Podcasts about in exodus

In Exodus 16 we learn about a group of ex-slaves whom God had led out of Egypt.They needed nourishment. So he provided them with manna, a bready source of food. Each day he would deliver just enough for that day. Since he wanted them to rest on the seventh day he would provide double on … Continue reading How will I build my empire?

Hi, I'm John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you're listening to Share Life Today. This week, we're learning an easy-to-remember Gospel presentation. And we're using the five fingers of our hand as a learning aid. Today we'll focus on Word #3 – God, and picture your middle finger – the longest, greatest finger representing the greatest being in all the universe which we know to be God. Of the many aspects of God's character, we'll emphasize two:  First, God is MERCIFUL and doesn't want to punish us. The Bible tells us that “God is love.” But the same Bible that teaches us that He is love, also teach us that He is JUST and He cannot tolerate our sin. In Exodus 34:7, God says, "By no means will I clear the guilty." This presents a problem. Notice that I did not say God has a problem. The problem is ours. For God's solution to our problem, we'll turn our attention tomorrow to Word #4 – CHRIST. God solved our problem through Jesus Christ! Visit sharelife.today to see this “Hand” Gospel presentation video. That's sharelife.today.

"Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need" Scripture: Exodus 16On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember not just those we've lost, but the quiet grief that comes with change — even good change. In Exodus 16, the Israelites are no longer enslaved, but freedom brings uncertainty. They miss Egypt — not the cruelty, but the comfort and predictability of what they knew.This week's message explores what it means to let go of what no longer serves us — the habits, assumptions, or comforts that can keep us tethered to the past. God meets the Israelites in their fear and hunger, not with judgment, but with daily provision: manna, quiet and sufficient, like grace itself.What do we still carry from our own “Egypt”? And do we trust God to provide just enough for the journey ahead?Sermon Reflection Questions1. Butterfly Fact: A chrysalis is a hard exoskeleton that the caterpillar forms when it's time to transform. The chrysalis keeps the caterpillar safe for a time during metamorphosis and is ultimately discarded when the new butterfly is ready to come out. What safe spaces and comfort zones have you outgrown? How does our protective armor sometimes impede growth? 2. What does it look like for you to trust God's provision one day at a time, especially when you're in a season of transition or uncertainty?3. When have you experienced a time of spiritual “wilderness” that turned out to be a season of preparation or transformation? What did you learn about God, and about yourself, while waiting and trusting in that in-between space? Support the show

Prayer is so important because it allows us to delight in God's presence, discern His heart, and depend on His power. But prayer is so powerful because it actually directs God's hand. When we pray, prayer moves our heart and will to align with God's heart and will. But it also moves God's hand to directly interfere into the affairs of humanity. And yet few of us actually believe this. Some of us fall into the trap of fatalism, falsely believing God has already set the future and our prayers won't actually change anything. Others of us fall into the trap of naturalism, falsely believing that prayer is less important than action. But throughout the scriptures, God does change his mind in response to his peoples' prayers. In Exodus 32, after receiving the 10 Commandments, Moses prays on behalf of the Israelites and God relents. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha prays for the eyes of his servant to be opened to the reality of God's power through prayer. If you track the theme of prayer throughout the biblical story, one thing becomes abundantly clear: prayer moves the hand of God to action. It's our prayers, usually on behalf of others, by which God advances His Kingdom to push back the darkness in the world around us. Put simply, God responds when we pray. By praying bold prayers that just might move God's hand to action, we practice turning our inward-focused minds, hearts, and bodies into outward-acting agents of God's kingdom.

Aaron, the older brother of Moses, was generally a good man who wanted to follow God, as well as supporting others in their walk with God. In Exodus 32 we read of a bad incident that involved an idol of a calf. Aaron and the Israelites believed a lie instead of submitting to and following God. In this Talk we consider four lies that might make us less productive in our walk with God. Everyone in the world worships and serves someone or something. Let's decide to make God our focus and honour Him and His ways.You can read the script for the whole Service here.

In Exodus 20:3-4 God says: “you shall have no other gods before me.” Makes sense. After all, he is our Creator and Redeemer.He goes on to say: “You shall not make for yourself an idol…” No problem. Back in Egypt and Canaan, people crafted idols, usually out of wood or stone. They represented the deity … Continue reading Modern idolatry

In a world that glorifies loud opinions, constant updates, and frantic control, God invites us into something radical—silence. In Exodus 14, with an army behind them and a sea in front of them, the Israelites panic. But God doesn't give them a battle plan—He gives them a command: “Be still.” We're cutting through the chaos to rediscover the quiet power of trust. Because sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is stop talking, stop striving, and just stand still. Less noise. More faith. Let God fight.

* You can get the sermon note sheet at: http://family-bible-church.org/2025Messages/25May11.pdf * Jesus has entered into Jerusalem. He initially went into the Temple, cleared out the money-changers, and declared that the Temple was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations, but the religious establishment had made it into an emporium of thieves! * For the next four days, from His entrance into the city to His death on the cross, Jesus taught the people in the Temple. * Also on those the next four days, the religious leaders sought to trap Him and find public fault in Him or His teachings. This is important because as Psalm 118 declared, He would also be the Festal Sacrifice. * Jesus was the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb. In Exodus 12, YHWH gave specific instructions for processing of the Passover Lamb. It was supposed to be chosen on the 10th day of the month, examined for the next four days to assure that it was without blemish, and then slaughtered at twilight on the 14th day of the month. (Exodus 12:2-7) * Unknowingly, the religious leaders were certifying Jesus' fulfillment of this prophecy! * Through the rest of this chapter, we see several of these "tests" which the leaders brought to Jesus. * Each of the tests, leave of us with applications to our lives as well. * Today, we see YHWH's expectations for us in relationship to earthly authority and His heavenly authority! * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on May 11, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

Sometimes the path God takes us on isn't the fastest or the easiest—but it's always the surest. In Exodus 13, as Israel begins its journey out of Egypt, God leads them the long way around, not through the land of the Philistines, but through the wilderness. Why? Because He knows what's ahead. From this message we'll discover the power of divine detours, the beauty of being led by God's presence, and the faith it takes to trust His direction even when the road winds. God's way may not be quick—but it's always right.

This month of supernatural provision is a month of manna being rained down from heaven. God is multiplying everything. It is a month of fruitfulness. Remember Jesus is the firstfruit who resurrected on Nisan 17 and we are the sons and daughters that come from Him. We are His multiplication. He broke the power of sin , death , and grave to release us from lack and deliver us into wholeness, fruitfulness & multiplication.This month we see a shift as the curse was broken at Jesus death, burial and resurrection , we are now in a garden that is full and complete. A place where we shift our mindset off of gain but instead to receive.In Exodus 16 the Israelites had to receive just what God gave while they were in the wilderness and He gave manna which is the bread of life ! Manna means “What is it” and it was delivered from the realms of life, it was pure, holy, tasted sweet like honey crackers, it was undefiled, and it was the fullness of Jesus. If you can be trained by God this month to subdue your flesh as he asked them to do on Shabbat you will enter a place where He will be your all.Read Exodus 16:27 -30 In this place everything, becomes easy and no struggle to gain. You live in a realm of faith where you know it's coming ! All that you need in every situation will be there. This is the identity He is trying to establish with the Israelites in the wilderness.It's like He's saying “Chill out - I've got this - stop trying to control it or manipulate it. That doesn't work in my garden. ” In His garden or heavenly places we steward in faith, this is a place where we ultimately know He has control over what belongs to Him and we're just helping Him tend it or till it. We are not really stopping anything or starting anything - we're simply in agreement with Him! We're in agreement with what He says and we obey Him from this place !Remember from 1 Samuel 5:22, ““Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,and to hearken than the fat of rams. “Read Deuteronomy 8 :3 Manna is the Word made manifest as Jesus was the Word made manifestWhen the Israelites ate manna they ate the Word. They partook of the completeness and wholeness of nothing missing or broken in Him!What is He saying to you this month ? Just do it ! I'll be there and I'll provide! Step out on faith !Read 1 Corinthians 15:20 We are the fruit of the first born Jesus and we are the evidence that His resurrection was complete!As we prepare for Feast of Shavuot or Pentecost , God is asking us to present ourselves as living sacrifices or fruit unto Him! He is multiplying and bringing order this month.Start the Month of Iyar with a copy of Dr Candice new book “365 Prophetic Revelations from Hebrew Calender”- go to www.Candice Smithyman.comhttps://amzn.to/4aQYoR0Classes START NEXT WEEK- Get signed up Now! - Join DREAM MENTORS and BECOME A CERTIFIED COACH!Do you want to be trained as good disciples or biblical life coach ? Do you need to experience transformation in your souls so you can be the best God is calling you to be. Go to www.dreammentors.orgFREE Zoom CALL with Dr Candice - It's time now to sign up for our next Ascension class and join Dr. Candice's Glory Road Community!Maximize Your Prophetic Potential monthly class is Wednesday April 30 at 10 am and 6 pm EST. Next one after that is Monday May 12 at 10 am and 6 pm EST. You can choose which one. Sign Up here —http://bit.ly/4gfRKXm

Have you ever had that moment where someone important remembers your name? Like a boss, or a teacher, or maybe someone you really admire. Doesn't that feel amazing? It's like—whoa, I exist. I matter. I'm not just a face in the crowd.Did you know that God started His relationship with us by doing something really vulnerable?In Exodus chapter 3, God appears to Moses in the burning bush, and Moses asks, basically, “Okay… you want me to tell people who sent me. What's Your name?”And God says: “I AM who AM.”This is more than a name. It's a revelation. God isn't just giving Moses a label—He's revealing His essence. His eternal, all-present, never-changing being. And He does it out of… trust.And that brings us to the 2nd Commandment:“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”Now, a lot of people think this just means “don't misuse God's name” And yeah, that's part of it—but it's deeper than that.The Catechism paragraph 2143 says that God confides His name to those who believe in Him. That's so personal. Like giving someone your deepest password. He's saying, “I want to be known by you… but please don't misuse what I've entrusted to you.”This name is holy. And when we use it lightly or disrespectfully, it's like we're trampling on that sacred trust.If someone you love shared something deeply personal with you—like a childhood wound or a secret dream—and then you joked about it in public… that would hurt, right?That's what we do when we throw around God's name like it's just another word.CCC 2146 says the second commandment even forbids blasphemy—not just misusing God's name, but the names of Mary and all the saints, too. These names aren't just “religious people.” They're family. They're part of our spiritual household. We're called to honor them.And then we get into oaths.Jesus said something that really challenges the way we speak. In the Sermon on the Mount, He says:“You shall not swear falsely… But I say to you, do not swear at all. Let your ‘yes' be yes and your ‘no' be no.”CCC 2150-2153 reminds us—oaths aren't casual. If you swear something in God's name and don't mean it, that's not just a lie—that's taking His name in vain. That's serious.When we're baptized—we're marked “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”CCC 2156 says that God's name sanctifies us in that moment. Like, you're branded with heaven.You become His.And then—God calls each of us by name. CCC 2158 says that everyone's name is sacred. And not just for now, but for eternity.God doesn't forget your name. Ever.He says, “I see you. I know you. You're mine.”So when we talk about not using God's name in vain—it's not about rules for the sake of rules.It's about love.It's about respecting Someone who trusted us with something holy.It's about speaking with care. Living with reverence. Letting our words reflect the weight and beauty of the relationship we've been given.So, maybe today we pause.How do we use His name?When we're frustrated… when we're joking… when we're texting.Are we honoring the God who loved us enough to tell us His Name?

“For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! ” (Psalm 34:20 NLT) Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross made eternal life possible. It’s the greatest gift ever offered. And God wanted to make sure that people recognized the gift for what it was. So even in the most agonizing moments of Jesus’ sacrifice, He continued to fulfill prophecies about His death that had been made hundreds of years earlier. Isaiah 53:12 predicted that Jesus would be put to death alongside criminals. “I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels” (NLT). Mark 15:27 says, “Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left” (NLT). In Luke’s account of the crucifixion, one of the revolutionaries taunted Jesus. The other defended Him. “Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:42–43 NLT). In Exodus 12:46, God gave Moses and Aaron instructions for the first Passover. “Each Passover lamb must be eaten in one house. Do not carry any of its meat outside, and do not break any of its bones” (NLT). The verse from Psalm 34 above turns those instructions into prophecy. Jesus was our sacrificial lamb. When John the Baptist saw Him, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NLT). Psalm 34:20 predicted that the Lamb of God’s bones would not be broken. To understand the significance of this prophecy, you have to know a little about crucifixion. Most people who were crucified died of suffocation. The position of their bodies on the cross restricted their lungs and made it hard to catch their breath. They had to push themselves up with their feet, which were nailed to the cross, to take a breath. If a crucifixion took too long, the Roman soldiers would break the person’s legs so that he couldn’t push up anymore. That’s what almost happened to Jesus. John 19:33 says, “But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs” (NLT). Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear. And “immediately blood and water flowed out” (verse 34 NLT). The water was likely fluid that had built up around Jesus’ heart and lungs. The piercing of the spear confirmed that Jesus was dead. It also confirmed that God works in amazing ways. In Zechariah 12:10, which was written hundreds of years before Jesus’ crucifixion, God says, “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died” (NLT). The biblical account of Jesus’ crucifixion is unflinching. Our sin made it necessary for Jesus to suffer as no one else has ever suffered. And the Bible pulls no punches in recording His suffering. But even the smallest details of the story reveal the perfection of God’s plan. He caused all things to work together for good, and He made eternal life possible. Reflection question: How can you honor God’s perfect plan of salvation in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this sermon from Exodus, we reflected on how God heard the cries of His enslaved people and remained faithful to His covenant with Abraham by rescuing them from bondage. In Exodus 6, God reaffirms four key promises: to bring His people out from under their burdens, to deliver them, to redeem them, and to make them His own. As these promises unfold in Exodus 12, God establishes the Passover meal as a physical reminder of His deliverance through the blood of a spotless lamb. Every element of that first Passover pointed ahead to Jesus, who would later enter the story as our Redeemer. He is the true Passover Lamb—His death brings freedom from the slavery of sin. Like the unleavened bread, His body was broken, wrapped, buried, and revealed again in the glory of His resurrection. Just as Israel was called to live as a free and set-apart people, we too are invited to live in the freedom and redemption made possible through Jesus sacrifice.

In Exodus chapter 40, Israel prepares to leave Mount Sinai behind and go on a long journey through the wilderness. As we move through our own journeys in life, we can reflect upon Exodus 34 to understand the mercy, compassion, and patience of our God.

In Exodus 10, God unleashes His sovereign power through locusts and darkness, revealing His complete supremacy.  Even in judgment, He is revealing His glory and calling His people to trust and worship.

In Exodus 11, we witness the looming final act of God's judgment against Egypt—an act that will forever change the course of history. We'll explore the tension between God's mercy and justice, his patience with the stubbornness of man, and the powerful reminder that his will, in the end, will prevail.

In Exodus 33, Moses intercedes for the Israelites, emphasizing their need for God's presence amidst their rebellion. God reassures him, promising that His presence will accompany them, offering rest. This exchange highlights human vulnerability and the divine mercy that provides soul-deep peace, reminding us to seek God's companionship through life's challenges.

In Exodus 6:1 God tells us the benefit of His Two Hands, later in verse 6, He shares that God will also stretch out His Arms. The FREEDOM that results that will change the world forever both in Exodus then later reveled the picture that was to become Easter.

Today we are talking about navigating life's uncertainty.In Exodus 14, Moses is leading the Israelites out of slavery to the Promise Land...but they aren't going quietly.In this rich passage we find 4 questions we can ask when we feel stuck.

In Exodus 32, we hear the story of the Israelites worshipping the golden calf and how this is a call to remind us to live in faith, even amidst perceived abandonment by God.

In Exodus 9, we see a powerful moment when God steps into the story in a way that changes everything. As the plagues continue to unfold, God reveals His unmatched power and sovereignty, demonstrating that when He shows up, no force on earth can stand against Him.

We all face conflicts involving our children, churches, and circumstances beyond our control. In Exodus 17, Moses prayed on the hilltop while Joshua fought in the valley. In this message, Pastor Lutzer shows us how our hilltop prayers can influence all kinds of outcomes down in the valley. We go forward in God's name. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29

We all face conflicts involving our children, churches, and circumstances beyond our control. In Exodus 17, Moses prayed on the hilltop while Joshua fought in the valley. In this message, Pastor Lutzer shows us how our hilltop prayers can influence all kinds of outcomes down in the valley. We go forward in God's name. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. 

In Exodus 3 and Moses encounter with God, we read that Moses "hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." (Ex 3:6)  As his relationship with God grew, we later hear Moses say to God, "you have said to me you are my intimate friend, you have found favor with me" and "do let me see your glory!" (Ex 33:12;18)  As we gaze on the glory of Jesus looking upon in the Eucharist, His love continues to pour transformational grace upon us...

In Exodus 16 we hear the story of God providing Manna in the wilderness. This is a constant reminder that God is the provider of all we need.  

God's laws reflect His justice, mercy, and care for the vulnerable, even in regulations that may seem distant from our modern world. In Exodus 21:1-11, we see how God establishes protections and dignity for those in servitude, pointing to His heart for redemption. In this message, Pastor Wesley Welch explores how these laws ultimately foreshadow the freedom found in Christ, who came to redeem us from the bondage of sin and bring us into the household of God.

In Exodus 4:1–17, we see Moses wrestling with doubt and insecurity, questioning whether he is truly capable of fulfilling God's call. God meets Moses in his hesitation, patiently reminding him that it's not about Moses' ability, but God's power at work through him. Even Moses' weaknesses become opportunities for God's strength to be displayed.This sermon invites us to reflect on the moments we feel inadequate or unqualified. Like Moses, we may question our calling — but God equips, empowers, and walks with us. Our limitations are not obstacles, but invitations for God to show His glory through us.We hope and pray that this service is a blessing to you. If you're joining us live on YouTube or Facebook, head over to https://church.nu/live to join us in community!We pray this message encourages you as we apprentice to become more like Jesus. We'd love to hear from you!hello@church.nuwww.facebook.com/newlifegoldcoastwww.instagram.com/@newlifegoldcoast ★ Support this podcast ★

By Mario Seiglie - The history of the Passover is discussed from its origin in Genesis 1 during the Creation week when days are established with signs. In Exodus, God tells Moses how the Israelites will be freed from Egyptian bondage when the first Passover is established. Then, God delivered His Commandments and

In Exodus 7, God empowers Moses and Aaron to stand before Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. While Moses is made "like God" in Pharaoh's eyes, he is clear to recognize that Moses is not God—he is God's chosen vessel. This chapter teaches us the balance between divine authority and human humility. God often calls us to represent Him in the world, but it is crucial to remember that while we act in His name, we are still His servants, not the source of power. Join us as we explore how God equips us with His authority to face challenges, yet reminds us to rely on His power, not our own.

In Exodus chapters 28 and 29, God establishes the priesthood for Israel. Pastor Glenn Lawson covers this topic, with a focus on what priesthood means for those who have accepted Jesus.

Hi, I'm John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you're listening to Share Life Today. This week, we're learning an easy-to-remember Gospel presentation. And we're using the five fingers of our hand as a learning aid. Today we'll focus on Word #3 – God, and picture your middle finger – the longest, greatest finger representing the greatest being in all the universe which we know to be God. Of the many aspects of God's character, we'll emphasize two:  First, God is MERCIFUL and doesn't want to punish us. The Bible tells us that “God is love.” But the same Bible that teaches us that He is love, also teach us that He is JUST and He cannot tolerate our sin. In Exodus 34:7, God says, "By no means will I clear the guilty." This presents a problem. Notice that I did not say God has a problem. The problem is ours. For God's solution to our problem, we'll turn our attention tomorrow to Word #4 – CHRIST. God solved our problem through Jesus Christ! Visit sharelife.today to see this “Hand” Gospel presentation video. That's sharelife.today.

Send us a textHello, may I have five minutes of your time? Almost everyone is going through a life challenge right now. And if you're not going through something, you probably know someone who is. My name is Stephanie Wright, and I want to briefly discuss how we can help one another through these challenges. Many Christian denominations will observe Lent from March 5th until Easter or Resurrection Sunday, April 20, 2025. This is when we commemorate Jesus' 40 days and nights in prayer and fasting in the desert. Afterward, he began his dynamic ministry in which multitudes were healed in their bodies, minds, and souls.Would you consider dedicating 40 days or a portion of 40 days sacrificing one thing leading up to Resurrection Sunday? For most people, it is food—the way Jesus fasted. Or perhaps it would be consecrating yourself from a favorite pastime like television or social media. Whatever you decide, be sure you give time to God in prayer. He is looking for a sincere and believing heart.If you fast from food, be sure to be wise and follow your healthcare provider's instructions. You might think that your fasting and praying is like dropping a teaspoon of water in the ocean. You would be wrong. There are numerous biblical and real-life examples where one person changed the outcome of circumstances and even saved a nation because they fasted and prayed.In Exodus chapters 24, 32, and 34, Moses went on at least two 40-day fasts. God was going to wipe out the Israelites for worshiping a golden idol. But after Moses' fast, God spared their lives.In the book of Jonah, the king of Nineveh put his country, himself, and even the animals on a fast of unspecified days. Jonah warned him of their downfall if he did not repent. God saw their works and spared Nineveh.Queen Esther declared a three-day fast with no food or water for all Jews in 127 provinces covering 2,700 miles in Persia. God delivered her people from annihilation by an evil man named Haman.The last Old Testament example I will give you is the prophet Elijah in I Kings chapters 20 and 21. Elijah fasted 40 days and nights, which led to the death of the evil queen, Jezebel, and her husband King Ahab.I will close with Jesus and the works He did after His 40-day fast. He healed the brokenhearted, set people free from physical afflictions, opened the blinded eyes, and more. Fasting and prayer bring spiritual, physical, and financial blessings.God is no respecter of persons. Therefore, you are no less important than the Bible personalities we discussed today. And your prayers are no less powerful than theirs. So, consider the impact you could have if you commit yourself to a fast and prayer during the days leading up to Resurrection Sunday.If you want an extended version of this presentation, listen to our podcast Episode 5, “H Stands for The Holy Spirit, Our Helper,” in our series, “Stay in His Presence.”  Thank you for joining me today, and may you have a blessed time in preparation for Resurrection Sunday.Now, let's go to Apostle Charles, who will close us out with contact information and tell you how to acces | ReplyForwardAdd reactionIf you want to contact us or comment on this podcast, please visit our website at cgmissions.com/podcast, where all episodes are available by category in series format. You can see the most recent video and audio podcasts at: www.youtube.com/@cgmissionsinc then select from the video or podcast"Playlist." CGM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations may be made on our website: https://www.cgmissions.com/donate-here/

Life is a fight, and the battles feel endless. But what if the breakthrough isn't about holding on tighter—but letting go? In Exodus 17, Moses' staff was just a stick until God used it. The same is true for what's in your hands—your time, gifts, and resources. Victory comes when we surrender what we have to God and trust Him with the outcome. And like Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold him up, we're not meant to stand alone. So, what's in your hands—and will you trust God with it? (Talk by Joshua Ott)

Life is a fight, and the battles feel endless. But what if the breakthrough isn't about holding on tighter—but letting go? In Exodus 17, Moses' staff was just a stick until God used it. The same is true for what's in your hands—your time, gifts, and resources. Victory comes when we surrender what we have to God and trust Him with the outcome. And like Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold him up, we're not meant to stand alone. So, what's in your hands—and will you trust God with it?

Both anointing and adornment were used symbolically to designate or identify people or things which had been set aside for service unto the Lord. In Exodus 30:22-33 God told Moses to make a special anointing oil that would mark the temple furnishings and the priests as belonging to the service of the Lord. In Psalm 149:4 and Isaiah 61:10, the bible says that God takes pleasure in his people and he adorns the humble with salvation and robes of righteousness and that those godly traits look just like a priestly headdress that a bridegroom adorns himself with, and sparkling jewels that a bride adorns herself with for her wedding day. We are anointed for the Lord's service by the Holy Spirit and adorned with his godliness.

I Fought the Law and the Law Won Are you carrying more than you should? Life can feel like a constant balancing act—until the weight becomes too much. In Exodus 18, Moses reunites with his family, only to receive a blunt but life-changing challenge from his father-in-law, Jethro: “What you are doing is not good.” Jethro's wisdom reshapes how Moses leads, showing us that leadership isn't about doing it all—it's about equipping others to share the load.  So, who are you empowering? And who's speaking wisdom into your life? Let's talk about it.  Exodus 18  Discussion topics What part of this sermon, or this passage stands out most to you and why?  In Exodus 18:7-12, Jethro celebrates what God has done for Israel. Why is it important to share testimonies of God's faithfulness with family and friends? Who is someone in your life that gives you wise advice when you need it? Who in your life do you allow to challenge you and say, "What you are doing is not good"? How can you be more open to wise counsel? Have you ever been in a situation where you were trying to do everything yourself? What happened? Where do you need to delegate or ask for help in your life—whether in family, work, ministry, or personal growth?  Next week Navigation Church moves back to two services.  Who is someone in your life that you would love to see sitting next to you?  Would you commit to making a personal invite to them this week? Check out our other audio series and video playlists that can help you find Jesus in every moment and then discover what's next

When historian Stephen Ambrose wrote the bestseller about their amazing adventure, he appropriately titled it Undaunted Courage. It's one of the many accounts of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the daring group who explored America's new Louisiana Purchase 200 years ago. As they made their way along the Missouri River, traveling from St. Louis all the way to the Pacific Ocean, most every bend in the river revealed sights and wildlife that no white man had ever seen. One of the many critical moments on their two-year expedition was the point in Montana where they encountered a fork in the Missouri River. There was no map to guide them, and a wrong choice could exhaust their resources for a very long journey. The river to the right was muddy like the Missouri had been. The crew wanted to go that way. But Captain Lewis and Captain Clark assessed the situation, and led their reluctant men down the left fork. When the expedition reached the massive waterfalls that Indian friends had told them they would find, they all knew they had chosen the right way. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Following The People or Leading The People." The captains on the Lewis and Clark Expedition had the courage and conviction to lead their crew where the crew didn't think they should go. That's called leadership. And some people you're responsible for may need you to be leading them with that kind of courage right now. See, the troops are often wrong about which way to go. They were in Moses' day when the majority said it was too dangerous to go into the Promised Land. Two men exercised godly leadership that day, defying the popular opinion - Joshua and Caleb. And though the people refused to follow their lead, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of their generation who did not die during the 40 years in the wilderness. And 40 years later, God gave Joshua the amazing assignment of leading His people into the land where Joshua had tried to take them before. Nehemiah steadfastly led a sometimes frightened, sometimes reluctant majority to stay on mission and finish the Jerusalem wall against overwhelming odds. In Exodus 17, beginning with verse 4, our word for today from the Word of God, we find a revealing picture of what real, principled leadership requires - whether it's leading your family, your business, a church, a ministry, or any people who look to you. As usual, the Israelites were complaining and quarreling and grumbling against Moses. They're desperate for water, and there's none around. "Then Moses cried out to the Lord, 'What am I to do with these people? They are ready to stone me.' The Lord answered Moses, 'Walk on ahead of the people (listen to that!)...take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile. I will stand before you by the rock of Horeb. Strike the rock and water will come out.'" And Moses' leadership was again vindicated as water for a nation flowed from that rock. That's the kind of leadership I hope you and I are prepared to give. Walk ahead of the people you're leading - you can't hear the Lord as long as you're listening to the crowd. You have to extricate yourself from the fray and get some perspective, get above the fray. Then cry out to God, "What am I to do with these people?" And listen for where He is headed and do what He says. Your job is to let God show you what He is up to, and then to join Him in what He's doing by obeying Him, and then leading the people in that direction even if another way seems right to them. Don't follow your biases. Don't follow your own wisdom. Don't follow the people that you're supposed to be leading. Follow the Lord where He's going. When you lead with that kind of courage and that kind of conviction, you can take the people to their destiny instead of to a detour.

Salvation of the Chosen (audio) David Eells, 2/16/25 I have declared the former things from old; yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass (Isa.48:3). Predict means to tell the future in advance. What the world calls predictions rarely come to pass. It seems they have a warped idea of what a prediction is. When God predicts the future, He declares it and then does it. Not only does God's Word show the future but also it brings it to pass. The worlds (Greek: “ages”) have been framed by the word of God (Heb.11:3). The word “framed” in this verse means “to make complete.” The history (or His-story) of all ages was completed before the beginning. (Isa.48:4) Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; (5) therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I showed it thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. He is a jealous God (Exo.20:5). He will not share His glory with the idol of self or an idol of man's creation (Isa.42:8). God receives glory from telling of His works hundreds or thousands of years beforehand. His works were finished from the foundation of the world (Heb.4:3). Because His works were finished from the foundation of the world, no one can say, “My might, my power, my god has done this.” It is important to God that we know He is sovereign. Our God has done something that no other “god” has done; He accurately tells the future long before it comes to pass. It is hard to live the Christian life without knowing that God is sovereign. Without this knowledge, we will not have the peace, rest, and the fear of God that we need in the midst of trials. We will always be wrestling with people and circumstances and trusting in our own strength, instead of seeing God's hand and trusting in His strength. (Hos.4:6) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… (Isa.46:8) Remember this, and show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. (9) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I [am] God, and there is none like me; (10) declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not [yet] done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. God does all of His pleasure so that only His counsel comes to pass. The proof, that God is the only God, is that He declares the end from the beginning. All the prognosticators, psychics, seers, and stargazers of the devil have only come up with slightly better than random accuracy on the future because their lord is not sovereign. The devil does have an edge. He knows the prophetic Word better than we do, and he predicts what he plans to do, but God is sovereign and often overrules him. (Isa.46:11)… I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed, I will also do it. God is very self-willed. He has a right to be. His self is not corrupt, but ours is. He brings to pass what He desires because it is right. In the text, God is speaking of Cyrus, the pagan king of the Media-Persian Empire. God raised up Cyrus to destroy Babylon in order to set His people free from bondage. At that time, Cyrus had no idea that the Lord had put the desire in him to do exactly what He wanted. (Isa.44:28) That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. How can God be so sure that a man who has been a pagan all his life will do everything that will please Him? We see here that nothing or no one can resist God's good purpose for His people. God is sovereign over the future of the great empires of the world in order to deliver and prepare His people. (Isa.45:1) Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: (2) I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron; (3) and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, the Lord, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel. (4) For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. The Euphrates River passed through the city of Babylon. One of the gates spoken of here crossed in the Euphrates River to keep the enemy out. Cyrus by the help of God performed a monumental feat in diverting the Euphrates so that his army could enter the city beneath this gate. After they had entered the city, they discovered that the gates on either bank leading into the city had been left unlocked (by God, verses 1 and 2), which was strange, considering that the Babylonians were at war. After Cyrus conquered Babylon, the high priest showed him these prophecies and more that were written about him hundreds of years before he was born. The Jews say Cyrus was very impressed to see his name and works written in prophecy before the fact and became a believer in the God of Israel. God stated clearly that He was going to open those gates for Cyrus to do His Will. After hearing these revelations, Cyrus knew that God had empowered, planned, and made his way. Christian leaders have turned God into a mere prophet, claiming God sees into the future and then reveals it. Every type and shadow in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament to prove that God sits on the throne and One Mind rules over time and the future. One loose canon, would change everything. According to the law of geometric progression, one change at the beginning makes an immense change at the end. Chance or more than one in control could not possibly bring to pass what we see. The Armenian thinkers teach that God predestines and predicts by seeing into the future then tells us how the dice rolled. “Predestine” means “to determine destiny before it happens.” “Foreordain,” which is the same Greek word, means “to ordain an event before it takes place.” (Eph.1:4) Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. You who are manifesting sonship by bearing fruit have been chosen and are being drawn by God. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained (predestined) [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. God foreknew and decreed all who come to the likeness of Jesus, but not the apostate. “Foreknew” here does not mean He looked into the future and saw what would be. “Foreknew” here means, “to know before” and is not connected with actions or events, but persons. God knew these people before the foundation of the world because He does not dwell in time. God knows what He creates before He speaks it into existence just as we conceive and design something first in our mind before we make it. “Knew” speaks of intimate knowledge, for instance, Adam knew Eve. Jesus will say to those who called Him Lord but do not do the Will of the Father, (Mat.7:23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (meaning, from the foundation of the world): depart from me, ye that work iniquity. To the foolish virgins without the oil of the Spirit, Jesus said, “I know you not.” The ones that God intimately knew He “foreordained” before the creation to be conformed to the image of Jesus. God creates us through His gift of faith and the Word in us; His people who are on the narrow road. This is grace. (Rom.8:30) And whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. This says all who are foreordained will be called, justified, and glorified. They will not fall away but will bear the fruit of Christ. Are there others who are called but not foreordained? (2Ti.1:9) Who saved us, and called us with a holy calling… Notice that only the saved are called. Called is from the Greek word kaleo, which means, “to invite.” Called is an invitation given only to God's people (more proof: Heb.3:1; Hos.11:1; 1Ti.6:11-12; Mat.25:14; Rom.1:6-7) to partake of his heavenly benefits in Christ in order to bear fruit. Those who bear fruit 30, 60, or 100-fold will be proven to be the chosen or picked. If at harvest time you have no fruit, rotten fruit, or unripe fruit, you will not be picked. The called are the vineyard of God (Isa.5:7). The chosen are the smaller percentage who bear fruit (Isa.5:10). (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen (Greek: eklektos, “elect”). The called can fall, but the elect or chosen will not. (Hos.11:1) When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (2) The more [the prophets] called them, the more they went from them…The Lord saved those that ate the lamb and were baptized in the Red Sea. He then tried them in the wilderness to see who would be a believer in the midst of trials, and only those entered the Promised Land. Jude warned the called of this very thing. (Jud.1:1) Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called… (5) Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. Notice that the called were saved, but some did not continue in faith and were destroyed. Friends, God is not looking for what we loosely call “Christians,” but believers or disciples, as they were called. Jesus gave us very clear examples of His servants who are called but do not come and partake in order to bear fruit. Jesus shared a parable in which a king made a marriage feast for His son. (Mat.22:3) And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden (Greek: “called”) to the marriage feast: and they would not come. They were full of excuses (a farm, merchandise, etc.). (Mat.22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. Even one who appeared to come did not have on a wedding garment which implies putting on Christ (Rom.13:14) or putting on righteousness (Rev.19:8). (Mat.22:13) Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few chosen. A few of the called are chosen or elect because they bear fruit. (Mat.25:14) For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, called his own servants (Greek: “bondservants”), and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey. Obviously, the man who went away was the Lord, and His bondservants are His people. Two of these example servants brought forth fruit of the talent given them (Mat.25:20-22), but one buried his in the earth (used his talent for the earthly, Mat.25:24-25). When our Lord returns, He will say, And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth (Mat.25:30). The apostle Paul, who said of himself that he was called in Galatians 1:15, also said, But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected (Greek: “reprobated”) (1Co.9:27). There is much more proof that the saved and the called can fall (2Pe.1:9-11; 1Ti.6:11-12; Heb.3:1,6,12,14; Rom.11:1-7,19-23). Friend, you probably know if you are called, but are you chosen? You must be diligent in your walk of faith to prove this. (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election (choosing) sure: for if ye do these things (the attributes of Christ, verses 5-7), ye shall never stumble: (11) for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God at the cross has already given us everything that we need to bear fruit through faith. (2Pe.1:3) seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue. Faith in the promises in the midst of trials will give us the fruit. (2Pe.1:4) Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. The called have the power and the opportunity. The called and the chosen, or foreordained, use the power by faith and take the opportunity. The only ones who will ultimately be with the Lord are identified in this verse. (Rev.17:14) These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they [also shall overcome] that arewith him, called and chosen and faithful. Notice that the called that are chosen will be faithful. I did not make these verses up; they are the Word of God. Those who have eyes and ears will see and understand, but the rest will justify their religion and ignore the Scriptures. Before time and the future, God sovereignly spoke the end from the beginning, bringing these things into existence in time. Some would argue, “How could God make a promise to all of His called and then not keep it for those who do not bear fruit?” Every promise in the Bible is useless until someone walks by faith in it. Our part of the covenant is faith; God's part is power and salvation. We can break the covenant through unbelief. (Num.14:11) And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? (12) I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they. Notice that God is saying to His own people who did not believe that He would disinherit them. Lest any believe that God cannot make a promise and then take it back when they do not walk in faith, pay attention to this: (Num.14:23) Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised me see it. (30) surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. (34)… and ye shall know my alienation (Hebrew: “revoking of my promise”). Unless we mix faith with God's promises, they are void. (Heb.4:2) For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they (God's people): but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. The Israelites who walked in sin were disinherited and blotted out of God's book. (Exo.32:33) And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. The same is true of the Christians who do not overcome sin. Notice what the Lord said to the Church. (Rev.3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life…Those who do not overcome will be rejected from the body of Christ. (Rev.3:16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. God's people Israel were broken off because of unbelief, and Christians who were grafted in but do not walk by faith will be, too. (Rom.11:20) Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: (21) for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. (22) Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Those who are still grafted in at the end are called “all Israel.” (Rom.11:26) and so all Israel shall be saved… Those who are still in the book of life, still grafted in, are the elect (Greek: “chosen”). (Rom.11:2) God did not cast off his people which he foreknew… (5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (chosen) of grace. A remnant is those who are left. Notice they are foreknown and chosen. Sovereign God will have those who are truly His. Abiding in Christ is where salvation is. Some say God gave us the gift of eternal life so He cannot take it back. In Galatians 3:16, we are told, To Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. So the promises were given to Christ, not to us individually. The only way the promises are ours is if we abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ is bearing fruit (Joh.15:1-6), walking as He walked (1Jn.2:3-6), believing the same teachings given by Jesus and the apostles (1Jn.2:24; Jud.1:3; Mat.28:20), not adding to or subtracting from the Word (Rev.22:18-19), not walking in sin (1Jn.3:5-6), and keeping His commandments (1Jn.3:24). In Christ is the only place we can claim the gift of eternal life. (1Jn.5:11)… God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. God does not have to take His gift back; His people walk out of it. (1Co.6:18)… Every sin that a man doeth is without the body…When you walk in willful sin, you are not abiding in His body for in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: (1Jn.3:5-6). For instance, fornication, spiritual or physical, takes away the members of Christ and makes them members of a harlot (1Co.6:15,18). Only Christ and those abiding in Him are chosen. (Eph. 1:4) Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world… Only Christ and those abiding in Him are going to heaven. (Joh.3:13) And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven…The manna from heaven, the Word Jesus Christ, who takes up residence in those who love Him, is the fruit that God is coming to choose. By this time, I am sure some are thinking that they do not measure up. We must first abide in Christ by faith accepting the Gospel report that I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me (Gal.2:20). Those who walk by faith that they are dead to sin and Christ now lives in them are accounted as righteous until God uses that faith to manifest righteousness in them. (Gal. 3:6) Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. God does not dwell in time, but eternity. He sees the beginning and the end at the same time, therefore, He can answer a prayer before we pray. We do not have to worry that we have waited too late to pray because He can have the answer coming long before we ask. (Isa.65:24) And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. I had a friend, who went to the local trade school, offer to take my broken washer for the students to work on. It was only going to cost me for parts. By faith, I told him to go ahead. He called back in a couple of days to say that he would be bringing it back and the cost was $90. My wife and I accounted that we only had $40. In a moment of inspiration, I pointed my finger at the mailbox and said, “$50 is coming in that box today.” In the mail that day was a letter from a brother in Maryland. (I had absolutely no foreknowledge of this incident.) He wrote, “It is after midnight, and I just cannot get to sleep until I obey God and write this check for $50.” I looked at the post date on the letter and discovered it had been lost in the mail for a whole month! Obviously, God had it found at just the right moment. He had it coming a month before I spoke those words of faith. He merely used me to bring to pass what He had already planned. I asked God to do something that I believe He may have changed time to accomplish. Many years ago, this very young girl made a mistake and tested pregnant. As I prayed about her situation, a thought came into my head and right out of my mouth. I asked the Lord to make this girl as though she were never pregnant. I believe that this did not come from my mind, but God's Spirit. Because of the way this prayer came, I received it as a confirmation from the Lord that it was the Will of God. Later, tests proved that she was not pregnant. I do not know what God did with the baby, but I am sure He is taking better care of it than that girl would have. Nothing is beyond God's ability to help us, unless it is beyond our faith. How can God change His mind when He knows and speaks the end in the beginning? Then changing your mind makes you a liar. (Isa.46:10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not [yet] done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. If He sees all from the beginning, why would He ever need to change His mind? God will not change what is written in His Word. (Psa.119:89) For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. His Word is likened unto a rock, immovable and unchangeable. However, God can change or delay what He speaks to you personally as a warning through prophets, dreams, visions, or His Spirit. When the Word ultimately comes to pass, it will be fulfilled as the Bible says it will. God gave us an example of this in the book of Jonah. Jonah cried and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown (Jon.3:4). God told Jonah to preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee (Jon.3:2), so he did. He was not a false prophet. God spared Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, because they repented. This angered Jonah because Assyria was the mortal enemy of Israel and the prophets had already been prophesying that Assyria would conquer rebellious Israel. He wanted them to be destroyed for what he perceived was Israel's sake. Jonah knew that if he preached to Nineveh and they repented, God would not destroy them, so he fled. (Jon.4:1) But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. (2) And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil. God spared Nineveh around 752 B.C. so that Assyria could conquer the northern ten tribes of Israel around 720 B.C. and then Judah around 701 B.C. Nineveh ultimately did fall around 612 B.C. God knew before He threatened Nineveh that He was going to spare them for the purpose of using them to chasten Israel. From Nineveh's perspective, they changed God's mind by repenting, but from God's perspective, He changed Nineveh's mind and fulfilled His plan from the beginning for them, which was to chasten Israel! Jonah's Hebrew word for “repentest” here is nacham meaning “to sigh” and by implication “to be sorry.” In itself, nacham does not admit evil doing, or even a change of mind, only sorrow. As Father, God must do many things that He sorrows over. When the Scriptures speak of God repenting, it is for our perspective because it appears to us that He changed His mind and did not do what He threatened. As a parent five times over, I have done this many times. The difference between God and us is, He plans and sees the delays and repentances from the beginning. (Num.23:19) God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent. (1Sa.15:29) And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent. Here is another thing that proves the sovereignty of God in time and the future, and that God plans delays or “repentances” beforehand. Israel and the United States share a unique identity. Each was entrusted with the Gospel in their respective time. From 887 B.C., Israel was at war every seventeen years for a period of fifteen cycles until 631 B.C. The United States also has been in a war every seventeen years for a period of fifteen cycles from the forming of the thirteen original states to Grenada in l983-l984. For both nations, in the sixth and tenth cycle there was no war. The only possible exceptions to the parallel are that Israel appears to have had a devastating famine in the forth cycle instead of a war and there seems to be no record for a war in their thirteenth cycle. The cycles could be more exact than our knowledge, but no sane person could think that this is chance. The repetitions of history clearly show that one mind is in control of past and future. Stay with me because I would like to encourage you about your family and loved ones who may be running after worldly desires and not yet saved. No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day (Joh.6:44). Some parents feel very guilty that, though they did the best they could, their children seem to be going the wrong way. The following teaching is not against those who have faithfully served the Lord from their youth but rather for those who feel that the Lord has passed them or their children by. Walk by faith for those wayward children, not sight. Believe in your prayers, expect miracles, but be patient. God has a plan that starts for them long before their salvation. Give some deep thought to this. It will free you from worry, strife, condemnation and self-effort to bring about God's will in them. They will have to be saved after tribulation and failure of their worldly expectations, as we were. Children who are raised knowing about the Lord are sometimes very self-righteous. They think they deserve what they have and do not understand grace. They will also have to see themselves as sinners in order to be the dirt that can receive the Word and bear the fruit of Jesus. God only saves sinners. We have all been one. This is a necessary revelation in order to appreciate the great value of salvation and to be saved by unmerited favor. I remember my oldest daughter when she was three years old going around our lost friends and relatives saying, “God does not like that.” She was quickly deflecting what we had taught her. We thought, “You little Pharisee.” Our heavenly Father has had many prodigal sons just as Jesus' parable shows, but that does not make Him a bad Father (Luk.15:11-32). In this parable, the “good” son who never left home was self-righteous, judgmental, and merciless. On the other hand, the younger son, who spent his inheritance on riotous living, realized his low estate and came to his father very humbly saying, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. (Luk.15:21). The once rebellious son now understood mercy and grace and was a much better man for it. Prophetically, the firstborn son who never left the Father was the righteous among Israel, but they did not understand grace. The younger, second son of the Father who fell away through the dark ages for 2,000 years is the Church, who is returning in these days to understand the grace of God. The Father said to these, Bring forth quickly the best robe (the robe of righteousness [Isa.61:10]), and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand (symbol of authority and of the Bride), and shoes on his feet (the walk of separation from the world) (Luk.15:22). The prodigal son will have more of everything than the first son. Those who have been sinners know their need of God, but many times, those who are raised as God's people do not. (Mat.21:28) But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard. (29) And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went. (30) And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not. (31) Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (32) For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him. Many times, it is not the son who says he will go to work in the Father's vineyard who actually goes, but the son whose first inclination is to rebel. This rebel who comes to see himself as a sinner goes while the other son who feigns righteousness does not. Many career Christians are bored with the work of God and are distracted by the allure of the world. The publicans and harlots are so appreciative of a place in the kingdom that they throw their whole heart into it, willing to be servants rather than be served. They understand the great value of the gift of grace that is given them and their own unworthiness. In the last days of the Gentiles, it will be the same as it was in the last days of the Jews. There are many self-righteous “Christians” today who are not the creation that the Father desires. Those who have been raised in the church should humble themselves to the Word of God and not religion so that no man takes their crown (Rev.3:11). It appears Jesus had this in mind when He shared this parable. (Luk.18:9) And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: (10) Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (12) I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. (13) But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. (14) I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified (Greek: “accounted righteous”) rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. The self-righteous child who kept all the religious traditions was not accounted righteous while the poor sinner who was repenting of his unworthiness was. Jesus told the Pharisees that He had not come to call the righteous but the sinners. He was after those who knew they had been sinners to be His children. Look at the following verse carefully. (Rom.11:32) For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. God has designed that forgiven sinners become His sons. Those who have been disobedient have a great appreciation for mercy and grace and do not offend God quickly. God has subjected us to this fallen creation for the purpose of a higher creation. (Rom.8:20) For the creation was subjected to vanity (the fall and corruption), not of its own will, but by reason of him (God) who subjected it, in hope (Greek: “firm expectation”) (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. He wants those who have been corrupt, as good soil is, to be delivered to appreciate Him. The children of God can only be created from the fallen creation, and God is the one who subjected them to it to humble them. The Scriptures show us our unfaithfulness and unworthiness so that we might have a reason to truly repent. (Gal.3:22) But the scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. God chose us to be saved in Christ before Adam even fell. (Eph.1:4) Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love. He knew we would need a savior before the world was made and Adam fell. He knew the fall would happen, and He went ahead with the creation anyway. From this you can see that the fall was in His plan. Children who are raised with Christ many times take Him for granted and do not really understand grace as unmerited favor. God has a plan for them that may involve the temporary lifting of His grace that has been taken for granted. Do not fear this, or walk by sight, but continue to believe God for them. Peter was Jesus' little one whom He raised up to be a disciple. He self-confidently declared to the Lord that he would never be offended and deny Him but would go with Him to death in (Mat.26:33-35). God hates self-confidence but loves God-confidence. So how does God deal with this sin? (1Co.10:12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Failure is the best treatment for self-confidence. (Luk.22:31) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: (32) but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren. (33) And he said unto him, Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death. (34) And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, until thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Jesus prophesied failure for this proud man. Jesus, who had authority over Satan, did not forbid him from sifting Peter. Satan sifts to get what belongs to him. In this case, it was Peter's pride, self-righteousness, and self-confidence. What fell through the sieve was what God wanted, the humbled Peter. The sifted Peter who had “turned again” or been converted, could now establish the brethren. Before this failure, he would have been a good Pharisee. (Luk.7:40) And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon (the Pharisee, not Peter), I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on. (41) A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. (42) When they had not [wherewith] to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? (43) Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. (44) And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. (45) Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. (46) My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. (47) Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little. Big sinners make big saints, for they know the value of grace. According to the previous verses, God wants people who are forgiven of their many sins and saved by grace so that they love and appreciate Him much. This is the creation that He wants, not Adam before the fall. The creation that springs from the last Adam, Jesus Christ, is the ones who have fallen and then are saved by grace through faith. We need not worry about our children or loved ones becoming sinners, just “hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised.” We must gracefully sow seeds of truth, as we can, without frustrating them. They cannot be convinced without grace. God “worketh all things after the counsel of His will” and “a man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven,” and “no one comes unto the Son except the Father draw him.” God will do it when the time is right, and He will use our faith because “faith is the substance of things hoped for” (KJV). We can see why sometimes God does not save people until they are a little older and have tried the world and found it wanting. However, if you have faithfully served the Lord from your youth, you have a great reward. God can save anyone anytime He desires. It is important that we not try with our own works to save the lost but first honor God's sovereignty with our faith for Him to do it. (Joh.6:37) All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me… (44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him… Father will draw everyone that He chooses to Christ. God chooses us and gives us a desire to come to Him and only then do we choose Him. (Psa.65:4) Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee], That he may dwell in thy courts… God sometimes chooses the worst in our estimation. If God can save Paul or Mary Magdalene, who had seven demons, he can save those we believe for. Do you remember the conversion of Saul who persecuted the saints with a vengeance? (Act.9:3)… And suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven: (4) and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (5) And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he [said], I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. A monkey would get saved with such an experience, which was totally at the discretion of God. This same omnipotent God says, All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Mat.21:22). God uses His gift of faith in us to manifest the salvation of those He has chosen from the foundation of the world. Pray and thank God for those salvations. I can hear someone say, “Goody, we will believe God to save the devil; that will solve a lot of problems.” I do not think such faith would endure to the end since faith is a gift from God (Eph.2:8), to give or to take, and there is no precedent in the Scriptures for such a request. Besides that, the devil is needed in his job for which he would be totally unfit if he got saved. There is precedent for household salvation though (Act.11:14; 18:8). Paul and Silas offered this to the jailer. (Act.16:31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. They believed and were saved. (34)… with all his house, having believed in God. Peter preached this, too. (Act.2:39) For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. In Exodus 12:3, the lamb was slain for a household. Unbelieving family members are sanctified by our faith. (1Co.7:14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Some object that God would be unrighteous to choose some and not others. We are too late for He has done just that. (Psa.147:19) He showeth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his ordinances unto Israel. (20) He hath not dealt so with any nation; And as for his ordinances, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. God did not attempt to share His first covenant with any of the world but Israel. The New Testament He shares only with spiritual Israel. (Deu.7:6) For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. (7) The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples. God is not worried about multitudes, for He has chosen the least. He still only chooses little spiritual Israel on the narrow road. Abraham is the father of spiritual Israel, the Church: those who walk in the same gift of faith that Abraham walked in. (Gal.3:7) Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. Paul told the Gentile church at Rome that the people of all nations who believe the promise were Abraham's children in (Rom.4:16) For this cause [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law (natural Israel), but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (17) (as it is written, A father of many nations [the Gentiles] have I made thee)… True, spiritual Israel believes the promises even now. (Rom.9:6)… For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: (7) neither, because they are Abraham's seed (naturally or physically), are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. (8) That is, it is not the children of the flesh (natural Israel) that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed. Those who believe the promises are born again children of the promises. These are Abraham's seed. A New Testament spiritual Jew is circumcised in heart, not flesh. (Rom.2:28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly (physical); neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly (spiritual); and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter… Notice that a Jew now is not a physical Jew. A Jew now has the flesh cut off from his heart through the new birth. (Gal.6:15) For neither is circumcision (in the flesh) anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (16) And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace [be] upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. The Israel of God are they who walk as new creatures. The unregenerate physical Jews who worship in synagogues are not Jews until they are born again through the New Testament. (Rev.2:9) I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan (the same in Rev.3:9). We were not Jews but now are in Spirit. (Rom.9:25) As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved. (26) And it shall be, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God. We were not His people but are now beloved sons of God. (Rom.9:27) And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel (natural or physical), If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved. A remnant of natural Israel will be born again mostly after the elect Gentiles have been saved. (Rom.11:25)… A hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. “In part” here means that the line between Gentiles and Jews is not a sharp demarcation. Neither was it in the book of Acts. Jews are even now being saved more than ever. This is a sign that we are nearing the end of the times of the Gentiles. Most of the physical Jews will come in after the Gentiles. We who sought not after God were given the gift of faith to be spiritual New Testament Israel when natural Israel turned her back on God. (Rom.10:20) And Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I became manifest unto them that asked not of me. God revealed himself to the Church who on their own neither knew nor sought Him. (21) But as to Israel he saith, All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. (Rom.11:7)…That which Israel (physical) seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election (chosen) obtained it, and the rest were hardened: (We see here that only the few chosen among the many called of Israel accepted Christ and the New Testament. The rest were reprobated.) (8) according as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day. In that day and in this, those who walk by faith are chosen from among the called to be the eternal people of the living God. Paul said “all Israel” is the physical Jews and Gentiles who are part of the olive tree by faith, not those who are broken off by unbelief (Rom.11:19-25). All have sinned and deserve destruction. Is God wrong for giving some mercy and grace and others justice? All deserve justice instead of unmerited favor.   Letter to a Prodigal Son Anonymous My Son, The Lord has chosen you as part of 3% of this world's population to be His own. I saw this in a vision I would like to tell you about. You are probably wondering, how could this be since I have been through hell? Hell is the best place to learn that you really want to live in heaven. I've loved you since you were a baby and I've known the Lord has too. Even your stubborn rebellion didn't change my mind or His. He has known you from before the foundation of the world. He has a special plan for your life that I would like to tell you about. You think, why would God love me since I have been so sinful? Jesus said, "Who loves much, he that has been forgiven of much or he that has been forgiven of little? Simon said, 'He that has been forgiven of much'". Jesus said that this answer is correct. Since you will be forgiven of much you are now capable now of loving Him the way He wants you to. You might ask, "If He loves me then why has he been so hard on me?" It is the devil who has been hard on you. He hates you and when he is through with you then you are like him, destroyed. God said, "His servants you are whom you obey". It's a simple matter to change Masters and Fathers. It happened to me when I was younger than you. I guess I wasn't quite as stubborn as you. :o) Once when you were younger you asked God to save you. You think He ignored you or forgot about that but He didn't. He was very glad and He took you very seriously but He also knew you were stubborn and would have to know the consequences of serving the devil before you would fear Him as your Father and serve Him. You are almost there. When you get there understand this about Him. He is seeking you and listening to you and if you make one step towards Him, He will be very happy to make ten towards you. You have His Word for that. Luke 15:1 Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him to hear him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Jesus is now seeking you out where you are.) 3 And he spake unto them this parable, saying, 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? (He is after you to save you.) 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (He will be very happy to receive you.) 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, [more] than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance. (Your heavenly Father and all of heaven will be happy at your turning to Him.) 8 Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of [thy] substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. (What God gave you as a child you have now wasted.) 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. (Now you are just feeding the flesh and the children of the god of this world, Satan.) 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. (Its a hard road and you are near total death.) 17 But when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! (You are starving for the bread of His kingdom, the Word of God.) 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: (Just tell Him that you have sinned and you are sorry) 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants. (Tell Him that you know you are not worthy of Him but you will serve Him with His help.) 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. (You are far from Him but He sees you when you make a step towards Him and He will run to you in love.) 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (He will meet your needs for righteousness and authority.) 23 and bring the fatted calf, [and] kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: (He will feed you with the best.) 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. (He will give you His life.) And they began to be merry. (...And He will be very happy; more so than over those who are serving him now.) 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 But he was angry, and would not go in: and his father came out, and entreated him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and [yet] thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 but when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. 32 But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive [again]; and [was] lost, and is found. Please think about this, son. Love, Dad

In Exodus 4:1, Moses questioned his abilities, but God simply asked, “What's that in your hand?” What Moses saw as useless—a stick—became a powerful tool in God's hands. God focuses on what we have, not what we lack, and He works alongside us to accomplish great things.

Signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit - is that speaking in tongues ? Signs that the Holy Spirit has left - what does that look like ? Let's study together and learn more ! In this edition of “Bible Answers Live,” the pastors will carefully share their knowledge about the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives and about the presence of the Trinity in the Book of Genesis. They'll also discuss God blaming the innocent and the Bible proclaiming that not all sins lead to death. There's so much more you don't want to miss, tune in now to “Bible Answers Live” ! 1.- How would a person know if the Holy Spirit has left them ? 2.- Is there any significance to Donald Trump consistently mentioning 1798 ? 3.- Does Ezekiel 8 verse 16 refer to Sunday-keepers worshiping the sun ? Is Sunday-keeping a form of sun worship ? 4.- Does the mark of the beast come before or after the union of church and state ? 5.- Joshua 10 verse 13 references the book of Jasher. What is the book of Jasher ? 6.- Can you please explain Deuteronomy 12 verse 22 ? 7.- Why do innocent people suffer ? 8.- Where do we see the Trinity in the creation story of Genesis ? 9.- In Romans 6 verse 23 it says, “the wages of sin is death,” but in 1 John 5 verse 17 it says, “not every sin leads to death.” Can you explain this ? 10.- In Exodus 24 verse 11, did the elders, who went up with Moses on the mount, see God's glory or the glory of Jesus ? 11.- Is being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues the same thing ? 12.- What does it mean that Yeshua is the Omega, as referenced in Revelation 3 verse 14 ? 13.- What is the meaning of Daniel 11 verse 45 ? 14.- How do pastors get a Sabbath rest since they spend the day preaching ? 15.- Different Christian religions have different viewpoints on Jesus. How do we know which version of Jesus is correct ? 16.- Was Job a Gentile or a Jew ? 17.- Does the silence in Heaven mentioned in Revelation 8 verse 1 mean that Enoch, Elijah and Moses will also attend the Second Coming ? 18.- When did John 8 verses 1 though 11 get added to the Bible ? Some people say that this wasn't in the early manuscripts. 19.- Does every person have a guardian angel ? what do these angels do ?

Feels Like A Con-Tentment Are you truly content, or just telling yourself you are? Do you trust God's provision, or are you still craving what He called you out of? In Exodus 16, the Israelites had seen God's miracles, yet they still complained, longing for the “comforts” of Egypt—even though it meant slavery. We often do the same, forgetting God's provision and focusing on what we think we lack.  God provided manna, but He also used it as a test—to see if His people would trust Him daily. True contentment isn't about having more; it's about trusting God's provision and following His instructions. This week, we're asking: Are you CON-tent or truly CONTENT? Let's break free from false security and learn how to live in daily dependence on God.  Exodus 16 Discussion topics When you hear the word "contentment," what comes to mind? Do you see it as peace or as settling for less? Exodus 16:3 says the Israelites longed for the “pots of meat” in Egypt. Why do we sometimes look back at our past with selective memory, forgetting the struggles that came with it? Numbers 11:4-6 mentions that the “mixed multitude” stirred up complaints. How can negative influences or wrong mindsets affect our ability to be content? God provided manna daily, but He also set limits (no hoarding, gather only what you need). What does this teach us about trusting God's provision today?  Are there areas in your life where you struggle to trust God's timing or provision? What would it look like to release that worry and trust Him daily? What's one way you can shift from "CON-tentment" (faking peace) to true contentment this week? Check out our other audio series and video playlists that can help you find Jesus in every moment and then discover what's next

Introduction (Bruce Almighty movie clip) It is possible that you are here today and are wondering how and why it is that a good God would allow some of the hard things you were forced to experience so far. Maybe you have said or identify with Bruces description of his own experience with God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, buthe'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm. If God is good, and if he is infinitely and perfectly sovereign how and why does He allow so much suffering in the world? How is it that He allows so much evil when he is the measure of all that is holy and good? There seems to be a great divide between the God we read about in our Bibles and the world we live in. What are we supposed to do with the confusion, disappointment, anger, evil, and suffering God has allowed into our lives? Is it okay to be angry with God when we suffer? I plan to answer the above questions, but we must start with the nature and character of God as He revealed Himself to Moses after 40 years in the desert as a fugitive of Egypt after he murdered one of Pharoahs guards. Moses Encounter with a Holy God Here is what you need to know about what led up to Moses experience with the burning bush. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and then to Jacob that their children would become His people; the promise was threefold and included the promise of land, the increase of their people, and that their people would eventually be a blessing to the nations. However, God also promised that they would spend years in a land where they would be afflicted (see Gen. 15:13; Exod. 12:40-41). When Moses was born, the Hebrew people had spent centuries living in Egypt. The Hebrew people were first welcomed as honored guests under Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) who was second to Pharaoh, but as the years past, so did the memory of Joseph. The Hebrews eventually became the slaves of another Pharaoh; he was so threatened by the birth rate of the Hebrews, that he implemented infanticide as the law of the land and wrote into law that every Hebrew son born was to be thrown into the Nile. Moses mother refused to murder her baby, so she kept his birth a secret until she could not do so any longer; she put baby Moses in a basket covered with tar and pitch, put him in it, and floated it down the Nile where Pharaohs daughter eventually found the basket with baby Moses whom she raised as her own. Moses grew up in Pharaohs house, but he was also aware of his roots as a Hebrew man. We know that Moses had a temper, and on two occasions, it cost him much. On one such occasion, after seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (see Exod. 2:11-12). When Moses learned that others knew that he killed the Egyptian, he fled and hid in the land of Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years of his life in Median, got married, and worked for his father-in-law Jethro. What We Learn About God Through Moses Encounter Before we can answer where or not it is okay to be angry with God, we need to consider the God who found Moses in Midian; against the backdrop of Josephs 13 years of suffering, the generations of slavery the Hebrews suffered in Egypt, and Moses 40 years in Midian. God is Holy: He is not like us. Moses approached the burning bush not only because it was weird, but because God called to him, from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! Moses response was simple: Here I am. Notice that as Moses got closer to the burning bush, God said to him, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his timeless and classic book, The Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart.[1] Now, just so that you are aware, it is not only Moses, a mere mortal human, who must remove his sandals in the presence of holiness. The seraphim whose sole purpose is worship above the throne of God are not exempt from the kind of respect and reverence that was expected of Moses in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah was invited into the throne room of Almighty God, and this is what he saw: In the year of King Uzziahs death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isa. 6:14) The great Seraphim must cover their face and their feet in the presence of a Holy God even though they have not been stained by sin, but because they, like us, are creatures and God is the Creator. Isaiahs response before the Holy One was appropriate: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Moses response was not only to remove his sandals, but to hide his face, for he was afraid to look at God (v. 6). Why? Because God is holy, and we are not. God is not like us. God is Omniscient: He sees the big picture. When we come to verse 6, God let Moses who it was that was speaking to him: I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And just as God was intimately acquainted with the lives of Moses forefathers, He was aware of the suffering of Moses kinsmen in Egypt: I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings (v. 7). When the Hebrews entered into Egypt, they were the size of a small clan, but after hundreds of years in Egypt, they had become the size of a small nation. When Moses fled to Midian, he was a 40-year-old used to royalty; the Moses who stood before the burning bush was any eighty-year-old shepherd. What the Hebrews did not understand, and what Moses could not have fathomed was that God was using the ugly, the hard, and the pain for something far greater than they could have imagined. God was aware of their suffering all along, and now in that moment was the right time to, rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... (v. 8) just as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. So, God said to Moses: And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt (v. 10). To which, Moses appropriately responded: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that the Hebrews could see was their slavery and suffering; all that Moses could see was his failures and incompetence. What God saw was that He alone can use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31). What God saw was that His timing was infinitely better because He saw the big picture. God is Faithful: He keeps His promises. Remember that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were surrounded by an Egyptian culture that worshiped Egyptian gods who were not gods, but demons (see Deut. 32:17). Moses questioned what name he was to give to the Hebrew slaves if they were to ask Who it was that sent Moses to deliver them (v. 13). Here is Gods answer: And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you (v. 14). Then God continued: This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me (v. 15). In other words, God told Moses: You tell them that Yahweh sent you! At the heart of Gods answer are four facts about His nature for why the Israelites should believe the He could and would deliver them: Yahweh is self-existent and not dependent. God was unlike the Egyptian gods who were created by their own culture. Yahweh is the Elohim over elohims. The great I AM was bigger than the plight of the Israelites as He is greater than any trouble in our own lives. Yahweh is creator and sustainer. Who wrote the Law of Thermodynamics? Who governs the laws of gravity?Who grants the Sun permission to get up in the morning? Who gave the song for the birds to sing? Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Who brings men into power, raises nations into prominence and then brings them to naught? Is it not the great I AM who keeps His covenant promises. Yahweh is unchanging. Yahweh is the great I AM whose personality does not change. He does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder. He does not change with the ideas of his devotees. He is unmovable because He does not change. Because Yahweh is unchanging, He is constant unlike the gods of the Egyptians or whatever idol we may have set up in our own heart. Yahweh is eternal. Because He is the great I AM, Yahweh will never have a beginning nor will he ever have an end. Even though the fool has said there is no God, Yahweh is absolute reality with nothing before or after Him. The great I AM does not sleep, slumber, slack off, or slip into a daydream stupor. What God told Moses is this: Moses, you tell My people that the Covenant Keeper who promised their forefathers that He would make them into a great nation, would give them land as a nation, and would make them a blessing to the nations... you tell them the Faithful and Living One sent you! God keeps His promises because He alone is faithful even when we are not. Conclusion So, the question you may still be asking is whether it is or is not okay to be angry with God? Is it okay to be angry with He who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the One who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with the One who keeps His covenant promises because He is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? As you know, God did use Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of slavery from Egypt, and He did it miraculously and profoundly. Yet, even after God delivered them, Moses found himself shepherding and leading a people who demonstrated over and over again just how faithless they really were. After their grievous sin of idolatry with the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for mercy for His people who sinned, and God granted it. In Exodus 33:17-34:9 we are given a glimpse into Moses heart as a shepherd absolutely in love with Yahweh, and in that exchange asked to see God. God told Moses that he could not see His face and live, but this is what God did say He would do: I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion (Exod. 33:19). When God did pass, He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and allowed His goodness to pass by him and when it did, Moses heard God proclaim of His goodness: The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations (Exod. 34:67). So, what does Gods goodness include? It includes His mercy, patience, faithfulness, truth, and grace. But it also includes His justice and wrath in response to sin. So, again I ask you: Is it okay to be angry with the God who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the God who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with a holy God who is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? Let me reframe the question for you: If God is infinitely good and we are the ones who need to improve upon being good, do we have any right to be angry with God? Now, think about the effects anger has on a relationship. When you are angry with someone because you believe you have been wronged by that person, it interferes with communication. Anger towards a friend or a member of your family often drives a wedge between you and that person. Anger typically results in the one offended distancing himself/herself from the person who wronged them. If there is no need for God to improve, especially in being good, then to suggest that it is okay to be angry with Him is to suggest that it is okay to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to visit while suffering or confused why God would allow you to suffer; verses 8-9 say the following: The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. Again in Psalm 145:17-18, The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. I have head Christians and Pastors console the suffering and confused: It is okay to be angry with God. To which I ask, How is it okay to be angry with He who is infinitely holy, how is it okay to be angry with Him who sees all while my vision is limited, how is it okay to be angry with the Almighty whose faithfulness has been proven time and time again while my faithfulness has been found wanting more than I count? Listen dear friend, not only are we not given permission in all of Scripture to be angry with God, but we also have no right to be angry with Him. Here is what is permitted and even expected by God: We can be confused, frustrated, and even hurt emotionally. If God is infinitely good, which He is, then we can run to Him with our confusion, we can run to Him with our frustration, and we can run to Him with our wounded and bleeding hearts knowing that even though we cant see His goodness in and through our pain, we can trust that He is still good and will turn it around in His way and in His time for His glory and our good! After Moses experienced the goodness of God when His glory passed by while he was in the cleft of the rock, Moses responded on behalf of the sins of Israel: If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession (Exod. 34:9). Dear brothers and sisters, if your faith and trust is in Jesus as proof of Gods infinite goodness, then my plea to you is not to run from Him in anger but to him with all your pain, confusion, and frustration. Run to the God of Romans 8:28-32, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? [1] Sproul, R.C., The Holiness of God (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 1998), 39.

Exodus 29 may not make it to many people's list of "Favorite Chapters" and yet it's a key chapter because it covers the important biblical principle of consecration to the Lord. It also brings us several offerings that we see throughout the rest of God's Word. So, join us  in another study as we go through God's Word one key chapter at a time.   DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    In the podcast, what definition (or principle) was given for the idea “consecration” in the book of Exodus? How does the definition of “consecration” help us understand what it means that we, as God's people, have been consecrated to Him? 2.    How would you describe the ceremony that went into consecrating priests to the Lord? How long was this ceremony to be (vs 35)? If you had undergone this kind of ceremony, how would do you think this would impact your awareness of your moment-by-moment consecration to the Lord? How are we consecrated to the Lord today?  3.    What was the “wave offering” that is mentioned in verses 22 & 23? What was different about this particular offering verses how it would be carried out at other times? 4.    What was the “heave offering” and what detail is given in verse 28 that shows the difference between a heave offering and a wave offering? 5.    What was the “drink offering” of verse 41? What other kinds of sacrifice were they typically performed with? What would be the physical affect of this kind of an offering? How does this help us understand Paul's description of himself as a “drink offering” in Philippians 2:17-18? 6.    In Exodus 29:45, what promise does God give to the people regarding His presence if the are faithful to perform these consecration ceremonies? In Leviticus 8 & 9, when they actually carried out these ceremonies, what did the Lord do? How does this help us see that our present consecration by the blood of Christ brings us into abiding fellowship with the Lord? 7.    This whole passage is about consecration. Have you been consecrated by Christ to the Lord? If so, how should that change how you live?  8.    How did the people's obedience to these instructions demonstrate their consecration to the Lord? Does your life reflect a faithful consecration to Him?  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.   

As we've been studying the Tabernacle, we're seeing just how amazing this was and how it pointed to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, in our study of Exodus 27 & 28, we'll even see how these details show us the kind of attitude we should have when we approach our Lord. So, join us in another rich study in God's Word! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    What was the size of the Tabernacle complex that is given in verses 11 & 12? This is smaller than a football field. Are you surprised by this? 2.    According to verse 1, what was the first thing you'd come to in the Tabernacle complex? Generally speaking, what would this have looked like? What was it for?  3.    What was sacrificed on the bronze altar every morning and every evening? Why? How would the sacrificial system show the people of the glory of God and the severity of His wrath towards sin? 4.    Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Why did mercy first require a substitutionary sacrifice? How does our sin link us with the world's rebellion? How does a sacrifice link us with God's forgiveness?  5.    What were the “horns” of this altar that are mentioned in verse 2? What might these have been used for? What did these horns come to represent in passages such as 1st Kings 2:28? 6.    How many gates led into the Tabernacle complex? How wide was this gate? What did the width of this gate suggest? 7.    Verse 20 & 21 talk about the oil needed to keep the lamp burning. According to Exodus 27:21, how long was it to be kept burning? Where was the oil to come from in verse 20? What does this show us about the contributions of the people and their collective worship of God? 8.    The podcast also touched upon the High Priest's garments in Chapter 28. What was an ephod and what was it for? In Exodus 28:30, what did it contain?  9.    Likewise, in verse 35, the High Priest wore bells. Sometimes people mistakenly suggest this was in case he died on the Day of Atonement while he was in the Holiest of Holies. However, what place is being spoken of in Exodus 35:28? What is the difference between the “Holy Place” and the “Holiest of Holies”? According to Leviticus 16:4, what was the High Priest supposed to wear on the Day of Atonement, when he went into the Holiest of Holies? Therefore, when would these bells be worn and what do you think they were for? 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.   

The Psalms captured our particular attention this morning, although all the chapters we read were full of drama – arising from – or anticipating – the actions of the Almighty. In Exodus we read of the night of the Passover with the angel of the Lord destroying all the firstborn in Egypt. An incredible outcry followed – how comparable will that be with the chaos at the return of Christ? The time will come, records Isaiah, when “the LORD is enraged against all the nations … he has devoted them to destruction … for the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” [34 v.2,8] Zion (Jerusalem) attracts more and more political interest – but the leaders of the nations are blind to “the cause of Zion.”Today we start reading the Gospel of Mark – and reflected on the impact John the Baptist obviously had when “all the country and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him confessing their sins.” [v.5] We struggle to imagine the impact of John. It seems only half the story is told, since John did no miracles – what power must have been in his preaching! He laid the foundation for Jesus to build upon, his work was to “Prepare the way of the Lord.” [v.3] says Mark, quoting Malachi 3 v.1.Psalm 66 contains a challenge to sinners; it could be that John used this Psalm in his preaching. “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul … high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” [v.16-19] How fitting it would be if these words were part of John's witness and appeal and challenge to those ordinary people who came to him in the wilderness by the Jordon – paving the way for the preaching of Jesus.Finally, Psalm 67 is a prayer that God's “way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let all the peoples praise you O God…” [v.2,3] leading to a time when ”the nations …. sing for joy for you judge the peoples with equity (justice) and guide the nations upon earth.” [v.4] This short but most meaningful Psalm concludes, “God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him:.” We can add, ‘when Christ rules.'Those who really have God's word in their hearts and feed on it daily will be known and owned by their Lord in that day – for he will know that they have not cherished iniquity in their hearts.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:Exodus 33-34; Psalm 16; Acts 9 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible for February 2nd, 2025. Today, Hunter, your Bible reading coach, takes us on an extraordinary journey through the Scriptures. We'll be diving into Exodus 33-34, Psalm 16, and Acts 9. In Exodus, we'll witness the profound interactions between God and Moses, and the renewal of the covenant. In Psalm 16, David exalts the Lord as his refuge and inheritance. Finally, in Acts 9, we'll encounter the dramatic transformation of Saul to Paul, an apostle chosen to spread the message of Jesus Christ. Hunter also reflects on the continual presence of Jesus in our lives, inviting us to experience his transforming love and forgiveness. Join us as we read, reflect, and pray together, and remember, you are truly loved. Let's dive into God's Word. TODAY'S DEVOTION: He's Still There The book is called Acts of the Apostles, and we're going to see a lot of the apostles in the days ahead, especially Paul and Peter. But the person we're going to see the most is Jesus. This book could be called the Acts of Jesus because he's still there with his followers doing what he always does. But now he's moving beyond Israel and is outside the city of Damascus. He's about to do those things that we've seen him do. He's about to overwhelm one of his enemies with light and forgiveness and love. He'll blind Saul and transform him into Paul. He's on his way up into another upper room where people are mourning the loss of a generous-hearted woman named Tabitha. Peter's there in that room for sure, but the writer of this book doesn't want you to miss the fact that Jesus is there too. If this moment sounds familiar, it should because it echoes back to Jesus in an upper room, the room of Jairus, the synagogue ruler with his twelve-year-old daughter, a girl Jesus called Talitha. Both Tabitha and Talitha had passed from life to death. He's still doing what he always does. He's bringing life where there was once death. And he's here with us today too, doing now what he has always done. He's overwhelming our resistant hearts with his light, forgiveness, and love, opening eyes to see more and more just who he is, the way he did with Paul. He's also entering into the upper rooms of our hearts where there is death and a need for resurrection and hope. There, he takes us by the hand and says words like, it's time to get up. It's time to live. He's still there doing what he does. He's bringing his light and forgiveness and love, and he's doing this all around the world even today. In fact, he's in the room with you right now. Do you hear him? Do you sense his presence? Hear his word of forgiveness and light and love. Let him take you by the hand and raise you up to new life today. That's a prayer that I have for my own soul. And that's a prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, and my daughters, and my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our 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 tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Exodus 21-22; Psalm 12; Acts 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome, dear listeners, to another episode of the Daily Radio Bible. Today is the 28th of January, and I am your host, Hunter. Together, we'll venture through the transformative words of the scriptures, aiming to encounter the life and love of Jesus. Our journey today takes us through Exodus chapters 21 and 22, Psalm 12, and Acts chapter 4. As we open the book of Exodus, we encounter challenging laws and cultural practices that can be hard on our modern ears. However, we place these scriptures in their historical and cultural context while recognizing the fallen human heart from which these laws arose. But fear not, as the new testament passage in Acts shows us a groundbreaking contrast—the emergence of a compassionate, generous, and loving community centered on Christ. Today's Psalms prayer reminds us of God's steadfast presence and rescuing power, while the disciples in Acts exemplify the bold and transformative spirit of living in Christ's love, even in the face of opposition. Together, let's delve into the Word and allow it to shape our lives today. So, get comfortable, open your hearts, and join me in experiencing the profound depth of God's message and the new reality we have in Christ. And remember, as we traverse this spiritual journey, you are loved. Let's begin. TODAY'S DEVOTION: It's hard to make sense of these laws in Exodus. They're hard on the ears. They're hard on our souls. These rules we hear dictating the treatment of slaves and women seem so cruel and barbaric. They're hard to hear. In understanding them, it's important that we try to see them in their historical and cultural context. But maybe even more important is that we see them in the context of the fallen human heart. These hard and confusing laws that are being described here are a result of a fallen human heart living in a fallen world. And God, in many respects, is conceding to this state of affairs through giving us these laws, but only for a while. He will not tolerate this forever, and we should not, as some Christians have in the past, interpret these scriptures in such a way that we say God is okay with slavery. To say that is to misread what the whole Bible is about. To say that is to misunderstand who Jesus himself is. He has come to set humanity free, to break the bonds of our slavery. God is not okay with slavery. Period. He's done something about this. He has given us himself. The promised messiah that Peter so boldly proclaims in this chapter in Acts. Peter is living out of a new heart. He's a part of a growing community. At this point, 5,000 who are waking up to a new reality in Christ. This new community we see in Acts is so different than the one that's being formed in Exodus. In this new community, God is no longer conceding to hard hearts. Instead, he has drawn them into his own heart, into his own life. And out of this place of wholeness and life in God, they are learning to walk in this new reality. As the new people of God, not living out of a place of dominance or superiority or fear or ownership of one another that we see all over in Exodus. Instead, we see a community that is self-giving. It's generous, compassionate, and loving. In Exodus, we see only a shadow, glimpses of the heart of God in these laws that are described. But in Christ, we see the very face of God. His unfiltered and perfect reflection of the nature and the character of God, fully seen, fully known in the Son. You have been invited to wake up. To wake up to the new reality in Christ. Through him, you have been enveloped into the Triune life of God. You are free. You are holy. You are His, and you are loved. This is what's true. This is what is. Ours is to agree with God, to turn from the lies that keep us living like a slave, and begin to live in the truth, in the light, as the daughter that you are, the son that you are. And the prayer of my own heart is that today I'll be fully awake. That I'll live in this new reality that I have been swept up into. And that's a prayer that I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our 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 tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Exodus 14-16;Acts 2 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible Podcast, and a blessed day to you all on this January 26th! Today we continue our journey through the scriptures with your host, Heather, who joins us every Sunday to delve deeper into God's Word. We gather not because the scriptures themselves are life, but because they bear witness to Jesus, the true source of our life. Together, we ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate these readings, warming our hearts around the fire of God's love. Our readings today cover Exodus chapters 14 through 16 and conclude with Acts chapter 2. Join Heather as she recounts the dramatic crossing of the Red Sea, the provision of manna and quail from heaven, and the powerful moment when the Holy Spirit descends upon believers at Pentecost. Reflect on the obstacles that stand in our way, just as the Israelites faced the Red Sea and bitter waters, and discover the profound lesson that the disposition of our hearts is what truly needs healing. Heather reminds us of God's unfailing promise and the life-giving power of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Stay with us as we draw closer to Christ and apply the teachings of these scriptures to our daily lives. As always, Hunter will be back with you tomorrow morning. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to our podcast, and consider signing up for our monthly newsletter. Now, let the joy of the Lord be your strength, and remember this: you are loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: What's standing in your way? Is it a big Red Sea or perhaps a small pond of bitter water? When that obstacle seems to be removed, there's dancing, worship, and song. But when it shows up again, the dancing disappears. The Israelites had sung and danced. They had seen God's hand deliver them by taking them across the Red Sea and saving them from Pharaoh's army. But now, only three days later, it's not the Red Sea standing in their way. It's a desert and a small pool of water that is full of bitterness and death. They called it Mara because the waters were bitter. Now instead of thinking about the strong hand of God, they're thinking about complaining. Their thoughts turned to what they didn't have and what was standing in their way. They had no water, no life. Their thoughts turned from worship to complaint, not to prayer, but to complaint. They didn't look to God for help. They looked for someone to blame. That's so much like our life and the human heart. Our singing turns to blaming. The truth is God has nothing to apologize for. He was going to make good on his promise to them. He would bring them out of Egypt and into the Land of Promise. The thing that really stood in their way was not the Red Sea or a bitter pool of water. It was the disposition of their hearts. In Exodus, we see Moses standing there looking at the waters that are in his way. God shows him a piece of wood, a tree as it were, a healing tree. God tells him to throw this healing tree into the waters of death so that death's poison could be absorbed into this tree. In turn, the healing life of that tree would be released into the waters. The picture couldn't be clearer. God, in his great love, has seen the disposition of our fickle and fallen hearts, so easily dismayed and quick to complain and blame rather than trust and worship. Our god has seen the problem that stands in our way. It's not the Red Sea or the Pool Of Mara. It's the disposition of our heart. God's answer for our heart is a healing tree and his son who would die on that tree. On that tree, the son took the poison out of the water and released his life into you and me and into this world so that we might all have life. Look to the healing tree of Christ and all that he has accomplished for you on the cross. Recognize once again that on that tree, he absorbed the poison and released his life. His power enables you to live the with God life here and now, and it is his life that will take you into the land of Canaan. I'm not talking about life in heaven. I'm talking about life today. Are there struggles you're facing today? Maybe it's an impending divorce, a devastating diagnosis, or a rebellious child. There is life now in the midst of all of that. Because of what Christ has done on the tree, he is able to teach us another way, 1 of awe, worship, gratitude, wisdom, and courage. It is a way where we are learning to walk with him once again. God has dealt with your heart on the tree. Let him now apply the life of his healing tree to your heart. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our 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 tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

In Exodus 33, Moses seeks deeper intimacy with God, asking to see His glory amidst Israel's struggles. God's response emphasizes His inherent goodness, mercy, and compassion, highlighting that true revelation lies in understanding His character rather than seeking extraordinary signs. The devotion invites reflection on recognizing God's presence in everyday life.

In Exodus, God instructed Moses to take a freewill offering for everything necessary to complete the tabernacle. The response was so lavish, Moses ordered the people to stop giving! On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg explores the inspiration behind such generosity. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series ‘Thankful Living' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. • Give the most important Christmas gift of all—the message of the Gospel! Purchase quality gifts for under $8 at tfl.org/gifts. Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!