Podcasts about in hebrews

Pastor Jack Morris begins a series centered on faith in Godfaith that not only believes but moves us to action. In Hebrews 11:8 we read, By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. This kind of faith trusts God fully, even without all the answers. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1528/29

In Hebrews it says there remains a rest for the people of God. Have you entered it? Listen and be encouraged!

In a world full of distractions, pressures, and spiritual noise, it's easy to find ourselves drifting, not out of rebellion, but in neglect. One day we wake up and realize we're not as close to God as we used to be.In Hebrews 2:1–4, we unpack the subtle but serious danger of spiritual drift. Through it you'll learn:✅ Why drifting from God often happens slowly and silently✅ How to recognize warning signs in your walk with Christ✅ What it means to “pay closer attention” to the gospel✅ How to re-anchor your soul in the truth of Jesus✅ Why your testimony still matters todayWhether you've drifted a little or feel far from where you once were, this message is for you. The Savior still calls. The anchor still holds. It's time to come back.

April 6th, 2025 | Jesus is...Sufficient | Hebrews 10:1-18In this week's episode, Pastor Todd Kaunitz continues the series by exploring Hebrews 10:1-18, where we learn the profound truth that Jesus is Sufficient. Pastor Todd walks us through the rich contrasts between the Old Testament sacrificial system and the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus. In Hebrews 10, we discover that while the Old Testament sacrifices were a shadow pointing to something greater, Jesus is the substance—completely sufficient to forgive, transform, and secure us eternally.Pastor Todd highlights how Jesus' death and resurrection were not just historical events but the full and final solution to the problem of sin. Through Christ, we are fully forgiven, inwardly transformed, and eternally secure in God's grace. In this episode, you'll be encouraged to rest in the sufficiency of Jesus and understand how His sacrifice is more than enough to give us peace with God, transform our hearts, and ensure our salvation.Tune in to be reminded that, because of Jesus, we have everything we need—His love, power, wisdom, mercy, righteousness, grace, and goodness. Jesus is sufficient in every way, and His finished work is all we need for salvation, rest, and worship.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

Sweat was pouring off Peter as he moved to protect Jesus. As Roman soldiers held the one who had been labeled a heretic, Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier's ear. And he was stunned when Jesus told him to put the sword away. You see, Jesus knew infinitely more than Peter or anyone else. He knew the end from the beginning, and He knew He had an agenda to see through to the end. Peter couldn't see that, and impulsively He moved to change the facts on the ground.And that's so typical of us as humans. The authentic Christian wants to do something to fix things or change the world. The theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote a whole book titled How Should We Then Live on the role of a Christian in the modern world. And there are arguments over whether America is still a Christian nation, or whether postmodernism has won the day.But what does the Bible say about being a witness in the world? Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Notice it doesn't say engage. We're in fact told not to become like the world in all its anti-God stuff. Yet we also know one of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven was that we should go into all the world and make disciples. The Apostle Paul made an interesting observation in 1 Corinthians 9. He said that he was free from conformity to the world. It had nothing he coveted. But that he chose to be a servant to all, so that his example might win some to Christ. In Hebrews 13, we're told to practice hospitality. And this echoes many Old Testament passages, too. The idea is a believer is to be an example of what life with God looks like in hopes it will draw unbelievers. And this must be done with sincerity, though. Especially in our jaded modern culture. First Corinthians 10 tells us whatever we do, do it for the glory of God alone.To sum up, the Bible tells us to absolutely live in this world and be appealing to people. But to do all this while holding onto our convictions. Balancing being a Gospel witness, while also being seen as personable, is the approach for our modern world. Let's pray.Father God, you've given us direction for all that we do. Help us to continually have a burden for the lost and to always remember we're to be salt and light for a hurting world. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Who Shall Jesus call? In Ezekiel 12 verse 28 There shall none of my words be prolonged anymore , but the word which I have spoken , shall be done. Jesus clarifies to us that he needs everyone to follow his calling his voice. In Hebrews 12 Jesus speaks to us about seeing him and walking in and answering the call. In verse 14 Jesus sais follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Join us and discover by the leading of the holy spirit the Promises & how you may walk in the calling , why he has called you and all of us . Thank you Jesus ⁠⁠https://www.smucd.org/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.smucd.org/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If You would like to Join our Sermons every saturday at 5:30pm EST 4:30 South Dakota & surrounding states To Login Just click that 1st link and put in the passcode Sermon : Darrell Barber Praise & Worship: Ashley Barber Join Zoom Meeting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zoom.us/j/96058013717?pwd=bHc1TVBGaWwyd3d6ZkMvbHlHZmMwQT09⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meeting ID: 960 5801 3717 Passcode: i5nVGe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.smucd.org/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Or you can go straight to our home page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.smucd.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠scroll down all the way down till you see sermons and click join now You can also view us on our Live Stream/Video Page here to watch (just click the play button) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.smucd.org/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you scroll down on our website you can also sign up for our email blast so we can send alerts updates and info for our Sermons and Bible studies#SMUCD  #JESUS #Baptism #BLIND #SIGHT #Rest #Slavery #Earings #Israel #TheBible  #Liloc #RiverOfZion #Anotherexodus  #peace #works #grace #deuteronomy28 #christ #prophecy  #Hebrews #Sermons #Oneness #thePast #TheFuture #Revelation

What if your older brother came to bring you home instead of staying behind in judgment? In Hebrews 4 and 5, we see Jesus as our Great High Priest—one who knows us completely, sympathizes with our weakness, and never stops …

John 1:37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Two of John the Baptist's disciples heard him testify that Jesus is the Lamb of God. They clearly understood what John was saying. This is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. On hearing John's witness regarding Jesus, they followed Jesus. They trusted John, and God used him to draw these two men to His Son. This encourages us of what God can do with our witness regarding Jesus. All who are believers in Jesus Christ know who He is and have believed God's testimony regarding Him. We who live to love with Jesus become forerunners for Him in our generation. Like John the Baptist, we have our experiences with Jesus to share with others. We also can expect the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of those who hear our witness just as He did in these two disciples. This encourages us to be bold and to share what we have seen and experienced with Jesus. Those who follow us, who know us personally, may then follow Jesus. The writer of Hebrews described a similar experience of the power of God accompanying the testimony of believers like John. In Hebrews 2:3-4 we read, “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” We may rely on the power of God to draw people to follow Jesus as we love with Him whoever He puts in our paths. There will be some who hear us speak of Jesus, who will also follow Him, just like these two disciples mentioned in this verse. God is still using the testimony of His followers to build His church. May God use us today to draw people to follow Jesus as we love them with the love of Christ. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

You have a Bible? Read it! Has any other book ever been described like the Bible? In Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)...

What kind of relationship does God want with you—servant or son? In Hebrews 3, we see that Jesus is greater than Moses because He is not just a faithful servant, but the Son who invites us into God's family. Just …

When I was a child, I remember the sense of security I had while Ronald Reagan served as our president. I also remember his farewell address to our nation and the great sense of loss that I felt knowing that he would no longer be serving as our nations president. John Winthrop preached in 1630 upon arriving in Massachusetts; in his sermon Winthrop declared his fellow pilgrims: For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. He also said of their future in Massachusetts: Beloved there is now set before us life and good, Death and evil, in that we are commanded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another, to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Ordinance and his laws, and the articles of our Covenant with him, that we may live and be multiplied, and that the Lord our God may bless us in the land we go to possess. John Winthrops sermon had a profound impact upon President Reagan for he placed that line about Winthrops hope and expectation that one day that land he and the pilgrims discovered, ...will be as a city upon a hill. I still remember President Reagans farewell address to our nation; I was in eighth grade at Neshaminy Junior High when I heard it. Reagans address is just over 20 minutes long, and although we do not have the time to listen to it, I would like to share with you his concluding remarks that I believe have affected our nation more than some of you may realize: I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still. And how stands the city on this winter night?More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago.But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home. We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought Americaback. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands.All in all, not bad, not bad at all. There is a phrase introduced to our nation from another campaign that I was going to use for the title of this sermon... a phrase I have heard many Christians say or embrace that I have chosen not to use. I know that when some use the phrase, it has been and continues to be used out of a hope and desire for Americas good. However, I have instead chosen the phrase: America is a shining city on hill used by a president I still admire and respect. Jesus is Eternally the Same (vv. 7-9) What I dislike about a sermon series like Christians Say the Darndest Things is that today you will receive an exposition on Hebrews 13:7-14 without the benefit of seeing the wounder of chapters 1:1-13:6. We are skipping right to the end without gazing at the Christ who is, the heir of all things, through whom God also made the world. Right out of the gate in the book of Hebrews, we discover a Jesus who is, the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature. In Hebrews we discover a Jesus who, upholds all things by the word of His power. The Jesus of Hebrews 13:8 is the same Jesus who, When he had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:1-3). Because Jesus is, the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature (1:3), He is the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9). Jesus is the great I AM (John 8:48-59) because He is equal with the Father as the eternal Son (John 5:15-23). Jesus is He who was and is the Light of mankind because He is the Word who was in the beginning with God through Whom All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being (John 1:1-4). This same Jesus became flesh through the miraculous conception in Marys womb while still a virgin, He was born and lived among mankind yet without sin, and He lived for the purpose of dying for sinners like you and me on a cross. This same Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, and on the third day... He defeated sin and death by rising from the grave. For this reason, this same Jesus is highly exalted and upon Him is, the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:8-11). Jesus is the same yesterday in that when God the Father spoke creation into existence, it was Jesus the Son who completed it: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:15-16). The reason why the earth remains in orbit and every atom and molecule remains in place is because the One who is also the same today is responsible for holding, all things together (Col. 1:17). Jesus is the same yesterday in that He was the One before Whom Abraham bowed (see Gen. 18:1-22). Jesus is the same yesterday in that He is the One who wrestled with Jacob (see Gen. 32:22-33). Jesus is the same yesterday in that He appeared before Joshua as the captain of the Lords army, and it was before Him that Joshua removed his sandals and worshiped (Josh. 5:13-15). Jesus is the same yesterday in that He was the One who was seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in the furnace as He kept Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from perishing in blazing fire of the furnace (see Dan. 3:8-30). Jesus is the same yesterday. Listen, the same Jesus who provided Peter, John, and James the miraculous catch of fish that compelled Peter to fall to his knees and respond: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man (Luke 5:8), is still the same today! The same Jesus cured lepers, made the lame walk, the blind see, and the dead rise... is still the same today! The same Jesus who died for sinners and rose from the grave is still the same today! The same Jesus who commanded us to make disciples (Matt. 18:19-20) and promised, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judah, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8), is still the same today! And listen, the same Jesus who promised that He would come back in the same way that He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9), is the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever! The point is that if you get Jesus wrong, or if you miss Him, or if you choose any person, thing, or ideology over Him... you will get everything else wrong! The message of Hebrews is that Jesus is a treasure that no other treasure can compare. This is why we are told in verse 8 to, Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith. Those who truly spoke the word of God to you are those who did not get Jesus wrong! Jesus is the same yesterday. Everything in this World is Consistently Unsatisfactory (vv. 10-11) Because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever... His life, death, and resurrection provide for us a more permanent solution to our sin problem. What this means is that Jesus cross is a better altar unlike ones used under the Old Covenant. The carcasses of the animals slaughtered on the Day of Atonement during Passover were taken out of the city to be burned; if they were thrown into a pile with the city and burned, they would have defiled the city. Not so with Jesus, for while living, he was led outside of the city to become a curse for us on the cross we deserved (Gal. 3:10-14), and by dying for our sins outside the gate, His blood is what makes us holy. What is the point? Here is the point: There is no person, there is no religion outside of Christianity, and there is no government that can do (if you are not a Christian) or has done (if you are a Christian) what Jesus alone can do. Paul Washer put it this way in his sermon preached to pastors some time ago answering the question as to how Jesus death on a cross for a few hours on a tree to save a multitude of men from an eternity in hell: Because that one Man is worth more of them put together. You take mountains and mole hills, crickets and clouds. You take everything. Every planet, every star, every form of beauty. Everything that sings, everything that brings delight, and you put it all onthe scale, and you put Christ on the other side and HE outweighs them all, HE outweighs them ALL! Brethren, this is the one we chase after![1] Compared to Christ, everything in this world is not only temporary but unsatisfactory. Jesus is the living water, and all the promises of this world together cannot compare. They are all broken and cannot deliver what they promise to deliver! The Old Covenant only provided a temporary solution to the sin problem of the Hebrew people; the work of the priests required them to remain standing for the need of a sin covering was ongoing. This is why just three chapters prior, we are reminded in Hebrews 10:1 of the following: For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect. Then in Hebrews 10:11-13, we are told of the only one qualified to address our sin problem: Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. (Heb. 10:1113) So, why is it that we are chasing after the shiny things of this world that cannot deliver what only Jesus is able to provide? Christian, if you have the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, why are you looking for something different? Why would you long for anything else when you have He who is the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)? Jesus is the same today. If You Have Jesus, You are Waiting for Something Greater (vv. 12-14) These next verses serve as the crescendo of the entire epistle, and they begin with the word Therefore and if the author of Hebrews was texting you Hebrews 13:7-14, you would see THEREFORE in all caps because it is a very big THEREFORE! In other words, in light of all that has been said from the very first sentence of this epistle to verse 11, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood (v. 12). What was accomplished on His cross for our sins outside the gate on Golgothas hill has done infinitely more than anything else you have chased after thinking that person, or thing, or ideology would bring you purpose, peace of mind, or pleasure. They cannot give you what only God is able to deliver! Dear Christian, Jesus sanctified you by dying for you, his corpse was in that tomb for three days, and the proof that Jesus sanctified you is in the fact that He marched out of that tomb three days later! Who or what can give you what Jesus has provided? If you are a Christian, Ephesians 1:7-8 is about you: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. What Jesus provided on the altar of the cross is only available for those who receive it, and those who receive it will never be the same because of Him. The evidence that you have received what Jesus has made available to you is a desire to follow Him. To any and all who wish to know Him, must follow Him, for Jesus said: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul (Matt. 16:2426)? What we read in Hebrews 13:13 is no different: So then... So what? In light of the fact that Jesus is, the same yesterday and today, and forever (v. 7), and what has been provided on the altar of His cross for our sins (v. 10)... let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach (v. 13). The only reason anyone would do that is if they understood Jesus to be infinitely more precious and valuable than any person, any thing, any ideology, any city, or nation of this world. We chase after Jesus because in Him is life is and because He is life, He alone is the Light of mankind (John 1:4). We chase after Jesus because He is, the Light of the world and the one who chases after Him, will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life (John 8:12). Because we chase after Him and not the shiny trinkets of this world, He said of His Church: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.... Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:14, 16). If you are a Christian, you are the light of the world because you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God! He is the Alpha and Omega and He is the first and the last (Rev. 1:8, 17). It is before Him that the nations will stand in judgment and a day is coming when it will be from Him that earth and heaven will recoil in response to His holy and majestic presence! If you are a Christian, you belong to Him and because you belong to Him, you have no reason to fear Him who the tribes of the earth will mourn when He comes again (see Matt. 24:30). This may shock some of you and it may offend others of you, but you really need to hear this: America is not a shinning city on a hill! Here is what the Bible says about America and the nations that surround her: Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales (Isa. 40:15). Because we follow Jesus, we chase after another shinning city, we chase after His city... a city, which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Heb. 11:10). Because Jesus is the same yesterday and today, and forever, we live as foreigners, aliens, and strangers even in the United States of America. America cannot be our shinning city on a hill because we are promised something infinitely greater: For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking a city which is to come (Heb. 13:14). Here is what Revelation 21:23-27 says about the city we really belong to: And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life. If America is a shinning city on a hill, it is nothing more than a tiny piece of glitter in comparison to the city we really belong to, and what makes the city we are seeking, that is to come, infinitely more beautiful is the Jesus who outweighs them all. He is the same yesterday and today, and forever! [1] Shepherds Conference 2016 | General Session 9 - Paul Washer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkqVZm9-7jc)

Welcome to this special episode of the China Compass Podcast, #21 in this “Prison Pulpit” series! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. You can follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). To learn more about our various ministry endeavors and to get any of the missionary biographies I’ve helped to publish, please visit www.PrayGiveGo.us! My little book Unbeaten tells the story of my arrest, interrogation, and deportation from China in 2018. One of the appendices, Remember My Chains, is a message I’ve given all over the world about praying for the persecuted church. You can get both the book and the accompanying sermon, at www.Unbeaten.vip, or read the latter for free on my China Call Substack: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/remember-my-chains Once again, we are turning to the late Richard Wurmbrand to speak to us on behalf of those of the persecuted church who are currently being imprisoned and tortured for Christ. For those who don't know who Richard Wurmband is, here's a brief intro: Lutheran minister in Romania. 14 years in prison, 3 in solitary confinement. After “escaping”, published ”Tortured for Christ" Helped start Voice of the Martyrs (however…) Michael Wurmbrand’s VOM “Open Letter”: https://www.billionbibles.com/michael-wurmbrand-vom.html Michael Wurmbrand’s ministry (free books!): https://richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/ Sermons in Solitary Confinement Most likely published in the early 1970s, just a few years after he fled Communist Romania… Read the book for yourself: https://richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/pdfs/ssc-english.pdf Today's excerpt comes from: A Christian Prisoner Encounters Gabriel Also, today we looked at a short, unpublished Bible meditation by the late Reverend Richard Wurmbrand, edited by his son Michael: In Chinese Prisons You Need Permission To Cough In Red China's prisons, our brethren and sisters in faith have to sit motionless, leaning toward the wall, from five in the morning until nine o'clock at night, day after day, month after month, for years. Every day is for them like an enemy decided to torture them to death. They are not allowed to speak to the other inmates of the cell. They are forbidden to cough, to laugh, or to weep. If a prisoner has to cough, he must say to the warden who continually spies on him "Bau-gau," which means "Please give me permission." It is "Bau-gau" for spitting, for scratching oneself, for killing vermin. (Not exactly: to baogao is tomake a report or confess) If all at once or someone in the cell goes mad and begins to sing, the rest have to sit motionless, while their fellow-prisoner is silenced through beatings. And how could they help him? They have chains on their hands and feet. In Hebrews 13:3 it is written, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them." Try to sit six hours like this, motionless, on the floor (in prison, it is on the cold concrete), to see how your brethren fare! They endure not only this physical suffering and food which has the taste of sawdust. They suffer from doubts, too. "Why did my Heavenly Father allow me to come here?" Our brethren bear all this for Christ's sake. Please check out Richard Wurmband’s longer book of prison stories, In God's Underground: https://richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/pdfs/IGU-english.pdf If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe on Spotify or Apple or right here on PubTV. You can also email any questions or comments to contact @ PrayforChina dot us. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Hebrews 13:3!

What does it look like to step out in faith, even when the path is unclear? In Hebrews 11:8-10, Dr. John reflects on Abraham's journey—leaving everything behind to trust God's promises. Abraham's story challenges us to live boldly, trusting that God's faithfulness will guide us. How can we embrace this kind of faith in our own lives?Defining Faith: How should someone approach God? Do they offer a scorecard of their successes or an inventory of their better qualities? The Bible is clear. We come to God by faith, and we live our lives with God through faith. Since faith is central, we should understand what it is and how it works. In this series Dr. John teaches through Hebrews 11, a chapter on faith. Listen, not for stories of faith in the past, but as a guide for your life today.

Welcome to this special episode of the China Compass Podcast, #21 in this “Prison Pulpit” series! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. You can follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). To learn more about our various ministry endeavors and to get any of the missionary biographies I’ve helped to publish, please visit www.PrayGiveGo.us! My little book Unbeaten tells the story of my arrest, interrogation, and deportation from China in 2018. One of the appendices, Remember My Chains, is a message I’ve given all over the world about praying for the persecuted church. You can get both the book and the accompanying sermon, at www.Unbeaten.vip, or read the latter for free on my China Call Substack: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/remember-my-chains Once again, we are turning to the late Richard Wurmbrand to speak to us on behalf of those of the persecuted church who are currently being imprisoned and tortured for Christ. For those who don't know who Richard Wurmband is, here's a brief intro: Lutheran minister in Romania. 14 years in prison, 3 in solitary confinement. After “escaping”, published ”Tortured for Christ" Helped start Voice of the Martyrs (however…) Michael Wurmbrand’s VOM “Open Letter”: https://www.billionbibles.com/michael-wurmbrand-vom.html Michael Wurmbrand’s ministry (free books!): https://richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/ Sermons in Solitary Confinement Most likely published in the early 1970s, just a few years after he fled Communist Romania… Read the book for yourself: https://richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/pdfs/ssc-english.pdf Today's excerpt comes from: A Christian Prisoner Encounters Gabriel Also, today we looked at a short, unpublished Bible meditation by the late Reverend Richard Wurmbrand, edited by his son Michael: In Chinese Prisons You Need Permission To Cough In Red China's prisons, our brethren and sisters in faith have to sit motionless, leaning toward the wall, from five in the morning until nine o'clock at night, day after day, month after month, for years. Every day is for them like an enemy decided to torture them to death. They are not allowed to speak to the other inmates of the cell. They are forbidden to cough, to laugh, or to weep. If a prisoner has to cough, he must say to the warden who continually spies on him "Bau-gau," which means "Please give me permission." It is "Bau-gau" for spitting, for scratching oneself, for killing vermin. (Not exactly: to baogao is tomake a report or confess) If all at once or someone in the cell goes mad and begins to sing, the rest have to sit motionless, while their fellow-prisoner is silenced through beatings. And how could they help him? They have chains on their hands and feet. In Hebrews 13:3 it is written, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them." Try to sit six hours like this, motionless, on the floor (in prison, it is on the cold concrete), to see how your brethren fare! They endure not only this physical suffering and food which has the taste of sawdust. They suffer from doubts, too. "Why did my Heavenly Father allow me to come here?" Our brethren bear all this for Christ's sake. Please check out Richard Wurmband’s longer book of prison stories, In God's Underground: https://richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/pdfs/IGU-english.pdf If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe on Spotify or Apple or right here on PubTV. You can also email any questions or comments to contact @ PrayforChina dot us. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Hebrews 13:3!

You are being prepared. Your preparation time is for the multitude to come into the Kingdom. In order to be prepared, personal growth is a must. In Hebrews 4 we are told to mix faith to what we hear. The Israelites did not mix faith with what they hear and therefore they did not enter in. Your faith converts that word to power in your life. Therefore, you're thinking is critical to your living right. When you think right you live right. www.cathycoppola.org www.houseofglorychurch.org

You are being prepared. Your preparation time is for the multitude to come into the Kingdom. In order to be prepared, personal growth is a must. In Hebrews 4 we are told to mix faith to what we hear. The Israelites did not mix faith with what they hear and therefore they did not enter in. Your faith converts that word to power in your life. Therefore, you're thinking is critical to your living right. When you think right you live right. www.cathycoppola.org www.houseofglorychurch.org

In Hebrews 7 we discuss what the Gospel really means. Do you believe that Jesus died for sinners, or do you think people need to clean up their act before they can come to Him?

Return of the Man-Child   (audio) David Eells – 3/5/25  Saints, today I'm going to talk to you about the Genealogy of Christ Jesus.  The Bible says, That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun (Ecc.1:9). We quite often look at the Scriptures, even in the natural, as something that's a revelation of the distant future, but we need to study the Gospels to give ourselves a revelation of soon-coming things that are now almost upon us. Years ago, I shared with you how everything that has happened in the Gospels and the Book of Acts is coming again now, except the cast of characters has been multiplied many times over, meaning that they will be corporate bodies of people all over the world walking in the steps of earlier individuals. The Lord also spoke to me years ago that the Gospels represented the first 3½ years of the Tribulation period and that the Book of Acts represented the second 3½ years of the Tribulation period.  There's a doctrine out there which teaches that Jesus ministered for only one year because they do not see that the Feasts that Jesus kept did not all happen in the same year in the Scriptures. But one very good proof is in Bible Chronology by Ivan Panin. It basically proves the correct chronology through numeric patterns. Panin's book is one of the only chronologies out there that actually uses Bible dates that can be found by cross-referencing other Bible dates. The only other book I know of was from Martin Anstey, who wrote Romance of Bible Chronology back in 1913. Both authors' chronology comes only from Bible dates. There is also a way to verify those dates with Numerics, the numeric pattern.   So here's what I've found concerning Jesus' ministry: Year one of His ministry was in AD 27, year two in AD 28, year three AD 29, and the Cross, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost all happened in AD 30. That is cross-referenced with numeric Bible chronology. I personally already believed what they're saying because of what the Lord told me, but I think there are things we can point out and see through the Gospels that will show us that the 3½-year ministry of Jesus is just like the one we're about to enter now, only with a new reformation leadership which the Bible calls the “Man-child.”  I want to start in Matthew and share a picture of what happens through the rest of the Gospels. Some people think Matthew 1 is the dullest part of the whole Gospel because it has all those “begat”s and “begat”s. I'm not going to recite all of those, but I would like to point out a few things. First, where it speaks of The book of the generation of Jesus Christ (Mat.1:1), according to Numerics, it says simply, “The generation of Jesus Christ,” or “The genealogy of Jesus Christ.” Either way, it's the same word. The interesting thing is that the word “generation” here is the Greek word genesis, so it can be read as “The genesis of Jesus Christ.” The Book of Genesis is about the creation of Adam and the natural creation and yet here we're starting another “Genesis” of what the Bible calls “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), Jesus Christ. This is not a natural creation, but the spiritual creation of the “born-again” man, Jesus Christ being the Adam of this new race of people who are created to be sons of God.   People have perplexing questions about the genealogy in Matthew 1 and one of them is, “Why does it seem to be the genealogy of Joseph?” For instance, it says, and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ (Mat.1:16). So we follow the genealogy from Abraham to Joseph here, and that Jesus was of virgin birth. Mary was with child of the Holy Spirit (Mat.1:18). In fact, Joseph really had nothing physically to do with bringing Jesus forth. Joseph was not the father of His flesh. Mary was the mother of His flesh, but the Bible tells us that it is the seed of the woman that was going to bring forth the Son who would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15).   God used the DNA from Mary to create the body of Jesus, His fleshly part. He was the Son of God and Son of Man. The Son of God came in a body that He called the Son of Man. Of course, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Joh.3:6). That means your natural creation has been born of your fleshly parents, but your spiritual creation came from God. It's like when God breathed into the first Adam the “breath” (or ruach, which is the Hebrew word for “spirit”), the “breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). That spiritual man in you came from God, but the carnal man was passed on by your parents.  So why mention Joseph in this passage? We just want to know of whom Jesus was born. I think that's a really interesting question and it goes right to the root of why this is the genesis of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Genesis also means “birth,” “beginning,” “origin” and so forth. Jesus is the beginning and He is the end (Revelation 1:8). He is the beginning of the new creation man and He is the end; all things would be summed up in Him (Ephesians 1:10). The point here is, Joseph did have something to do with raising Jesus; he had everything to do with the spiritual man and nothing to do with the carnal man.   Joseph was ordained of God to represent Him in raising Jesus in the image of God. You say, “That doesn't make sense. He's the Son of God.” But the Bible says, And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luk.2:52). Joseph could contribute none of his physical self in bringing forth Jesus, but he contributed both words and actions into Jesus' life in order to train Him up and bring Him into the image of God that He was ordained to be. In Hebrews, it appears to be Jesus speaking when He says, a body didst thou prepare for me (Heb.10:5). The Son of God in Heaven came down to inhabit a body that was brought forth through Mary, but the lineage written is of Joseph.   It even says that in (Mat.1:16) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. It didn't give Joseph any credit for the birth of Jesus; Jesus was of virgin birth. But Joseph had something to do with bringing forth this genesis, this new generation of man, because what he was sowing into the life of Jesus were words, actions, an example, and other such things. Even though Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, meaning “born” Son of God, and even though He was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in the womb, He still had to be raised up into the fullness of that image.  The seed that Joseph sowed in Jesus' life is the most important seed in bringing forth the spiritual man. In the carnal man, it is a physical seed that brings forth the physical life. But the spiritual man, which lives in all of us who have been born from above, is born by the seed of the Word of God that has been sown in us. We're told; It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life (Joh.6:63). So Jesus was doing the exact same thing that was done to Him: He was sowing in the disciples the Spirit and the life of God through the Word of God that He was speaking.   We are also told, That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed (Rom.9:8). The “children of the promise” is the promise that was spoken to them that put faith in their heart to receive the gift of God to be what they were not before. It's God working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5,11). Mary was not, as some people say, the “mother” of God. She was the mother of Jesus' flesh. What was sown in Jesus Christ was sent from God the Father; the Father sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16). It had nothing to do with, and was even in spite of, Mary. She even had to receive salvation and was also filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14; 2:4). But she was required and necessary to be the mother of the flesh that Jesus would come to live and walk in as the Son of God. And yet, this whole genealogy in Matthew is all about bringing forth the spiritual man and not the carnal man, or it would have been Mary's genealogy written in Matthew.   It's not the physical that's so important. Any flesh out there can manifest bearing the fruit of the Son of God if the seed is sown in it. The Lord God is showing us by this example that the important thing is what is spoken into someone's life. This is how we pass on our seed in the Kingdom through the Word of God.  In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23), Jesus sowed the seed and the seed was the Word of God, and He brought forth in people's hearts the fruit 30-, 60- and 100- fold. Jesus was what He was, in spite of His human heritage. According to Romans 8, He had to overcome His human heritage. He was one that hath been in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin (Heb.4:15). (Rom.1:3) Concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (4) who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness … Therefore, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Joh.3:6). That which came from Mary was the seed of David because she was in the lineage of David and God took her DNA to do that. But that which was born of God out of heaven was the Spirit of God, according to what Jesus said.  In the Scriptures, it's very plain that in the spiritual man, which is the Son of God (or the sons of God, as we are), our lineage is not according to genealogy at all. Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, in Whom we all live (Acts 17:28) and we manifest our sonship through Him. Scripture portrays Melchizedek as a theophany, very much in the same way Jesus is a Theophany or, in other words, “God in flesh.” Jesus is said to be a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Heb.6:20). Both Melchizedek and Jesus were without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God (Heb.7:3). It says “without father, without mother” because we're talking about the Son of God. The son of man has an earthly father, earthly mother, earthly genealogy, but the Son of God does not have any such thing. The Son of God is eternal. He is the Word which came down out of heaven (John 1:14), which we eat like the Israelites ate the manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4).  When we read this Word, we absorb it into ourselves. We spiritually eat that Word of God, which is eternal, and that recreates in us the Son of God, which has no end. There's no genealogy to the Son of God in you. (Col.1:27) … Christ in you, the hope of glory. There's no beginning of days nor end of life because He is eternal. That Word is simply recreating in you the manifestation of God. This is what the Bible refers to where it says, For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing (“manifestation”) of the sons of God (Rom.8:19). So we see that there is no earthly, or physical genealogy to a son of God. This genealogy in Matthew is a genealogy of people concluding with Joseph, who had no physical connection, but was only sowing a seed in the life of Jesus to raise Him up from a child. And we're also being raised up in the same way.  Reading now in (Mat.1:17) So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations. It's very interesting that it's so neatly divided. I remember many years ago, as we read this in a Bible study in my home, somebody said, “I've counted these and there's not 14 generations there. There are 14, 14, and then 13.” So we all started counting and then we recounted it again and we said, “Hey, you're right! There's 14, 14 and then 13.” We had to be careful not to double-count the name twice between the paragraphs, where there is a paragraph break.  There's not 14 generations in the last paragraph, yet God says there were 14 generations! At the time, the answer came to me that this is not referring to Christ Himself, but that the “fourteen generations” were speaking about Jesus' offspring, meaning the body of Christ. Then it would be correct. That would make Christ the 41st generation and the people of God the 42nd generation; I still believe this explanation today. I received a word of knowledge at that time, and I believe that God was speaking to me, that in the phrase, “unto the Christ,” the word “Christ” is actually used of the saints. And, if we're “in Christ,” we are part of the 42nd generation, even though the fullness of that is coming forth in the days that we're in right now.  2 Corinthians is a good proof that the 42nd generation is speaking of Jesus' offspring. (2Co.1:21) Now he that establisheth us with you in (Greek: “into”) Christ, and anointed us, is God. Here we have the word “Christ,” which in Greek is Christos, and we have the verb “anointed,” which in Greek is the verb chrio and means the same thing. Those who are established “into Christ” are one body and “anointed,” which is the verb chrio. So when He says, “unto the Christ” in Matthew, it could very well be, this anointed body; that is the offspring of Jesus. Remember, Jesus was the progenitor of this body. He sowed the seed, which is the Word of God, that went into the hearts of men.  In the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, the word “seed” is the Greek word sperma. The Sower sowed the sperma to bring forth fruit 30-, 60- and 100-fold. So “unto the Christ” could very well be the “anointed” because He is saying that we are those anointed. The word “anointed,” or chrio, is the very same word Jesus spoke when He read from Isaiah. (Luk.4:18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because He anointed me … So Jesus is the Chrio and His body is the Chrio. He left an individual body in order to come back in a corporate body so He could do to the whole world what He did in the Middle East. That was the whole point, a glorious work of God.   Notice that “He establisheth us into Christ.” We are the anointed because we are in Him. It's Christ in you and you in Christ, as He said in (Joh.17:21) … That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us … This is what everyone wants to call a “mystery,” but the more of Christ we get in us, the more we are the anointed. We need to be receiving what He received when He was anointed; we need to be receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. He manifestly became the Christ because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit.   And then we also see of Christ, this additional proof in (Eph.1:10) Unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things (There is no numeric pattern to include the word “things” here.) in Christ the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, [I say,] (11) in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. He wanted to sum up all people in Christ, in the anointed, in Christos, and we are that “all people.”   Galatians 3 tells us that there is just one generation after Jesus, the 42nd generation. (Gal.3:16) Now 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. There is only one seed of Christ. If we abide in Him, then we are now His corporate body on the earth and Paul tells us this a little further down. (Gal.3:28) There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one [man] in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed (The “seed” is singular, just one.), heirs according to promise.   So, we become heirs according to the promise that enters our hearts. It works in us the faith to receive all the benefits of the Kingdom and to walk as Christ walked. This is an amazing thing that God is doing. The only way that we can be a part of this 42nd generation, is to receive the Word of God, which is the very seed that makes us a member of the body of Christ. That's why Joseph is listed there in Matthew 1 because Joseph could pass on to Jesus the wisdom that a child would not have.   (Luk.2:52) And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. It says, But ye are an elect race (Greek: genos, “chosen generation”) (1Pe.2:9). We are a chosen generation. There is just one generation from the time of Jesus on. We have all received the same seed, the Word of God, and allow it to bear fruit. We all come into the same body and we have been chosen to be a part of that body in the earth to do the works of God.  There is more interesting revelation found in (Psa.102:12) But thou, O Lord, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial [name] unto all generations. So all of the generations of God's people become one generation, the 42nd generation. (13) Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion … God is going to bring His children out of bondage in Babylon back to Zion in these days. (Psa.102:13) Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come. The time is in our day when God is going to have pity on Zion, to raise her up again.   He will raise up Zion, whose land has been desolate because God's people were taken into Babylonish captivity. Now they're going to return by His grace to their Promised Land. (Psa.102:14) For thy servants take pleasure in her stones … “Her stones” are a symbol of separation from the world. Zion, the Tower of the Flock, separated the people from the world. It represents holiness; and being on the mountain of God; it represents overcoming the world and drawing close to His Presence, which is on top of the mountain.  (Psa.102:14) For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust. (15) So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, And all the kings of the earth thy glory. Before this is over, that's exactly what's going to happen: the nations will fear the name of the Lord because He is once again going to show His sovereignty and His judgments in the earth, just as He did in the time of Moses. Egypt was a type of the nations. (Psa.102:16) For the Lord hath built up Zion (who is the Bride, according to Revelation 21:2); He hath appeared in his glory. The Lord is coming in His people. It is a body made up of Himself, His Word and His life.   (Psa.102:17) He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer. This indicates to me that in these days many are going to draw close to the Lord because of destitution and tribulation in the world and a wilderness experience.  (Psa.102:18) This shall be written for the generation to come … Notice that it is one generation, the 42nd generation, in whom Jesus lives (Col.1:27). (Psa.102:18) This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. That's the 42nd generation, one generation, the generation of the Lord. Remember what was said back in Matthew: it is “the generation of Jesus Christ.” That's what the whole genealogy was about, “the genesis (same word) of Jesus Christ.”  (Psa.102:19) For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did the Lord behold the earth; (20) To hear the sighing of the prisoner … This is referring to God's people being in bondage. He is coming once again to deliver His people out of bondage to the carnal man in Egypt. The Israelite, the spiritual man, was in bondage to the carnal man, the Egyptian. The Lord was coming down to set them free, which He is about to do again. All those are types and shadows of what is going to happen during the Tribulation period. Even the judgments that Moses poured out are the ones that the Man-child will pour out on Egypt, the world. (Psa.102:20) … To loose those that are appointed to death; (21) That men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion (Zion was the refuge of God's people.), And his praise in Jerusalem; (22) When the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord. Praise God!  The same thing is spoken of in (Isa.53:8) By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them (The words “among them” was not in the original manuscript.) considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? (Isa.53:9) And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Praise the Lord! This is the generation of the Lord, which is the generation or genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1.  We can see that genealogy in another Psalm, too. (Psa.22:30) A seed shall serve him; It shall be told of the Lord unto the [next] generation. However, the word “next” was not in the original. Also, the word used there for “told” can be translated as “counted,” so the verse may be read, “counted unto the Lord unto a generation.” Some of you may have a footnote that reads, “or, ‘counted unto the Lord for His generations.'” The word “generations” is singular. The translators are using their own reasoning there and I believe that what it correctly reads is, “It shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.” This is the 42nd generation, the one referred to in Matthew, which is what the Lord came to do.   The Lord Jesus came for this generation of people from His day until ours. The real cream of the crop is coming in our day. He has saved the best wine for last (Joh.2:1-10). He refers to this generation in the next verse. (Psa.22:31) They shall come and shall declare his righteousness Unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done it. He has done it! It is finished! He has overcome the world (John 16:33). He has brought forth His children, as we just read in Isaiah 53. The Bible says, He shall see [his] seed (Isa.53:10) and again, the word “seed” is singular. Jesus gave His life in order to see this seed and said, Greater [works] than these shall he (that's you) do; because I go unto the Father (Joh.14:12).  We read This is the generation of them that seek after him (Psa.24:6). That's an awful lot of people, between the time of Jesus first raising up disciples and our day. So who is this “generation”? If you go back and read Psalm 24, you get an idea. (Psa.24:1) The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. (2) For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods. (3) Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? (That is Mt. Zion.) And who shall stand in his holy place? (4) He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, And hath not sworn deceitfully.   (5) He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (6) This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, [even] Jacob. Oh, praise the Lord! This generation that God has spoken about so often, this chosen generation, is the 42nd generation of 14 + 14 + 14. And this 42nd generation is made up of the eternal, spiritual man. The carnal man is not the offspring of Jesus Christ; he is the offspring of Adam, the first Adam. The last Adam is the Father of the spiritual, born-again creation man, the sons of God.  This body each of us has is a temporary thing and all of its desires and lusts are temporary; they're all going to pass away. We have a new body and a born-again soul that's been born again from the Word of God and we have a new spirit. All this is the 42nd generation, which the whole Gospel is for and about. We're looking toward the crowning of this generation in the coming days. It's an awesome work that God is about to do!  Now let's continue on in Matthew because here's another spiritual passage that concerns what God is about to do: (Mat.1:18) Now the birth (The word “birth” is the same Greek word meaning the genesis or “generation.”) of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Notice that when we speak of abortion, we refer to the child as a fetus. It says, “she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” It is not a fetus; it is a child. Abortion kills a child and this is a child of the Holy Spirit. Spiritually-speaking, Mary represents the people of God in whom the Holy Spirit has sown a seed that is bringing forth the fruit of Jesus Christ. It was said to Mary, And blessed [is] she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord (Luk.1:45). What was spoken unto her from the Lord was that she was to bring forth the fruit of Jesus Christ.  And each one of us has also been called to be a Mary because Jesus said, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? (Mat.12:48). (50) For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. Everyone who does the Will of the Father is a part of this corporate body of Mary, which is bringing forth the fruit of Jesus Christ. He sowed the seed into the womb of the hearts of men in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 and He brought forth the fruit of Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold. So we see that this is also a prophecy of things to come. We are all called to bring forth the fruit of Jesus Christ. Everyone who does that is a part of the 42nd generation. The natural Jesus was the 41st generation and we are the 42nd generation. This is how God chose to bring forth His sons, in the only begotten Son of God, one Body.  (Mat.1:19) And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. By the way, the word “conceived” here is the word “begotten” in Greek, gennao, and is an offshoot of the word genesis, or “born.” Notice it says that it is “born in her.” It is a child born in her at the time of conception. The Chinese count a person's birth years from the time of conception, not the time of birth, and the Bible is saying the same thing here. “That which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit.” What the Spirit is bringing forth in us is the fruit of Jesus Christ. Glory be to God!  (Mat.1:21) And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. It's interesting that it says that He is going to save His people from their sins. If we were chosen from the foundation of the world, we're going to be a part of this 42nd generation, in that we have received the seed of the Kingdom, which is the Word of God, and brought forth the fruit. Not everybody who is loosely called a “Christian” can say that. He is only talking about those who are “in Mary.” (Mat.12:50) For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my … mother. The Lord is referring only to those who do His Will. The others, who are in rebellion and call themselves “Christians,” are not a part of this whole scenario.   It was the same in Jesus' day when He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not (Joh.1:11). In fact, He said to some of them, Ye are of [your] father the devil (Mat.8:44). (39) They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. (41) … We have one Father, [even] God. (42) Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me … And the Bible says if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments (John 14:15). Those who are “in Mary” do the Will of the Father because they have true faith and true faith brings forth true ability from God to walk in His Will. God gives us the gift of working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:11) when we have this gift of faith and we exercise it. (Mat.1:21) … It is he that shall save his people from their sins. Hallelujah! (22) Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. This is the whole plan of God, that He is “with us.”   Notice that He was born unto a virgin. Is it still true today? The only way that Jesus Christ can be born in us is if we don't receive the seed of man, but we receive the seed of God, which is the Word of God. You know, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (1Co.5:6). You don't have to add much to the Word of God to make it not be the Word of God anymore. You just need to add a little bit of man's theology and it's not the Word of God. Jesus said, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (Mat.16:6). Why? Because what they were sowing was the seed of their father, whom Jesus said was the devil. There's only one thing that will bring forth Jesus Christ in His people, which would make them a member of this body of the 42nd generation, and it's the Word of God.   I suggest to the multitudes of people listening, who are wasting a lot of time in religion and not bearing the fruit of Jesus Christ nor walking in His steps and manifesting His power and His fruit, that they stay home and read the Bible until you get it into you enough that you can recognize true and undefiled religion. It is the Word of God that we must humble ourselves to and that brings us into the 42nd generation and the body of she who is the virgin.   We are members of Mary's body who will bring forth the fruit of Jesus Christ, if we are virgins. The Bible says of the 144,000 group in Revelation 14:4 (which is 144), These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These [are] they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were purchased from among men [to be] the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb (Rev.14:4). They are virgins because they refuse to receive the seed of men, which is “the leaven of the Pharisees.”   And Jesus said, beware of … the leaven of Herod (Mar.8:15) because a person can also receive the “leaven” of worldly governments, which is patriotism to worldly governments as a form of worship of worldly governments. We have a new one-world order and it's the body of Christ. We have one King over our one-world order and that's Christ Himself. He is the head. We are the body and we do not have our own will; He is our Will. He gives us His Will; in fact, that's how the Son sets us free. It's because He gives us a will that cannot be thwarted. Jesus' Will cannot be thwarted. You cannot be frustrated if you have His Will. Frustration comes when you have your will and God's Will in the same body, at war with one another. Freedom is having God work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:11), so that we can walk after the Lamb of God whithersoever He goes and not be defiled with “women” (Revelation 14:4).  “Women” refers to religious sects, which are typed in the Scriptures as women. Virgins receive only the Word of God and will bring forth the pure fruit of Jesus Christ, just like this lineage that we looked at in Matthew. Jesus was the Son of David because He was of the lineage of David all the way down through Mary. The body He dwelt in was the Son of David, but the Son of God came through the Holy Spirit, Who is the only One Who can sow the nature and life of Jesus. A person who is inhabited by the Holy Spirit can also speak the Word of God, which brings forth the life of Christ in this body in which we dwell.  All of this genealogy was physical, but it also was a parable. Most parables were physical and Jesus spoke parables about planting corn, etc. They were physically true, but they had a spiritual revelation. A spiritual revelation is that the Gospels, the sharing of the Good News, was to bring forth the genealogy of Jesus Christ in His 42nd generation, and they would be born to a body spiritually called “Mary” because “He that doeth the Will of My Father is My mother.” Praise be to God!   In Matthew 1 and 2, five dreams gave direction, warning, protection, prophecy, and instruction. They were given to Mary, Joseph, the wise men, and to the fruit, Jesus. Today, the same thing is happening; many in this time are having dreams, visions and revelations, because we are at the same corresponding point in history. There is a period of time right here, which starts with the anointing of Jesus for His 3½-year ministry. What we're studying right now is the introduction to the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, which started when He was 30 years old.   We're leading up to the time of the anointing of the Man-child, Jesus, the One Who, according to Hosea 6:1-3, is coming as the latter rain on “the morning” of “the third day,” which is where we are right now, and He is coming in His people! He's coming in His first-fruits to begin the process of manifesting the sons of God in these latter days. It's an awesome revelation that the Lord has hidden in this literal revelation of the life of Christ. (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. The Gospels are giving us a revelation of the time just before the beginning of the 3½-year Tribulation. 

In Hebrews 3:13, the author says, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin has a way of creeping into our hearts, slowly hardening us to the truth and pulling us away from God. But Scripture calls us to encourage one another daily, fighting against sin's deceptive grip.

Hosts: Forest Antemesaris and Hiram Kemp  |  Released Monday, February 10, 2025 Few biblical figures are as enigmatic as Melchizedek. Only mentioned in a handful of verses in Genesis, Psalms, and Hebrews, Melchizedek’s role in the scheme of redemption is larger than one might expect. In Hebrews 7:1-10, the book of Hebrews reminds its readers that Jesus’ […]

Hosts: Forest Antemesaris and Hiram Kemp  |  Released Monday, February 10, 2025 Few biblical figures are as enigmatic as Melchizedek. Only mentioned in a handful of verses in Genesis, Psalms, and Hebrews, Melchizedek’s role in the scheme of redemption is larger than one might expect. In Hebrews 7:1-10, the book of Hebrews reminds its readers that Jesus’ […]

In Hebrews 11 we find a remarkable testimony to Enoch's God-honoring life of faith. Pastor Greg Barkman continues his exposition in Hebrews.

Where do you look for courage? When it comes to finding confidence and hope in the midst of pressure situations, the Bible calls us to look to Christ. In Hebrews 3:1-6, the author calls us to consider three things about Jesus, which bring us confidence and hope to press on in our upward calling.

Question: Psalm 40:6 reads, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.” Why did David say this verse when a good chunk of Leviticus made rules on sacrifice?Response: First of all, because he was inspired by the Lord to write this down. Secondly, he's referencing 1 Samuel 15:22, where Samuel was inspired to say, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”Further, he is speaking prophetically of the Lord Jesus. Verse 7 of Psalm 40 reads, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.”Hebrews 10:5 explains further, “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me….”Simply put, David wrote this verse because he was inspired by the Lord to do so and it speaks emphatically of the end of the Levitical sacrifices. In Hebrews 10:9, God inspired the writer to say, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

In Hebrews 2, God's word assures us that in Christ there is forgiveness of sins.

I have officiated dozens of funerals over the years as a pastor, which means that I was involved in the planning of the service, the delivery of a sermon, and some form of committal service involving the burial of the deceaseds body or placement of the ashes of those bodies that were cremated. The first funeral I officiated was that of my 47-year-old father and since I have been responsible for burying people of all ages as young as grade school to the oldest who was 101 years old. I have been asked to memorialize people from all walks of life, many of whom loved and walked with Jesus as fellow Christians and some who were not Christian. The one thing that every one of the funerals and memorial services I officiated have in common is that every family and friend of the diseased who asked me to officiate the service of their loved one believed and articulated their belief that he/she was in a better place. Just as the old spiritual is true: Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. So, it is true that we will grope for reasons to believe that our loved ones are in a better place regardless of what they believed or even how they lived. Most people do not want death for anyone they love, and when death does come, we want heaven for those we love. After officiating so many funerals, I had come to the place in my experience as a pastor that I believed that I had experienced just about everything there was to experience related to funerals and grieving family member. I am old enough and have seen enough to know better. I remember Ian Whites family who reached out to Northwest Baptist Church (the first church I served as the Lead Pastor in Colorado). Ian was not a Christian, nor was his family; he was found dead on the front steps of his apartment and was 34 years old. I remember their response when I sat down with them to plan Ians memorial service and their request after I asked if they would like a song or two for those present to sing in honor of Ians life. I expected something like Amazing Grace, but Ians family wanted everyone to sing Free Birdby Lynyrd Skynyrd. I remember a woman who started attending the church I planted in Colorado and the grief she carried with her with the death of her husband. I still remember the Sunday she wanted me to know that her dead husband was with her. In that moment I thought she meant his spirit or memory, but no... I discovered what she meant when she opened her purse to show me the urn that contained the ashes of her deceased husband. She brought the urn with her every Sunday she came, and I believe that she even sat her husbands urn on the chair next to her. I guess for this woman, the better place for her husband was in her purse. How do you know if a person who has died is really in a better place? What evidence does one have to make such a claim? What Happens After We Die? One of the things I say at every funeral is that when we die, we will experience the immediate judgment we are warned about throughout the Bible. In Hebrews 9:27-28, we have one such warning: And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. But what kind of judgment are we destined to face? To begin, you need to know that there are two types of judgment every human will face, the first has to do with where our disembodied soul must go, which is temporary. The second judgment we will all face is permanent. For the Christian, the day that you die will be the moment you will be in the presence of Jesus just as we are promised in the Bible: Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lordfor we walk by faith, not by sightbut we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-8). Jesus told a parable in the Gospel of Luke about a rich man who lived a life of luxury while ignoring the poor man by the name of Lazarus (not to be confused with Jesus friend who Jesus raised to life in John 11:1ff.). In Jesus parable, both men died; Lazarus soul went to where Abrahams soul dwelled while the rich mans soul went to Hades where he suffered torment. Of Hades, the rich man begged for a drop of water to ease his torment because, his words: I am in agony in this flame (see Luke 16:19-31). Before Jesus told His parable about the rich man and Lazarus, He said this about money: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Luke 16:13). The rich man was not in hell because he ignored Lazarus, he was in hell because he loved his money more than God. Had he loved God, he would not have been able to ignore Lazarus. Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about love or heaven, and he did so for a reason. He spoke so much about hell because he came, to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The reason why Jesus described the distance between the rich man in hell and Lazarus in heaven as a great chasm is because hell is the place where those are sent who, will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thess. 1:9). Jesus described the place the rich man went to immediately after he died in the following ways: A place of torture (Matt. 18:34), a place where the wicked are cut to pieces (Matt. 24:51), and a place of scourging (Luke 12:47-48), a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 24:51; Luke 13:20), and a place of outer darkness (Matt. 22:13; 25:30). Just as there is a new heaven and earth that is promised to the Christian, at the same time there will exist the lake of fire where the devil and his demons will be cast into forever. The lake of fire is described as a place where, ...their worm will not die and their fire will not be extinguished; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind (Isa. 66:24b). In Revelation 20:11-15 we are told of a second judgment that we all will face: Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.... Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyones name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. There are only one of two outcomes every person will face the moment of death: eternal life with Jesus that will eventually include a physical resurrection and life on a new and resurrected earth, or eternal death apart from Jesus that will eventually result in eternity in the lake of fire. Neither the lake of fire nor a resurrected life with Jesus on a new earth are temporary, but eternal. So, the question we need to answer is if it is true that every person who dies is in a better place? Jesus Is the Hope of a Better Place There are scores of Bible passages we could have looked at today to discover whether it is true or not that all people eventually go to a better place after they die, but I thought we could settle on Revelation 1:12-18. For me, this is one of the most hopeful and encouraging passages in all the Bible! In verses 12-16, we are given certain details about Jesus to clue us into who He really is. There is a lot packed into these verses that we simply do not have the time to examine, but there are some things that I must show you in order to address the topic of this sermon. Jesus is a Better High Priest First, Jesus is a better priest. Every year, on the Day of Atonement, a high priest would go into the temple in Jerusalem to enter a place called the Holies of Holies to bring a sin offering into the presence of God on behalf of Israel. The high priest would do it with a rope around him just in case he died, and his corpse had to be pulled out due to any sin not yet addressed in his own life before entering. The High Priest wore a long robe and was fitted with a type of belt or sash that was laced with gold. Once a year, every year, the High Priest would act as a representative and advocate for all of Israel. As you know, Jesus died on a cross as the Lamb of God for our sins; when John turned to see the voice that was speaking, He saw Jesus dressed as a High Priest because the sacrifice He made was sufficient to cover all our sins for all time, once and for all. For this reason, Hebrews describes Jesus in the following way: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12). Jesus is the Only Sufficient Savior What follows in verses 14-17 are characteristics which reveal why Jesus is sufficient to redeem and save sinners such as us. First, His hair is white like wool and as bright as snow because He is profoundly and divinely wise. Yes, Jesus is fully man, but He is also fully God; Jesus is the Son and at the same time He is the ancient of Days with all the wisdom of eternity (see Dan. 7:9-14). Second, Jesus eyes were like a flame of fire which speak of His ability to see and know all things as God can only do. Third, His feet were like burnished bronze to symbolize His omnipotent strength to judge the nations, crush Satan, and triumph over death as the author and giver of life. Forth, Jesus holds the seven stars that serve as the seven messengers to the churches of which He holds in the palm of His hand; the point is that Jesus is also divinely sovereign. Fifth, out of the mouth of the Savior comes a sharp two-edged sword symbolizing His right to Judge as King of kings and Lord of lords. Sixth, the face of Jesus shines like a powerful sun because of His holiness, majesty, and absolute beauty as One worthy of our worship because He is God. Jesus is presented in Revelation 1:14-16 in the way that He is because of what Adam lost in the garden due to his sin and rebellion; Jesus is the only One qualified to redeem what was lost, for He is the second and greater Adam who is fully man and fully God in one Person. Simply put, because of Adams sin, we are sinners under a curse that God alone is able to sufficiently and completely reverse; Jesus was qualified to do just that! Jesus is the Great I AM The One titled the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), is the first and the last. Where else have we seen that kind of language: I am the first and the last? I will tell you! We see it in a host of passages, but Isaiah 44:6 will suffice: This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Because He is the first and the last He conquered death because, as the Living One, ...it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24). When John saw Jesus, he fell at His feet like a dead man, but Jesus declared to him: Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore... John had no reason to fear because Jesus stood as a greater High Priest on Johns behalf, He was the sufficient savior John spent a lifetime following, and Jesus was the only One qualified to pay the penalty for Johns sin by becoming a curse in his place. John not only believed this, but trusted that Jesus was all that he needed, and that is why he had not need to fear. Conclusion This Jesus is the Almighty and the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13). He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). He is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26). He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11). He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of our Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! If all who die eventually go to a better place when there exists a very real hell designed by God for the punishment of sinners, then why did Jesus who is the first and the last willingly take on flesh to become like us for the purpose of dying for us to redeem sinners like us? If some dont go to a better place, but most morally good people do, then why did Jesus say in conclusion to His sermon on the mount: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:13-14). If religious people end up going to a better place, then why did Jesus warn us of the following possibility? Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matt. 7:22-23). If there is another way to a better place other than through and with Jesus, then why in the world did He so confidently and boldly declare the following: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26) There is a judgment we must all face. The verdict from the moment of conception is this: ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and judgment for our guilt: The wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord.

I have officiated dozens of funerals over the years as a pastor, which means that I was involved in the planning of the service, the delivery of a sermon, and some form of committal service involving the burial of the deceaseds body or placement of the ashes of those bodies that were cremated. The first funeral I officiated was that of my 47-year-old father and since I have been responsible for burying people of all ages as young as grade school to the oldest who was 101 years old. I have been asked to memorialize people from all walks of life, many of whom loved and walked with Jesus as fellow Christians and some who were not Christian. The one thing that every one of the funerals and memorial services I officiated have in common is that every family and friend of the diseased who asked me to officiate the service of their loved one believed and articulated their belief that he/she was in a better place. Just as the old spiritual is true: Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. So, it is true that we will grope for reasons to believe that our loved ones are in a better place regardless of what they believed or even how they lived. Most people do not want death for anyone they love, and when death does come, we want heaven for those we love. After officiating so many funerals, I had come to the place in my experience as a pastor that I believed that I had experienced just about everything there was to experience related to funerals and grieving family member. I am old enough and have seen enough to know better. I remember Ian Whites family who reached out to Northwest Baptist Church (the first church I served as the Lead Pastor in Colorado). Ian was not a Christian, nor was his family; he was found dead on the front steps of his apartment and was 34 years old. I remember their response when I sat down with them to plan Ians memorial service and their request after I asked if they would like a song or two for those present to sing in honor of Ians life. I expected something like Amazing Grace, but Ians family wanted everyone to sing Free Birdby Lynyrd Skynyrd. I remember a woman who started attending the church I planted in Colorado and the grief she carried with her with the death of her husband. I still remember the Sunday she wanted me to know that her dead husband was with her. In that moment I thought she meant his spirit or memory, but no... I discovered what she meant when she opened her purse to show me the urn that contained the ashes of her deceased husband. She brought the urn with her every Sunday she came, and I believe that she even sat her husbands urn on the chair next to her. I guess for this woman, the better place for her husband was in her purse. How do you know if a person who has died is really in a better place? What evidence does one have to make such a claim? What Happens After We Die? One of the things I say at every funeral is that when we die, we will experience the immediate judgment we are warned about throughout the Bible. In Hebrews 9:27-28, we have one such warning: And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. But what kind of judgment are we destined to face? To begin, you need to know that there are two types of judgment every human will face, the first has to do with where our disembodied soul must go, which is temporary. The second judgment we will all face is permanent. For the Christian, the day that you die will be the moment you will be in the presence of Jesus just as we are promised in the Bible: Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lordfor we walk by faith, not by sightbut we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-8). Jesus told a parable in the Gospel of Luke about a rich man who lived a life of luxury while ignoring the poor man by the name of Lazarus (not to be confused with Jesus friend who Jesus raised to life in John 11:1ff.). In Jesus parable, both men died; Lazarus soul went to where Abrahams soul dwelled while the rich mans soul went to Hades where he suffered torment. Of Hades, the rich man begged for a drop of water to ease his torment because, his words: I am in agony in this flame (see Luke 16:19-31). Before Jesus told His parable about the rich man and Lazarus, He said this about money: No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Luke 16:13). The rich man was not in hell because he ignored Lazarus, he was in hell because he loved his money more than God. Had he loved God, he would not have been able to ignore Lazarus. Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about love or heaven, and he did so for a reason. He spoke so much about hell because he came, to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The reason why Jesus described the distance between the rich man in hell and Lazarus in heaven as a great chasm is because hell is the place where those are sent who, will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thess. 1:9). Jesus described the place the rich man went to immediately after he died in the following ways: A place of torture (Matt. 18:34), a place where the wicked are cut to pieces (Matt. 24:51), and a place of scourging (Luke 12:47-48), a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 24:51; Luke 13:20), and a place of outer darkness (Matt. 22:13; 25:30). Just as there is a new heaven and earth that is promised to the Christian, at the same time there will exist the lake of fire where the devil and his demons will be cast into forever. The lake of fire is described as a place where, ...their worm will not die and their fire will not be extinguished; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind (Isa. 66:24b). In Revelation 20:11-15 we are told of a second judgment that we all will face: Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.... Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyones name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. There are only one of two outcomes every person will face the moment of death: eternal life with Jesus that will eventually include a physical resurrection and life on a new and resurrected earth, or eternal death apart from Jesus that will eventually result in eternity in the lake of fire. Neither the lake of fire nor a resurrected life with Jesus on a new earth are temporary, but eternal. So, the question we need to answer is if it is true that every person who dies is in a better place? Jesus Is the Hope of a Better Place There are scores of Bible passages we could have looked at today to discover whether it is true or not that all people eventually go to a better place after they die, but I thought we could settle on Revelation 1:12-18. For me, this is one of the most hopeful and encouraging passages in all the Bible! In verses 12-16, we are given certain details about Jesus to clue us into who He really is. There is a lot packed into these verses that we simply do not have the time to examine, but there are some things that I must show you in order to address the topic of this sermon. Jesus is a Better High Priest First, Jesus is a better priest. Every year, on the Day of Atonement, a high priest would go into the temple in Jerusalem to enter a place called the Holies of Holies to bring a sin offering into the presence of God on behalf of Israel. The high priest would do it with a rope around him just in case he died, and his corpse had to be pulled out due to any sin not yet addressed in his own life before entering. The High Priest wore a long robe and was fitted with a type of belt or sash that was laced with gold. Once a year, every year, the High Priest would act as a representative and advocate for all of Israel. As you know, Jesus died on a cross as the Lamb of God for our sins; when John turned to see the voice that was speaking, He saw Jesus dressed as a High Priest because the sacrifice He made was sufficient to cover all our sins for all time, once and for all. For this reason, Hebrews describes Jesus in the following way: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12). Jesus is the Only Sufficient Savior What follows in verses 14-17 are characteristics which reveal why Jesus is sufficient to redeem and save sinners such as us. First, His hair is white like wool and as bright as snow because He is profoundly and divinely wise. Yes, Jesus is fully man, but He is also fully God; Jesus is the Son and at the same time He is the ancient of Days with all the wisdom of eternity (see Dan. 7:9-14). Second, Jesus eyes were like a flame of fire which speak of His ability to see and know all things as God can only do. Third, His feet were like burnished bronze to symbolize His omnipotent strength to judge the nations, crush Satan, and triumph over death as the author and giver of life. Forth, Jesus holds the seven stars that serve as the seven messengers to the churches of which He holds in the palm of His hand; the point is that Jesus is also divinely sovereign. Fifth, out of the mouth of the Savior comes a sharp two-edged sword symbolizing His right to Judge as King of kings and Lord of lords. Sixth, the face of Jesus shines like a powerful sun because of His holiness, majesty, and absolute beauty as One worthy of our worship because He is God. Jesus is presented in Revelation 1:14-16 in the way that He is because of what Adam lost in the garden due to his sin and rebellion; Jesus is the only One qualified to redeem what was lost, for He is the second and greater Adam who is fully man and fully God in one Person. Simply put, because of Adams sin, we are sinners under a curse that God alone is able to sufficiently and completely reverse; Jesus was qualified to do just that! Jesus is the Great I AM The One titled the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), is the first and the last. Where else have we seen that kind of language: I am the first and the last? I will tell you! We see it in a host of passages, but Isaiah 44:6 will suffice: This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Because He is the first and the last He conquered death because, as the Living One, ...it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24). When John saw Jesus, he fell at His feet like a dead man, but Jesus declared to him: Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore... John had no reason to fear because Jesus stood as a greater High Priest on Johns behalf, He was the sufficient savior John spent a lifetime following, and Jesus was the only One qualified to pay the penalty for Johns sin by becoming a curse in his place. John not only believed this, but trusted that Jesus was all that he needed, and that is why he had not need to fear. Conclusion This Jesus is the Almighty and the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13). He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). He is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26). He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11). He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of our Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! If all who die eventually go to a better place when there exists a very real hell designed by God for the punishment of sinners, then why did Jesus who is the first and the last willingly take on flesh to become like us for the purpose of dying for us to redeem sinners like us? If some dont go to a better place, but most morally good people do, then why did Jesus say in conclusion to His sermon on the mount: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:13-14). If religious people end up going to a better place, then why did Jesus warn us of the following possibility? Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matt. 7:22-23). If there is another way to a better place other than through and with Jesus, then why in the world did He so confidently and boldly declare the following: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26) There is a judgment we must all face. The verdict from the moment of conception is this: ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and judgment for our guilt: The wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord.

Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. In verse 14, we have another imperative or command. Pursue peace. This is probably the straight path the author had in mind in the previous verse. Let me help you see how similar this is to the apostle Paul's admonition to the Corinthians to pursue love (1 Cor. 14:1). In 1 Cor. 12:31 Paul wrote, “And I show you a still more excellent way.” Then Paul defined the way of love with its application to the gifts of the Spirit in the body of Christ. The idea was that as you relate to one another with various gifts, make love the way you relate to one another. Pursue the greatest gift of love, not the lesser gifts. In Hebrews 12, the Holy Spirit teaches that we all have various kinds of trials in our race, and the way or the path we need to make is the path of peace. As we relate to one another with our various trials, run together in the way of peace. It's simply another way to say pursue love or live to love with Jesus. Why do I say repeatedly, “Live to love with Jesus?” The “with Jesus” is what holiness or sanctification is all about. He is the one who sanctifies. Let me remind you of Heb. 2:11. “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” The finish line of the race is holiness or the revelation of the glory of God in Jesus. We will be perfectly one with Jesus. In this life, we are being sanctified or becoming more and more one with His life as we cast off unbelief and fix our eyes on Jesus. Heb. 10:14 says it succinctly, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” The finish line is perfection in Christ, and as we run the race of suffering, pursuing the paths of peace and holiness, God produces a progressing conformity to Christ.  Here's the apostle John's version of the same truth. 1 John 3:2-3.  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Heb. 12:14 gives us great insight into what living to love with Jesus looks like. Pursuing peace with every kind of person in their various trials and pursuing oneness with Christ. If the readers of Hebrews were to practice (make paths) like this, they would see the Lord Jesus manifested in their midst. If a congregation isn't pursuing living to love with Jesus, they won't see Jesus in their midst. It's that simple. They will simply be a religious organization or club organized around being victims of the circumstances of life. To live to love with Jesus is to pursue holiness and peace with everyone through Jesus Christ. We are united as one body, in one race, with one access through our high priest, to the grace we need because of what He has done for us. So make some tracks for those following you—the tracks of peace and holiness—or, in my words, living to love with Jesus. You will see the Lord in your midst!

Hebrews was written to people who have been shaken by life. Difficulties and sufferings have shaken them to the core.  The writer is trying to help them find ways to face the brutal realities of life, to stand solid when everything around them is falling apart. In Hebrews 12, we have the climax. The writer pulls together all of the threads and says, “In an unstable world, here is how you can live an unshakeable life.” This passage depicts 1) the shakable life, 2) the unshakeable life, and 3) how to receive that unshakeable life. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 17, 2005. Series: Christ: Our Treasury (The Book of Hebrews). Scripture: Hebrews 12:18-29. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

It has been said a faith that hasn't been tested is a faith that can't be trusted. In Hebrews 11, we read about different godly men and women who pleased God with their faith. One common characteristic that they all shared is that they went through seasons in which their faith was greatly tested.

It has been said a faith that hasn't been tested is a faith that can't be trusted. In Hebrews 11, we read about different godly men and women who pleased God with their faith. One common characteristic that they all shared is that they went through seasons in which their faith was greatly tested.

It has been said a faith that hasn't been tested is a faith that can't be trusted. In Hebrews 11, we read about different godly men and women who pleased God with their faith. One common characteristic that they all shared is that they went through seasons in which their faith was greatly tested.

Sweat was pouring off Peter as he moved to protect Jesus. As Roman soldiers held the one who had been labeled a heretic, Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier's ear. And he was stunned when Jesus told him to put the sword away. You see Jesus knew infinitely more than Peter, or anyone else. He knew the end from the beginning, and He knew He had an agenda to see through to the end, and Peter couldn't see that. And impulsively He moved to change the facts on the ground.And that's so typical of us as humans. The authentic Christian wants to do something to fix things or change the world. The theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote a whole book titled “How Should We Then Live” on the role of a Christian in the modern world. And there are arguments over whether America is still a Christian nation, or whether postmodernism has won the day.But what does the Bible say about being a witness in the world? Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Notice it doesn't say engage. We're in fact told not to become like the world in all its anti-God stuff. Yet we also know one of the last things Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven was that we should go into all the world and make disciples. The Apostle Paul made an interesting observation in 1 Corinthians 9. He said that he was free from conformity to the world—it had nothing he coveted—but that he chose to be a servant to all, so that his example might win some to Christ.In Hebrews 13, we're told to practice hospitality. And this echoes many Old Testament passages, too. The idea is a believer is to be an example of what life with God looks like in hopes it will draw unbelievers. And this must be done with sincerity though, especially in our jaded modern culture. First Corinthians 10 tells us whatever we do, do it for the glory of God alone.To sum up, the Bible tells us to absolutely live in this world and be appealing to people, but to do all this while holding onto our convictions. Balancing being a gospel witness, while also being seen as personable, is the approach for our modern world. Let's pray.Father God, you've given us direction for all that we do. Help us to continually have a burden for the lost and to always remember we're to be salt and light for a hurting world. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Everything in the Bible is perfectly clear. Right? There’s nothing that is confusing…we all understand it perfectly. Right? I didn’t think so. Today’s scripture can be confusing for some. I know it was for me. In Hebrews 6:1-3, the writer warns us to leave the elementary teaching about Christ and press on to maturity less than one minute after admonishing us for again having to teach us the elementary principles of God in Hebrews 5:12. Then, in Hebrews 6:3, the writer says we will press on to maturity “if God permits.” Why wouldn’t God permit us to press on to maturity. Join me as we explore these scriptures and help to clear up some of the mud.

Everything in the Bible is perfectly clear. Right? There’s nothing that is confusing…we all understand it perfectly. Right? I didn’t think so. Today’s scripture can be confusing for some. I know it was for me. In Hebrews 6:1-3, the writer warns us to leave the elementary teaching about Christ and press on to maturity less than one minute after admonishing us for again having to teach us the elementary principles of God in Hebrews 5:12. Then, in Hebrews 6:3, the writer says we will press on to maturity “if God permits.” Why wouldn’t God permit us to press on to maturity. Join me as we explore these scriptures and help to clear up some of the mud.

It has been said a faith that hasn't been tested is a faith that can't be trusted. In Hebrews 11, we read about different godly men and women who pleased God with their faith. One common characteristic that they all shared is that they went through seasons in which their faith was greatly tested.

Danger isn't always visible. In Hebrews 2:1-4, our author warns us against the danger of drifting from the hope we have in Christ. This is a call to vigilance and faith.

The book of Hebrews is written to people who are so beaten down with troubles that they're ready to give up.  The writer is trying to give the readers what they need to handle the brutal realities of life in this world. In Hebrews 11, he gives us something that helps us handle anything.  If you have it, you can handle absolutely anything life throws at you: 1) what is it? and 2) how do we get it? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 27, 2005. Series: Christ: Our Treasury (The Book of Hebrews). Scripture: Hebrews 11:32-40. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

In Hebrews 1, we're invited to see Jesus in a new light - not just as a historical figure or a lifestyle option, but as the supreme Son of God, superior even to angels. The passage paints a vivid picture of Christ's divinity, authority, and eternal nature. We're challenged to consider: do we truly grasp the majesty of Jesus? As Creator of the universe and King on an eternal throne, Jesus has unparalleled authority in our lives. This should reshape how we approach worship, seeing it not just as singing songs, but as a lifestyle of obedience and good deeds. The message reminds us that no matter what challenges we face, the One who formed galaxies is more than capable of handling our problems. It's a call to trust more deeply, worship more fully, and align our lives with the ultimate authority - Jesus Christ. Jesus is the unique Son of God, in an eternal relationship with the Father Jesus is superior to angels and is Himself divine, worthy of worship Jesus is the eternal King sitting on an eternal throne Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things True worship of Jesus involves not just praise but also how we live our lives Jesus' authority should be the ultimate guide for our lives, above all other voices Questions for Reflection: How do popular cultural depictions of angels and Jesus compare to their biblical portrayals, and why is it important to distinguish between the two? In what ways does Jesus' unique relationship with God the Father as the Son impact His role as a messenger and mediator for humanity? How does the concept of Jesus as both fully God and fully man influence our understanding of His authority and ability to relate to our human experiences? What are the implications of Jesus being described as the creator and sustainer of all things for our daily lives and challenges? How might viewing Jesus as the eternal King on an eternal throne change the way we approach decision-making and prioritize our lives? In what ways can we cultivate a lifestyle of continuous worship that goes beyond singing and includes our everyday actions and choices? How does the promise that Jesus will ultimately defeat all enemies impact our perspective on current struggles and hardships? What role do angels play in God's plan according to this sermon, and how should that affect our understanding of spiritual realities? How can we discern between the many voices claiming authority in our lives and prioritize listening to Jesus as the ultimate authority? In light of Jesus' supreme status as described in Hebrews 1, how should this shape our approach to prayer, trust, and reliance on Him in all circumstances?

If God is so committed to our joy and our glory, if he loves us so much, why is our life so hard?  That's what the book of Hebrews is about and the answer, in a nutshell, is life is a journey. It's a journey from weariness into rest. It's a journey from alienation into the presence of God. It's a journey from isolation into the city of God. And the only way you're going to get home is by fixing your eyes on Jesus. The whole idea of Hebrews is you don't get home through bursts, through sprints, but in a sustained, long-term way.  In Hebrews 1 and 2, we learn what Jesus has to do with this question: 1) what he brings, 2) why he brings it; and 3) how it can change our lives. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 6, 2005. Series: Christ: Our Treasury (The Book of Hebrews). Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:1-4. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Ultimately, Christmas means that God keeps His promises. In Hebrews 8, we see that there were old promises we could not keep, and there are new promises that we cannot beat found in Jesus.

In Hebrews 13 and 2 Timothy, we see two very different books written by different authors for various audiences. At the same time, both books point us to the one eternal hope we have in Jesus Christ. Devotionables #726 - Hope in the Eternal Covenant Hebrews 13 & 2 Timothy Blue Letter Bible PlanDevotionables is a ministry of The Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.  naobc.org

In Hebrews 4:14-16 we are told that Christ is a glorious High Priest who has passed through the heavens. He is like us in every way except without sin. As the one who is fully God and fully man, he is perfectly fitted to be the priest who reconciles man to God. He is able to make a full atonement for our sins, intercede for us forever, and to be a compassionate High Priest, sympathizing with us in our weaknesses.

Ancient warfare was fierce. It was close, it was personal, it was dirty, it was aggressive, it was violent, and it was in your face. In preparation for battle, soldiers lined up in tight formation side by side with about three feet separating each soldier so that they could move freely. Every piece of the armor was critically important: The belt kept everything he was wearing in its rightful place, the breastplate protected his vital organs, his shoes were designed so that he could stand his ground and maintain his footing, his shield helped protected him from any weapon that would pierce such as arrows or spears, and his helmet kept his head on his shoulders, protected his mind, line of sight, and neck. The part of his armor that was designed to defend and to harm was his sword. The sword used by Romes soldiers between 3BC and 3AD was a double-edged short sword known as the Gladius. Roman legionaries whose shield defended them from the fiery arrows of the enemy received advanced training in using the Gladius to slash the exposed kneecaps or throat of their enemies while in formation and carried their Gladius sword on their belt, or sometimes on a shoulder strap. It was impossible to forget your belt, breastplate, and shoes when marching into battle because those pieces of the soldiers armor were attached to his person. However, it was possible to leave you shield, helmet, and even your sword back in the camp where it was safe and comfortable, but no skilled and experienced soldier would dare enter battle without those parts of his armor he was required to take up and put on, such as his shield, helmet, and sword. A modern equivalent to just how foolish it would be for a Roman soldier to forget any part of his armor is a Russian soldier who became the 2022 winner of the Darwin Awards. The Darwin Awards are those awards given to honor Charles Darwin by commemorating those who improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it in the most spectacular way possible. Here is the description of the unnamed Russian soldier who won this award: You are wearing body armor in a warzone. You spot abandoned Macbook. You want Macbook. Where to hide it? With quick reflexes a Russian soldier slid that Macbook into his chest armor pocket, replacing a ballistic plate designed to save his life. He was killed in Irpin, and his body was retrieved, providing a hearty laugh for all of Ukraine. 'Instant Karma' They reportedly found a stolen iPad as well. Wonder where the iPad was hidden? I am no soldier, and although I love my Macbook Pro and have a great deal of respect for the way it is designed, even I know enough that in a warzone it is best to keep the ballistic plate in the chest armor pocket because a Macbook was never designed to stop a bullet. Yet, when it comes to the armor of God, how often do we intentionally or unintentionally replace that which is designed to protect with philosophies, ideologies, feelings, and practices that serve the enemy rather than our own protection? What is the Sword of the Spirit We are told what the Sword of the Spirit is in the very same verse: It is the word of God. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we are told: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness... We are told in the Old Testament book, Deuteronomy: ...man shall not live on bread alone, but man shall live on everything that comes out of the mouth of the Lord (8:3), which is a verse Jesus used against the devil when He was being tempted in the wilderness (see Matt. 4:1-11). In the Psalms, we learn of the written word of God: The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Ps. 19:7-8). As it relates to the authority of Gods word, we are instructed through the prophet Isaiah: This is what the Lord says: Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, so all these things came into being, declares the Lord. But I will look to this one, at one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word (Isa. 66:12). From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. The word of God in written form is contained in the 66 books that make up our Bible. When Paul wrote that all Scripture is inspired by God..., we believe that it is a reference to all of the Old Testament and New Testament books that make up the Bible that were written over a period of hundreds of years with many different contributors who were all guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that what you have before you is a supernatural book unlike any other book, that is without error. It is upon the word of God, both Old Testament (the prophets) and the New Testament (the apostles) that Jesus Church is being built upon (see Eph. 2:19-22). It is the written word of God that has supernatural and transformative power to shape and transform Gods people, for from the imagery of the Roman Gladius the author of Hebrews wrote: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). Regarding the Word of God, Jesus prayed to the Father for His church: I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth (John 17:1417). In just one chapter earlier, Paul said that the way Jesus is purifying and sanctifying His church is, by the washing of the water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless (Eph. 5:26-27). So, we know what the word of God is; the question we must answer is how do we use it as the Sword of the Spirit? How Do We Use the Sword of the Spirit To answer that question, you need to know something about the two words that are used in reference to the word of God, and they are logos and rhēma. Logos is often translated as word or message. Rhēma is often translated word, saying, or statement. In Hebrews 4:12 and Isaiah 66:2 (in the Greek Septuagint) the word logos is used in reference to the Word of God. In Deuteronomy 8:3 (in the Greek Septuagint) and Ephesians 6:17, the word rhēma is used. So, whats the point? Both words are used in reference to the written and spoken word of God and its authority is based on the fact that it has come from God. Listen, every word in the Bible is authoritative because it is the Word of God and is used by the Holy Spirit of God to transform and shape the people of God. When you read or speak out loud the Word of God, as it is given within all 66 books of the Holy Bible, the voice of God is heard through His word. Pauls words in Ephesians 6:17 are calculated and carefully crafted through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; do not miss what is written: Take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. God always uses the authority of His own words with the power of His Holy Spirit to transform, change, and divinely challenge! So, how does one use the Word of God as the offensive sword of the Spirit? Jesus showed us how to use it as an offensive weapon when he was approached three times by the devil. In Matthew 4:1-17 and Luke 4:1-13 we are given the details of Jesus 40 days of fasting in the same wilderness that Israel wondered for 40 years because of their failure to believe and obey the word of God. Each of the temptations Jesus faced was like one of the temptations Israel faced and failed, by sinning. When Israel was in the wilderness, they complained about their lack of food (see Exod. 16). The devil came to Jesus and tempted Him with these words: If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. Jesus answered with the word of God from Deuteronomy 8:3, It is written: Man Shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:3-4). In the wilderness, Israel frequently put God to the test, so with the second temptation Satan took Jesus to the top of the temple and said, If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: He will give His angels orders concerning You; and On their hands they will lift You up, so that You do not strike Your foot against a stone. The devil even quoted and twisted Psalm 91 to try to get Jesus to fall into the same sin Israel fell into in the wilderness. Again, Jesus responded rightly and skillfully with the word of God: You shall not put the Lord Your God to the Test. (Matt. 4:5-7). In the wilderness and throughout Israels history, they were frequently guilty of false worship. In an effort to get Jesus to fall into the same sin, Satan tried to get Jesus to avoid the cross by worshiping him, to which Jesus responded with the sword of the Spirit: You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only (Matt. 4:8-11). Jesus used the sword of the Spirit to counter the Devils temptations. Did you ever notice that two of the three temptations Jesus faced were not inherently evil; it is not wrong to eat when you are hungry nor is it wrong to expect God to save you from harm. However, the scheming of the Devil was to try and get the Son of God to not trust the Fathers plan but to use a different plan that would have avoided the cross. We often counter our temptation to sin with human reason by believing another way is better than Gods way. Think about the way we reason our way out of obedience to God: I know Gods word says sex is a gift to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage, but were in love and were going to get married anyway; or Its only a little lie. Sometimes it is more subtle: I know Gods word says, there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking..., but at least it is not a 4-letter word, its not gossip if it is a prayer request, its just an innocent joke... I know that Gods word says that, sexual immorality or impurity is sinful, but its only a few scenes in the movie. Or... It only happens once a month... What if we learned from the way Jesus responded to temptation by countering our own with the Word of God? Imagine what would have happened if, in the Garden, Adam responded to the serpents temptation with the Word of God? You can take up the word of God as the sword of the Spirit or you can leave it in its sheath. Here is the thing though, just as handling a sword effectively takes some skill that can only come if you take it out of its sheath, to handle the sword of the Spirit with skill you must take it out and use it. To handle the Word of God with skill, you need to use it by reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and immerse yourself into it so that it can do what God designed it to do, which is to change you, mold you, cleanse you, and guide you. Just as you will never improve your shooting skills if you do not get out to a range and shoot, or a martial artist will only be as skilled as his time in the dojo practicing his techniques, so it is true with handling the word of God with skill. Just as there are resources to improve your aim, or your skills as a martial artist, so there are resources that God has provided through pastors, theologians, scholars, and Christian publishers to improve your skills in handling the word of God. In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). Some think that this verse is only applicable to pastors, but do you know why we know that is not true? How do we know that every Christian needs to strive to be able to accurately handle the word of truth? Because of what Jesus commanded every Christian: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:1920). Conclusion Remember that the schemes belong to the devil, but the armor of God belongs to God! The sword of the Spirit is no exception! The list of Gods armor begins with the belt of truth, and it concludes with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. What we have discovered about the armor of God is that the belt of truth is our identity in Jesus, the breastplate of righteousness is our righteousness in Jesus, the shoes of the gospel of peace is our redemption that Jesus has made possible, the shield of faith is provided through Jesus, the helmet of salvation is the hope of our salvation in Jesus, and the sword of the Spirit is the word of God that points us back to... Jesus! We learn from the Bible that all the promises of God through His word find their yes and Amen in and through Jesus Christ (see 2 Cor. 19-22). In fact, Jesus is not only Gods Yes to all of His promises, Jesus is Gods most perfect revelation of Himself because He is the living Word of God! In the opening verses of the Gospel of John, we learn that as the Word of God, All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.And as the Word of God, He, became flesh, and dwelt among us... (John 1:1-14). Not only is Jesus your belt, not only is He your breastplate, not only is He your peace, not only is He your shield and your helmet... Jesus is your sword! How do you remain strong in the Lord? You must find Him to be your life! In closing, I read something in Iain Duguids little book, titled, The Whole Armor of God, what I am about to read to you is the essence of the Christmas message: As the Word of God, he [Jesus] spoke the world into existence. As the Word of God, he uniquely reveals to us the Father. As the Word of God, he is Gods final communication to this broken and now redeemed world, come to heal the sick, rescue the lost, restore the broken, and lift up the downcast.... The Word of God in its cleansing work serves as a set of shears, a scalpel, and a sword. Ask God to equip you with these three different tools, each one uniquely crafted to help us in the fight against temptation by the world, the flesh, and the devil. All that sanctifying power flows into your life through the work of the Holy Spirit applying his Word. And when you fail and fall, as you often will, the Sword of the Spirit points you back again to the fact that the gospel is still true and Christs power is still sufficient to keep you safe and bring you at last into your heavenly inheritance.[1] [1] Iain M. Duguid, The Whole Armor of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2019), pp. 101-02.

Ancient warfare was fierce. It was close, it was personal, it was dirty, it was aggressive, it was violent, and it was in your face. In preparation for battle, soldiers lined up in tight formation side by side with about three feet separating each soldier so that they could move freely. Every piece of the armor was critically important: The belt kept everything he was wearing in its rightful place, the breastplate protected his vital organs, his shoes were designed so that he could stand his ground and maintain his footing, his shield helped protected him from any weapon that would pierce such as arrows or spears, and his helmet kept his head on his shoulders, protected his mind, line of sight, and neck. The part of his armor that was designed to defend and to harm was his sword. The sword used by Romes soldiers between 3BC and 3AD was a double-edged short sword known as the Gladius. Roman legionaries whose shield defended them from the fiery arrows of the enemy received advanced training in using the Gladius to slash the exposed kneecaps or throat of their enemies while in formation and carried their Gladius sword on their belt, or sometimes on a shoulder strap. It was impossible to forget your belt, breastplate, and shoes when marching into battle because those pieces of the soldiers armor were attached to his person. However, it was possible to leave you shield, helmet, and even your sword back in the camp where it was safe and comfortable, but no skilled and experienced soldier would dare enter battle without those parts of his armor he was required to take up and put on, such as his shield, helmet, and sword. A modern equivalent to just how foolish it would be for a Roman soldier to forget any part of his armor is a Russian soldier who became the 2022 winner of the Darwin Awards. The Darwin Awards are those awards given to honor Charles Darwin by commemorating those who improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it in the most spectacular way possible. Here is the description of the unnamed Russian soldier who won this award: You are wearing body armor in a warzone. You spot abandoned Macbook. You want Macbook. Where to hide it? With quick reflexes a Russian soldier slid that Macbook into his chest armor pocket, replacing a ballistic plate designed to save his life. He was killed in Irpin, and his body was retrieved, providing a hearty laugh for all of Ukraine. 'Instant Karma' They reportedly found a stolen iPad as well. Wonder where the iPad was hidden? I am no soldier, and although I love my Macbook Pro and have a great deal of respect for the way it is designed, even I know enough that in a warzone it is best to keep the ballistic plate in the chest armor pocket because a Macbook was never designed to stop a bullet. Yet, when it comes to the armor of God, how often do we intentionally or unintentionally replace that which is designed to protect with philosophies, ideologies, feelings, and practices that serve the enemy rather than our own protection? What is the Sword of the Spirit We are told what the Sword of the Spirit is in the very same verse: It is the word of God. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we are told: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness... We are told in the Old Testament book, Deuteronomy: ...man shall not live on bread alone, but man shall live on everything that comes out of the mouth of the Lord (8:3), which is a verse Jesus used against the devil when He was being tempted in the wilderness (see Matt. 4:1-11). In the Psalms, we learn of the written word of God: The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes (Ps. 19:7-8). As it relates to the authority of Gods word, we are instructed through the prophet Isaiah: This is what the Lord says: Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, so all these things came into being, declares the Lord. But I will look to this one, at one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word (Isa. 66:12). From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. The word of God in written form is contained in the 66 books that make up our Bible. When Paul wrote that all Scripture is inspired by God..., we believe that it is a reference to all of the Old Testament and New Testament books that make up the Bible that were written over a period of hundreds of years with many different contributors who were all guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that what you have before you is a supernatural book unlike any other book, that is without error. It is upon the word of God, both Old Testament (the prophets) and the New Testament (the apostles) that Jesus Church is being built upon (see Eph. 2:19-22). It is the written word of God that has supernatural and transformative power to shape and transform Gods people, for from the imagery of the Roman Gladius the author of Hebrews wrote: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). Regarding the Word of God, Jesus prayed to the Father for His church: I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth (John 17:1417). In just one chapter earlier, Paul said that the way Jesus is purifying and sanctifying His church is, by the washing of the water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless (Eph. 5:26-27). So, we know what the word of God is; the question we must answer is how do we use it as the Sword of the Spirit? How Do We Use the Sword of the Spirit To answer that question, you need to know something about the two words that are used in reference to the word of God, and they are logos and rhēma. Logos is often translated as word or message. Rhēma is often translated word, saying, or statement. In Hebrews 4:12 and Isaiah 66:2 (in the Greek Septuagint) the word logos is used in reference to the Word of God. In Deuteronomy 8:3 (in the Greek Septuagint) and Ephesians 6:17, the word rhēma is used. So, whats the point? Both words are used in reference to the written and spoken word of God and its authority is based on the fact that it has come from God. Listen, every word in the Bible is authoritative because it is the Word of God and is used by the Holy Spirit of God to transform and shape the people of God. When you read or speak out loud the Word of God, as it is given within all 66 books of the Holy Bible, the voice of God is heard through His word. Pauls words in Ephesians 6:17 are calculated and carefully crafted through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; do not miss what is written: Take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. God always uses the authority of His own words with the power of His Holy Spirit to transform, change, and divinely challenge! So, how does one use the Word of God as the offensive sword of the Spirit? Jesus showed us how to use it as an offensive weapon when he was approached three times by the devil. In Matthew 4:1-17 and Luke 4:1-13 we are given the details of Jesus 40 days of fasting in the same wilderness that Israel wondered for 40 years because of their failure to believe and obey the word of God. Each of the temptations Jesus faced was like one of the temptations Israel faced and failed, by sinning. When Israel was in the wilderness, they complained about their lack of food (see Exod. 16). The devil came to Jesus and tempted Him with these words: If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. Jesus answered with the word of God from Deuteronomy 8:3, It is written: Man Shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:3-4). In the wilderness, Israel frequently put God to the test, so with the second temptation Satan took Jesus to the top of the temple and said, If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: He will give His angels orders concerning You; and On their hands they will lift You up, so that You do not strike Your foot against a stone. The devil even quoted and twisted Psalm 91 to try to get Jesus to fall into the same sin Israel fell into in the wilderness. Again, Jesus responded rightly and skillfully with the word of God: You shall not put the Lord Your God to the Test. (Matt. 4:5-7). In the wilderness and throughout Israels history, they were frequently guilty of false worship. In an effort to get Jesus to fall into the same sin, Satan tried to get Jesus to avoid the cross by worshiping him, to which Jesus responded with the sword of the Spirit: You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only (Matt. 4:8-11). Jesus used the sword of the Spirit to counter the Devils temptations. Did you ever notice that two of the three temptations Jesus faced were not inherently evil; it is not wrong to eat when you are hungry nor is it wrong to expect God to save you from harm. However, the scheming of the Devil was to try and get the Son of God to not trust the Fathers plan but to use a different plan that would have avoided the cross. We often counter our temptation to sin with human reason by believing another way is better than Gods way. Think about the way we reason our way out of obedience to God: I know Gods word says sex is a gift to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage, but were in love and were going to get married anyway; or Its only a little lie. Sometimes it is more subtle: I know Gods word says, there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking..., but at least it is not a 4-letter word, its not gossip if it is a prayer request, its just an innocent joke... I know that Gods word says that, sexual immorality or impurity is sinful, but its only a few scenes in the movie. Or... It only happens once a month... What if we learned from the way Jesus responded to temptation by countering our own with the Word of God? Imagine what would have happened if, in the Garden, Adam responded to the serpents temptation with the Word of God? You can take up the word of God as the sword of the Spirit or you can leave it in its sheath. Here is the thing though, just as handling a sword effectively takes some skill that can only come if you take it out of its sheath, to handle the sword of the Spirit with skill you must take it out and use it. To handle the Word of God with skill, you need to use it by reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and immerse yourself into it so that it can do what God designed it to do, which is to change you, mold you, cleanse you, and guide you. Just as you will never improve your shooting skills if you do not get out to a range and shoot, or a martial artist will only be as skilled as his time in the dojo practicing his techniques, so it is true with handling the word of God with skill. Just as there are resources to improve your aim, or your skills as a martial artist, so there are resources that God has provided through pastors, theologians, scholars, and Christian publishers to improve your skills in handling the word of God. In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). Some think that this verse is only applicable to pastors, but do you know why we know that is not true? How do we know that every Christian needs to strive to be able to accurately handle the word of truth? Because of what Jesus commanded every Christian: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:1920). Conclusion Remember that the schemes belong to the devil, but the armor of God belongs to God! The sword of the Spirit is no exception! The list of Gods armor begins with the belt of truth, and it concludes with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. What we have discovered about the armor of God is that the belt of truth is our identity in Jesus, the breastplate of righteousness is our righteousness in Jesus, the shoes of the gospel of peace is our redemption that Jesus has made possible, the shield of faith is provided through Jesus, the helmet of salvation is the hope of our salvation in Jesus, and the sword of the Spirit is the word of God that points us back to... Jesus! We learn from the Bible that all the promises of God through His word find their yes and Amen in and through Jesus Christ (see 2 Cor. 19-22). In fact, Jesus is not only Gods Yes to all of His promises, Jesus is Gods most perfect revelation of Himself because He is the living Word of God! In the opening verses of the Gospel of John, we learn that as the Word of God, All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.And as the Word of God, He, became flesh, and dwelt among us... (John 1:1-14). Not only is Jesus your belt, not only is He your breastplate, not only is He your peace, not only is He your shield and your helmet... Jesus is your sword! How do you remain strong in the Lord? You must find Him to be your life! In closing, I read something in Iain Duguids little book, titled, The Whole Armor of God, what I am about to read to you is the essence of the Christmas message: As the Word of God, he [Jesus] spoke the world into existence. As the Word of God, he uniquely reveals to us the Father. As the Word of God, he is Gods final communication to this broken and now redeemed world, come to heal the sick, rescue the lost, restore the broken, and lift up the downcast.... The Word of God in its cleansing work serves as a set of shears, a scalpel, and a sword. Ask God to equip you with these three different tools, each one uniquely crafted to help us in the fight against temptation by the world, the flesh, and the devil. All that sanctifying power flows into your life through the work of the Holy Spirit applying his Word. And when you fail and fall, as you often will, the Sword of the Spirit points you back again to the fact that the gospel is still true and Christs power is still sufficient to keep you safe and bring you at last into your heavenly inheritance.[1] [1] Iain M. Duguid, The Whole Armor of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2019), pp. 101-02.

True Leadership and Revival (2) (audio) David Eells – 12/8/24   The great anointing of the beginning of the Latter Rain is coming for the purpose of first empowering the Man-child, who will then be used to bring the Bride into her ordained calling. It will be as it was in Jesus' time where John said of Jesus' disciples in Joh.3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom…. The anointing of wisdom and knowledge and power of Jesus will be theirs for He lives in them. Glenn H. Jackson received just such a prophecy in July 2006. (This speaks of the anointing of the Man-child reformers.) Jesus said, “I am going to ‘bring you up' with Me for a time, My beloved one, and I shall show you supernaturally in this time all that you need to be shown and truly I say to you, you will never be the same and I shall lay My hands upon you and thus I shall ‘impart' to you the ‘special anointing' that shall enable (empower) you to carry out powerfully and gloriously every facet of My will for your life and ministry and you shall help ‘elevate' My Church to the place that I have called her to! Do not fear, My beloved one, only put yourself in a position continually to receive all that I have for you!” The Jewish Feast of Hanukkah typifies the time of the anointing of the Man-child at the beginning of the Tribulation in order to spread that anointing throughout the Bride and the larger Church. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. [In 2024, 5,6,7,8, Hanukkah starts at nightfall on Dec 25th or Christmas, when the world celebrates the birth of Jesus, the Man-child. Jesus was really born in the fall when the shepherds, who visited the birth, were still in the field with their sheep.]  Hanukkah is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication”. It celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Grecian beast kingdom of 165 B.C. and the rededication of the Temple that had been defiled by that kingdom. Their situation typifies the same spiritual situation we are seeing presently in the Church. The beast kingdom of this world has defiled the Temple of God's people with its thinking and ways. The Hellenists, who were a type of the worldly Christian and their leaders, felt that their brethren were not a modern sophisticated society like the Greeks and so did everything they could to merge Israel into the Grecian beast kingdom in culture and thought. As a true type, the light of the menorah of Israel was put out during those days when God's people indulged in the lukewarm darkness of the world even as today in spiritual Israel, the Church. The Maccabees were a priestly family of Jews whom God used to cast off the bondage of Antiochus IV Epiphanes at the head of the beast kingdom. Judas Maccabaeus and his army recaptured Jerusalem and reconsecrated the temple. We are told that he wanted to light the menorah of the Temple but they had only one small flask of oil, which would last for about a day. God answered their prayers with a miracle and the oil lasted for eight days. The Feast of Hanukkah celebrates this miracle of the multiplication of the oil for the light of the Temple, which is now the people of God. Hanukkah is also called the “Feast of Lights”. As Jesus told His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world” (Mat. 5:14). The one small flask of oil was a remnant in Israel and represents the Lord Jesus birthed in the anointed Man-child of our day. The first seven days of Hanukkah represent the miraculous revival of that light through the Church in the seven day/years of the Tribulation. This was symbolized by the lighting of the Temple menorah, a seven-branched lampstand representing the seven Churches. Jesus, as a type of the Man-child, was circumcised eight days after His birth, symbolizing the cutting off of the flesh on the eighth day/year, called the Day of the Lord. This will be after seven day/years of the Man-child's Tribulation ministry when the old body is cut off and the new body is received. I do not know if the First-fruits Man-child will be anointed during the Feast of Hanukkah but God is still about to fulfill that sign in the days to come by rededicating the New Testament Temple and multiplying the oil of the First-fruits Man-child in them. As Jesus multiplied His anointing through His apostolic witnesses to the larger Church, so the Man-child will multiply that anointing through end-time witnesses to miraculously restore the light of the Church. On the evening of the 24th of Kislev begins Hanukkah on the 25th when Haggai was told by the Lord that He would bless them “from this day” by shaking the heavens and earth and breaking the power of the nations over them, sending them into the wilderness tribulation behind the man-child. Hag.2:10 In the four and twentieth [day] of the ninth [month-Kislev], in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet... 19 ...from this day will I bless [you]. 20 And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai in the four and twentieth [day] of the month (Kislev), saying, 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; (During the 8 day/years of Tribulation/Day of the Lord. Also, our dreams show the New Madrid goes off at the time of the birth and anointing of the Man-child ministry.) 22 and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; (Kingdoms of Deep State Babylon fall to the One World empire of Cyrus as a type of Trump.) and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. (This is as when Egypt's power was broken over the called-out ones of Israel as they went into the wilderness tribulation to learn to walk by faith in God. At this time Israel was led by their Man-child, Moses, who is being typed here as the first-fruits Zerubbabel, meaning “born from Babylon”. War may very well cover their flight into the wilderness.) 23 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts. Notice “In that day” of Hanukkah, Zerubbabel will be a signet, which is a seal of authority such as kings have. The Man-child will come with the authority of God to bring God's people out of bondage to the world and through the wilderness tribulation. Also on this day the foundation of the Lord's house, not made with man's hands, is laid again after a great falling away since the time of the Apostles. Hag.2:18 Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth [month], since the day that the foundation of Jehovah's temple was laid, consider it. It is through the shaking of the nations in the tribulation that God's “desired” people come out of them to become the temple of peace. 2:7 and I will shake all nations; and the precious (Hebrew: desired) things (Not Numeric) of all nations shall come (Jesus); and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts. In the former rain, Jesus, the Man-child, laid the foundation of the former glory house. 1 Cor.3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So also in the latter rain, Jesus in Zerubbabel, as a type of the Man-child, will lay the foundation of the latter, greater glory house. Zec.4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you”. Notice this verse is saying that it is the Lord who is coming in Zerubbabel (first-fruits born from Babylon) to build the house of God.     Man-child Sends out the Witnesses Amos Scaggs (David's notes in red) I received a vision from the Lord showing two stages of His work in and through His last day disciples. The first stage was these modern disciples were being gathered, including myself. Preparations had been made well in advance by the Lord. We were adequately taken care of and our needs were met without asking. We gathered together in fields, feasting and listening to JESUS while he taught us his ways. (This is a repetition of history. Jesus, manifested in the first-fruits/man-child, will teach and protect the disciples for the first three and one half years of the tribulation just as it was in the Gospels. They will be trained to be his witnesses and signs and wonders will follow their teaching just as it was with the first disciples.) We were going through different parts of the world but seemed to be in the same field. (“the field is the world”) We were also given protection well in advance. We were being given monetary things from Christians who believed in and were sympathetic to our cause but stayed in their prosperous communities. They were good people and kind to us. When we left this first teaching stage, they even came to see us off on our journey. (These brethren were not called to be among the Man-child or witnesses, who are God's apostles to raise up the end-time Church but they are called to support these ministers. Just as the witnesses were handpicked by Jesus in the Gospels, so it will be this time.) The second stage was that we were gathered into groups of two's and three's and being sent out into the world. Some would never return to see their families ever again. (Some will have translation powers and may return that way.) We were being sent into different groups and then being dispersed. One had the same spirit and anointing as John. Another had the same spirit and anointing as Peter. Another had the same spirit and anointing of James and so forth. (The two witnesses who have the spirits of Moses and Elijah also have the spirits of the Apostles. As Jesus sent out the corporate two witnesses two by two in the Gospels and then in the Book of Acts, so in our day will the Man-child send out the corporate two witnesses. They will give their life to raise up the Church and the true five-fold ministries according to type.) I also saw two rich people that were in government power. These were two older friends who partially raised me when I was younger and have been dead for 30-40 plus years. He was the Lt. Governor of Ohio and his wife. I was finishing up some meaningless work that I was doing for them so I could leave in a rush. She said, “I will have a baby by another means if you won't help me.” He said, “It will have to be by other means because I can't help you”. She said, “I think I'll have one by a Cherokee.” (The woman here is a remnant of the apostate Church, which will realize that it could not bring forth the fruit of Christ through their patriotic, allegiance to their husband, the beast government, so it will be done by “other means”. The Cherokee represent the witnesses who, like them will hold tenaciously to the roots of their forefathers, the apostles and Christ Himself. The Cherokee are an oppressed minority who live in camps separate from the world representing these coming witnesses of primitive Christianity. These will rise up and sow the seed of their forefathers into the apostate Church to bring forth the fruit of Jesus in them. These are a weak people in themselves who lost their land to the American beast but have held to the “Great Spirit” whose power will bring the true Church back to her roots.) Amos goes on, I thought the Cherokee child would be born mature as Adam was. (God will do a very quick work in His people. Rom.9:28 for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.)   Latter Rain Anointing Rex V. - 06/05/2005 (David's notes in red) While asleep, I heard a voice say: “Remember the linen ephod and the number 6427”. A few minutes later I heard the voice say the same thing again. I began to think about the number; then the third time I heard, “Don't forget the linen ephod and the number 6427”. The ephod was a garment made of linen, woven with gold, purple, blue and scarlet in Exo.28:4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of checker work, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (An ephod was a sacred vestment worn by the high priests (Exo. 28:4-14, 31-35; 25:7; 39:5). It was used as a prophetic mantle by David in the wilderness to know what Saul's armies were doing so that God's people would escape him (1Sa.23:9-14). Saul represents the old-order leadership that is keeping God's people in bondage to Babylonish religion. God spoke to me many years ago that, “I am moving the Sauls out of the way to make room for my Davids and you are one of my Davids”. Saul's death represented the spiritual death of the old-order leadership as they opposed David. This prophetic mantle was worn by David when He brought the ark to Jerusalem in 2Sa.6:14 …and David was girded with a linen ephod. And he said “let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul” (1 Chr.13:3). The Saul ministries of our day do not have the presence of the Lord in their midst nor do they seek his direction. This prophetic mantle was used by David for wisdom and direction to conquer beast armies who had captured God's people in 1Sa.30:7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shalt without fail recover all. Jesus was the Son of David who received the anointed mantle to be the Man-child of His day for the first 3 1/2 years of their tribulation. God is saying through Rex's revelation that He is about to return the mantle of the ephod, which is a prophetic anointing for the spiritual seed of David in our day, to begin our tribulation. It will be for wisdom and direction to deliver God's people from bondage to the Sauls and the beast system.) Rex: I felt impressed that the numbers 6427 represented Isaiah 64:2-7, which says, 2 as when fire kindleth the brushwood, [and] the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! (As in Jesus' day, God is about to reveal his name, i.e. nature, character, and authority, manifest initially in His first fruits Man-child, and then in His disciples. This will bring judgment to the beast kingdom of this world. He will be seen in the earth again, manifested in His people.) 3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence. 4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. (Jesus said He was coming again manifested in a Man-child born to a woman church who is in travail in Joh 16:19-22 Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. He said he would come as the latter rain on the morning of the third day in Hos 6:1 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Notice Jesus is coming as the latter rain and this will be on the Man-child reformers. We are now at the morning of the third, thousand-year day when Jesus will come in His saints before He comes for His saints. He said He would come to minister to His flock when the Man-child is born in Mic 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4 And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. He will work for those who have waited by faith for their help from above. The first tribulation judgment will be the white horse rider, whose words from God will spread the latter rain. This is the first fruits Man-child ministry, for those who are now awaiting this anointing to shake the earth.) Going on in 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways (An obedient first fruits company is about to meet their Lord face to face.): behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them [have we been] of long time; and shall we be saved? 6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities. (As in Jesus' day many have waited “of long time” to see God once again do His mighty works in the earth and now God is about to answer the prayers of those who are waiting in faith. Like in Jesus' day, many are waiting for their provisions, healings, and deliverances from the curses upon this world. God is about to answer in this way which perfectly repeats history (Ecc.1:9). Because of unfaithfulness to the Word, the ephod was absent from Israel - who lived in her sins “of long time”. So it has been with the Church. Hos.3:1 And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins. The King of Babylon (Isa.14:4,12-13) that the adulteress Church has loved is none other than Satan who said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God (who are Abraham's seed in Gen.22:17); and I will sit on the mount of the congregation”. Christianity has been a harlot bribed by God so that she will even profess Him for “many days”. 2 So I bought her to me for fifteen [pieces] of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley; 3 and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man's wife: so will I also be toward thee. For almost 2000 years Christianity has been missing anointed, Christ-like leadership. 4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim: These are the days when God's people will return from Babylon to the city of God, heavenly Jerusalem. 5 afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days. These are “the last days” when New Testament Israel will “return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king” who will be anointed with the ephod of God to lead them. This anointing will be passed on to them as they present their bodies as living sacrifices and they will shake the earth. Glory to the living God!)     The Greater Anointing Is Coming Amos Scaggs - 06/03/2007 (David's notes in red) The separation is coming. I saw a new bottle of HD (high detergent) oil opened and the top portion poured out on the ground, as if to skim off the impurities. The major portion of it was to be poured into the oil tank where it belongs. The top portion was skimmed off to make sure there was no impurities mixed with the oil, although there were no impurities in the new oil. A little of God's anointing oil is being poured out on the earth now among all believers, even the ones with impurities in them, but the two will soon separate to expose the true vine. The separation to expose the false believers is happening. The balance of the oil is to be poured out upon the true believers to do His work. “HD” or Harley Davidson dominated the 1/2 mile dirt track races in my time. The HD oil was poured in for the final run to win the race. Yes, I am a Harley rider, although I used to ride the fast Japanese bikes. God communicates to us in a fashion so we can understand. (I guess the small amount of oil poured on the earth is for the earthly Christians and the great amount poured in the engine is for the anointed to win the race to the end. High Detergent oil is for cleaning up engines, too. Pour the whole bottle on me, Lord! I need to keep this engine running. :o)     True and False Leadership Seen Jan Albayalde (David's notes in red) I dreamed the following two dreams back to back on 08/28/2007. The Fasting Dream I was sitting on the front row of a huge church that was the true church of the Lord Jesus. The Church was very plain with white walls with a little wood trim but nothing ornate and no stained glass. A man I don't know walked to the podium to address the people. He was a small man in stature, almost frail. He said just a couple words, called forward a large man who was about his age, around 45, had him face the crowd and began to introduce him. Suddenly, the man at the podium fell on the floor weeping under the presence of God. At the same time, the man standing to be introduced, who was a Jew in a business suit with an azure blue shirt, was also filled with the Spirit and began speaking in tongues. This man was slightly overweight, let's say he was hearty with a rosy robust complexion. He had a lot of snow-white hair, so much I'm sure the Lord wanted me to notice (i.e., it was very high on his head). I rushed forward to help the man on the floor but before I got to him, as I passed the man speaking in tongues, I became filled with the Spirit, fell on my knees, and began worshipping God. A man in the congregation, a man I DO know as pastor of a local church here, came forward, looked at the man weeping on the floor, the Jew speaking in tongues, me worshipping, and said, “This is what happens when you fast and pray; this man on the floor had been in a long fast before the Lord, seeking the face of God and is why the power and glory of God are falling”. An interesting thing about the dream: the man at the podium who had been fasting and fell weeping on the floor was dressed in a suit as he stood, but when I rushed forward to help him, as I fell to my knees under the anointing, I saw he was naked. (The man standing behind the pulpit was fasting to weaken the old outer man and so he fell. He was small because “the outer man is decaying yet our inner man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor.4:16). The man introduced represented the new inner man because he had gained what the outer man had lost. He stood in the fast and had a lot of perfectly white hair, meaning much submission to holiness. As in 1 Cor.11:1, the hair is a sign of submission to authority. He had a blue shirt representing heavenly works. He is the spiritual man because he spoke the words of the spirit and is a spiritual Jew because he is circumcised in heart, not flesh. Fasting is so that the old man, who is naked, because he is not dressed up with the works of Christ can be removed so that the new man who is dressed up with Christ in his heavenly works would face the congregation. (Rom 13:12-14 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.) This is a good exhortation for the coming new Church leadership to deny feeding self and pray so that Christ through them can minister to His people.     The Snake Dream Immediately after the above dream, I dreamed this: I was in my spirit looking down over an orchard of pure white trees which represents the true Church. A huge green snake with huge muted splotches of black along its body appeared at the edge of the grove of white trees. From this point I no longer saw the trees, the focus was on the snake. Next, the snake turned totally blue. Then the snake turned totally black. End of dream. (The green snake is the false leadership of the church or false prophet. In Acts 16:16 the spirit of false prophecy or divination is translated in Greek as “a spirit; a python”. It is green because it is the natural man ministering and not the spiritual. He stands outside of the white or holy trees but not in their midst for he is not holy. The black splotches represent its works of darkness that are plainly seen. His turning blue as a chameleon represents deception in that he is attempting to be seen as heavenly but he serves the (black) darkness and will be seen that way. God is raising up a new leadership for the true church that refuses to feed the flesh (fasting) and the old leadership will be plainly seen for what it has been all along. They will bring a great persecution against the holy as it was with the Pharisees in Jesus' time.)     Unity Coming to the True Body Brandon Corsi - 03/01/2008 (David's notes in red) In my dream, my friend (a friend in real life). and I were in a shopping mall of some sort, purchasing some items. (This symbolizes the 'buying and selling' done in the 'merchandising' church.) We noticed two little girls fighting over some kind of object, I think a stuffed animal, and they were each tugging at it. (The immature children in the church squabble over relatively insignificant doctrines and things.) The next moment, my friend and I were in front of a large group of young children, and the two girls were among the crowd. Their attention was directed toward us. One of the girls who was arguing earlier spoke up and asked us what Jesus would have said about the disagreement they had. (Some of the immature will be convicted of their petty divisions and seek the wisdom of the unity of body from those who know better.) My friend and I looked at each other, both of us amazed that such a young child was inquiring about Jesus. Then, all of the children started to sing a song about Jesus in unison, in perfect harmony, as if the anointing came over them. My friend and I looked at each other once more in astonishment. We said to each other, “I can't believe it”. Then the anointing came over me from watching them, and it was very strong. It was so strong that I began to cry, and then I knelt down on my knees and laid my hands on the ground in front of me as an act of submission to God. (The unity of the true body will come then by the anointing of God in a surprising way.) A moment later, my friend and I were in the cockpit of a plane (overcoming the world) that was crashing into the side of a snowy mountain. (The purity of the Kingdom of God.) I said to him, “I guess we don't have to wait any longer to meet God”. (Death to self through overcoming the world brings us into God's presence.) I was very scared, and it seemed so real. Along with intense fear, I remember feeling a bit excited and anxious to meet my Maker, thankful the time was finally here. I prayed to God as we descended. And then we crashed, and I woke up, thankful to be alive. (Resurrection life comes through death to self as we wake up in a new Kingdom.)     Promise of Return to New Leadership Eve Brast - 07/25/2015 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in a building with many connecting rooms. (The body is many houses made into one.) I was going around and checking on all the local UBM brethren and talking with them. There was a huge waterslide that many children were playing on in this building. (This building could represent the body of Christ all being connected to one another and the waterslide the water of life that keeps us connected.) After I finished talking with a brother, I went out and got in my car to drive back into town. (My car is a Mazda Protégé. The meaning of protégé is: “A person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protégé's career”. We are disciples and protégés of Christ.) It was early morning (the morning of the third day) and the road was a freshly paved, narrow, two-lane blacktop road with a newly painted double yellow line down the center. (Meaning, “Stay to the right where the sheep are.  The freshly paved road represents the Highway of Holiness. The narrow road of a holy life.) Suddenly, I realized that David Eells was in the passenger seat of my car with his Bible in his lap. He said, “I'll bet they're thinking that I'm going to send a word over there to them”. I asked, “Well, what is it?” And he said, “Psalm 85!” (I believe David here represents the Son of David, Jesus (in the Man-child), and he was referring to the UBM brethren when he said “them” because I had just left them in the building to head back into town.) He then started to hand me his Bible and I just casually took my hands off of the steering wheel and took the Bible, as the car continued to drive itself as if this was normal. As I was looking up Psalm 85, I was thinking, “Psalm 85 and verse 13”. Psa.85:13 Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in. (This verse is referring to the Man-child ministers.) Then I woke up. (This first part is about the captivity returning and the last part is about God giving them the Man-child leadership.) Psa.85:1 Jehovah, thou hast been favorable unto thy land; Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people (Some are coming out of fleshly, beast captivity now and some later, as it was in the history of Israel.); Thou hast covered all their sin. (Because of repentance and faith towards God.) 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. 4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, And cause thine indignation toward us to cease. 5 Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6 Wilt thou not quicken us again, (revival) That thy people may rejoice in thee? 7 Show us thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, And grant us thy salvation. 8 I will hear what God Jehovah will speak; For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: But let them not turn again to folly (which would bring captivity). 9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth springeth out of the earth; And righteousness hath looked down from heaven. 12 Yea, Jehovah will give that which is good; And our land shall yield its increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him, And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in. (Man-child ministry will be an example.)   Vision: Religions Serve Religious Spirits Tim Mathis Several years ago, I found myself in the middle of an open vision. As I looked, I could see the backs of a crowd of people to my left. They were intently looking in the same direction away from me. It was obvious they were engaged in worship--some with hands raised, some with bowed heads, and most were singing. I watched myself disappear into the crowd and reappear dragging a dead person by the collar. I dragged the person across the street and laid him on his back with his head against the curb. I continued to enter and reappear with more dead people until there was a long line of bodies lying side by side along the curb. All at once, I began to weep over them because they were dead. Then, I walked out before them, raised my hands and spoke over them. I could not hear what was said, but immediately, they all sat up. For the next few minutes, they began to recover and make their way, one by one, to a standing position. It took some longer than others, but eventually, they were all standing. As their recovery process was proceeding, I disappeared once again into the throng and began dragging more dead people out. When those from the first group were able to stand and then walk, they joined me in dragging more and more bodies out of the throng. Each time the area along the curb was full, I stepped forward, raised my arms and spoke. The whole line of bodies would sit up alive, work their way to a standing position, and eventually help us in our work. Before long, my view began to pan back to see the extent of the crowd worshiping off to my left. There were hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, gathered around a circular object in the middle. This object was domed toward its center and was turning very slowly around, much like a merry-go-round. It emanated a bright light that the people worshiped. At the center of the object stood a brilliant angel with his arms outstretched receiving the adoration of the crowd. The people were worshiping the angel in a myriad of worship styles and traditions, from the solemn to the exuberant. As I looked closer, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that the angel was not an angel of light after all but a dark angel appearing as an angel of light. The people were worshipping this dark angel, not knowing that it was a spirit of false religion. Then, Father showed me what it meant: The crowds of people were not the throngs of some cult religion. Rather, they were major portions of the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. They were actively involved in their own methods of worship without regard for the source of the light. They were going about their church business--some vigorously, some lethargically--but all with some level of commitment. Most of the worship and church business was being done out of guilt without a true and intimate relationship with the one honored. These are the religious lost. I was sent into the crowd to retrieve those who had died in the middle of worship of the dark angel. They were the ones who KNEW they were dead, not those who thought that their religious activities still held some life. This is a picture of the people and denominations that no longer make any hypocritical pretense of spirituality. They knew there was no life there and they had become desperate for the return of the Holy Spirit breathing life into their dried bones. It is a mystery how I knew which ones to drag out of the crowd, though it was evident this identification came from the Holy Spirit. The act of speaking to the dead bodies brought them back to life. This pictures the mission statement of Jesus when He read Isaiah 61 for those gathered in the temple. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19 KJV). As the people became whole enough to stand, they were immediately put to work dragging more dead out of the crowd and bringing others to wholeness. A spirit of false religion, that is, witchcraft, has deceived much of the Church. This spirit appears as an angel of light, but its true motivation is binding the worshipers in darkness. I began to understand that the spirit of witchcraft was manifesting in the Church as control and religious spirits, using manipulation and false spiritual authority. Well-meaning leaders had taken control of the sheep in an effort to keep them on the path of righteousness. However, this control and manipulation is what keeps the Church impotent as an army and distances them from the One with Whom an intimate relationship should be developed. The man-made religious system designed to maintain the sheep is the very thing that has drained out the power and intimacy of the Body of Christ. Our mission is made crystal clear in this vision: to reach into the organized religious system and bring out those who have been made desperate to know the life-giving breath of the Living God in spite of the bondage of their doctrine and in spite of their theological training. The harvesters miraculously find those who are dead and desperate, raise them from the dead, and the Lord of the Harvest sends them into the harvest fields to bring the true light of salvation and wholeness to the multitudes who will otherwise die in their deceptive religious stupor.   Set Free By the Real Jesus B.A. - 08/01/2013 (Notes: David | Ellie) This dream is prophetic. Many are going to hear the Word of truth from anointed people of God and they will recognize it, as many did in Jesus' day. They will depart from Babylon and its whoredoms. Keep praying and believing for your lost loved ones, saints. The day is drawing near. I dreamed that it was Sunday evening (darkness) and my husband, Allen, was sitting in the family room watching TV. Being an obedient wife, I went into the family room to serve him his dinner. I glanced up at the TV screen and I saw a preacher standing at a podium and I noticed that the podium was monogrammed. (A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos.) (Monograms identify people and belongings: Joh.8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. Rom.6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?) I thought that was very odd; I've never seen that before. Then I noticed that this preacher's suit, tie, the collar of his dress shirt, and wing-tip shoes (representing unclean spirits) were also monogrammed. As I served my husband his dinner, he said, “Hey, sit down for a while and watch this with me”. Well, I really didn't want to do that, but just then I heard in my spirit, “It's okay, go ahead and sit down. You are protected by the blood of Jesus”. So I obeyed and sat down. 1Pe.1:2 …in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:… I noticed immediately that this man's face looked funny. I asked my husband, “Does that man's face look funny to you?” He studied the man's face and then said, “I don't think so. Why? What's funny about his face?” I got up and said, “Oh, that's okay. Hand me your dirty dishes”. So he gave me his dirty dishes and I took them into the kitchen to be washed. As I was standing at the kitchen sink, I began to pray for my husband and I realized what was wrong with that man's face. His nose was spread wide across his face, distorting his features and my husband didn't appear to notice. A week went by and again it was Sunday evening and my husband was watching this same TV preacher. I went to serve my husband his dinner and he said to me, “Sit and watch with me for a while”. So I did and I noticed upon closer observation that not only was this man's nose unusually wide across his face, but it was rather long for a human nose. Again, I asked my husband, “Do you notice anything strange about that man's face?” Again he studied the man's features and then said, “Well, there is something different about him but I'm not sure what it is”. I gathered up the dirty dishes and got up and took them into the kitchen to clean up. This same scenario played out for a few more weeks. Then one day I was taking my husband his lunch (lunch is usually served around noon, representing no shadows). Psa 37:6 And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And thy justice as the noon-day. I noticed that he was watching a much younger man (Man-child) on TV. As I was serving my husband his lunch, he said, “Sit down and watch with me; this man's message is really good”. So I did. As I listened to this young man, my heart leaped for joy, as this young man's words were so familiar to me; they were the TRUE GOSPEL and the REAL GOOD NEWS! I sat there and watched with my husband until the program was over. Php.4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Psa.40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: Let such as love thy salvation say continually, Jehovah be magnified. I said to my husband, “Wow, he was really good!” and my husband said, “Yeah, I liked him, too. He was different and there was something about him that just drew me to him”. I got up to take our dishes to the kitchen and tears of joy were running down my face, as I realized that the Father had revealed His Son, the real Jesus, to my husband. Joh.6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. As I was standing in the kitchen washing the dishes, my husband came in very excited and said, “I need to call Daniel McBride and talk to him about this”. I said, “Okay”, but I was a bit puzzled as to why my husband wanted to call Daniel. (In the natural, my husband does not know Daniel. I believe the Lord used Daniel because Daniel represents one who walks by faith and not by sight, as he had spiritual eyes to see.) My husband went into the den and picked up the phone and called him. When Daniel answered the phone, my husband said, “Hi, Dan. This is Allen and I need to tell you something”. As Allen began to explain this young man preaching the Gospel on TV to him, Daniel stopped him and took him to some Scripture, read it to him and asked, “Is this who you saw?” Allen said, “It could be. I'm not real sure”. Daniel took him to more Scripture and asked, “Is this him?” Allen said, “It sounds like it is”. Then Daniel quoted more Scripture and then asked, “Okay, Allen, is this him?” Allen shouted, “That's him! That's him! That's the man!” (The true, sent minister of God has Jesus or the WORD living in Him.) Then I heard my husband tell Daniel, “You know, my wife and I were watching a TV preacher who has a Sunday evening program and my wife mentioned that this man had a strange face” (he didn't look like Jesus). “I didn't see it at first but now I do” (his spiritual eyes were opened by the real Jesus Who spoke the truth of the real Gospel from the beginning). “I know what's strange about that man: he has a Pinocchio nose. And as the story goes, we know Pinocchio's nose grew longer (Exposing his sin) every time he told a lie.” (Which represents the false apostate leadership today.) Joh.8:32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Upon hearing my husband's exclamation, I ran to get my cell phone and called Dan's wife, Ellie. When Ellie answered the phone, I asked, “Ellie, did you hear that? Did you hear what Dan and Allen were saying?” Ellie said, “Yes, I did and praise the Lord!” I said, “Oh, yes! Praise the Lord, as my husband can now recognize the REAL Jesus!”  End of dream. 36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.   Dream of the Two Witnesses Daniel Potvin (David's notes in red) I was in a Middle Eastern place, possibly in Israel, a desert environment. I saw a group of men standing around, discussing an empty grave, mentioning that one of their patriarchs was missing. I had the impression they were Israelites. (These people who are observing represent New Testament Israel, the Church, who are circumcised in heart not flesh and know that Jesus was their patriarch Who was resurrected. They are about to enter into the desert wilderness of tribulation, worldwide.) They began looking up at the sky. As they were looking up, I saw great fear come over their faces. I looked up as well and saw two men coming down from the sky dressed in sackcloth. We all instinctively knew that these men were Moses and Elijah. Elijah landed first and within seconds, Moses landed. (Obviously, Moses and Elijah are not going to physically come down from the sky but their holy anointing will be born from above into the hearts of men who will then return the fear of the Lord to the Church as the Lord also interprets at the end of this dream. This will happen the same way that it happened when Jesus walked the earth. Peter said that Jesus was the “prophet” that Moses said would come - just like he did in Act.3:22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. 23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. In Hebrews 3:5-6, Paul compared Jesus to Moses in that both were heads of their houses. As a type for the end-times, Jesus raised up a corporate body of two witnesses that went forth two by two and confessed several times that they were His witnesses. He said to them, “The words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life”. Jesus sowed the Word of the spirit and life of Moses and Elijah into the two witnesses of His day. The great patriarch that was resurrected from the grave and caught up in this dream, returns as the spirit of Elijah and Moses first in the Man-child of our day. Moses and Elijah individually are types of the Man-child but combined they are types of the two witnesses. As it was with Jesus, the Man-child will sow this seed and anointing in the corporate body of the two witnesses of our day. We shouldn't confuse types here. In another type, Jesus revealed that John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. Although John preached repentance as Elijah did, he spoke no miracles or judgments like Elijah. The prophetic difference for our time between these two separate manifestations of Elijah is that one came before the Man-child, Jesus, and a much greater group came after Him. The later manifestation is accompanied by Moses' and Elijah's miracles and the judgments they pronounced. John represented those in our day who come before the Man-child and faithfully preach repentance but the miracles and judgments will come through the Man-child and the witnesses afterwards.) Back to Daniel's dream: We also knew instinctively that if these two men were impeded or restrained in any way by any individual, the consequence would be death. As Elijah and Moses started to walk, the men dispersed on either side, like the parting of the Red Sea, for their own safety, as if to recognize the holiness of these men. This is the strange part of the dream. I well knew that I could be killed by touching either of these two men. I thought to myself, ‘This man Moses was just in the presence of God Himself.' So I hugged him. I waited for the consequence of my actions and saw in his face that it was permitted by God and I was spared. He smiled and then walked his way. (Only those who are holy among God's people will both love and have no fear of the anointing of the witnesses. These witnesses will have the total protection of God until they are finished with their testimony. Rev.11:5 And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 6 These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.) Elijah and Moses went on separate paths into the desert. Two different groups followed each man. They each set a tabernacle (podium) and started preaching to their respective crowds. Immediately, a bleacher appeared behind me, so I sat down and started to listen to what they had to say. (I was at a distance witnessing the whole of both groups). (This symbolizes that two corporate bodies will receive the anointing of both Moses and Elijah. You will notice in the above text from Revelation that all of the witnesses had power to do both the signs common to Moses and the signs common to Elijah; not some, ‘the signs of Moses' and some, ‘the signs of Elijah'. These witnesses will not only bring repentance, miracles, healing, deliverance, and provision to the body like the witnesses of Jesus did but will also bring the miracles and judgments of Moses and Elijah.) Appearing beside me was a beautiful woman who started talking to me. I ignored her because I wanted to hear what Moses and Elijah had to say. Her words then turned into flattery, saying how special I was and what a great guy I was. As I continued to ignore her, her flatteries became more flirtatious. As I turned to her, I wondered why she was doing this because I wanted to listen to the preaching and she was distracting. So I told her, “I am trying to listen to these men of God”. I turned my attention back to the preaching. She then responded with a sexual proposal: “I would not stop you if you want to have me”. (The harlot of apostate Christianity, who receives the seed of men and not her husband, will attempt to seduce many from hearing the witnesses with her flesh-pleasing doctrines.) As the dream ended, I asked the Lord, “Who is this woman?” The Lord replied, “Jezebel”. And then I heard from God that Jezebel hates men who have the anointing of Elijah and Moses. (Notice that the way the Lord uses “men” here is to indicate many. He didn't use “the men” which could indicate two. The Jezebel harlot of Christianity, worldwide, will seek to hinder the witnesses who are also a worldwide body.) PS: It is beyond my words how to describe how Technicolor and vivid this dream was. It felt as if I actually met Moses and Elijah.     Your Way Is Marked Sandy Warner - 10/17/2005 I have heard your anxious worries over walking to the tune of My Spirit and walking with others of like minds. I know who and what has been missing in your life, dear one. I understand the pain. You have been sent like a pioneer into non-charted territory and few have walked this way. They have not recognized this great drive that is within you to see what is beyond the next valley. Come walk with Me. Your way is greatly protected and sheltered. I have given you My Word which you have hidden in your heart. I have covered you and shaded you. Resist carrying too much weight, dear one, for such encumbers your way. Instead, travel light and easy and become so sensitive to My leading that I can lead you with My eye. Look up, change your focus, for it is faith that causes you to rise above all that encumbers you. You belong to Me, My love. I belong to you. Fear not, for your prepared way has an impenetrable fence against the dogs or wolves who devour and bite. I am taking you cross-country and bringing you along the path of laurels, the overcoming ones. Also, you need not fear deception from the wolves, for I have paved the trail before you. Your path is well marked with signs of My Word liberally sprinkled to your right and to your left. I have also sent others before you and they have given much in order to leave a trail of breadcrumbs and seeds for you, My precious hungry birds. And even as you have followed the signs and been faithful with what I have given you, you shall be promoted. I will send you into the marketplace to release My Words to those who are starving and, yes, they will listen. In the past, they did not heed My Word and grew hungry while they walked in circles. You are My chosen generation who walked ahead of them. You shall walk out of the wilderness pioneering, leaning upon your Beloved. A great company travels with you and you shall never be alone again. (SoS.8:5-7 NKJV) Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.     The Worm Has Turned Graham - 08/04/2005 The worm has turned. The poor, and the downtrodden are about to rise. This new hour about to dawn is all about the Hidden Manna. Those who receive this ('the love of the truth') will be kept from the hour which is to try every man on earth, The Hidden Manna is Jesus Himself - His spirit. This truth answers all the scriptural questions about 'the restrainer', the reason for the tribulation, why there are believers mentioned in the tribulation time, why the Holy Spirit will be present during that time, the parable of the ten virgins, etc. I wrote the following recently on a Christian board: There is a great change coming, and people will again see the real 'power' (for want of a better word) of true gentleness. It will be in the Hidden Manna which will be so delightful to the heart that you'll feel that you've eaten the whole Bible in a few words. You will never be the same again, and you will understand how Jesus walked in the truth like you've never known before. You'll see miracles happen, but these will not mean as much to you as knowing the Lord even closer and closer. This Hidden Manna will sanctify the body/the flesh - that which presently holds sincere Christians back from gaining the victories that they so long for. The arrogant in the church will either withdraw or soften their hearts - there will be great consternation for many who have become hardened and thereby (sadly) destroyed many enquirers. There will be such a natural humility, understanding, and harmony that will baffle all the powers of darkness, and as “the city rejoiceth when the wicked are overthrown”, so the true sincere believers will rejoice to see the Lord working to overthrow the strongholds of the enemy. For that is what the Hidden Manna is - it is Jesus Himself. We will be one with Him as we have never known before. Worship will gradually become different. Just as a person may quietly within themselves admire someone seated at the same table - so worship will become so quiet, so rich, so heavenly. You will know exactly what is required of you and it will be without pressure or force of any kind for it will be from within - suited exactly to your individual personality and ways. Sincere Christians will gladly and willingly do the Lord's will His way. Some things you will understand immediately and just be amazed how God works so gently and other things you will understand after a time. The words He will give you from the Bible may well be a compilation of words from a number of verses which you, or no man could ever bring together. These words will so perfectly answer all the questions and needs of your heart, that from this basis the Lord will gently bring you round to understanding how things have happened the way they have in your life. Friendships will change and you will see people lighten up in their eyes to you by just a word or so that just happens and endears their heart to you. And that is what it is all about -- Brotherly/Sisterly Love which is a pure blend of His will and yours without the restrictions upon you or the Lord of an unsanctified body. Those receiving the love of the truth will embrace all this like a young child grabs a beach ball at the beach. Children will be drawn by your joy and those sweet glimpses/dreams/visions of glorious colors etc. which are so pleasant to the heart - thus drawing their hearts by means of beauty and lovely impressions of Heaven. The impulses of the flesh being overcome are no longer an advantage to the enemy, battles are raised to a different level (spiritual) so that false seeds of elevation do not grow. However, these are not to be feared at all for they are those things which will be welcomed to keep sincere believers dependent upon the Lord. These small perplexities are also means of revealing which words the Lord has for you, and many other things. The Lord will not leave you comfortless as you see Him working saving and restoring families with much Joy. Why is it urgent that we walk in the path of Jesus now?   Nazis Will Return, Stronger Marie Kelton 12/2/24 (David's notes in red) During the meeting, I had an open vision of huge field (“the field is the world”). The whole vision looked like a black and white photo but with a light brown tint (Nazi) over it.  I saw a crowd of little boys dressed from the 1940s, they had little suits on with newsboy caps on. The little boys then turned into Nazi soldiers wearing the Nazi uniform and marching. (When we were dealing with our un-Christian faction God likened them to Nazis in our dreams and revelations. Then we saw them in the political realm. The DS Nazi Satanists have sowed their seed of demons into their captives who grow up to be just like them, whether still physically captive, or set free. The reason that the DS perverts must molest their captured women and children is because Satan uses this method to get their demons in them. Take for example Diddy and Hollywood. So, getting rid of the sowers by tribunal is not getting rid of the problem, only delaying it for a season, until mid-trib, when their crop comes to maturity at the mark of the Beast. Spirit filled Christians should cast these demons. You can do this remotely and on a mass scale as we have proven.)   I then saw what look like huge concentration camp, behind the Nazi soldiers. There was a chain link fence up. In the concentration camp I saw Jewish people (spiritual Jews are Christians) they had on the blue (Dems) and white (Rino's feigning righteousness) striped clothing. (Again we will see the Nazi crucifiers of God's people in the Christian and secular realms.) A little to the right of them in a separate area was this huge round building that was a dark brown color. It had smoke coming from the chimney. But I couldn't remember if it was a gas chamber or an incinerator. (They will force a decision with the mark of the Beast in mid-trib. Those who have not born fruit beforehand will have to lose their carnal life to gain their spiritual life.) In the distance behind the concentration camp. I saw a black dragon land on the field. (The first beast of the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation is the dragon in whom Satan lives – Revelation 12.) The black dragon then turned into a multitude of black people after it landed. (Black is walking in darkness. This is the Beast of the second 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation under the mark.) Rev 13:4 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him? The black people began to run toward the concentration camp. I knew in the vision it wasn't for a good reason. (Jesus said we would be hated of all nations for His name sake. Meaning so His name would be manifest in us.) I knew from the vision that history would repeat. (Now they are killing the sowers but their spiritual children will not forget or forgive without deliverance.) I asked the Lord why did the Holocaust happen and the scripture came to mind.  Mat 27:25 And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (This is true of all Christians too who walk in willful disobedience. Heb 10:26-29  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,  27  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.  28  A man that hath set at nought Moses' law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses:  29  of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? )     Casting Out Demons Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. So, Anything you ask will happen if you believe, even mass deliverances. Mar 16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues… Mat 18:18-19 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  19  Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Luk 10:19-20 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions (orders of demons in the next verse), and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.  20  Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Can the demons return? Mat 12:43-45 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places (Wherever the “water of the Word” isn't present.), seeking rest, and findeth it not.  44  Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. (Not filled with the Word and Holy Spirit) 45  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation. (They have already been through hell so the cure is for us to pray and believe for the called and elect among them to be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Please command the demons out of the captives and pray for them to be filled with the Spirit and Word.)

In Hebrews 1:1-14 the author compares the greatness of Christ to the angels. He proclaims that Christ is far greater than the angels because he is the Son of God. As the Son of God, Christ is fully equal to the Father. He is of the same substance, the same essence, being eternal, self-sufficient, immutable, immense, and incomprehensible in his greatness. This is the God we serve. This is our Savior: Christ, both fully God and fully man.

In Hebrews 11.13-16, as in the letter as a whole, believers are challenged to remember the inherent ‘foreigner and nomad' nature of true Christianity—a challenge to live out a faith that effects the whole of one's life. Sermon by Aaron Weaver.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. (Colossians 1:11–14 NLT)   In this week of Thanksgiving, let's take time to give thanks for God's specific blessings in our lives. We'll start with the greatest gift ever given, the most amazing blessing ever bestowed, and the costliest sacrifice ever offered: salvation. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).   The gift begins with justification. Romans 5:1–2 says, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (NIV).   Being justified is a two-part process. The first part involves removing our sin and the punishment for that sin. Think about the things you've done and said that you regret or are ashamed of. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, your sins are all forgiven—and forgotten—because of Jesus' death on the cross. In Hebrews 8:12, God promises His people, “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (nlt). If you've asked Christ to forgive you, God will never hold your sins against you again. So there's no need for us to bring them up again or to beat ourselves up over them. Psalm 103:12 tells us that when God forgives us, He removes “our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (NLT).   The second part of justification involves God putting His righteousness into our account. Acts 13:38–39 says, “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God's sight” (NLT). So, you stand before God today as a righteous person. Because of Christ alone.   God has dropped one lifeline from Heaven for us to come into a relationship with Him. Only Jesus, the Son of God, was uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between a holy God that we've all offended and sinful humanity. Jesus died on the cross, in our place. And it was Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). Peter put it this way: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NLT).   Jesus finished the work of salvation. Once you believe in Him, you can rest from the weight of sin, and from your fears, forever.   Salvation is a gift so precious that even the angels in Heaven celebrate it. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away” (Luke 15:7 NLT).   Let's celebrate it too. Today, we give thanks to God for His amazing gift of salvation. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When life gets tough, who motivates you to keep going? Who's your 'us'? We all need people in our lives who push us toward love and good works. Hebrews 10:24 reminds us that God designed us to live in connection and encourage one another into action. Who can you encourage this week, and who can encourage you? Chapters:00:00 - In Hebrews 10: Irritating One Another00:27 - Psalm 6501:16 - Practicing Hope05:48 - Let us Motivate One Another10:01 - There is an Us11:59 - What is Your One Another?16:41 - How to Motivate One Another20:33 - Hebrews 10:2424:05 - Let us not neglect our meeting together25:30 - A message about service this holiday29:09 - A Proclamation on Giving34:21 - Give in Jesus Name Only39:13 - Hebrews 10:2440:27 - Thanksgiving Celebration: Who Has Given greatly?43:04 - A Moment of GratitudeRESOURCE: https://www.canyonridge.org/studies-category/practicing-hopeBLOG: https://www.canyonridge.org/blogs/ignite-hope-in-your-community