Harnessing God's power even in our fragilities may be alluring, but it's fatal. We might even try to camouflage our attempt to harness our power behind a religious front, but still, this is fatally wrong. With that, here are the six topics we will address in this chapter: God's Power Is Not Our Pleasure. God's Promises Are Powerfully Fulfilled. Personal Sin Becomes A National Crisis. God's Power Is Not Your Good Luck Charm. God's Power Reveals Godless Corruption. God's Judgement is Painful for Everyone. So get ready for a powerful chapter where we discover the God of all power. #MisusingDivinePower, #HarnessingGodsPower, #BiblicalWarnings Ask This: How do you discern between seeking God's power for personal gain versus aligning yourself with His will and purposes? In what areas of your life do you find yourself tempted to misuse or manipulate God's power for your own desires, and how can you realign your perspective to honor His sovereignty and wisdom? Do This: Don't misuse God's power. Pray This: Lord, help me surrender my desires for personal gain and align my heart with Your will, recognizing Your sovereignty over all things. Grant me wisdom to use Your power in accordance with Your purposes so that I may honor You in all aspects of my life. Amen. Play This: In Christ Alone.

When God is silent no more! Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 3. I've titled this chapter "Into Our Silence God Speaks." Today, I am reading verses 19-21, which states: And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. — 1 Samuel 3:19-21 This passage describes Samuel's character. After receiving guidance from the Lord, he experienced spiritual growth and matured. The presence of the Lord was evident with him, in stark contrast to Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas. Furthermore, his words carried weight; people listened and remembered when he spoke. As a result, his reputation grew and surpassed others in his time, spanning from Dan to Beersheba, which is like saying from San Francisco to New York. We are given four distinct characteristics of Samuel. There are four things we could aim for as a follower. Receptivity to Spiritual Growth. Intimacy with the Lord. Speaking the Unforgettable Word. Reputation that Advanced. Most men want the fourth item without doing the other three. We want a reputation without putting in the hard work of being receptive, intimate, and teaching the Word. This is mainly because we confuse our fame with God's fame. It's not about our fame and reputation that we need to promote, but about advancing God's fame and His reputation. The chapter and book serve as something other than a self-help guide on how to become a great leader from the perspective of someone who was a great leader. Instead, the book focuses on how God used a man to usher in a new season for the people of Israel. It's worth noting that in times of crisis, God's initial response to a nation is not to send a political leader but to communicate His Word through a man. I believe God is looking for this man right now in our time: one who is receptive to growth, intimate with him, speaks his truth and is concerned about His fame, not his own. This is what we need. Are you that man? #GodSpeaksThroughMen, #SamuelEffect, #ReceptiveLeadership Ask This: Following Samuel's example, How can we cultivate a deeper receptivity to spiritual growth in our lives? How can we prioritize advancing God's fame over our reputation in our daily interactions and leadership roles? Do This: Be God's man: a receptive, intimate man of His Word. Pray This: Lord, help me to be like Samuel—receptive to Your guidance, intimate with You, and bold in speaking Your truth, all for the glory of Your name. May Your fame be my foremost concern as I seek to lead and influence others by Your will. Amen.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_________________Opening VerseWe give thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. - Colossians 1:12 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. VeniteThe Lord is glorious in his saints: Come, let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord is glorious in his saints: Come, let us adore him. Psalm 72Give the King your justice, O God, *and your righteousness to the King's son;That he may rule your people righteously *and the poor with justice.That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *and the little hills bring righteousness.He shall defend the needy among the people; *he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *from one generation to another.He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *like showers that water the earth.In his time shall the righteous flourish; *there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.He shall rule from sea to sea, *and from the River to the ends of the earth.His foes shall bow down before him, *and his enemies lick the dust.The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.All kings shall bow down before him, *and all the nations do him service.For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *and the oppressed who has no helper.He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *he shall preserve the lives of the needy.He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *and dear shall their blood be in his sight.Long may he live!and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *may prayer be made for him always,and may they bless him all the day long.May there be abundance of grain on the earth,growing thick even on the hilltops; *may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,and its grain like grass upon the earth.May his Name remain for everand be established as long as the sun endures; *may all the nations bless themselves in him and call him blessed.Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *who alone does wondrous deeds!And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Lessons1 Sam. 1:1-20A Reading from the First Book of Samuel.There was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.” As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. Te Deum LaudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord; we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory,the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us freeyou did not shun the Virgin's womb.You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people,bought with the price of your own blood,and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Luke 1:39-57In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord,and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for the Mighty One has done great things for me,and holy is his name.His mercy is for those who fear himfrom generation to generation.He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,and lifted up the lowly;he has filled the hungry with good things,and sent the rich away empty.He has helped his servant Israel,in remembrance of his mercy,according to the promise he made to our ancestors,to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old,that he would save us from our enemies, *from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathers *and to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. Blessed Virgin MaryFather in heaven, by your grace the virgin mother of your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionLet us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia. Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20,21

Do you want to increase how you hear God's voice? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 3. I've titled this chapter "Into Our Silence God Speaks." Today, I am reading verses 2-7, which states: At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. — 1 Samuel 3:2-7 Two Contrasts This section has two fascinating contrasts. First, there's a striking contrast between aging Eli's failing eyesight lying in darkness in his own place and young Samuel resting in the Temple near the ark under the evening lamp. The author wants us to see the strong contrast between the two men at this moment. One man is on his way out of the leadership, and the other is on his way in. Second, we encounter the phrase, "Samuel did not yet know the Lord." This line echoes the declaration made about Hophni and Phineas in the previous chapter, "They did not know the Lord." However, the distinction lies in their reasons: Eli's sons rejected the Lord, whereas Samuel hadn't yet had a personal encounter with Him. The word "yet" in the text promises future revelation: "Samuel did not yet know the Lord." Many of you know what happens next in the story. It's pretty spectacular. Four Principles for Tuning Into God's Voice But for now, let me suggest four great principles we can glean from this text for tuning into God's voice. Principle One | Put Yourself In Proximity To God. God is speaking. He has something to say to you about your present situation. But if you are not in proximity to God, like Eli, who is weary and in his own place rather than in the house of the Lord, it will be harder to hear his voice. Physical and spiritual proximity play a part in hearing from God. This means you have to stop being resistant to the Church and God and move closer to both. Let me make this simple and practical: Go to church this week. Stop being so judgmental about the program, people, praise, and preaching, and instead listen to what God is trying to say only to you through the program, people, praise, and preaching. I bet you hear God speak in a way you have not heard him speak in a while. Principle Two | Disobedience Hinders Hearing God. Hophni and Phineas were disobedient men and spiritual leaders who did not know the Lord because they did not listen to the Lord. So, if you live in disobedience to the Lord, don't expect to hear from the Lord. It's impossible to hear from the Lord in disobedience because you are not listening to the Lord but to the Enemy of the Lord. You cannot listen and act on what the Enemy says to do and expect to hear from the Lord. That logic doesn't work. Principle Three | Obedience Enhances Hearing God. When we are obedient to God, this will enhance the connection to God. As John Hammis once wrote: When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. — John Hammis, Trust and Obey. Principle Four | The More You Listen & Obey, The More You Know God. As the text states, "Samuel did not yet know the Lord." But once he learned to listen, he would remember his voice and know the Lord more and more. The same is true with us. The more we listen and obey God, the better we hear him and the more we know Him. If we continue listening and obeying, we will know him and hear from him more and more. So, commit to drawing closer to God. Get to know Him. Increase your reception by being in proximity, ending disobedience, and living in obedience. Tune into the whispers and get to know the Lord. He has the guidance and comfort you want and need. #ListenAndObey, #DivineWhispers, #SpiritualReception Ask This: How can you intentionally create space in your life to draw closer to God and hear His voice more clearly? Reflecting on times of disobedience and obedience in your life, what changes can you make today to enhance your receptivity to God's guidance and direction? Do This: Choose one of the four principles above and do it. Pray This: Lord, help me draw near to You with an open heart, eagerly listening for Your voice amidst the noise of life. Guide me to obedience and deeper intimacy with You so that I may walk closely with You and know You more fully each day. Amen. Play This: Trust and Obey.

You never age out of spiritual leadership. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are immersing ourselves in 1 Samuel 2. Chapter 2 contrasts two families—one who stands with God and one in defiance. Today I am reading verses 18-21: Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death. Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man. — 1 Samuel 2:22-26 Then, jumping down to verses 31-35, a man of God comes to Eli and delivers a message from God. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. — 1 Samuel 2:31-35 An Old Spiritual Leader There are some interesting details in both of these texts. Eli was very old. In fact, according to 1 Samuel 4:15, he was 98 years old. This suggests that he may have been out of touch with what was happening with his sons and their spiritual leadership. However, he eventually learned about their involvement in two forms of serious corruption. Using their power and position for personal gain. Using their power and position for sexual exploits. What you have are two boys who feel entitled and have become especially egregious in their behavior. But what makes these sins egregious is that they interfere with God's sacrifices and in his house, and the boys just simply don't care. Then Eli's "why" is as close as he gets to calling them to repentance. He approaches them like a helpless old man and father who has washed his hands of them. In addition, we know the boys are going to dismiss his extremely soft interrogation. An Indictment The most startling part of this text and chapter is the indictment by God in verse 25: "for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death." The boys had gone too far. Most of us reading this text don't like to hear this. But it's a serious mistake to assume that these boys and their stubborn, entitled, sacrilegious, and hard hearts should be blamed on God. The hardness of their hearts was their choice, and thus, we see God's judgment for that choice. And given what I read here, Eli should have been a little more engaged in guiding them to repentance. However, what is particularly interesting about this whole situation is that we never get the impression that Eli was a wicked priest. On the surface, he seems to be presented as a fairly "good" guy, but the way he deals with his sons and stewards the house of the Lord at the end of his life is not good. He is simply too old and lacks the fortitude to deal with his son's wicked conduct, which is not good. But when one father fails to do his job, another takes over. God, the Father of his nation, inserts himself where Eli fails to lead. An Ageless Responsibility This is an important message for fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers. The spiritual leadership of your family never ends. There is no time in your life when you age out or retire from giving your family spiritual correction and guidance. You cannot simply wash your hands of giving needed spiritual correction and direction. Sometimes, you need to muster some fortitude and call your family to repentance because you love them. It's not loving as a father to let them face judgment from the Heavenly Father. So, what sins do you need to address in your family, and how are you going to do it? #SpiritualLeadership #FamilyFaith #LegacyofFaith Ask This: How can you emulate Eli's initial concern and engagement with your family's spiritual well-being, despite any challenges or discomfort it may entail? Reflecting on the consequences of Eli's passive approach, how can you actively cultivate a culture of repentance and spiritual growth within your family, fostering open dialogue and accountability? Do This: Never stop leading. Pray This: Heavenly Father, grant me the wisdom and courage to lead my family in the paths of righteousness, never shrinking from the responsibility to guide them closer to You. Help me to embody Your steadfast love and discipline, nurturing a home filled with grace, repentance, and growth in faith. Amen. Play This: Confidence.

Have you checked your greed lately? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are in 1 Samuel 2. Chapter 2 contrasts two families—one who stands with God and one in defiance. Today, I will read verses 13-17. The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt. — 1 Samuel 2:13-17 Unethical Conduct In The Priesthood This text reveals a troubling reality of religious corruption and entitlement within the priesthood. Eli's sons, who served as priests, abused their authority for personal gain. Their actions weren't just selfish; they were sacrilegious. While priests were entitled to a portion of the sacrifices after they were presented, the sons of Eli went far beyond what was acceptable. Instead of honoring God's regulations, they exploited their position to snatch the best portions of the sacrifices being prepared by the worshippers. Imagine making preparations for your best offering to God, only to have it forcibly taken by one of the priest's servants. For worshippers, these sacrifices were deeply meaningful acts of devotion. Yet, Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's sons, showed no regard for the sacredness of these offerings. They intruded on families while their meat was cooking, taking what they desired and even demanding raw meat for themselves before the fat was burned—an act directly contrary to God's instructions. Their behavior was reprehensible, driven by greed and a blatant disregard for God. Unregulated Selfishness Can Become Sacrilegious Greed So, what do we learn? Every man, including spiritual leaders, can succumb to the temptation of selfish gain. If unchecked, it can spiral into insatiable narcissism and sacrilege, elevating oneself above God. Today, let's examine our own lives. Are there areas where selfishness or greed are taking root? Left unaddressed, they can lead us down a path of wickedness. Let's strive to regulate our desires and align them with God's will, guarding against the allure of selfish gain. #GuardAgainstGreed #SacrilegeInService #SpiritualLeadership Ask This: Reflect on a time when you were tempted to prioritize personal gain over honoring God and others. How did you navigate that situation, and what lessons did you learn from it?  In what areas of your life do you see the potential for selfishness or greed to creep in? How can you actively guard against these tendencies and align your desires with God's will? Do This: Check your greed today. Pray This: Lord, help me to recognize and resist the allure of selfish gain, guiding me to honor You in all that I do. Grant me the strength and wisdom to align my desires with Your will, that I may serve You faithfully and with integrity. Amen. Play This: Greed.

Are you struggling to trust God's plan for your life? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel and are currently in chapter one. The theme of chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: So far, we have identified Elkanah, Peninnah, Hannah, Eli, Hophni, Phinehas, Samuel, and today the Lord. Today, verses 26-28. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” — 1 Samuel 1:26-28 1 Samuel 1 is not primarily about Hannah, Elkanah, or even Samuel. It is primarily about the Lord. This chapter may begin with God caring for Hannah and providing for her in her distress, bareness, and shame, but as we will see, in caring for Hannah, the Lord also cared for all of Israel. What he did for Hannah was not exclusively for Hannah. Unfortunately, this is how many want to read and understand the story because we want a God who saves us from our unique problems. We want a God who bows to serve and save us from our every need. But in this situation, God was not just serving and saving Hannah but all of Israel. Through one child, he provided an immediate path through their social unrest and hinted about another child who would save the world from all sin—Jesus. This is an essential lesson in divine providence. Sometimes, we understand acts of God as acts done only for us. This is a very arrogant assumption. The things God does might be done to us and might bring us pleasure, but they are not done only for us nor to please our will. They are done for his will at his pleasure and to accomplish his plan. God may do things for you that look like they are only for you, but usually, God has a greater plan in play. This is what Hannah understands in this statement at the end of chapter one. She even hints to Eli that he may not understand, but Samuel is one "lent" who will lend a hand in God's plan. Samuel's time has come to spend the rest of his days serving the Lord. I want you to know today that God does care about you, but he doesn't only care about you. He cares about all his children. This means that your life, will, plan, vision, and even your aspirations are not the only ones at play. God's will will win the day. Hannah understood this. She had her will, but then there was God's will. He provided for her, but then she did not get in the way of God's will. By doing so, she, her son, and her family became a beautiful part of the story of God. (Which, by the way, will stand in contrast to Eli and his sons in the coming chapters). The ultimate application of chapter one is this: God is at the center of the story. Don't let your will get in the way of God's will. See the connection of your story to his and become a beautiful part of the most remarkable story ever told. #DivineProvidence #SurrenderedFaith #GodsPlan ASK THIS: How can we cultivate a mindset of surrender, trusting that God's will surpasses our own desires and plans? In what areas of our lives do we struggle the most to align our will with God's will, and what steps can we take to surrender those areas fully to Him? DO THIS: Live in the will of the greatest story ever told. PRAY THIS: Lord, help me to trust in Your divine providence and surrender my will to Yours, recognizing that Your plans for me are far greater than I can imagine. Guide me to align my desires with Your purpose and to become a beautiful part of Your remarkable story. Amen. PLAY THIS: God Is In This Story.

Feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of parenting or leadership? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel and are currently in chapter one. The theme of chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: So far, we have identified Elkanah, Peninnah, Hannah, Eli, Hophni, Phinehas, and today Samuel. Today, we will be at the end of the chapter in verses 23-28. Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” — 1 Samuel 1:23-28 So I have several observations from this text: Dedicated as Lent First, Elkanah is presented as diligent and devout. He diligently makes his annual trips to the Tabernacle. In addition, he also affirmed his wife's right to make commitments to God, and he wants to support her in fulfilling these vows even though it will cost him a firstborn son from the wife he loves. In addition, the sacrifice he brings to the Tabernacle is sizeable, generous, and even lavish. A side note: husbands, you need to look for ways to support your wife's spiritual calling, especially when it honors the Lord. Prepared as Lent Second, Hannah is given only three precious years with her only biological son. From the day Samuel was conceived, Hannah knew her time with the "one God lent" (Samuel) would be short. Therefore, these years were preparation years for Samuel until he was lent back. As another side note: all believing parents would be blessed to think about their children in the same way, as ones being lent and prepared for an interdependent relationship in service to the Lord. Given as Lent Third, and one of the most intriguing aspects of this passage, is the wordplay in Hannah's statement. The phrases: 'granted me my petition,' 'I made,' 'I have lent him,' and 'he is lent' all stem from the same Hebrew word 'to ask,' which directly relates to the meaning of Samuel's name. This connection underscores the divine providence in Samuel's birth and Hannah's act of dedicating him to the Lord. Samuel's early years are marked by a unique perspective. He was one lent to them who would be lent back to God for a lifelong Nazarite vow. For a moment, consider how a perspective like this would change how you think about everything. Consider how it might affect how you parent, prepare, live, and give. Without a doubt, this child changed Elkanah and Hannah forever. I have three grown children now. Each has required a different type of leadership, direction, encouragement, and challenge. Thinking about how to lead them through their challenges has changed me as a father. Sometimes, it has been frustrating, but God has used each to shape and form my perspective as a father, husband, man, and leader. In some ways, God has used them to influence me, just like God used Samuel to influence his parents. But this only happened when I was willing to pay attention to the divine Father parenting me as I parent them. If you feel a little frustrated today as a parent or leader, try paying more attention to God's divine providence and plan. Worry less about what you want and pay attention to what God wants. When we align with God's divine plan, like Elkanah and Hannah did, the decisions along the way are a lot easier because many of them are already made. #ParentingWithPurpose #LentToTheLord #DivineParenting ASK THIS: How can you actively support and encourage your spouse's spiritual journey, as Elkanah did for Hannah, even when it requires personal sacrifice? Reflect on your role as a parent or leader. How might viewing your children or those you lead as lent to you by God influence your approach to guiding, nurturing, and preparing them for their own unique journey of faith and service? DO THIS: Get a new perspective from the Father. PRAY THIS: Father, help me emulate Elkanah's faithfulness and Hannah's surrender as I navigate my role as a parent, spouse, and leader, trusting in Your divine plan for those entrusted to my care. Guide me to recognize and embrace the opportunities to align my will with Yours, knowing that Your purposes far exceed mine. Amen. PLAY THIS: Changed.

Ready to break free from those negative influences? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel and are currently in chapter one. The theme of chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: So far, we have identified Elkanah, Peninnah, Hannah, Eli, and today Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. I will read a single verse today that quickly references these two men. It's verse three. Now [Elkanah] used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. — 1 Samuel 1:3 Hophni and Phinehas remain obscure in this text but become essential to Samuel's backstory. We will learn more about these two malicious, devious, and worthless sons when we get into chapter two. When you discover their character, you will see a contrast between the fathers (Eli & Elkanah) and their sons (Hophni, Phinehas, and Samuel). As expected, social and parental influences significantly shape the sons mentioned in this story. Samuel's spiritual trajectory is much different than that of Hophni and Phinehas. But as Samuel grows, we will see his tender heart toward God and his willingness to listen to God shape his leadership and life more and more. Today, this made me think of all the parents and people who have influenced my life—some good, some bad, some spiritual, some secular. But as I have matured, I have also learned that I bear a burden. It is a burden to listen to the right parents and the right people. The best part is that it's easy to learn who to listen to because I have a Father. He is the best Father because he is the Father of all mankind. If I listen to this Father, I will find the most fulfillment and purpose in this life. That's the difference between the two fathers and the sons in this story. So, who are you listening to today? Are you listening to pop culture, popular media, posts on your socials, or to the Father who gives the best advice because he has your best interests in mind? #InfluenceMatters #ListenToTheFather #SpiritualTrajectory ASK THIS: Reflecting on your own life, who are the significant influencers shaping your spiritual journey? How can you discern which voices to listen to and which ones to filter out? Consider the contrast between the characters of Samuel and the sons of Eli. In what ways can you emulate Samuel's tender heart toward God and his willingness to listen despite the influences around you? DO THIS: Listen to your Father! PRAY THIS: Father, help me to discern Your voice amidst the multitude of influences in my life, guiding me toward fulfillment and purpose. Grant me the wisdom to listen to Your guidance above all others, shaping me into the person You desire me to be. Amen. PLAY THIS: I'm Listening.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the basic theological precepts of 1 and 2 Samuel before introducing Justin Jackson, professor of English at Hillsdale College. First and Second Samuel tell the story of Saul and David, Israel's first two kings. These Old Testament books depict the importance of the relationship between father and son and the consequences of sin for the sinner, his family, and his nation. While David's transgressions lead to great tragedy for himself and Israel, his penitence shows a path toward redemption. First Samuel opens with the stories of two faithful parents, Hannah and Eli. Hannah raises her son, Samuel, to be faithful, while Eli fails to correct his sons, Hophni and Phineas, and their sins bring defeat to Israel. Robert Alter's The David Story: https://shop.hillsdale.edu/collections/books/products/the-david-storySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the basic theological precepts of 1 and 2 Samuel before introducing Justin Jackson, professor of English at Hillsdale College. First and Second Samuel tell the story of Saul and David, Israel's first two kings. These Old Testament books depict the importance of the relationship between father and son and the consequences of sin for the sinner, his family, and his nation. While David's transgressions lead to great tragedy for himself and Israel, his penitence shows a path toward redemption. First Samuel opens with the stories of two faithful parents, Hannah and Eli. Hannah raises her son, Samuel, to be faithful, while Eli fails to correct his sons, Hophni and Phineas, and their sins bring defeat to Israel. Robert Alter's The David Story: https://shop.hillsdale.edu/collections/books/products/the-david-storySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fr. Mike zeroes in on Samuel's dramatic prophecy and the tragic moment when the Philistines capture of the Ark of God. We learn that God is mighty and holds his people to a high standard. Today we read 1 Samuel 3-5 and Psalm 150. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

One of the most common accusations against Christians is that they're “hypocrites”. While this accusation is often not justified, sometimes it is. Today we will look at 1st Samuel 2, which is a study in contrasts. We'll see the contrasts between a godly woman, hypocritical leaders, and a godly young man. Join us for another practical study in God's Word. DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    In our study, yesterday, of 1st Samuel 1, what did Hannah pray? What did she do with Samuel when the Lord answered her prayer? 2.    Verses 1 to 11 contains one of the longest prayers from a woman in the entire Bible. It's a beautiful prayer. As you read over this prayer, how does Hannah's prayer life and the content of her prayers compare to yours? 3.    In verse 1, what is Hannah's view of the Lord? Why does she exalt Him? 4.    In verses 2 - 4, what does Hannah exult about the Lord? 5.    What are the doctrines of God that Hannah praises God for in verses 6 to 10? Are there places where you can you follow her example and bring rich doctrine into your prayers? Which ones? Are any of these doctrines difficult for you to even pray? If so, why?  6.    In a bit of spiritual whiplash, now we look at the example of Eli's sons Hophni and Phinehas. How are they described in verse 12? How do their actions in this chapter confirm this description of them? 7.    What would they do in verses 13 to 16? How is this a violation of the sacredness that was necessary for the sacrifices in the book of Leviticus? 8.    What is the Lord's view of their actions in verse 17? 9.    How did they respond to Eli's admonishments in verses 22 - 25? How should they have responded to him?  10.    In verse 29, what did the Lord say to Eli about his own values when it comes to things of the Lord? How is it possible to put our children before the Lord today? How can we guard against this possibility? 11.    How would you describe this hypocrisy of Eli and his sons? What were its roots? How should it have been rooted out? 12.    What was the Lord's judgment upon them in verses 31 to 34?  13.    In verse 35, who will God raise up instead? In verses 18 and 26, how was Samuel different from these men? 14.    This chapter gives us a powerful example of contrasts. What were the contrasts between Hannah and Eli's sons and Samuel? As you think about your own life, is there any area of hypocrisy that needs to be rooted out? Are there any steps you can take to be more like Hannah and Samuel? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________LentJesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”Mark 8:34 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. LentThe Lord is full of compassion and mery: Come let us adore him.Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord is full of compassion and mery: Come let us adore him. Psalm 15Domine, quis habitabit?1Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *who may abide upon your holy hill?2Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *who speaks the truth from his heart.3There is no guile upon his tongue;he does no evil to his friend; *he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.4In his sight the wicked is rejected, *but he honors those who fear the Lord.5He has sworn to do no wrong *and does not take back his word.6He does not give his money in hope of gain, *nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.7Whoever does these things *shall never be overthrown.Psalm 24Domini est terra1The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, *the world and all who dwell therein.2For it is he who founded it upon the seas *and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.3“Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? *and who can stand in his holy place?”4“Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,nor sworn by what is a fraud.5They shall receive a blessing from the Lord *and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”6Such is the generation of those who seek him, *of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.7Lift up your heads, O gates;lift them high, O everlasting doors; *and the King of glory shall come in.8“Who is this King of glory?” *“The Lord, strong and mighty,the Lord, mighty in battle.”9Lift up your heads, O gates;lift them high, O everlasting doors; *and the King of glory shall come in.10“Who is he, this King of glory?” *“The Lord of hosts,he is the King of glory.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Lessons1 Samuel 2:27-35English Standard Version27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?' 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. 34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Penitence(Kyrie Pantokrator)O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,and of all their righteous offspring:You made the heavens and the earth, * with all their vast array.All things quake with fear at your presence; * they tremble because of your power.But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.O Lord, you are full of compassion, * long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.You hold back your hand; *you do not punish as we deserve.In your great goodness, Lord,you have promised forgiveness to sinners, * that they may repent of their sin and be saved.And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, * and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, * and I know my wickedness only too well.Therefore I make this prayer to you: * Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.Do not let me perish in my sin, * nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * and in me you will show forth your goodness.Unworthy as I am, you will save me, in accordance with your great mercy, * and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen. Matthew 7:15-27English Standard Version15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And 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. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. St Matthias (BCP 1979)Almighty God, who in the place of Judas chose your faithful servant Matthias to be numbered among the Twelve: Grant that your Church, being delivered from false apostles, may always be guided and governed by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

1 Samuel 4:1-5:7 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” 10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” 17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. 19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been cap-tured.” 5:1 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ash-dod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. 6 The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ash-dod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”

In chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of 1 Samuel, the story transitions from Hannah and the birth of her son Samuel who will be the future prophet and priest, to Eli, the current high priest.The story of Eli's wicked family is a sad contrast to Samuel's faithful family. Hophni and Phinehas are not qualified to lead the people. But God has provided one last judge to lead Israel and transition the nation to a king.  Samuel grows into the judge, priest, and prophet God called him to become.Thank you for being a part of the club.Show NotesBlogThe Old Testament BooksThe New Testament BooksBible TimelineFeasts and Festivals ChartContact Bible Book ClubLike, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's InstagramLike or comment on Susan's Facebook or InstagramLeave us an Apple reviewContact us through our website formThanks for listening and happy podcasting!

Guest Bios Show Transcript Third-party investigations have become increasingly common as churches and Christian institutions continue to be rocked by scandal. But how can you tell if an investigation is truly independent—or just another attempt to cover up?   In this edition of The Roys Report, experts address the red flags and key features to look for in any so-called “independent” investigation. And they answer questions like: Can a third-party investigation by a law firm ever be truly independent? What advantages are there to hiring an investigative team that's familiar with church culture to conduct investigations involving Christian institutions? And what are the hallmarks of a “trauma-informed” investigation? The answers to these questions are especially relevant due to the current controversy over the third-party investigation announced by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, or IHOPKC. Mike Bickle, IHOPKC's founder, has been accused of abusing multiple women and IHOPKC leaders have been accused of mishandling reports of abuse. After announcing it had hired a national law firm to conduct the investigation, IHOPKC changed course and dismissed the law firm. Then, it hired another law firm, but is refusing to divulge the name of the new firm.  Joining us on the podcast is a top American litigator and former GoDaddy general counsel, who's also a Christian with a passion to protect victims. That litigator is Christine Jones, who also serves on the board of The Roys Report. She has considerable expertise in this area and her insights on this issue are incredibly helpful. Two other experts joining me, Pete Singer and Robert Peters, are known for the organization they lead—Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment, or GRACE. GRACE has become the gold standard in the Christian survivor community because of the quality of its investigations and its commitment to protect survivor interests.  Listen now for a lively, and eye-opening discussion that will help you discern whether to trust a third-party investigation—or to cry foul. Guests Christine N. Jones Christine N. Jones is a top American litigator, business executive, and civic leader who has a passion to protect the vulnerable. Until 2012, she served as general counsel for GoDaddy. During her time there, she helped drive federal Internet-related legislation, including laws to keep the internet safe from child predators like the Protect Our Children Act and the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act. Christine also practiced law at Beus Gilbert, which has been ranked as one of the top law firms in the country. She also served several years as the COO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Christine recently launched her own firm, Newman Jones, a private law firm in Arizona, which specializes in representing victims of abuse in churches and Christian organizations. Pete Singer Pete Singer is Executive Director at GRACE, which focuses on abuse prevention and response in faith communities. He is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with 30+ years' experience across settings. He received his MSW and certificate in Trauma-Effective Leadership from the University of Minnesota. He trains and writes on trauma-informed practice and his counseling practice focuses on children and adults who have experienced trauma. He has published and contributed to a number of articles and book chapters including Wounded Souls: The Need for Child Protection Professionals and Faith Leaders to Recognize and Respond to the Spiritual Impact of Child Abuse and forthcoming work Toward a More Trauma-Informed Church: Equipping Faith Communities to Prevent and Respond to Abuse. Robert Peters Robert Peters has been with GRACE over 10 years and is currently the Director of Institutional Response, where he oversees all investigations and assessments. He served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Special Prosecutor in multiple West Virginia jurisdictions, where he specialized in the prosecution of sexual offenses, civil child abuse and neglect, and online child exploitation. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Visit netgrace.org Show Transcript SPEAKERSCHRISTINE JONES, PETER SINGER, Julie Roys, ROBERT PETERS Julie Roys  00:05Third party investigations have become increasingly common as churches and Christian institutions continue to be rocked by scandal. But how can you tell if an investigation is truly independent, or just another attempt to cover up? Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And our topic today has become a big issue because an organization facing a major scandal just hired a law firm to conduct its third-party investigation. That organization is the International House of Prayer in Kansas City or IHOP. And if you’ve been following this story, you know that IHOP founder, Mike Bickle, has been accused of abusing multiple women and IHOP itself has been accused in mishandling multiple reports of abuse. The Roys Report has published several articles about this scandal. So, if you need some background on the story, I encourage you to go to JULIEROYS.COM, and then click on the investigations tab, and you can find all those stories on IHOP.**   Julie Roys  01:05 But joining me today to discuss these issues is a top American litigator who’s also a Christian with a passion to protect victims. That litigator is Christine Jones, who also serves on the board of The Roys Report. And she has so much expertise in this area. So, I’m very excited to pick her brain on this issue. But also joining me are Pete Singer and Robert Peters of Godly Repose to Abuse in a Christian Environment or GRACE. GRACE has become the gold standard in the Christian survivor community because of the quality of its investigations and its commitment to protect survivor interests. So, I’m very excited about today’s podcast.**   Julie Roys  01:45 But before we dive in, I’d like to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. If you’re looking for a top ranked Christian University, providing a caring community and an excellent college experience, Judson University is for you. Judson is located on 90 acres just 40 miles west of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois. The school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities and strong financial aid. Plus, you can take classes online as well as in person. Judson University is shaping lives that shaped the world. For more information, just go to JUDSONU.EDU. Also, if you’re looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity, and transparency. That’s because the owners there Dan and Kurt Marquardt are men of integrity. To check them out just go to BUYACAR123.COM.**   Julie Roys  02:49 Well again joining me today are Pete Singer and Robert Peters from GRACE which stands for  Godly Repose to Abuse in a Christian Environment  And GRACE is one of the most respected organizations in the Christian survivor community when it comes to independent investigations. And I’m really looking forward to talking with them and getting a behind the scenes look about how these investigations are done. But first, I’d like to introduce Christine Jones. Christine is a top litigator, business executive, and civic leader who has a passion to protect the vulnerable. Until 2012. she served as general counsel for GoDaddy. She also practice law at BS Gilbert, which has been ranked as one of the top law firms in the country. And she recently launched her own firm Newman Jones, a private law firm in Phoenix, Arizona. But her greatest claim to fame by far is serving as a board member for The Roys Report. So, Christine, welcome. I’m so glad you could join us.   CHRISTINE JONES  03:43 Thank you, Julie. So great to be here. And that is by far my best claim to fame for the record.   Julie Roys  03:48 Absolutely. I’m glad that you clarified that. So, Christine, I wanted to talk to you first because there’s been a lot of buzz lately about law firms conducting third party investigations. And this is nothing new, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. For example, when they did their investigation, they brought in a law firm Miller Martin, there was a law firm Husch Blackwell, that investigated Cedarville University after it hired a known sexual predator that was a couple of years ago. But right now, the International House of Prayer in Kansas City IHOP is facing a major crisis. So IHOP has just announced that they’re going to do a third-party investigation, and they initially hired a law firm Stinson LLP, to conduct this investigation, but there’s been a lot of pushback because there are a lot of people saying that no investigation by a law firm is truly independent. Well, then last Friday evening, IHOP announced that it had decided not to proceed with Stinson. And the reason that IHOP gave was that third parties claiming to represent the victims had communicated a lack of trust in Stinson. So now IHOP is said that it’s hired a local law firm to investigate, but when I asked IHOP to identify the law firm Lenny LaGuardia, a member of IHOP’s executive team replied, and I quote, We will not be publishing her name out of respect for her privacy. When I asked an additional clarifying question about the attorney, LaGuardia responded, IHOP, KC will not be providing any personal information about its attorneys, they are not the story and you should know better, unquote. So, Christine, say hypothetically, that one of the alleged victims of Mike Bickle is your client. Would you advise your client to cooperate with this investigation?   CHRISTINE JONES  05:35 So setting aside the attorney independence for one moment, I would say , all else being equal, if you have some information that’s germane to the discussion, then you know, and you’re not being re traumatized or re victimized and you have the capacity to do it, probably, I would advise them to go ahead and give the information because that is going to be helpful to the outcome, the recommendations or you know, whatever the third party investigator is doing. Now, I have to say that with a caveat, as always, these people may be bound by preexisting contractual relationships that limit what they can say. And in that case, they should probably seek the counsel of an attorney before they do that.   Julie Roys  06:14 So, the fact that the attorney isn’t being named to the public, do you see that as a major problem?   CHRISTINE JONES  06:21 Well, this entire scene has unfolded in such an unusual way. And I have followed a little bit of the back and forth on social media. Stinson, a well-respected law firm being named actually probably was positive, because they do have such a good reputation in the legal community, I don’t know that they had a previous attorney client relationship with IHOP. So that could have at least set a path for them to have independence in this scenario. But here’s the thing, not disclosing who the lawyer is for the sake of protecting the lawyer’s privacy is a very unusual suggestion. And the answer that you got on that inquiry is puzzling to me, because the attorney’s privacy is not the issue here. So, I hate to use the word excuse, Julie. But it does sound to me like they’re just using that as a cover up for their own lack of transparency in this process.   Julie Roys  07:16 Well, the lawyer is the professional, I mean, this is their job, their public, it does seem like a very odd response. development that happened over the weekend is that Ben Anderson, who I guess is a former IHOP staff member, posted on Facebook, the name of the person he believes is the attorney that’s been hired by IHOP. I have tried to confirm it again, went to IHOP. And they will not confirm or deny that this person is the person but the person that he has named publicly on Facebook is friends, apparently with IHOP executive leadership. And apparently, after he posted some social media posts showing this relationship, this attorney deleted her Facebook account and some social media. So, it does seem to be a little fishy, what’s going on. But let’s say that this person is the person but again, we’re not able to determine for sure whether or not that’s true. If somebody is friends with the executive leadership, if perhaps and I guess there’s some indications that she may actually attend IHOP’s church Forerunner, essentially, if that’s the case, correct me if I’m wrong, has it moved from being a third party independent or some semblance of independent investigation? Now we’re really looking at an internal investigation?   CHRISTINE JONES  08:39 Well, let’s talk about the investigation itself before we get to the crux of that question. An attorney could conceivably conduct an independent investigation. Here’s the rub; any attorney client relationship comes with the fiduciary duty that the attorney owes to the client. And look, if this attorney doesn’t want to disclose the fact of the engagement because the attorney feels like in their ethical opinion, that would violate some kind of fiduciary responsibility that they have, that’s their decision. The client certainly can disclose it. But getting back to the independence. The issue here is I was gonna say it’s twofold. It’s actually three-fold. Here, if you have a relationship that’s existing with the executives, it’d be very difficult to claim you have independence on this particular issue. You may even be a percipient witness, you may even be a fact witness, which is a huge red flag for any attorney going into any kind of engagement.   The second thing is if you have this existing attorney client relationship, it’s almost impossible to conduct an independent investigation because you are already required to demonstrate a duty of loyalty to the client, which is the antithesis of independence. It is the exact opposite of independence. No client wants their attorney to be independent of them. That’s why you hire an attorney, right? So, let’s just say it’s a generic person, we don’t know who they are, any lawyer out there, pick a name. If they had that existing relationship, and they have a hope of a relationship in the future, they’re already making money from this client, and they hope to make money from the client in the future, it would be virtually impossible under the ethical rules for them to be considered independent in this investigation.   Now, if it’s a huge law firm, they have hundreds of lawyers in different cities, you know, could one department do the investigation, another department do the advising? Possibly, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case here. And it strikes me that IHOP getting rid of Stinson is them backtracking. They’re getting themselves dug into a deeper hole here that they were even in before. They’re not improving their situation, they’re making it worse,   Julie Roys  10:59 Good points that you brought up. I mean, the fiduciary responsibility the lawyer has to its client, and then the possibility of, you know, some sort of relationship in the future, obviously complicating things, and this is why in the very beginning, people were like, Oh, my goodness, they hired a law firm. And what a lot of people were asking for was an organization like GRACE, Godly Repose to Abuse in a Christian Environment, who plays by very different rules. And again, they’re going to be joining us in just a bit and we’ll hear about what they do that is different. But is there ever a situation in which we can say this is truly an independent investigation when you’re being hired by the organization that you’re investigating?   CHRISTINE JONES  10:59 I guess it’s possible. If you had an engagement that had a well-defined set of terms, and your role was only to determine a set of facts. Issue a report that said, here’s the timeline on this date, at this time, in this place, this proper noun did the following. And you just gave the report with no recommendation, no observation, no characterization, no coloring of the facts, you could conceivably be independent. It would always be the client’s decision about whether those findings would be released. It’s a really tricky situation for the finest law firm in the best circumstances. Somebody who has a preexisting relationship, which I understand if the lawyer is who we think it is, is in a really precarious position, claiming that they’re independent, and that their findings are going to be completely objective.   Julie Roys  12:34 So, a little over a week ago, Michael Brown, Dr. Michael Brown spoke at IHOP. And he announced that there was going to be this independent investigation. And Michael is someone who’s very well respected within the charismatic community. And again, IHOP-KC is a charismatic organization. So, I think they were bringing in someone who would be a trusted voice. And so, he argued that the Christian community could trust this investigation, because IHOP had pledged to make these findings public. And again, I know with RZIM, when they were doing the Miller Martin investigation that was the crux right for them was whether or not they were going to make these findings public. I don’t know if that’s still on the table, to be honest, given that things have changed. But let’s assume that it is and IHOP is going to make the findings public. I guess the question is, even when they make the findings public are we talking the complete findings? Is this a redacted finding? Is this the part of the findings you want us to know? I mean, is this really much of an assurance that the findings are going to be public? Or would we still say, you know, as the public looking to get some assurance that this is really been investigated, that we can trust what they’re reporting?   CHRISTINE JONES  13:46 It’s tricky, right? Unless you had actual recordings of conversations, and maybe you had a third-party observer sitting in on those conversations and hearing the results of the investigatory process, it would be almost impossible to say, Now, I don’t want to bad mouth Mr. Brown, you know, reputationally, he’s an upstanding guy. But we’re not judging his statement here. What we’re saying is, lawyers are humans, and humans have bias. And if I’m a victim, I’m a survivor, or I come forward or even I’m a close associate of one or I’ve been part of this community for a long time., and I know somebody who is, I’m still going to have to question, did that human who is a lawyer, conduct this in a way that I can rely on the findings? I will never know because I will never know what the process was that they used. And I already know, particularly if this lawyer is part of the church, but I will already know that they have gone into it with a preset bias that will make it very difficult for them not to filter their conversations and their findings through their preexisting relationship.   Julie Roys  14:59 And one thing I didn’t mention I mean, which you’ve hinted at, I mean, there is an engagement and a letter of engagement that’s signed between the client and the law firm. Is it ever okay to release that letter of engagement? And also, I know, for example, the Southern Baptist Convention when the executive committee was being investigated, they actually waived under a great deal of pressure, their attorney client privilege. Is that something that we could expect or should expect in a situation like this?   CHRISTINE JONES  15:30 That’s a really interesting question. And here, it’s probably not going to be the same outcome as what we saw on the SBC, which as you said was exceptional. The client owns that privilege, the client gets to pick whether the privilege is waived. Here, the motivation for IHOP to give more information is probably well, I mean, it’s going to be tricky for them, right? Because anything that they find that’s derogatory, they’re gonna be less inclined to disclose it, right? We don’t have the power, sort of as third parties who don’t have privity to this contract, to require them to disclose it. Could there be some community pressure, either by survivors or by members of the community, like what we saw in the SBC? I suppose it’s possible. But even let’s say that they produce the engagement letter. Let’s say they sent it to you, and you published it. Let’s say they gave us the entire report, right? It’s still gonna come with the names of minors redacted, it’s probably still going to have some information that’s viewed as relevant to a criminal investigation or, you know, somehow protective of victims' rights redacted. So, will you ever see the entirety of it? You know, as I sit here today, I would say probably not.   Julie Roys  16:46 Yeah. Well, we will see as the story continues to unfold, but Christine really appreciate you being willing to come on and lend your expertise, which has just been such a blessing to The Roys. Report, and to our listeners today, as well. So, thank you so much.   CHRISTINE JONES  17:01 My pleasure. And can we say one last thing in conclusion? Just in case anybody from IHOP-KC is listening to this podcast? IHOP, hire an independent third party to do this investigation. Let them find out what the facts were and hire a separate counsel to give you the advice on what to do with it. Why cloud the perception of what’s going on here? If you want to clean your house, clean your house and do it well.   Julie Roys  17:25 Thank you. And I would second those thoughts. Appreciate that so much.   CHRISTINE JONES  17:29 Thanks for having me, Julie.   Julie Roys  17:31 Absolutely. Well, now, Peter Singer, and Robert Peters are going to join us from GRACE. And Pete is the executive director of GRACE and a licensed clinical social worker with about 30 years of experience. He also has a master’s degree in social work and a certificate in trauma effective leadership from the University of Minnesota. So, Pete, such a privilege to have you join me. Thanks so much.   PETER SINGER  17:55 Thank you. It’s great to be here. Really appreciate the chance, Julie.   Julie Roys  17:59 And also joining me is Robert Peters, who oversees all investigations and assessments at GRACE. He formerly served as an assistant prosecuting attorney and special prosecutor in several jurisdictions in West Virginia. And in that capacity, he specialized in the prosecution of sexual offences, child abuse and neglect, and online child exploitation. So, Robert, so glad to have you on The Roys Report podcast. And I think, as I mentioned earlier, that I think this is the first time we’ve had two lawyers on our podcast. So welcome.   ROBERT PETERS  18:32 Great to be here. And I hope we don’t break any podcast length records unless you’re going for that. In which case, you’re welcome.   Julie Roys  18:39 So, GRACE has become, and I mentioned this before, sort of the gold standard when it comes to investigations. And that’s quite a badge of honor for you guys. And I know, it’s not just the investigations, but also the manner in which you treat victims. And that has given you a distinction among the survivor community. Right now, there is a petition circulating and I know you don’t want to comment on this, but there is a petition circulating urging IHOP hire GRACE to conduct its investigation because of, I think, the respect that you have within this community. What is unique with what you do? And let’s start with your expertise, because you focus specifically on investigations involving churches and Christian organizations. Pete talk about that, and how that perspective is perhaps different from a lot of organizations like a law firm, but even some other organizations that do similar type investigations, but not in this kind of space, but more normally in more of a corporate space.   PETER SINGER  19:42 Sure, really, really important things that come into play here. A big piece of that is an understanding the criteria that we’re looking at, isn’t just what does the law say? Yes, that is a very, very significant piece of criteria. But beyond that, we’re also looking at what is God saying? And at times, it can be very difficult for a law firm or other private investigative agency as part of the investigation to also do a theological review. And to say, Okay, let’s look at what happened here. And now we’ll examine that in light of Scripture. And one of the things that I think is unique about the way that GRACE does an investigation, is that GRACE brings in an incredible, incredible experience. Our investigators come from a background similar to what Robert is bringing in his background or from extensive law enforcement experience. They’re also bringing in that theological experience. They’re also bringing the understanding and the familiarity with church culture, church governance. For example, when we do a report associated with, let’s just say, a Presbyterian Church that might be governed by the Book of Church Order, we’ve got people on staff who are experts in the Book of Church Order, and we can specifically craft recommendations that fit within the Book of Church Order. And so being able to pull in that experience, as well as an understanding of what Scripture says about this. Because scripture is not silent on this; Scripture speaks so often of the Scripture sayings., In First Samuel, that Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli who was the high priest of the tent. Hasni and Phineas were acting as priests in Israel. Scripture calls them worthless men. Why? Because they used their position of spiritual authority to have sex with people. Scripture is calling out clergy sexual abuse.**   PETER SINGER  21:53 And then we’ll fast forward to the New Testament, and we’ve got Jesus calling out against child sexual abuse, anything that would harm a child, against elder abuse, against financial exploitation, against spiritual abuse. So a GRACE team brings in both that incredible legal background, similar to what Robert has, or many of the people who have been in law enforcement on our team have. But then an ability to blend that with what does scripture say? And what do we know about trauma? We have many, many published articles from people at GRACE, whether they’re our investigators, people on our leadership team, people on our board of directors that help explain the very nature of trauma and trauma informed practice. And we’ve got an article coming out at the end of the year that will be published in Currents in Theology and Mission, theology journal, that will be taking six key principles of trauma informed practice and saying, what does that look like when it’s applied in a church? When GRACE or an organization like GRACE comes in to do an investigation, that is all automatically a part of the analysis of this situation. And for an organization that does not have that deep embedded background within the Christian culture within churches, how are they going to be able to bring in and analyze the situation in light of Scripture? How are they going to be able to blend trauma informed practice and Scripture? And how are they going to bring those excellent qualifications like Robert has and the members of his team,   Julie Roys  23:44 Great points that you’re making, and I can relate as a journalist who works exclusively in the Christian space. And I’ve also worked in secular newsrooms. And it’s interesting when I did work in secular newsrooms, how much they misunderstood the language, or they misunderstood the culture, and they just weren’t able to report properly. And frankly, Christians didn’t trust them, because they didn’t know, they didn’t understand, they would misinterpret things. For me as a reporter, it’s hugely important that I understand spiritual abuse, for example, to understand how these communities work, as far as you know, a lot of these folks, it’s not like a work environment where you go, and then you come home, and you have your family and your community. This is their family and their community often. There is no leaving in many ways, and it encompasses all areas of their life. And so, I do think that having we call it a beat in journalism, I mean, you know, your beat, you know, really, really well and you understand the culture, you understand the people. I think the same thing sounds like what you’re saying is what GRACE is doing with investigations in this space.**   Julie Roys  24:48 Let’s talk about the independence and objectivity because Christine was talking a lot about that. You know, law firms obviously have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients, but you’re hired by clients. And again, I’m looking at this as a journalist. I can’t even have you buy me lunch; I can take no money from you. I’ve been offered numerous times, hey, we’ll fly you out to interview or flight. And I’m like, well, if I’m going to do the story, you can’t fly me out, you can’t do anything for me, and you can’t put me up, I need to come on my own dime, which is hard to say, because we have such a limited budget and stories we’d like to cover, right? But for us, if we take money, we’re not objective, right? I mean, that’s how strict it is for journalists in this space. So, I mean, talk about that, because you’re obviously being hired by organizations that you do investigations on,. How does that not make you beholden to your client?   ROBERT PETERS  25:38 The two-word answer would be structural independence. And that’s really critical of the contractual phase,. You know, in the discussions that we have with churches, where those discussions either prove to be fruitful or not, that’s the crucible. That’s where these things tend to either solidify, either grudgingly or smoothly to an independent investigation, or where they tend to flame out spectacularly. So, it really varies. And what I mean by structural independence, you know, and these are good questions that the perhaps survivors should be asking, before participating in any investigation, frankly, not just those that are undertaken by law firms. But yeah, what sort of is going into that? Is there some sort of those fiduciary pieces is there an attorney client relationship. We are not a law firm; we don’t provide legal services. So, we’re not coming into some of the same ethical obligations. I am an attorney, but I don’t function as an attorney within GRACE, or anything related to GRACE. So, there’s that piece of it, where we’re just sort of structurally ethically different and legally different.**   ROBERT PETERS  26:40 But then there’s contractual independence and the nature of the contract itself. No one sets a limit on the amount of interviews that we have. We may have estimates based on the facts that are presented to us by churches we’re having discussions with, but we’re very clear and the contracts provide for it. That’s ultimately an investigative determination of even the number of interviews. And so that becomes complicated right financially. Because certainly, we do need to pay our employees and contractors for the work, we want to continue equipping the church and equipping survivors, that takes resources. But we also want to make sure that we have maximum discretion in order that we don’t have those sort of perverse incentives and threads, bold and leveraged in ways that are unproductive to justice, that are unproductive to transparency. So, things like disclaiming those pieces expressly, but also ensuring that we have that type of discretion. Additionally, also at the risk of being inflammatory, GRACE is not a mud flap. And there are entities that sometimes unfortunately operate as mud flaps, meaning they direct the dirt into particular locations. They put emphasis of culpability on particular locations. And isn’t it interesting how that tends to align with the priorities of the individuals that are paying the bills? GRACE is not a mud flap. And so, when it comes to the other report drafting process itself, we do accept feedback, both from designated members of church leadership, as well as reporting victims. They always receive a copy of this report during the embargo period where we’re accepting feedback,. That feedback is limited to a few specific areas, that feedback is limited to is there something that’s factually inaccurate, not something I don’t like, we do get that feedback. But the feedback we’ll consider is limited to something that’s factually inaccurate, something that’s inconsistent with the church theology or polity, because we want to be culturally informed as we’re conducting these investigations. And then is there something that’s overly Identifying in the reporting victim? Those are things that we want flagged in the event that this report is elected to be made public, either by the church or by reporting victims who also have discretion to make public. There’s sort of those structural pieces where the church is no longer in control of that piece. And there have been cases where we simply don’t get contracts because some cultures that unfortunately, don’t have that healthy view of power dynamics, and aren’t really understanding the importance of engaging in that hard work. And it is hard work. And it is vulnerable work. Sometimes churches don’t see that necessity or correctly see the risks of that approach, and ultimately get the client to move forward with this. On the other hand, some do bravely step into that. And it is a difficult process, but it’s ultimately a necessary process for survivors, and ultimately, for the well-being of the church.   Julie Roys  29:20 Let’s talk about the report because this is a really, really key part of GRACE. So often the report as for example, we mentioned Ravi Zacharias International Ministries when they employed Miller, Martin, there were a couple things. And one is the scope of the investigation, which initially was very narrow, but because there was a lot of media pressure, and I know we published a story the minute I got some documentation saying this was limited, very narrowly we published on it, and then it broadened right? And that’s the beauty of the pressure of the publicity. But also with Miller Martin, that report was given to RZIM and there, I know from talking to people, there was a battle as to whether or not to release that to the public. And ultimately, it was the board’s decision. But I know there was so much public pressure and that was released publicly the full report, which was I mean, like a bomb went off, right? I mean, that was huge. So, let’s talk about that with what you’re doing. There have been reports that you’ve done that haven’t been released to the public. But what you do is unique in that you don’t just release it to the organizations that’s paying you. But you release it to somebody else, as well. Talk about that.   PETER SINGER  30:38 It’s absolutely essential that that happens. It can’t just be the church, or ministry, that was the Sikh of the abuse. That can’t be the only person that holds the power of the report. Because that report is power. We specifically have in the contract that we do not assign the copyright of the report to anybody, which means that nobody has the ability to say you can’t publish that. And then often, there is a recommendation something to the effect of church leadership work with survivors to figure out the best way to distribute this.**   PETER SINGER  31:21 Now, GRACE used to have a relatively standard recommendation of distribute this. But then, several years ago, what happened was a survivor said, What are you doing? Now, everybody will know who I am. I, the survivor did not want that distributed. And so, once that situation occurred, we changed how we address that. So that we tell the church generally, work with the survivor to figure out how to distribute this because sometimes survivors don’t want it more public. And then it’s that balance between empowerment and safety.   Julie Roys  32:04 Yeah. And that that always is the attention; it’s definitely attention in what I do as well. You want to always have a survivor centered approach in the way that you move forward with these things. And here’s something that, again, would be what we’ve heard recently, and we reported recently with IHOP, is people coming forward reporting, and then being traumatized when they report. Being interrogated, being gaslit, being grilled from very much an, aren’t you lying? kind of perspective or doubting what they’re saying, very skeptical. How do you keep from being re traumatized as somebody who comes forward? And what assurance do they have that they’re not going to be re traumatized? Because a lot of these people have been burned multiple times. And do you see what you do as uniquely protective of survivors?   ROBERT PETERS  32:58 Yeah, that’s such a critical question, Julie, and there’s a lot of different layers, I think, to what it means to provide a safe environment for witnesses, particularly survivors of abuse. I think it’s worth noting, tragically, how rare it is, for professionals in the field of sexual abuse investigation itself, let alone what I would consider ancillary professionals, which is most attorneys to engage well in this context in a way that does not inflict further harm. And let me double down on that a little bit. So prior to coming on board at GRACE, I spent the past four years at Zero Abuse Project before that at the National White Collar Crime Center, training law enforcement and child abuse prosecutors in all 50 states. Regrettably, some of them are virtual, like Hawaii. I’m not bitter about that at all. But pandemics were great. But one thing I learned, first of all, there are some incredibly gifted professionals that work in these spaces. And so, I don’t want my next statement to undercut the fact that they’re absolute heroes working for very low wages, extremely hard work, giving themselves, expanding themselves sacrificially. So, this is not a statement about those individuals. But the other reality is that many, possibly most individuals in law enforcement and prosecution are not competent to handle these cases. That’s just the reality. I’m talking criminal context. They’re simply not. There is a high level of specialization, there’s a high level of training, a high level of skill in achieving competence, let alone excellence in conducting sexual assault and child abuse investigations. And that’s true in the civil context as well. There are so many moving parts when it comes to the complexity of trauma. When it comes to how do you question, when it comes to accurately identifying grooming behaviors, when it comes to even your posture with witnesses? How do you build rapport? There’s just a whole host of pieces. But the reality is that specialization breeds excellence. We know that’s true in medicine. We know that’s true in every other context. It's true in investigations as well. If you’re not constantly building up those skills, staying current on literature, staying current on tactics, you’re not going to be competent, you’re going to inflict further harm. And simply having a PhD or a JD doesn’t make that any less likely; it might make it more likely. And so, it really just depends. And again, once again, I want to be very clear, there are attorneys that do a phenomenal job, that I call for advice on a frequent basis when it comes to conducting investigations. But I think it takes a lot of caution and humility to say, simply by virtue of being a law firm, there’s a qualification here. There needs to be some careful scrutiny of what those qualifications are, what type of credentials do the individuals involved have when it comes to forensic interviewing? What are the relevant publications, right? What protocol of forensic interviewing do they utilize? There’s a great deal of expertise that comes into not inflicting further harm in these interviews. I think there’s also a posture of intentional integration of trauma informed principles is that's very much in the DNA that started with Bob Tchividjian. And now it has grown with Pete Singer, what he’s brought from the mental health care field, in terms of how we interact with all witnesses, but especially survivors of abuse.   PETER SINGER  36:08 As we head into these interviews, those trauma informed principles that Robert talked about, these are things, one that we’re going to evaluate the church on. And two that we’re going to evaluate ourselves on. How are we doing this in the continuance of an investigation? So, these are the principles that need to govern our interview. The first and foremost is safety, physical safety, psychological safety, spiritual safety. The second, as I mentioned before, trust worthiness and transparency. The third, peer support. As long as they’re not another witness, a witness or a victim can bring a support person with them. As long as they’re not somebody else that would be a witness, bring that person with you to provide support. The fourth principle is collaboration and mutuality. That means work together with the person that’s been harmed, work together within our own group or among those who are specialists here at GRACE, and work together outside of our group. So, for example, when we’re doing an international investigation, we bring in cultural consultants to help us understand that culture so that we don’t make cultural flubs. Then empowerment, voice, and choice. How are we empowering those who have been harmed? How are we giving their voice a platform so that it can be heard? And then the final principle is humility, in the face of historical, cultural and gender factors, which simply cannot be separated from the trauma.   Julie Roys  37:52 So good. You have done an investigation for IHOP in the past, and that investigation, as I understand, never became public. Is there anything that you can say to shed light on that investigation, or how that might impact your moving forward, if you didn’t move forward with IHOP?   PETER SINGER  38:16 Sure, what I can say is that it was a completed investigation. What I can say is that consistent with our practice, the church was given a copy of the report, and anyone identified as a reported victim was given a copy of the report. I can also say that nobody was told not to distribute the report by GRACE. I can say that there have been some situations where GRACE has done multiple investigations for organizations. So having completed an investigation previously, does not prohibit GRACE, as long as we don’t feel that there’s a conflict of interest. And we need to check to make sure that there isn’t a conflict of interest. And as long as that conflict of interest is not there, then we can do an additional investigation with organizations just generally speaking.   Julie Roys  39:04 Lastly, and you’ve touched on analysis already. And this is something where I will say I’ve read a lot of these reports. GRACE’s analysis is usually something that I feel is insightful and is helpful. And because you guys get the culture and you get how abuse work, you get how cover ups work, you get all that stuff. I found those extremely helpful. At the same time, I have been horrified by some reports that I’ve seen. For example, there was a Guidepost Solutions report that was done on the Bryan Loritts’ investigation. I wrote about it so people can go and see it, but it was shocking to me because the only person that had this phone that had the evidence of wrongdoing was Bryan Loritts. He said things happened that he gave it to people. Nobody ever verified that they ever got the phone from him. He said he instructed people to report this to the police. We know that the police got no report whatsoever. And yet, the thing that was reported at the end of that was that Bryan Loritts essentially, has been found not guilty by this, you know. There’s no reason to think he was involved. It was shocking to me because the whole thing was pretty decent. I mean, really, they didn’t find out anything that I hadn’t found out prior, you know, because I had investigated this. But it was pretty decent as you went through. And if you understand the different people and what their objectives might be, and telling the truth or not telling the truth, but the analysis was just shocking to me. And there was so much inside of me that would have appreciated it, because when it was reported, people, you know, reporters can be really lazy. So they can just like look at the analysis at the end, and then just take that and not read the report. Because why bother, right? Just cut to the chase, read that, and then move on to your next story. And that’s what I suspect a lot of them did. And the problem is the truth didn’t get out there. So as a reporter, we keep like this really firm line between any analysis or opinion, and any news. So, we report all the facts here in the news story, we try not to let any editorial comment come in, and then we’ll report separately, okay, here’s what we think about it, if we do that. Or sometimes we’ll interview several experts, and then we’ll quote them in the story to give some perspective if we feel like the reader needs that. So, speak to that, because, again, I’ve seen it work. And I’ve seen it be absolutely abysmal, when there’s analysis in there, and there’s a part of me as a reporter that just wished the analysis would be separate,   PETER SINGER  41:38 You bring up a really great point, Julie, and I’m not going to speak to any particular other organization that is out there doing investigation. But just off the top of my head, I can think of three or four reports that I’ve read within the last year where I look at them, and their findings of fact make sense to me. And I get done reading the findings of fact thinking, wow, this is great. They actually revealed what happened. And then I get to their analysis. And I’m like, how did they get that analysis? That analysis is totally contrary to the facts! What happened?**   PETER SINGER  42:15 And so often, that can happen because that organization is being a mud flap, because their job is to direct the dirt. And again, I’m not calling out any specific organizations. And sometimes you’re just left wondering, and I think that you highlight just the importance, you can’t just go and read the analysis, you can’t just go and read the conclusions, you have to read the whole thing. And if you read the whole thing, you will see, A does not equal B. What’s going on here? And that is one of the red flags that you may have when you’re reading a report to know if that report was done in good faith. Because if you’re reading that nobody from whatever group participated or agreed to be interviewed, and then you’re reading the analysis that says this organization was fully engaged in the investigation, you got two opposite things. One is a factual statement but negates the analysis. With the GRACE report, generally speaking, there’s going to be some variability, we lay out those factual findings. There are some pieces of analysis in there. But those factual findings are laid out, and then we do an analysis. And sometimes there’s analysis that’s brought in with each piece of the findings so that there can be understanding as we go along. But that’s one of the key pieces that we do. And one of Robert’s biggest responsibilities is to make sure that this analysis actually is consistent with the factual findings. And not in contradiction to it.   ROBERT PETERS  43:55 Yeah, adding to that getting the what right is inconsequential, if you screw up the so what,. And so, I think that’s one critique I would have just more broadly over even law firm involved investigations, if you don’t have the church culture piece, if you don’t have the scriptural piece, you’re gonna mess up the so what or at a minimum, you’re going to miss an opportunity to address the so what piece of it. It’s so interesting how often we’re moving from, you have entities that are theoretically sola scriptura, but not in this context. Theoretically, Scripture is sufficient for all things, but not here. And so why is the disconnect, right? Why are we not leaning on Scripture to guide our response? And I think there’s some reasons for that, that are not always always very pleasant. So, I think getting that so what use is critical. **   ROBERT PETERS  44:39 I don’t know, Julie, if you’re familiar with I’m sure you’re familiar with the name Victor Vieth. But he wrote a really influential article years ago called Unto the Third Generation, and he posits a very optimistic and I think still realistic and grounded view that child abuse really can be meaningfully reduced to levels that are fractions of what they are now. I think that’s absolutely the case, I think we can lose sight of that just in the work that we do. Right? You’re being exposed to all this stuff. And how does this you know; how does this stuff ever end.**   ROBERT PETERS  45:11 One of the ways it ends is by not just getting a recitation of the facts. And then even if you don’t botch the analysis, stop there. The facts are important. The facts matter, they need light, and survivors deserve that. What also needs to happen is the so what. Okay, given these facts, what are the systems that allowed this to happen? As James Clear states, we don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems. What systemically is wrong here? And then by implication, how do we fix it? Because we don’t need to live in a world where every day, there’s a new, terrible podcast topic, probably several that you have to choose from. Right? We don’t have to live in a world where every day there’s more hearts being broken, and more individuals being shown an image of Christ and image of God does anything but what Scripture portrays. This is unnecessary. There is a way forward, and that way forward is the path of Christ. And it’s taking the facts seriously, yes. But it’s also doing the hard work of what do we do now, or the work of culture change. You don’t get there without the Bible. You don’t get there without being sensitive to survivors and being trauma informed. And that’s what survivors deserve in these investigations, regardless of who was conducting them.   Julie Roys  46:22 So, so good.   PETER SINGER  46:24 This is where the words of James come in: to the one who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, it is sin. When you get done reading the report, there should be a path that’s laid out. Now you know, the path. And if you don’t do it, you are in essence taking God’s name in vain to continue sinning, to continue causing harm, to continue misrepresenting God.   Julie Roys  46:52 Amen. So, so good. And I so appreciate what you guys do. I know that these podcasts even though we keep our news stories and our investigations, we have to as journalists, just report them straight as we can. But I’ve heard from so many people, it’s the podcast where this is our analysis piece, right? This is where we get to speak into these things. And they’ve been so so instructive to our listeners. I hear it all the time. We just had the RESTORE conference, and so many people came up to me and said, thank you so much for the podcast, because voices like yours get amplified, and they get to hear them and get to be able to process the information that they’re hearing. So, so grateful for both of you, Pete, and Robert and Christine, who was with us earlier,. Thank you so much for being a part of this podcast.   PETER SINGER  47:42 Thank you for the opportunity. It was great.   ROBERT PETERS  47:44 Thank you.   Julie Roys  47:45 And thanks so much for listening to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And if you’ve appreciated this podcast, would you please consider supporting what we do financially? As I’ve said before, we don’t have any big donors or advertisers. We have you the people who care about exposing abuse and corruption in the church so she can be restored. And this month when you give a gift of $30 or more to the Roys report, we’ll send you a copy of Scot McKnight and Laura Behringer, his book pivot the priorities practices and powers that can transform your church into a Tov culture. So, to donate and to get your copy of pivot just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to the noise report on Apple podcast. Google podcasts or Spotify. That way you’ll never miss an episode. And while you’re at it, I’d really appreciate it if you’d help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks so much for joining me today. Hope you were blessed and encouraged. Read more

Fr. Mike zeroes in on Samuel's dramatic prophecy and the tragic moment when the Philistines capture of the Ark of God. We learn that God is mighty and holds his people to a high standard. Today we read 1 Samuel 3-5 and Psalm 150. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.